SpondonBassed

We've been talking about jamming bass and uke on a number we both know - Another Brick in the Wall pt2. He has a friend of his own age who plays bass with him on that among others. We think it is a good place to start the ball rolling when we see him next. He's like most teenagers, very hard to pin down because he is into everything. I must set up my old Fostex x15 with some new drive belts and a spruce-up all around now that I've got most of my stuff in the same room after years of storage here and there. We might multi-track him on uke and guitar. The old TR606 will serve as a metronome. I will take your suggestions for suitable tunes for novice guitar. Thank you.

Playability is the main thing, I agree. In this case I think the the guitar will benefit from looking slightly leaner too. Not that it was porky looking or owt before... heeheehee. Refinements are what you're good at my friend. I have every confidence in you.

I will check the tuning again today after a play-in. In my head I sound like Jimmy Page but at the same time I can clear a whole room in under ten seconds. I want to re-check the intonation with the new strings. The tuner is showing that a couple of strings don't have the same pitch for the harmonic as the note at the twelfth fret. The saddles are in a straight line. It looks to me as if the last set-up was to make the saddles line up nicely at a slant to the bridge for cosmetic reasons rather than for accurate intonation. When the strings are settled it's tweaky-tweak time. Thanks for the helpful replies. I appreciate the suggestions for 10 thou string sets and I reckon that's okay if you've broken-in your finger tips. He'll learn to make his own string choices later if he gets off the ground with it and I will pass on the advice from here.

Welcome Brendon. Talk about hitting the ground running. Nice collection.

Given that he's not done a lot with the guitar since it was dropped a couple of years ago I've decided to go with 9s. I spoke with my mate Feritt at Foulds in Derby. After we'd talked through the merits of 8s, 9s and 10s he sold me a set of machine heads for around £15 and some strings for £5. The machine heads are of a good standard he says because he's used them before. We reckoned it would be better to go with the light strings and make it as easy for the lad as possible. The set shown has a spare top e. Not a bad thing since the 0.009" is the most likely to break. Whenever we asked him about getting the guitar fixed he would go quiet about it. I have a feeling he got a severe telling off from his dad about it and has been reluctant to go near it since. Today is his fifteenth birthday so it's time we got it fixed for him so he can have a proper go and if it isn't for him, he's got a good guitar to sell and put the money towards some of his sports activities. The old tulip machine heads are packed up in the pack from the new heads and will do for spares. The lad's granddad Jack says he might have them for a uke build. The new ones pop in nice and snug after I clean out the holes with a 10mm auger bit. It turned out that the older heads had a slight taper down from 10mm and there was a bit of crap in there from paint prep at build. 9 to 42s with a spare 9 thrown in Replaced full set of machine heads Full restring Polished frets Cleaned fretboard with lemon oil Checked wiring (good) Tightened nuts at each pot as one was quite loose and the others finger tight only Cleaned, polished and buffed entire instrument It sounds great and that's just through my bass rig. A light refurbish for £20, not bad.

Sorry for the confusion, my mistake.

3L+3R FA-03 Chrome Tuning Pegs Machine Head Tuners for Gibson Guitar replacement: Amazon.co.uk: Musical Instruments Vanson VN-04 Chrome Tulip Tuners / Machine Heads, Right Handed 6 in-line for Epiphone Les Paul, SG ES, Acoustic etc. (Right Handed, Chrome): Amazon.co.uk: Musical Instruments These appear to be a close match but at the price I might buy a set rather than replace one and find it is slightly different. These state a 15:1 ratio. If anyone's used either of the sellers or their products before let me have your thoughts please?

Thanks @Cato. Of the two standard gauge sets, 10 and 9 thou, which would you recommend for a fifteen y/o who is more used to playing nylon uke strings?

Hahahahaha. That was yesterday. Today's guilty pleasure.

There was a false report by Auntie Beeb about this on Twitter before: BBC accidentally announces Mark E Smith's death on his 60th birthday Has there been another announcement? The Guardian24 January 2018

Neither have I. If oak was specifically mentioned it could mean that for oak there is a better product. Also, Teak Oil should be re-applied regularly when used outdoors to maintain the finish. Maybe it is different for Tung Oil. I'm happy that you got your marker in time anyway.

I like both of them. @Jimothey. Stick to your guns mate. Your block 'inlays' in black need the balance of your all black pick guard. All the black hardware you've used then has a context and the exposed grain pops all the more for it. I like the lack of chrome on yours. My own twist on that would be matt black hardware throughout with a matt pick guard. @Niall6002. The chrome hardware on natural finish is consistent and therefore appropriate. The only two dark items being the black pick up and the deep brown tug bar, I'd say you have the balance right for this instrument. That's a beautiful finish. May I ask if the ten coats each of Danish and Gunstock oils went according to plan? I'm assuming a wipe on method was used to apply it.

The curves are emerging too. Lovely.

When does the chorus pedal arrive...? Heeheehee

Too many irons in the f...

## I've been to Bass Central... but I've never been to me. Sorry but you deserved that for giving me an awful earworm

I remember it was said on an Irish radio station (probably RTE2 fm) that he had become a heterosexual a few years back. Not sure if there was any substance to that. It just sounded very odd to me at the time. I liked Motorway and War Baby. He had a song out in the last year or so that was quite haunting but not enough for me to remember the title, sorry. He DJs on 6music on Sundays at 6pm if anyone's interested.

I've got my housemate's grandson's Les Paul copy to repair. He's fifteen. He dropped it and broke off the key from a machine head. I have a contact at Foulds of Derby who sometimes lets me go through his box of odds and sods. I'll check with him in the next day or two but I wanted to ask here for pointers in case I need to get a new replacement elsewhere. I've looked up Westfield guitars, a Scottish company, and it seems to have gone out of business in 2013. The other thing is for me to ask what strings to look for. I don't play myself but I'd like to get some light tension strings for the lad and I need recommendations for makes and gauges. TIA

Once again, BC members get down to the nitty gritty and come through for each other. If I felt any warmer or looked any fuzzier folk would think I was a lagging jacket!

Lucky Stars and Ariel always made me smile. I was impressed by his vocal range. I always considered him to be a bit of a novelty singer but I never looked beyond that until now. Thank you Seashell.

I gave friends one of those rugs (Argos have them) for a christening present for their eldest. I almost bought another one for myself. They're great. It's a very nice NWR tribute.

True.

Good on you! I had the same attitude. My parents told me I was going through a phase and that I'd soon meet a girl and settle down with a nice house and a car ready for the babies that I would, no doubt, be bringing into the world with my lovely wife. Whoops. My 'phase' lasted for twenty five years and I loved all of it. I am not married. There are no children bearing my genes that I am aware of. I tried car ownership for about ten years and hated most of it. I have a nice house and I am settled. Looking to the future. Despite appearances, I'd actually like to see public access autonomous vehicles. It's the transition from privately owned vehicles to mass use of publicly owned vehicles that I'd like to avoid.

There's no reason a hobby can't be lucrative. I think it becomes a job when you start accepting bookings that you would not have looked for but that you can't afford to turn down because you have acquired a good reputation and you'd like to preserve it. It's similar with people who have their dream job. They are obliged to attend (that makes it a job) but they don't think of what they do as work because they would be doing the same stuff in their spare time.