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We've had reports in about an individual using multiple accounts approaching buyers in the market place after they've made an enquiry on a thread. The scammer's method is to reach out via PM with some information about the seller (who it's likely he has no actual connection with) then invite further conversations with that friend via email off site. Then, while impersonating the seller via fake email, offer to take a deposit which is never seen again. He seems friendly and has certainly posted on here to give off a friendly and laid back vibe but he is exploiting the trust and goodwill on here. We can't emphasise strongly enough that you don't reply to anyone claiming to know a seller, don't email any email address they provide and for anyone who is thinking about putting deposit down on any item in the market place, please use a form of payment that can be easily reversed. A reminder is below to advice already offered by members 15 years ago to avoid being ripped off. Also, if you are contacted by anyone else in the future with an invitation to continue the conversation via email, please flag it immediately with either myself or woodinblack. Thanks in advance for your help.

Fantastic night last night at Edinburgh's Wee Red Bar with the 80s covers band. We were doing a two-hander with a 90s band and the place was packed - we came within 27 tickets of selling out! No, the venue, not the band 😉 People were dancing from the first song, which is always good to see and loudly singing along to the last few numbers. We hadn't gigged since June, because reasons, so it was great to blow away the cobwebs. Bass was my Sterling Stingray V into the venue's Peavey amp - I still don't know the model number. Maybe I'll look when I'm back there next week, if I remember. In the meantime, here's me grinning like a gargoyle while belting out Love Shack:

On Saturday we played at Gagarin205 in Athens - the venue looked fantastic lit up at night. Sadly I only have a daytime pic: and an aerial view of the soundcheck in moody black and white: and a view of the audience from the stage: We sold 1200 tickets. The venue was full. Punters were being turned away! We had a few technical gremlins but overall it was a successful (and profitable) adventure. My kit for the night: EBMM Sterling 4HH> Shure GLXD16+ wireless> Empress compressor> Cog CE-2B clone(some songs)> DHA EQ >DI Box (split off to PA) > locally Ampeg B5R > Ampeg 4x10 PS - Athens was full of Scotsmen attending the football:

A week ago now but I played my first overseas gig in Germany at a small doom festival in Leonberg, with Gévaudan. Really really cool vibe, promoters really looked after all the bands and the crowd were ace both whilst on stage and hanging out during the before and after. we played pretty well and the sound was clear and mainly on point on stage. Good times and lots learned. Felt like a very different approach to live music on the continent.

We took our southern rock covers band to Trillians, a small independent venue in the centre of Newcastle. This venue has in-house PA and engineer. We took our Behringer XR18 to run our IEMs using a passive split. Gearwise, I used my Overwater 5 string jazz, Shure GLXD16+, Empress compressor, Jad Freer Capo, and SushiboxFx Finally DI. I did have my Ashdown ABM 500W 1x15 combo on stage but that was more for show due to the aforementioned in-house PA and our IEMs. Despite being down a fiddle player, we still had a great night and the punters seemed to enjoy themselves with the venue full from the get go. One of those gigs you wish you could play every week 😎

Played a private members club last night, didn’t know what to expect as they normally have old school R&B and classic rock type acts. Still they seemed to enjoy it and got another booking for next year so all’s good. Had a major faux pas just before soundcheck when I discovered I’d packed the wrong strap, the one without strap locks, had to do a quick dash home (fortunately only 5 miles on this occasion)…..I found out how nippy the go kart mode was on the Mini Cooper S. Starry night shorty stingray and the normal silver converse. Banana between the 2 sets and a post gig Glen Morangie.

Had a fantastic gig last night. Small social club but it was packed. First set went well but no one dancing. Plenty of clapping though. 3 songs in to the second set, we played Valerie. Suddenly about 30 people started dancing, and they were up for the rest of the night. A good vibe on and off stage. Now the issue i had. We use an XR18 with an external 5Ghz router. It’s been fine up until the last two gigs. Mixing station on the iPad keeps freezing up, or rather lagging, and it’s hit or miss if we can trust it. The iPad isn’t losing connection, and there wasn’t many WiFi connections showing up at this venue to be causing an obvious issue. My Drummer couldn’t even connect to the XR18 from his phone. The plan is now to use Ethernet from the iPad to the router. We will keep the WiFi going but i feel safer with a wired connection. The XR18 itself was fine, no drop outs etc. I’m tempted to also get a new router but I’ll try the cable first.

