Kiwi

If I have time: 1) Learn how to use all the gear I have including the Polyend Mess and the Akai MPC1 that has been sitting on my desk unused for the last 2.5 years. 2) Get the fingerboard replaced on the Vigier 3) Finish building the strat that was tone chasing Phil Collen's rather more exotic and expensive Jacksons. 4) If economic conditions pick up, sell more stuff. 5) Set up the bass pedalboard for the arpeggiation and manual bass synth lines...I will need a second bass synth pedal for that. I have BC, Aurok, study for a PGCE and a social media channel to take care of plus a day job...

Over the weekend, I had a deeper dive and the unit is really easy to understand. It can also do not only a melodic arpeggiated sequenced line BUT...it can do one sequenced line for each of four tracks and each track can be assigned a different time signature and a different speed (as a multiple of the tempo). Doing a patch for I Feel Love could potentially include both sequenced basslines (one I/I/-IV/-VII and the other i/I/+V/+VII) and a manually played bassline for accents. I would also like to see if there is a way to use two tracks, one 4/4 and the other 12/8 to get some rhythmic accents and feels that aren't quantised to regular 1/16 notes. With the two remaing tracks, it's possible to assign effects such as a slapback delay or modulation for further complexity. So that completely blows my world of rhythmic opportunities wide open in ways I never expected but it does require knowing the unit quite well. There's plenty of user patch slots (literally thousands) but not much in the factory presets that showcase the arp abilities. However. It turns out I've discovered a bug. While it's possible to assign a pitch interval to each individual step, it turns out that when I try to assign an interval above 0 to a step, it transposes the entire track. So that's been logged and may well end up being addressed in the first firmware update. Other users are report other bugs as well so it seems like the firmware is more like a beta version. It would also be nice to have access to a minor third interval so I can sequence within a key. Once I've explored the possibilities more fully and if they release a firmware update soonish, I'll post a video showing the upper limits of what it can do.

I have a sound that I definitely prefer, which is a combination of 80's burp but with extra warmth. It's probably closest to the tone that gospel players use. I feel that having a signature sound is probably something for others to decide, assuming my playing ever becomes noteworthy enough.

Oddly enough, the owner of Alexander Pedals flagged it with me when I reached out about the blended step thing.

This is one of @thevintagebassist 's necks.

There is a patch on the Mess called Onestring which is an arpeggiated sequence based on one note. Its pretty much what Ive been looking for. Just need to deep dive the editing process.

I've started inspecting the necks this evening...I'll be in contact with each of you tomorrow with photos n stuff. So far I'm pretty happy with the quality, although there has been a change to the specification which the fabricator didn't discuss with me. The paint is now gloss rather than matt which means the weave is popping harder than ever. It's almost pornographic.

Necrothread bump: Admittedly I haven't been great at updating this thread as originally intended because it's just been one disappointment after another. I sold the Boss SY200 recently because the arpeggiation wasn't user programmable, the Source Audio C4 was sold last year due to connectivity faff and the Alexander Colour Theory and the Cooper FX Moment Machine both did pitch based arpeggiation but didn't do ADSR. So two steps of the same pitch and duration became one step of double the duration which meant it couldn't trigger a bass synth pedal with two notes of the same pitch...so 1/8 note pumping away was out of the question. And of course I could only uncover all of this after shelling out for them. BUT after 16 years...I hope my quest might be over. In August this year, a small company called Polyend released a pedal called the Mess which does virtually every kind of sequenced effect plus a load of delays and reverbs. I finally got my hands on one today and while I've had only a modest muck about with it so far just checking out factory presets...it's absolutely capable of pitch based arpeggiation with ADSR and user programmable pitch intervals. I'll post more in a week or so after I've connected it to the mimmo modded Freeze and the Future Impact. https://polyend.com/mess/

Hey guys, batch 2 is being express shipped to me tomorrow so hope to inspect the necks towards the end of the week. I'll be sending each of you photoand video and a set of heel measurements to confirm everything is as expected.s

Maple board on a SR4 neck - any thoughts? What does everyone think? It's going to be available for sale once finished.

