Stub Mandrel

Somewhere, hidden in the depths of a mouldy gig-bag is one of your first set lists! Dig it out and share the embarrassment! I found a photo of a set list for a covers band I was in from 1987 - 89 (Drastic Action). It's an 'interesting' selection!

My stack 🙂 The amp is a Laney pro Bass (apparently as used by Krist Novoselick on Bleach). The cabs are unusual. I used to have a huge 1x18" that was like moving a washing machine around. My youngest brother gave me the Phoenix which is a PH-2 from British Strings Limited, it's loaded with a pair of 12" Celestions. The top cab I made myself using a pair of McKenzie 12" speakers from a mate. The tweeter cab is surprisingly effective and uses two high power horn tweeters from Maplin. Set up like this the feet of the top cab 'lock' in the handle of the bottom one. I don't know for sure if the head is 100W or 150W but it doesn't take any prisoners... Edit! This is my original rig - at my first gig, up on a chair. It's a Sound City, supposedly 30 or 50 watts. I turned it into a separate head and monitor wedge, but it got knicked. There's a guitar version that belongs top one of my brothers in my dad's loft.

Has anyone got a schematic or manual for a Laney Pro-Bass head? The switch to take out the graphic isn't working, I recall I used to get a nice sound just using the parametric EQ and pre-shape. I've tried reflowing the solder joints and the path to before the EQ seems to be OK so I need a schematic to trace the signal back but i can't find one on the web. Mine is the early version before they produced it in several different power ratings. The power rating isn't marked on it but from the way it sounds and the transformer fills all the space available I guess it is a 150W version. Here it is in 'practice amp' configuration with a 63W 16R Marshall 'mini-cab' (not ideal for a 5-string!) TIA 🙂

You must have a big chin 🙂 Any sketches etc?

Bassist, mid 50s, looking for like-minded guys looking to jam less-well-known covers or write our own songs. Having fun more important than exceptional musicianship! No qualms about gigging if that's where it ends up, but ideally pubs/clubs that want rock. Don't want to go back to churning out standards for wedding parties or clubs full of people who would rather not have to listen to live music... I can get to most of the Staffordshire/Derby/Nottingham Area A few solo efforts with me doing all parts (except the drum machine) recorded at home:

Candy Apple Red which is the colour of my new bass 🙂 A tobacco sunburst is hard to beat. Good natural wood finishes. Blue sunbursts.

Someone, somewhere, has the Showaddywaddy Moon Guitar

Back in the early 90s I found a no-name neck in a skip. I bought loads of cheap bits my brother gave me his cheap Floyd Rose knock off. I made a super-heavy rough as a badgers bum 'explorer-ish' body from two layers of 3/4" play. Fast forward to this year, got a cheap unfinished strat body off ebay (probably made from balsa wood), got a jack plate and a sheet of scratchplate material. Body came up nice with a sprayed on satin finish, but it was so soft i had to paint with 'diamond hard' varnish so it's a 'deep grain' finish -ah well! Definitely not durable enough to gig but those cheap 80s 'buckers growl! Learnt a lot and might have a go at making a decent guitar or bass one day. What's the dark secret in your collection 🙂 Original body on right of first pic, other pics the 'new' version....

The Monks - Black Monk Time

Woo hoo! I saw Little Stevie and his Disciples in 1983! Reading IIRC, same years as Stevie Ray Vaughan on his first UK tour. (He was quite a bit smaller then 🙂 )

Find a decent thickness cardboard tube, say out of the middle of a roll of carpet. Make a hole to suit and experiment with different lengths until you get the sound you like best. Front and back ports sound different. Back port is good for a bedroom blaster played near a wall or corner. Test it where you will play it most. Works every time.

The two times I left bands at my choice, it was because I had a new job. It was pretty tough dumping them in the mire.

You never know underneath the fur could be an amazing three-tone tobacco sunburst.

Is the headstock oversize or is it an optical illusion?

Saxon, Black Star Riders and Girlschool. Only seen Girlschool before, supporting Motorhead many, many years ago!

Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons. B****y brilliant 🙂

My brother was in an AC/DC Tribute band in South Wales, my greatest regret is never seeing him perform in shorts and school blazer... All his current band were in respected tribute bands, but now they prefer playing (mostly non-obvious) covers and starting to do some of their own stuff.

Tip #2 - don't use the SO's toothbrush...

Tie your bass to the back of your car and drive around town, save £££s on getting it professionally relicked* *Is taht how you spell it?

Hmm. I never have done that, on my guitars I always wind neatly below so tension pulls the winds up to help 'lock' the bit that goes through the middle. Never had a wound string slip, but only had flats once (came with the bass and I took them off ASAP)

I've ordered a 26" Ukelele neck to make a custom bass, probably solid body with a piezo pickup and silicon rubber strings. My bro has a Ukelele bass, sound more like a stand up than any electric, but don't bother trying to bend notes!

1. jebroad 2. Len_Derby 3. Jabba_the_gut 4. Spondonbassed - Hohner B2A 5. Andyjr1515 6. Jimothey 7. Mojo 8. Owen 9. Teebs 10. Josie 11. Aidan63 12. Frank Blank 13. petecarlton (newbie) 14. Bassman Sam. I'll bring my NR Custom built Thunderbird, Ashdown 2x10 combo and a MM P-bass. 15. ChrisLovatt (bassbash virgin) 16. Stub Mandrel - Fender Performer (Just realised I was supposed to add myself to the list).

I'll grab a copy when it's in The Works 😉

The gig in my avatar pic! Probably 1987 with Drastic Action 'high energy rock and roll from Kenfig Hill...' Mercifully it was a relative of a band members wedding reception. We had quite a long set list so I think everyone was glad when we ended and the disco started so they could dance. By then I probably had my Laney amp and an 18" cab that weighed about 200lbs. Bass looks like my Hohner jazz copy, now with my brother in Scotland. Sounded great but a really bland bit of wood for the body. I used to think we were crap, but listening to echoey old practice tapes we got really tight by the end and the audience s seemed happy enough - usually working men's clubs and pubs. Once we did a rock club in maesteg and did smoke on the water. There was a lad writhing on the floor like Angus young... Aye those were the days.

They are surprisingly playable and the buget ones are still well made.. I would want to add a mute to get the authentic early-macca plop-plop sound though.