Matt P

I'm interested to know what kind of kit are the rest of the band using? is it all high end guitars running into mesa boogie amps and a custom drum kit or are they all using mid-priced guitars into whatever old amp they found in a cupboard somewhere? I would just buy whatever bass you want that feels right and gives you the sound you want, unless they're going to buy it for you, in which case a Dingwall sounds like a great idea! Matt

very much this! this particular design of output jack is very prone to failure, the Switchcraft ones are the most reliable in my experience and are worth the few extra quid. Matt

all of the sockets of this type that i have come across have the same connections, there is an outside connection (sometimes including strain relief for a cable), this is the sleeve connection(usually this will be a wider tab), then there are 2 tabs that are more in the middle section, the shorter one is the tip and the other the ring. usually the switching is done between the ring and the sleeve (which are bridged when a mono jack is inserted.) Hope this helps Matt

I was planning to buy an ibanez talman before lock down, I've gone a different route but the tmb30 is a great bass. There's one on ebay right now for 110 https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/265140919135 Matt

paging @Andyjr1515 ! who seems to be the go-to guy for this kind of repair. Matt

where in the Uk are you? there might be a basschatter nearby that could help out with some soldering, I'm in the north east and would be happy to help with attaching xlr plugs or sockets if you're nearby. i've never been happy with crimp on terminals of any kind, unless you have the correct tool it can be quite difficult to get a reliable connection. Matt

i use a cheap alu framed toolbox (the type that often come with foam for camera gear etc,) to keep stuff organised inside i use small zip up pouches from ikea with similar things in each (one with batteries, one for tools etc, these are either different colours or have a coloured tag so i can find stuff easily. Travel Accessories - Travel Essentials - IKEA a toiletry bag is another great option, i have a black one with 3 sections that rolls/folds up and has a loop at one end so it can be hung up, can hang it on the hidden side of a cab with emergency batteries etc in it. Matt

just lovely! If i had wanted conventional i would have bought a fender! 😁 Matt

what bass is that? It's very impressive but it loks like a ightmare to glue up! I think the current plan is definitely the right one and i'm confident that @Andyjr1515 can create a beautifully sculpted and refined transition from the neck to the body, the example i sent is my 8 year old Letts 5 string and from the pictures of Andy's previous builds I know that he can produce something that is more than a match for it. Matt

ahh, that sounds interesting, i'm quite enjoying the original strings at the moment but i might make the leap and try out the flatwounds if i don't bankrupt myself with my new 5 string build 😀 thanks matt

love the headstock shape, nice to see all the detail behind a build (i'm a design engineer by trade so this is how i would tackle a build myself) Matt

I was going to suggest that it would be easy enough to build a copy but a bit of googling seems to show that it's a bit more complex than a couple of switches in a box. POSITIVE GRID POSITIVE GRID BIAS FOOTSWITCH - Woodbrass.com 4 switches with a trs cable and it takes batteries, i'm guessing that it's a moderately complex unit, and from a view of the back of the amp i think a standard MIDI controller might need different cables as it has 3.5mm jacks rather than the usual 5 pin DIN connection. EDIT- the cable for connecting to MIDI should have been included when you bought the amp (provided it was new or the seller hadn't lost it) Matt

you really do seem to have a great eye for getting the timber to look just right! I'll keep an eye on my messages for the next set of questions, this really is getting exciting. Matt

That's a beauty! Some of Jon's basses are a bit unusual but thats one great looking instrument. Matt

that's excellent! any chance of a pic of the whole bass? i'm curious as to which shape this one is as Jon seemed to vary the designs from basss to bass. Matt

perfect !

beautiful! What a wonderful thing to see at the end of the working week. Is there some purpleheart to go between the oak and the neck as well? Matt

I thought I was pretty excited at the beginning of the build but this is getting better and better! Matt

definitely this, , I have a small zip-up case that i bought in maplins 20 years ago that carried my tools for many years, recently i've been getting a lot of use from a screwdriver set that i got from Lidl that has 4mm hex drive bits, this allows me to carry a fairly large range of bits in a small space, with the addition of a few dedicated hex keys, an adjustable spanner some pliers and cutters, and a string winder i'm pretty much all set for whatever i might need to do. many years ago i was running the desk for a friends gig and had enough tools in my kit to set up the lead guitarists guitar in the break between the soundcheck and the gig, the kit was about the size and weight of a paperback novel and was often in my bag for this kind of thing. Matt

Jon Letts hasn't been heard from for a while now, it all got a bit messy and he dropped off the radar about 5 years ago. a bit of a shame really as i quite like my 5 string singlecut and might have commissioned a fretless twin to go with it. if the nut can be turned then it should be fairly easy to work out if its double or single action, gently unscrew it, if it gets easier to turn then it's probably single, if there is any resistance then it's probably double action, but obviously getting a pro to look at it would be the safest course of action. Matt

paging @Andyjr1515 the torx suggestion is a good one too, the traditional solution is to find an imperial hex key that is a smidge bigger and hammer it in. whatever happens you will need a new nut for the truss rod anyway so slightly damaging the old one won't matter much as long as it comes out. I'm hoping this is down to user error on the part of a previous owner and not down to the parts themselves as i have a 5 string Letts bass myself, i've never touched the truss rod (It was tweaked 6 months after i got it wen i had it set up and not at all since) Matt

that looks perfect!

Could you spray a light coat of sealer on the routing before you pour the resin (allowing it to dry obviously?) might stop the bleeding. Matt

Its actually part of a clothes hanger, the scratchplate has quite a few extra holes and when I first got the bass I relied heavily on a thumb rest, never got round to removing it. 😁 Matt

it's ok, i'm just killing time whilst i wait for my new custom 5 string build! Matt