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Showing content with the highest reputation on 05/12/25 in all areas
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I have finally joined the club, and now own a short scale bass for the first time since 1984, when I sold my off-white Fender Musicmaster for £50... if only I knew! Ongoing lower back issues have forced me to consider something light and less strenuous to play, especially for long band rehearsals, so after much research and trying out a couple of basses from the fairly limited options available to me locally, I ended up ordering a Reverend Sentinel in Black from Merchant City Music in Glasgow. I'm very happy with my purchase, the sound is tight and punchy, the quality of the bass and the components is excellent and I love the 50s retro look of it - to my eyes it is much better proportioned than a lot of short scales seem to be, which I think is mainly down to the head stock size. Great value for the money, and I'm sure it will give me years of excellent service. I'd highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't tried one. Here's me with my old Fender back in the day...8 points
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Misson control has allowed me to put the speaker on the dining room table to glue the front and rear panels in. It is basically freezing up here. Doing the rear panel first. The front panel is on the right hand side of the picture. Next jobs: Glue front panel in tonight. Route the edges so there's a nice curve Solder speaker wire to the speaker <-- What size wire is OK for 250W? I definitely have AWG16 and might have some thicker in a box somewhere in my basement. I've heard AWG 14 should be used Fill and sand any problems. Paint front baffle matt black. Take off side handles and rear speakon panel, and paint the wood matt black. I'll mask this area off before the Armacab goes on. Assemble, check all OK Check it all works. Wait for warm weather to do the Armacab. - July 2027?7 points
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In the past I've found it useful to play along to drum rudiments. I also trg to vary my rhythm when playing certain songs. Perhaps most of us don't think about naming rhythms or consciously learning them, perhaps shuffles and bo diddley... or just play along to different drum machine rhythms without actually breakingthem down. I was listening to 'Add to Playlist' earlier and they mentioned Samba rhythm. It made me think 'how is a samba constructed?' I found this short video interesting: Spoiler: it does not mention samba...6 points
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So after 3 months of waiting it’s arrived, I custom ordered a Precision Bass by Luca at Alnus Basses. (Insert joke about name here) There wasn’t an awful lot of information about them on the web, so set about tracking down owners across social media outlets, general consensus was he made lovely basses. I’ve always wanted a lime green metallic P Bass but Fender custom shop prices were out of reach for me especially when buying blind. I contacted Luca and gave him the specs I wanted and went through step by step with him in regard to colour shades/pickguard colours etc. I liked the fact he made the necks and bodies out of raw materials rather than pre made husks of the shelf, all paint/relicing and pickups were done in house and I liked the thought of a bass being built in a lovely Italian village (My family originates from Italy so this was a little piece of Italy). So for the result, it’s beautifully made and very resonant! The colour may not be to everyone’s tastes but I’m really happy with it, it needed a little setup to get it how I wanted it and it’s lovely. Just waiting for amp to warm up before plugging it in, if the pickup isn’t my bag I have a couple laying around including a Fender PV60 and Seymour Duncan Quarterpound. I will more than likely fit a badass 2 bridge to it aswell which I have spare.5 points
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The first VS5 Superlight with swamp ash. Not bad.5 points
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Latest iteration and state of the board. Big fan of Evangelion and Gundam. my Anagram powers the Pirate MIDI Bridge6 with USB C, no issues, noise or dropouts. Board is a 15.7x5” Gokko from Amazon.5 points
