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Bass players, eh? This has to be the finest JMB ad I've seen in a long time !

Great! I've got some strap buttons with no bass attached. I'm off!

It’s my not-patented thumbrest what I modelled in clay. And which I gave to my mate who used the CAD modelling and 3D printing kit in which his company has invested thousands over the years to produce a couple for me. Thats the other reason for buying the new bass. I had a thumbrest with no bass attached to it 😁

Just been watching a documentary about the Small Faces on YouTube and was struck by the sound of Ronnie Lane's bass. So full sounding and luscious. Kenny Jones spoke very highly of his ability and how much he enjoyed playing with him. Some fantastic songs too. That is all. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgzwrSxeh3A

A Thunderbird had always been on my wish list, I got this one recently when it came up for sale locally. The sound is huge but I just can't get fully comfortable with the ergonomics. According to Mr. John Diggins, less than 10 of these were produced so somewhat rare. I believe the year of production was '84. Mahogany body & neck, Ebony fingerboard. Schaller tuners. When I got this, the bridge was in a bad way, the screws had seized up making adjustments difficult, the bridge was sent to Jaydee and they refurbished it, adding one of the securing screws that was missing which was matched to the others for the correct aesthetic. It's fully operational now. The truss rod turns both ways without issue. It's a great instrument that has been clearly played a lot. It's a relic...full of light scratches, scrapes and dings (difficult to photograph due to the black finish), nothing significant and no neck break! I don't have a case for it but I have plenty of bubble wrap and a suitable box for shipping. UK shipping will be £30 but collection from Cardiff much preferred. I'll consider trades, a Jaydee Roadie would be ideal or a Stingray. Feedback thread here:

Hi all, first laminated 4 string EVO-FX4 bass necks in progress

I recorded the bass part for this in my home studio (Bag End). I roadied and did the lights for this band in the 1980s and always wanted the gig but it never happened (the bass player they had was perfectly competent and I moved on long before he did ;)). In these days of email and home recording, it became a possibility. An old dream come true. It is off Multi Story's forthcoming album CBF10 (I am only on this one track). The whole track is recorded on my Wal Custon Fretless 4 string.

Well. eBay rummaging. Found this. it was set on a BIN and I thought “I’ll have that” - it was cheap. But listed as needing TLC. Thought it was worth it as a project. It’s pretty scratched up, and has some chips on the headstock. Also frets are worn and need dressing. But it works. So I’m debating what to do, have been talking to @Dood about these as he’s got 2 of them. thinking I’ll keep hold of it as a long term project. I might drop fill the chips on the headstock to prevent them getting worse. Not 100% if I’ll do much more than that. the Machine heads are 3 fender and one defunct schaller drop tuner - so I might get some schaller bmf’s, the bridge has been replaced with a gotoh 201, but I’m thinking a black omega or badass. and then, if I’m using it...I’m thinking treating it to a LPB or Burgundy Mist refinish.

Absolutely loved it. I have the RM500 EVO II with two of the RM210 cabs that I got Ashdown to swap the speakers to Eminence Betas to increase power handling (for when I had an ABM1000). Anyway, this eve was the first time I’ve used them all together. We played at The Brook in Southampton, fairly decent sized venue/stage, but amp/cabs only needed for on-stage sound as everything goes FOH. I don’t like bass in monitors so started off with the amp on same levels I use at rehearsal thinking I might need to turn up once all was going and I was amazed, the sound was so big and full, with a real presence. It was angled towards centre of stage so if I drifted too far away the sound changed a bit, but on a 30ft wide/15ft deep stage I’d pretty much expect that from most set-ups. I went back to the RMs as I just can’t manage my ABMs anymore (gonna be up for sale on here soon) and considering this is supposedly a budget range the performance was far better than I’d hoped for. Sure I’ve had more expensive cones put in but even then it’s not exactly broken the bank. To say I’m chuffed would be an understatement.

