The NW and Scotland Bass Bash and Petting Zoo 2026 - Saturday April 25th Confirmed

[ossyrocks]

If @lee650 can wangle time off work, I think he might be coming with me from Morecambe.

 

Rob

[ead]

It would be great to see @lee650 as I've not seen him for what feels like an age.

[zbd1960]

I've put it in the diary. The only potential spanner is I am taking on the conducting role for a band and until next week I don't know what their gig diary looks like. Hopefully not a clash.

[Stub Mandrel]

Seriously considering....

[neepheid]

1 hour ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Seriously considering....

 

Even with the knowledge that I will be attending?

 

[Frank Blank]

@rwillett have we reached a point where we can start an attendee/gear list?

[rwillett]

I was just about to do an initial roll call😄

[rwillett]

If @Stub Mandrel comes, then we can legitimately change the title to the "The NW, Scotland and South Wales Bass Bash and Petting Zoo 2026". We're very inclusive here. 

 

So far (I think) we have attending.

 

Attendees

 

@rwillett - A couple of 3d printed basses or guitars, this will encourage me to finish my next two off. A couple of 8" Basschat cabinets. Might be interesting to try these with other peoples amps. One is quite loud, not quite finished the other one so not sure quite how loud they go. Since I'm about 100m away, I might bring anything or everything. Might even bring and setup a 3d printer if people are interested.  If there is any interest and you need something thats more than a few hours to print, let me know well in advance.

@neepheid

@Frank Blank

@Stub Mandrel - TBC

@zbd1960 - TBC

@ead - TBC

@ossyrocks 

@lee650 

@80Hz

@peterjam - TBC

 

Lots of TBC's so hopefully we can firm up on numbers. So as you confirm, please add any equipment you might be bringing and update this.

I'm also going to add in a list of "would like to...." so people might be encouraged to bring things...

 

Would like to

 

@rwillett Love to play some older basses to see what they are really like preferably with some old school valve amp heads. Would also love to play around with some amp modellers (I already have a Mod Dwarf and a ToneX) to see how they sound in comparison. 

Edited 10 minutes ago by rwillett

[Stub Mandrel]

4 hours ago, neepheid said:

 

Even with the knowledge that I will be attending?

 

 

Ah... that's put me right off 🤣🤣🤣

[rwillett]

19 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

 

Ah... that's put me right off 🤣🤣🤣

And me now I think about it 🙄

[ossyrocks]

2 hours ago, rwillett said:

If @Stub Mandrel comes, then we can legitimately change the title to the "The NW, Scotland and South Wales Bass Bash and Petting Zoo 2026". We're very inclusive here. 

 

So far (I think) we have attending.

 

Attendees

 

@rwillett - A couple of 3d printed basses or guitars, this will encourage me to finish my next two off. A couple of 8" Basschat cabinets. Might be interesting to try these with other peoples amps. One is quite loud, not quite finished the other one so not sure quite how loud they go. Since I'm about 100m away, I might bring anything or everything. Might even bring and setup a 3d printer if people are interested.  If there is any interest and you need something thats more than a few hours to print, let me know well in advance.

@neepheid

@Frank Blank

@Stub Mandrel - TBC

@zbd1960 - TBC

@ead - TBC

@ossyrocks 

@lee650 - TBC

@80Hz - TBC

@peterjam - TBC

 

Lots of TBC's so hopefully we can firm up on numbers. So as you confirm, please add any equipment you might be bringing and update this.

I'm also going to add in a list of "would like to...." so people might be encouraged to bring things...

 

Would like to

 

@rwillett Love to play some older basses to see what they are really like preferably with some old school valve amp heads. Would also love to play around with some amp modellers (I already have a Mod Dwarf and a ToneX) to see how they sound in comparison. 

 

Ok, I'm going to bring the current  "vintage collection". Precisions - '70, '73, '73, Jazzes, '73 and '73. I'm not sure if I had the second '73 Jazz last year, it's custom colour black, and I definitely haven't brought latest '73 Precision before. They're not to everyone's taste as the are ALL strung with La Bella flats!

 

Re vintage valve amps, I'll bring the vintage 70's Fender Bassman 50 with matching 1x15 JBL D140 cabinet.

 

Rob

[neepheid]

2 hours ago, rwillett said:

@rwillett Love to play some older basses to see what they are really like preferably with some old school valve amp heads. Would also love to play around with some amp modellers (I already have a Mod Dwarf and a ToneX) to see how they sound in comparison. 

 

How old is "older"?

[rwillett]

43 minutes ago, neepheid said:

 

How old is "older"?

As old as possible really.

 

My head says there shouldn't be that much difference in good basses over the years, my heart would like to disagree 😄

 

Just to be clear, I do not want to start a flame war here. Just would love to learn a bit more. 

