Leaderboard

I believe I have this bass now. It is very good indeed.

It’s a short clip of some kid playing, perhaps I missed something, but I can’t for the life of me see where this sort of vitriol comes from or what it achieves?

On the National Express there's a jolly hostess selling crisps and tea She'll provide you with drinks and theatrical winks for a sky-high fee Mini-skirts were in style when she danced down the aisle back in '63 But it's hard to get by when your árse is the size of a small country

Top of Body: Rear of Body:

Your dad is a keeper

Originally custom made for Kev Hopper (like my fretless ACG), this is a stunning little bass with 32" scale and ultra slim neck (1.35" nut). Obviously the design takes inspiration from Carl Thompson. Conveniently the initials are the same as my FaceBook moniker Clarky Bass, in case I forget who I am. Plays super fast and sounds very gnarly. As does my (pictured) sausage dog Pablo

Awesome night

So today I received this beauty from my father as an early 30th birthday present. To say I am lucky to have him as my father is an understatement! Check this beauty out:

I agreed but the B did impede, in the end I had to let it off the lead

heed that i had no need so it had to be freed from my breed, but it is indeed a fantastic steed!

Fair enough. When I originally read your comment it came across as spiteful and pointless. The guy makes no pretence in the video to be a rock god and thank goodness he’s not trying to play yet another slap bass solo like Flea or sub-Jaco noodle. Seems the channel is for a guitar shop. This fella seems to have been given the task of showing off a metal bass and is doing a passable job. Just seems the forum is getting more and more clogged up with finger pointing and negativity. Perhaps I’ve just for a thin skin these days, but he’s playing bass so well done to him!

I have seen Norman himself use one live and it sounded pretty good.

I can see them from that link: https://www.dv247.com/en_GB/GBP/Sandberg-Bass-Strings-4-Set-040-100-/art-BAS0004133-000 https://www.dv247.com/en_GB/GBP/Sandberg-Bass-Strings-4-Set-045-105-045-065-085-105-/art-BAS0004134-000 https://www.dv247.com/en_GB/GBP/Sandberg-Bass-Strings-5-Set-040-128-/art-BAS0004135-000

Just don't let him get a glimpse of your drinks cabinet!!

Time for soundcheck

For reasons too long to put into words, if you like how they both play, then revert to the lowest common denominator, which is the visual aesthetic. Which one looks the nicest, which one do you think would look better on you and which one do you want to keep picking up time and again. Born from a discussion as whether Geddy used a Rickenbacker or a Fender Jazz on Farewell To Kings, Gary/cetera and I put on a bass blind shoot out at last years SE Bass Bash; 25-30 attendees tried to select the correct bass from the fifteen that were submitted for the test. The highest mark was 3.5/4 out of 15, there were quite a few zeros with some people not even recognising how their own basses sounded. It's highly unlikely that once you're in a band environment the nuances that you're applying will make any difference.

...discussion about gay anthems about blowjobs and sucking someone off to orgasm — in pride month — invariably lead to this piece of ghastly corporate rainbow opportunism...

In the long run, picking the least heavy one will be the best choice.

Yep it’s a VM. Much loved - and for the money you’d get selling it, you won’t get a better passive jazz. Great bass for either you or your daughter.

An excelent song, we introduced it and now its normally in our last or near last closing songs, never fails to go down a storm. And I don't see anything wrong with the lyrics either, it is an underage girl coming on to an adult man, and him rebuffing her, which is lets face it, what is supposed to happen. Clair by Gilbert O'Sullivan is an interesting one, which I happened to be reading about recently as I was listening to it* and thought these lyrics sound a bit dodgy, but there is a lot about it on the net, there was a real Clair, and it was a story about him and her and there was nothing dodgy about it. Both of these songs are at the risk of an understandable but very unfortunate backlash against relationships between adult men and young girls that are very important for healthy development for girls. Unfortunately because the risk of abuse (and alarming incidence of it), the pendulum can sometimes swing too far and make innocent relationships seem dodgy. I mean I wouldn't do Clair as a song because it is a god awful song, but the lyrics would seem dodgy now. * because 'alone again, naturally' came on and I realised how dark the lyrics were. Sing something in a gentle way and noone notices.

perhaps he was saying it because of the boring well overlong last 3 minutes, if he wasn't he should have been

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Alternatively, a relatively cheap travel bass may be the answer. Having seen @MacDaddy's folding bass and guitar, I bought @Happy Jack one of these and he seems to like it too.