We had a crowd, however it was awkward.Nice room, nice stage and sound. We bought our own lighting. Like I said this place is more for the Saturday night party bands. There were a few "screw ups" musically . Good paying gig and some nice tips. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1BTJQAGVN2/ https://www.facebook.com/share/v/17qH8nAp5f/ Daryl

Just back from a 70th birthday gig at a local rugby club with the Andy Wales Band. We’d played for the same chap’s birthday last year so knew the venue etc (seemed to be dark, wet and windy last time we were loading in too come to think of it). I was feeling pretty ropey from my flu jab two days ago, and have also managed to do something to my lower back which made lifting and turning impossible but luckily the other two fellas helped me unload and set up the PA etc. I wasn’t able to move much during the gig due to the back problem but musically it went pretty well. Swapped out some of the slower stuff for more upbeat tunes to keep the dance floor busy. Drove home v slowly in very thick freezing fog which was nice. But I came home to the jackpot - leftover Chinese food from my missus’ meal which I’d missed earlier in the night, and Dire Straits Live Alchemy on Sky Arts. All is well once again. Gear: the usual. Yamaha BB604, Little Mark head and two traveller cabs, pedal board and my Mackie / Allen and Heath PA. PS I’m in no hurry to go to bed as I suspect my back is not going to be happy once it’s cooled down and had eight hours of inactivity to stiffen up.

Return to gigging for me last night after a medical "holiday". The Rebbels played a new venue, Bluebird Social Club, Longham (just north of Poole and Bournemouth). My partner said it was "a dump" last time she went there, although that was decades ago. There was a vintage carpet on the floor, but it was tidy and the tables and chairs were new and pristine. At 7pm it was empty. I took both my Fender Aerodyne and my Kala U Bass Solid Body as I am recovering slowly from a rotator cuff/shoulder injury and could not even pick the Fender until last Wednesday. However, a good practice session at home was encouraging, and I started playing the Fender. After about 5 songs, it was clear that I would have to switch to the Kala. By this time, the audience had swelled to around 40, although the place still looked empty they were enthusiastic, clapping more than was just polite applause and some line dancers were on the huge dance floor from the start. The audience reaction seemed to energise the singer, who was not only on the top of his game vocally but great in between songs. Despite the audience size, we were paid £25 extra and immediately booked again for the new year. I returned home happy 🤩, but knackered.

Gig with the Bonnevilles R&B band at the Foley Arms in Sutton Coldfield. Reasonable stage area and an unused area to the side where we could dump bags and cases. A fair few followers came as well. I'd managed to rip a flap of skin up on my right middle fingertip on Thursday which wasn't ideal. Put paid to any alternating finger work, and to the occasional bit of index finger relief. Had to resort to plectrum for quite a few songs, which reminds me that I left my plectrum holder on the mic stand (the singer supplies his and my mic stands). Had several plasters on standby in case the one I was using fell off (it didn't). Obligatory atmospheric shot by Mrs Zero Sei Flamboyant 5 -> Lekato wireless -> Zoom MS-60B+ -> home made jack-jack lead -> Tecamp Puma 900 -> GR Bass AT212, normal Caravelle memory foam trainers

