Leaderboard

I put a teeny bead of titebond along the tang, then hammer in the fret and then clamp a radius block on until the titebond has gripped: Here's the board now with frets trimmed and chamfered:

Well, quite, but I came to this thread to watch/listen to a band I knew nothing about, and so gave it a go (otherwise why post these topics at all..?). It turns out that, like Lenny, I was, let's say,.. unimpressed, and chose to post in that vein. It's just my opinion, and for my part I have no wish to change the view of anyone at all, but it's comment on an open forum on a subject of interest to several. I'd have thought that all loyal views would be welcome, whether for or against. I'll post again in the same spirit on any similar subjects if I feel inspired to.

Little-known makes that deserve to be better known? (Speaking as a hard-core lover of GMR basses 🙂 - I wouldn't swap any of my three for a Maruszczyk any day.) Now that I've thought of it I'll start a thread in Bass Guitars.

Don't have enough space or time to contrast and compare my amps. Plenty of good reviews and youtube clips about but a quick summary. Edit: I have been using Markbass Cabs for over 10 years and more recently (last 5 years) Vanderkley or Barefaced with all the Class D amps mentioned below. Have used MARKBASS SA450 and Little Mark 500 for around 15 years, both excellent amps, the SA450 no longer in production. Little colouration so sound of bass very evident. Lots of tonal choice and VLE and VPF controls are great. Plenty punch and power. No mute Switch. Good DI out. Good value overall. GENZ BENZ ShuttleMax 9.2 and Streamliner 900. My preference is for the Shuttlemax which I have been using the most over last 5 years or so and I marginally favour over Markbass. Great sound, two channels, loud , punchy, excellent DI out feature laden but which I very rarely use. I find my Shutttlemax cuts through mix better than the Streamliner which is a great simple little amp particularly for warmer older school sounds, three valve preamp and far less features than the Max, Sadly Fender pulled the plug on the amazing Genz Benz range over 5 years ago. I have little doubt that the GENZLER MAGELLANs are excellent just waiting to try one out. GK 500MB, bought as a back-up, but excellent amp as first choice. More colouration than other amps here with a distinctive GK sound (which I really like), seems very loud for a 500W amp.great overdrive and boost. High end can be a but hissy and a little noisey Good DI. Great value for money. Phil Jones Bass D400 with C8 cab. I love the PJB stuff of which I use a variety and the D400 is most recent. Excellent clean HiFi sound, great for studio and practice. Nice low B for such small drivers, excellent for acoustic instruments. PJB gear does cut through the mix nicley, but to even begin to compete with other amps here and loud drummers here one would need to consider the D1000, which is close to a grand! SANSAMP RBI and CROWN XLS 1002 power amp. Great set-up, classic Sansamp grit for Ampeg-like tones, 1100W of power.but getting into rack gear here. QUILTER BASS BLOCK 800, Portability, great tone punch and power at a very competitive price, only Markbass and GK come close at this price point. The Depth and Contour controls provide all I ever need.( Siimilar idea as Markbass VLE AND VPF). I was very pleasantly surprised by this little beauty at under €500!! The QUILTER DI/line out is great and DOES vary with Gain and Master volume. Not overly impressed with T.C ELECTRONIC great fun TONE PRINT stuff but sound a bit synthetic and under powered to me. Had two combos, both with unusable humming DI outs!! Have gigged with HARTKE gear nice punchy sound, like the old HA3500, if it didn't weigh a ton. The new TX600 is nice but seems very quiet compared to GK, QUILTER, MARKBASS etc. Used an AGUILAR TONE HAMMER 500, very good indeed, nice gritty punch but cost quite a bit more than the QUILTER. I started out 45 years ago, with HIwatt 100, then Fender Bassman135, and then Acoustic Control Corp 220/406 which was my favourite. Have used HH, Peavey, Laney, Trace, Carlsbro (less said the better), but am now firmly in the Class D club, for portability as much as anything. In summary the QUILTER is a USA built unit that should be seriously considered by any player. BTW I have no connection, allegiance or affiliation to Quilter, but think I know a bargain when I see one. Hope my self-indulgent ramblings are helpful. Cheers

I am selling this beautiful and amazing sounding F-Bass Alain Caron signature bass. It is in excellent condition, comes with original FBass gig bag. This is the KING OF FRETLESS. I need to sell it really fast hence the very low price. The bass is located in Israel, I will ship it extremely well packed using EMS tracked and insured, delivered in 3-5 business days. SOLD!!! At this price the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs. Payment by bank transfer only, in USD. Please PM me with any questions you may have. Thanks

Indeed, if I whisker is .5mm

Cats and string Height, not a bad evening

Looks like me playing slap! And I think I do that with my head when I play too... The amphetamine chicken peck I call it.

