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So Iris is still doing well, had an offer to join a jazz band this week but turned it down as they gig every weekend and I just don’t feel like committing to that level of gigging. She got her blue badge the other day and picked her a funky ladybird cover - got to keep it stylish. 1st full review on Thursday afternoon!

Yeah, my eldest (Ella) used to act odd if I was away gigging for prolonged periods. When I separated from her Mum I got access at weekends so quit music altogether. Once I was more sorted, I got back playing. (she escaped pretty much unscathed - and is excelling at school these days)

Well I sanded the test piece from yesterday and there is a hint of greyness to the binding, easily sorted, I'll spray sanding sealer before grain filling fingers crossed that will keep me good. Even if not it was only a hint, it shouldn't be a problem. Beyond that I've been sanding and scraping, on my hands and knees looking for a nut off my mega expensive Freeway switch which I dropped and it rolled all the way to the back wall under my bench finding it's way past all the junk under there... HOW? I also routed the radius on the rear of the body but that is still unsanded I also drilled out for the jack sockets and rebated one of the jack plate in, I'll do the other in the morning. I'm aiming for getting a couple of coats of sanding sealer over the tops tomorrow if I can so I can get the grain filling started before the weekend

Ok, so, after having a bit of a lightbulb moment whilst typing in another thread, I realised yesterday I have the band's PA under my stairs, and an empty house for a few hours, soooo.... I pulled one of the RCF Art 732s out, plugged my B3 into it, stuck it on the floor in 'wedge position', annnnndddd...crikey blimey... 😯 First off, it sounded godawful: no punch, no heft*, it just didn't sound much like a bass amp at all. My first thought was 'Gawd, is this what I sound like FOH?', and it wasn't a reassuring thought. I stomped through my B3 preset sounds - I have nine which cover all the different genres/songs we have in the function band; I've mentioned (at length) previously the range of stuff we do, so I won't bore anyone, but as a three piece my tones do need to be ballpark at the least, so...nine it is. None of them really went anywhere, so I did a bit of digging into the presets: I'd created these tones using in-ears, which is a completely different scenario to FOH. While I was (I'll be honest, a bit listlessly) trying to rescue the tones, I noticed I hadn't used any cab sims on any presets. I switched them in, and boom, suddenly the RCF began to sound like a bass rig. Next salute was to roll off the low bass, and after an hour or so of twiddling (see 'nine presets', above), I've got a very very good 'bass rig' sound from the RCF, and hopefully as a bonus, I've tightened up and improved my FOH sound, too. I know this is all in splendid isolation in my kitchen without the rest of the band and at, erm, kitchen volumes, but I've a gig Satdy, so I'll report back on the in-ears/FOH results then. It's just a shame I can't try an RCF735/745 in a backline scenario at the moment, that'd be the clincher for me (the wedge thing is a bonus, too). My other Rawk band (no in-ears, just attenuators and backline**) is on a bit of a hiatus at the moment, and it'd be interesting to see if the 12" 732 would cope with two Marshall half-stacks and that gorilla from the Cadburys/In The Air Tonight advert on drums... So, the TLDR bit: yep, you can make a single RCF sound like a 'real' bass rig...and I'm very interested to investigate further. Depending how Satdy's gig goes, I might even persuade the band to do a Technical Rehearsal (normally a once-in-blue-moon event) at a big rehearsal room with the full PA and tweak from there. We'll see. I shall report back... * Noooo, don't click away, it's not one of THOSE posts... 😉 ** Someone's got to try and keep rock'n roll alive if everyone else around here is busy killing it... 😁

Out of those I'd go for the Shafty - these are excellent basses & the only obvious deviation from the original appearance is the tuners, which are generic closed-back Gotohs, used on millions of 70s MIJ basses. Re Ibanez - these were Fujigen builds (very good quality) but typically not very accurate. Fujigen Fakers pre-date the availability of accurate pickups, so for some reason Gibson-style units were used, including a massive single-coil in a mudbucker case on the through-necks. The design did change around 1976 to use accurate Maxon-made Rick type pickups & hardware but most don't have these. You'll also pay a premium for the Ibanez brand, same thing with Greco (most of which were also Fujigen) but less obtainable due to being a Japan home market brand & never officially sold in the UK. Shaftesburys typically sell for a good bit less than many other neck-throughs and are much more common - the same bass also turns up branded as CMI, Cimar, Arbiter & several other names, and are very solidly built. The Matsumoku through-necks are beautiful, incredibly accurate and unfortunately the ones most prone to neck-lift issues, because of the unusually thin body, pickup route position & dual truss rod routing. I own one which has this problem & wouldn't recommend a purchase unless you can get a good hands-on look at it first. Unfortunately I didn't have that opportunity - mine came from California via the RickResource forum, after its owner discovered it had been masquerading (quite convincingly) as a 1974 4001 for several decades... There are stunning MIJ Fakers from various other brands/factories - Kasuga, Yamaki, Fernandes etc but all ridiculously rare and pretty unlikely to come up for sale under current circumstances.