Love it! I've played that very bass too when Kev had it, I can confirm that it does play super fast and does indeed sound gnarly 😎 Eude

Does anyone here have one of these? Any good? I think they look the biz with the rosewood board.

Hi Ewan. Not working for me either. Looking forward to hearing it

Hi all , the first 4 String bass is still in progress, just a few minor adjustments done on the neck ...

I think there's a lot of confusion here, no one is saying you either go clean or use an amp, what we are saying is what is this signature bass tone that the amp and cabs are creating that can't be created any other way other than a huge amp at full volume. The clean DI can go to whatever processing you want either at the desk end or near the actual player. I'd wager there's a bass player out there getting a killer Lemmy sound without an amp.

Tina from Rock Shotz went a bit wild with the HDR effects on this one so I had to share...

Well here you go folks, here's my 3 31.5" scale ACC 6 strings. I'm delighted with them, and I'm also going to be adding an ACG 5er soon too. Eude

I have the dimmer switch issue at home sometimes with certain basses. The little desk with my music stuff on where I practice has the only dimmer switch in the entire house just to my side. Why not move the desk to a different location I hear you ask? That's where Mrs. Maude chose to put the desk and a slight buzz from a bass is far preferable to the consistent whine she emits

Thanks everyone. I appreciate it!

Man - I've gotta get me one of them dads! (Do you know any other dads like yours, going cheap?) 😂 Enjoy the bass - it's even got the right number of strings! 😀

nothing like a 'proper' precision and you won't be happy until you have one Enjoy the ride

Saturday was Bearded Theory. It's a big one and a load of my friends and family had got me over excited and pretty nervous about it. I woke up at 5AM and couldn't get back to sleep. I only had to go to the studio, pack up my drums, bring them home, and wait for the van to arrive at 11:30, but it seemed like such a big task. So after lying there for an hour I decided to forget trying to sleep and get my sh*t together. They picked me up at 11:30 and we got to the Woodland Stage an hour later. A couple of hours nervously hanging around and soaking in the atmosphere (and passively smoking some very pungent skunk!) and we were on. The adrenaline kicked in and all my fatigue was washed away by the hundreds (maybe more than 1000?) people singing our songs back at us and cheering us on. 45 minutes later, soaked with sweat, I couldn't stop grinning as I packed away my drums. Best gig for ages!!! A bit of a crap photo bit I don't have a lot of time between songs to have a drink of water, grab a photo, and count in the next one After that we had to hang around until we played a small tent at 10PM. I crashed pretty hard in between so went for a lie down in the van for an hour or two and that seemed to sort me out. The tent was absolutely packed with people. We were parked right next to a side door in the tent, but the staff wouldn't let us load through that door. We had to go right around, through a fence, and then fight our way through 200 people to the stage. They seemed really anal about the rules for a bunch of crusty types smoking massive joints. Maybe the hi-vis vests gave them a power trip? Or maybe there was a real safety concern. Anyway the gig was OK. Their bass drum was seriously lacking in volume, and although I could see a mic in it, I couldn't hear it, so to get the mix right I was kicking at full power. Unfortunately this meant the beater went right through the head during the penultimate song. Ooooops! Still, the reception was great Early Sunday morning I got a call - "Are you OK to play Nice 'n' Sleazy Festival in Morcambe tonight? It's good money". We'd already got a slot at Strummercamp in Oldham that afternoon so it'd be another 2 gig day, but I was still buzzing from Bearded Theory so I agreed, as did the others. Strummercamp was good but I don't think we impressed the crowd. There were a lot more in the main tent for the ska band (very good btw) on before us. I guess we weren't their cup of tea? Nice 'n' Sleazy was another belter though. Packed room, great reception, and some great banter with some well oiled punks.

