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Yes it is very short-lived, but you can get an extra gig out of a dull set if necessary. It doesn't work a second time! I don't boil strings any more, as I'm an Elixir user, but when I did I put a few drops of washing-up liquid in the water -- careful of the suds, it goes mad -- and waited till the water was at a good rolling boil before putting the strings in and turning the heat right down. 10 or 15 minutes is all that's needed. Do NOT, whatever you do, make the same mistake as a friend of mine did... become engrossed in a TV programme and completely forget they're on the stove, and allow them to boil dry. It scorched the bottom of the nice stainless pan and the marks have never come off, not matter how hard he scrubbed, and my errm I mean his wife will never let him forget it.

Al Dente was a Jazz musician who played the double bass, although he was never involved in any particularly famous recordings he was notable for being one of the first players to boil his strings. He was also known for his intricate macramé portraits of the Jazz greats and his detailed knowledge of the baroque harpsichord.

Sorry for the late reply all, been away recently! @Rich many thanks rich, Think thats probably my favourite part as well! @funkle, I've been following your thread with a lot of interest in the end for this bass i settled on 2 different ranges, one for each pickup being slightly different the neck pickup was a sweep of 200 - 3.8khz i believe, and the bridge pickup was 200 - 4.5khz. The Preamps that @benh and @Andyjr1515 have tested for me have are slightly different: The board on the left is the filter board and the 2 res switches allow the user to change the frequency sweep: Switches on - 200hz - 3.7khz Switches off - 200hz - 5.0Khz and the spread of these 2 settings can further be tweaked by swapping out some resistors on the back. the push pull pot switches from high resonance to low resonance mode the second board is a normal volume control with a push pull switch that turns on a "pick attack" (very similar to Wal's pick attack mode), for which the frequency can be changed using the 4 red switches at the bottom. I had to pause a lot of my work on these, my original plan was to batch produce and sell them but my recent house move has take un a lot of my time. i wanted to make a preamp that could be super simple, but could easily be made way more complicated if thats what the user wanted (the ability to add resonance switches, resonance pots, and even filter mode switches can be added by swapping out a couple of little jumpers on the board, no soldering!). if people are interested i will post all the info on these in the thread

Congratulations to both @Doctor J and @NickD on their joint win in a tightly fought end to the April Challenge. After a small discussion the photo was offered by NickD and agreed by all parties and has proved to be a very positive and inspiring image His preamble ... " I was messing with vapour and light for a photography project last year, and this reminded me of the smoky, fleapit cinemas of my childhood, but I reckon it's pretty wide open to interpretation." There we have it , the only thing left is to offer up the tunes inspired by the picture to the Basschat community and their 3 votes each , so here they are 1 @NickD I get a Mothership, beam me up, vibe from the picture, so kinda fancied the mid-paced, big chorus, funky thing. Obviously it's a picture of a projector, so the evils of TV gave me my subject matter. 2 @xgsjx Had an idea for a trance song, picked up the bass & something not trance came out. But I liked it, so that's the bassline. Then I set about mixing trance, metal & breakbeat together to come up with this nonsense. 3 @Dad3353 I started off with a blank sheet and doodled some chord sequences; this was the result. 4 @Nail Soup In the picture I saw the light.... so theme of song is 'seeing the light'. Musically it is a nod to the various spiritually-tinged songs on the Velvet Underground's 3rd album 5 @Leonard Smalls The picture reminded me of the Moody Blues' Malapropic misquote of Milton, which further reminded me of a schoolmate who swore his dad had just bought a new Austin Fandango. Hence a song about cars ending in "O", which obviously meant a weird jazzy ambient bit sandwiched between 2 slabs of Funky Cockney and Groovy Scouse... 6 Lurksalot a tale of unrequited love with tunnel references 7 @fingers211 Please, let me explain ! I had a somewhat grandiose idea. First I would find a numerical value for the colours of the spectrum, (yeah right). Then, I would convert those numerical values into musical notes that would base themselves around my given value of middle C. I would then play the colours in the picture as notes. Well let me tell you, I ended so far up myself that it got painfull !!! 8 @upside downer The image made me think of a swirly time and space portal from those old 60s and 70s TV shows so here's a slightly-skewed-in-places tune with a few echoey bits thrown in for a wobbly 'Woah, time travel, eh?' feel. But what is time? “Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so” said Ford Prefect to Arthur Dent as the Earth was about to be demolished in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Fair enough. Who am I to argue? 9 @skankdelvar I intended to take a break from the comp this month. Then I saw the image and it just screamed 'Do a Floyd rip-off!' Well there you go , if you have taken the time to listen through , I have no doubt that you will have enjoyed the time spent. you have 3 votes to try and separate these superb entries , good luck to the participants and voters Voting will end at midnight on 31st May

