Leaderboard

After a couple of gigs with the new band last week, it was back to the Zep tribute on Saturday playing a relatively local gig at Studio 5 in Keighley (or K-town as it is known in these parts). A good gig all in all, with a pretty decent turnout (always a relief when you are playing locally). The only issue was the guitar players Helix multi FX playing up when he changed guitars (he had to turn it off and on again) to the double-neck! It's funny how that guitar got a cheer all of its own when it was brought out, a boo when we thought that it was the guitar playing up and Chris would have to use the six string, and then another cheer when he realised it was the Helix and plugged the double-neck in again! Next gig in Llandudno in North Wales on Saturday.

Just a shoutout to David at Retrovibe for making me a custom truss rod cover for my L'il Richard bass. Obviously this was a small job with little if any profit in it but great customer service. Looking forward to buying another Retrovibe bass in the near future.

British Leyland are dead to me.

So folks, as promised some updates. As I previously mentioned, Jon had agreed to make the bass I wanted to my specs. After a bit of back and forward and faffing around it was clarified that this needs to be completed within a reasonable timescale, so all of the details were sorted, and the wood has arrived. It's going to be a neck-through singlecut 5-string, 33" scale, ash wings with a maple neck and rosewood fretboard. Jon is glueing the neck blank up over the next couple of days, and it's early days but I hope this is the start of regular updates I can make on this project.

Popped into Bassbros yesterday on the hunt for a nice 4 string Precision and this was just begging to come home with me. It appears to be a bit of a case queen with barely a mark on it anywhere and even the case is as new! It was a bit of a toss up between this and a Yamaha BBP34 but this won in the end. I have been playing mainly 5 strings for the last few years and the feeling of getting back on a 4 is just amazing! It has taken a really low setup and surprisingly the stock pickup is really nice. It might still get a Nordstrand or a Fralin at some point but let’s wait and see.

In 3 piece bands i've been in there was no centre stage. Guitarist/singer at one end of stage and bass (me !!!) at other end and we came together in middle for guitar solos on occasion. Love a 3 piece band tho. When it works it really is the dogs "elbows". Dave

I can trump them all. 2nd hand (new to me) RM 500 has a horrible crackling noise after getting it home. Email to Ashdown. "Send it back to the retailer," says Dave. "It's used," I reply (and it's well used, too. Scratched, dented, bent bits!). "Ok, send it in," replies Dave. So I do and it comes back but it's not fixed. I then take months to send it in again as I'm moving house, not really playing and can't find the box. Eventually I send it back on a Friday and it returns again on Wednesday (I'm only paying for the postage to Ashdown, by the way, they're paying to send it back to me), but again it's not fixed. I email a video of the fault and Dave calls me a couple of days later. "Throw it in the bin," he says. He then adds, "I'm going to send you a new 800!" I nearly fell over! It's a return, but checked out and fully working and was posted to me 2 days later. Needless to say I'm a massive convert and a proselytising Ashdown convert. I still can't actually believe that happened!

I just picked up this bass from the excellent Bass Bros and am really pleased with it. It is just under 9lbs at 8lb 13oz which my back appreciates! An interesting feature is the neck which is 39mm - I've been searching for a P bass with a jazz neck and this fits the bill. Initially I thought it might be a bit chunky front to back but after a weekend playing it I find it very comfortable. It is actually slimmer than other precisions I've tried. Bass Bros are not sure if it came out of factory like this or if a luthier has done a job on it but either way it is ideal for me.

Just a note to flag up great service from Dave Green at Ashdown. The pre-amp valve had clearly gone (horrific noise) in my ABM EVO IV and Dave has sent me a free replacement. I've installed that and the amp now sounds fantastic again.

I’ve been learning to do most of my own tech work down the years, and I’ve accumulated a fair amount of tools etc. Changing pots, and parts most of the time I really enjoy, but I’ve never really had a proper go at fret dressing and polishing. So today is my first attempt on one of my Sunn Mustangs….. Came out nice I reckon. An overnight soak of some Monty’s aging wax and lick of boiled linseed oil and we’re about there. New wiring loom next…

Well, the Kania is gone already. It was a wonderful instrument to play. So nice, that it made me long for a 5str fretless. Had it up for trade in the Netherlands and got some offers. Most of them where very expensive basses that needed me to dig up my savings. But this guy offered me his Martin Keith for my Kania and my 12 string guitar. I've never spend so much for one instrument. But the moment I had this Martin Keith bass in my hands it felt so very nice and there was so much resonance in its body and it was so easy to play. I'm a guitarist, so it helps me a lot when a bass is easy to play. And it doesn't way that much, so it's pretty easy on the shoulders. I contacted mr Keith for some info, and here is what he could tell me (nice guy he is); Built as an exhibit instrument for NAMM in 2011. Maple neck with katalox (royal mexican ebony) fretboard, 34.5 inch (876mm) scale. Mahogany body with spalted maple top. (Body thickness 52mm. His current basses are 42mm thick.) Citron HB pickup with passive volume control. Polyester finish. So I'm very enthousiastic exploring fretless bass more and more. Love that sound. I'm not sure what strings it has at the moment. Feels a bit like half rounds.

