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The last couple of days have been about the final knockings - final shaping and refinishing of the neck, set-up and strap buttons I had built a couple of tweaks to help the balance but the main one - fitting Axesrus' wonderful lightweight aluminium tuners - was dashed because of (presumably Covid-related) non-availability. Instead, I have fitted some really, really nice open gear Hipshots - but, honestly, they are quite a bit heavier than the Axesrus ones. But when Matt tried it out. I watched how he played and we discussed that yes - he does want to get to that 24th fret..and with his thumb wrapped round and so the back button wanted to be in the 'traditional' place if at all possible. But what I do (with all of my builds) is first fit the back button, then pop a slippy strap on it, over my shoulder and, holding the strap in various positions while supporting the guitar, gauge where the balance was going to be. And it looked like we could get there. So on went the back button (and nowhere near the 'goldilocks' zone of 12th -13th fret I always recommend!): ...and then popped a slippy strap on and hands off... So, whatever position Matt likes to play, it should be absolutely fine Final bit of polishing up tomorrow and it's ready to go to Matt. So one last glance before it goes into the gig bag: Yup - that'll do Thank you all again for your kind words and encouragement along the way - always immensely appreciated

Just a poorly played and poorly shot bit of chordal nonsense with the freshly re-strung ACG 9. Had to do a minor operation on the ACG as somehow the inner battery cable came unsoldered, no idea how! But it's now alive and sounds great! Though I need to brush up on my playing somewhat... Now one for the 8 string USA Conklin and the 8 string Noguera...

I just wanted to draw people's attention to another epic transcription I have posted in my transcription archive. This is the full bass part for Anthony Jackson's performance on 'Why Not'? from the Michel Camilo Big Band recording 'Once More Once'. Monstrous playing and stunning accuracy. I recommend reading this one along with the track (i.e, not playing it, just 'watching' the dots). You really get a sense of how good Jackson is as a player. Just follow the link.

Apparently not always

MY D.I.Y. Jazz BASS CONFIGORATOR! Last year I got my first ever 5 string. I don't know if I'm actually loving the bass, but it looks beautiful in a lovely metallic red. I'm cooped up, and doing the thing we all do where we we imagine what we would get instead... or if I refinished my main bass to look nicer. So we all love a good configurator don't we? Two of the best are Maruszczyk and Sandberg where you can play to your hearts content. They are great. The only problem I have is some of the colours are, well not what I want to see... They obviously are making and selling basses and showing the colours they have. I read something @wateroftyne put on facebook was how he get a Limelight precision and asked them for this lovely aged Lake placid blue... which is a lot softer than his brighter Maruszczyk... This is what I wanted to see - find a way to mock up my bass with a range of bright custom colours... including "new and aged tones." Originally starting with something a bit cartoon like I found the photo of MY bass the shop had used... so used that as a base... its a Metro Will Lee So I started at ManchesterGuitarTech's supply of paints (ie what's available) and then armed with the internet looked up a whole load of Fender custom colours from the 60's, then a few more whacky 50's colours too. (and thanks to @gareth writing something about it, the 1981 international range too) - I can't promise any of the colours are "accurate", and some of them ended up being tweaked multiple times based on internet trawls of dozens of finished guitars... At the end I've stuck in an aged dark Lake placid blue that I had seen Sadowsky use on @AndyTravis's Metro PJ, a couple of G&L colours (one I own in a transparent colour, and one I love), and some glitter metal flake, cos who doesn't love metal flake? They are all my quick bodge together on photoshop. I really haven't spent long on these so some of the shadows look a bit odd on some colours. I've got a couple of pick guards... so I stuck them in, plus a few more for the craic... and then stuck some filters on to badly mimic different neck woods... and then bodged a painted headstock... So hopefully fun to play with.. I think there's somewhere like 2,500 different combos available! The other reason I wanted to do this was to learn the switching technique for a PDF. HTML is a better way to do it like Maruszczyk have, but I'm not a web dev and it would have taken me more than a couple of evenings looking up vintage Fenders... Enjoy. Feed back any glaring mistakes or colours that are way way off.... v1.1 - bug fix on "black" button disappearing when you clicked on desert sand NEEDS TO BE DOWNLOADED AND OPENED IN ACROBAT Bass_config_SadowskyWL_v1.1.pdf