Couple of gigs.. Last Saturday was an all day festival with 7 bands playing various different styles of metal - mostly the more tuneful variety. I've been depping for the last year with the band that organises the day but wasn't expecting to play this one, so it was a surprise when they informed me that they'd eventually parted company with their bassist and asked me to cover. It was a long day from turning up at 10am to get everything ready for doors at 2pm, then generally meandering round smiling at people and drinking a lot of alcohol-free Guinness until our 8pm co-headline slot. An hour on stage went pretty fast, and the four new songs (two originals and two covers) were well enough planted in my head. No screw-ups, a pleased band, and home before midnight... though predictably knackered. Warwick RB Streamer LX 5 -> L6 G30 wireless -> [SFX m-Thumpinator -> Boss XS-1 -> Boss BC1-X -> T21 VT Bass v2 -> T21 Sansamp BDDI v2] -> Markbass Nano 2 -> Blackstar house cab (?) Last night was back to the same venue but a different room for a tribute to Ozzy that another local band had put on as a charity event. We'd tentatively agreed to be support, but the tentative bit didn't quite make it across so the posters were printed before we knew our singer would be out of the country at a conference. We're all for keeping our implied/inferred word, though, so we borrowed the two singers (and the keyboardist for one song) from the depping band, and they took a couple of songs each solo then a couple of songs together. The rule was that there were no repeats throughout the evening, which is totally reasonable, but once the headline and main support had taken their pick, we had to be a bit creative to come up with a set that wouldn't leave people scratching their heads. In the end, though, I think we got it right and played a half hour set which seemed genuinely well received as far as I could tell. No screw-ups, and because I was able to get my gear disco-loaded-out and driven away, I got to stay and enjoy the headline set with a few beers as well. Warwick RB Streamer LX 5 -> Fender Telepath wireless -> T21 Bass Fly Rig v2 -> Markbass Nano 2 -> Blackstar house cab (?) Sadly no photos have emerged of either gig just yet, but there were enough cameras out and about at both so I'm sure there'll be some eventually to prove it all happened. No time to let that spark an existential crisis, though, as it's off to a first open-mic with a side project tomorrow, and then last gig of the year with the dep band mid-December. I realise it's nothing compared to the schedules of some round these parts, but I've not played out so much since the enforced break of covid, and I'm enjoying it; my gear is all condensed down to the smallest, lightest and most efficient versions I can manage, the DI sound keeps getting general thumbs-ups from sound techs, and my main gigging pair of Streamer LX 5s are feeling comfortable.

Just got myself this little beauty today. Had been looking for a 7-pounder (or under) and this came up at exactly 7lbs. Although it’s heavier than my Superlight TT I’m finding that playing full scale basses standing up is becoming a bit of a stretch hence my search. Got it from Guitar Village, my first time of dealing with them which I have to say was excellent. Sounds and plays beautifully, as I’d expect. I’m not really into fake relicing or blocks but somehow these just seem to really suit this bass.

A three gig weekend. Mini tour? A first in a very long while! We were playing with a Belgian doom band. Nice guys, but they need to find a real drummer. Their backing track was bad. Like they thought, we're in a metal band so we need to be loud, lets put the velocity of all of the MIDI drums to 100%. Some of them were clipping in places and they lacked nuance. It's the sort of music where a bit of ebbing and flowing of the tempo can really enhance it and being too rigid doesn't work in your favour. There were also a few times where the bassist seemed to be quite out of tune on his fretless. Gear Dingwall Combustion -> Boss GX-100 -> Laney Digbeth -> Whatever cabs were available. Friday - The Victoria, Swindon We were on second of 4 bands and I think we were a little sloppy due to low stage volume and we probably should have all turned up a bit. It probably would have helped if we'd have had a practice in the week before the run of gigs. Still a good reception. The first band was the new band of a guitarist we'd played with before (Onieromancer). They were really good. The singer had the full range of metal noises that some make and did amazingly well for his first gig. The other band (Boss Cloth) were a real blend of a few different things. A bt punk, a bit metal, a bit indie. Fretless 5 string Yamaha that was in tune. Saturday - The Victory, Hereford This is a cool venue. The whole bar is the side of a ship with cannons above. The back room for the music had lots of rope and nets and other nautical things and a rather unfortunate pole/mast in the middle of the stage. Where we stored gear was up on a balcony that was done up to look like rigging. What was even amazing was that a Wye Valley pale ale was only £3.70 a pint! We played better than the previous night. I was going into a 115 and 210 and we just had more stage volume. The mast was quite annoying for trying to move around a bit though. I was quite conscious of it and didn't want to smack my headstock on it. Very dark stage too. I struggled to see the fret markers at times. I'm starting to consider installing luminlays on my Combustion... At War With The Sun played first and managed to fill a set with about 3 songs. Just the sort of self indulgence I like! And Mudlarker were really good too. Not my favourite style of vocals to listen to, but they were very good. Oh, and we apparently met the entirety of the Hereford metal scene on that night 😂 Sold two t-shirts though! Sunday - Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff This is a fun place to play. We played once before and the sound guy just seems to know how to get the best out of the venue. I think it was my best performance of the weekend. Also the only one where I hadn't had a beer as I was driving. A correlation methinks... It was also the lowest turnout, but when it's a rainy Sunday night and the opening band (Root Zero) already played there on Friday night, how many are you really expecting? They were really good though. As 6 piece, they looked quite snug on the stage! It was a really fun weekend, but I'm very much wishing I'd taken the day off today!