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The amp is in excellent condition - it's super quiet and has everything you need for great bass tone. Complete with EICH carry bag, power cable and Speakon cable. According to EICH "The ultra-compact T-series amps stand out by their power, punch and drive. You will experience every nuance of your playing in a totally new and distinct way – completely unaltered but with lots of punch, just the way you like it. The well-balanced four-band tone control suits all musical styles with a perfect sound. The “TASTE” control allows you to emphasize the tonal characteristics of your instrument – everything between a wiry mid-boost, a bold slap and an ultra-fat Reggae or Motown". Jacks for FX loop, Tuner Out, Line Out, Line In and a transformer balanced pre/post switchable DI Out with ground lift lets you connect the T-series to the outside world. T-series amps are ideal for travelling around the world thanks to their voltage switch that allows operation at 230 or 115 volts 50 – 60 Hz. Extremely lightweight Ultra compact Switching power supply Class-D Poweramp Super silent digitally controlled fan Magnet Fix pins (not availible in the US) »Taste«-Filter 4-band EQ pre/post »DI out« Transformer balanced »DI out« Ground Lift switch 115 / 230V switch Preamp: solid state preamp with gain, taste, lo, lomid, himid, hi, master controls, switchable mute, DI pre/post, XLR transformer balanced DI out with Ground Lift Switch, parallel effects loop, tuner out, line out, line in Output RMS: 500 w (4 ohms), 300 w (8 ohms) Power Amp: Class D Power Consumption: 600 W Output: Speakon® combo connectors with ¼“ jack DI Out: transformer balanced, pre/post, ground lift switchable Dimensions: (W x H x D) 27 cm x 4,5 cm x 21 cm / 10.7" x 1.6" x 8.3" WEIGHT: 1,49 kg / 3,28 lbs4 points -
Since feeling a little disappointed by the lack of imagination shown in this series, I've restored my fascination with bass by rediscovering Graham Maby's brilliant playing on Joe Jackson's first two albums, Look Sharp! and I'm the Man, both from 1979. A change in my circumstances has enabled me to retrieve my teenage vinyl collection after decades in storage, and these were there, unplayed this century. I was 16 when I bought these albums and was inspired then, and even more impressed 46 years later. At only 26, Graham had pretty much mastered what he was doing. Every track on these albums is worth listening to in my opinion, for his catchy, skillful, melodic basslines that are front and centre in the mix. Each album is under 40 minutes long, with influences from new wave, reggae, rock, blues and probably more, so if you've never done so, have a listen, Graham is one of the best IMO.4 points
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Below is a headless, fretless, bodyless and neckless bass I made, you're welcome to it.4 points
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So my second originals band, Youths, has today released its debut album. Spotify link here, it should be on all the usual streaming platforms 😎4 points
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I tend to use my stuff , it’s not heavy , and I know it well. I’ve used may backline rigs over the years , and that’s why I use mine.4 points
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Sandberg California VS4 II Bass A lovely example German made, near new with gig bag. Lightweight with a superb comfy neck and low action. I own three of these and they have consistent quality. They have replaced my usual go to Precision basses for live use as they are ergonomic and easy to play over long gigs. This one comes in Marley Blue with maple board, push pull active circuit. I think the pickups are Delano - they sound like a Precision on steroids and great in a mix. Nice mids and lows. Strings are D’Addario 40-95 and new. Pickup preferred but I can post at buyer’s cost in the UK only. No trades, no offers sorry. Selling as my 70’s Precision isn’t shifting and I need to move some gear on. The necks on all three of my Sandberg basses are superb - very stable and comfortable to play. Price reduction pre Christmas. Sorry no offers. If it doesn’t go at this price I’ll hold it back for now. Great German made bass.3 points -
Today, I went to each of those three shops. I took with me my AKG headphones, and some sheet music Rose Morris had the Kawai ES60, and the Kawai ES120. I preferred the ES60 - great feel, strong and boldly realistic sounds. There was an immediate and lively response to my playing. The keyboard felt a little tiring on my fingers, but I put that down to fact that I rarely play a proper weighted piano, and because the device was mounted quite high up. Slim form, good speakers, entry-level pricing: if that was the only option available to me, I would be entirely satisfied. The ES120? On paper, the specifications were better. But under my fingers, it didn't work as well, for me. It was somehow more polite, more sophisticated, and it lost the energy of the ES-60. The sales guy explained that the ES-60 had a shorter travel on the keys than the ES120. So, shorter travel means that there is less delay - and more immediacy. On to the Kawai ES920, just to see what a blank cheque would get me. Incredible feel and sound, and clearly a stage piano. However, the sound of the keys was the noisiest of the bunch. Not a problem for the stage, but potentially annoying when someone else is listening to the noise of the keyboard, without music. The quietest keyboard? The ES-60. Next door but one, and into the corporate world of Roland. No entry level Roland FP10 Digital Piano on display, but the Roland FP-30X Digital Piano had the same piano action. An incredible instrument! Lively and responsive, allowing for lots of expression and emotion when I played. And that model (unlike the FP10) allowed for three expression pedals, which is essential for Grade 4, I am told. The grand piano sounded huge, the string sound lush and expressive. For me, the Roland was the instrument that I wanted to play at home. The Yamahas? I tried a P145. It was....okay. Again, I would be perfectly grateful for it. However, it didn't excite me. So, in conclusion, it was important for me to have tried the keyboards, before I invest in one.3 points
