PaulKing

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[quote name='ahpook' timestamp='1328606555' post='1529715'] very tidy work - what kind of foam did you use ? [/quote] That'd be a trade secret. aka High Density EVA.

[quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1328603635' post='1529673'] ... they were'nt a perfect fit ... . They, incidentally, looked absolutely identical the ones you have crafted... [/quote] If they're too big, some medium grain sandpaper will take off the excess neatly. If they're too small ... doh. Identical? Gosh, what are the chances of that? Just to be cear and fair ... I'm not going into business, so Mr Plug is still the man to go to for a pro product!.

I've seen these for sale in the states, but they ain't cheap. I've been using a scruffy DIY version for a year or two and they work absolutely brilliantly (for piezo pick ups). Fitted and removed in 2 seconds flat. So I splashed out on some pucker materials and the right tools for the job. This is the first set, they actually look neater in real life than the photos do justice to. I'll be making a set for each of my basses ... but reckon I'll have enough materials left over to make another dozen sets at least. it's quite a faff, takes a good 2-3 hours to make each set ... but if enough people were interested I might consider doing a few bespoke sets at a fair price. All I'd need is a precise outline of your f-hole. If there's any interest, shout below. Hope this doesn't qualify as a commercial advert???

It always depends what style you are playing. I presume not orchestral ... where this might let you down, at least in terms of losing face, if not necessarily in sound. For jazz or anything else, hell 70s Czech basses were great basses. Strunal is a bloody decent factory, still making great factory instruments. Decent ply, not too thick, can produce a perfectly good tone. It might well be better than some cheap solid wood, but any older decent solid is going to have a complexity and projection even beyond a decent plywood like this. It's also going to cost you WAY over £1000 I have a 60s/70s Czech ply, beautiful sound. Likely made at Strunal factory before it became Strunal. Worth about a grand I reckon... so for £400 I'd take his hand off. Play before buying.

A lot of slappers use them, but they can be a bit harsh on your fingerboard i believe, as they are round wound. Innovations are half-round wound, so feel smoother to the touch. But the new Cordes Lambert are round wound and I have no problem with them. One prototype set did mark my fingerboard, but not the real things. I'll be interested to know how you think they compare to innovations.

Thomann Rockabilly basses are not amazing, but I've heard from a number of people that they are perfectly decent for someone who wants to play rock/blues/billy whatever. There is always a downside to basses that are a bit rough ... the poor sound can disguise your technique and make it harder to play, or slow down your progress. But for hammering out 12 bars I've heard people who have been happy enough with Thomann Rockabillies. A bit higher in their range (Thoman 111) the basses are made by Strunal - they're really very good beginner basses, but start around £1000. Thomann are a good company ... just get the most expensive one you can afford. But yes, remember you'll need to spend £80+ on strings (get Innovation Silver Slaps as your starter string, even if you don't want to slap - Thomann may put them on for you). And you may need to spend more on set up (adjusting string height etc), though Thomann will do a simple set up for you I believe. Bass care: Get one thing clear - you're talking about a plywood bass here, not a carved instrument, or hybrid one (plywood with wood front, either carved or pressed into shape). They don't like radiators much, but they're not gonna crack like a carved instrument. They're much more robust. Keep it propped up in a corner, out of direct sunlight, away from radiators. Or even better, lying on its side if you've space. And buy a vinyl gig bag at least if you're ever going to take it out of the house. Learn how to move it ... hold the neck and the upper lip of the C-bout (the scoop in the 'waist' of the bass). Never knock, pull or lift using the bridge. Read up on how to change strings - you can do a lot of damage if you fiddle before you know what you're doing. The bass is held together by the string tension, and bits start falling off if you undo without care! Learn where the bridge should stand, and how to ensure it is vertical, so you can check it's not falling when you change strings. Learn what the bits are called ... you need to know whats going on with your tailgut, endpin, tailpiece, bridge feet, nut, fingerboard, sound post, bass bar... it's a world of fun! enough for now...

Sweet. Happy days.