Slappy through the ages. 16 years old with a fag, to 57 with specs! Check the mullet

[size=4][b]Please note this was written from a lefty point of view - as I originally wrote it for the leftybassist.com-forum. Most basics are also relevant for righties looking for an old Musician and wanting to know more though, so I thought it would fit here quite nicely. Besides a review, this also sums up a brief history of the Musician series to better understand the differences between the various models that have been around. It does not cover the full evolution of the MC-series though, it stops where Ibanez ceased production of lefthanded versions.[/b][/size] I know it may seem odd to review a bass that's more than 25 years old and hasn't been produced since. But I also know there are many lefties out there who are looking for these and who may be eager to try them out, so I thought it might be a good idea to discuss these basses here, and the difference between the two versions of the MC924L that have been available. Owning both versions, I can easily compare them. [size=4][b]History and specs[/b][/size] When the Musician series were introduced, together with the Studio and Roadster range, they were the absolute top of the bill in the Ibanez arsenal. The first Musician basses featured sandwich bodies, and all Musician basses had laminated through-body necks mounted at an angle. There were both active and passive versions. The first run (of 1978) included the 22 fret MC800 and MC900. The jack was mounted on the face of the body rather than on the side, as on later models, and was a notorious weak spot as the wood surrounding the jack was fairly thin. Many MC800's and MC900's found on eBay show cracks in the wood around the jack. The MC800 was a passive version with just one Super 4 singlecoil positioned close to the bridge, with a rosewood fingerboard. The MC900 was an active two-pickup model with an ebony fingerboard. Both had a 5-piece maple/walnut neck through body and mahogany body wings with ash facings, and were available in both a natural finish and a Dark Stain finish. In late 1979 Ibanez switched to 24 fret models with deeper cutaways, which shared most of the specs of the 800 and 900. The single pickup model was discontinued and replaced by the MC824, a twin-pickup passive model with a rosewood fingerboard. The MC900 was replaced by the MC924, and the preamp was modified slightly and now also featured a preamp gain pot to cut and boost the overall EQ level. This feature was discontinued again in late 1982. An 8-string MC980 (that was discontinued shortly after) and a fretless MC940 based on the MC924 were also introduced. An MC940 can easily be distinguished from a defretted MC924 by its position markers on the face of the fingerboard. On the MC924 there are large dots positioned on the middle of the fingerboard, whereas on the MC940 there are small dots positioned near the edge on the treble side of the fingerboard. [b]The MC924 was also produced lefthanded, and some lefty MC940's are known to exist.[/b] In 1982, Ibanez abandoned the sandwiched bodies and switched to solid ash body wings. Bodies were more ergonomically sculpted, the hardware was replaced and the bridge was placed slightly further backwards, enabling a tighter neck joint at the 17th fret instead of the 18th. The headstock was also shortened slightly, creating a more compact and ergonomic instrument. The neck was also a fraction thinner and narrower. The Super 4 pickups were replaced by the new Super P5S splitcoil and Super J5S singlecoil on the MC924 and MC940. A single-pickup model MC824 was reintroduced too, with passive electronics and a quadracoil Super J6 humbucker that was switchable between series, parallel and (humcancelling) singlecoil modes. The preamp gain control was abandoned, and the pickup selector switch was replaced by a balance pot. Also introduced were two new colours besides the Dark Stain finish that had been available on the previous models: Polar White and Metallic Black. [b]The MC924 was produced lefthanded, but according to catalogs only in the Dark Stain finish. Peter McCulloch (pjmuck) once linked to a website of [url="http://d1058730.i105.quadrahosting.com.au/shop/product_info.php?cPath=23&products_id=1280&Global-Vintage=l4g58g216h8hi5686tuqk32is0"][u][color=#0000BF]an Australian store who had a Polar White MC924L in stock[/color][/u][/url] though, but this is probably very rare.[/b] In its 1982 appearance, the MC series evolved further and went through various hardware and electronics changes (2-band EQ, two J6 humbuckers). Sleeker versions of the MC were also introduced, before finally evolving into a shape very similar to the Soundgear series, which was introduced in 1987. I won't discuss these later versions here, as no lefthanded versions of these are known to exist. Therefore I don't think they're of interest here. [size=4][b]My Musicians[/b][/size] The basses I own both are MC924L's, one made in 1981 and one made in 1983. The 1983 already has the newer preamp without the preamp gain pot and with a balance pot. Both are finished in the wellknown Dark Stain finish. In the picture below, the 1981 is positioned to the right and the 1983 to the left. The 1981 is completely stock except for the thumbrest that was added by the previous (first) owner, and is in near-perfect condition. The 1983 has been modified (I won't use the word 'upgraded' here) with gold Schaller tuners replacing the original chrome Ibanez VelveTune II tuners, and the body is well-worn with several battle scars, but the finish on the neck is