Mrs S made the basic error of leaving me on my own with time to kill in Nottingham for the afternoon. I made the even more basic error of nipping in to Hotrox in Sneinton. They had this.... I wasn't going to buy it until i realised; a) that it is medically necessary as the binding on a 4003 is a bit sharp on the forearm, and b) that it will annoy Young Teebs. Oh, and; c) it is bloody lovely. Mrs S did the rolly eyes thing until I mentioned (b) then she understood why i had to get it. Of course, I've broken my one-in-one-out rule so expect some major activity in the marketplace shortly. Or I have a kidney if Raymondo's interested.....

Forgot to add that with my current band a lot of people (women) want their pics taken because of the Glam outfits. This was something new to me and never been asked for after show pics before this band. I def like that part even if i am soaking with sweat they just love it. Dave

Picked up this beauty last week. Needed a decent setup and some fresh strings but man its lovely!

Weeeell….I MIGHT be! Ya see the problem is there's not much call for Kidney these days. Besides it's the wrong colour....Now if it wor orange then maybe I could go a bit higher but as it is pall yud ave ta pay me tu tek it off yer ands.

Or these guys too https://restauracja-gitar.pl/basy/ - nitro refinished and/or reliced MIJ/CIJ Fender Reissues for the price of a Mex. In most cases a little cheaper than Limelight but possibly a little less flexible. However, all genuine Fenders just refinished, so keeps the “why does it have a Fender decal?” crew quiet.

Time for sanding. A lot of sanding 🤬 Started with 80 and ended with 2500. On with the tung oil. I'll leave it overnight then rub another coat with wet/dry paper first thing.

Just goes to show what a gullible fool I am, totally incapable of making quality judgements without being suckered into believing hyperbole. I mean, for heaven's sake, I also use Barefaced cabs! Thank the Gods there are experts around to put us straight. I must put all my gear up for sale immediately. 🤨

I’m not really one for short scale but they certainly look the business 👍 Price is not surprising if they are fully built in the US. Costs money to make stuff in countries you have to pay people a reasonable wage.

I do agree but the thing is that all Speakons are rated at 20 amps whereas some jacks are rated at 500mA. Also it is almost impossible to short circuit a Speakon whereas a Jack is easy. If electric guitars were invented now, no one would consider using jacks for either speakers or instruments.

And another vote for the headless conversion. Looks waaaaaaay better. Great job.

Or do they? @ 3:20

Here be dragons. So you go off and spend £500 on a nice but too loud amp and a miserable £65 on a power soak. You get it home and play it and think 'H'mm. Does this sound as good as it could?' So you research mid-range power soaks and go off and spend £300 on a better power soak. You get it home and play it and think 'H'mm. Does this sound as good as it could?' So you research high end power soaks and go off and spend £1100 on a UA OX Amp Top box because that's apparently the best power soak around at the moment. You get it home and play it and think 'H'mm. Does this sound as good as it does when I don't use a power soak?' You have now spent £1965.00 on a rig that you're not sure about. So you sell it for a grand and spend £1500 on a small DrZ combo so now you've spent about £2500 and you think 'Blimey, I could have imported a real vintage Princeton Reverb for that money' so you sell off everything you own and enter a monastery. Here's yet another approach: Buy a 70's Silverface Champ and a quality reverb pedal. Ask a tech to put in one switch which takes the tone stack out of the circuit (dirt) and another which switches out the negative feedback ("sparkle").

That's the strangest looking Yamaha I've seen in ages....and they've mis-spelt "Yamaha" using the letters "F-e-n-d-e-r".... As somebody who works in the Education system Andy i would have thought you'd have spotted that.....

I don't know, I think you're still insecure...

What the flying... F??? You need to go back and read what I wrote... Either you misremember, or you have some serious comprehension issues

The rig looks really happy about the whole thing!