Okay so over the weekend I decided to pass on my Harley Benton MM-84a to my son, This left me with a vacancy in my bass rack so I decided to check out some p basses. I used to have a 1982 JV Squier that I stupidly let go while my mind was in a fog after my wife passed away. While surfing the web I came across the Vintage V-4BLK with mirror guard (Phil Lynott & Steve Harris are amongst my bass idols) Out of the box she virtually perfect. Just a slight truss rod tweak and the action lowering to how I like it Paintwork & hardware fit and finish are perfect Intonation was spot on The pickup sound fantastic through my Ashdown ABM EVO III 500 Both controls are super responsive. Minor niggles Fretboard a little dry - sorted this out along with frets The frets needed a re-polish (a couple of rough spots) The bass weighs 9Lb 14ozs but is slightly neck heavy (thats what wide straps are for) Factory fitted strings are rubbish to say the least - restrung with Rotosound 77's Flatwound. I'd never tried flatwounds till now - really enjoying the change The only mods I've done are (only because I already them in my parts draw) Pure Tone 4 point jack socket 3 string tree to stop any A string buzz (though she doesn't have any at the moment) The biggest problem I now have is, I am gonna have to get the Vintage V4 in white with maple fretboard and make a Steve Harris version.

I agree Dave, there is something special about playing in a 3 piece when you get it together. I find drums, bass and guitar (with a couple of us singing) the easiest line-up to keep tight - I guess because it’s easier to hear 3 band members and lock in together than it is to hear 4 or 5.

Today I finished the braces. There are huge differences in the heights of braces that other builders use. Benedetto goes from 12mm in the centre to 4mm at the sides. Ken Parker goes from 5.5mm (!!!!) in the middle to virtually nothing at the edges. I've decided to aim for 8mm in the middle, to 1.5mm at the ends. This is really significantly less than most acoustic bass guitars have. But it seems to me that for bass frequencies you need flexibility. I'm flexing it with my hands all through the process, trying to memorise how it feels so that during the next build I've got a comparison already in my muscle memory. Anway, here's my carving station: Here are the braces at their final heights. I found it really usefuly to write the heights every 30mm all along the braces. They ended up being 8mm (16mm for the flyover) in the centre, thinning to 1.3 & 1.6mm at the ends. It's pretty flexible. Will it withstand the downforces of the strings? Ummm.......not sure. Let's hope so! For this bass though, that's as far as I dare go. The top needs a bit of cleaning up, sanding etc but we're pretty much there. I'm excited!

A few few more pics from last Saturday nights gig in Hull. Nice shot of the, new to me, Lionel on its second gig. Also a shot of the bar staff dancing on the bar….that’s a new one on me.

Got this nice array of Jazzes at home currently. From left to right: 64 (reissue), 1966, 1970, 1973. The '73 isn't mine. Yet. Maybe.

I had a ‘68 with Lollipops from the same timeline and the paint was starting to peel off on mine too (see pic) as it looks like it is on this - could have been a painting issue back then maybe? I was interested in this, but I’m too far away to collect & when I asked if he would consider posting it to me, he started saying that it would be completely at my own risk, wasn’t convinced that the homemade case would be strong enough to withstand the journey etc, etc☹️☹️

To those puzzled by this product, and who think it is dated… remember that beauty lies in the eye of the beholder ! To me this is the perfect product and far better (for me) than any screen based multi-fx. I’m not visually impaired, I just like this interface. Horses for courses ‘n all that.

That's why I've drifted over to Boom Radio . They play the oldies you've maybe forgotten rather than the obvious stuff which gets very tedious. Give it a try.

Not just drummers needing to learn that. I've always worked on the principal that if you never turn it down, you can never turn it back up again and that's a big mistake.

I'd make it the drummer's problem... Sounds like something metal needs to be hit with something else. Or, if your drummer has a sample pad or any kind of electronic drum kit it's easy enough to do.

