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Update. I'm in. The band were supposed to audition another bassist tomorrow, but he forgot about it......😁 His loss. I'm chuffed. First rehearsal tomorrow night.

I'm not sure if it has been posted before, if so, always worth another thread. 'Martha Reeves live in concert'. It's not very long (22 minutes) and there are a few top players by the looks of it. Some posters have named the band. Jamerson, Joe Sample (Keys), Wah Wah Watson & Dennis Coffey (Gtrs), Jim Keltner (Drums), Ollie E. Brown (percussion), Steve Doc Kupka (sax) Emilio Castillo (trumpet) Both from Tower of Power. George Bohannon (trombone) Maxine Willard, Maxine Waters, and Clydie King on back up vox. And, of course, Martha on top form!!

A bit more progress on this one today, with equal parts satisfaction and quiet concern. The roasted maple neck has had a test fit into the wenge & elm body (dry fit only). Alignment and scale are behaving themselves, centreline is where it should be, and for once nothing has tried to fight back. Always suspicious when that happens. I’ve also been polishing the gloss poly finish, which has reached the stage where it looks finished enough to give you false confidence, but still has plenty of opportunities left to catch you out. This build was started before I’d properly refined my build process, so there are still a couple of jobs left that now feel… character-building. Chief among them is drilling the bridge earth hole, which is one of those operations where you stare at the body for ten minutes, measure it again, stare some more, and then wonder why you ever thought this was a good idea. Still, progress is progress. Next update will either involve a neat earth wire… or a lesson learned. It would be rude not to mention that a worrying amount of today’s progress was made possible by my Narex chisels, which continue to justify their place on the bench every single time I pick them up. Sharp, predictable, and refreshingly uninterested in drama, they’re basically the opposite of most of my builds. Clean cuts, no tearing, no surprises — just quietly getting on with the job while I mutter “that’s lovely” to myself like a man who’s spent far too long in a workshop.

I’ve had a Japanese Geddy Lee body hanging around for a while, did contemplate selling it at one point but never got round to it, then I started looking at a few options for it I did consider until very recently a fretless neck, I did see a mex’ neck for sale but didn’t take it any further The local Cello player tried to persuade me to sell it and he had a Japanese 70’s neck lined up for it in the meantime a very neglected Mexican jazz bass came into my possession for some much needed TLC, so I borrowed the neck off it and it worked well, but only a short term solution as the neck needs to go back from where it came at some Point so I continued to casually look for an alternative This came up last week, a Klos carbon neck, slightly unusual looking compared to a traditional neck with the 3+1 head stock and off set position markers but it appealed to me, after some research a deal was done It’s a very wet and windy day in Manchester so a good day to play with necks After I told the local cello player what neck I’d bought, he did suggest adding a black pick guard, sounds like a good idea, so if you have one knocking about, let me know

Mmm I like the colour of that bass! If I find it, I'm keeping it! 🤣

Forgot to present my new one to the Society: Ibanez EHB 1000S. 100% Short-scaler from now.

He’s been shut down

So sorry to see this, if we get offered anything here I will let you know immediately

Ray Shulman was the main bass player for Gentle Giant (as well as guitar, violin and other instruments) You don't have to be a fan of prog rock to appreciate just what a fantastic musician and composer he was. Here's a worthwhile video where other musicians and composers talk about him and give examples of his incredibly original bass lines.

More pics... Shape oversize cut prior to routing...

It might just be knocking around a depot somewhere. Years ago I had a bass that went missing for a couple of days (my Zoot in a massive Warwick flight case) which was shipped via PF24 or whatever it was called then. The only reason it made its way to me within the same week was our Parcel Force guy (I worked for a mail order company that used PF almost exclusively at the time) spotted it leaning up against a wall, recognised he'd delivered waaaaaay too many similarly shaped boxes to me and checked the label. So really the moral of the story is the more basses you buy the safer you are.

I assume you’ve thought of politely suggesting that if they don’t like the bucket going round then they could always just pay you, out of the extra bar takings that the jam brings in.

Hi guys, Just recorded a video in 4k so you can really see the detail of the body with the glassy finish... yep still in good condition after all these years!

