Osiris

I'm sure I've seen threads about Scratch-It on Basschat before but a search doesn't pull back the results I was looking for, so here's a new thread!

This afternoon I received a new, personalised scratch plate from Scratch-It! https://www.originalscratchplates.com/

It was designed for, and is now fitted it to, my cheap and now cheerful Harley Benton Mustang bass. The new plate looks absolute class, IMO, and is a perfect fit. Not being a fan of tort scratch plates, the stock tort plate didn't do it for me and it especially clashed against the lush sea foam green of the Homer Benton ©️. I knew when buying the bass that the first upgrade was always going to be the scratch plate so had budgeted accordingly. My original intention was a plain 3 ply B/W/B plate but the quotes I got from the well known suppliers were a lot more than I was expecting.

A couple of mates had had work done by Tim at Scratch-It in the past so he came highly recommended, so I took a look at the website.The website didn't have a template for the HB Mustang (Harley Benton MV-4MSB Gotoh) which isn't really a surprise as it's only been on the market for a couple of months so I dropped Tim a line to discuss what I was looking for. At all times from initial contact to delivery communication was quick, friendly, and helpful. I'd knocked up a crude mock-up of what I was looking for in PowerPoint - yeah, I know, but I don't have any dedicated graphic design software and wouldn't know what to do with it even if I had - and emailed it through with an explanation of what I was trying to create. Tim immediately understood what I was aiming for and a couple of hours later had emailed back a mock up of my design which nailed the image I had in mind and also sorted out a couple of imperfections in my original kack-handed design. And the finished product was through my door in under 2 weeks, not bad. Not bad at all. Especially considering it's a totally original design and was under £40 including delivery - and that included the mock ups, fine tuning my original idea, laser cutting the new plate from my original to ensure an exact replica and a perfect fit (none of your hand cut imperfect tat here thank you very much) as well as postage costs.

Basschat is a great community when it comes to recognising exceptional customer service and Tim and Scratch-It are up there with the A-listers.

Here's one we prepared earlier. 

I've posted on the Harley Benton Mustang thread a picture of my new custom scratch plate from Scratch-It! fitted to my HB. 

I've had my HB Mustang for around a month now and around an hour ago my new bespoke scratch plate arrived from Scratch-It! I cannot recommend Tim and Scratch-It enough - first class service, excellent communication, most importantly a good sense of humour, plus prices that are a good chunk cheaper than the couple of places that quoted me for a bog standard plain black plate.

My original plan was to get a plain 3 ply black/white/black plate for it as I don't like tort, and the stock plate looked particularly hideous against the sea foam green finish, IMO. But for £40 delivered I have something totally unique and looks fantastic too!

1 hour ago, ezbass said:

... and the fret ends, whilst better than when my shorty 'Ray was new out of the box, wouldn't go amiss with some emery paper on a block (just a quick pass should do the trick). 

I had the same issue on mine, only a couple of frets mind, and only very minor rough edges, certainly nothing significant. I used some fine grain sand paper and a sanding block, applied it to the neck at a 45 degree angle applying no real pressure, more just making contact with the neck and a couple of passes back and forth, check the rough edges and then a couple more passes. 2 minutes later it was all sorted, no specialist tools required and the neck binding (which I thought might get chewed up by the sand paper) felt silky smooth.  

It's up on the Thomann website for order at a reasonable £241 although the date suggests that it won't be in stock for 3 or 4 months yet - https://www.thomann.de/gb/zoom_b2_four.htm

As has already been speculated, it looks like a slimmed down version of the B6, which from what I've read, people are saying is a step up in terms of sound quality over the cheap and cheerful B1 Four, no doubt down to it having the latest chipset. But with an XLR output and 6 DI models, and if I understand the display correctly, you can choose up to 6 fx blocks which is more than enough for my needs and probably the majority of us too for usable bass sounds and the off effect or two. 

