BassTool

Some good advice on here 👍🏼 after singing and playing bass for 50 years, when I have a new song to learn it still takes me a LOT of practise time to nail it 😖

Bass line first. Got to have it perfected before moving on.

Lyrics and phrasing next.

Then the tricky bit 😆

I talk my way thru each phrase of a verse - whilst trying to marry the two up - then the same process, gradually working throughout the rest of the song.

But as said many times on here, practise is the key 👍🏼

I had a Paulownia P bass, lightest bass I've ever owned, that looks like a really good lump 👍🏼 

All the best to you Tony, loved your advice and input on here, glad to hear you'll still be sticking around 👍🏼😎

4 hours ago, RonC said:

Are you gonna build a bass or convert the side dots of an existing one?

Convert the side dots.

I'll not do it though @RonC I'll pass it onto a pro 👍🏼

51 minutes ago, Silky999 said:

I ordered mine from here;

 

https://meisterworks.myshopify.com/en-gb/collections/luminlay-products

 

you can change the currency at top right of page to GBP

Ordered, thanks everyone! 🙏🏼

Never fear @Gank Bass as previously said, Titebond wood glue is your friend! 

That is a mere scratch compared to some of the saves made on this esteemed forum, including mine below 😎

You've already shown your skills on here, now I look forward to seeing how you transform this bass into something usable 👍🏼

Oh, and remember Build Diaries golden rule....pics or it didn't happen 😉

Good luck 🤞🏼😀

On 10/10/2025 at 13:40, RonC said:

I’m building a fretless 5 string at the moment and yesterday I placed the luminlay dots on the side. They light up directly in the dark! I bought the original ones from Japan.

never a problem anymore playing fretless on a dark stage!

Much easier and cheaper to install as LEDs!

 

More lovely work Ron 😉👍🏼

Really helpful from some top Basschat experts, thanks 😇

So, if I was to go ahead buying from here in the UK, where is the best source ? I'm thinking they have to come from abroad even if buying from Amazon. Presumably their isn't a UK distributor? 🤔

2 hours ago, BassTool said:

Kudos 👏🏼 

 

Love a well polished boot me 😉

Thread hijack alert! 🤭

Proof 😆 just done some tonight 😜😎

2 hours ago, Norris said:

 

 

DMs

Kudos 👏🏼 

Love a well polished boot me 😉

7 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

 

I've got a B2, the output is really hot from the stock pickups .

I need to get mine out of its case and check it's still alive 😖

1 hour ago, Rayman said:

… but the big no no as far as I’m concerned, is introducing individual bands members. Literally nobody cares.

We do it over the end music of the last song, and we've always had a great response for each individual band member.

We find that the audience love to show their appreciation for each musician after watching the band play for two hours.

Thanks for your input chaps 🙏🏼

IMO it's important to engage the audience at certain points with some craic, particularly if players have swapping around with instruments to do. I've seen too many bands missing the opportunity to connect with a crowd, appearing to be up on stage to please themselves rather than the folks who've turned out to see them.

'Dead air'  - as any silence between songs is a term used on radio - can be avoided with a brief hello, how ya doing, great to be here, we're hoping to give you a good night, etc etc. whilst fellow band members are changing settings etc.

It forms a bridge between band and crowd just as the music does, and as said already by some, can become integral to putting on a great show.

As our bands designated front man I have to do this as our guitarist also plays sax, I have both a fretted and fretless bass onstage to swap over, I even very briefly introduce my fretless during swap over - as most folk would not realise it's any different to my fretted (apart from even more bum notes 😂) whilst our keys player changes settings on his keyboards as well as looking after the sound mix.

My staple patter at some point is always 'apparently the louder you applaud and shout between songs, the better we play' and it works at many gigs.

It's all part of the show, connecting the band with the audience 😎

Esteemed bass builders, what are your thoughts on the Luminlay glow in the dark fretboard side marker dot inserts?

Worth the money?

Do you need the torch to 'charge' them up? Bit of a faff on for me if that's the case 🤔

Convert me 😆

On 06/10/2025 at 23:27, Norris said:

I think they just get better each time I see them. Great gig at the De Montfort Hall in Leicester tonight. Awesome!

 

 

How amazing is PRB on drums @Norris 😲

But yes, the whole band are another level ...😎

See what I did there 🤭

1 hour ago, dmccombe7 said:

I'm sure i had it month or so ago too but when i tested it showed negative. Took me ages for the cough to go and it left me with a lot of mucus for a while too. Probably why i had the cough.

On another note my first holiday romance was from Crook and i can still remember her address too from back in 70's when i was a youngster. I remember the address as we used to write each other back in the dark ages.

Oh happy days and what a memory i have 😂

Dave

I've been told it's sometimes not being picked up by the tests as it's mutated so much, who knows? 🙄🤔 What I do know is I've never ailed for anything as long as I have with this last bout 😖

That is indeed a great memory you have Dave, what a blast from your past! 👍🏼

The Crook Hotel for us last night in County Durham. It's a great bar venue, small raised area in a window which normally has dining tables during the day becomes the stage area on a night. We put the black backdrops up and front lights truss to create the illusion of a bigger stage.

Always a fantastic and very appreciative crowd in here, and we finally got offstage at 11.45 😳

Finally got my voice back after 4 weeks, now thinking I've been victim of the latest Covid variant with a cough that's lasted four weeks coupled with laryngitis symptoms, not exactly ideal 😖

New strings on the Vigier sounded nice though 👌🏼

What a beauty!! ❤️ 

Have a bump on me 😉

Great bridge at a great price, adjustable string spacing and extra shim to go underneath main bridge if extra height is required 👍🏼

GLWTS 😉

Fabulous finish that 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👍🏼

On 31/08/2025 at 09:45, carlsim said:

To be honest I’m 95% set on a natural finish, slightly toned down and high gloss.

I’m not a fan of trans colour finishes to be honest, and I think it’s too nice a grain to cover up.

^ This ^ was definitely the right choice, great work! 😜

The Glasshouse Gateshead last night, Roachford supporting Level 42.

Roachford is a superb singer and keys player, with a bass, drummer and guitarist in his band, he gave a fantastic performance and really got the crowd going, we thought he was excellent 👍🏼 

This was the 40th anniversary of the World Machine Album, which we saw when it was originally toured at Newcastle City Hall back in the 80's.

I've seen Level 42 many times, and this incarnation of the band is IMO the best I've seen, with a trio of brass (tenor sax, trumpet and trombone) and the incredible drumming of Pete Ray Biggin they have reinvented themselves and give a polished and entertaining performance complete with brass section dancing, playing percussion and providing backing vocals.

I spent as much time watching the amazing PRB on the kit as I did Mark King, who at 67 still does what he does really well.

Previously known as The Sage, this is a fabulous venue for live music of many kinds, and the crowd last night had a fantastic night watching two accomplished bands.

We played Murton Officials Club in a local colliery village 20 minutes from home last night. It's a small club with a fantastic crowd, and one of our favourite gigs, with a very easy hump in and out.

After a week with a chesty cough I struggled with my singing, but keys and guitarist helped out and we really enjoyed a brilliant atmosphere.

I only use my Cliff Bordwell fretless on three songs, but got sent this pic of me studying the fingerboard between verses.. 

Someone is in for a treat buying this beauty! 😍

From a top Basschatter too, deal in confidence folks, that is a bargain 👌🏼