Maude

In pic #4 the neck really looks like it would want to twist the top half of the body forwards. It's probably fine but it 'looks' weak.

If I had something like that nearby then I'd use it. My last experience at my closest shop was being told when asked if he had any flats in stock because I wanted to try them on my P bass was, "Don't bother, they'll sound like stinky poo". Not naming names but Craig's Music in Bodmin will know who I'm on about. With service like that the Internet is a godsend.

Maybe things are different in the states Blue, maybe they're different in the cities here in the UK but my last purchase was a Hofner Club, which I've put LaBella flats on. Neither of these would be in stock in any music shop within a very large radius of where I live. Possibly the closest shop that might keep stock would be a three or four hour drive away. There just aren't any sizeable shops anywhere near me. With the distance selling regs I'm comfortable buying online and if it's not for me then I'll return it. At worst I'm out of pocket the return postage cost, but that's still less than a five hundred mile drive would cost. It's just the way it is where I live

True. Without wanting to sound bitter, because it really doesn't worry me, but more often than not the 'bricks and mortar' shops are by far the biggest let down. Hence why I really don't worry about the decline of them. Things have a way of sorting themselves out. If online is better then we will continue to see 'real' shops close. But if, as folks seem to feel, 'real' shops are better then they will win in the end and online shopping will see a decline until some sort of equilibrium is reached. More worry over nothing I feel

Recordings are good for highlighting problems you never knew existed as well. In the moment everything seem bang on the money but sometimes when played back you go, "ooh I never realised I did that".

Pre Internet I had to buy stuff from high street retailers and pay over the top for the very limited stock they offered, now I've got endless choice at a much lower, I don't really see much reason to go into a shop. The nearest is Plymouth (20 miles) so fuel, Tamar Bridge toll and parking, the few times I have been in whilst in the area they didn't have what I wanted but could order it for me. That means waiting until next weekend and then paying for the trip into town again, just to pay more than I can get it online for and sent to my house quicker. I'd rather work on my own instruments so can make any instrument bought online playable, trying in store isn't needed as long as you do your research. I realise none of this can be improved upon by the shops as they obviously can't keep stock to match online stores but I really see no reason to go in a shop. I'm happier that way as my time can be spent doing what I want rather than going to shops.

What's the Kala Sub done to you to not deserve a name? 😁

I'm not sure I'd agree with your last paragraph. I consider myself self taught and I've spent the last twenty-five years soaking up as much knowledge as possible from as many resources as possible. I know I've depended on other people for my musical development.

Is it wrong that I don't actually know? They are in various places, some in our rehearsal room, some in my man cave, some in pieces awaiting fun projects, some in the living room and some in the dining room. From where I'm sat I can see nine. The thing is two are ukes, fretted and fretless, two are full sizes acoustics, fretted and fretless, acoustic db, eub, fours, a five, short scale long scale, bass vi and so on, all very different from each other. The silly thing is my main gigging electric bass is a Variax which has most of my other basses included in it My family don't go without, all the bills get paid and we don't particularly want or need anything we haven't got, so it's no biggy keeping them all, it's my hobby. If hard times came knocking I'd just sell most of them.

Can't argue with that

Because Jazz basses always 'look' like they're going to be better than a humble old Precision, but they never are 😗😁

Yeah I guessed that I know the AE ones won't be good, but they will be a 4005 shaped body and neck as a base. Fill the pick up routes and holes and start from scratch with decent, appropriate hardware. Still not cheap but significantly cheaper than genuine, which I couldn't justify even if I had the money.

@SpondonBassed It's not mine, I quoted Wateroftyne's post above mine. I have considered buying a Chinese 4005 from AliExpress as a base to make a decent faker, only for myself, not to con anyone. I love the sound and look of a 4005 but they're getting close to 10k second hand. Way out of my league.

I love the look of the 4005. The 'normal' ones are a bit 'Christmas tree decorated by an excitable child'.

And then a liberal application of creosote to protect them.

This week, I have mostly been listen to, the Soft Cell 12" singles collection. The 'Say hello, wave goodbye' 12" is sublime, with it's long oboe solo, ooh matron

I love Welcome to my Nightmare, must be time to dig it out again

I'm not even convinced wiping them down does much apart from push any dirt into the windings, unless you use your cloth 'with the grain' so to speak, so as to wipe dirt out of the windings. I'm sure any wipers on here wipe 'against the grain', up and down the length of the string, and probably never underneath anyway where most dirt will collect.

+ a lot of numbers So many people seem to spend ages laboriously taking the paint/primer/sealing coat off and then another age trying to cover/fill the woodgrain and prime it to get it back to where it was when they started. Leave the original finish if in good nick, a quick rub with some scotchbrite or Micromesh or the like and you're good to go. I really love that colour BTW, I seem to share your love of cream basses, I paint a colour to be different to all the cream ones and then wish I'd done it cream.

To be honest, I'm not sure what brands they are, maybe they are all from G4M basses but I'd guess a company manufactures and supplies them to a few lower end bass sellers. I've just checked ebay and there aren't any I just remember seeing them for sale second hand for very little money every now and again. I saw one go for less than twenty quid because I considered buying it (just in case) but I chickened out in the end as storage was a problem.

I don't know if you'd class them as strictly blues but a while ago I quite go into Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band after hearing this on a free magazine compilation.

One of our gigs last weekend was at a pub whose landlord, Phil, used to own a different pub. We used to play regularly for Phil at his previous pub but the new owners cancelled all the bookings when they took over. At last Saturdays gig two minibuses turned up full of locals from Phil's previous pub who'd come especially to see us, a thirty mile round trip. Money in Phil's till and two fingers up to the new landlord at his previous pub. We were delighted to see them

Sorry, can't help with the GK but I have spent far too long watching your avatar going round

Just had a look (your linky didn't work) and you should be able to get an as new second hand one for less than fifty quid.

Don't know how much the G4M ones are but you can usually pick up the hardcases supplied with the cheaper doublebasses second hand for next to nothing. Folks don't tend to keep them as they are massive and unwieldy. Have a look on ebay/gumtree/facebook etc.