3below

@Burns-bass I was not suggesting a need to change any kit (more so given the very high quality kit you have), just outlining my experience. Good that the 'percussivness' request is now better explained and achievable. Onwards and upwards. @Beedster Encouraging to hear your experience and that I am not the only one, I can clearly remember one gig where it was if I had never played bass before and had only just picked it up 5 minutes beforehand.

Agree, I have tried but do not have the ability or stickabilty to 'get a grip on it'.

@Smanth What string action height are you using with the Thunderbrowns?

I am thinking about tuning this during a set.... @warwickhunt Where did you get to on the bass quest?

Yes and no for me. I am just going to build my own. I have recently bought the same Gold Tone me, a real fun thing

I fully relate to using books, they are my first choice over video / YouTube etc. Given the physical size of your DB, your height, arm reach and end pin height, is plucking nearer the bridge possible as per increasing bass guitar string attack?

Are there any videos / recordings that point in the direction of the sound you are looking for? I used to use my DB with Corelli 370s and a Schaller magnetic pickup for blues / folk. Percussive yes, like a p bass on steroids - yes. Slap, no chance, string tension too high. Later changed to silver slaps with realist pickup. Thumpy, slappable (my techniques was below poor) but no percussiveness. (I no longer have the DB but still do some EUB now and then). Try this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7cu1PvhhnU, she inspires me to think about DB again.

Whilst investigating a short scale replacement fretless neck for my Warwick Corvette I can give you some advice on that. You should now sit down and have tissues to hand since your eyes will be watering at the expense .

My short scale basses are increasingly the weapon of first choice with the lightest being most preferable. Having recently entered the bass Uke world with a 23" solid version I would really like to try a 25" one. The Ibanez Mikro basses also look increasingly tempting, just need a fretless (or a cheap s/h one to defret).

Bought some strings from Jono at an astounding low price. Great communication, well packed and immediate posting (even gave me back the 'extra'I had allowed for p&p etc. An absolute first rate chap, a credit to BC. Many thanks Jono.

On the two cabs I built I got quite a 'Tolex' look just by dabbing the Tuffcab on with a kitchen scrubbing sponge. I am quite impressed with it how it has stood up to use on my BF cab.

Enough to make a complete 23" scale length bass there

Happy days, I remember those articles. Building and repairing is much more straightforward with the amount of kit now available.

Ex army bass player essential - ideally Cav or RTR (others will be considered) . Player must be experienced with any of: Challenger tank, CRARRV, MAN trucks, Warrior, Warthog, Mastiff, Jackal, Foxhound,CVR(T/W), FV432 and variants, ARRV. The requirements ensure the bass player can be the tea boy/girl in adverse situations and that they are good with heavy metal. BV - boiling vessel as fitted to many mil vehicles.

I got into this from necessity, luthiers were non existent in the 1970s rural Herefordshire boonies - so as a 14 year old I had to sort my own basses out beyond basic (later I was a Physicist/Engineer and have the do stuff myself mindset). These days I use a straight edge to get the neck flat before doing anything (an aluminium bar that I flatted true). After that a Chris Alsop diamond file (glued my own handle on) and follow the sharpie pen and flatten advice on many youtube videos. My early crowning tool was made by putting wet & dry on top of a good fret, sanding a groove into some beech - et voila a crowning tool. It worked as well (more youtube magic), these days I use the Alsop tool. Those steps plus polishing have sorted out all but one of my (many) basses. For the more difficult bass (slight neck twist?) I made a flat notched bar section (get the neck straight before fret levelling) and a flat long box section (for fret levelling). Total cost £15? plus some time. I can't sort everything out myself, on the two really high value guitars I have owned and could not get right, I resorted to proper luthier setups resulting in proper results.

The other useful bits of kit I have bought myself are some long sections of box section aluminium. You could pay serious money for 'true/levelled' beams or if you have access to some plate glass (or an engineering surface - cast iron planer bed, table saw bed) you can diy level the box section to your own taste. The same applies to a fingerboard levelling edge, 20 x 3mm /5mm aluminium, level it and file your own slots out, spend the savings on some fun

I have bought Chris Alsop fret crowning files and a diamond levelling file. With some other home made tools I have found them really good for builds, refrets and setups. Paid for themselves many times over. Nut files are another issue altogether. I would like a set of Hosco files but the cost is ££ for the amount I would use them. Any of my builds now use copy adjustable nuts which makes setup much easier. Sadly that does not help with a P bass nut, my 'bodge' diy method for a nut that is already slotted is folded wet & dry, or wet & dry rolled round a smaller wire or scraped out with a Stanley knife blade. Disclaimer, all my own basses... YMMV

Bought a Rockman Bass Ace from Lawrie, excellent communication, deal with confidence. Many thanks again.

A former colleague of mine did this when a student asked him a question. Bandsaws are not hand friendly devices Whilst working out my time (I had made myself redundant with early retirement - result) I blagged myself a place on a wood machine tools safety course through work (totally unrelated to my job). Much highly useful advice was received.

Just add to this table saws and you have the holy trinity of digit decapitation (or worse).

Further left field thought: Rout a pocket at the bridge end and inset a block to extend the body by a few cm as needed. Merge this block into the body with suitable curves and then rout the inset for your tuners as needed. You are effectively extending the body a few cm. This will require a refinish. At this point it I think it would probably be easier to make a new GSRM25 body that is slightly elongated and has the recess that you want.

AFAI can think at this time of night... it will work. One factor to consider is the side and face dots. These will be in the wrong places and will have to be drilled and plugged (straightforward enough) and new ones inserted as required. With a fretless neck, think long and hard about where you want dots at: 1,3,5,7,9 12 etc or between 2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 and 11-12 etc. I know where I like my dots lol.

Well that is different. With that, the opening song on any set must be Goldfinger He's the man, the man with the Midas touch A spider's touch Such a cold finger Beckons you to play his bass of sin But don't go in with apologies for the changed line