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Most people who’ve been in the Spector or Musicman threads know I’ve been lusting for a Wal. There’s been arguments against, offered alternatives and arguments for, all of which I read and yay or nay that lust didn’t change. This wasn’t sudden GAS this has been going on for years, but failing to act and cheaper impulse buys stopped me. Lately the £5,000 - £10,000 (yes 9.9k on eBay) has started to see my dream bass slip further into just that, a dream. So, as with most of my purchases ‘it all happened so fast.’ I was searching the internet for “Wal for sale UK” and there it was, Bass Bros in Stratford upon Avon had a Wal Pro 1, Birds eye’s maple and not only that it was almost in my favourite colour ‘honey burst’ AND it had the single pickup at the Bridge end of the bass where it should be. (I love my stingrays and modulus FU) But and this was a heart dropping moment , it was passive with just a volume, tone and series/parallel switch… What the hell, a quick call to Will at Bass Bros and a chat about some gear I could part exchange had me promising to head down the next day (it was afternoon and late in the day I had things on) to: 1. Check the Wal out and 2. For him to check my gear out so I could haggle him up a bit more. I got as far as the kitchen and was suddenly back on the phone to him making arrangements to be on the road within the next hour… (now the GAS had hit home.) I took the Waza bass air with me as I didn’t think he’d have an all tube/Bag End setup and I’m familiar with how my other basses sound through the headphones. I played it cool when I arrived, there it was sat on a stand but I ignored it while we passed the usual pleasantries, until, finally the time had come. “Would you like to try it” It had flats on and the action was high for me but as soon as I plucked the first note a huge grin I couldn’t stop appeared. That Wal sound, punchy, loud, distinctive, beautiful. It took me less than a minute to know I was going to take this bass home with me and after Sterling service by Will an exchange of gear and some funds I was on my way home. Casting furtive glances in the rear view mirror at the Wal sat in its case, like it was some super model crossing and uncrossing her legs while she promised I was going to get some when I got to my destination those miles went by quickly. photos courtesy Bass Bros

It's been a challenging year for many with COVID and Brexit but for most of us, we've made it through 2021 at least. Christmas isn't celebrated where I am so it's otherwise an unremarkable weekend and a normal working week until we get New Years Day off. But I'll be cooking Christmas lunch and in the evening our place will be deluged by 7 nine year olds from my son's class for dinner, along with their parents. Whatever you're doing, where ever you are, we hope you have a relaxing break, an opportunity to take a step back from the usual grind and enjoy some quality time with the ones you love. Merry Christmas from the BC Moderating team

I haven't been on much other than lurking over the last few months, so wanted to drop by and say HEY and 'Merry Christmas!' to everyone. I've not long finished by first term at Uni (For those who don't know I'm doing the BA Hons in Music with Bass at ACM in Birmingham) and it's been a wild ride with a steep learning curve, but I'm LOVING it. I've already learnt so much and I've barely even started. I've even started listening to/playing JAZZ. What the hell... I hope you're all happy, healthy, COVID free and have a wonderful Christmas/New year

