Leaderboard

These are my beloved trinity which are now either under offer or up for sale. Its been a joy to have owned them these past years but needs must and you can't keep these precious things forever. I thought I'd share them with you. Left to Right 1962 custom colour slab Board Transition Jazz, Aug 1960 Stackpot, 1959 Transition P bass

I honestly dread to think what life would be like if I'd played drums; it was an option in my early teens. I'm currently up to seven basses, cabinets, small class-d head, peripherals, so god knows where things would be if I'd been a drummer. Given my propensity for just buying stuff, I suspect my drums would have looked something like this:

Some time in 2006 I had a gig with the motown band I was in at a bar on site at RAF base in Northcote, NE London. A band that @Beedster stepped in to replace me after I moved on. It was a 20 minute drive from Shepherds Bush and I managed to get to the gig about half an hour before we went on. Everything under control. My girlfriend at the time even decided to tag along just to hear the band as well. So I started the unloading process...speakers...amp...cables....and... No 1979 Musicman Stingray. I turned to my gf and asked in slightly concerned tones Me: 'F***! Where's my bass?!' Her: 'You didn't pack it?' Me: 'You carried it out for me, remember? You were in the car when I closed the car boot so I assumed you packed it. Where did you leave it?!' Her: 'I left it leaning against the fence next to the car ready for you to put in the car.' Me: '!?*!!%#@!' There in followed a twenty minute mercy dash back to my flat only to find nothing outside. I frenetically searched the apartment and was about to give up when there was a knock at the door. I sloped down the stairs to find my Russian neighbour two doors down from me, holding my bass. Apparently he'd caught a shifty looking couple walking off with it. He pulled them up and they claimed someone had left it out for recycling but thankfully my neighbour knew it wasn't the kind of bass that someone recycles I nearly cried with relief but there was no time. Back in the car for another dash up the A40 back to the gig and I made it...ten minutes late, sweating like a pig but with bass in hand.

1963. We had a six piece trad band in Cheltenham. We weren’t really traddies, we were very much into the Bop stuff that was emerging at the time but we were riding the trad boom and had plenty of gigs. So it was Tiger Rag all the way. We four unmarried members of the band lived together in a house, actually a succession of houses because we were getting ‘moved on’ a lot. Two guys were code breakers at GCHQ. We were quite entrepreneurial; promoting dances by other bands in the surrounding village halls. We were quite adept at fly posting, on one occasion falling in through a shop front in the process. One day we saw an article in the local paper that the organisers of the Gloucester Mayoral Ball couldn’t find a band. We’ll have some of that, we thought. So we thought of some poncy name, like the John Goodwin Ballroom Orchestra, and put in a bid. With an unfeasibly massive fee. I remember the letter back saying in the circumstances we have no option but to accept your fee. But we want continuous music, with strict tempo, old time, all the usual formal stuff. When reality sunk in less than two weeks before the gig we had trumpet, clarinet, trombone, banjo (banjo?!) bass and drums. So we found a young guy who played piano and a mate of ours played baritone. Half of us could even read, meaning the other half couldn’t. So, where to find a ‘library’? As it happened a local bandleader had recently died so two of us smartened ourselves up and went round to his grieving widow to express our condolences. And, by the way, could we borrow his library please. On the evening of the Ball we set up at the Guildhall. They were all there in black tie and jewels, the place was packed. So we turned up a quickstep and proceeded to play. The noise was excruciating, it was so bad. We hadn’t had any rehearsal and we had another four hours of this. I looked round and saw all the colour had drained from our faces. We were in big trouble. So after a while we threw the dots away and busked our way through the programme. It made a slight improvement but it was obvious nobody was enjoying the evening. With two hours to go we threw in a ‘trad’ set. All of a sudden the floor filled up and they all started smiling and leaping about like a crowd of young farmers. And that’s how will filled the remaining hours, all trad. We got away with it but it was a narrow squeak. It was a long time before we took the pee on such an industrial scale. Sorry it’s a bit long.

My P Bass that was bought with money from my family after my GCSE's. I got it secondhand but it was only a few years old. Over the years it's had a new neck, new bridge, new pickguard and has been fitted with Sims LED's. I've also badly touched up some paint chips (done years ago before I appreciated Mojo). It's probably not worth anything to anyone other than me but is the only instrument I can 100% say I would never sell.

I meet people behind those bins all the time, dunno what you were so worried about

Here we go again. Another one dissing St Anger. How many times do we have to read about how bad this album is, especially the horrible snare drum sound? How many times? Over and over again people criticise this album, telling us how bad it is. It has become such an easy target. However, if you sit down, relax and listen to it from start to finish, then you will hopefully realise that it is actually... really that bad 😉

🤣funny guy

I decided today that I'd fettle my old Godin fretless as I've not played it for a while due to the fact I had a few issues with it: 1. overpowering E string. 2. treble side slightly high at bridge. 3. bad static/crackle when adjusting the sliders. 4. intermittent fault on the output. Whipped the bridge/piezo out and someone has previously fitted a nasty shim... removed and that fixed 1 & 2. Took out the preamp / EQ and cleaned the slider tracks with anti-static spray and a cotton bud (very dirty)... fixed 3. Took off the output plate/jack and hey presto a chunk of tin foil trapped in between the contacts! No idea how that got in there or why but it isn't in any more. Glad I dived in and did that as the bass plays and sounds lovely. Moral of the story; don't put off till tomorrow!