Bassmax, great pick up Once you've settled for that style of wing piezo they all sound pretty similar, and very easy to use and dial in. They all have subtle differences that suit different basses and different ears and different playing styles. Underwood Shadow Schatten Planet Revolution Solo TM... you might end up trying them all eventually. I settled on Bassmax for a long time, then I switched to Underwood for simplicity and transparency of tone. Currently running 3 Underwoods on 3 basses, and a Bassmax on one. I'm about to try a Planet now,...

I want to try one. Anyone got one they want to pass on? Lend out even....?

Dead right. I've used it for years to make fixes to my bridge ... build up height, build up wing slots for better pickup fit, build up nut grooves etc. When you mess about with different strings as much as me you can end up adjusting the set up a lot. Great stuff.

You could also try Prestos. Similar to innovation Silverslaps in many ways, good for slapping, strong gut-like tone, good sustain and definition, nylon outer gives reasonably soft slap tone. But metallic inner wrap means they work with a mag. They were once almost as popular as Rotosounds for slappers, but fashions and options change, people seem to use Innovations and whackers more than either of those now. Or as mentioned elsewhere, try Innovation (Braided core) Solo guage, detuned to concert. Nice tension, nice tone, nice click. Here them slapped here: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41F2ukjtBf0"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41F2ukjtBf0[/url] Curiously enough I've a set all boxed up on my shelf, looking for a new home.

Very nice i agree, saw this on ebay. Good price - decent lammy like that should be worth £900 or more, but that's the market at the moment. There is another gorgeous blonde bass around,similar white (ivory?) tuners. Still for sale, still asking an awful lot more money! those black lines are called purfling. They're designed to stop cracks and delamination spreading from the edges. Still trying to put a number on the Kays in the UK (come on, show us yours! ... or did you already and I forgot?). A dozen, more? I was talking to Thomas from Slap-strings.de yesterday ... he used to have 15 Kays! And 2 Mortones. And several Framus, and a bunch of other basses. drool...

I heard back from Steve. Tis true the business is going. But if you're an existing client, then you know where to find him. He hasn't totally disappeared...

I was idly browsing, especially looking at old pics of my Kay being restored a few years back. Saddened to see the economy has put paid to Steve Laws amazing luthiery... another small business bites the dust, and we lose an incredible and precious talent. We've got til December to hget those last bits of work done. Daf, you're on his testimonials page, rotten news eh?

Could be a nice bass, looks like a B+H Excelsior, though difficult to say from one picture. Any label inside? What did you pay for it? A good 60s Czech ply bass could be worth £900 or more, although no basses seem to be selling for good prices at the moment, so something like this could easily go on ebay for £3-400. Bridge: Definitely wonky. Lie it flat, slacken the strings until bridge becomes easy to move around, adjust position until feet lie in line with the notches on f-holes (centre of feet to inner notches), gradually tighten strings making sure bridge stays at 90 degrees - you may well need to nudge it back to 90 degrees as the strings try to pull the top of the bridge over. When strings close to tension, pick up bbass and continue tuning. Fingerboard: +1 to the above ... does the wood below look a nice colour? Alternatively, if you go slowly and carefully you could sand down the laquer with a fine grain sandpaper, finish off with wire wool unttil perfectly smooth, then rub the exposed wood with strking oil / almond oil / olive oil, polish and let dry. Go slowly, evenly, long single strokes, do not rub and rub back and forth cos that will introduce lumps and bumps on the board. Are you sure it's a lacquer peeling off, or is it just a stain wearing away? Sometimes rosewood or other hard wood fingerboards were 'ebonised', stained with black to make them look like ebony. After 50 years this staining could easily be wearing away, so it's only cosmetic and i wouldn't worry. The stain is only on the surface so it can easily be sanded away, but you really must go slowly and evenly! That said, i decided to do exactly this to my czech bass - beneath the worn black stain was a lovely reddish rosewood with a nice grain. It looks beautiful.

Hi Stillman ... to all bass brethren out there, hes the real deal ... pays up, turns up, no hassle. Safe trader! Glad youve been enjoying that big ABM cab... Paul

Fishman Platinum Bass is pretty widely available LR Baggs do a good clean, small package, harder to get hold of there are lots of others ... deatils over at doublebasschat.com