My carefully thought out rationalisation plan rolls forward. In no way am I selling a bunch of stuff I bought last year just to buy a whole pile of new shiny stuff this year. 😬 I have become the proud owner of an Ashdown RM500. And its blooming lovely. Bought from @Chris1127 of this parish, the idea is to pair it with the Ashdown 12" cab I bought last month. Giving me a modular system suitable for rehearsals, smaller gigs and with the flexibility to handle bigger stuff too. Essentially a 2x12 with a 500w head. First impressions. Does it replace my ABM? Kind of. It's similar but different The drive control is way dirtier than it's counterpart on the ABM, the tone controls slightly less flexible. But it has a shape button which Trace Elliot lovers will warm to and some others won't like at all, needless to say I love it. A variable compressor which feels pretty aggressive, a good thing to my ears, reminds me of the TC Electronic spectracomp toneprint I put on my BG250. Main volume is a nice tactile dial; let's you feel each increment as you turn it. It's a comfortable one hand lift, rather than an easy one, the handle on the top is well sited for balance. Oh and it's loud. Really loud. I've not had the needle close to the red and kept the master at the first click! What else? The cab and combo are not a perfect match as the feet are on the side which puts the horn at the bottom on one, top on the other. A bit of an ocd challenge, but the speakers not quite lining up may be for some physics or other so I'll live with it.

The LORD tells us that Idle hands are the devil's workshop... and thus did it come to pass that I unexpectedly stumbled across this unholy beast. Almost immediately, voluminous clouds of sulphurous GAS appeared. Eww! Save me, Jebus! But I've been yearning for one of these - on and off - for many years, particularly in Polar White. After an epic struggle with my inner thoughts and feelings the planets all lined up and lo, it fell into my hot 'n' heavy heathen's hands. It has accumulated a fair number of dings, dents and scuffs over its 37 years and the Hipshot tuners are clearly not original - but the rest of it is, including the monstrous 3-band EQ-B Tone System, Sure-Grip Controls, P5S and J5S pickups, Accu-cast Bridge, 5-piece maple and walnut laminate through-neck (with steel tone bars), ebony board, ash wings and original green velvet-lined leather case. Serial number dates it to May, 1983. Build quality is superlative. Finish is a heavenly cream pearl under a light amber lacquer with highlights of gold and green. Very lush. It looks like butter, but plays more like silk. A stunning range of big, bold, very usable sounds on tap. Incredibly responsive, hugely playable and punchier than Punchy McPunch, winner of last year's 'Mr Punchy' competition. It's alive! Once I get more acquainted with it, I'll record and post an audio clip. But for now, I'm pretty stoked. Praise be!

So. this kind of happened. I’m now the proud owner of another 7400 head and now a 7412 4x12 cab. what a sweet combination. I now have far too many Marshall cabs - 3 410, 1 115, and now a 412, as well as 2 7400 heads ( ones waiting for a repair) and a 7200 head. Marshall central I suppose 🤘🤘🤘 Cant wait to get this rig out into the wild.

Crisis averted by some sanding, it is back to looking amazing and I am on speaking terms with my router again

Slap technique is to bass, what Slytherin is to the world of Harry Potter. It doesn't make you any less of a 'wizard' but making the choice to pursue that route immediately raises a number of serious concerns about you...

Leland Sklar showing how to get away with lots of 'dusty end' action in a singer-songwriter setting: James Taylor - 'You've Got a Friend' Bass Transcription

I have the Scarlett 18i20 Gen2 and have just bought the Focusrite Solo, can’t praise the Focusrite gear enough, superb.

Traffic mainly, horns honking (usually a taxi), distant sound of a siren, occasional outbursts of yelling. The New York sound hasn't changed in the 45 years that I've been going there.

