MIKE! you were 10 in 73, WOW! you're old DUDE.

Just as old as others, eh old timer?
 
Christian, I've gotta tell you I keep scrolling up to the top and gazing at your bass. I'm thinking I want a Spoiler. But alas, you can't have champagne when living on a beer budget.

Maybe not champagne but you colud have California Sparkling White Wine.

Can you yougsters keep the noise down. us old timers are trying to catch a nap ;-)
 
Graeme

Can you youngsters keep the noise down. us old timers are trying to catch a nap ;-)
 
Graeme

you are ok by me, Graeme, I KNOW I AM LATE ! LOL ! Give you an update of was happening in the past:
 
Oct 1st: carrying equipment to church, playing, carrying equipment back home, having dinner and a lill good-night drink
 
Oct 2nd: having fun for eight hours with useless paperwork in the office, carrying equipment to Harley cave, playing our a**es off, carrying equipment back home, having a hardcore booze with hell raisers, dying
 
Oct 3rd: public German holiday (Unity celebration). still stone-cold, but recovering...
 
Oct 4th: another day in the office, and finally got home to post you some news...
 
Glad to be HOME again :-)
 
Christian

Well, I checked the digicam and unfortunately, there are only a few pics that I can offer you... we had a fairly good time playing at church, and the choir behind us was very.... polite und patient :-) Here goes:  

 

 

  The camerawork was done by my 12-year-old, Christian jr. He has also made a very cool video with the camera, while we performed "Bangin Man". Might be something you're keen on, Mike ? Maybe I put it up on youtube for all to see...  I have to go on tomorrow, there's much more paper piles to be moved by me in the office, and a 42-year-old needs sleep sometimes !  Christian

Boy, that's a big bass when you see it being worn!  I can only see one chorister smiling though - the rest look a bit 'disapproving'- Perhaps they've seen the first fret inlay ;-)
 
Graeme

Aah, Graeme, you got it ! That's why...
 
I removed the octave strings on the fretted neck and adjusted the neck accordingly. I thought the girls noticed that I forgot to reinstall the TRC...

Way to go Speicky! Great pics! (though not requested)

awesome!
 
just out of curiousity, why did you remove the octave strings?
 
that thing must weigh a ton.  do you use a back brace when playing it? (my 5-string weighs in at 14 lbs, so i've taken to wearing one under my shirt on gigs.  nobody can tell and now i can play it all night).

Christian,
 
Great pics!  Awesome to see Peggy hard at work.  I see you're using both necks, too!  Very cool...
 
John

Thank you all for your appreciation...
 
I felt I had to play four string, because my fingers are quite skinny. I had a real buzzing problem with octave strings on. In addition, I like a wider string spacing for my right hand. No offense, Tim, I know you are NOT implying that mylady Peggy may have a weight problem LOL... I love to suffer that way, and with the wide strap it is not a real issue. I already played her for over one hour, and still felt comfortable. It's just that wide strap, I do not need any brace or cushion (yet).
 
Well spotted, John, I played the first song on the fretless neck, started STH fretless, and moved to the fretted neck during this number. That was really cool, some people in the audience also noticed what was going on.
 
It moves my heart when some teenager come after the gig, impressed of the bass and the sound, and ask silly questions or just stare... just like me twenty years ago when I admired JAE, Stanley and Mark King, saw the logo of their Alembics frequently, and knew that I would NEVER be able to afford one. And even IF, there is no dealer within a thousand miles ! Nowadays, computer and communication technology make it possible that everybody can search and gather information within seconds, and there is money and goods being moved through eBay... phew !
 
Once again, thank you all !
 
Christian

interesting about the octave strings.  i am a recent convert to 8-string.  i have very skinny fingers as well.  so far playing an 8-string has not a problem for me.  it looks as if yours is set up like mine (bass string below octave).  i use pretty much the same fingering techinque as i do on the fretless and nary a buzz.  the octave and bass string are very close together on mine (much closer than they appear to be on yours), right hand technique is not a problem and i have yet to get tripped up.
 
i think the combination of 8-string and fretless sound is killer - i go back and forth between them a lot.  it gives the sound guy fits, though, especially when i throw a 5 string into the mix.

Yes, Tim, the bass strings are below the octaves, and I like it that way. I did not manage to find out about your current eight-string, I just remember the graphite fretless that dwmark snatched (lucky you, no hole in your head). So, I cannot compare the spacing between bass and octave string on both basses. However, the spacing on Peggy is quite huge, there is not much space between the bass E and octave a and so on. It seems not a double four string, but (virtually) an eight string, with a very much more narrow spacing than Trip Wamsley's Ocean Blue or the Eight String King which are real eight strings.
 
I want to play Peggy with octave strings with The Fakers, as we are a trio, and I am forced to produce even more noise than in a quartet with two guitar players. I don't when it will happen, let's just see, what future may bring...
 
Chris