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Now, I agree with 99% of your posts BUT not this one; music for me is about feeling and irrespective of all the total audio logic you’ve talked, a big rig makes me feel good when I play and for me that beats the logic. My Mesa rig makes no sense acoustically but a lot of sense emotionally, and that what works for me, it’s not an objective space after all 👍3 points
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Each to their own pal. You're not right and you're not wrong. You do you, I'll do me and the other guy can do him. All the above is great for you. I like a big rig so humbug to your response! 😜3 points
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This is an ace thread! I'm in an originals band called Fred The Fool - it's folk(ish) pop/rock. The name's from a silly old Lincolnshire folk story - our frontman's an archaeologist and a lot of the songs draw from local history around Lincoln. The line-up is: lead vocals/acoustic guitar, piano/accordian, mandolin/acoustic guitar, drums/percussion, bass/upright (me!) We've spent the last year and half forming and recording about 12 songs, which are in various stages of production now. Some of them feature cool musicians - Graham Rorie from Gnoss plays some really nice fiddle on a few of our tracks - amazing how many folk are just an Instagram DM away! Currently working on our live set for an album launch gig in February 2026. The plan's to record/film that too, circulate it with some promoters we know and see what happens? We did our first little gig the other week and it went pretty well - we've really just been focused on recording and producing the songs, so it was a fun challenge to try them out live! Snazzy website: https://www.fredthefool.com3 points
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I've got one incoming. Just placed the order with @Bass Direct 😬3 points
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That one has been on eBay for a while - so the seller may be amenable to a lower offer. If I didn't already have a similar-looking cricket bat (mine in black from Hohner) I might have had a pop. As it is somebody else can have an emergency, easily-transportable fretless that also doubles as a door stop or weapon.3 points
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Who knows! I have wondered what happened to it though... It was my entry to the world of bass and I'm still trying to master it some 40 years later!!3 points
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I haven't tried the Spectracomp but I've used the Hypergravity, and assuming it's similar you ought to be able to achieve all that with a 2- or 3- band preset, especially if they have gain on each of the bands. Tbh a good 1176-esque preset ought to get you most of the way there without even needing multiband. In general I find: - fast attack/fast release will even out the note attack and sustain, which helps with upper-mid clarity but can choke the bass end a bit hard which is where sidechain HPF comes in handy. - slow attack/slow release will emphasise picking attack over a controlled deep note to give you that soft-picked soul sound. - you can adust ratio and threshold together in a compensatory fashion so that you achieve similar amount of overall gain reduction with either high threshold, high ratio, or low threshold, low ratio. However you do it I find aiming for 3-6dB average reduction is about right for really filling out the sound. For fast settings this'll mean very briefly hitting quite hard (9dB plus) on peaks especially if you dig in or slap. - if you're multibanding, the switch frequency from low to mid-band takes a bit of fiddling to suit pickups and your taste in the low mids, which is quite critical to the body of the sound IME. My own general-purpose pop/rock/funk preference is chaining a slower compressor into a faster compressor, with a ratio no more than 4:1 on each, each taking off the aforementioned 3-6dB. A lot of people will do it the other way round (1176 into LA2/3A is conventional wisdom) but this way worked much better for me.3 points