This is an amazing bass, light, very playable, great condition and super versatile. Full blown USA model in very fetching black with matching headstock. Complete with original hardcase also in great condition. https://www.music-man.com/instruments/basses/sterling-5

Most gigs I love the audience reactions, and I'm lucky to be playing with the best drummer I've ever played with, so even the iffily-attended gigs are a joy. We've also got our gigging gear down to the absolute minimum carry for most gigs, so the heavy lifting and shifting is a thing of the past, too... 😁 That's the covers/function band, the originals band just did a 30 year anniversary gig which was bouncing and a whole different kind of joy. We've been picked up for a couple of big gigs next year, too 😁

Why do I keep doing this? What else can I do. Playing to an audience with great musicians is the biggest buzz I've found so far in this life. Getting it right just makes me smile inside and want to do it again and again.

Well, things have sort of changed very quickly as they sometimes do in my strange little world! I saw this for not too much money, typically just after buying the brand new one ! (doh) . I bought it anyway as it looked cool , also thinking it may have been modified/ upgraded in some way only to find from a bit of internet searching that I seem to have acquired a 1998 Bronco with larger clunky Fender tuners and a tinted maple neck (which I would have liked on the brand new one). Note the headstock logo also. Sadly the pickup was non working when it arrived, but I put the brand new original one from the new Bronco into it and all is fine and dandy. Note the pickguard has gone a sort of naturally aged yellow tint. Under the knobs which I replaced with Jazz style ones, the guard is as white as the pickup. Just awaiting an imminent arrival of 3 ply scratch plate replacement intended for the 2019 Bronco, though I might see if I can make it fit on this 1998 one. It does have 12 screws though as opposed to 11 in the newer model. It just needs a little more tweaking to get it just right, but it's pretty close to being spot on.

I'm kinda with @ped on this one. The bass/pick up combinations might be the core feature which is providing the sounds your after with any on board or pedal-based pre-amp simply accentuating that inherent voicing. I say this with recent experience with 'jazz growl'... I've just recently got a jazz bass - a not very expensive Squier but a decent enough version of the classic JJ configuration. It instantly sounded like a jazz bass (unsurprisingly) when using my existing settings on my amp, on my interface, and into a couple of pre-amps I have knocking about. I understand how the pick up placement, the classic mid scoop etc works and trying to 'eq a P bass' to sound like a jazz just doesn't sound like a jazz even with dual semi parametric mid controls - it can get to sound scooped but lacks the authenticity of a JJ. You may find that if you have some basses which have this combination you mention above already and are nailing the sound you like other basses just wont sound as authentic by virtue of their pick up placement etc. On my gig last night I was running the Jazz into a Tone Hammer and then into my amp. Tone hammer was boosting a bit of low mids and had the AGS engages to add a wee touch of drive - the TH was simply enhancing what was already there. A bit of amp drive now and again that added the 'grind' but it was only really making the JJ sound more pronounced in the same way it would make my P sound like the P bit with some dirt. I know it's hard to qualify these things in words and we all have different meanings of words such as grind grit etc. I was rethinking the Grizzy bass pedal actually as that can do a pretty good scoped sound as well as grit but I'm not sure that it's the sound in your head.

When you eventually get to see your Surgeon, try and go for 'c' in your choices. I had it done to my Fretting hand 15 years ago, and it's still working (almost) perfectly. 😎

Ronnie was a bit of a hero of mine growing up. Always loved the Small Faces, I've always enjoyed a well written pop song and the band always had a sense of fun about them as well as being a great rock band. I briefly met Ronnie when I played the disco at a Slim Chance gig in Reading. They say never meet your heroes but he was a real gentleman, a lovely warm human being. Actually stayed and danced the rest of the night after the gig. Actually sent his girlfriend over to ask for a couple of songs, I wish I could remember what they were. Couldn't believe it when I found out soon after about his illness, there's no doubt about it, he was a wonderful person as well as a great bassist.

For anyone interested in the origins, history, technical specs and model variations of the JV Squiers, this website and the attached forum should tell you anything you want to know. It's particularly recommended for anyone labouring under the bizarre and baseless delusion that MIJ Squiers, and the JV models in particular, were some sort of cheaply bodged-out, corner-cut borderline knockoff aimed at beginners. Read and learn. http://www.21frets.com/

Oh, and; d) if you drop something on the laminate floor and take a chunk out of it you can saw a couple of inches off the finger board to patch it up with.