Trip to Edinburgh with the 9 piece band SHOUT! Played at STRAMASH. Great venue packed with mainly young lads and lassies! It's a student area so no surprise. Stage was ok. There is 9 of us as mentioned so it can get a bit tight at times. I managed to clout one of the singers in the back of the head....but no damage to the bass which was a Godin Classic Shifter. Nice to have some free beer and water as well! Back there in January and looking forward to it! SHOUT! Rescue Me.mp4

Last night was an odd gig at Cockenzie & Port Seton British Legion. Turned up to hear they never sold too many tickets. They reckoned 30-40 which was about the size of the audience. Once again they didn't advertise the event and even tho we sent 8 posters there were none up in the venue. Nothing on their FB page either until a few days ago. Decent sized venue with a good stage too. At one point after sound check we were getting worried that we might no be getting paid for this one as it holds approx 100-150. BL spoke with the organiser and she confirmed we would be getting paid the full amount and she apologised for the poor turnout. Our guitarist being ex-Royal Marine and a member of the Legion told us they get a grant from the Legion to put bands on that would cover our fee so bar profits all go to the club itself. We decided to just go for it and enjoy the night for what it was and at the end of the day its a well paid rehearsal. Turns out they loved it and were up dancing most of the night with literally everyone on the floor a couple of times in the 2nd set. With such a small audience in a big hall i could count them. 😂 Sound was great and the feedback was excellent. Organiser paid us as soon as we finished and said she had asked around the hall and everyone loved it. She wants to rebook us for next year again. We did get asked to bring the volume down at half time tho altho my wife said it wasn't that loud to start with. She has ACS custom ear plugs too but didn't need them. Anyways we turned it down a touch for the 2nd set. I think with the hall being empty our volume was a bit loud first set. No major issues and the band was sounding good on stage. We had a lot of fun but we always do on stage. I think this was the smallest audience we've played to. 🤩 Usual gear. Sandberg VM4, Shure wireless, Keeley comp, Handbox WB-100, BF 212 cab with MarloweDK as back up bass. We're now using our PA company almost every gig so that's a huge bonus and saves me humphing heavy PA cabs about. Coupe of short FB reel clips appeared last night so here goes. Hopefully the links work. Dave http://www.facebook.com/reel/1757089728447509 http://www.facebook.com/reel/1505177564099939

He came on here a couple of times to reply to threads about his basses @Maniscream. I remember at the time thinking he came across as one of us, a really nice bloke who loves his bass gear (as well as an advocate of flatwounds which always moves a man up in my estimation). I read most of the Obits yesterday, it really is unusual for a bass player who most of the general public will never have heard of to receive such praise from music journalists and such love from fellow musicians ❤️

Due to arrive tomorrow and continuing a trend for Japan Exclusives (my third), here it is. I've had an eye on it for months. It's one of 5 made in that spec. EX = Exotic, LTD = Limited, NAM (Spector Colour Code) = Natural Maple. Nothing to do with NAMM but one of the 5 of these was at NAMM last year to show dealers what is possible with special orders. It's a 3-piece roasted maple neck with a 4A North American flame maple top, walnut sandwich layer, empresswood wing-backs and the headstock matches the top but seems to be gloss vs the matt finish of the body. The wood build is as per the standard RST but in a limited edition finish. It has EMG P (reverse) + J pickups with ivory coloured covers and the DG Legacy Tone Capsule where the standard RSTs have Aguilar humbuckers and an Aguilar preamp. There's an LHZ-04 preamp on standby ready but after playing Gary's CST the other day, I think I'm going to leave the DG in there for a while.

