Woodinblack

In the covers I play (or have played), I think that fret 22 (rhcp) is the top, although I like using all of them just because they are there! I think with my skills, even if there were any firemen, mine would be a one off! I must admit I was quite impressed with Paul Gilberts idea. Most guitarists who get a signature model end up with like a strat in a different colour (or a prs that looks like a strat), his really was a signature!

That would be the fireman, but I thought that set neck was a ledge that I was a long way below, so mine will be bolt on. The iceman is offset to allow access, but that is the other side. That picture is handy though, I hadn't noticed that the inside of the lower edge was so bezelled, I assumed it was the same as the top. Cheers!

I have fallen into one of those traps, where you see people making guitars and think, 'well, how hard can it be'. Luckily I am not stupid enough to actually believe that and assume it is harder than the talent I have, but regardless, I have decided to give it a try. So I am going to build what I want, and what I can't get, which is the shape of an Ibanez Fireman, which is an Ibanez iceman turned upside down, with a bit of a cutaway for the high frets. Also a narrow string spacing, 10mm at the sharp end and 15mm at the blunt end. No-one makes any of this (the Ibanez fireman is a Paul Gilbert signature guitar with no bass option), so my only option is doing it myself. Obviously I have to build the body myself as there aren't any (actually there are some on eBay but a lot of money and the wrong pickups), but I am not building a neck as that sounds like the step that I haven't got near yet, so I bought a neck off eBay with a paddle headstock so I can cut it like an iceman (for some reason the fireman has the iceman headstock, i.e., upside down), and luckily Ibanez did make a 5 string iceman so I know how they did that. And I have an iceman so I can measure it! Here is the neck Not the highest quality but it is straight and does have a truss rod, so that is a start. I have a cad program too, so I have drawn out the shape I want: And cut it out on plywood as a template to see how it works out sidewise. The only slight problem there is I don't know about the neck join, because turning the iceman upside down you have to cut a shape out to get the high fret access, but obviously the iceman has the cutaway on what is now the top side, whereas I need it at the bottom. Wing it I guess. I also have 2 matched bits of poplar of the right size coming from eBay, and a router from basschat. Tools wise I have a drill, jigsaw, workbench, sander, files, chisels and a few other bits and pieces. And no talent at woodworking that has ever surfaced. So, because I am one for starting something and not finishing, I thought I would put it on basschat so that a) you get to laugh at my incompetence, b) people can suggest when I am doing something really stupid and c) I can be hassled into doing something. So what could possible go wrong?.....

If I was rich I would have those connected to an old amstrad amplifier and one of those upright record players that never worked well

I was listening to old rush live videos earlier (was looking for something specific and can't bear to listen to the new ones). Obviously he is a finger player and there is no trouble him being heard, but I noticed the tour around the power windows time, when he is playing with a wal his sound is much clearer than all the others. Not sure if it is the wal or the amps were better, but it cuts through much better than the jazz bass later or the rick earlier

I have thought about it before. I am not a good singer but over the years I have come to realise that that isn't the most important thing about a singer in a band, but I do know the words, and know when to come in, and know timing, which is important. But it always falls down on the frontman bit - I couldn't do that, and I would take an epic frontman and mediocre singer over a epic singer and mediocre frontman any day when I am playing to pubs.

No, not jealous, I have nothing against kiss specifically, but quite a bit of dislike for Gene Simmons. I wouldn't actually consider him a bass player anyway, I would consider him a Music Marketer.

Why on earth would you need to comment on cat pictures using messenger? Our singer has a facebook account but only uses it for messenger, which was great. But now the guitarist decided he didn't want to be on facebook, so we have to use whatsapp, which is less good. Sure as hell wouldn't want to have to ring people because they can't go on facebook without getting absorbed in cat pictures!

Currently using this. I used to use the MiBass220, but I don't like it. I got this to mod and do up as it was cheap (new), and turns out it is great!

Really? Who did it for them then?

Gene Simmons seems like a nice guy?? Which universe have I woken up in today!

Some of those cheesy rock anthems have good bass lines, if they don't, its time they did!

Well reminded - I need to do that, all these silent cables and I just unplug it from the wireless (or worse still, forget to mute and turn the wireless off) Hmm.. they seem to have gone up a bit: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/152876300708

I have a fender lead, but I never take it out of the house, it failed once, was replaced under their warantee, but I am not using it live. I would get the obbm thing, but a) I play wireless even in tiny venues and b) when I don't, my main lead is an ebay nutric silent switch plugged Van Damme cabled one, which since I bought from ebay a few years ago has been faultless. I don't understand why if you are prepared to pay £3k for a guitar, you are happy to put up with a lead that has let you down.

Its the proper way round here.

If it involves a lot of petrol, I do!

Or, as we have, spending an absolute fortune on the most expensive guitars you can get, then having a shitty fender lead which (in common with most fender leads) has broken 3 times in the last year and stopped a song or got in the way somehow.

The thing I hate more than that, is after it happens, or there is some carcrash of a guitar solo or whatever, afterwards someone from the crowd will say 'Oh you were fantastic', and all you can say is 'thanks', when you really want to say 'no we weren't, we were complete stinky poo'

I had mine just in case, didn’t use them though

I don't think I would be able to gig it, might rip my belly button apart! However if someone came up with a 5 string mockingbird...

Yeh - I thought it sounded rubbish until I put the LEDs on, then it sounded fantastic! Mike: Why do all your pictures (and noone elses) always have a http:// in front of them?

Oh that makes more sense. Sounds nice!

Agreed Led Zep did push it, but they didn't start changing the Yardbirds + Blues singles formula until Led Zep III. I am not familiar with the groups mentioned here, but how many albums in are they?

There was also this:

like many groups I assume they will evolve after a short while, these things take time. I guess i don't listen to many rock groups as it seems there is as much variation as there ever was.