Just gave it a quick run through powering a Bass Whammy (1300mA) MS-60B (500mA) and a no name GEQ (can't be over 100mA and almost certainly less). These are the stated amperages - i've not measured any of them. Anyhoo, everything worked just fine and dandy. The unit charged pretty quickly, requires a very positive press to activate it so little danger of accidently starting it up in the bag. It's a nice size, not very heavy and nicely finished. So far so good. Picture for size comparison.

Aye and a lot of them urinate all over their Fender counterparts.

Given that OVWHF was hauling out his credit card as I departed one must assume they either demo'd it at shop volume or never bothered with that part of the transaction. Very similar thing happened a few years later in Banbury when I cruelly steered another OVWHF into buying his sprog a Martin D18.

Some years ago I was in a guitar shop where a young lad was explaining to his Obviously Very Well-Heeled Father that the Marshall DSL full-stack on display was the ideal home practice amp. To his eternal credit, the salesman tried to dissuade OVWHF from this course of action, suggesting a smaller and less expensive option. 'No, if that's what he wants then that's what he'll have,' harrumphed OVWHF, oblivious to the hideous fate that awaited him.

More love for the Shergold from me 😍

I get this regularly on my fretting hand index finger. Had it for years and it comes when i play for a while. Worse if playing rock music and holding same note doing 8ths. If its too bad i use a tiny spot of Voltorol on my fingertip. Works a treat. It must be a trapped nerve of some kind as i've had it for couple years now. Guessing @41Hz is spot on with his diagram on this. If it happens during a gig i just use the pad a bit more and that works too. Seems fine if i'm playing different notes or strings a lot and moving it. Only when i hold the same note for a while. Dave

I only really discovered Ronnie's solo material about five years ago, but I was totally seduced by it: such genuine, organic, and nostalgic music I hadn't heard in a long time. I think I now own pretty much every piece of recorded music he produced as a solo artist. My band play Ooh La La, How Come, Annie and Debris on a regular basis, and audiences love them. The documentary about the man himself is worth a watch here.

There's a guy in a blues band in Birmingham who can't use his right hand (I presume from a stroke), but continues to play bass by using hammer-ons and pull-offs with his left hand. If I'd closed my eyes, I would never have realised.

I'm the same. I periodically think I CBA with it any more, then get there, get all set up, start playing, and it's good again. My most recent extra smile was on Tuesday, when we did a guest slot at an open mic night with an eye on getting a few gigs at the pub in question. Our percussionist normally does a harmonica solo in "Three little birds", but just as he came up to it, realised he didn't have the gob-iron in question with him, so I stepped in and did a kazoo solo.

Chiseled out a space for it.

You're absolutely right, it's the Q2n I'm talking about, and the H1n for audio. Apologies, I'll edit my post.

Always good to get that kind of feedback! 🤣

I had a Pedaltrain Volto for a while. I hated using it as I was always paranoid it would die mid set.

Here's my flats experience for what it's worth... Ernie Ball Cobalts currently on my Fretless. Jury is out, I hadn't played them in nearly enough before I went out to gig with the bass and it didn't feel great but I think they've settled a bit now. This isn't a P bass though so I'll move on... TI flats. Had them on my P Bass for quite some time. They sound good but they are very low tension and light. They aren't my preference but I've kept them back because I think they'd sound great on a Jazz bass... I just don't have a jazz bass right now. These felt really light because I was previously using... Roti Steve Harris signature flats. They are HEAVY. Thick and solid feel under the finger. I was wincing as I wound these on my bass fearing the neck would snap. But the tone! Big, clear, full sounding strings that will go on forever and ever. I like these a lot. But my favourites are... Fender flats. For a P bass they're my perfect match. The right amount of tension, really good balance in terms of clarity but also a little bit of grittiness for digging in or playing with a pick. At their price you just cannot go wrong. I can't see me going back to anything else until I get bored once again.

I wouldn't worry about the Fender v Squier decal - you need to get the shorts sorted.