If I buy it, do I get the sweet slap chops that are in the video?

This is an insanely good price for what I consider to be one of the best sounding amps out there, ever...

Makes perfect sense to me

Last band I was in we went through three or four singers. First one drank way too much and was trousered before gigs started. Second one was a great singer but an unreliable derrière of a man. I wondered why he'd been in so many bands locally - until he we turfed him, and other musicians started sharing their stories about him. Then we got a girl in to sing. Our drummer, a great player but somewhat starved of romance for over a decade, instantly fell for her. Should've seen that coming, really. Eventually they formed a little clique and refused to compromise their now shared opinions on tunes, gigs to refuse and so on. So they had to go. Now they travel round the area doing "sound bath" evenings for the spiritually gullible, with Tibetan bells or something. Me and the guitarist got a new outfit together, borrowed a drummer and found a bloke who was a bit of a karaoke nut, but had never sung in a band before. Turns out he has a tremendous voice and always learns new songs before the next practice. He might still suggest Don't Fear The Reaper, Layla, and other things which apparently go down well at karaoke evenings (who knew?) but we hope to have him educated soon. In short, the atmosphere has lightened considerably,and the first few gigs we've done have been fantastic fun.

Very true. If all you want is to ask others for TABs and know just enough to busk your way through a few covers and, then SBL isn't the place for you. TABs is something that simply doesn't get a mention on SBL.

PM Sent

See schematic below. These measurements were taken from my original '57 Precision (see pic). Spacing between ferrules is actually 20mm. I'm sure dimensions varied a bit on these early models but this should get you going.

Ultimately you can play whatever you like. You'll know if it's right or not, because you'll either be lauded as a genius or kicked firmly in the scrotum.

Yeah i still want this!! Maybe i should try and sell my AE2x10 😁

Funnily, in my gig on Friday the guitarist dried in Sweet Home Alabama. I stepped up and finished the first verse for him. Ironically, I have told the band I wanted to sing lead on the song in the past but was overruled 'unless you have a load of mates in the crowd'... I told them where they could stick that!!

Tell that to Jeff Ament (Pearl Jam). They wouldn't sound the same without it

Miming to the original track. 'Soul Train' very rarely had anything live. Also, why would Herb wanna play the same duff note again? 😂 (Louis Johnson playing Bass on the recording)

Hi Guy, hard to tell from photos. There are lots of factors that will obviously bring the value down, especially the non original top and the non-Ebony board, but if the sound is great and it’s solid, it may fetch a good price for a serious learner or a club player. I personally like those basses with little pedigree and a good sound which you can play happily without too many worries of a bump. You should really take it to a local luthier for an opinion, where are you based? There is a thread with lots of luthiers details in it, you may find one near you. Hope this helps.

That's getting close to something like this: Just saying.

I'm sure I won't, which is why I'll get my tech to do it 🤣

I can't believe this is still up for sale, a very well engineered cab loaded with quality drivers.....i heard warwickhunt playing through one of these with his thunderfunk head and it sounded superb!!

We once played a bike rally where the generator tripped out every two or three songs, and it turned out it was whenever the burger van tried to use their microwave. On another occasion playing a rally for the National Chopper Club the sound man rushed to the stage near the end of our set to say there was enough diesel left in the generator for lights during the load out or an encore. Needless to say we loaded out in the dark!

A slight hiccup but as soon as it is my hands, I will take proper pics and share them here 😉

Both myself and my guitarist have gone Helix. The biggest benefit is consistency in sound and the ease in which we are able to set up the PA. We're not fiddling with buttons or tracing dodgy patch cables or balancing output volumes mid gig. The ability to create complicated signal chains with ease and the variety of amps, cabs and effects on offer do it for me. There's no way I could afford to do that in the analogue world. I'll concede that from a tone purist point of view the Helix isn't going to be 100% a match for valve amp and analogue pedals but for my live use it's ideal.

Eight posts up ^^ from this one, added to my earlier post. I can't see how to link to a specific post in a topic, as in the previous version of the site; sorry...

Why are bass players usually the sensible/practical/organiser one in the band?

I'd be worried about dislocating my thumb if I played like that, but if he had done that at least he would have been able to listen to this track in the hospital's elevator.

What do you consider to be essential spares to carry with you? (Or is that a bit mundane?)