So she has arrived. Quick unboxing on my lunch hour with full details/review etc to follow. My 1976 P bass 😍

Around 15 years ago, I did a stupid thing. I sold my 1978 Gibson G-3. In the intervening years, the prices of second hand Gibson G-3s have gone through the roof, beyond where I was willing to go. So, thank you, Epiphone, for issuing this and helping me right a wrong in a more financially palatable way! You can imagine the smile on my face. It is, quite simply, amazing. It is a tastefully modernised G-3 - it frankly speaking feels better put together than my old Gibson G-3. The same oddly twangy but thick at the same time tone is still there, I reckon these pickups are on the level as far as recreations go. I do low level wish they had done clear covers like the 1975-78 G-3s, but these sound as good as I remember the originals sounding. The pickguard? Don't care, mate - the silverburst disguises it as far as I'm concerned. Because Andertons did individual photographs for most of their stock of these, I deliberately picked one where the burst lined up with the bottom edge of the pickguard, giving it context instead of just floating in mid air. I can't wait to take this to band rehearsals this week. Tonight I have mostly been playing songs I played 15 years ago with my first originals band - well, the ones I remember anyway!

Just got myself this little beauty today. Had been looking for a 7-pounder (or under) and this came up at exactly 7lbs. Although it’s heavier than my Superlight TT I’m finding that playing full scale basses standing up is becoming a bit of a stretch hence my search. Got it from Guitar Village, my first time of dealing with them which I have to say was excellent. Sounds and plays beautifully, as I’d expect. I’m not really into fake relicing or blocks but somehow these just seem to really suit this bass.

I’m amazed Scott’s bass lessons hasn’t covered this.

Having made up my fancy lime green cables, I couldn't fit them without lifting the cabinets & amp which were stacked against a wall. So at the weekend I had a little DIY task... Two layers of 12mm plywood and some PSE: The amp came with a little trolley which wasn't up to much but the castors were worth re-using: Slap on some black paint: Ta da! Now it wheels around easily

Nice reminder of why it's good to sound check tonight. Started playing Uprising, lead came in and it just sounded off and I had to pull the plug. Let's try Crossroads instead. I'm convinced I'm out of key. Stumbles to a halt, I say to guitarist "I was sure we play that in A". "Oh shït" he replies "I'm still tuned down to D from last night". Pub gig, not crowded. We played a bit quieter than usual, they loved it, especially the landlord. Our recent rehearsal meant few mistakes and better discipline all round. A good night.

Bringing the tone down: I did a charity fundraiser with Bandwidth (covers and originals) for the Felbeck Trust at Cley Village Hall last night. It was a ticketed affair with a meal between sets (veggie and gluten free), with a few over 70 there despite the filthy weather. The meal was delicious in fact and we were provided with free drinks. The stage could have been excellent, if it wasn’t for the hundred or so chairs stacked at the back, which meant we were very cramped. It also looked a mess with the curtain tucked into the chairs. Anyway we played 2 x 1:15 sets and got plenty of dancers in the second set. I was really struggling, as I was diagnosed with a chest infection an hour before set up and had just started on antibiotics. I’m not sure how I managed to drive home. Gear was Guild Starfire 1 and custom P/J shorty into Blackstar U700 (via Peterson Strobostomp) and 2 LFSys Monza. DI to the desk. U700 master literally on just over 1, so two Monzas was complete overkill. I should just have connected the top one, as I don’t think the amp was working hard enough. We got loads of good feedback and possibly some follow on gigs🤞. Not a great pic and yes,mChris has to sit through gigs these days. We’re a poor old bunch🫤

Band photoshoot pic. Rob

I’ve had an LFSys Monza for a few weeks now. Last Saturday, it finally got to come along for the first time. Every now and then, you plug something in and instantly know: this is right. The Monza gave me that feeling. Yes, bass amplification is evolving, but this cabinet sets an exceptionally high bar for the competition. A bass cabinet can be simple or high-tech; the real art is making it sound natural. An LFSys cabinet must come from a brilliant mind, because creating something like this requires advanced mathematics that almost bends the laws of physics. This is an extraordinary bass guitar cabinet. That said, you can love any well-made cab—or at least find it good enough. It’s not about competition, about what’s better and why; we’ve all moved far beyond that. It’s about what you enjoy and which gear helps you best achieve your specific goal. The Monza does that for me. And then takes it up a notch. How loud and how deep does it go? This is a cabinet that can do everything needed during a loud jam or rehearsal to lay down a solid, well-founded bass. The LFSys Monza is a technical marvel. You wouldn’t expect speaker design to advance so rapidly in this day and age, yet here we are. Compact, lightweight, and astonishingly powerful, the Monza combines cutting-edge engineering with a tonal quality that sets an exceptionally high standard for the competition.

