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Showing content with the highest reputation on 13/07/18 in all areas

  1. something to cheer us all up this morning
    4 points
  2. I think the technical term, given the smoky venues these basses will have been played in, is 'Fagnolia'... 😀
    4 points
  3. 1972 all original Fender Jazz, with the original case, she’s aged beautifully with great looking wear and checking all over, she was Olympic white but is now a gorgeous buttermilk colour with the most beautiful piece of tort I’ve seen, I think my soul was a small price to pay.
    3 points
  4. Although the Festool is now firmly on my wish list (I have seen previous reviews and it is that halfway house that @Christine mentions that seems to be a pretty powerful USP), nevertheless it isn't in my present means so it's old-fashioned BF&I this time round. Got the sanding pretty much done (prob still got the final, final neck work to do) and THE FINISHING IS STARTED Here it is in its sanded form: Not sure if it really comes off, but the figuring just behind the fretboard end always reminded me of the swift shape, so I tried to emulate it with the fretboard end carve: And then the first tru-oil slurry and wipe coats. Unless I have a colour concern, I generally now use that for my base sealing and grain-filling process, whatever the final finish. In this case the final finish is going to be Osmo Polyx satin, but I'll still start with the tru-oil treatment. In a previous build, I proved to myself that you can slurry with Osmo just as well, but I wanted that touch of added amber hue that tru-oil tends to give: The bridge, by the way, is now flush with the leading edge of the body as planned: Finishing progress shots tend to get a bit boring so I won't post the Polyx progress, suffice to say that I will be wiping it on with micro-fibre cloth. All being well, the next shots - probably next week - should be the fully assembled bass It will still need a week or so for the finish to fully harden before I can pass it across to Neil but I think I'm now fully clear of disaster/BBQ wood potential tasks - I think it's actually going to turn into a playable bass! As always, many thanks for the encouraging feedback and pearls of wisdom along the way
    3 points
  5. always loved Bobby Vega
    3 points
  6. Now £400 posted For sale my lovely Greco EB3, mahogany body, fantastic sounding high output Maxon pickups, this is a rare 34” scale version. Been fettled, all electrics good, set up with Fender flats, 3 way pickup switch. I’ve added a Hipshot Supertone bridge which replaced the old Gibson three point one, easily sourced if you wanted to revert it to original, but I cant see why anyone would. I dont have scales but this is light, sub 9lbs for sure. It has its fair share of minor scratches and dings but generally great condition for its age, a really nice vintage instrument with mojo
    2 points
  7. I have a full set of plans and instructions to build an Eagle 1 hovercraft from ply and fibreglass. Engine options include a lot of single cylinder ones and even a 2 cv. I made one myself about 15 years back and they comfortably take 2 but are more fun with one. Easy build for anyone with decent DIY skills. Free to collect or cover post and they are yours.
    2 points
  8. That looks the business, if they’ve sorted out the issues I might get another one! Good luck with the mods.
    2 points
  9. Arrived Monday but only got a chance to upack today. 1st thing... How the F**ck do they make these for so little money? Some things other people thinking of buying may want to know: No hole under the scratchplate like some others have reported. Can use without plate now. Bridge has changed from the large bulky one to one with Fender dimensions and screw placement. Volume and tone pots work as they should do. Gave It a quick set up and It plays superbly, love the tone with my old flats on too! Mods I'm gonna do: New tuners. (anyone know what are direct replacements?) Amber tint the neck with Nitro. Reshape the headstock. Add own decal. Repaint scratch plate aged cream. Must say I am blown away at the price. Cheers Geoff.
    2 points
  10. We had a somewhat different experience - we played together, off and on, for a year as a blues workshop at Band on the Wall in Mcr which ended with a friends and family gig at the BotW cafe. At the end of that gig we looked at each other and knew we couldn't let it end there. There was so much shared energy and potential, we just had to carry it on as A Real Band 🙂 Two people did drop out, one more joined, but by then we knew exactly how much commitment and ambition was shared. Played our first gigs outside Mcr last weekend, and we're all looking forward - realistically - to building on it.
    2 points
  11. Melodic and groovy too.
    2 points
  12. Now that’s a challenge to the profanity filter!!!!
    2 points
  13. 2 points
  14. Grecos were excellent basses. Dont be confused with the likes of Columbus etc
    2 points
  15. This should be progressing according to the script. Fender are digging themselves out of the financial hole they are in. To do that they have to draw a line under the "old" Fender product lines and start anew. These basses are supposed to be "better" than the old ones. I assume that means they have taken notice what customers have been saying and addressed any QC and build issues and looked around and finally seen what the competition are doing and are incorporating the best and most useful bits into their basses. Of course this means they will be more expensive. The market place will decide if the extra cost is covered by the "improvements" being made to the instruments. Bass players moaning and thinking that cheaper instruments was the was to go was what got Fender into this mess in the first place. I'm hoping Fender makes it.
