martthebass

Well I wouldn't class myself as a 'bread-head' when it comes to gigging. However, I generally look to stay 'net-zero' at least on the finance side so that expenses and gear bought to support gigs is paid for along the line. I've never really made much from the activity, being 40% tax bracket for many years put me off earning sufficient to interest the tax man. Charity gigs we nearly always do pro-bono or for minimal mileage expenses if a longer hike. For venues where they are making significantly on the exercise then I don't think it's unreasonable to expect remuneration in line with that, for venues that are more financially compromised we normally charge accordingly but don't take prisoners if they aren't active in promotion etc.

Great gig at a local WMC this last Saturday for the Glam Lads. It's one of those old school clubs that saw the likes of Bob Monkhouse et al in its heyday but fortunately is still doing well...a pretty packed house as it seems the locals were up for some 70s Glam. A prospective agent showed up to view the first spot (looking to fill a few little gaps in the gig calendar left by the previous 'booker') so we were on our game and thankful for the large and enthusiastic crowd. The agent, also a bassist, was complimentary on my sound...he said his expectations weren't high when I said I was using just a couple of MarkBass 12" but he was surprised with the clarity and punch. So all in all a cracking night and our next visit there will be NYE which should be a stormer.

Is the fingerboard on the graphite necks this composite or is it just a slab of phenolic? It's blacker than black on my CW-1 so can't tell; there dosen't seem to be any surface features so to speak.

That’s interesting. When I worked in R&D, I did a lot of work on phenol formaldehyde resin systems (aka Bakerlite - I assume the main component of ritchlite) and the levels of the catalyst, resol and novalak made a big impact on the modulus of the cured resin. I guess Rob did a lot of work getting the mix right to achieve the properties he wanted for the overall sound.

Often wondered what factors are at play. I had an early Streamline, with its basic 2 band EQ I didn’t find it brittle sounding at all and could get some quite warm tones from it. My CW1 despite it having an alder body seems far more hifi to me.

Sadly you can’t cure stupid Cat!

Quite a few have made the mistake of thinking because it looks a bit like a P it’ll sound like one. I’ve never been too keen on the P bass sound on stage and prefer a hotter set up (hence my other basses being EBMM and Status) so I appreciate the more aggressive take in the Lionel.

I had the Sterling shortie before the full fat version came along (took an age to get one…..). Yes the US one feels better but sound wise I’m hard pushed to tell much of a difference. I do need to change the strings though it’s got D’Addarios on and the gauge is a bit light for me on a shortie. Yep, the Lionel is gold finish….soft core aged, you can only get the gloss finish in soft or hard aged at the minute. It’s alder so it’s lightweight at about 7.5lb.

Wish I had your level of versatility Pete…..I go ashen when someone requests Sinatra at a jam night 😂

Great review BBS. I know some change out the pups to something more old school, to be honest I quite like the extra bite and have no intention of doing a swap out. My Lionel is alder with a rosewood fb so there might be some slight tonal differences. Do change the Sandberg strings I found them harsh on mine and got rid quickly, it’s wearing EB hybrid slinkies Shortscale no (50-105) which seem to suit it. The bridge isn’t too tough, and one positive certainly with mine is once I’d set the action nothing has moved in 6 months. If you can afford to keep the Ray and it’s a good one, I would, it’s always good to have a different tone I tend to alternate gigs with my 2.

Lovely, gotta admit that the Lionel is my favourite gigging bass. In terms of shorties the Ray and Lionel is a combo that’s difficult to beat…..great minds think alike (fools seldom differ?).

A ‘charridy’ job for the Glam lads last night supporting Leukaemia and bowel cancer charities. We were asked to finish the night off but for various reasons we asked to be penultimate. Didn’t get a sound check as time was tight and we were rushed on….consequently I struggled the first few songs as there was no backfill or monitoring on my side of the stage….still the show went on and apparently it sounded fine out front. A fairly full gig list until the end of May now…onwards and upwards.