Okay so this weekend I decided to add another V-4 to my collection. I found a really good deal online from a shop that I actually visit quite often for a V-4 Tony Butler, he'd over ordered and is blowing them at various prices, with lowest being less than half price with free postage (if you find the right advert). I was already in manchester but he honored the online price, mine cost me £210. search Chase Direct either online or Evilbay Out of the box she need a little care and attention. truss rod tweak and the action lowering to how I like it Paintwork & hardware fit and finish are perfect Fretwork needed sorting Intonation was spot on The pickup sound fantastic through my Ashdown ABM EVO III 500 Both controls are super responsive. Minor niggles The frets needed work (a couple of rough spots) The bass weighs 9Lb 4ozs but is slightly neck heavy Factory fitted strings are rubbish to say the least The only mods I'm thinking off (only because I already them in my parts draw) Pure Tone 4 point jack socket 3 string tree to stop any A string buzz (though she doesn't have any at the moment) I may fit a Gotoh 201b (may have to shim the neck to keep my prefered string height) The interesting thing comparing the models I have are the differences. V-4 MVW features a Poplar Body & Wilkinson WJBL200 machine heads V-4 BLK features a Alder Body & Wilkinson WJBL175 machine heads V-4 MTB features a Alder Body & Wilkinson WJBL200 machine heads, maybe has a different pickup (Sounds beefier than the one in the V-4 BLK The thing that really suprised me though are the neck dimensions V-4 MVW = 22.5mm 1st fret & 23.5mm 12th Fret (Almost D shape profile) V-4 BLK = 21.5mm 1st fret & 22.5mm 12th fret (C shape profile) V-4 MTB = 19mm 1st fret & 20.5mm 12th Fret (Soft V flattening to C shape profile) Left to right = V-4 MVW, V-4 BLK, V-4 MTB The V-4 MVW almost goes from neck to headstock without any real slopping The V-4 BLK has a gentle slope from neck to headstock The V-4 MTB has more of a slope towards the headstock and almost feels like its missing it's fingerboard compared to the other depth wise

Ah, Manic Street Preachers. The band that have been releasing the same one f*cking song their entire f*cking career. I remember when the NME and Melody Maker journos first started claiming they were the next big thing, and saying they were the "new Clash". If the band member who used to mime on guitar hadn't disappeared, making said journos guilty about starting their "we built them up, we'll knock them down" ego w*nk, than they'd have been consigned to history a long time ago.

It's a bleedin' horrible thing, always going out of tune, etc (apparently, Page hated his as well). But, it's part of the show and people get excited when you whip it out, as it were...! Yea, Zep have always been my favourite band since I've been a kid, but I didn't really play many Zep covers before I joined the tribute. When I had to figure out the bass parts, it was uncanny how much JPJ had influenced my playing without me consciously being aware of it, or having purposely copped his lines! The set-up is a Handbox R400 into a Berg CN212, lately with a Caveman pre before the amp. The bass is just a 2015 American Std Jazz. He's not that young these days! In person, I always think that he looks more like Jerry Sadowitz (although he does get Brian May a lot, just because of the hair)! I used to be in a band with him in the late 80s - he always had a Plant-esque delivery, as well as being a massive fan. Getting him and the new keys player in the band has really lifted things to a different level.

Sims Enfield Fusion Jazz bass. J retro and badass 2.

All these people saying they base their position on not having the headstock hitting things - for heaven's sake just go headless, then you only smack the singer round the back of the head if you really want to.

Thames water. I just wish there was another choice.

Wildly OT, but just looking at Peaches's 5-string stock and the Mayones Caledonius reminded me very strongly of a kettle.

Seeing a multi-fx processer with that many physical knobs in 2024 is wild, the release honestly looks about 10 years out of date. They kinda already did the budget GT-1000 with the Core version, what's the market for this?

Ok so my GK MB112II combo is loud. Weirdly loud for such a small unit. But when I’ve taken it out the house it’s too small to be able to hear it properly as it’s firing along the floor. So I bought an amp stand. Which didn’t work as it was designed for a guitar amp which is shallower. There might be better ones which work better for my amp but I didn’t have time to find one as I needed one for last night. So I bought a £9 bit of wood, 22mm x 144mm by 1800mm and made one. I cut a 90 degree angle in 2 identical length at the same time so each side was identical, then braced it together with various bits of wood until I got bored. I just tried to get the biggest tilt on the amp with the 144mm wood width - no audio science here. The width is determined by the space inbetween the (rather large) amp feet. Glued and screwed together and sanded all over and it was done. So the amp fires at me direct when it’s maybe 2m away approximately, it’s super solid and quite light and easy to pack away with my other gear. I might varnish it, I might not! Anyway, I’ve not seen anyone else with something like this or even seen one for sale (I didn’t really look to be honest I just needed a solution fast!) but it works perfectly and costs so little!! if you need something like this have a go at making it yourself, it’s not hard and doesn’t need any special tools.

