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Wow, I got up this morning ready to go to the cenotaph and then deal with a lot of hassle that’s arisen in the past few days. I opened this thread and now I’m blushing! Thank you very much all for the incredibly kind comments – the feelings are entirely mutual. I’ve met some of the most lovely, humane, and humble people I know through Basschat. Thank you! Onto the Suhr, i’m absolutely delighted that this has returned to where it belongs! It’s an absolutely gorgeous instrument. It really needed a good set up when I played it, though I was massively impressed by the fit and finish. What a lovely close to a long story!

I haven't played a Serek, though hear only very good things. I have owned a couple of Wilcocks. Both superb basses and Viv Wilcock is building some outstanding instruments. I only sold mine as I prefer active basses (I think this is something that Viv now offers). My personal favourite short-scale is the US Spector Shorty. I think that there were only around 40 built (and I suspect it's a discontinued model), though one with lots of variations in terms of finish and electronics. They appear rarely but well worth a look if you see one. There's the European built Spector Bantam and it's fairly similar to the Shorty - I haven't owned one, but I'd imagine that build quality will be superb. Another favourite is the Alembic small-bodied short-scale (Stanley Clarke and other options) - weird ergonomics and not cheap but, as one would expect, extraordinary instruments. We're fortunate to have some great builders in the UK and beyond taking short-scale very seriously.

I saw something similar a couple of days ago and was quite surprised at the revival of the format - I think this was some sort of classic album and taken from original masters - about £1200. I was aware that there's a very strong market for Studer and Revox machines (prices have increased dramatically in recent years) but the release of pre-recorded open-reel does seem strange - I imagine there's a small but (affluent and) enthusiastic market. Personally, I don't really miss the hiss of open reel machines or the crackle of vinyl.

I play Alembics. Idiosyncratic is a word that I sometimes use. Sometimes, I use other words

Is the bass a 'standard' 30" shortscale or is it sub short-scale? I'm sure we can come-up with suggestions (though it gets a little more tricky with sub short-scale). It might be worth taking a look at Newtone - they have dedicated short-scale sets available but can custom wind pretty much anything: https://newtonestrings.com/product-category/strings/bass-guitar-strings/?v=7885444af42e

Good luck with the study but as with many, I'm pretty wary of clicking links. It might be a good idea to provide some details of the institution at which you're studying (including department), your supervisor, and a link to your research ethics statement/data control protocols.

I have no real detail or further information but just saw a 'we're back' banner on the Hiscox site. The company now appears to be operating/trading our of Poland, at least that's where enquiries are directed. Proudly Hand-Made in England could become Proudly Hand-Made in Poland. According to the banner, shipping is scheduled to re-start in late September: https://hiscoxcases.com

I'm not an expert but I owned one for a while. Possibly the most incredible bass tone I've heard (they're utterly unique) but ergonomically a nightmare. I really found the bass to be unplayable either standing or sitting. A real shame as the L2s are such an iconic bass. Images really would be helpful here and good to know if you have any specific questions.

I did the same with a designacable Mogami and Lyric HG. I understand the snake oil arguments and agree to a large extent. I use ATC powered monitors and when I asked the company for cable recommendations, was told just good quality cable and connectors – nothing special required. However, back to bass cables: in my comparison, there was a small but noticeable difference – one cable wasn’t ‘better’ than the other, though I preferred the Evidence Audio - a little more presence in certain frequencies (mainly upper-mids). It wasn’t a blind test and there could be price-influenced prejudice/expectations or some imagination involved. On repeating, I had the same perception and preference. Make of this what you will – I still use both cables extensively and I’m happy with them pretty much equally. Good cable, good connectors and attention to detail in construction to ensure robustness. Plus careful coiling and storage, and even greater care in who gets near your cables. It’s difficult to go wrong really.

I've had very good results with Designacable, and especially these: https://www.designacable.com/mogami-ultimate-3368-guitar-cable-all-neutrik-1-4-mono-jack-types-low-capacitance.html Not a cheap option, but flexible, very well constructed and apparently robust. Vovox look excellent, though if venturing into that kind of territory, Evidence Audio also offer an exceptional range. The Lyric HG is very stiff and I wouldn't recommend it for general live use (though superb for recording). The Forte is a heavy cable, but perfectly flexible and again, characterised by exceptional build quality and robustness. Lots of good advice in the posts above too.

Perfect transaction with Stew (as expected!) Really easy and friction free - fantastic comms and friendly throughout. As it should be and Stew is an absolute pillar of our community!