I have had to wait but I have only had positive experiences with both brothers & Toby. I think maybe because they have been so overwhelmed with phone calls and emails & have probably been inundated with so many orders and then the after effects of that they have dealt with things the best way they can whilst still getting basses out the door. They probably have ways of dealing with customers to keep the peace whilst getting on with building the massive backlog... We all knew the situation when ordering a bass from them, they would have warned us, which they did & I was posting about it here. I have zero issues with the time I've waited and the customer service, it's all expected & in my case has been really good. Whenever I have contacted them and they gave me a response it's been really polite & helpful. I'm really looking forward to the basses arriving & in fact it's come at a great time when I have got past the honeymoon period with my first Jaydee!

That's bad, and sadder still that you no longer wish to even own the bass. You will be able to make a clear profit for sure, but the emotional investment and ultimate disappointment are something else. I wonder if paying in full up front disincentivised completion; I'd like to think not, but plenty of custom builders businesses have ended that way. I always finished my phone calls with the "promise" to call again in a couple of weeks just to keep informed (be that squeaky wheel). Obviously, John's passing has been a massive loss to Jaydee, but knowingly giving false information/hope is unacceptable for any business. I'm hoping Andrew is still the one giving truthful replies; I'd recommend asking to speak with him whoever picks up, he always updated me, whether the news was good or otherwise.

Philosophers call this "Qualia" which is losely defined as the "what it is like" of experiencing something. The kicker is that we can never know what it is like to experience something from someone else's perspective, and thus the best we have is indirect evidence from others who act/report the same sort of things as we do for a given experience/stimuli. There's also the fact that while not identical, our biology is close enough to other's to infer that what I experience as the colour "red" is most likely pretty similar to what you experience, but we can never know for sure. Probably the most famous discussion on this is Thomas Nagels' "What is it like to be a bat". But this is high falutin philosophy, with IEMs it probably is just minor differences in ear shape!!

This is what I’m down to now and couldn’t be happier with it, Starlifter is immense and the Anagram does everything I could ask for really, only took me a net loss of about £2k buying selling pedals to arrive here 😁

Mantle is here! Won’t be able to plug it in until later 😬

I used my Plunge Audio Dynamics for the first time yesterday.... A bit of background: I use my existing IEMs occasionally, mainly under protest. They're KZ ZS10s, but they always sound brittle, fizzy and uninspiring to me, so I stick with my ACS attenuators and a monitor whenever I can. That setup is a bit of a clart on for the band and our engineer, so I promised myself I’d finally make the leap. I did some research (not easy, given the sheer volume of ChiFi IEMs out there muddying the waters) and also looked at more expensive options like ACS. In the end, I landed on the Plunge Dynamics. Handmade in Canada, they’re not custom moulds, but they still offer 15dB of attenuation. There’s also a pricier, non-ported stage version that provides even more isolation, but they Dynamics seemed to suit my needs. They're a single dynamic driver rather than a complex array of dynamics and armatures like most IEMS. I was hoping that would translate into a warmer, more natural sound, and I was right... they’re a genuine revelation. As soon as I put them in, I could tell they're night-and-day compared to the KZs. They're so immersive, with a real sense of air and warmth, without feeling isolated. The bass is round and dynamic. I went through soundcheck and the gig without giving them a second thought. They’re beautifully made and packaged, with high-quality accessories, and they arrived from Canada in just a few days. If you’re in the market for new IEMs, they’re definitely worth a look...

