lowregisterhead

I'll get me coat. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/395329840640

I bought the 1265 new that you got from me @tauzero and also fitted the Aguilar DCB D4 pickups. I just thought the stock Barts were really bland, and I found the Aggies had much more punch and detail. I tried two of the 1005s in Andertons when they first came out, and for me they were pretty flat sounding, perhaps due in part to the basswood body. They also both had some QC issues, as well as a couple of really obvious dead spots. The 1005s have maple/walnut necks and basswood bodies, whereas the 1505 and 1265 have pangapanga/walnut necks and mahogany bodies with poplar burl or walnut tops, which I think makes a big difference. I still think it’s a cool design, but the reason I moved it on was that even though I’m involved in a few very different band and projects, the bass wasn’t really a good fit for any of them. The guys in the blues band I play in hated the look of it! 😆 The other reason was that I quite like a bass with a bit of heft to it, and I actually found the EHB being so light and compact difficult to get used to. I’m still a fan of headless basses - I took delivery of a new Status S23 a couple of weeks ago. There a short review and video here:

Here a comparison video of my S2 and the S23 that I slung together - the usual rambling and aimless noodling, but hopefully it’ll give an idea of the tonal possibilities.

I just can’t help thinking that if they’d bothered to give it a quick wipe, they could’ve asked £50 for it! 😉

Nice of the seller to include the arse end of the probable source of some of the dust in the last photo! 🤢

The S23 seems brighter and more resonant than the S2 acoustically, which could be due in part to the stiffness of the graphite neck on the S2. I'm going to do a review/comparison video soon which should show the tonal differences better.

Good question, but I don't think there's really any way to find out. Somewhere on the website it says that the Paramatrix preamp can't be retrofitted to older basses.

This beauty arrived from Status HQ a few days ago, ordered to my specs. I've owned quite a few Statuses (Statii?) over the years, but being the unabashed bass tart that I am, I moved them all on eventually for something or other that probably seemed more sparkly and alluring at the time. I thought I'd got the carbon graphite bug out of my system, then a couple of months ago I spotted an S2 headed 5-string bolt-on online at a very reasonable price that had been delivered to the original owner in 2021, then promptly put in storage for the next three years as the pandemic played out. It looked like it was completely factory-fresh, so I took a punt. It turned out to be absolutely pristine and lovely to play, and immediately re-kindled my love of all things Status. As many of us will be aware, Rob Green (the boss of Status Graphite) had been ill with cancer, and with Brexit, the pandemic and price hikes for raw materials on top of that, production was shut down in 2022. Thankfully, Rob recovered after major surgery. Deciding he wasn't quite finished with the business, he opted for what he referred to as 'semi-retirement', and started making basses again late last year, but decided not to produce any of the previous ranges, making only a new 'Series 23' bass with a wooden, graphite-reinforced neck and a Richlite phenolic fingerboard, as well as Chris Wolstenholme and Alex Venturella signature models, made the same way. Although in some people's estimation this might have appeared to be flying in the face of the very thing that set Status basses apart from the rest, I was intrigued at the prospect of the new model, and decided to take the plunge and order one, a 5-string headless with Paramatrix 4-band EQ and Tri-Max pickups in soapbar cases. The chameleon finishes on offer on the website weren't really my thing, but Rob said he could make one in Satin Black, and I was sold. So what's it like? As I mentioned earlier, I know my way around the various Status models pretty well, and having the S2 to hand means I have something to compare the S23 with. The build quality and finish of both, as you would expect, is flawless. The S23 neck feels very slightly chunkier than the S2, due in part to the different finishes, but the profile and dimensions are almost identical. Using a depth gauge, the S23 measures a couple of millimeters deeper than the S2 at the zero fret, presumably to support the headless string retainer. Depth measurements at the 12th and 19th frets are the same on both basses, as is the width at the zero fret on both. The S23 neck is very slightly wider at the 12th and 19th frets than the S2 by a couple of millimeters, but it isn't apparent when playing either bass. Tonally, the S23 doesn't disappoint. Acoustically it's resonant, bright and crisp, with a piano-like quality to the B string that I wasn't expecting. At my request, Rob fitted 45-130 stainless steel "Hotwire' double ball end strings, and even though I'm used to nickels, the steels play so nicely, I think I'll be ordering some more. I've played extra-long scale Laklands for years, and the B string on the S23 is just as clear and defined, completely integrated with the other strings, as opposed to an afterthought added to a 4-string, as some fivers can feel. The acoustic clarity and resonance are borne out in how the S23 sounds plugged in - clear, crisp and open, and the EQ and coil tap switches mean you can create an incredibly wide range of tones, as well as dialing in the famous Status mid poke. The S2 sounds great too, but to be honest, it seems slightly muted in tone in comparison to the S23. As you might be able to tell, I'm very impressed with my new acquisition. I can see my S2, Lakland and Dingwalls all taking a back seat to the new arrival. If you're in the market for a high quality custom bass, I would suggest you seriously consider one. The other small bonus (at the moment at least) is that as production has only restarted recently, the build time from placing the order to delivery was only 6 weeks. Get in there quick.

