Dood

I'm currently not gigging, but yes, certainly pre-covid I was earning a considerable percentage of my income from performing. Currently my focus is in teaching and producing video and written content freelance for two major bass mags. I'll be back on the gigging horse when I get a new band together.

One of my students has a CV 60's precision. It sounds really good and almost had me getting one for a bit of a project. I appreciate this doesn't help, but I needed up buying a slightly (and naturally) roadworn "law suit era" Tokai Hard Puncher instead. Ash body and, sat next to my "real" precision, there's not much between them. In some ways the Tokai from Japan is better made. That said, there is something special about my 76 precision, it just sounds big and deeper yet retains that top end and midrange clarity we want to hear from a good P. Anyway, I like the CV 60's, my student's bass is a good example and plays really nicely.

It's a thumbs up from me too!

It's this one. Version II has already been planned, just waiting to have my body parts valued so I can get on with a build diary! Love that P bass @Nobody, I'd actually love to have one the same with a maple fingerboard, with a plain headstock.

It's a funny one and as I understand it, it's to make the 12 0'clock setting on the knobs sound nicer - especially in the case of older amplifiers where speaker cabinets were way less capable than the type of high spec PA drivers we have today. All knobs facing upward would give you a nice bit of bass and treble boost and a mid cut. Classic "smiley face" EQ on three knobs! The actually circuit itself is what's known as a passive tone stack and requires few components. There are different types but most are like or based on the Fender tone stack circuit. Alembic, Trace Eliot and many other brands have utilised this layout too. Interestingly this is one of the reasons that I think some folk find D Class amplifiers "bland" and "sterile". Obviously the whole signal path of a D Class amplifier is cleaner anyway, but all controls at 12 O'Clock is pretty much a flat response from start to finish. All controls at 12 O'Clock on other amplifiers like valve types have a response with colourful EQ bumps and troughs making the sound more exciting. More "heft-y". Oh gosh, I used that word.

It distorts really nicely too! Some great distortion sounds on the SH-1!

Thank you!

Being as it's the anniversary today of Garbage's 2.0 album, (which is excellent), I've just grabbed Envy Of None's album - which sounds like it's going to be right up my street.

I pride myself on a good set up It's fair to say that they are cracking basses stock and this one is particularly good. I wouldn't be upset about welcoming it back in to the fold.

I often teach this bass line: I can cover quite a lot of theory and lessons about songwriting with just.one.note. The coolest bass line doesn't have to have a million notes. I'd even argue that the bass is doing exactly what it should be doing in When Doves Cry by Prince. That said, I love my prog and just one song of many comes to mind that just grabs my ears in the most delicious way, Thoughts Pt II by Spock's Beard. The bass sound and solo is GNARLY!

That’s a very, very good answer! You’ve definitely been paying attention! ❤️🥰 However, my go to choice is: Chameleon Flip Paint, the rich colour changing paint that alters as light hits it. Just some of my basses.

I’ll let everyone else answer what my favourite finish colour is. If you don’t know, you’ve not been here long enough yet

Yes, I do recall and if you do choose to sell, please be in touch with me first. It’s a PB70-US non-export CIJ bass.( I.e. they weren’t supposed to be sold outside Japan as they easily rivalled the specifications of the US Fenders). However, it was a special order as they had stopped making the BLK version before I got in touch. This model had a mirrored scratch plate that mine actually came with, that I replaced with an era correct black plate as well as the other Deacon mods and the set up I did on the bass. The non-export PB70-US is an Alder body and has the gotoh OEM tuning keys and US “spec” pickups. The export versions were usually basswood bodies I believe and often had the smaller tuning key plates and generic P pickups. I have the CIJ catalogue somewhere specifying these details. 40mm nut. Finally, I sourced this model from Japan and the outlet put in a special order with Fender Japan to make it for me. That level of service just blew me away.

The Last Note.

Gonna need that on a T-Shirt before too long ha ha!

Compared to what I used to pay for magazines, I'd say it's very reasonable - oh and you get to read my column every month too!

Yes, yes, yes, it's that time again! This time, and, my next John Deacon build is firmly seated at the more budget end of the scale whilst still keeping to a reasonable likeness of John Deacon's late 60's sunburst precision bass. His main instrument that had its finish taken back to natural for a long period of time before getting a complete refinish around 1985 in gloss black with gold Schaller hardware. My last Magic Era precision, on reflection I should have probably kept hold of, but I am pleased to say that it is owned by fine bass chatter @Frusty. It's in safe hands! This time I have neither have a fabulous Fender bass to use or the like-for-like hardware, so instead sourced a very cheap original Tokai Hard Puncher from Japan and a bag full of gold hardware from some nice chap on Facebook that I bought before covid was a thing! Yes, the bass needs some TLC before I go at it with the new toys, but out of the box (after a 3 month trip on the boat) the HP bass plays incredibly well for a 42 year old all original bass. Of interested is the really resonant Sen body (Japanese Ash) which is of an acceptable weight and the insanely thin finish, which could even be nitro, by the way it seems to be crazing. Probably not though, I just like that it's real thin. Oh and the "law suit era" copy headstock to finish the Fender look. (Yes I know there wasn't actually a Fender law suit). I've also a superb EMG GZR Geezer Butler signature split P bass pickup for the install, though I have to say the original pickup is very good! This project is just a little bit of fun, but given how close these Tokai HP's are to "the real thing" it might just end up being a keeper, who knows!

I've got a Modern 4 here now that I am editing a review video for as we speak. Super nice! I've asked for the five string to be sent through as soon as it's ready too.