SpondonBassed

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1488134342' post='3246188'] If I tried a new bass in a shop that went head down on a strap I'd put it back without plugging it in, that said I dont think I've ever tried a bass on a strap in a shop, luckily all the Thunderbirds and Rickenbackers I tried were dogged with other faults so I never got that far, they look nice though [/quote] I doubt that many of us do. It isn't often that I go out with the intention of looking at instruments in a shop but when I'm out and about, I make time for it if I see one. I thought of asking for a strap once or twice but I know from experience that new straps need breaking in and just trying to fit one can cause problems resulting in accidental damage to the instrument so I don't. Given that I don't play sat down at all, I can't really assess what I'm trying out very well. Just well enough to give me an idea if whether I'd pick it out of a line up again. If I was shelling out for an instrument I'd make an exception and have a proper old go with a strap of my own before committing.

[quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1488133747' post='3246180'] Fair enough - was only making the suggestion that ths was something that may need looking into - obviously it has. Then again, some people love the thwacky, clanky sound of the plastic board on the Squier VMJ, so it may well come down to taste. [/quote] You made a fair point. Having never played a metal fingerboard I don't know but I suspect it would be okay with nylon flats.

[quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1488125965' post='3246068'] Must I? I'm not. It's because the centre of gravity is well forward of the neck strap pin location. [/quote] You said - "...to stop it turning face-down." Strange, mine hangs with no issues apart from the slight neck dive.

[quote name='toneknob' timestamp='1488121035' post='3246002'] Hah. That brings to mind our singer's flute performance. Oh - where do I get a remote bubble blower? [/quote] A good old drink of Fairy Liquid to chase down some of Dr Windbreaker's Magic Salts should do the trick... just give it a good half hour before you're due to perform. Oh and have a large bucket on standby.

[quote name='owen' timestamp='1488120584' post='3245996'] YEEEEESSSSSSSS! Don't get me wrong, the other stuff is all well and good but metalflake is proper lush. Tell me it will have a matching headstock! Please! [/quote] Yup headstock and all. When I say metalflake I mean the deep translucent lacquer finish that allows for large gold flake to be used for maximum scatter. None of your flat tat finishes, oh no. Glad you like the idea. Regards [quote name='Dazed' timestamp='1488129554' post='3246110'] I've been looking at Basslab instruments for a while now. [url="http://basslab.de"]http://basslab.de[/url] They build using their own recipe "tuneable composite" materials layered over a form which is later removed, leaving a hollow body (and neck!). They use automotive paint and lacquers even on fretless basses, where the fretboard is also often painted. [/quote] That's very interesting. Thanks. You can't say it leans on conventional thinking from first glance anyway.

[quote name='toneknob' timestamp='1488102091' post='3245753'] The Cinema Show by Genesis. Start with solo acoustic 12-string guitar, tuned dDgGaDeGbbee (ie non-unison pairs on the middle two pairs, E and E pairs down a full step). Add bass pedals after a couple of minutes. Frantic triplet picking in the middle bit. Fade out, unplug, switch to double-neck Shergold. Instrumental in 7/8, switch to bass (finally) for the last few seconds. [/quote] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDLrpG0DCqI

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1488050753' post='3245465'] I tend to put a demo of any of my songs onto soundcloud in case of any copyright issues then register it with the PRS, not sure if this covers all the basses (see what I did there ) or not [/quote] Until you pointed it out - no. Heeheehee. Regards

[quote name='Krysbass' timestamp='1488105263' post='3245789'] Stay with it. I started a band in March 2016 - all was going well until in our first proper gig last September we discovered that our singer was snorting coke, . That; coupled with a couple of heated, throwing his toys out of the pram incidents and I had no choice but to tell him where to go and find a replacement. I was gutted to have the project set back to almost square one, but it had to happen as I didn't want the band to be tarnished with any drug-related activities; or a raving diva in our midst. Found our replacement singer 3 weeks later and we played our first gig with the new line-up last night - the band is sounding better than ever; everyone is fired-up and the future is looking good. By the way; the vocalist, keyboardist and guitarist all joined through Joinmyband. [/quote] Good man! It shows backbone on your part and I think your decision will serve you well. Performers can be on the arrogant side to start with. Bolivian marching powder makes them intolerable to be around. I sometimes hear what I think of as a cokey nasal quality in a singer's voice and I wonder how long it'll be before they end up with just one massive nostril to go with the massive ego trip.

