Maude

The optimum amount of shankspan to achieve the perfect equilibrium of balance and image is governed by the scale of your bass, ie a 34" scale bass equals a 34" shankspan.

I'll say I'm a Yamaha fanboi now so I could be biased, but I've always said that at any given price point I feel that you get more bass from Yamaha than Fender/Squier. QC seems far more consistent with Yamaha than Fender/Squier. How many times have you seem people trying any number of 'identical' Fenders to find 'a good one'? Pick up any Yamaha of the model you're looking for and it will be pretty much the same as all the others, making distance buying easier. On the 734a, I find the necks the absolutely perfect size, and rock solid body joint with the six bolt mitre fixing. It's true, as with any satin or matt, that the finish will polish up under use but I personally much prefer the gloss dark coffee burst anyway. In the flesh it I something else, absolutely gorgeous. People have mentioned the pickups sounding slightly bland but I think that's comparing to the previous series of BBs which had their own distinct sound. The 734a is slightly more generic sounding but that just means it will fit in anywhere. I can't see mine leaving me for a very long time. Edit: Our guitarist bought me a mini BB for my birthday and this was the picture I sent him. How can you not love that finish?

The 'dolphin head' headstock does seem out of proportion to the neck but is one of the quirks of Danelectro design. The small button type tuners don't help either. It's only a shortscale so lengthwise it looks in scale to the smallish body so that might be my photos, but the headstock is definitely small for a bass.

I was going to say loads of bands lived in squats, stole or blagged equipment, ate every other day, drove to gigs in a knackered van with a beer mat for a tax disc if they could get it started, and all because it was easier back in the day? In these terribly difficult times for a struggling band we, a bunch of blokes in our fifties & sixties who aren't really actively promoting ourselves, get offers of gigs all over the UK and have just had a DJ on an American radio station ask if he can play our music on his show. Yes this reply is slightly facetious but if bands want/need to create music then they will find a way, and there are far more ways these days of doing it than there ever has been. I've always been of the opinion that the next youth musical revolution is so long overdue because none of them are angry/passionate enough about anything to kickstart that revolution. There's lot for them to be angry about but pretend rants on tiktok for likes isn't going to do it.

Is this the model with the funky 3D neck plate. If it is I have the fretless version and it's actually a very nice bass. The scratchplate is significantly different in shape to a generic P so an eBay replacement is out of the question anyway. I know you weren't heading down that route, but just in case you were considering it.

The X in the models number only means it has the pickguard and chrome control plate. It's a purely cosmetic change, ie the 1024 is the same as the 1024x just without pickguard and control plate. I much prefer the look of the X but others don't, horses for courses.

The Trail of the Lonesome Pine - Stan & Ollie

Hocus Pocus - Focus

I'm not going to mention the resonator ukulele that I've just been given in pieces for many reasons.... oh bugger! 🙊

One down, fifty-one to go.

I've given the body a misting of black flake this afternoon. I found an aerosol of black flake in a clear suspension to make life easy (I've got full on flake going on on another project), it's a very fine flake but that's OK as I didn't want anything too mad. Whether it'll be worth it time will only tell, I can't see the flake until it's properly lacquered. I had to put a couple of coats of aerosol lacquer over it to seal it in to allow me to flat it for the proper lacquer coat. The flake coat went on really dry and as such the finish is now horrific, I'll give it some time to fully dry, flat it back and then I can put the wood effect sides on and the faux binding, then give the entire thing a good couple of coats of lacquer. What's it they say nowadays? Trust the process. Hmm, it definitely looks far worse now than it did this morning.

Delicate - Terry Derby

Nobody's Dairy - Yazoo

Hips Now Or Never - Elvis

I'm never going to last, it's my birthday this year.

I was hoping for a fretless Ripper or something 😁

How spectacularly are you out? 😁

Short clip to try and show the depth and colour of the pearl celluloid. Excuse the terrible work radio.

Leave it Alone - NOFX

Do this work for you? I never know who can see what on these Facebook groups. This is where the post originated but there's little info about the guitars. As you say they must be printed rather than carved.

I've just knocked up a pickguard out of some red pearl celluloid sheet I had. It's too thin really for a pickguard but it has a crazy depth to the pearl. It's almost black until the light hits the pearl blocks, then a lovely deep red. I've never seen any of the newer pickguard material act like this stuff. The shape needs refining as I just did it quickly to see if it would look OK being so thin, but I think the depth of colour makes up for lack of thickness. Also will need a good polish but I don't want to put the polisher on it indoors as if it gets too hot it self combusts. It's hard to catch the colour 'popping' but here ya go. 🙂 Oh yeah, the black has been flatted ready for some fun and games. 😉

Bargain!

If a card or PayPal is used then nothing is taken until they have it in stock. Once in stock they take the money and send it. I'm probably not going to order anyway as (for me) it's obscenely expensive... But if I sell some stuff 😉.

Go on, count me in. Although the last two years have been spectacular failures 😂. I have enquired about a bass but as stock isn't expected before April 2025 and the money won't be taken until it's in then I assume that won't count if I do decide to order?