Hi all, not sure if this is allowed, but I just wanted to send a shout out to Hercules Stands. In October 2017 I bought one of their wall guitar hanger on Amazon, the ones with the wooden block. A few weeks ago I realised that a metal part snapped, so that the whole hanger was all wobbly and unstable. I emailed their customer service, they asked for a photo and my details, and in just 3 days I got a brand new hanger. Great great customer service, I know which brand I will choose when I need a stand or hanger in the future

Did your bass then have the London look?

A couple of years ago I picked up an Ibanez where the nut was slightly rounded, but would not move. Not wanting to risk rounding the nut further, I gave it the smallest squirt of PlusGas, best penetrating oil I've come across. Next morning, one easily adjustable truss rod. Give yourself every edge for a good result.

The basic structure looks fine and readable to me. One thing perhaps worth considering is using the key of Db instead of the key of C#, just because there will be fewer sharps/flats. For example, in the key of C#, the third is an E# and the seventh is a B#, which can trip some people up. Whereas in Db major, you'll have F and C, which are a lot more familiar.

Here are some samples @ClassicVibes Recorded direct into an Ashdown Tone Pocket (set flat), then via USB into Audacity. No trickery on settings (that I am aware of at any rate). Gratuitous bass pic: P pup solo, EQ set as near to flat as I can get it by ear LE4 P only flat.wav J pup solo, EQ set as near to flat as I can get it by ear LE4 J only flat.wav Both pups at my preferred settings of c.30-35% bass, c.20-25% treble LE4 both AD B33 T25.wav Bass max, treble flat LE4 both max bass.wav Treble max, bass flat LE4 both max treble.wav Both pups on, EQ set as near to flat as I can get it by ear LE4 both flat.wav Treble at max is very 'squeaky' which is probably my less than perfect technique generating unwanted string noise. Sorry about that, several takes needed to get a least worst version

Here with the metal plate

I pulled the trigger on two GRBass miniONE 350w heads to drive two AeroTech 112H (4ohm) cabinets. I’m very excited to A/B/C it with my Trickfish and Eich equipment.

94 P with factory fitted black/grey pearl on #1.

Good work, pineweasel! I love Cupid and Psyche ‘85, great songs on there!

Love Rick. He's mint. Jaco's canny too.

Bruno Mars - Uptown Funk has some pretty tasteful slap playing.

Never under estimate yourself, Russ. I like this non sense chordal playing. 👍

Well hellloooo! 🤓

You know that Ken has been more of a shop manager than a luthier for years though, right? Since the 80s he has been outsourcing parts of the build process. He had a team of guys working in his shop for years. From what I gather, Ken would do virtually all of the processes, but rarely, if ever, did he do a bass from start to finish. Wood selection, lay-up and gluing, carving, sanding, fretting, finishing, hardware installation, electronics installation etc, he did all of it and as I understand it, every single bass that came out of the shop went through his hands for set up and inspection. However, it's always been a team build, I don't think Ken has ever worked as a lone luthier doing everything completely by himself, like later-day Mike Pedulla for example. I would guess an awful lot of other shops do this and keep it hushed up. Part of the allure of a boutique bass is the idea that the bass came from a special shop and it was crafted within those hallowed walls. Ken has always been open about his business practices. He's a smart guy, he got out of NYC when the price of doing business there was ramping up. I know he has used multiple guys to build his preamps and pickups over the years, carving has been outsourced and just the other day, I watched a video where he talked about outsourcing the finishing process to a piano restoration shop who had spare capacity in their spray booth and the skills in their business to do boutique bass levels of finishing quality. Still, everything had to meet his acceptance criteria and given the exacting quality of KS basses and how he comes across as a person, I don't think he'd accept anything less than perfect from any of his subcontractors. Now that Ken has got Kev Brubaker doing anything, are these basses any less of a true "Ken Smith" product? I don't think so. I think there may well be a premium on older Smiths that came from his NY and Pennsylvania shops, but I wouldn't be averse to buying a new Smith. As per Al's post above, what is a boutique bass? Where does the value come from? Clearly, the cost of the finished instrument is considerably more than the value of the materials used to build it, the value comes from the expertise and skill of the designer and craftsmen. I agree with Al somewhat in that part of what makes a Smith a Smith, or an Alembic an Alembic etc, is the design. People covet the Smith sound, nothing else on the market sounds like it, so if you want that Smith sound, you need a Smith. However, I do think that part of the mystique and allure is that the basses have from these famous shops. If somebody copied the specs of a KS perfectly and built their own and it was indistinguishable from one of Ken's basses, it still wouldn't be a Smith. I don't feel that to be the case with Kev Brubaker though, as Kev was selected by Ken to perform the work. If and when Ken retires fully and he no longer has the last pair of hands on a bass before delivery to the customer, he may well licence Kev to keep going with the KS basses. Maybe this will cause a dilemma for some with regards to whether or not it's a "true" KS, but personally I'd still be happy to buy one. People are happy to pay more than ever for new Wals for example, so clearly when you have a unique and desirable product, people will still buy it. Ken Smith will be remembered as one of the greats in boutique basses, that much is for sure.