[quote name='amnesia' timestamp='1488099379' post='3245718'] My advice? Try and jump into bed with an already established singer / guitarist / drummer and start something that way. A local 'character'. I'm fairly local to to Nantwich and the scene is incredibly incestuous around that area. I see the same players in different variations of the same band and if you aren't in 'the clique' you don't get a chance. Maybe it is like that everywhere. [/quote] This is sometimes referred to as the Fleetwood Mac shuffle. Not sure why... I will assume that you aren't really citing incest. I do agree that things can be very cliquey. I am on the edge of a local clique right now but it is one that I do not care to be a part of unless on a professional basis. It is enough to rub shoulders at open mic nights without being too matey with certain characters.

You deserve a knighthood for that. Thanks. I hereby dub thee - Sir Lurksalot (Just pulling your plonker)

[quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1488069977' post='3245647'] That's because it's bodyless too. I keep meaning to move the strap peg on my Hohner B2AV round to where it is on a Status Streamline, not to stop neck dive but to stop it turning face-down. My Thumbs are a bit neck-divey. I think a suede strap, or something with similar frictional qualities, would solve the problem. [/quote] I have a B2A that is perfectly balanced for the way I hang it from the strap. The pull out leg thingy is of no use when I'm sat down but then I can't play a conventional body shape from the seated position without comfort issues either. I would say that the additional weight of the five string neck (yes I know it's neck-through) is more to blame. If you compare the four string with the five string you will find a slightly larger body on the five which offsets the heavier neck up to a point. I am glad they didn't make it even heavier though to get the same fine balance as is found on the four stringers. You must be using the lower of the two bridge end strap buttons to get the problem that you describe. Is there a reason? It seems counter-intuitive otherwise.

[quote name='Naetharu' timestamp='1488051387' post='3245470'][list] [*]Sir Duke by Stevie Wonder: getting my hands around the run took ages. Much like the folks talking about Hysteria by Muse (A song I have not yet tried properly) I probably took eight to ten weeks to learn this one, starting really slow and gradually increasing speed. I'm still not to a point where I would be comfortable gigging it but it's getting there. [/list] [/quote] Yeah, Sir Duke. I had the tab from this; [attachment=239103:LegendaryBassGuitarSongs.png] I might be reading it wrong but one part of it didn't make sense to me. I made up my own bit by ear from the version I know best in a YT clip of that with "I Wish" following immediately after. I have exactly the same difficulty as with rhythm stick, the faithful execution, in this case, of the little giddyup in the middle eight (or is it called the bridge?). I now tend to go to the much easier groove of I Wish and skip Sir Duke. I'm not helping myself by doing myself out of that part of my practice but I really love I Wish. At my age I think I can indulge myself a bit.

[quote name='Number6' timestamp='1488058245' post='3245564'] Thank you Comrade ✊ ☺ [/quote] Welcomski

[quote name='Number6' timestamp='1488048580' post='3245434'] Yeah those goddamned Commies using non Mercan instruments..... [/quote] Is this what you meant to say? I fixed it for you because it had become part of a quote attributed to me...

Slight modification to OP specification. Will continue to refine specification until I am happy enough with it to get costs.

[quote name='HowieBass' timestamp='1488034260' post='3245230'] As I visualise the instrument I'm imagining something very Ritter like! [/quote] [attachment=239081:RitterCora.png] In some respects yes. I can't give you the image that is in my mind but ideally it wouldn't be too far from the Cora in appearance if you transpose the gold with the white. Oh and I think I'd like the pups in blue as well.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1488044714' post='3245387'] So if you are serious about your specification, then you should at least make an enquiry. He's already made an all-gold G1 guitar with a coloured carbon fibre fingerboard: [/quote] No pressure then. Heeheehee. I'd very much like to but I'll wait 'till I've given this topic plenty of time to get responses from the 'hood as it were. By then, I'll have given it due consideration and (maybe) condensed my wish list to a set of things that are of real use on stage. As it is, I only started to think semi-seriously today.