Well, I didn't sleep last night and felt terrible today, so that was fine as I had a gig in the afternoon at 2. I felt dizzy and sick. Easy setup but felt very cold and hot and generally unwell. Couldn't get warm in the first half which I think was me as the guitarist was complaining about being hot, but also hands were working like they were cold. We thought at the start it was goimg to be be poorly attended but it wasnt, it was pretty crowded. Second half I had put a fleece on so I was warmer and things were flowing better, but singing was an issue due to feeling sick. It all went well in the end and luckily it was an affternoon gig so we could leave at 4:30. Had a request at the end for surfing USA, but couldn't do that, I would have been sick. Luckily it wasn't very far and it was an easy breakdown and drive home. Came in, had some rice, laid down for 5 minutes, woke up at 10! Glad I got through it!

Maple Road Saturday 11/22/25 7:00-9:00 "Join us in the newly revamped Eden Ave. event venue located inside Game Over, downtown West Bend! Full bar, killer food menu including smash burgers and a Saturday night of live rockin' blues tunes!" I don't know about this one. I have one main concern. This is downtown West Bend (30k). We're not a 3 hour Saturday night party band. We're a better fit for the larger Summertime afternoon multi-band festivals and fairs, playing for 1.5 hours. This could be a real dud. I've been wrong before. And here's another issue. Dep drummer. Daryl

Too many windings, 3 is enough.

So after two hours of playing with backing tracks this morning it is a keeper. For the first time in ages I actually had goose bumps and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. The sound is so amp like through my iem and standard headphones it was a revolutionary. I went back to just using my AEA active DI and small eq changes on the mixer and the sound collapsed. Yes it became more bass heavy and brighter but I was lost in the mix. On its own the Fifteen sounds a little dull and very mid forward. But in a mix it stands out and really feels like you are playing through an amp. I've finally found a preamp / Di that I can use on every occasion.

Mwah... looks good in person. A proper test will have to wait until after my dog walk!

I bought the recent Classic Vibe " re-issue " its REALLY grown on me i wouldn't have picked it over any other finish but playing wise ... through luck or setup kicked the crap out of all the other options and i needed to leave the shop with a bass or i wasn't playing the wedding . Changing the Antigua Scratchplate to a black one was a massive improvement IMHO , the " colour matched" one is going begging if anyone is DESPERATE for Antigua on Antigua . Its Standard Fender screw pattern.

The cables that came with my TE amp weren't in the best condition. But I was in the electrical aisle at ASDA a couple of days ago and spotted this lime green mains extension reel. Being in the "mains flex is fine for speaker cable" camp a lightbulb appeared over my head! Edit: Jacks and XLRs for speaker leads do give me the heebie-jeebies and I did think about converting my cabinets to speakon but that was faff and I thought it might devalue them should I sell.

Yikes, a close up with my EUB.

Here's a slightly prophetic one I found at my parents the other day... A 16yr old me wearing a T-Shirt that says 'Reuben' on it. 22 years later we now have a 2yr old son called Reuben!

Looking healthier this afternoon.

From a few weeks ago in Paisley, Scotland. Rocking a Musicman Stingray and a suitable suit!

