Bass Culture

Nice surprise when I got back yesterday afternoon - some more updates from Mike. More work on the neck and he's now starting on the body too. Definitely shaping up now: The mahogany core is going to be faced up back and front with paduak - to give that authentic Wal vibe.

We have activity! Mike's been busy, busy, busy recently, so it was a nice surprise to get a message from him this week saying he's started proper on my build now, with some update photos of the work he's done on the neck: Screw holes on the headstock are the location of the tuners and the string retainer, I'd guess. Not as showy as the neck on my Zoot ZB-1000 (which was a work of art - see build thread: I'm heading down his way towards the end of February so it will be nice to pop in and see progress first hand, and have a good catch-up too. I don't expect it to be finished by then but it will certainly be looking much more bass-like.

Must have not been concentrating the other afternoon when an advert for one of these popped up an Facebook and I'd pulled the trigger before I knew about it: https://www.cablefreeguitar.com/products/lekato-strap-for-bass-electric-guitar-with-3-5-wide-neoprene-pad-3d-sponge-filling-decompression Has all the required requisites I usually look for: width; adjustability etc., but does look alarmingly similar to this one off Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ultimate-Guitar-Strap-Pack-Comfortable/dp/B07D38HYP2/ref=asc_df_B07D38HYP2/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=310853155332&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6143358123542197301&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007072&hvtargid=pla-562896271134&psc=1 And despite the price being in dollars it is - predictably - winging its way from China.

I understand very little of the technical content of this thread but - perversely - am finding it completely fascinating all the same!

That's great - thanks ET. I'll look forward to watching this later on. Sorry - listening to it!

I've owned a number of neck-throughs and bolt-ones over the years and, for me, very generally, I'd say bolt-ons have a naturally slightly more 'compressed' character. I guess this ties in with the oft-cited observation that neck-throughs have more sustain (generally said in such a way as to imply that that, in itself, is some sort of holy grail characteristic). For me, I actually prefer bolt-ons, for this reason. As well as the simple, pragmatic consideration that they are more easily repaired if the neck ends up critically damaged for some reason. I think Wal's have this sound characteristic of bolt-ons generally too. That said, they are probably often recorded with added compression anyway, so who knows?! Of my Zoots, I have two that sound totally different acoustically - one with swamp ash body and rosewood fingerboard and the other with a mahogany body and ebony fingerboard. Plug them in and twiddle some knobs though and I can get them to sound within a gnat's whisker of each other. Go figure. [And yes, this does beg the question of why I now own 4 - soon to be 5 - custom Zoots! And why I've spec'ed them all differently too, when I try and set them up to sound the same, more or less!...But, my, they're pretty. ]

Just wanted to say "chapeau" to Chris White for his playing on this, the first track from The Zombies masterpiece, Odessey and Oracle (sic). I have one (70+ year-old!) bass 'pupil', who requested we look at this recently. For many of us we think that great bass playing = technically challenging. This, however, is a great example of harmonic and rhythmic sophistication being applied to create a really fluid, interesting and melodic accompaniment which, if removed, would significantly detract from the arrangement and the song itself. It's a terrific line created from a mixture of well chosen, root and non-root, chord identifying notes. I'd heartily recommend giving it a listen. Happy Christmas!

Any of you good people tried the DB200H? I'm sorely tempted at the discounted price Andertons are knocking the last few out at. It goes without saying ( 😊! ) that I don't need one as I've been perfectly happy with my TC RH750 for the last six years or so - but at that price, trying something different isn't going to be too costly an experiment.

Mike did this mock-up for me as I was a little concerned about how congested the centre of the body might be as the pickups + surrounds, I thought, could take up too much space. As it turned out, it actually looks pretty well balanced - to my eye.

The scaled down Boudica had a very slightly less extended top horn and the bottom bout is slightly more 'square on'. It looks tremendous. I have a pdf of it but can't figure out how to post it as Flickr doesn't let you upload pdf's.

That’s the one. Mike’s done a slightly scaled down version though.

As I have previously commissioned Mike to make me a ZB-1000 (a zootified version of an Aria SB-1000 - see previous build thread) I thought I'd continue with the 'basses I drooled over in my youth' theme and ask Mike to build me his take on a Wal Custom which - with all the imagination of a goldfish - we've christened the Zoot 'Wal-a-like'. It's going to be a 32" scale, 4 stringer again and use MIke's scaled down Boudica body shape, which shares some similarities to a Wal Mk 3 shape. Full specs: Body: Mahogany Facings: Padauk (front and back) Neck: 5 piece - figured maple with wenge stringers, 32" scale length Nut width: 38mm Fingerboard: Ebony with 5mm MOP dots Bridge: Individual gold ABM types (actually some no name ones I found in a box of bits) String spacing: 17.5mm Tuners: Hipshot Ultralites in back & gold Pickups: 2 x Rautia muli coils Preamp: Lusithand Double NFP Special filter preamp Knobs: John East Here's a picture of some wood for those of you who like that sort of things. I'll update as the build progresses but I'd guess we're looking at a few months before completion.

Hmm, I'd be interested to know how Mike (Walsh - Iceni/Zoot) was involved. I must get the full story off him next time I'm at his discussing progress on my Zoot 'not a MK Jazz type thing'.

If so, he was probably even more visually impaired after his audience participation experience.

Here's the headline: 'Brass Against apologise after frontwoman Sophia Urista urinates on fan’s face during live show'

Am imaginative approach to engaging with one's audience during the live performance situation, I feel: https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/sophia-urista-brass-against-fan-b1957226.html?fbclid=IwAR1bCbB231p2Y9Uv0eEoEXCwzSU5pmlVhcWrO4ERO9fOHqekcQj58Lvwunw

Thanks all, I've pulled the trigger on a Unitune.

Do it - you won't regret it. I have another one on order too, based on another well known, iconic 80's bass. Mike's delivery times have gone out to about 12 months now so I've still got a while wait for it though.

Thanks for your replies so far and - yes - I should have used the search function. Sorry!

Dear all, just bought an acoustic guitar on a whim and I need a clip-on tuner now. What's a decent, reliable and accurate tuner that won't cost the earth? Thanks.

Agree about The Art of Losing - absolutely superb. However, my favourite album this year is a reissue - the magnificent, peerless, bombastic Everything Picture by Ultrasound. Tunetastic semi-prog from 'could have been contenders'.

Talking about bucking the trend! I think this is an incredibly forward-thinking and responsible step. And the inevitable cost increase is - as others have said - surprisingly low. Now, I certainly don't need anymore basses but in the spirit of supporting a 'local' manufacturer I feel the least I could do is pay their site a visit.

Superb Peter - great spec.

Love those AM knobs! Would you mind linking to the seller so other of us RH750 owners can join in? Love your colour palette too!