My Yamaha Bex4 sounds wonderful whatever I plug it into. I've always liked the playability of Yamaha basses and loved the look of the Bex4, especially the tobacco burst one, so snapped one up when it appeared on here. It had the same soapbar as in my BBG5s in a P position and a underbridge piezo so I reckoned it would sound alright but I'm blown away everytime I use it. Our soundman thinks it's the nicest sounding bass he's heard. Less than £300 as well.

Looks good and I'm sure covers all the basics. A lot more sophisticated than my first one....

That was mine, but it's sold now!

Great minds and all that! 😁

That’s a great way to look at it. if Scott’s courses inspire you to pick up the bass, then they’re doing the right thing!

This is very true, and not something many players find out until it’s a bit too late. I got out of the “industry” when I saw how things were going (no radio or jingle jobs anymore, major London studios closing down one after the other). However, I believe by not needing to earn income from playing music, you’re freed up to a) be able to afford decent gear and b) pursue musical excellence and play music with musicians you like. One of the worst things about being a “pro” player was the awful novelty gigs, playing styles and genres I didn’t much care for and having to rely on teaching in order to survive, rather than because I really wanted to teach. To his credit, Scott certainly has a great deal of enthusiasm for playing and music!

Bit late to the table here, but the "Vintage" brand guitars are pretty good. I bought a VA100 (IIRC) a few years back, brand new, for £100. Great little guitar, sounds good, and great to have "just lying around". It's a "Grand Auditorium" or "000" size body, which is not too big or deep, but still sounds nicely resonant and has plenty of projection. Anything bigger for a beginner is a challenge, anything smaller won't have the same kind of sound, and can get a bit too "boxy". Likewise, Tanglewood acoustics are pretty good too. The thing with any cheap acoustic guitar, is to make sure it has a solid top (whether it's spruce or cedar). The solid top will give a sweeter sound than anything with a laminate top. Most acoustics in that range are laminated mahogany back & sides, great to learn on, but can also sound a bit "boxy". Consider getting new, wooden string pins for it, instead of the standard plastic ones. They will also make a difference to the sound. Some rosewood or ebony style pins will really help to "warm" the sound up a bit. Also, don't go for one with an onboard pre-amp to start with. The low end ones not only compromise on the pre-amp, but the construction of the guitar itself. Go for one that is just an acoustic guitar. My first acoustic was an Applause (a cheap Ovation) bowlback. It was really nice to play, but ultimately, it was a bit too "piano-y" and "boxy". The pre-amp was pretty good though, and recorded well. Part-exed it for a more traditional acoustic because of the sound.

Hi Auslander. I’m not considering any trades, sorry! Trying to thin the herd, as it were. Correct : the single knob is for volume. A very simple but very effective design!

They haven't had their day yet, but that time is coming. Maybe a couple more generations from now, but I didn't feel the Helix could replace my favourite analog pedals just yet. Things will change when you can design and upload your own FX creations to a modeller like the Helix, but some standardisation has to take place with a common open file format before that can happen. Tons of pedals are digital these days, but every one we buy needlessly converts to and from analog to digital, adding latency and reducing fidelity... Take away the physical components and you are left with the algorithm, which can be sold at a lower price. A system like VST FX for your DAW but on your pedalboard is required where you can buy effects for a few quid each or even free from multiple vendors and upload them. Closest we have to that right now is the Mod Duo on Kickstarter.

Good luck to both of you. Although i've been thru a few bands in past couple of years i've not gigged since early 2017 and current band is in rehearsals at moment. Only half way thru our set list of Glam Rock covers but that's because guys all have other commitments with other successful bands and are trying to slot this project in the gaps but hopefully will pick up once we start gigging. The talk within the band is that this band will take over as the main band for them all so that's nice.

Ah OK, tbh I've never really got too hung up on neck profiles. I'm no good on any shape lol.

+1 I joined right at the start and when I came to renew, I'd had pretty much zero value out of it due to lack of time. So I didn't renew and wished Scott all the best with his venture. I also decided that I'm not the type of person that learns from watching videos. It's worth watching the videos on YouTube to find out if Scott's voice grates on you. Also, it's worth noting that you should download the videos etc as you won't have access to them if you cancel your membership.

This. SBL is well worth it if you've got the time to make the most of it.

thius is lush

Big time Precision GAS, but the Sire V7 needs to go first...😁

Have you come over from GuitarChat to insult us, or what..?

Get them sent to one of us then we will forward on to you

Welcome! I notice you said "so far" - that's a lovely bass, you obviously know already it won't be the last... 🙂 Hope all goes well with your new band, let us know.