[quote name='fleabag' timestamp='1488036245' post='3245263'] I haven't taken much in the way of photos, so it wont look like a diary. Also, the serious work has to go to someone else, and i dont want to add to their workload by making them stop for photos at stages I'll chuck some photos in of the finished article when its done , if thats any good ? [/quote] That's cool. I hope it works well for you too.

[quote name='julesb' timestamp='1487880608' post='3243901'] Just had a look. They can't even spell it correctly so that tells you something. I bought a telecaster online from CC which was a good guitar but had obviously come straight from a smackheads layer into the shop and then to me without any attempt to prepare it for sale i.e. clean it! It was disgusting. Don't let that put you off though, just be aware that they get stuff in and get it out asap. Bargains can be had... [/quote] Um, did you know that you can't spell "lair"? Just pulling your leg, heeheehee.

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1488039542' post='3245315'] Like everything, if you're prepared to throw enough money at something, somebody out there will be willing to take it off you. Whether you get VFM or a playable instrument (after all that is what you're paying for) is a different matter. I'm currently talking to Andy about my next project with him, which again, is a bit of a dream but if it comes off will be well worth it. My advice, make your dreams SMART:[list] [*][b]S[/b]pecific [*][b]M[/b]easurable [*][b]A[/b]chievable [*][b]R[/b]ealistic [*][b]T[/b]imebound (not necessarily in this case) [/list] [/quote] Cheers my friend. I have to say that none of the criteria above strike me as being applicable to a dream. They make for a good plan however so thanks. This thread is helping me to refine my ideas already and it isn't even six hours old yet!

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1488021923' post='3245079'] [url="http://www.lefay.de/english/bass_remingtonsteele.html"]LeFay do a steel fingerboard[/url] and [url="http://www.vigierguitars.com/page/fiche_produit.php?id_prod=244"]Vigier[/url] have their Imetal. Also Andreas guitars used to make guitars and basses with an aluminium fingerboard. Here's a photo of my Andreas Black Shark guitar: So it's by no means impossible. [/quote] That's nice. Do you use it a lot?

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1488020379' post='3245057'] If this is serious and you have serious money to spend, I'm pretty certain that Simon Farmer of [url="http://www.gusguitars.com"]Gus Guitars[/url] would be able to make you a Gus G3 to that spec. [/quote] I kind of like the way these guitars get away from the old school thinking that you have to see wood somewhere on the instrument to make it look less of a toy. For me, this [b]is[/b] a toy. Note I didn't call it an adult toy but essentially, that's what we're talking about with instruments really. They're just play things at the end of it all.

[quote name='3below' timestamp='1488030111' post='3245171'] An interesting challenge, have you considered anodizing the fingerboard rather than enamel. Less susceptible to chips? With a thick (10mm +) Ti fingerboard would a composite neck be necessary (I realise is desirable). [/quote] Not yet. The enamel is a particular feature that I'd like to try. I might have a look around later to see if there is any precedent. It might turn out to be a bad idea though in which case your idea may work better. Can you get a pure white anodised finish? The composite neck would be where I might have "wiggle room" to mass balance the instrument. So it's negotiable. I don't think the fingerboard needs to be more than about 2mm thick. Getting a reliable bonding process may prove difficult due to differential expansion and contraction. It'd have to stand a cold soak in the boot of a vehicle on occasion followed by a rapid warm up (in some of the sweatier venues) else it would be more ornament than tool.

[quote name='Andyjr1515' timestamp='1488028106' post='3245147'] It's certainly out of my league, but I'd love to see it when it was finished! [/quote] A shared dream then. Heeheehee. If I was any good at graphics I'd try and make a mock up in a 3D app.

Ah, the subtle art of childproofing your living space. Not had the pleasure myself but I have to keep certain things out of reach for when the lodger's grandchildren come 'round. They're not bad as kids go these days though. When the boy was small he had a fascination for the middle of my speaker cones. They were protected by wire mesh, the cats having ruined the grill cloth years before. The lad had tiny fingers however. I caught him trying to poke his finger into the domed part of the mid range cones on more than one occasion. You could see the mischievous glint in his eye when he was about to try it. Fortunately no damage was ever caused but it was so funny.