Leaderboard

On Saturday we played at Gagarin205 in Athens - the venue looked fantastic lit up at night. Sadly I only have a daytime pic: and an aerial view of the soundcheck in moody black and white: and a view of the audience from the stage: We sold 1200 tickets. The venue was full. Punters were being turned away! We had a few technical gremlins but overall it was a successful (and profitable) adventure. My kit for the night: EBMM Sterling 4HH> Shure GLXD16+ wireless> Empress compressor> Cog CE-2B clone(some songs)> DHA EQ >DI Box (split off to PA) > locally Ampeg B5R > Ampeg 4x10 PS - Athens was full of Scotsmen attending the football:

So she has arrived. Quick unboxing on my lunch hour with full details/review etc to follow. My 1976 P bass 😍

The cables that came with my TE amp weren't in the best condition. But I was in the electrical aisle at ASDA a couple of days ago and spotted this lime green mains extension reel. Being in the "mains flex is fine for speaker cable" camp a lightbulb appeared over my head! Edit: Jacks and XLRs for speaker leads do give me the heebie-jeebies and I did think about converting my cabinets to speakon but that was faff and I thought it might devalue them should I sell.

Had the 1st rehearsal with the new 'Journey' tribute 'Raised On Journey' on Sunday. Played my new purple/blackburst Spector Euro CST through MY GK400RB into the studio's own TE410 with just my Chorus pedal (for when required). Boosted the mids on the GK for that Ross Valory bass tone and 'Bob was very definitely my Uncle'! Everyone had done their homework, including splitting the harmony vocals and I have to say that we sounded damn impressive for a 1st bash through! Looking forward to nailing the finer points and taking it all to the next level 😎

Already shipped, will be here tomorrow.

Is it from Bez?

Using jacks for cabinets is a terrible idea, as this photo clearly shows:

I put a "Bassist available" ad. on Gumtree. I've just had this reply: "Hi. I have a germ of an idea that I'd like to discuss with you. I have no musical ability whatsoever. I can't sing, and I can't play any musical instrument. There is almost certainly no money to be made from my idea, although there is a musical aspect to it. Intrigued? Curious? Ring me on........."

Just ordered one from Andertons (I think).

¿Cuál es el mejor bajo para metal?

Personally delighted that the Govt are introducing this reform: https://www.theguardian.com/money/2025/nov/17/reselling-tickets-for-profit-to-be-outlawed-in-uk-government-crackdown Great news for those of us wanting to see live music having saved up for the actual face value ticket price (although these can be eye-watering!) and not some ridiculous rip-off figure. The only remaining fly in the ointment is the continued ability of the online platforms to charge a "service fee", but hopefully this will also be capped to a reasonable amount.

Unfortunately i don't have an amp here at the moment as it is at our studio so haven't heard her fully sing yet. Acoustically she is very vibrant and resonant, great neck and very well set up from @Willfunk at Bass Bros. As per the original advert - she has a route under the pickguard presumably for some previous active electronics, you cant tell at all with the pickguard on tho and in person the route is much smaller than the pics suggested. Original pickups are back in situ and the only non original parts seems to be the pots and the plastic pickup covers. I have a battered old bridge cover that ill stick on and ill seek out a suitably worn looking thumb rest. I do have some worn looking pup covers but the lugs are too large for the pickguard so will source some others. Look forward to getting the amp back from the studio to hear her properly. After that, despite being a flats player, this will get a set of Fender 7150's (the pure nickels) and become my number 1

I enjoy them basically calling you out! 😁

In for a penny etc. Annoying creaking noise, source identified, trip to luthier, frightening estimate for diagnosis and repair, DIY aesthetic engaged. DB friends over the pond advise and encourage. What could go wrong? Its just wood and glue. And a £2k vintage collectors bass... Tools out, nerve held. Top off. Cat impressed. A little bit of splintering. Oops. Chance to clean up the inside, label was almost invisible under 80 years of grime. 1114 = 1937 The problem. Bottom block partially detached from ribs (and from front, removed). Bass bar reinforced (precautionary) with hot-hide-soaked calico. Hot hide liberally applied. Ribs heated and clamped. Broom handle is strut holding rib 'garland' open to avoid creep. Homemade spool clamps ready to go. 20 of them for under £30! (cf £180 at Allparts...) I like a challenge. The advice and encouragement I'm getting from caring pros has been amazing, essential and comforting. Wish me luck ... top refit next weekend probably. I want to leave that block clamped for a good week, with occasional heating to coax the ribs back into line. CAVEAT: IF YOU CAN AFFORD A LUTHIER, JUST PAY THEM!

