Bass Culture

3 hours ago, Mykesbass said:

Ah yes, bit of a hike. Was only asking as I end up doing some long trips (including Essex), but nowhere near Chester.

Thanks all the same - appreciate the thought.  Seems Plan A has been scuppered with any of the relatively decent couriers until I can get my hands on a box though...

1 hour ago, Mykesbass said:

I know Mike is in Essex, where do you need it delivered?

Chester - so the 450-odd mile round trip is a non-starter for me for probably quite some time!

1 hour ago, Mykesbass said:

Unboxed UPS won't take it (nor will a few others). Read the small print and you will find very few couriers will insure against damage (only loss/theft), and not to the value of your fabulous Zoot.

Thanks for this.  It's a while since I've needed to use a courier and the last time I did it was probably boxed, so I think I would blithely carried on - forewarned is forearmed though.

Dear hive mind, I thought we had a sticky along these lines but I can't find it through the search function.  Can anyone remember if we've reached a consensus as to who the 'best' courier is in previous similar threads?  I seem to recall UPS getting a genral thumb's up but promptly turned up a thread with a UPS horror story, so I'm less confident now.  It's going to be to have my new Zoot ZB-1000 delivered.  It'll be wholly within the UK and will ship in a (probably unboxed) Hiscox lite flite case if that helps anyone make a recommendation.  Thanks all.

4 hours ago, GreeneKing said:

Hello Mark

All good here thanks. I hope that the same goes for you

It does indeed.  More than a little frustrated that my own latest Zoot ZB-1000 away from being finished and I'm unable to travel to collect at present.  Grrrr!  Bloody Covid. 

Hey Peter, welcome to the club - not before time!  I hope all is well with you and yours.

19 hours ago, Bigguy2017 said:

I put a strap on an instrument and leave it on there. Only comes off for major maintenance etc.

So, every guitar gets a strap. 

This is the way.

Me too!  My comment was in no way a criticism, simply an acknowledgement of something, I think, we all do.

Why do we all buy so many straps?!  I've got 3 basses, all with (the same) strap locks, so as easy as it gets transferring a strap from one to the other, but each has their own strap anyway.  Not only that but I've been following this thread closely for inspiration for a new strap for a new bass I'm expecting to arrive quite soon.  Which will have the same strap locks as all the others. 

@Cosmicrain- absolutely fantastic work, Mike.  It's going to be so frustrating having to wait until Tier changes permit me to come down to pick it up!

22 hours ago, Jimothey said:

I'm from Colchester originally but moved to North Wales a few years ago my parents still live there 👍🏻

I'm from Colchester originally and moved to Chester several years ago!  Met Mike on visits back to see my family when he had The Bass Merchant in Witham.  A few Zoot basses have passed through my hands over the years but it was only about 5 years ago that I commissioned my first custom build from him.  You're welcome to pop over (when we eventually can!) if you ever fancy trying any of the three (soon to be four!) I now own.

Bloody hell, @Cosmicrain, I'm going to have bass lessons now - I am presently not worthy!   That really is quite stunning.  I won't know whether to play it or just sit there drooling...

F**k me, @Cosmicrain, that's porn!  I think this may be the best yet, Mike. Thank you. 😊

Looks superb.

1 hour ago, wateroftyne said:

That's strange... it sold for $500,312, but the page has been taken down and there's no mention anywhere on their site.

I just linked to it okay.  Just had to tick one of those 'you are not a robot' things that asks you to click on pictures with various things in.

SOLD pending payment etc.

It's that time again.  That time being when it dawns on me, yet again, that I can't be arsed learning how to use the latest multi-fx pedal I've bought (well, bought about 2 years ago in this case).  Over the years I have made a habit of purchasing the latest 'must have' multi-fx pedal and have had a Zoom B9.1u and a Boss something-or-other in the past (possibly more, I forget) before picking this fabulous (if you are anyone other than me) Zoom B3n a couple of years or so ago.  I really don't know why I keep doing this but this is the latest device that I plugged in for a night or two after it was delivered, got really enthusiastic about the huge variety and range of high quality sounds I found, then put back in the box and left it largely untouched save for one or two half hearted attempts to master it since.  It's not like it's even complicated, it's simply that my age (57), but mostly my low boredom threshold, mitigate against ever making full use of this great pedal.  If you are reading this you likely already know all about.  At least I hope you do as I am woefully under qualified to do justice to the comprehensive range of effects and amp simulations it offers, as well as looper and drum tracks too.  Here's what Zoom says if you d need the blurb: https://zoomcorp.com/en/gb/multi-effects/bass-effects/b3n/ 

Anyway this is genuinely like new, having had the most minimal bedroom use only.  It's boxed and bagged, complete with PSU and instructions, and a list of all the effects etc. it has.  It's just wasted on me.  Price includes delivery to mainland UK.  My feedback's here:

And photos of yer actual item for sale here:

14 hours ago, Cosmicrain said:

Gold fret wire..................... Jescar FW55090 EVO   Mark was looking for something different this time, so he asked me to fit some EVO gold frets.

Ooooh, you bugger Mike - you didn't tell me you were updating the thread! 😁  Very happy with these.  And I think we chose the right sized dots too!

Does this win the record for the longest dormant thread prior to resurrection - 9 1/2 years?!

Big shout out to Veijo at Rautia for this - I know he's got a pretty substantial backlog he's working through but it looks as though the bass will be finished in time for my trip down south at Christmas.  I've heard so much about these pickups, I'm really looking forward to hearing it installed, especially in combination with Mike's recreated Varitone 6-way selector and the Prostheta Noisekiller pre-amp.  Thanks @Cosmicrainfor posting the update.

On 01/10/2020 at 09:40, bloke_zero said:

Mmm - interesting! I can see https://www.facebook.com/Lusithand/photos/a.1686471474749710/3388690064527834/

But i'm struggling to find more details as FB brings me out in hives...

When I have secured the funds maybe talking to Martin will help, but I like putting the thing together in my head first.

There's links to the spec sheets for the three different Lusithand preamps here: https://www.rautiaguitars.net/multi-coil-bass-pickups.html  About half way down the page.

5 hours ago, RichardH said:

The matching headstock looks great to me - not "too much" at all. The spalting on there almost looks like slightly tangled strings!

Yes, now I've seen the finished capping I'm very happy with it myself.

Seems Mr Walsh has been a hive of activity recently!  Thanks for these latest updates @Cosmicrain.

I find the build process so fascinating.  Especially seeing as I have nothing like the skills needed to ever do anything like this myself.  It's really starting to come together and is meeting the brief exactly as I hoped.

I've never noticed before the precision with which the tuner holes line up with the neck laminates.  Such fantastic attention to detail.  It's the same on my other Zoots too.

Well done - really enjoyable read and an excellent piece of writing.  Thank you for taking me back to my youth!

It's been a while since my last update, mainly due to Covid-related delays.  Anyway, after some months waiting for the outstanding Hipshot order that my custom stuff was on, it finally turned.  Can you spot the obvious mistake anyone? 

Anyone who answered 'they've only sent you 3 f**king tuners for your 4 string bass gets a gold star!  Anyway, that was a few weeks ago so hopefully the missing one will show up before too much longer.  Which gives me time to throw in some of the latest work on the headstock, which we're capping with a veneer to match the body wood.  Here goes:

I don't know yet if the capped head stock is going to look classy or simply 'a bit much'.  Time, I think, will tell...