Iain

[quote name='horrorshowbass' timestamp='1468180412' post='3089091'] Cool look forward to it dood. I guess what I'm asking is it's tuned EADG is there an advantage for fanned frets? Looks like an awesome bass, seriously considering gettin one [/quote] Yeah, there really is - the E on my Z3 is epic - much more sustain than on my others. It's just more obvious on the B than elsewhere.

Played an MC gig last year and the crowd interaction was non-existent but they loved us and wanted us back this year but holidays got in the way. Also played a biker pub and it was bouncing.

I guess there are a lot of different necks over the many years plus the differences between US, Mex, Japan, etc. I had a play on a "[color=#353D4D][font=nerisregular]Custom Shop 1958 Precision Bass Relic[/font][/color]" and the neck was just not my cuppa!

[quote name='Sammers' timestamp='1467880770' post='3086878'] Unless they've changed it I've always found the neck on my Sandberg on the chunky side, it's quite close to the neck on my P thinking about it (but a flatter FB radius). So if you're dead set on a skinny neck you might not get on with it - but try it out first for sure! [/quote] I had a play on a couple of Fender Ps and didn't like the necks at all - way to wide. The Sandberg is 40mm @ nut so sits between the standard Jazz and P widths. The neck profile is a little flatter feeling than my US Geddy Jazz.

I've heard good things about Warwick Stevens in Macclesfield - he's a luthier and teaches bass. Not had lessons from him myself though.

Picked up a Claifornia VM in Trans Black from Great British Bass Lounge - used it for rehearsal the same day and it's a winner. [attachment=222694:20160701_174804.jpg] [attachment=222695:20160701_174819.jpg]

I've just bought a VM4 (Trans Black, Rosewood neck, Chrome hardware) and it's flipping brilliant. For the money it's better than brilliant.

Just picked up a California VM 4 and the neck is sublime. Nut width in between P and J (40mm) and plays really fast. I've a Dingwall as well - Z3 and the neck on that is also awesome but very different from the NG basses fro what I've heard/read. It's worth trying out both before stumping up the £s if you have the option. I

[quote name='hookys6stringbass' timestamp='1467398005' post='3083475'] Has anyone used this live yet? As in instead of an amp... [/quote] I've only used it live into my amp but that's set flat (Markbass Big Bang) into a BF SuperTwin2. I've also used it with that plus DI into FoH.

Try now - google image sharing is a little opaque at times!

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1467395517' post='3083445'] A BF Two10. Which is arriving on Tuesday, if FedEx get their arses in gear. [/quote] Tested my new basses through one at GBBL yesterday with a micro Gk head. Very nice.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1467395431' post='3083444'] Three at once?? Good Lord. Nice, though. [/quote] I even surprised myself. Total price was about half that of my Dingwall though and the Sandberg plays better than my US Geddy Jazz!

As of yesterday only minor GAS for something possibly 6x10ish. All bassed up.

Popped up to Worsley to see Drew and Great British Bass Lounge (GBBL from now on!) with a view to looking at the acoustics he had in stock for a side project, also wanted to have a dabble in the murky world of fretless bass... Came away with: All new, from left to right: Breedlove Atlas Stage BJ350/CRe4 Cort B4FL Sandberg California II VM4 in trans black. The Breedlove is beautiful and perfect, a steal for well under half list price, not had much time to play it yet though. The Cort is a stunner for under £400. I played a German made Thumb BO fretless back-to-back with this and, while the Warwick was better it wasn't £800 or so better. I've played this for about an hour so far and it's not as daunting as I thought (the lack of frets). Only been working through stuff that I know well so far though and nothing overly complex. Fingers seem to be hitting the marks remarkably well! The Sandberg was a complete impulse purchase. I'd been fancying something Precision-y for a while but, having played a few didn't like them - neck too wide and 'clumsy' feeling. This bass had only arrived the day before and is, I think, the only one in this spec in the UK currently. I played it for about 10 mins @ GBBL while Drew was looking out cases for the other two and just fell in love with it. It's really light, Swamp Ash body (like the Cort), very deep rosewood fretboard. Went directly from GBBL to rehearsal for Half-Life and it's utterly epic. Other band-mates commented on the tone enthusiastically and repeatedly. Happy days.

