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Guy Pratt with Bryan Ferry


bass_in_ya_face
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Just finished watching Guy Pratt playing with Bryan Ferry on the BBC session on BBC4.

I don't like Dylan much but I have to say Mr Ferry has a knack of doing excellent cover versions.

Anyway, did anyone else see it as Guy was playing a beautiful looking bass which I couldn't identify...any ideas anyone?

I think it may have been a Status Vintage GP or something similar

Edited by bass_in_ya_face
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It is a Status Vintage - he mentions it in his book. My Bass & Other Animals. Just started reading it, it's quite good and fleshes out the stories he tells in his stand-up show. In one chapter he talks about being stuck at some dull chintzy hotel in New Zealand whilst touring with Aussie band Icehouse and for a prank, they put a sheep in one of the crew's room as a surprise.

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It's a [b]Status Vintage GP[/b] - with 'GP' being Guy Pratt: [url="http://www.status-graphite.com/"]http://www.status-graphite.com/[/url]
[i](can't add a direct link easily as the awful Status site uses frame sets - but there's info about the whole range there)[/i]
They're about £1,500 new...
Nice looking bass - but I just can't get my head around the whole plastic neck thing.

Edited by 99ster
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[quote name='99ster' post='44387' date='Aug 12 2007, 11:39 AM']It's a [b]Status Vintage GP[/b] - with 'GP' being Guy Pratt: [url="http://www.status-graphite.com/"]http://www.status-graphite.com/[/url]
[i](can't add a direct link easily as the awful Status site uses frame sets - but there's info about the whole range there)[/i]
Nice looking bass - but I just can't get my head around the whole plastic neck thing.[/quote]
Don't mind the plastic neck - it's the horrible 51 Precision style body it's attached to. And semi acoustic. Ugh! It's like a FrankenFender. They're ugly enough as is!

*ducks for cover*

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[quote name='Merton' post='44389' date='Aug 12 2007, 11:49 AM']Is graphite a form of plastic then?[/quote]

When they call it a 'graphite' neck they mean a plastic/carbon weave composite neck. This is basically a plastic neck with carbon fibre woven into the plastic during the moulding process to make it very stiff/strong. It doesn't matter how a manufacturer tries to dress-up the description by calling it 'graphite' - bottom line is it's a plastic neck.

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Looks great to me--I love the precision body . Saw Pratt playing with Roxy last year and he was great--although the show was billed as intimate it was really a warm up for some bigger gigs and the band were a little under-rehearsed--happens a lot over here.

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[quote name='aido43' post='44445' date='Aug 12 2007, 02:46 PM']Looks great to me--I love the precision body . Saw Pratt playing with Roxy last year and he was great--although the show was billed as intimate it was really a warm up for some bigger gigs and the band were a little under-rehearsed--happens a lot over here.[/quote]

That 12 year old kid playing lead guitar is pretty impressive!
:)

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[quote name='99ster' post='44429' date='Aug 12 2007, 01:36 PM']When they call it a 'graphite' neck they mean a plastic/carbon weave composite neck. This is basically a plastic neck with carbon fibre woven into the plastic during the moulding process to make it very stiff/strong. It doesn't matter how a manufacturer tries to dress-up the description by calling it 'graphite' - bottom line is it's a plastic neck.[/quote]
Ah, I see I think. The fingerboard is "Phenolic" which is the bit you're talking about and the neck is a carbon fibre weave, which is graphite? F&*k me, I only play one of them and haven't got a clue.... :)

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[quote name='ped' post='45554' date='Aug 15 2007, 12:24 AM']Phenolic is a wood impregnated with resin, making it stiff. I wouldn't say that Graphite is essentially plastic - thats like saying a painted and poly coated bass is plastic, too...[/quote]

Not really - a graphite neck is a composite of graphite reinforced plastic. It really is essentially plastic. A painted wooden bass is essentially...wood. To go a step further, the composite neck couldn't exist as a playable part of the instrument without the plastic. But a wooden bass works without a finish (but isn't very durable).