1 hour ago, ezbass said:

Yeah, tort on SFG wouldn’t be my thing, although I think you’re talking tort in general.

Tort in general makes my eyes bleed upsets my delicate sensibilities but I appreciate a lot of people like it. And yes, it looked particularly nasty of the SFG so I'm waiting for a (mostly) black custom design from Scratch-It, who so far have been nothing but fantastic in terms of customer service as well as significantly cheaper than the quotes I was getting for a bog standard 3 ply black from other companies. 

1 hour ago, ezbass said:

I bought a fret end and fret polishing kit for my SS ‘Ray, so I’m good to go there, if there are any issues.

I ended up using some fine grade sand paper and a sanding block. Took it slow and easy and after a couple of minutes the rough fret ends - of which there were only a couple and they were only very mildly rough, certainly not to the point that it was worth the faff of sending the bass back - were sorted to my satisfaction. No issues to the neck binding afterwards either. 

25 minutes ago, Paul S said:

 

I'll be interested to see how this pans out, too.  I was on the verge of chucking some serious money at a '78 Mustang before I knew the weight and still feel there is an itch that needs a scratch.

 

Too late now but the Thomann E-Guitar gigbag is a country mile better than the Fender.  It is longer than the average guitar gig bag and fits all my short scale basses, has several useful pockets, more padding.  And it's only £27.

I obviously can't speak for all of the Harley Benton Mustang-a-likes but mine isn't overly heavy, it's noticeably heavier than my Sandberg but not as weighty as my Mustang. Never weighed it so can't give you a figure but mine at least is about what I'd expect in terms of weight, and HB are notorious for some churning out a few heavy instruments, so I was pleasantly surprised.  

50 minutes ago, ezbass said:

Having become wrapped up the recent Epiphone Newport release and furore, I completely forgot about the last SS that caused quite the stir (I am a bear of very little brain). However, following a desire for some tort on black action, not least because of a recent interview with Bruce Foxton in Guitarist, where he’s sporting a P in this combo and our own @Frank Blank’s recent Nordstrand purchase, I remembered the last SS that caused a stir, the HB Mustang-alike. Anyway, at £205 delivered, it was a no brainer and I pulled the trigger this am, before I could talk my self out of it. Also ordered a blend pot to replace the volume so I can get some in between action. Should arrive Thursday/Friday and will hopefully not look too different from this…

 

 

I picked up a sea foam green one at the start of the year and am really pleased with it. There was a couple of minor issues with mine, it was a bit noisy and there were a couple of rough fret edges, but an hour so's work and it's spot on now - and I tend to be a bit kack-handed when it comes to doing jobs like that but it's perfect for my needs now. I'm just waiting for a custom made scratch plate to arrive before gigging it as I think tort looks hideous, but each to their own. It'll be gigging alongside a pair of other basses that each cost 7 or 8 times as much but in terms of feel I think it holds its own, and I won't be so precious about it on the more lively gigs either!

Several people have bemoaned the lack of pickup blend but I really like the sound of it, I dropped the bridge pickup a bit so the tone is more 60:40 neck:bridge and really like the sound, it's very clean and clear and has its own voice. I did intend to add a blend pot to mine too and although I might do just that at some point I don't feel any pressing need to do it ASAP. 

25 minutes ago, Adee said:

ello Lozz, I also have a Sandberg Lionel aka Larry, (not sure they do a Superlight), it's a superb bass in every way, fit, finish, feel is second to none

Punchy and articulate, you really couldn't go wrong. I can check it's weight. As you know I also have a JMJ Mustang which is just great too!

@Osirismight want to chip in ... 

I've had several Sandbergs over the years and all have been consistently excellent in terms of construction, feel and tone. A few years ago a knackered nerve in my wrist forced me into playing short scales exclusively of which I now own 4. The Sandberg Lionel short scale is lightest of the bunch by a noticeable margin, it has a ash body which I'd guess is what keeps the weight down. No idea what it actually weighs but I'd guess it's not much more than 3Kg. This isn't a super light model either! Build quality and playability are all top notch.