Haven't given much attention to Hofner in the past but I think this is great, they've released a bass which is 100% recyclable and has no plastic parts. Looks pretty nice to me, and it sounds good too.

For me it’s: That tone, which cuts through the mix like a buzzsaw Great build quality Optimum string spacing and playability (personal preference of course) I love Fender too. But with the StingRay, Leo and company got it spot on.

I`ve just got one, am not sure on it yet, but as am off to a festival now will have to have a good play when I get back. I`m pretty much there with the sound I want from it, and certainly for overseas gigs it will make travelling with gear easier so I`m reckoning it may just work. But the real try out is rehearsal next Tue, that`s what will make my mind up.

I think that the selling point is that a Stingray has a pretty unique tone, which works well in most genres. Coupled with this is that Musicman have always had a consistent build quality, something you can't really say about Fender over the years.

Been tempted by a double 'bucker P myself, although more along the lines demonstrated by this fine looking Lull:

Thought I'd have a go at this tune. Really cool groove on this track

"A massive thanks to everyone who voted for my tune!... I couldn't have done it if it wasn't for my mum, the cat, my agent, my PA, the office cleaner, my neighbour's gerbil etc etc …" It was extremely close this time! It's great to listen to all the different interpretations... I love a bit of diversity me. 🤩

If I can add a comment or two to this thread... Sound/Tone. So many players who own these copies are under this misapprehension that what's coming out of the speakers is a close proximity to how the original sounds. It isn't. I'm not being elitist here or anything, but just because you have something that looks similar, does not mean that it will sound like the original. Look, I know tone is subjective, one man's poison etc. but so many bass players (and I've played with a lot of other bands) seem to be under this allusion that just because they have an Epiphone Thunderbird or a Chickenbacker (shudder) that it's identical to the real thing, then you pull out your Gibson or Rickenbacker then plug in and they're literally jizzing themselves over what's coming out of my rig. They are effectively more in love with the shape than how it sounds. Sure, I'll let guys have a noodle on my stuff, but I've actually had bassists come up to and ask if they can use my basses for their slot (politely as possible, 'No, GFY.'). Irrespective of what love they may have for their copies, when they come up against the real thing, it's a lightbulb moment. You can see it in their face. It's hilarious.

Both? I think belt and braces might be appropriate if only to make it possible to change an individual string without displacing the others. Clamps that cover two or more strings at a time would be the secondary grip with individual internal wrenching machine screws holding each string tail. Whether you choose clamps, set screws or both; I recommend Torx screw heads for accuracy and durability. Allen headed screws are often used but they haven't a great reputation where they get used over and over. It's the keys that usually cause problems. Unless you can guarantee that a well made and snug fitting key is used exclusively, you will eventually cam out with one causing damage to the screw head. If it's severe enough the damage will make it necessary to drill out the screw. Torx keys drive from the flank and they're usually made to tighter tolerances than Allen keys. You can get flank drive Allen keys but can you guarantee that they are the only keys that will be used? The illustration below shows the difference between point and flank drive for bolt heads. It is the same principle when applied to internal wrenching screw heads.

OK, this has been playing on my mind for the longest time, in the end I thought I needed to get one. I figured the 25 wasn't much use because of the size but I couldn't justify the 49 (not even thought of the 61). In the end I thought I would get a 25 as it was reasonably affordable second hand, if I didn't like it I could flog it again, if I did like it I could flog it and put it towards the 49. My 25 came yesterday and it is so different to the demo units I had tried. There is no drag and it is the most expressive keyboard experience I have ever had access too. The thing is wonderful, if I had had this when i was 14 I woudl never have given up the keyboard and taken up the guitar. So I will keep it for a while and if I am still regulalarly playing it in a few months, I will get a 49.