The world was crying out for a cheap copy of the Precision bass. How fortuitous that Squier are filling that vacant niche in the marketplace.

Yes - I use the same technique when I'm mending folks' guitars and basses. As I said to Owen when he contacted me about the trussrod, 'There's always a risk with these kinds of jobs...'

As I mentioned here, the pros weren't able to turn up for their usual jam session so it ended up with my band depping as the house band. This turned out quite well; there was a chap in the audience who organises music at local beer festivals and he seemed to like it. We played Spain at the end and I think we got away with it. Once again, the TC Electronics BAM200 appeared to give good service - perhaps I won't need my Orange Terror any more (which I didn't even bring).

I’ve played in a lot of 3 piece bands over the last 35 years. Expanding on my Jack Bruce comment… there is loads that can be done in the spirit of the original arrangement. Still follow the chord charges as before but do different things with it. So if the original just has pounding root notes you could keep the root on Beats 1 and 3 but play octaves for 2 and 4. Or Back it off and only play on 1 and 3 to leave space and give more room to build. Then in bar 3 go back to playing all the notes. Depending on the song, behind a solo that builds up as it goes I’m a big fan of simplifying the original bass line for the first 2 or 4 bars, then getting back to where it was, then adding octaves, and then going to a walking bass part with octave shifts, like Jack Bruce did with Cream. It’s important to approach it still as a bass line where the rhythm is the vital element. So jumping up the neck is not a solo, it’s just a higher bass line. If the guitar solo is high don’t be scared of playing the normal bass part up an octave for some of it. The kick drums are still pounding the low end so let the bass move up as the guitar does. Repeating a bar in a higher octave works really well too. So if you are pounding the crotchets with AAGGF#F#EE in bar one, then in bar 2 play it identically but an octave up in bar 2, then down again in 3, and then up an octave BUT also change something in bar 4. If it fits playing it in reverse keeps the structure for the rhythm but also makes it more interesting to the listener. JS Bach wrote the best bass parts in history. Like mini tunes under the melody that elevated the main tune to greatness. I swear Jack Bruce must have listened to his stuff! Tone. Something I’ve discovered over the years is that a mid heavy tone, like a P bass instead of a J tends to work better. Theres a fatness that helps fill the tone out automatically. I’ve got a massive collection of 3 piece live albums and the P bass or PJ seems to rule above all. Theres a lot of flatwound use too, if the player is a pick user. John Deacon’s tone is amazing for it. Have a quick listen to the live version of One Vision live at Wembley. Theres a YT version that only shows JD’s cameras. It’s so fat! P with flats and a pick is the basic bit, but pay attention when the rest of the band have backed off a lot… the tone is actually a bit unpleasant. It’s very mid heavy and has farty drive going on. None of that ice pick Darkglass tone, it’s a wide frequency fartiness that sounds horrible on its own and fantastic in the mix. It’s quite similar to the old Cream live album in that respect. I use a Catalinbread SFT pedal to get that farty drive. I never use it in the house when playing alone as it sounds horrible! 😂 But even just with drums and nothing else, something magical happens and I can’t hear fart, I can only hear fatness and harmonic richness. A different approach is the dUg / Entwhistle / Sheehan split tone, mixing clean and dirt. It can sound great, but it’s also really easy to make it sound like ar$e. The issue is getting the clean portion of the tone to decay at the same rate as the driven part, and that means dialling in compression on the clean to match the natural compression of the drive. Overall though, build the band tone from the bottom. Drums first, then bass, then guitar. Then it will still sound full when the guitar is soloing. If the entire tone is built on the guitar and everything else has fit round it, then the band tone loses all weight during solos. But despite all this… enjoy the space of a 3 piece! A wall of noise gets tiring for an audience. So many bands these days seem to ignore dynamics. Have quiet bits, loud bits, thick bits, thin bits etc etc. The average punter will notice that sort of variation far quicker than anything else and it will keep them interested. Otis Day and the Knights had it right….” A little bit softer now, a little bit softer now…… a little bit louder now….” Anyway, I hope that helps a bit!

My 36 year old Thumb has no noticeable fret wear. It got 20 years of regular use and occasional use since then. The barrel jacks do indeed pack up, but that's because they're barrel jacks which are inherently unreliable on whatever bass they're fitted to.