This thread is like Bingo for me. I recognise some of this stuff, and I've never had to deal with some of the other issues. In my case I'm pulling ideas here from various bands I've been in, and I'm doing so because I actually do love being in the band I'm in. However: Frontman who isn't a front man. The guy wants to be up front and center, but does nothing when he's out there. Possibly thinks he's pushing a Liam Gallagher-style aloofness, but comes across as bored and timid. Looks daft having sidemen doing more of the work onstage, but somebody has to do it! As per above; the band fancies the idea of playing gigs to massive, appreciative and adoring crowds. Talking between songs is apparently pathetic as it would ruin the vibe and the mystery of the band. Ideally we should be playing massive, unconventional venues with arthouse films projected over the top of us (very Velvet Underground). This doesn't happen because people don't get us and, to the average stinky poo-tier gig goer, there is nothing to get. ...which is a problem I've had in other bands. bandmates insist that we will be discovered by chance, somehow, and that putting any effort into social media engagement is just sellout nonsense. Some bigshot producer will hear us rehearsing, through an open window. Or it could be that Sir Richard Head III with the silly sideburns out the Brian Jonestown Massacre. He might be in the twenty-strong crowd at our gig. Some day. But don't you dare actually make an Instagram or Twitter post once in a while telling people that we have a gig coming up, or that our album is out, or that we still exist... ...which is my next source of annoyance. Bands that aren't bands. I've been sucked into this problem before today; these bands are nothing more than a handful of mates who talk shop about being in bands all day long. In reality they aren't all that hungry to get out there, and are possibly scared of getting the chance or allowing untold tens/hundreds/thousands of folk to form their own relationships with the songs they come up with. Each song is treated like the golden egg that has to be kept well out of sight (unless that Sir Richard Head III with the silly sideburns out the Brian Jonestown Massacre wants to listen to them). If songs must be released, and heard by other people, then they will be dribbled out at a rate of one 3-song EP a year. It is best for these guys to remain the legends of the rehearsal room rather than let the stage decide they are stunningly average performers with potentially unmemorable songs. I had to bully and gaslight a band into releasing an album of material recorded three years previously, and who had another album's worth of material in the can that could be released tomorrow. These guys found it a lot easier to talk, endlessly, about artwork and magic gigs that might happen one day. The thought of taking action tomorrow scared them a bit. I won this one! I set up a Google Calendar for the band, and half the band never use it. We get good gigs and have to cancel because "I'm in Barcelona for Robbie's stag that weekend". One member is responsible for 75% of our canceled gigs, and it isn't me. Deaf, technologically challenged guitarist. Uses tilt-back amps in the rehearsal room, so the sound goes up over their head, off the ceiling, and down into my ear holes. Don't bother moving your amp though, move yourself so that your vocal mic is pointing straight at the PA cabinet. Then either ask me to turn you up or turn yourself up on the PA. If you don't get a wall of feedback (which you do, 99% of the time) then you get scared that people might hear you singing over there, so you better turn your amp up some more. Having the sneaking suspicion that you are the best guitarist in the band. I've seen a few bassists claim this one, and sometimes I think it is true. In the band one guitarist is a brilliant musician but an average guitarist, the other is above average (think about how average the median guitarist really is) but not too much of a musician at all. Can't tell what key we're jamming in, has to 'read' our fretboards. Can play fast bluesy stuff, but not in an especially musical manner. Phrasing is a wasted concept on them, although they have the courage to blast out loud solos. Rhythm guitarist uses a bright, searing tone. Lead guitarist uses a dull, muddy tone that needs to be turned up to be heard. Volume war here we go! Rhythm guitarist uses the master volume control on their guitar as the master volume for their entire rig. Doesn't understand where all their overdrive goes when they 'turn down'. Lead guitarist runs a chain of pedals with dead 9 volt batteries. Has a fun game every rehearsal of working out which pedal needs canned, as the LEDs also don't seem to work on the pedals. Or the batteries are so drained that you can't tell either way. You can count the lifespan, in minutes, of how long a digital reverse delay pedal is going to work when running off a 9 volt battery. Lead guitarist has a small bag of stock licks and phrases they dig into every time. After all the fizz and pop and buzz of each dead pedal being auditioned and canned, I know I'm in for THAT bluesy bendy run in D. And it will happen at the next soundcheck, and the next rehearsal, and the soundcheck after that... weedle weedle weedity weedle weedle... better throw in a bend. It is what Eric Clapton would do.