Updated pic with my latest bitsa (the Jaguar-ish).

If I had been one of the first grunge bands before the term, with low budget to record, and trying to get away from the polished professionalism of 80s/90s rock and come up with a slowed down punk, and capture the live energy of the band, I would have been more than happy with that.

‘What makes this song great’ is the best thing on ‘tinernet. Totally watchable, and whilst he’s no virtuoso he’s a ridiculously talented musician. His enthusiasm is such a pleasure to soak up.

Nah, Yacht Rock is GREAT! Long live Yacht Rock! Did you see the BBC4 documentary that Katie Puckrick did on it? Well worth a listen- though ironically it barely gives a mention to the fabulous YouTube comedy skits that cemented the term itself.

Don't forget late 70's / early 80's MIJ (Ibanez / Aria / Westone / etc.) is always a good bet, though even they are starting to get silly prices.

I now have a Bass Collection courtesy of Lee!

Allow me to resurrect this topic with a final update, here's the bass with all the mods completed: The DiMarzio passive pickups went in fine with the bass's active preamp and sound excellent, many thanks for the advice!! I also had some Gotoh tuners fitted to replace the stock ones after the Schallers I bought were too wide in the backplate to fit the headstock. Lastly, strap locks fitted and I did a u-turn and decided to change the stock bridge to a beefy Kluson high mass bridge after all . Plays and sounds way, way better. No longer such an inexpensive bass now... 😬

Yes, exactly the same here. I paid €1430 for mine. If the question had been would you pay €1440 and not have spend an afternoon hoping that your friend who had a clue about woodwork would be able to get the remains of the strap lock screw without too much damage because you wanted to put strap locks on and didn't realise you weren't supposed to use a screwdriver on the screws as they were just decorative, I would say, yeh, sure! Seriously, it is a lovely instrument and that sort of thing puts a cloud over it. It wouldn't have happened on an ACG or similar, and my ACG was cheaper than that.

Pots are not the best, standard tuners and bridge I can see they're not top dollar items, but they do the job (only had one with standard hardware, basses 2 and 3 I specified different hardware). I really have no issue at all with any of these... but screws... ugh.

There are places to cut down costs, and places where you don't. It's not a multimillion instrument operation, the savings are not that significant. Hell, charge me an extra tenner and use screws that are not an alloy of iron and cheese. I enjoyed my three Maruszczyks (now down to just one), and those screws were insanely bad. I broke off a pickup mounting screw without much effort: I started applying force and it was hard, then gently started to give way... only it wasn't being unscrewed, it was the screw being twisted, and it quickly sheared off leaving me to remove the bit of screw with a lot of swearing. Really, Maruszczyk, you make some really cool instruments, don't spoil it for the sake of a few pennies.

Nitro tack coat and first day spraying.

I'd suggest that while we are in lockdown you stop washing your clothes. No one will notice.

Rick B is great. That playing on Donna Lee just wasn't my thing though, clever as it was. I know this is a very heretical opinion, but I don't like Bass as a solo or lead instrument (either electric or DB). A few bars of breadown with the drums maybe, but nothing further.