    2 points
  16. Right, clear your desk out now and get your coat. I'll have security escort you from the building.😂
    2 points
  17. Thanks Douglas, but as the audition is scheduled on the 11th of September, I will be careful with knockin' em dead. 😉
    2 points
  18. Last post on this I don't want to derail Andy's thread. If you can't justify one that's fine, they are very expensive but they are exceptional at what they do which is smoothing wood either flat or curved but in the way you want to not the way the wood wants. Previosly I had bought Bosch and Elu sanders which didn't last 3 months in my workshop and spent more time back at the service centre either being replaced or repaired. Then the finished surface was at best a little wavy on flat surfaces, the Festool has the Rotex setting which is a halfway house between a random orbital and a disc sander. It cuts cleanly across the surface not following it removing high spots but in an almost scratch free way. I use that to 180 grit then switch to the random orbital mode for finishing with 240 or 320 on a bad day. And the best bit was it did it for over 20 years, only just recently did the switch give out and need to go back for repair, along with some new gears that I didn't know about, I think it has another 20 years in it now. I would recommend one for the standard of finish alone even if they only lasted one year, they are honestly that good
    2 points
  19. So have I. £433 was the cheapest on a quick search and that was an RO125. Christine's RO150 is £508! I've not looked at the specs to see what the differences between the two are because I can't justify the expense of the entry level one let alone what Christine recommends. I might have to consider it however as I am getting a bit of interest locally for restored cast iron garden furniture. Shameless thread diversion concealed below:
    2 points
  20. I think of vocalist as the catch-all term for someone who uses their voice as part of a musical performance. Not all vocalists are singers, but all singers are vocalists
    2 points
  21. I’ve always had a soft spot for Billy Gould’s effort on ‘Kindergarten’ by Faith No More: https://g.co/kgs/DQQKMa
    2 points
  22. Barry Adamson - a Magnum 1 , but what a beast
    2 points
  23. Just wanted to pass on a little advice on this subject. I've never really been a fan of maple boards, much preferring rosewood/ebony, so a while back I researched easy methods of staining a lighter board to near-black, so a couple of days ago I had a go. If you look at the photos, you'll see I did it on one of my Lulls (gasp), the board on my JAXT4 (mahogany) would darken a bit after an oiling session, but was very light compared to the ebony of the NRT5. The board is quite open grained and would take the stain easily enough. I'd done a bit of pre-research and the one product that came up time and again was Fiebings Leather Dye; I picked up a small pot off Amazon (£6.00), put on some rubber gloves and fished out some cotton buds. I masked off the nut and set to work. To be frank, I was pooping myself while I was doing it. I let the leather dye set up for a couple of minutes and wiped away the excess; the dot markers took a little of the stain, but this came off with a little methylated spirit once things had completely dried (24 hours). The neck doesn't have any binding and the wiping down after applying ensured nothing went where it shouldn't have. [edit] I also masked around the heel joint so none of the dye got on the body. I'm very happy with the end result. BEFORE: AFTER:
    1 point
  24. The band I am in was formed in 1979. I am the third bass player. The first one is now the lead guitarist. The second one left and was replaced by me. The others are all original. It's quite scary. They all know what each other is thinking after all that time!
    1 point
  25. Beautiful! I've been trying not to want a 6 but... What does it weigh please?
    1 point
  26. I have been seriously tempted. I'd love to have the full range of relatively easy options I'd get from BEADGC. I doubt I could find a 6 light enough to gig though - both my regular gigging basses (GMR 5 and Aerodyne 4) are well under typical weight and my back still complains by the end of even a 45 minute set 😞
    1 point
  27. If it's done my mr Whittaker you can call it Rogering if you like !
    1 point
  28. Eric Czar - play from 3:30 - epic.
    1 point
  29. It’s good stuff for sure. I used some water based artist’s paint as a stain on my Telecaster and then applied coats of Danish Oil over it. I let it dry and then lightly waxed - all good.
    1 point
  30. Yes, it was a Leo Fender prototype. Explained here:
    1 point
  31. No thread would be complete without a gratuitous mention of Colin Hodgkinson. I've been listening to this man for 45 yeqrs and I still have no real clue how he does it!
    1 point
  32. Soul sold but no virtuoso playing, and I have no soul left to sell.... frets are in very good condition and have just been dressed, and no signs of a refret that I can see, there is a bit of wear on the maple fretboard, but I quite like that too, the metal is all original as is the case 😁
    1 point
  33. I put the 'P-Type' pickup in the neck position of my ABZ, and it's no longer polite - actually, I'd have described it more as 'Clean'. When I think of 'polite', I think of the Overwater I owned once (actually twice...long story) and I emailed Chis May about its 'politeness', but there wasn't much to be done about that...