After my short-scale revolution due to the Sire U5, i started to look after a 4 strings short scale with 24 frets. ( Yes, i'm using the fret 24 from during solos ) And i've seen than Ibanez has proposed a shortscale version in EHB familly. (Three years ago i've been closed to receive a EHB 1500 DEF for my 50's birtdhay gift, finally dismissed by a Markbass Kimandu at last minut) So it was a now perfect occasion to finally grab one. She's arrived few days ago, and is a wildest animal than my Sire at first glance. It's been a real work to make her become softer. Unplugged: very nice resonance, nice vibe; already singing. Neck is one of the most comfortable i never played. Slightly wider and less thicker than the U5 one. Neck wood is absolutely beautiful. Fret work is perfect, thin frets i dig. Weight is 7,16 pounds. Perfectly balanced when strapped, straight wrist to play and not any discomfort to play F note on E string. Very smooth touch. Small defect already beat to death in the EHB topic: inlays are near to invisible on fretboard and neck edge. I will have to add some visible dots on neck edge. First plug in my amp: Heeeelp me !!! Deaf sound, rough, becoming aggressive as soon as i touch the preamp. So, after a deep dive in the TB EHB topic, i've tried all advised modifications: - In first remove the neutrik jack lock lever. It was really painful to remove the cable - Move a connector on the circuit board: + 6db. Meh, more level and a very little more clarity but more overdrive as soon as i touch the preamp - Move a second connector on the circuit board: VMS -> BE3Q: voicing change. Not very better, still deaf and rough tone. A little more trebly but in an agressive way. - Wiring modification from serial to parrallel: Night and day ! Pickup are becoming suddenly more precise, sound more open. Preamp strats to be nice and effective. It still misses something in the mid department. Voicing is very mid-scoop and too trebly. Of course preamp can now correct things but it doesn't seem to add some thickness to the overall tone. Something is still missing. Ok, plan B: give back stock soapbars to my Markbass Kimandu, and get her actual Bartolini US BC4CBC to put it in the EHB. 4 holes drilling in the bass: original BH2 have two holes when my bart US have 3 -> Welcome to the sound and power of US bart: much more beautifull mid, and bartolini flavour all around. The bass is more precise, powerfull; even in passive mode. But overall tone is still a little deaf side mainly on the E string, as if the power would take precedence on note definitions. Strange. Ok, so mixing this impression with previous modifications tried, i decide to re-wire the US barts in parallel. And finally: WOO HOO ! Same night and day impression than with the BH2 but this time with nice mids, beautifull treble. The Preamp start to work nicely, and perfom sweet little corrections. Pickups: Neck side: if you're after a PB tone, this bass is not for you. Nice round neck sound but on the modern side. Bridge side: close too jazzbass sound. Two pickups together: It could be a jazzbass, on the Marcus Miller side. But always with a little something more modern. Notice: - Bass came in a gigbag, with a ramp (too thin and a little curved. I will re-do another one), schaller straplock and Allen key. - "Zoundhouse" in Germany is a really serious shop: quick sending with a strong cardbox in another stronger cardbox. Bass in perfect shape, perfect set up. (First time i don't have to touch anything; plus the original d'addario strings are those i use.) A shop to trust ! Finally: i've had some work, spend some time to make it suit my taste; but i'm really happy with it. I really don't understand why Ibanez didn't think at minimum about a serial/parrallel switch as it really needs it. I'm really happy: nice bass with a modern sound and an ouststanding playing comfort. I will not say GAS is dead cause you all will laugh but with my Sire U5, i've now the perfect duet to cover all fields; and they are the two most comfortable basses i've never played. Next step: find color paint RAL for making a matching ramp, add some visibles dots on the neck side, and make some soundclips. To be followed Enjoy !

Bernard Edwards.

Argh! The temptation is strong with this one - luckily, I've already got an MGCS Basses instrument in the works and almost completed. Phew! I need to say to everyone, @Silky999 is getting very good at this game very quickly. His care, attention to detail and careful research are second to none. You'd all best order one of his basses before he hits the BigTime! (... or should that be 'BassTime'? 🤔)

I know there's some eager to hear, so here's a quick late night comparison. 4 different clips, recorded through 4 DIs (In no particular order, Mantle, Noble, Luce, Caveman)... First two are P with flats, 3 & 4 are Sandberg TT4 with rounds. I'll put the order below under a spoiler warning for those who wish to let their ears do the work. Interested to hear your pre-spoiled thoughts! Tried to keep things as consistent and simple as possible. Something bigger and more in-depth coming soon! Recorded straight into a UA Apollo, gain level shown. I definitely have thoughts... mainly that i'd be pretty much happy with any of these if it was all I had. I set each one to taste rather than trying to really match them up. The gain on the Mantle has a big effect on the voicing, much to learn there. Important to remember the Luce is NOT a preamp, just a DI, although it certainly has colour.