The replacement trussrod arrived yesterday and so today was about prepping the fit and getting ready for re-gluing of the fretboard. First thing was to widen the slot a mm for the new rod to fit snugly in the slot: The original 'traditional' rod required a curved slot carved in the neck for it to work. The modern rod I am fitting is straight. So two more things needed to be done - deepening the slot either end by a few mm and filling the over deep length in the middle. Here I'm using the 'I don't use this often but by golly am I glad I have it for this kind of job' mini hand router to shave the shallow ends down to depth: Technically, the over-deep part of the slot could be left alone - the new rod will bow upwards against the fretboard centre, not downwards into the slot - but I always think that the fewer voids you have in a neck the better! So I am shaving down some spare maple edge binding to fill the over-deep area of the slot: Removing the old, still reverse-tensioned, rod allowed the set bow in the neck to flatten. I can reinforce that by lightly clamping the flat face of the neck to my levelling beam while the glue on those infill strips is drying: I'll let that fully set overnight and then tomorrow should be able to insert the rod and re-glue the fretboard to the neck. And while that's drying, start fretting @funkle's Wal-ish neck, whose fret wire arrived this afternoon

I’m the opposite, I don’t like the music but I like the films, I also like the cliff richard films, I think something is wrong with me 😁

When someone asks to borrow my bass and gear, I ask for the keys to their car. They never agree. Funny, that. I mean, my stuff would cost about the same as the average used car to replace.

I always add a tiny drop of olive oil to make sure they don't stick together and at the very last minute throw in a torn (not chopped) basil leaf and season to taste.

I was "down the pub" with my other half to meet up with one Jim Lea, ex of Slade; just before the lockdowns started. At one point she took great pleasure in telling him that I thought The Beatles are over-rated. The withering look I got off him is imprinted in my memory forever.

One of the key issues with boiling strings is that although you may have given them a good wash and returned some temporary brightness back, what you can not undo is metal fatigue. The strings are always being stretched. This has a number of issues including weakening them and loosening the windings. Of course, naturally, loose windings can allow contamination in as well as dulling the sound of the string, even creating wolf or odd overtones and rattles (which can sometimes appear on specific fretted notes). So whereas it's a temporary fix and certainly would seem a good way of recycling the string and saving money, the nature of it can not stand in the way of inevitability. #triedandtested

Hiw are you going to find the gig when you can't find the correct forum?

“Penis of mine” and “Prime Minister” are the same in this country.

Just thought I should share my great fortune/ honour in becoming the only the second custodian of an unmarked 73 jazz bass. Before I share the story, I know that the bass has the black scratch normally found from 74, but I've seen the original receipt from Carlsbro Sound in Mansfield clearly marked Sept 1973. So the bass is 100% original down to the case, original paperwork, inspection tag, owners manual and spare set of flatwounds ! Having saved his hard earned cash for years, the original owner, John B sadly passed away suddenly and his wife couldn't bring herself to part with the her husband's pride and joy, which has been sat under the bed until now. His wife decided to pass the bass on to someone else and I was recently invited to the family home to hear the story for myself. I have several photos of the John playing the bass in his band. I can't share them on here as they aren't mine to share but I can assure you the bass is visible clear as day, including John's initials on the lower horn, as was the trend in the 70's apparently and which are still on the bass now . . . . I promised I wouldn't remove them. Of course when I 1st saw the bass, apart from being floored by the stunning condition, I assumed JB stood for Jazz Bass! So an incredible, virtually show room condition beautiful jazz bass, preserved in time.