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These two owe me peanuts. This is off a '70s Aria Primary Bass; it was truly knackered when I got it, so there's been a load of tinkering. I put a knock-off Jazz neck on it earlier this year as it was cheaper than a refret. It's gnarly. Bolted this one together this summer. Cheap MIM Jazz body, Precision neck from the same seller as above. Filled the bridge pickup rout, installed a reverse P pickup. Owes me about £200.00. Also gnarly. I have a brace of very expensive basses, but I adore these.3 points
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I really would rather not sell this as I searched for it for years but our impending house move forces sale. 2004 Fender USA jazz deluxe in cherry burst with gorgeous flame maple top, gold hardware, block inlays, 22 frets and a big upgrade of an East 3 band preamp. It has the skinniest neck, weighs under 4kg, plays like a dream, is in near mint condition including the gold hardware and comes in the original G&G deluxe case. It really is a beauty but I need to downsize. I should add that it benefits from a recent fret level, crown and polish with new D’Addario prosteels. It honestly plays like a dream. It also has some ne of the best book matched flame tops I’ve seen….. Can deliver or meet up an hour from the Wirral or will post anywhere. Thanks for looking.3 points -
Indeed! Been with them since 2019.3 points
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3 points
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Maple Road Rockfield Music & Media Saturday 7-10 Germantown "Come check out the coolest living room house party around! BYOB and kick back and enjoy some up close rockin' blues! Special guest Kevin Henkel on drums for this one! " Always a good gig here. We always pack this place. I'm still concerned about dep drummers. But it is what it is. I'm not picky about backline amps anymore. Here's a Pic of the provided rig. Daryl3 points
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No photos but the seven piece "little big band" packed the hall last night with over 100 people and very few seats left empty. We have had very few rehearsals and only a couple of gigs in a store and a museum where we just played as folks walked by and I was expecting a pretty ragged show but the band came together really well and we even had to play an encore which is very unusual at this venue. We had two vocalists with us last night for the first time and both did a fine job on some Christmas tunes and classic jazz vocals and they also did a couple of duets and the audience loved them. Usual rig, Shen SB100 and Realist Life Line pickup with NuX wireless into a music stand mounted Schatten Design preamp that only has a volume control into a Bose PA and I had some good comments from a double bass player about my sound and playing. I love having that preamp right on the music stand, I can easily adjust my volume to fit the song. The band played well and the crowd was really with us, all in all a very good night.3 points
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Considering selling this beautiful bass. I bought it for a specific gig where I needed a 4 string but find myself playing a 5 string jazz 95% of the time so it doesn’t get much use. I would consider trades for short or medium scale basses, preferably with cash my way, but would also consider topping up a bit for a Wilcock or similar. It’s nice and light (8.96lbs) and has a beautiful trans teal finish. I’ve included the original photos from Fender Fever as they show the colour better than mine do. It’s in great condition for its age, there’s some checking on the finish and a couple of dings. The two most noticeable being the one to the top left on the pickguard as you look at the bass, this is a a dent in the clear coat and hasn’t gone further. The other is a small ding in the back of the neck (see my photos), it’s small and doesn’t interfere with playing but wanted to mention. Any questions, let me know. Thanks2 points -
Stingray Classic Bass in rare Lake Tahoe Blue which is very similar to Lake Placid Blue with birdseye maple fretboard and neck from 2011. The body is made of ash and it’s general condition is 9/10 for it’s age with a small mark on the front of the bass (see photos) and the usual swirls on the pickguard, weight is 4.6kg. Also comes with a standard Musicman hardcase. Price £1,850 including full insured shipping. Also happy for anyone to come around and play it in my studio in Coalisland. Sale available to people living in Northern Ireland and UK mainland only. I have also advertised the bass on Ebay and Reverb but at a higher price due to commisson if you prefer to purchase it that way.2 points -
A pair of high quality speaker cables, manufactured by OBBM. Neutrik connectors and Klotz LY240T cable. Each one is just over 1 metre in length. £30 £10 each, collected. Happy to post if required, probably an additional £4-£5.2 points -