So I spend £4k plus on basses over a few months and I don’t even get a sticker. That’s it, they’re dead to me now…..

Wish I had your will power Chris. But you know, deep down, you want a Sandberg Lionel 😉

Sure I saw something on YT where a guy had both the CW1 and the newer all-wood CW2 and played them against each other. Sorry, it was the S2 classic vs the S23.

I was lucky to get one of the last CW basses with graphite that Rob made. I’d just finished my immunotherapy and decided to treat myself with the purchase with some money my mum had left me (she passed unexpectedly just before I got my diagnosis so it was a tough time). I called on the off chance and Rob said he was just finishing off a CW with white LEDS and the guy who’d ordered it couldn’t take it for some reason so it ended up with me. I know we all say we have a bass we’d never sell but this one really does hit that category for me. I gig it rarely but it always puts a smile on my face. I hope Rob and Dawn enjoy their well deserved retirement.

How's the balance, is it neck heavy? I've occasionally had basses that gave me more shoulder problems not just from the total weight but from the 'drag' on my shoulder. I've had a few Mustangs and the most comfortable on a long gig was my old Mikey Way sig which was a good bit heavier than the Jap Mustang and JMJ I had - however both of these had some neck dive whereas the MW didn't.

62 this end mate, I’d like to think gigging keeps me young but at 2am after a crap strip down and load out I’m not so sure 😂😂

Maybe just cut back a bit Dave? I think we’re similar ages and we’ve cut back to 25 gigs or so this year and knocked back most of the big travels. I’m finding I’m enjoying the gigs more and finding time, like you, for one of my other neglected pastimes.

Another belated recognition of good service. Middle of last year I bought a new Sandberg Lionel from BD. On first inspection it looked fine but later I checked the hang tag and noticed it stated there was some lacquer peel on the edge of the ebony fretboard. I contacted BD and it was collected and I said I’d be happy with a pro refin on the affected areas. Job was done but I requested pics before returning back to me. I wasn’t happy with the refin but BD were happy to send me an alternative Lionel around the same price point. I wouldn’t expect that from one of the big dealers. This made me happy to part with cash on a new DarkRay with them a couple of months after that - good after sales service does pay off.

Was that with an ebony fretboard Ed? I've had a few Sandys with Rosewood boards and they've all been fine finish wise but the one I had with ebony had peeling on the edges in a few spots.

If you’re ever in my neck of the woods (Rotherham) you’re welcome to have a go on mine.

I've heard a few people recommend changing the standard VS4 Pups and I fully expected to go down that route, However I decided to try the bass out on a few gigs first and to be honest I found I prefer the more modern tone to a vintage P type. I agree though, if you're expecting a standard Lionel to sound like a vintage P type then you'll be disappointed. All 3 alder bodied Lionels that have been through my hands have been 7.5lbs, I gather the Ash bodied ones (usually have a matt/satin finish with visible grain lines) are about a pound heavier.

I did get a pink Lionel VS4 from Bass Direct last year that was active/passive and I did love the punch that the active circuit gave on some stuff. Unfortunately it had a finish problem (lacquer peel on the neck/ebony fingerboard) so it went back. The gold soft aged one was taken in exchange but it's a standard passive. I use my (new to me) EBMM shorty Ray for the more modern tones now.

I've had a few Sandbergs; the first was a Ken Taylor 5, I found it a bit dead and the Delano pups on the dull side. Second up was a Cali2 TT, this was a nice bass, lightweight and resonant but it was a matt natural finish that just felt a bit cheap in my hands. Third up was a white Lionel VS4 (passive), this little shortscale was a revelation, loved it, sounded great in the mix, light as a feather,really well built, couldn't fault it. I bought a second Lionel in soft aged gold, just as good as the white one and now my main gigging bass. It's seen off shortscale competition in the form of a JMJ Mustang, G&L US Fallout and Sterling Stingray.