70s Rics & fakers: I've never seen 70s faker which is better made than a real Ric; that's based on my having owned 6 fakers and seen several more over the years. Primitive truss-rods: One of my Rics had a neck repair, because a previous owner adjusted it incorrectly, but that is their fault for doing it wrong; why should things be done the Fender way? There is an advantage in the old truss-rod system, namely that they can be easily replaced. I like the old truss-rod system. Exploding machines: I've got a 72 Ric with Grovers which seems OK (but I've got a spare set just in case!); Ric resolved the issue by replacing the machines they use and the current ones are fine. Tail-lift: Tail-lift, that's a fair criticism; the stock tailpiece is an achilles heel. But the part can be replaced like-for-like with a current one or 3rd party. many people will replace a bridge on a Strat without complaining that a 30 year-old part hasn't lasted a lifetime. It is possible to fit a fix (as I know you know!). Neck-lift: I don't know how many instruments neck-lift has affected over the years, but is often caused by not following the recommendations on string gauge/tension. Rickenbacker shifted the neck pickup to help mitigate against the risk. It is, however (and admittedly), an inevitable consequence of the whole premise of the instrument: placing a pickup there and having the body thin means that the wood at that point will be thin. But on the flipside, nobody complains that their acoustic guitar is fragile because the body's wood is thin and they have to treat it carefully, so why should a bass be any different? I've got a 70s Japanese faker with neck-lift. I suppose the basis of the issue is inherent in a thru-neck design; with a Fender, you just put in a shim or adjust the micro-tilt and job's a good 'un! Finish: I've got one 60s and two 70s Rics and the finish is fine; matured to a nice vintage feel and certainly no better or worse than any other vintage guitar. In contrast, my experience of faker finishes is that they are more brittle than real Rics and they are more prone to chipping. It's funny that owners of other brands try and emulate the "road-worn" look of their heroes' guitars and refinishing a vintage instrument is frowned upon. MIJ quality materials: I've had a couple of fakers whose binding has detached. Their tailpieces tend to be made of thinner metal than the stock Ric ones and so are equally (or more) prone to tail-lift. The materials may not be so well matched and may flex differently with age, for example forming a channel along the skunk stripe. Chickenbackers: Yep - the current ones are pale imitations, but there are folks who use the "better than a real one" line when talking about them and I don't know who they are trying to kid. Overall, Rics are undoubtably quirky instruments which are made by a company who sticks to its own path and has not become part of the homogenised Fender-a-like blandness of many others; I kindof like that. I also think that the vintage fakers are fun instruments, but the "better than a real one" really doesn't stand up to scrutiny.

Because Jazz basses always 'look' like they're going to be better than a humble old Precision, but they never are 😗😁

Just catching up on this thread so sorry for the late reply. In the 70s, Rickenbacker - like all of the "big brands" - didn't take the issue of (mostly) Japanese copies seriously. This is how Fender lost what slim claim to trade dress ownership they had - and what led to the establishment of Fender Japan - and it's why Gibson finally clutched the last straw of threatening late legal action against Ibanez' brand owners. Rickenbacker was - and still is - a much more niche brand, and a far more minor player, and I think never construed Fakers as a threat back in the day. What's interesting, and relevant, is that the modern Rickenbacker International Corporation (RIC) was set up in the mid 80s by John Hall, when he took over the business - if I remember, prior to that Rickenbacker was two separate companies, one handling manufacture & the other distribution (I think that was a common US business model in the early 20th century) which were wound up when Hall took over. So, RIC is a fairly young company & didn't actually exist at the time of the original 70s Fakers - you'll find this interesting: Registered RIC Trademarks So - RIC didn't legally own the registered trademark to any of their designs & trade dress before 1999. Anyone who wanted to take on JH over the sale of a verifiable 1970s Faker - and had the will & cash to go the distance - would very probably be able to hand him his well-padded ar$e. As would Hoshino Gakki, owner of the Ibanez brand, or Kanda Shokai, owner of the Greco brand, as both could demonstrate that they were selling instruments with these designs - and bearing their own brand names - back in 1972, long before RIC existed. The same would be true of John Birch guitars, who sold a Rick-based design continuously from the early 70s up until about 2000 or so. The reality is that despite the stature of the name, RIC is actually a small, family-owned business (owned outright by JH and his Mrs) and don't really have the financial heft to do much more than send C&D letters, and let their CEO prowl around the Internet personally barking at people who infringe his IP. Can't help wondering how the US' current economic situation, alongside the reputation for shoddy quality and abysmal customer service RIC is getting, will play out for them. Not a fan of the man, or "real" Ricks, tbh, but would be a shame to see them go. Any reason why you wouldn't want a 70s MIJ copy? Some of these are near-indistinguishable from the real thing and certainly better-made than 70s-era Rickenbackers. Apropos of nothing I suspect RIC is well aware that licensed Chinese/Korean Ricks would kill off their US business - the rabid RIC fanbase would consider it a massive un-American sellout/betrayal, and everyone else would choose the cheaper & inevitably better made Licensed Faker over a real one! Talk about rocks & hard places...

Pleased to say Iris came home after 6 weeks in hospital and 5 operations (the first of which at 2 days old was a gruelling 9 1/2 hours). She’s doing great and it’s lovely to have her home.