While it has a traditional split coil P pickup it sits 10-15mm closer to the bridge than on my Mustang, as such if you want that classic Precision sound you need to play over or to the neck side of the pickup. Playing in the traditional just behind the pickup gives a more modern tone, still with a P-esque vibe but very much it's own voice, it has more clarity and definition but without sounding sterile like some modern basses do, IMO. At the risk of making the lovely @Adeecry, it has a hint of the clarity you get from a Stingray but without the overbearing nasal mids you get from a ray. 

@Lozz196if you're ever in the Wellingborough area you're welcome to drop in to take it for a test drive 👍

Just received a mixer bag from Simon that he was graciously giving away. Can't fault him or the transaction 👍

35 minutes ago, nilorius said:

Many of You puts the compression as a superb pedal, but can't explain the goods of it. Anyway it goes to the way that you like it, but don't exactly know the goods/bads of it.

You really need to understand compression to apply it and use it correctly. That is the important thing to remember with compression. You need to really understand it, the interaction of the different controls and what they are doing. My suspicion is that people buy a compressor pedal and assume it will be as obvious as a drive or delay, and when they don't get night and day results they dismiss them. But it's not an effect as such, more of a way of controlling your signal, so it's better to think of it more like a tool like you would EQ and high pass filtering. So can I respectfully ask you go and do your homework and then try again. You'll be amazed what compression can do for your tone, dynamics and feel once it is properly applied. 

PM'd.

30 minutes ago, Roger2611 said:

Totally agree Lozz, I find a setting I like on my Boss CS3 when practising at home then hate it as soon as I try it onstage, maybe that is the real truth about compression, it only sounds good at home! 

The Boss CS3 Compression Sustainer is misleadingly named, it's not a compressor as such, it's a sustainer. A sustainer is a compressor with a really low threshold which means that even at minimum settings it flattens your entire signal - and you only add more squash by cranking it up. It's designed to add extra sustain to your playing, so ideally suited to guitar solos but not a lot else, unless you like that super flat feel as an effect. A compressor with an adjustable threshold that goes high enough to only control the peaks is a very different beast altogether and way more useful on bass.  

1 hour ago, DTB said:

I understand what they do but somehow think they are maybe used to cover up poor dynamics in technique or poor instrument string to string balance. (Please don’t shoot me down in flames I’m very sensitive.)

Unfortunately that's an urban myth that refuses to die. 

See this very insightful article by a chap who knows way more about compression than many of will ever know - Killed my tone (ovnilab.com)

Just to be clear, I'm not trying to be antagonistic or out to upset you, it's just a common misunderstanding that keeps rearing its ugly head 

Compression has been covered to death on Basschat and is a very divisive subject but let's not open that can of worms again.  

Just received a foot switch from Christian in a quick and easy deal. The foot switch itself was immaculate and a bargain price, he was prompt and friendly on comms and it was on my doorstep in no time! 

I've just received one of the new cheap and cheerful Harley Benton Mustang basses and am really pleased with it, first impressions are great. The only gripe is a couple of very minor rough fret edges on one edge of the fretboard, nothing serious but there none the less. When I've encountered this on a bass before I've simply taken one of those little sanding blocks to it and a minute or two later it's all sorted. But as the neck on the HB is bound, is this likely to affect the binding in any way? Is there a more scientific method for dealing with this issue on a bound neck? 

Just to be clear, this is to do with a couple of rough fret edges on the 'floor side' edge of the fretboard, not high frets that require levelling. Indeed the fretwork is otherwise flawless on this cheap and cheerful bass, pretty much like the rest of the instrument going by first impressions! 