Buy a lined Fretless, then close your eyes. Hey Presto: Unlined Fretless!

"Sonically Plebeian". 😁 Now how do I change my Basschat signature 🤔

I’M STILL IN!!!

Was it closed?

Burn the witch! 🔥

I’ve bought 6 basses, 2 cabs, 1 head and pedals. Ill probably sell them all so I’m still in right? 😂

I think some BCers would rather throw themselves in front of a scooter than listen to a hooter sounding like slap bass

Guitars and drums. I play both. I have more basses than guitars but it's still too many guitars, really. With drums, I am strictly limiting myself to one kit due to space but... you know... a kit is made of many pieces but everything must fit on the mat, that's the rule.

Same here, but for some reason I bought and sold three shorties before I finally ordered a Midwestern. 🙄 Another option around a grand could be a Rebirth Custom Guitars Jazzmaster Bass. I’ve had one before and it was a great bass. They’re made to order by Taka Hirose (Feeder) in Yorkshire:

Can't we just ban E-Scooters and fix the problem that way?

Ivory Embassy with two creamy cousins - all now gone to new homes.

Happy Monday! Here is my silver burst Jack Casady.

Owned many basses , all gone apart from these three which are most certainly staying .

Yep, me too - a Classic Vibe.

Farida. There are 2 of them - was an idea I shared with their head guy and they arrived with my name on. had them for about 12 years…

There I was, in the middle of a very sensible Reduction In Force (I CAN'T do justice to more than 4 basses) when up pops this beauty on eBayI've always liked this bass, and it ticked a lot of boxes for me (mahogany, semi-hollow, f-hole, Matt finish, piezo), but I felt it was overpriced. "No", says I, "be strong", then the seller dropped the price by £100! Too good to resist, so the credit card took a punch to the nose... When it arrived, I was slightly underwhelmed, but I knew I would be: I'd played two examples previously, and both were the same- the piezo just swamped the magnetic pickup, to the point where it served no purpose. The second tryout, I raised the pickup to the point where it could compete, and I could see the potential. This one, though, was the other way around, the piezo was anaemic. Also, I didn't like the fact that although the neck is subtly lined, those lines don't extend over the top. This looks nice and sleek with the binding, but the player has to lean over the fingerboard to see where he is. Also, I don't like the Chromes it came with, they always sound sterile to my ears. SO ... Sell it on, or...? Investigation in the cavity revealed a trim pot for the piezo, and the balanced sound works well. Some 'skillful' use of yellow tape on the neck: A new set of Thomastik flats, and it's become, and likely to remain, my favourite bass! It's light, balances well, has nice simple controls ( vol/ tone x2 ), and sounds just fantastic with both pickups- tight and focussed with the Bartolini, and loads of girth and texture with the piezo. I'm a happy bunny.

Try the Revelation. Under £200 new, in a white or red P bass, PJ or Jazz style. Beautifully made, unlined with dots on the main fret positions. Here's mine. I've put a KiOgon loom in with Tonerider pups but the original Entwhistle pups and looms are mighty fine.

My Jack Casady from a few months ago, on unboxing day. I realised it was a perfect match for the cushions in the garden. 😄 Then I went on the hunt for a strap and found a perfect match a Canadian company, Perri's.

Tomorrow headlines: ”Basschat thread descends into Anarchy”

I may have several heath isues but, nonetheless, I have come to terms with the fact that I expect to die by scooter on a pavement.

I seem to recall gifts from other people are exempt?

Despite having a new bass on the way i'm still in. The reasoning is , the Mrs bought it for my upcoming birthday. This gives me 3 excuses. 1 - she bought it. 2 - its out of stock for a couple of weeks which takes us into February anyway. 3 - my birthday isn't til next month anyway. By my reckoning , i'm still in this

Objective of learning guitar fulfilled?

Harley Benton have the Progressive as previously mentioned as well as a violin bass for £166 and the fancy neck through for £255: https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_beatbass_fl_vs_vintage_series.htm https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_hbz_2005fl_nt_deluxe_series.htm Gear 4 Music have a cheap starter fretless with an unlined board too.

Ok, so . . . It doesn't squish 'quite' to the levels I was after (to be fair, excessive!) and is very transparent sounding. However, it is very refined and musical for a compressor, with an impressively low noise level. It does punch probably better than any compressor I've used, too. I preferred it to the Wampler Ego I had beforehand, so it's staying!

No it screams seller pinched the photos from Ali-Ex . Those necks are sold by the wangguitar 1980 store , their eBay shop was "jinwan" . I have a few necks from them , also I've spotted quite a few used them in TalkBass build diaries. Decision to go with wangguitar was simple economics . Material for a neck ( maple/fretwire/TR/fretboard etc) cost between £30 to £40 then there is the time involved ; wangguitar were charging £55 per neck inc delivery . My time is worth a damn sight more than £25 🙂 Before buying a new neck try straightening it under pressure , tools are just 2 cauls , 3 clamps and a straight edge. If you think the neck is arsed then you've nothing to lose 👍

This is what happens when simple folk witness the genius of MDP and ask themselves - "how hard can it be?" This seller's first novel will be published next week.

It was in the news recently about the Oasis tribute band who got snowed in at a pub for several days. When they were rescued, they were a Noel Gallagher tribute band, and a Liam Gallagher tribute band 😝