still perfect. They look very similar, but the differences discussed in the above indeed produce two very distinctively different instruments. Whereas the 1981 is quite heavy, the 1983 is a true lightweight. Their range of tones is also very different, and ergonomically the 1983 is indeed a more comfortable instrument. I will get into this more closely further on. I acquired both basses for about 400 euros each but I think I have been very lucky. I've seen these sell for around 800 euros in perfect condition. The 1981 came in its original case and even with the original 1981 invoice, and had been stored in its case in the attic for over 15 years. The electronics suffered a little, and both the pickup selector switch and active/passive-switch required replacing. Luckily I could find a pickup selector switch that fitted the brown plastic tip of the original switch! The 1983 came without a case, and the electronics needed some work too. The active/passive-switch had a loose wire, and the bass pot had been turned up so far that it wouldn't rotate back anymore, and the entire pot itself had turned along, and all wires had been ripped off their solder joints. This was easily solved by taking the pot apart and cleaning it, and resoldering the joints. [size=4][b]Playability and sounds[/b][/size] As described above, both basses are distinctively different beasts. The 1981 is a rather long and heavy instrument, smaller players may find it harder to reach the lowest positions on the fingerboard. Being 2 metres tall and having fairly large hands, I personally don't have any trouble with the instrument but I can see how smaller players may find this bass fairly intimidating. The 1983 is more comfortable and easy to play thanks to the reduced weight of the sculpted ash body and the overall slightly more compact construction of the bass, as can be seen in the picture above. The 1981 already is a great player with a fantastic neck, but being dimensioned fairly similar to a Precision neck, it may not be for everyone. The neck of the 1983 feels just slightly narrower and thinner at the nut. I haven't measured them or looked up the neck dimensions in old catalogs, but will do so, as just the words 'narrower' and 'thinner' aren't exactly very specific. In terms of tone, the differences are very large. Both basses produce a wide range of tones, the 1981 being a bit more limited in its tonal options due to the lack of a balance pot. The pickup positioning and type of pickups chosen are different on these two basses, which adds further to the tonal differences created by the different body woods and neck dimensions. The 1981, with its Super 4 singlecoils with large MM-like exposed pole pieces, sounds bright and articulate. The neck pickup soloed sounds big and woody but retains a lot of definition and clarity with plenty of mids. The bridge pickup soloed sounds fairly weak and thin, but adding some bass on the onboard EQ beefens up the tone for a nice Jaco-like growl. The middle switch position produces great tones for both fingerstyle, pickstyle and slap. The preamp is remarkably natural-sounding and adds almost no colour to the tone when the bass is switched from passive to active, and the EQ is very effective. The preamp gain pot is very clever, and has a center indent. In the center position there is absolutely no increase or decrease in volume when switching from active to passive. The gain pot enables you to setup an EQ preset, and boost and cut the overall level so you can switch between two different tones. The overall tone is harmonically richer in active mode though, so I rarely play it in passive mode. The 1983, with its PJ-style pickups, produces a more balanced tone and is more versatile than the 1981. The neck pickup soloed indeed sounds very similar to a Precision Bass, and is remarkably quiet. The tone is a bit tighter and more refined than that of a real Precision though. The bridge pickup soloed, being placed very close to the bridge, again sounds a bit thin and weak. It's warmer than the bridge pickup of the 1981 though. It's not nearly as quiet as the neck pickup, a constant hum is audible when you're not playing. In the inbetween positions of the balance pot this hum is still clearly audible, but quieter than the bridge pickup soloed. [size=4][b]Conclusion[/b][/size] Both basses are great and very refined instruments, and I've quickly grown attached to both of them. The electronics on both basses are brilliant and work great. These basses can easily withstand or even surpass comparison with some high end basses produced today. The 1983 is the more comfortable player of the two and the more versatile working horse. Personally I feel the tone of the 1983 doesn't really distinguish it from its competitors though. Therefore I prefer the 1981, which has a more distinct tone all of its own. I hope this review has been informative and has provided a greater insight in the MC series and the available (lefthanded) versions for aspiring MC owners. These basses are fairly rare, presumably fewer than 350 lefthanded Musicians have been produced. I don't know how many of each version of the MC924 were produced, nor do I know how many MC940's exist and how many basses have been finished in anything other than the Dark Stain finish, but I presume these are very rare as no Ibanez catalog makes mention of them. They definitely are out there though! [size=4][b]If anyone has additional questions about these basses or would like to share their own opinions and experiences with these instruments, please feel free to fire them[/b][/size]