Back when I were a lad!

Things looking up slightly on employment front, hope to make this

At least I was honest...

To the contrary, the NS-5XL (and the Euro 5 that is based on it) is my all time favorite instrument, I'm using my NS-5XL for much of the recordings I do and play Euros live exclusively. I sold that particular bass because I liked my other NS-5XL better. It was actually a NAMM bass with a one-off violin finish, as they were calling it and was a great playing and sounding bass but one can't have them all (unless one is @cetera) Can't remember the exact selling price but it was around £2,000. Good old times...... edit: I sold it in end of 2017 / early 2018

"I haven't seen the programme, and I haven't got much information about it - but it'll be wrong and has annoyed me" (Basschat, 2025) It reminds me of an always grumpy old relative of mine that was complaining to me about the tide is 'always doing what you don't want it to do' last time we spoke. Literally complaining about gravity and an effect that means the tide is in just as much as it's out.

Looks like no option as regards 64/66 version but looks an extra switch in the “amp out” of “hi cut” and “lo cut”. Looks like three options on the DI cab sim output too!

Someone posted eariy

Brooks SparkleBird. In Cobalt Blue candy finish

Here's my latest bass build... Built from reclaimed Scaffold Boards and old floorboards with a mystery veneer on top.....🤟🏻👍🏻

My two boards updated: Board #2: Simple. Peterson Tuner-->JHS Prestige-->Ampeg Opto Comp-->JHS Colourbox v2. I use the Prestige to give a little boost and also to have similar signals from different basses. The Ampeg Opto Comp because I wanted an optical compressor and I kinda like it. And the JHS Colourbox is a really really good clean preamp. I made this board because last time I recorded for a singer, the producer just use a Neve kind of preamp and an LA2A compressor and I just love the sound. The Colourbox is the closer I got in a pedal. The Opto Comp might be replaced in the future, but so far, so good. And this is my main board: A few days ago Jad Freer uploaded this image. I must admit that it took me some time to fully understand its potential and I think it is a game changer (for me). With the HX Stomp I always had this "internal fight" that if I put the preamp before the HX Stomp (or in the loop) I lose the ability to have a DI, and if I put it at the end, there are some effects that are affected by the preamp. With this solution, I can have the Capo anywehre in the chain inside the HX Stomp and still being able to use the DI. I can even use both DIs out because one would be still totally clean and the other one with all the chain. So this is my pedalboard, plain and "not-so" simple: Canvas Tuner-->Jad Freer Capo In the loop: HX Stomp In the loop of the HX Stomp: Cali76 With this pedalboard, I can have the Cali76 and the Capo anywhere in the chain of the HX Stomp. I hace currently a chorus effect after the Capo and it sounds much better after than before it.

The problem with crimp, especially those Faston crimps, is that they vary in quality. Some are too tight to fit on the blade and others are just too loose. At the speaker end, the issue is more that it is hard to keep the soldering iron away from the magnet. As for sealing the speakons, the speakons themselves usually form a reasonable seal with the panel. Jacks are a different matter. There are very few jacks that are sealed, and I once borrowed a cab the kept whistling. Of course, we all like a happy cabinet, but it was disturbing. The temporary solution was to put a jack plug into the unused socket. The long term solution, if you MUST use a jack plug, is to use the Cliff S1K Sealed Jacks. These can be purchased from RS, Cliff sealed jacks. Here is the PDF of the range. Cliff Data Sheet It should be remembered that these are rated at 5 amps. So 200 Watts into 8 ohms or 125 Watts into 4 ohms. OK for gig bag amps lie the Elf and Gnome but anything else use speakons.