bit of a story... A drummer invites me for a session a couple of weeks ago but i catch a cold so we agree to postpone. So we finally get together last Friday at the conservatory and he brings me to a room with two big cases with double basses inside. I don’t even take them out, they both look decent, i just strum both and choose one. We get to playing and i like the feel and the sound so i have a look and it turns out it was made by the great German master luthier Hoerst Gruenert. And i remember meeting Mr.G almost 20 years ago at a bass workshop in Graz where he exhibited some of his basses and even made some repairs for people on the spot. I liked his basses but they were way to expensive for my student pocket. So i enjoy the bass and the session is good, nice players, fun tunes. Over the weekend i have a look at the Gruenert webpage and fantasize and i also remember seeing 2 Gruenert basses on the webpage of a local luthier. I check again, a used 4 and a used 5 string for sale at 18,5k… Comes monday i’m browsing the local secondhand webmarket, a bass pops up with 3 bad photos, 2 of them of the Lion head top of the bass. Description says it’s a 1979 Gruenert. There’s no price set, just option to bid with no reserve price. And it’s less than an hour away. I write to the seller asking for better photos, more details and get a reply saying he’s not the owner, he’s just selling. The owner passed away recently, the family is selling off his gear. The first bidder says 500. By the end of the day three people are bidding, it goes up to 1,5k. I’m not beeding, i’m checking and waiting. Tuesday morning i wake up sick with a bad cold. But i nevertheless call Mr. Gruenert at his workshop in Penzberg Germany, he confirms that he did and still does Lion head top on his basses, might really be his, flamed maple sounds right... I get another answer from the seller and he uploads good photos. It’s the real thing, it has the insignia on the back and inside, all the marks. We agree to meet on Thursday afternoon. The bids go up and are around 2k in the evening. I wake up Wednesday morning even more sick. I manage to organize a car from a friend so I could drive up as i don’t feel like taking the trains. The bidding goes on and is almost at 3k at the end of the day. Thursday morning... one bidder dropped out, two left. One at 1200 (?), the other at 3150. I collect the car, pack my family and drive out. We get to the place, the seller opens the case and there it is. A Gruenert, no doubt. It's been used and played and has some scars and a small opening between the lower rib and back, nothing major except… a major crack on the top going from the bottom up. It looks like it’s been there for a while, it will need attention sooner or later. But otherwise the bass looks, feels and sounds great, no rattling, pure sonic beauty arco and pizz. There’s dust on the soundpost so it hasn’t been worked on in a long time which means it’s stable. That crack on the top is somehow a plus, because it makes a great point for price negotiation. It is a problem but it has a solution, has been proven over hundreds of years. The bidding stopped at 3.3k he says. A short negotiation follows after which he takes out a french bow, a bow case, a DPA mic and points out to the quality case/bag and bass buggie transportation wheels. He’d rather sell it all as a package as he doesn’t want to deal with multiple sales and buyers. I don’t need those things except for the case maybe so i can bring it home (forgot to take my case...). The advertised item was the bass alone without the extras. A even shorter negotiation follows and i’m packing the bass and the rest of the stuff and putting it in the car! Christmas really came early! I don’t mind making a great deal, but in my eyes this has destiny written all over it. I'm also a bit superstitious so maybe i shouldn't be writing this but i'm extremely happy and wanted to share the story with fellow BCers. There's a great Gruenert in the house and i’m going to play it now. Happy holidays all!

If you could possibly find it in you to listen to twice as much jazz as you need to, taking care of my share, thus relieving me of the burden, it would be much appreciated. Have a great Christmas. 🙂👍

Illegal Alien ～ Genesis Excuse the time difference please ～ Merry Christmas from the Far East End to all on BC generally, and on this thread and one or two others in particular. Have a lovely weekend/ holiday. Right, as you were...

We are all used to seeing horror stories about various companies but we don’t always report when service is above expectation. I ordered a pedal from GuitarFXDirect yesterday, communication was excellent and I was very very pleased when it arrived this morning. Checking the label I noticed the cost of postage was way over what I had been charged (presumably to ensure I got it before Christmas). Needless to say I will be using them again in the future, nice to know excellent service is still out there!

It doesn't happen nearly as often as I would like but, occasionally, there is an album that you listen to and, from the first beat to the last, it is special and you keep going back to it for inspiration, sometimes for decades. A few I can't get over are: Michel Camilo Big Band- Caribe - Anthony Jackson is on absolutely top form here. He is also massively impressive on Steve Kahn's live album 'The Suitcase' - a double live CD with Anthony Jackson on fire. Allan Holdsworth's 'Road Games' with Jeff Berlin ripping us all a new one. Jimmy Johnson on the first three Wayne Johnson Trio albums; Arrowhead, Grasshopper and Everybody's Painting Pictures Bruford's first three: Feels Good To Me, One Of A Kind and especially Gradually Going Tornado - Jeff Berlin at his finest but the production on the last one really works for the bass. Joni Mitchell 'Shadows and Light' - Jaco's finest moment? Possibly. But what about Pat Metheny's Bright Size Life. Marc Johnson's Bass Desires Dave Holland's Conference Of The Birds. Which are the albums you go to for bass inspiration?