A work colleague who has an R & B band has a bassist coming over from Italy to play a bunch of Jubilee gigs. Apparently, he is not bringing a bass, and plays a 5. I was asked if he could borrow mine. I initially said it was okay, but then had second thoughts and agreed he could use my Specter, but not the Pedulla. I don’t know anything about the bassist, and would not be at any of the gigs. I would never show up without my own instrument and am wondering why this guy would…sounds a bit dodgy to me. thoughts?

I've been trying to make some knobs for this bass - it's taken a little while to work out how to do it when I don't own a lathe. I've also made quite a few as I've been trying different things: I will post some picture of the process later but for now here's some different designs. I'm thinking of the one on the right with the marker but without the veneers as I think they are a bit fussy. I'm also waiting for my planer blades to come back from the sharpeners so I can get on with the second body. Cheers

That's a first , the last 2 entries squeeking in at 4.59 , rules is rules and we appreciate the dedication to those timings Suffice to say the voting thread will be up soon , but I have got distracted by listening through as I build up the thread. F**k me you guys have all played blinders this month , hats off

I've got a lot of time for Charles. I watched a 'how I got here' video of his a while back and he's seriously paid his dues. I'm glad his Youtube channel seems to be going from strength to strength.

Lol when I started on bass, I was given an old violin by a neighbour,I thought it would be a cool way to get into Double bass later 🙄 I then saw a video with Jimmy Page, so decided to use the bow to play my roundwound strung bass, with a Distortion pedal on. My Dad was not a happy camper,at my early "musical" experiments. Who knew 6 years later, id be playing Agadoo in Skeg Vegas 😂

Parcel from Thomann due for delivery today 😁

I'll be watching this closely.

new board day!! Hopefully can start putting some stuff on it tomorrow

Indeed. Whenever I change my strings, I boil the old set (in a dedicated pan @Rich - follow me for more domestic harmony tips 😉) and pop them in my gig bag to serve as emergency replacements. They only have to last until the end of the gig / jam / rehearsal if they're needed to replace a broken string.

Well, that was exceptional. And Fima Ephron is an absolute rock.

Oh Souperman Laurie Anderson

...make sure you're prepared for the new member introductory lecture 😉 and the raffle to end all raffles 🤣

PM coming your way 😉

So... here is my modified HB - MB5... My aim was to try and create a unlined (almost) looking fretless 5 - plus I also wanted a bit of a project. So, ripped the frets out, filled with a dark veneer, sanded flat and laquered the fingerboard. I was going to do an Epoxy coat but ran out of patience... plus I already had the lacquer from North West Guitars - although I forget this was a tinted one which is why the inlay dots look yellow! Used a vinyl wrap on the headstock and added a MM SR5 decal. Added the same wrap to the scratchplate. Routed out a battery box on the back and added a Warman MM5 pup with the Artec SE2a volume, blend and stacked treble and bass controls. Bit of a bugger to fit but did go in eventually! I am using the blend to select individual coils or both together in parallel - no series on this unfortunately but something I may try and add at a later date! As a fretless it play great - plenty of mwah. Not the most precise finish (I would have liked a better finish on the fretboard) but hey - it's strung with flats and even they soon start eating away at the finish. I like the active system, gives a lot more control than the VVT passive loom it came with and the Warman is a big improvement on the original pup for not much cash. Oh, and I also found a cheap set of chrome sire tuners I chucked on as well. Eventually, I will change the bridge to chrome and possibly the control plate but who knows. I see this as a long term mod! I like it though - some may not, some may prefer the stealth look but I like the white breaking up the matt black. I do wish I had used a non tinted lacquer though - maybe when it gets a bit work I will re-sand and re-finish.