The Magellan preamp is an excellent, extremely versatile but really simple to use and virtually impossible to get a bad sound from. I say that as someone who has been using the amp since 2017 and have gigged and rehearsed with it numerous times with 3 different bands, and it has never failed to deliver an excellent sound. And I can't see how this pedal won't deliver the same flexibility and sound quality. Unfortunately it lacks the fantastic drive channel of the Magellan 800 which would have been the icing on the cake for me, it's arguably the most convincing valve emulation out there rather than a typical pedal style overdrive or distortion, but Genzler currently offer two different drive pedals and they have added an adjustable HPF instead which is a more than generous trade off. 

Most of my gigs are using IEM's these days and while I'm happy with my current preamp pedal I'm still tempted to pick one of these up at some point. 

Me again, I've just received another quality cable from John and as before it was a great price with speedy delivery. 

I can highly recommend his cable making services to other Basschatters.  

Lobster has just posted the first of his mod videos for the new Harley Benton PJ Mustang style bass, this mod allows you to solo the P pickup without needing to undertake any major surgery, just adding a new pot that a quick look online suggests will cost you around £15.

I have one of the diddy Broughton always on units and can't recommend it enough. No idea what the slope is and don't really care either because it works brilliantly but not too abruptly that it sounds unnatural. The always on version doesn't have the frequencies marked on the case like some of the other versions he makes but I run it between 25-35%~ish depending on the bass and room, and it really tightens up and focuses the lows. 

1 hour ago, SumOne said:

^^

Ah yeah, it seems people have done the start and end of chain thing. And some comments from people that positively compare it to pedals it emulates. I think I'll get one once I have the spare cash. 

I keep eyeing one up too, don't need one but I'm still tempted 😃

5 minutes ago, LukeFRC said:

@SumOne check out the talkbass thread, the guys from Source Audio take part - from what I can remember the two sides can be set up to act independently as two compressors, but eq etc are global on both paths 

 

Yes, I'm sure I have read somewhere too (although I can't remember where) that it can be used as 2 independent compressors so you could have one at the start of the signal chain, then another at the end. I think that's pretty standard with these SA pedals in that you can configure 2 effects independently that can either be run in series or parallel.    

2 minutes ago, ezbass said:

I think that the burgundy mist is the best colour of these. I also like the black, but fingerprint magnet and all that.

Yes, the black is cool but I currently own 3 basses and they're all black so I fancy something different  Not sure the shell pink is me, the baby blue looks like a cheap JMJ Mustang - which it is, and sunburst is hideous, IMO. So that leaves the BM or SFG, I'd be happy with either, or both if they're as good as I hope! 

43 minutes ago, scrumpymike said:

 

Really liking the HB Deluxe though only used it at home as it's a kind of backup for the backup gig bass. The lack of p'up selector switch remains the only thing I can fault but the tone pot gives a good range so perfectly useable as is. Massive value for money and as good as anything else I've tried in the <£500 range.

 

Removed the bottom 'mushroom' strap button in favour of a Dunlop flush strap-lock to make it fit (just) in a nice Gator hard case (Jag IIRC) I already have.

It's good to know you're (mostly) impressed, I can see one of the new HB shorties heading my way in the new year, either a burgundy mist one like yours or a sea foam green one  

12 hours ago, Maude said:

I've just seen a lovely looking shell pink shortscale on the @Ashdown Engineeringfacebook page. 

I'm assuming 30" but it could be 32".

Also a sage green one which looks great too. 

Hopefully they'll/he'll (does Mark Gooday himself post?) be along shortly with some more info. 

 

 

 

There doesn't look to be a huge amount of information online about these but the product page for them on the Ashdown website lists them as 34", shame as I'd love one in a 30" scale! 

https://ashdownmusic.com/products/the-saint

1 hour ago, LukeFRC said:

TLDR version:

- some gear that people love, other people hate. 
- somethings have settings that people might move from hate to love with. Depending on their experience these people might need help

- If trying to help people tone of voice is important 

- this is the internet, at least nobody has mentioned Hitler yet.

Is this an extract from the 2023 National Socialist manifesto?