 

Rob

[rwillett]

51 minutes ago, ossyrocks said:

Re vintage valve amps, I'll bring the vintage 70's Fender Bassman 50 with matching 1x15 JBL D140 cabinet.

Ah that's the one I thought weighed as much as a car and was actually about the same weight as a Warwick Gnome...

[Richard R]

3 hours ago, rwillett said:

If @Stub Mandrel comes, then we can legitimately change the title to the "The NW, Scotland and South Wales Bass Bash and Petting Zoo 2026".

@Frank Blank is in Essex if I remember rightly. How long do you reckon the thread title field on the forum software is?

[neepheid]

16 minutes ago, rwillett said:

As old as possible really.

 

My head says there shouldn't be that much difference in good basses over the years, my heart would like to disagree 😄

 

Just to be clear, I do not want to start a flame war here. Just would love to learn a bit more. 

 

Rob

 

Oh, wasn't asking for devilment, just to see if I could help. I suspect not - the oldest bass I own is a 1978 Yamaha BB1200...

[Frank Blank]

5 minutes ago, Richard R said:

@Frank Blank is in Essex if I remember rightly. How long do you reckon the thread title field on the forum software is?

No one in their right mind wants Essex in the name of their event! I'll be bringing fretted and fretless short scale Jabba basses, Grace Design Alix, Effectrode compression of some sort, QSC K12.2.

[80Hz]

Thanks again for putting this together @rwillett - I am currently confirmed for April 25 🙂

 

Don't do it if it's just me that's interested, but I'd love to see the 3D printer in action. I'm currently dipping my toe into FreeCAD - no real goal in mind but I'm seeing if I can model the casing of these G&L MFD pickups as a learning exercise.

 

I don't have much to bring that's different from last year, but that will hopefully be:

 

- "Jem" my 2015 G&L Custom Shop JB in silver heavy metal flake

- Paulman relic 60's Precision which is wearing lovely Dunlop flats

- A recently acquired Squier 40th Anniversary Precision in Lake Placid Blue with gold hardware

- I'm also "building" a Harley Benton Precision kit with a G&L MFD humbucker as a poor man's L-1000. My goal is to have it done by the bash. Might be an unplayable disaster. You can point and laugh at least 🫣

 

I live down in Skipton now so I'm happy to come up early if you'd like an extra pair of hands to set up the hall.

[rwillett]

21 minutes ago, Richard R said:

@Frank Blank is in Essex if I remember rightly. How long do you reckon the thread title field on the forum software is?

 

Didn't know @Frank Blank was Essex way. I used to live Harlow way when I was doing a sandwich degree. It's fair old trek but he's very welcome to stay the night each end to reduce the driving hassle. 

 

I would assume the max length of the title is 255 chars but could easily be longer if it's a varchar. More than happy to have a delve into the source code as admin and hopefully root to check further and see what I can find, just give me the logins and passwords. What could possibly go wrong!

 

Either way we can get Essex in. 

 

Rob

[rwillett]

20 minutes ago, neepheid said:

 

Oh, wasn't asking for devilment, just to see if I could help. I suspect not - the oldest bass I own is a 1978 Yamaha BB1200...

I'd like to see that if you bring it. 

[rwillett]

@80Hz thanks for confirmation.

 

We go to Skipton quite a lot. Zoe has relatives there. Theres also a guy who used to make resonators, but he seems to have stopped. 

 

You're welcome to come whatever time you like, setup is simply putting tables and chairs out. Food will be as last year (ish). 

 

If you are looking at doing some 3d design, then I'd advise going to Fusion 360. The free version is excellent and has very few restrictions. As with most cad packages, the learning curve is a little steep but once you get the hang of it, it's great. 

 

If there is enough interest I could do a short talk in the small room with a printer and Fusion 360. Let's see. 

 

[80Hz]

3 minutes ago, rwillett said:

Theres also a guy who used to make resonators, but he seems to have stopped. 

 

Yep that's Andy Solloway. Nice guy and has done work on a couple of my guitars in the past. Haven't had the occasion to see him since moving from York though.

 

5 minutes ago, rwillett said:

If there is enough interest I could do a short talk in the small room with a printer and Fusion 360. Let's see. 

 

 

I appreciate the advice on Fusion 360! Yes indeed see if anyone else is interested. I'm also looking forward to seeing a 3D printed bass (I had a quick noodle on one of your 3D guitars when I sold you the strat).

 

[Richard R]

I like FreeCad. Had a quick play with Fusion but FreeCad clicked quicker for me.

[rwillett]

17 minutes ago, 80Hz said:

I'm also looking forward to seeing a 3D printed bass

I'll bring the headless, I am doing a really minimalist bass as well but that's stuxk behind some other work. Need to pull my finger out.