All good advice. In the case of the issue likely being experienced the OP, and myself, unfortunately the problems haven't been brought on by bad technique, or wear and tear from decades of playing, in this specific instance it's due to an auto-immune condition. Over the years I've tried all manner of exclusion diets in case there was a link (although the consultants I've seen have said many times that over numerous studies none have been found) acupuncture and herbal remedies, which made no discernible difference, and I still take supplements of high strength Glucosamine and Omega 3 fish oils, which I've personally found certainly do seem to help keep things on an even keel. The human body is an amazing thing, but the truth is there are still huge gaps in medical knowledge about how it all functions. I'm grateful there are some effective treatments available, but I also have a fairly healthy skepticism of sweeping judgements offered by consultants and specialists in the field, who you might think should have the experience and qualifications to know about these things. When I was a teenager, I knew a formidable lady called Marleen Ross, who with her husband Graeme ran a PA hire company in my hometown of Aberdeen in the 70's and 80's. She later went on to manage Celtic rock band Runrig. Like a lot of local musicians, I used to hang around in their shop in the city's King Street and pass the time of day. Before joining Graeme full-time in the music business, Marleen had been a nursing theatre Sister, and one day the subject of medicine came up. We all offered our experiences and opinions, but we really all wanted to know what Marleen thought, so asked for her view on the matter. "Doctors?" she said. "F*cking plumbers in suits!"

You do learn to adapt to compensate for the pain and lack of mobility, but my concern would be that depending on the extent and frequency of the flare-ups, they can cause progressive damage to the joints over time, and eventually leave you in a much worse state than if you used medication long term. I developed 'hot joints' in my hands in my 20's, put up with it into my 30's, and then the specialist suggested I start taking a drug once a week that I've been on for 25 years now. It's a fairly potent immunosuppressant that takes the peaks off the immune response that causes the problem in the first place, and it's generally kept a lid on things for all that time. The potential side effects will depend on the individual, but for me they've been relatively minor. I have a blood test every two months to monitor the effects of the drug on the rest of my system, but I seem to be able to tolerate it well. For me, it's a small price to pay for being able to continue to function pretty normally. And you're right - use ibuprofen with great care. Despite being a seemingly innocuous 'over the counter' generic medicine, it kills thousands of people every year.

Some sayings can be useful, others less so. Years ago I had an issue that was eventually pinned down to an interaction between two medications I was on. I would wake up in the middle of the night feeling really nauseous, jump out of bed in fear of being sick, then black out on the floor. Not pleasant, and it scared the Bejeesus out of the missus. I was given all sorts of blood tests, a 24-hour blood pressure monitor, and a ride strapped to a thing called a 'tilt table' to check for variations in blood pressure and the function my inner ear in different orientations, all to no avail initially. On seeing the Consultant to assess the results, he said, "So, you wake up in the middle of the night feeling sick, jump out of bed, and pass out?" "Yes" I replied. "Well, if you wake up in the middle of the night and feel sick, don't jump out of bed!" Monty Python came to mind...

That could still be it - about 10% of people with some form of psoriasis can go on to develop Psoriatic Arthritis. Red, flaky skin on elbows, knees and nails are all common places where it can appear initially. Best of luck with the diagnosis 👍

Psoriatic arthritis can be tricky to manage - it can pop up anywhere and hang around for a period of time, the only advantage being it tends to settle down eventually, but unfortunately can then just move on somewhere else. It's worth asking your GP for a referral to your local hospital's Rheumatology department, and depending on the severity, they can prescribe various drugs such as Methotrexate, which generally keeps a lid on it. It'll lessen the spikes of flare-ups, but doesn't stop it completely. As it's an auto-immune condition, it's a fine balance between controlling the immune response that causes the flare-ups, and not suppressing your immune system to the point where you become susceptible to all and sundry. I'd recommend getting it assessed by a specialist sooner rather than later.

Very cool. The Star Dust Black one at BD has gone as well now! Anyone on here lift it??