Leaderboard

I've updated Basschat with up to the above stages. The next couple of weeks are going to be a bit bitty - I need Alex here to fine-tune the neck profile and his and my calendars are like ships passing in the night! In the meantime, someone on Basschat was interested how the Steinbergers work - below is what I posted if it is of any interest : You wind the knob at the back until the spindle rises to the top, exposing the string hole at its base: You thread the string through the hole and pull tight while clamping it by rotating the 'T' bar at the top (the T is a simple screwed clamp): You then rotate the knob at the back in the opposite direction, which pulls the spindle down into the housing and takes the string with it, tightening it as it goes. This is the 4th string now at full pitch: Clearly, the far end of the string can be clipped at the other side of the spindle but, while I am fitting am removing the strings regularly, it is easier to leave them long. It is a very clever design and they are well made: They are as smooth as silk. No backlash and very accurate and controllable tuning. They can be placed anywhere, unlike conventional tuners that have to be close enough to the headstock side for the adjuster clearance. And so, the headstock can be any shape you like. The string is always 'at the bottom of the peg', maximising break angle over the nut

Had a look over the last few hours and think the Zoom G6 is something along the lines of what i'm looking for. If its all simple enough and in one box then i'll not meddle too much with other pedal options if its not needed.

I'm away from base for a few days and brought my guitar with my, but when I arrived I realised that I'd forgotten my amp. Now, I'm not too far away an it would only be a 40 minute round trip to go and get it, but I have access to an acoustic guitar while I'm here, so I'm not bothered. However, I happened to be scrolling through Facebook yesterday and came across this being advertised NAMM 2023: Positive Grid unveils the Spark Go, a 5-watt modeling amp that fits in your pocket | Guitar World. I decided to take a punt on it, as it's something I can slip into my guitar bag if I am on the move. It doesn't ship until late May, but I'll leave a review after I receive it. It can be used as a Bluetooth speaker too. At the minute it's on an early bird offer for £89 + VAT (£105 in total). After that it will be £129 +VAT.

Hey, does anyone know what instrument is playing at 2:38? I really like it but I can't tell what it is: https://youtu.be/ceQOO1HPhfY

Be interested to hear how you get on with that. I'm currently in Beijing for a week with work and by this point 99% of websites I normally use have been banned out here, so I'm doing a lot of online window shopping filling downtime.... Been thinking of a little, pocket-size amp that could be used with a guitar on the go, or as a speaker for my mp3 player (the latter being the more likely use out here, though as the project here flies me business class and thus I can have two hand luggage bags, I'm now having lunatic thoughts about buying a Harley Benton banjolele.....). I spotted one of these amps mentioned in an article on Guitar.com - https://guitar.com/guides/essential-guide/how-to-build-ultimate-portable-vanlife-guitar-rig/ They seem well impressed with it. Another contender for me - as I'm a sucker for its looks - is the Fender 57 Mini Twin: This little Fender has it all looks wise and would do what I want for guitar, but might not be so clever for an MP3 speaker. I'm not fussed on blutooth (I prefer a cable connection to save battery life), but I don't know how successful a 3.5mm to 6.3mm jack cable for my mp3 player into this would be....

Well my dilemma has been resolved! I went into the office today and when I spoke about my purchase a colleague said he had an amp that he no longer uses and I could have it - no charge! All I had to do was give it a dust and buy a lead. What a result! In the interest of not commuting the same sin as I did in my other post here is a picture, apologies for the mess but the tonics are for gin. Double celebration today, me with a new amp and my beautiful wife's retirement. All I need to do is learn to play the guitar properly now!

Roland amps, in the category you're after, are extremely good, in my experience (I have several...), as long as you don't want to use their built-in distortion. Robust, clean, versatile; even older models sound 'quality'. They take pedals very well, but sound good on their own, too. Not always the most 'fashionable', so bargains can be found. Just my tuppence-worth. Douglas

And, an excuse to buy another amp that the wife doesn't notice, can never be a bad thing...!