I thought I'd add some comments about this bass, as people might be interested. Received it the other day, after it being on order for months... My history with Bongos: I've owned a 5-string HS 2008 model, a 6-string HH 2009-ish, and I currently own a 5-string 2019. I prefer the 2019, mostly for the lightweight tuners and other subtle improvements. I actually started playing Bongos because of the ergonomics: Several things about their design have significantly reduced wrist and shoulder pain when playing. To some extent, it combined some elements of the tonal power of my old G&L basses, with the lighter weight and 24-frets of my Ibanez SR Premiums. Two things I really don't like about Bongos (5's, especially): The close proximity of the G-string to the edge of the fretboard (I made my own nut to slightly improve this). Yes, technique obviously can mitigate this, too. The lower 'horn' digs into my thigh, and is quite painful to play seated. I tend to put a leather strap between bass and leg when I practice, to mitigate this. Everything below assumes you already appreciate the Bongo, both in terms of sound and aesthetics... Why did I consider this Sterling Bongo? Mostly just curiosity. Plus, I do want a lightweight and ergonomic 34-inch, 5-string bass that I could just leave set up with a high action, as a different option to my main Bongo. Initial impressions: It certainly looks like a Bongo. It weighs around the same. The paint quality is ok, but feels a bit cheap to touch The same is true of the neck, although I've never been a big fan of the feel of roasted maple. The frets are poorly finished at the ends, with sharp bits that have already sliced my hand. However, the frets also aren't rolled quite as much as my 2018 US model, which makes the G-string feel further away from the edge of the fret (there's more actual fret under the string, as it were). Talking of things that are actually better than the USA Bongo, the lower horn doesn't dig into my thigh as much, because it's not rounded to a point, which spreads the weight out just a little more: Note, the same is also true of the headstock, where they've not really bothered rounding-off the edges of the 'point'. This means that not only is is still highly susceptible to damage, it's now usable as a weapon. Moving on... The neck dives like Tom Daley with an anvil tied to his ankles. I've had the machine heads off, and they weigh around 90g each. For me, it would be essential to reduce the overall headstock weight by around 140g, which I could easily achieve using lighter hardware. This would improve the balance and significantly reduce dive. The sound is quite disappointing (as expected). The lack of Bongo pickups, and the 4-band EQ, both result in this being a very different sounding instrument. Unfortunately, not only does it sound different, it also sounds quite cheap, and reminds me of a pretty nasty Traben bass I had once. I've not played any other Sterling models, but I understand the pickups and preamp are standard on some Sterling Ray models, so YMMV. The overall feel of the bass is just a little feeble. It might just be the tonal issues playing with my head, but I'll swear that it doesn't feel as nice under my hands. The frets and fretboard both feel a bit cheap under my fingers. This all around reminds me a lot of the impressions I got from the Strandberg Boden Prog that I tried a few years ago... a somewhat feeble and gutless instrument, of questionable build quality and playing feel. At least this Bongo is only £999, although I reckon any Ibanez or Yamaha of similar price would be a better overall package. In all, I think it's the kind of thing you should only buy if you really love the Bongo shape, but don't care about how it sounds or feels to play (this seems slightly counterintuitive to me, as many people hate the look but like the sound). I'm left wondering if I should return it, or if investing around £700 in improved hardware and electronics would make enough of a difference. £1700 is around what I paid for my USA model on Reverb, but they don't come up very often! I hope this was all helpful to someone. The headstock point:

My bass playing is often described as agricultural.

So, its finished, and it works. After a long WhatsApp with the estimable Andyjr1515 I decided to at least postpone my original plan of shaving down the heel and do what Andy was suggesting, file down the frets where the strings are bottoming out. He reasoned that in filing down the frets, I'd not be doing anything as drastic as removing material from the heel of the neck, plus of course its easily reversible. After messing about with the bass a bit I decided that every fret from 21-24 would have to be lowered, so I pretty much ground them down as far as I could. Its wasn't too bad a job only being the top few frets. Anyhow, I put the bass back together and its all pretty good. There are two buzzes on the neck now, but I that's more to do with my shoddy refret than anything else. It plays pretty nicely although the neck is a bit of a cricket bat- and thats after me slimming it down. I decided to simply ignore the slope on the neck where it stands a couple of mil proud of the body just in front of the pickup. You have to look closely to see it and even when you do it looks like it could just be a raised centre block á la a Gibson T bird. I'm delighted that this lovely and interesting old bass has been saved from the scrapheap. It will now sit in the corner of my living room as my noodling instrument. Thanks everyone for the comments, advice and encouragement. Special thanks to Andy for the idea. Top quality basschatting! A picture of the finished article below.