We are still making them. There's one slot left for Batch 3...lots of interest off Facebook this week but noone has pulled the trigger on the last slot yet. Batch 4 won't be started until February due to CNY.

The bottom neck, with the sunburst effect, is going to be mine. I did want custom inlays but we don't have a laser engraving machine yet. Maybe in the future though.

@Raslee @BlueMoon @Jo.gwillim @thevintagebassist @Manfred741 Frets were installed this week. They're nearly ready...

Hey Huff, sorry for the delayed reply. The necks are hollow tube construciton but filled with epoxy resin. I'm not sure what you mean by grade though, would you like to clarify?

I have a handful of kids in my class with different forms of autism, suspected NPD and ADHD. ADHD is relatively straight forward so long as you can draw on large reserves of patience. The most autistic kid out of the two is an absolute sweetheart and by far the most interesting student in the class. She's always full of surprises and it's absolutely impossible to generalise or normalise her. She's doing her own thing and doing it quite well but I do worry a little about her hyperfocus and staying safe.

My Vigier Passion iii 5 string provided the original inspiration.

Let me know what 42mm wide 5 strings you come up with.

The Vigier Passion is 42mm. AI is suggesting the following: 1. Ibanez Soundgear (SR) Series Models: SR505, SR605, SR705, SR805, Prestige models (e.g., SR1405). Nut Width: Consistently 42mm across almost the entire 5-string SR line. Why it's notable: This is one of the most iconic and accessible lines with this spec. They feature ultra-thin, fast necks, lightweight bodies, and great ergonomics. The perfect starting point for a 42mm nut search. 2. Yamaha TRBX500 & 600 Series Models: TRBX505, TRBX605. Nut Width: 42mm. Why it's notable: Yamaha offers tremendous value. These are well-built, versatile basses with modern electronics and a very comfortable, slightly rounded neck profile that's easy to play. 3. ESP/LTD B-Series Models: LTD B-205, B-255, B-1005, etc. Nut Width: Typically 42mm on many of their 5-string models (always double-check the spec sheet for the specific model). Why it's notable: Great for rock and metal players. They often feature a flat neck profile ("D" shape) which, combined with the 42mm nut, gives a very consistent, fast feel across the fingerboard. 4. Schecter Stiletto Series Models: Stiletto Stealth-5, Stiletto Custom-5. Nut Width: Many are listed at 1.65" (42mm). Why it's notable: Another excellent option for modern tones. Schecter's necks are famously smooth and playable, often with a thin "C" shape, making them very comfortable for the 42mm width. 5. Sire Marcus Miller V Series Models: Sire V5, V7, V9 (5-string versions). Nut Width: 42mm. Why it's notable: Exceptional value with high-end features (like rolled fingerboard edges, active/passive electronics). The necks have a soft "C" shape that many players find very comfortable.

We have gone with 42mm for the SR5 necks by popular request

I've found generally that there is a set of trade offs between aesthetics and ergonomics which kind of shows there is a limit to the classic Modernist design mantra of 'form follows function'. I tend to think of it as a prioritisation exercise...priotise ergonomics up to about 70% of the body shape and compromise a little for aesthetics. If you go beyond that threshold, it's possible to end up with some fairly unattractive body shapes that are exceedingly comfortable. I'd offer up Vigier as an example and maybe the Klein steinberger/Strandberg Boden bass. I'm sure it must be possible to cobble together a 2 axis graph somewhere showing attractiveness vs comfort given access to enough survey data. Strandberg Boden bass Klein/Steinberger bass Vigier Passion SIII 5

Okdoke :). Foam in the headstock might be tricky when the tuners are held in place by screws. But I'll see if there is a way to confirm relative weight saving of the lighter weight core filling in an side by side experiment.

Follow up - the JB4 necks are weighing in at a gnats nadger over 1.1kg

It depends on how far the envelope is pushed from whats already known. The resonancy peaks become more pronounced the less stiff the core is. Its possible to fill with resin and other materials but the proportions could vary according to resin content and any filler material. And the filler material would have some frequency dampening properties. Rob Green mentioned once in person to me that tbe Stealth 2 used an epoxy foam core. Not sure if the core was preshaped and wrapped or the foam was injected into a hollow shell.