I've got a 'normal' US Geddy and it's incredibly playable. Still not quit on par with my Z3 but still damn good.

[quote name='LewisK1975' timestamp='1466259639' post='3074492']with initial thoughts being that everything looked correct on it, and that the blocks and binding may have been a factory error..[/quote] That would make sense - looking very closely at the binding on the bass direct pictures it looks like the US Geddy with the edge binding capping the frets which I've not noticed on the 'cheaper' models.

[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1466192295' post='3074088'] Alice Cooper and The Darkness at the O2 tomorrow. Best bit - it was free! [/quote] That will be great! Joe Bonamassa on the 2nd for me.

[quote name='paul h' timestamp='1465981800' post='3072532']you can get away with playing any note at any time and nobody will notice [/quote] One of my reasons I don't like mind playing it!

[quote name='Iain' timestamp='1465659779' post='3070043'] Love it rowdy. First time gig in a new place for us tonight that looks like it gets sweaty and lively - guess it'll depend on the football though! [/quote] Turns out I was right - very sweaty and moderately rowdy. God knows what the place is like at its normal levels of busy - quite a lot of regulars away at the TT and download plus crap weather and the footy!

Fantastic gig last night at the "Bike N Hound" in Hyde. Very late booking as our scheduled gig had been cancelled lat Thursday. Great pub, great crowd. Quite compact but the atmosphere was great if a little lively at times - fortunately, being the bass player, I was tucked away at the back so nothing spilled or trodden on. New patch set up on my Line 6 Helix and it really cut through well - tons of bottom end with enough mids to cut through when I dig in. Small amount of drive on the amp sim and valve and OD to choose between for Ace Of Spades and Slither (with phaser in parts) was just right. Both drive and OD were a bit much stood close to my cab though - guitar style feedback! Much better than my last gig with my other band - played well and had fun!

Love it rowdy. First time gig in a new place for us tonight that looks like it gets sweaty and lively - guess it'll depend on the football though!

Just spent an hour with mine playing with a few patched downloaded and working on a dual path patch splitting low and highs. Not really done anything clever yet with controller assignment and controller blocks.

[quote name='barneyg42' timestamp='1465131594' post='3065482'] Hmm, a bit worrying as I'm almost about to pull the trigger on a lightweight 4ohm one cab solution, more health based so running two 8ohms is not really an option I want. I'll have a good look at setting up the pre gain properly, even though I was hammering the E and low B when I checked it last night to ensure the clip light was out I'll maybe knock it back a tad more. I'm thinking maybe the current cab (acme low B ) which has been played about with might be problem, possibly the ohmage is a bit out? The speaker I'm thinking of getting is a non molested straight out of the factory (albeit secondhand) jobby!! [/quote] I've been running an MB Big Bang @ 4 Ohms for a few years now (MB cabs and Barefaced for the last year). Driven quite hard including outdoors with no FoH backup, rock though, very little slappage! Not had any issues at all unlike the predecessor Ampeg head.

[quote name='gary mac' timestamp='1464678277' post='3061259'] That would almost certainly be the problem. Lack of sleep messes with the ability to concentrate, big time. [/quote] Yeah, I'm normally pretty tight (despite to occasional bum note) but I didn't even have that! Amazing how hard it can be when your confidence is knocked though. Felt quite down on the way home after - I expect more from myself.

Played a pub in Macclesfield on Saturday night. Bar owner warned us it was likely to be quiet being a bank holiday - he was right! Bit of an odd one for me though - I played an absolute nightmare - timing was all over, brain fade on songs I've been playing for years and don't get me started on the opening 4 bars of Californication... Absolutely the worst I've played live since picking my bass back up a few years ago. Need to do a bit of thinking about why it was so bad though - I think I was just tired, hadn't slept well the two previous nights.