Basschat is GB News for musicians.

Cab OFF! Yay!

@Misdee I'm obviously not going to change your mind, but I'm not at all convinced by the alternatives you put forward. Apart from JJ Burnel who had an interesting sound (if you could get past the thuggery and misogyny for which there was no excuse even back in 1977) they were just bass players in their bands and if they weren't also the singer, fairly anonymous. Sting is far more interesting as a songwriter than he is as a bass player. The only remarkable thing about him as a bass player is that most of the early Police songs were played on fretless bass, although if you hadn't seen them live you were unlikely to know that. I suspect that you and me were listening to completely different bands back in the early 80s, but IME if you weren't plodding away at 1/8 root notes or slapping, then you were trying to be Mick Karn or Peter Hook. Maybe it's because what Hooky did was easy and within the reach of almost anyone who picked up a bass that you don't like it? However you can't deny that he changed perceptions of how his choice of instrument could fit into a band and song arrangement. There's not many musicians playing any instrument who can say that.

Try Monkey Wrench. Foo Fighters basslines songs are deceptive, full of syncopation, space, unintuitive structure. Even their simplest songs will add a beat, drop a bar or stick in an unexpected rhythm change.

Yup this gap, and that front face of the block which was detached from the front. Also explains the angled end pin. Exactly as I deduced must be the case. You can all laugh at me when I'm head in hands with an expired bass and a top that wont glue back on straight... Or you can applaud as I proudly play it back to life! (fingers crossed)

I think the grifter seller's trying to say they've stuck a set of Seymour Duncans in it - although the other interpretation does sound like prime Ebay AI bullsh!t! If so I suppose that might raise their total outlay on this mess to about £200. Excluding the power consumed by running a belt sander for 10 minutes.

Quite pleased with this shot the wedding photographer got of my bass at my brother-in-law's wedding a few weeks ago.

Here's one of my current builds...... The body is made from an old hardwood door and old floorboards with another mystery veneer on top...... I'm going to handmake the bridge on this one out of polished aluminium..........👍🏻🤟🏻

Thats a lovely clean Precision Pow, the rout would not bother me either, out of sight out on mind. Your health to enjoy it

I use the combo speakon/jack sockets, so I can swing either way.

Well technically you can if your 'clean' tone is just the clean DI in bypass with or without Cab Sim.

I learnt that one last year. It really is good and more tricky than I expected, mostly because of the weird rhythms. All REM bass lines are great to play.

I think I've played with this person. A lot of enthusiasm, no ability and a huge amount of weed. Actually, that describes three guitarists I've encountered.

In practice, well-made spade connections are more reliable. A proper crimp tool causes cold-welding, there is better strain relief, and a little spring bit on the spade engages the hole in the tab so it can't vibrate loose. It's been widely demonstrated that soldering wires to crimp connectors decreases their fatigue life. Thus is why crimps are ubiquitous for automotive and aetospace applications.

If it helps this is the back of the Speakon sockets. They are neatly marked as +1 and -1 the +1 is connected to the +1 on the second socket and then to the + or red terminal on the speaker. If you use a jack socket then you are very naughty, but the tip of the jack is the +1 and the sleeve is the -1.

Well, I had been ill since Thursday, nothing major - just a lurgy but ill enough to mean I didn't get around to sorting out the tuners until today. I won't bore you with a complete step by step - the results of polishing are great but the process isn't exactly a spectator sport. But to give you an idea of the amount of difference I was making... Anyway, very long story short - all tuner parts rinsed of cola, dried, polished, reassembled and greased. Frets polished. Fretboard and headstock polished. Tuners reinstalled - had to put some cocktail stick and wood glue in a few of the holes as the screws were just spinning. String tree polished. Doesn't look that shiny now, but it looks a damn sight better than when it got here. And I don't have to wash my hands after tuning it up, so that's a bonus!