I'm far from expert in these matters (I'm a drummer, and I don't boil my sticks...), but I think that boiling strings has been largely debunked for a few decades now. Wiping the strings down after playing would be a better way of extending their life, or investing in longer-lasting strings, such as Elixir, if the initial cost can be born. If one is looking for the 'zing' of new strings, it just has to be accepted that it is really only available from new strings and that's that. The 'benefit' or extra 'zing' from boiled strings, if there is any at all, is very short indeed. I wouldn't bother, personally.

I hadn't seen this thread before, but I wanted to say that I use 50-110 in one of my bands, and also dropped to D standard. They sound great and the tension is quite reminiscent of 45-105 tuned to standard. I'm using Swing bass rs66 strings btw

I have three Precisions at the moment - a 2012 US Standard, a Classic 50s (MiM) and a recent Player (also MiM). They are all good instruments, but the 2012 Standard is my number one bass. I have had it for about 9 years now and it's never let me down. As far as I can tell, the current Vintera series is simply the older Classic series rebranded. I have had a Classic 60s Jazz for the last nine years and other than the finish (mine has a cellulose finish) it is very much the same as the Vintera Jazz bass I have had for a couple of months. I've also had a few Squiers over the years, one thing I found was the wood is softer, so the various parts that screw into the body & neck (bridge, tuners, strap buttons, etc.) needed to be checked and tightened fairly frequently. I have not found this to be the case with the US or Mexican built Fenders.

Let's have a look... he seems to go straight to VI position. 15 seconds in is quite clear.

White Punks On Dope - The Tubes

I Guess That's Why They Call It A Bruise ～ Reg D

I just don't click with Bowie. I can see how he was innovative with his use of characters etc. but I always feel the music is meh. Also the only proper screaming roe me and my other half ever had was about the stone roses. I just didnt get them, I've warmed to then a little over the years but still, meh.

I would second that opinion. I’m not the seller but that’s a lot of bass for the cash. Yamaha BB’s and Sterling Ray 34’s can be found second hand for your budget as well which are great value for money. Edit: The only caveat being neck width. If a player has smaller hands a J width neck may be more suitable.

There's a Fender Vintera 50's P bass in the for sale thread....490 quid....thats a steal. Its not me selling but I do have one. Good luck

That's a big fat nope, from me. I don't borrow gear, and conversely do not lend my gear out. Not my problem if someone comes unprepared.

Just in time with my entry 'Time Portal'. The image made me think of a swirly time and space portal from those old 60s and 70s TV shows so here's a slightly-skewed-in-places tune with a few echoey bits thrown in for a wobbly 'Woah, time travel, eh?' feel. But what is time? “Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so” said Ford Prefect to Arthur Dent as the Earth was about to be demolished in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Fair enough. Who am I to argue? Epiphone guitar, unbranded guitar in open G tuning, violin bass, Yamaha keyboard, Vivlex echo pedal, Zoom effects pedal, Roland cube amp, drums programmed with Hydrogen drums. Audacity and Wavepad remain my recording chums.

In moving to France, for some years my sole income was from playing drums, in a variety band, depping and functions. Then I married, bought a (ruined...) cottage and got a real job (technicien in a music shop...). I kept on with the gigs, but now had a salary as well. Happy daze.

I once did a gig with an Australian band and the bass player asked to borrow my Musicman Stingray. They were headlining and was told if I didn’t the gig wouldn’t go ahead. After the gig my bass somehow ended up in his dressing room covered in coats. A heated discussion later and I extricated the bass! I can understand not wanting to fly with the bass. If it were me, I’d order a HB 5 string from Thomson and have it delivered to the venue…

To someone I don't know? Nope. Plain and simple.