    1 point
  34. I prefer the low end so how about a halfway house and D tune it so like standard E to C but a full step down. pick up wise I just tarted my Hohner B2ADB with EMG HB’s, I did try the BTC system but I didn’t get on with stacked knobs as I am a bit thick, so I kept it vol vol tone. If there jazz pick ups are equally as good you will have a bucket load of fun
    1 point
  35. Music that highlights other instruments . Two versions of the same jazz standard * : *Tune from the 1959 film " Black Orpheus ", worth seeing to get the flavour of the ballad .😉
    1 point
  36. Nice, just be thankful you weren't born in 1960!
    1 point
  37. Every instrument has strengths and limitations. The upright bass has a long history of 4 strings. Leo, who made the first commercial bass chose 4. So much ground breaking and ground shaking music was made with a 4. I don't need more than 4. If you need 5 or 6 or 8 or 12 do what you're called to do. I think most professionals will have options in their quiver, but I still think the standard for all is a four.
    1 point
  38. Frank Bello - absolute legend, saw him play in the 80's and then again a couple of years ago he's still got that boundless energy and enthusiasm along with amazing finger style playing and a cut above most thrash bass players of his generation. GungHo from Spreading the Disease - speed and technicality masterclass. Also seem to come across as one of life's nice guys.
    1 point
  39. The first thing I'd do is squirt switch cleaner on the valve seat contacts and make sure all of those seem to be clean. But I'm no expert. So have a bump, so someone else might see this.
    1 point
  40. To my certain recollection the term vocalist has been around for years. It may now perhaps be gaining in popularity but I prefer the term: 'the annoying bastard at the front with his idiotic music stand and his crap jokes; who arrives last, leaves first and seldom buys a round; the man whose wife is in a permanent state of (i) illness (ii) vexation (iii) pregnancy; he who never scores a gig except free gigs; and his stupid hat.'
    1 point
  41. Yep , not a clue here either , but best wishes 👍
    1 point
  42. Beyond 6 feet it doesn’t make much difference............
    1 point
  43. Thank you so much! On the day, we set up the interview and David came up to the studio. The original plan was for me to follow my guide questions, but we got engrossed in to a really long conversation instead. So much so that we actually ran in to the allotted soundcheck time! I didn't open my pad once throughout the interview itself but we certainly talked about some really cool stuff! Frank's interview was also meant to be in the studio but due to timings we couldn't get back in. My notes being behind a locked door, I was told that I would quiz him in front of the awaiting audience instead. Which was nerve wracking. Frank, ever the gentleman was more than pleased just to, as you say, shoot the breeze and talk about his bass tone and what's important to him as a musician. I'd have to say that although the interviews were for a magazine, for me, it was an opportunity to reach out and do exactly as you've said. Two memories I hold dear.
    1 point
  44. Andy Fraser’s solo on Mr Big from the Free Live album; not technically difficult, but superb build and note choice.
    1 point
  45. No electric bass guitar in this current Seattle band .
    1 point
  46. Disco is the greatest musical form ever created. My cohort and I just completed a parody based around a Boney M song and it was too much fun... He is a grumpy goth but we were both giggling at what we had wrought... :D
    1 point
  47. My greatest bugbear, apart from people who, when they do show up clearly haven't looked at what we are planning to rehearse. I understand people are busy and sometimes things come up which we can't control especially with young families but in the end if you can't rehearse you can't be in a band. If breaks between rehearsals get too great then you lose the advances you made last time and end up constantly rehearsing the same songs over and over. Most of us are just weekend warriors and family/relationships and work usually have to come first but then there are other priorities and being in a band is quite a commitment. For us music is a team sport and there has to be at least some sense of not letting the team/band down. I still play cricket from time to time and if I commit to playing on a Sat I know I am letting 21 other people down if I don't show, 21 people who have arranged their weekend and their families weekends around the game. If I fail to show or cancel at the last minute for a Tues rehearsal it's the same thing multiplied by the fact that four other people have spent the weekend finding time to practice/learn whatever we are going to rehearse. Generally it's the same people each time and what they are basically thinking is that their busy lives are more important than other people's busy lives. You can tell this is a recent experience Anyway, a couple of practical suggestions: In the end the only way I've ever known bands to work is to have a regular practice day. In the end there is always someone who cant do Mon, Tue, ….. or weekends. If you pick a day which suits the majority it is surprising how people rearrange if the alternative is leaving the band. Once you've settled on a day they'll book their pilates class another day and all will be fine, the band stop booking things in on a practice night because they know Tues is the day we all meet. Moveable days don't usually work as people forget and book something in, or their partners do. Bands work best IME when two people form an engine room driving the band. If you turn up and two people have been quietly working away together at new material it generally goes well. It's relatively easy to jam along if two people at least are solid, they'll end up sorting out chord sheets and the like and will generally pick up on most of the organisation and drive the band. If those core members get together maybe with a singer or guitarist as well it can be really productive. a random meeting of three musicians out of five less so. It takes organisation and a decent musical brain to isolate little bits of a set or song to work on, not three people who have all either not picked up their guitar or put the kit together in the intervening fortnight. Only 12 bar hell can emerge from that. If you are working with band members missing an acoustic workout sometimes goes well IME, sitting down where everyone can hear each other can really give you a different insight into songs and your role in them, and people get to talk when they aren't competing with a kit or a guitarist widdling away in the corner through a 4x12. Bitter, me????
    1 point
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