EarlPilanz on eBay is your guy👌 great value and incredibly easy person to work with

The look of “ surprise “ 😳😂

What a shame - but I totally understand that set of emotions. Who knows, maybe you’ll love it when it arrives… I hope you do.

Thanks all for the responses and suggestions. The 5.8 is attractive so the Xvive and NUX make sense. I'll try to order both (Amazon) and can then work out which is the better performer for my needs. Latency times (official versions) are very similar at 5 and 5.5ms - important for me as I'd prefer to use wireless for recording if feasible. I'll get back with comments asap. Thanks again - much appreciated

In the past I've found that couriers manage to find things once they've been provided with a crime reference number after it's been reported to plod as theft.

They don't basically, which is what Mark is alluding to. I feel its likely someone in a Parcelforce uniform has a very good idea of where this ended up

Even when insurance is regulated if the insurance is provided by a third party but merely arranged by the one in between (EG if the PF cover was actually an insurance product from an insurance company like AXA or something) then a disclaimer stating "you agree we have not advised you as to the suitability of the insurance product you have asked us to arrange and you have made your own determination as to whether it meets your needs: we do not offer advice on this or any other financial products and we do not offer to arrange any alternatives" is usually enough to avoid liability - or at least make it such a ballache to pursue it that 99% of customers don't bother. This is also why I refuse to accept any offers of "Free Financial Advice" even if it comes from my own bank. If it's free then the advisor doesn't owe me as much care as whoever it is that is paying him. I always pay for professional services so they owe me the duty of care and not someone else.

Absolutely! TOP TIP for home insurance - some insurance policies even give cover for damages won at court from others who then go bust! So you sue someone and win (the usual type - shoddy small builder type) and they go bankrupt once you get your official Judgment. So you can't get the money anymore. Some Home Contents Insurance will actually pay out the same sum as the Court awarded! It's not in every policy but certainly worth a look if anyone needs to go after someone likely to go bankrupt in response. If it is there, it's usually called something like "Unsatisfied Judgment Cover" or words to that effect.

I only have a few minutes to dabble today... all i can say is this does live up to my expectations, and maybe exceeds them! I really like it, but then i suppose i've always fallen for influencer hype...

Having had a few emails with Frank, we have acertained that this wasn't his,as he had modified the side dots

Interesting fact. Everyone's ear canals are different lengths and shapes (that should not come as a surprise) which means everyone hears things differently to everyone else. If you swapped your ears for someone else's, your brain would really struggle to understand what it was hearing. The same is true for eyes. What one person's eyes present to the brain as red is different to what someone else's do. Which is OK, because we calibrate our ears so that an F# is an F# no matter who you are. It does mean that one resonant frequency for one person would be different for someone else.

I can’t be doing with friends and family coming to gigs. I don’t want them or me to feel awkward like they have to come or pretend to like it. I must admit I rarely go and see bands live now, either. I’m scared to leave the house in case the TV licence man is outside.

I'm always interested in what players have to say and what THEY would like to see.

Although I'm loving the sound of the Jaydee in this one:

Here I go again... Got rid of my Headrush MX5 and Boss ME-90B. Wanted to go compact and the MX5 got me really keen on touch screen effects. So it's a Boss GX10 with an EHX Bass Mono Synth and a wireless. Just want to add a page turner pedal and then that should be my gig setup.

Well i couldn't find a 32" SC headless...So i decided to design and build my own. Had a pair of Peavy VFL's 5;s lying around so one's gone in the bridge (im still looking for it's preamp..it's about here somwhere!) and id thinking of dropping an S in the middle position (maybe mod one in after it's finished) My 2.9mm stainless wire just arrived after being lost/delayed last month, not sure if i'll be going high gloss or hard wax/poly wipe on yet...i should start a build log here for this i guess.

JJ Burnel, Lemmy, Geddy Lee - in that order. It worries me that I may not have progressed particularly far in the subsequent 45+ years.

After the immensely sad passing of sly Dunbar Ive been going through my sly and Robbie videos, this is one of my favourites and there’s some good shots of sly in action, he will be greatly missed

I give up on Facebook and Instagram. AI has just made them even more irritating than they were before

My Fender Adam Clayton signature.