Phenolic is short for phenolic resin - I don't think these fingerboards have any wood anywhere near them. Bakelite is an early plastic made from phenolic resin.

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I see.. hmm, what is the name of the resin mixed wood fingerboard again? I am getting confuzzled! I have it on my vigier. You can clearly see the wood grain when you take off the strings and clean it. pheonowood or something??

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[quote name='JimD' post='45909' date='Aug 15 2007, 04:30 PM']Not really - a graphite neck is a composite of graphite reinforced plastic. It really is essentially plastic. A painted wooden bass is essentially...wood. To go a step further, the composite neck couldn't exist as a playable part of the instrument without the plastic. But a wooden bass works without a finish (but isn't very durable).

Phenolic is short for phenolic resin - I don't think these fingerboards have any wood anywhere near them. Bakelite is an early plastic made from phenolic resin.[/quote]

Exactly. When anything is described as being 'graphite' or 'carbon' (the same thing essentially) - be it a guitar neck or body, an F1 car body or an expensive road bike frame - they are all made of plastic, with a small amount of carbon fibre added to give increased strength & stiffness. It's basically just like the glass fibre used for boats & canoes, but using the more expensive & stronger carbon fibre instead. A high tech plastic yes - but still plastic.

Edited by 99ster
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I think graphite neck manufacturers should stop mucking about with unnatural substances and get back to working with real living materials!

Whats wrong with a nice bit of wood for a neck, hmm? There's no need to go pouring out all those air pollutants while sucking up oil reserves just for the sake of a fat B string!! There's loads of perfectly good wood sitting in the amazon and congo going to waste. Imagine all the time wasted on making plastic necks and basses so far, which could have been spent making more authentic vintage Fenders for example! For goodness sakes, there's not nearly enough of them on Ebay.

If God had meant for us to work with plastics, he would have given us vacuum molding buttocks and xacto blades for fingernails. :)

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[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='46846' date='Aug 17 2007, 01:45 PM']I think graphite neck manufacturers should stop mucking about with unnatural substances and get back to working with real living materials!

Whats wrong with a nice bit of wood for a neck, hmm? There's no need to go pouring out all those air pollutants while sucking up oil reserves just for the sake of a fat B string!! There's loads of perfectly good wood sitting in the amazon and congo going to waste. Imagine all the time wasted on making plastic necks and basses so far, which could have been spent making more authentic vintage Fenders for example! For goodness sakes, there's not nearly enough of them on Ebay.

If God had meant for us to work with plastics, he would have given us vacuum molding buttocks and xacto blades for fingernails. :)[/quote]

I don't really mind what they're made out of (although I would accept a nod in the direction of watching out for the environment - replenishable woods anyone?) as long as they are a joy to play. Personally I find plastic necks stable, reliable, and playable hence:

.

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Guest subaudio

Big Guy Pratt fan, I have just bought his book, looking forward to getting stuck into it, he recorded an exclusive tune that was on a disc for a bass magazine using 6 string and fretless that was the most emotional piece of bass playing I have ever heard, I moved house and lost the cd, does anyone have a copy?

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[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='46846' date='Aug 17 2007, 01:45 PM']If God had meant for us to work with plastics, he would have given us vacuum molding buttocks and xacto blades for fingernails. :huh:[/quote]

You mean you can't crush Walnuts with your butt cheeks? :huh:

I'd heard you could? :huh:

Personally I get thru' 3 diamond cut-off discs a week cutting my fingernails so that I dont severe my D'addarios when playing, so maybe I'm half-way there?

:huh: :huh: :)

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Just to clear it up...

The 'phenolic' fingerboards are made of a phenol resin - formed between phenol and an aldehyde; in this case, formaldehyde.

Ped's Vigier will have 'Phenowood' - made by treating the wooden fingerboard with a phenolic resin, which rests in the cell walls - then compressed and heated, as it is a thermosetting plastic - to give a hard surface with very good resistance to humidity and moisture.

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