In the thread about the Scott’s Bass Lessons giveaway Trickfish’s power ratings came up. In a recent thread I was asking about a posh Di and one thing I did consider was getting a very good amp head and using its DI, Trickfish consequently crossed my radar. So I decided to PM them about the RMS and got this reply- ‘We really prefer not to get into those discussions because there are no set standards for how companies come to their RMS ratings and the number Itself doesn’t really mean much on its own. We use the ICE 700 power module in the BH.5 and the Pascal SPro2 in the Bullhead 1K and they both have detailed specs online. I wish I had a more satisfactory answer for you as I know the RMS value is a popular number to use to compare amplifiers. But unless the number is achieved using identical testing procedure the number really confuses more than helps.’ I thought I’d share seeing the debate going on a few days ago. Harry

That, almost word for word, is my story too. The only difference being she is all grown up now and gigging more than me! You can always go back to gigging but you can’t go back to your kids childhood. Wise choice mate, best of luck to you and your family.

They’re great. Couple years ago I did a whole album on one of them: sounded fab in the mix.

In case anyone else has one in 4 or 5 string and is looking for a gig bag to fit such an odd shape - a BSA rifle back pack 43", intended for a scoped rifle, fits almost exactly. Offers fairly good protection, too.

Got three basses equipped with them (if you include the pins coming as standard on Ric 4003). Always worked fine.

I'm sure the easiest way is to just mute the instruments you want to play live and then export that as a backing track. I did this with a band I play drums in. I muted all of the guitars and lead vocals, panned the entire thing hard right, put a click in hard left, then exported the album. I put these exported mp3s into a play list, give the soundman the right output through a DI, and listen to both left and right through my headphones while I play drums The problem with triggering sounds is that the tempo might have shifted, and if some of your sounds/samples are quite long they could then sound out of time, even if triggered at the right point

I use the Mutant Filter (the Mutron) in a parallel loop set up with a Crossover at 80Hz

well, the other thing to add is that you're not alone here. I had a chat with the drummer from a former band of mine a couple of months ago, in a very similar situation as you with a fairly new baby, and he just wants to keep his hand in - isn't expecting to be out every weekend like we used to be, just wants to find a band where everybody is happy to get together once every few weeks, maybe play the odd gig here or there

there is an oft' quoted phrase on Basschat that you may become aware of: Pics or it never happened!

and I thought it was thunder I was hearing....

Just wish I could play like him Roger! One thing I did find is that it had to be a 2EQ - for some reason I could never get the sound I was looking for in my head with the 3EQ on the fretless Ray.

Sod the gigs mate, spend the time with the little cracker. i came back from a 3 week tour of Japan when my daughter was a year old, I picked her up and she screamed and cried, not nice.

I'm beginning to get the hang of this video malarky now. Apologies for the quality of the video as I had to set the camera up right at the back, but I think the audio makes up for it.

Sandberg did that years ago. VM2 model.

One of the best things about the Walkabout head is that first parametric band: I set them both extreme left, so it rolls off (according to the dials) 15db at 30Hz (and tho I haven't seen the shelving, presumably more than that), and it sounds soooo much better in the real world...even though (or possibly despite) the BF cab having very good very low extension, in virtually every scenario, I don't want it.

Sorry! 😂 You’ll have to stay out of this section of the forum then, as I have a feeling there will be a few more videos in he upcoming weeks 😂

There are some lovely tunes and great playing across the whole of his debut album. A fave in the car.

Well done all and congratulations to Bleat . A close run to the end this month , superb

Hiscox. Used nothing else for years. Don't trust soft cases.

Could be something to do with the vast numbers of them in circulation?

This has the makings of one of the most useful BC threads ever.

Will be interesting to hear your view.. because in the FRFR thread, there seems to be a 100% hit rate (except Al... but he'll get there in the end )- and people who have tried have moved from traditional cabs to PA cabs.

Eleven-year-old zombie thread resurrection! FWIW and IME body wood makes very little (if any) difference to the overall 'tone' of a bass guitar. Pickups, pickup placement, electronics and strings make a huge difference, however. The biggest difference is down to the player. Yes! It's all in the fingers. In My Humble Opinion. YMMV, etc etc... *unfollows thread and hides*

I don't have any inside knowledge at all, so please don't let this start any rumours or anything but it occurs to me that if a manufacturer HAD to change a bridge for some reason (the old one is no longer made, cut costs, aesthetic reasons, supplier problems, import restrictions, a million other reasons) then a press release that says " we have new bridges because they sound better than the old ones!" is a lot more marketable than "Stephen from accounts forgot to pay our old supplier so we had to get different bridges. Don't worry, they sound fine!".

Send me a PM of where the court is and I'll do my damnedest to get there. I don't care where it is in the country, I enjoy a night out and hotels are cheap enough.😉

where is the court appearance. might be a bit far from me i think but i'd do that

If would make a good news story if loads of us turned up outside the courts, not far from me either, lol.

Here's my pair, UK hand made from scratch, no Chinese crap, and not cheap either. I couldn't decide on WB or not, so decided to have both! 4005 Fireglo, chequerboard binding to rear, full width crushed pearl inlays, 60's spec throughout. 4005 WB, Mapleglo, plain white binding to front and back. Both full 60's spec in every way.