BigRedX

This is the problem with using a phone which normally has several other more important uses which require it to be kept up to date for running other software. Does the guitar support control form a proper computer perhaps using a web browser interface?

Both the Fractal and Valeton fail the BRX gig worthiness test by having horrible mini-jacks for MIDI (unforgivable on the Valeton where there appears to be plenty of room for DIN sockets) and a non-locking connector for the external PSU. I would also hope that both come with a decent computer-based editor as the displays look very small.

What else was in the lot?

Except that about the only thing it has in common with the bass in the OP is the name on the scratch plate. It's not been hand made by Tony Zemaitis and the metal work hasn't been engraved by Danny O'Brien - in fact the metalwork is all acid etched rather than hand-engraved. It's essentially a parts-bin bass with a Les Paul body shape and Jazz Bass pickups and electrics and a fancy bit of metal slapped on the front. I've played a modern MiJ "Zemaitis" guitar and while it's nice sounding and playing instrument, apart from the metal front there's nothing to set it aside from any other half-way decent Les Paul shaped guitar and certainly not worth the £2k+ price tag. Of course that doesn't mean the bass in the OP is worth £14k unless it actually sells for that price, but anyone owning it will have a completely unique instrument unlike the modern copies.

Tasty and rare. If I had that kind of money, and wanted a fretless 4-string bass I'd be seriously interested.

You didn't say there was a case too.

Would the buyer be OK with you taking the neck off for shipping? That would get the parcel down to a more affordable size.

Be aware that Warwick Red Label strings don't appear to be available with a taper-wound B and their ball-end wraps tend to be quite "chunky", so depending on the bass you intend to use them with they may not fit the bridge. It is possible to get the more expensive Warwick Black Label strings with a taper-wound B.

For me a 120 B-string is far too low tension. For standard 4th tuning, string tension is highest in the D string and then drops off as the strings get thicker or thinner. As others have said it very much depends and how you play what sort of feel/sound you want and ultimately there is no overall correct answer just one that works for you.

Who was making fakers in the UK other than John Birch? IMO they are only fakers in very loosest sense of the word since only the rough body shape and occasionally the headstock were anything like a Rickenbacker.

IME strings either break when they are brand new due to manufacturing defects, or when they are very old because they are badly worn and have lost much of their elasticity. I try and make sure I replace my strings every 3 months and have 2 rehearsals before using them at a gig.

IME the scale length on its own has little bearing on the how good the low B is until your hit 36" over. There are plenty of luthiers capable of making 34" scale basses with excellent low Bs. It's mostly about neck construction, especially stiffness, and how the neck is attached to the body. If your bass has a bolt-on neck you could try the following: Slacken of the strings and then very slightly loosen the neck screws (no more than 1 turn). Then tune back up to pitch and following than tighten up the neck screws. This has the effect of pulling the neck as tightly into the pocket as possible which should help with clarity. You can also try lowering the pickup(s) a couple of millimetres away from the B string which will reduce the magnetic pull on the string and allow it to vibrate more freely.

My understanding is, that from a historical perspective, the factory that made these basses is more important than whatever logo they chose to stick on the TRC before selling them.

If you only have one keyboard to connect and don't plan on getting anymore MIDI devices then the SubZero interface is going to be overkill for your needs. I'd get the cable recommended by @moley6knipe from Amazon as you'll be able to return it without quibble if it doesn't work. Cable only solutions don have a brilliant reputation but so long as as you are only intending to send note and controller data from the keyboard to the computer it should be fine. It's only when you want to also use esoteric MIDI data like Polyphonic Aftertouch, MTC and SysEx that they tend to fall down. If you just want to get MIDI data from the keyboard to the computer and don't intend to use it to have the computer playing the keyboard's sounds just connect the MIDI out socket otherwise you'll get a MIDI loop which leads to all kinds of nastiness. If you do want to have the computer controlling the piano you'll need to look for the "local off" setting on your keyboard and connect both the MIDI In and Out.

Having said that in the bands where I have been the guitarist, my success rate for completing a gig without breaking a string is less than 50%. I'm an "enthusiastic" guitar player and even more so in front of an audience. Add to that the fact that I only have guitars with vibrato mechanisms, I would never play a gig on guitar without having a spare one on stage.

We solved the problem by not having a guitarist.

If all you want to do is play notes on the keyboard so that Cubase can record the MIDI data, You will probably get away with one of those MIDI USB leads with two 5-pin DIN sockets at the other end.

1 and 2. My two Gus 5-string basses. I couldn't see myself joining a band where they would be inappropriate for the image and so the only way I would sell them would be if I was physically incapable of playing them. 3. My Line6 Helix. This would only be replaced if I could find a device that did everything I currently do with the Helix plus the inclusion of MIDI-triggered ADSR filters and gates. 4. Logic. I've been a Logic user for over 30 years now. I have no interest in any other DAWs.

Indeed. There is of course Clara Rockmore, the Etherwave Theremin I used to own came with a DVD of her in conversation and playing for Bob Moog. Then there is also Bruce Wooley (of Video Killed the Radio Star fame) Radio Science Orchestra. And a host of other talented players.

You do need to watch what you are doing with stereo, phase differences and low frequencies if you are intending to release your recordings as a records, as these can render the track(s) uncuttable.

Having stereo placement in IEMs can help with clarity in the mix when you have lots of instruments and vocals. However if you can hear everything well enough with a mono mix then you probably don't need it.

Considering that as of the beginning of 2025 In Isolation in it's most recent state has come to an end with Singer Ryan's departure to work on other things, we've been very busy recently. There was a farewell gig at The Salutation Inn in Nottingham as part of the Spellbound Goth night and an EP plus two new videos. The EP has three new songs - Light In Darker Times, Middle Child Millicent and Phantoms as well as a Matt Pop remix of Middle Child Millicent. It's available from Bandcamp as a limited edition CD version and on all the usual streaming and download sites. We also made two videos, Light In Darker Times which features the band: And Middle Child Millicent which doesn't: I'll be concentrating on my other band Hurtsfall, we have a new single out next month and are currently finishing off our debut album for release later in the year. We also have a number of high-profile gigs coming up including WGW and Twisted Firestarter.

I think one of the problems that anyone coming as new into "home recording" has now is that in the form of their computer and DAW software they have something that would completely surpass the multi-track machine, mixing desk and outboard gear of any pre-digital studio, and getting to grips with all of that is a close to vertical learning curve.

My first memory upgrade for a Mac Quadra 650 cost £399.00 for 8MB which was the cheapest option that I could find. Unfortunately the vendor had to supply 3 different SIMMs before I got one that actually worked.

I must have been exceedingly lucky in that I never had any SCSI problems during the many years that I was using it. That includes a setup that will probably be anxiety-inducing in anyone else who ever dealt with SCSI of: Mac > Removable Optical Drive > Akai S2000 Sampler. Surprisingly it worked fine so long as I remembered that once I had inserted an optical disc that was formatted for either the Mac or the Akai I couldn't then use a disc that had been formatted for the other device without rebooting everything first.