Up for sale is my 45 year old 1980 Fender Precision Elite in excellent condition with the exception of one lacquer ding on the bottom edge. Set up beautifully it weighs in at a meaty 4.3kgs, has a wider profile 43mm nut width but somehow plays brilliantly Features are single split coil pickup, active boost electronics, schaller fine tune bridge, and gold hardware which is in remarkably good nick for a 45 year old. Comes in an equally vintage and robust hard case. I should add that it benefits exits from a recent fret level, crown and polish plus it has new D’Addario prosteels. This is the best sounding P I’ve owned thanks to the subtle active circuit. I'll be sad to see it go but our impending house move forces a bit of a clear out. Can meet up within an hour of The Wirral or deliver anywhere (surely no courier could penetrate this case and even if they did, the bass would fight back.....)2 points -
I have an irrational desire for a Markbass amp. I've got a Fender Bassman, Ash down ABM 600 rig and two separate multi effects pedals with good quality amp Sims. Yet when I hear someone playing through a Markbass rig there's a quality to the sound I am struggling to replicate: the punch. Is this baked in to Markbass amps? Or, is this something I can recreate with EQ and compression or something else? Unfortunately my multis (Headrush MX5 and Boss ME-90B) do not have a Markbass SIM. If I bought a third amp, would I even use it? I've gone in-ears now and my amps are becoming less and less used for gigs.2 points
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I use 13A twin core mains cable.2 points
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Went to see GNOME last Friday. That. Was. Awesome.2 points
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Cool looking bass! One you would actually want to own and play. Mine was a short scale Vox. I think it was called a Clubman or similar. It had two surfy looking chrome covered pickups and an ashtray bridge cover. It got off loaded onto me by a school friend who had decided he wanted to play drums instead. I had not idea about scale lengths, truss rods, or intonation. I remember it being horrendously out most of the time but I had no idea how to fix it. After leaving that school band, I didn’t touch a bass again until I was in my 60s, the experience was so traumatic. I definitely would not want to buy that bass back!2 points
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Same here, you can’t beat it, if I had the space (which I’m working on) I’d have the biggest Ampeg rig I could get2 points
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Sadly these days I just walk away at the slightest sniff of scam, both as buyer and seller. Luckily most scammers are lazy and generic so they're easy to spot, but some are certainly more subtle, and a few are downright cunning. But for me there is a 100% watertight rule, trust your gut; if it feels dodgy, shut it down. There is a very good scientific database behind our evolved and largely subconscious ability to detect deception and cheating in others. But there's a problem and scammers understand that problem very well; the apprehension and anxiety that feeds into our gut feeling can be over-ridden by hope and its cognitive consequences; "I feel like it's dodgy (anxiety) but I want it to be legit (hope) and think how good it would be if it was....". Excitement! Anxiety is an evolutionarily ancient and tried and trusted emotion. Hope and excitement less so. Always trust your anxiety 👍 Apols for lecture, been a long week and i need a beer2 points
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This happened to my all-laminate bass last year. It's a rough-ass gigging bass and has had a pretty hard life to be fair. A friend who is more of a guitar tech, injected some hyde glue in the gap and clamped it for a couple of days and it has been good as gold ever since.2 points
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Liking the Entropia sounds...2 points
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Yeah, for me too, but I do get worn out teaching 50,000 members all day.2 points
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Otis Jay Blues Band head into their fifth year with a new lead singer - if we can keep hold of Cecilia, we have a bright future (hopefully). Vocals/keys, guitar, drums, bass/vocals and harmonica. Trying to diversify into original material - a slow process - so maybe we can get bookings in blues clubs and festivals. As far as it goes, we play anywhere on the (Deep) South coast adjacent to Bournemouth.2 points
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Let's Lynch The Landlord! - Dead Kennedys2 points
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Me too. It's a never-ending journey! My first bass was a new short-scale Watkins Rapier in pale blue like the one pictured below. At the time I didn't even know there were different scale lengths available. Just got it because it was the only thing in our local guitar shop that I could afford. Paid £31 IIRC. If a used one of these came up I'd buy it in a heartbeat. Watkins Rapier bass 1965.avif2 points
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A 15 ½ hour used tobe a leap of faith, but the K1 Max is, so far, very reliable. The slicer is basically a version of Cura. These days a 'mesh' is printed to support undersurfaces. The tree supports came loose with a gentle press and the finish on the supported surfaces needs no finishing.2 points
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This was one of my favourite 'saves'. Yes - Imgur photos no longer show, but I have all of the photos used in the thread here somewhere. If there're any photos you specifically want to see, let me know and I'll post them here. Andy2 points
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I just don't have time to set up the bass amp at gigs. I have to sort out everything from helping drummer unload and get started on his kit to sorting out the PA speakers and most of the cabling for mains sockets, PA and lights. After i've done all that i try and get time to tune the bass and make sure the amp is all ok. At that point everyone else is set up and they just want to sound check and i've had a few words on occasion that i also need time to set up my own gear but i have to remind them all every now and again. Historically guitar and bass didn't go thru the PA so it had to be a decent sound. These days most of our gigs we use a PA Hire and i thought that would give me more time but i'm finding that i'm now stage arranger sorting out where PA companies kit goes on stage. Anyways i do enjoy it all but it means i struggle to get time for my own gear so my amp is left exact same settings every gig except for the master volume. I do tweak it if i decide to use a different bass. I just wouldn't get time to try out a provided backline to my satisfaction. However as time goes on i can see me falling into same thoughts as you guys. 🤩 Dave2 points
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If we can keep the stage volume low it will be fine. I'm more concerned about the dep drummer. We just call these guys in with no rehearsal. We don't play anything difficult and we expect them to fall in line. Daryl2 points
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I am constantly grateful for a rig where I can have amp on a shoulder strap, cab in one hand and bass in the other.2 points
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Tempted to start a rumour that he’s gone on to Ric’s but don’t wanna get chucked off the tour. That’s mine making itself comfortable.2 points
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I bought this bass on here a couple of years ago - NBD thread is here and my initial comments still hold true. I have ended up playing it less than I thought because (1) 3 months later I bought an NG2, and (2) I have ended up on lead guitar in my glam rock project! For anyone unaware, the D-Roc is Dingwall's take on the Gibson Thunderbird bass, but with more flexible pickup options and no neck dive. The scale length ranges from 34in (G) to 37in (E). If you haven't tried a fan-fret before, be prepared to spend at least 15 seconds getting used to it! The electronics are passive and comprise of volume, pickup selector, and tone. This bass has a huge tonal range from the FD3-N Neodymium-magnet pickups but I feel like I want something a bit more conventional-looking for my non-Precision moments. This is a bass that wants to be hit by stage lighting! Modifications The 'scratch plate' sticker has been removed. I have changed the tone cap from 47nF to 100nF for more range on the tone pot. I had a chicken-head knob on the pickup selector switch as it is easier to see/feel where it is (see last photo). I have returned it to stock but I am including the other knob - it is an easy swap, just pull it off (oh please!), no tools required. The bass comes with the originall Dingwall gig bag as pictured, and the Dunlop strap lock attachments to go on your strap - they plug into 2 metal sockets, one by the neck heel, the other in the middle of the back (hence it balances perfectly on a strap). It is currently strung with Elixir Nano Web Nickel Plated 045-105 Extra Long (set E14087) and there is a worn set of black Paysons in the gig bag for emergencies. Condition is as per the photos. There is a small unfilled hole on the back of the headstock where a D-tuner has been fitted by a previous owner. Weight 3.8kg (8lb 6oz). Neck width 43mm at the nut, 56mm at the 12th fret (both measured straight across the neck from the treble side). I'm looking for £1,150 on collection or meet-up. I can travel a reasonable distance from Swindon if it helps, just PM me to discuss. If you prefer to buy new, go to Bass Direct and hand over another £600 in their sale... Trades Fender (or possibly Squier) Jazz. I do have very specific requirements and unreasonable dislikes, but by all means hit me up!2 points -
Any message that is clearly generic ("please show me your product") is always a massive red flag.2 points
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