Never liked them myself but before slagging them off i felt I had a duty to have a quick listen so had a quick skim through a greatest hits collection on youtube (taking one for the team here ...). My observations: I dont think anyone in the band has ever heard of a rest - bass / guitar / piano / whatever just drone on and on, its a constant wall of noise with no dynamics or rhythmic content and this probably why they seemingly dont have many fans in the bass playing circles. The singer wandering in and out of falsetto all the time really irritates me. A small minority of their songs are above averagely catchy but I thinks its the singers distinctive slow motion yodelling vocal style more than any actual tune that make them memorable (for better or worse depending on whether you like it or not).

Yes.

I had the Musicman Sterling version of this, it was a limited run of 150

Spector fans, Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 🎅 Take care, ET

Final pre-Chrimbo update. I'm not going to do more on the paint... it's not a museum piece and I'm okay with it. Started assembly. I'm waiting on a replacement J-pick, but this is where we're at. Neck isn't bolted on yet. More soon. Happy Christmas.

5 minutes with this and I'm sorted for another 5 years

Don't worry, we don't let him buy more than one round at most and we let him know we appreciate it. We never let him drive because he's a bloody terrible driver!

I’m going for a Waza

We have a chap in our team who doesn't drink or eat meat for religious reasons. He comes with us to the pub, has non alcoholic drinks and buys rounds including our booze. We respected his culture and he respected our lack of culture. Top bloke.

Amazing groove bass playing. That is all.

I remember trying to start a conversation with my wife’s best friends new boyfriend. Always a challenge. Anyway, so I asked him if he was a music fan. Yes he replied ‘I love Coldplay’. I lost complete and utter respect for him with that one statement. I mentally got up and walked out of the room.

I managed to spend Lemmy's birthday putting in a few hours on this. I've routed out the spine to accept the pickup . They are still making Entwistle pbxn and I have one waiting to go in Bellow: cutting the f hole. The f hole cut, cleaned up and slightly out of focus. Pickup hole cut and ready for glueing. This bass will have a Lemmy tribute built in but more on that after Christmas. Have a good one , see you on the other side.

My Bon homie is stretched to breaking point today.... the bloody once a year drinkers are out in force....f*ck off back home to your cheap Tesco lager and let me get to the bar ya bastids!

Just got this... my last purchase for 2021! The first Spector Ethos in the UK and in 'interstellar gloss' finish 😍 Matches my water bottle too 😉 Plays beautifully and sounds great... nice clear tones from the Aguilar PJ pickups and OBP2 preamp. I'll live with them for a while and then decide whether to keep as stock or upgrade to EMG-X pickups and TP/SNC Haz pre....

I am not, notchy.

Happy non-denominational tofu-filled unspecific not-for-profit winter festival.

Personally I don’t bemoan the Tech21 or DG prices. You are getting a quality product that you will need to pay for not just components but R&D to design this and other products and whatever else the company needs such as rent, wages, machinery etc. add this to great customer service whether you got it first or second hand and an excellent reliability record it’s really not that bad

They must be a great band, they are capable of inspiring such passion among so many. Of course, with so many piling in straight away with such antipathy, anyone who likes them will be afraid to say so. Just like saying you don't like Prince gets you hauled up before the Basschat Thought Police. I personally find them quite harmless.

What a monstrous tragedy. Coldplay will do no more recording after 2025, before when they plan to produce three final albums. I'll be queueing up at midnight for them when they come on sale.

Ian Anderson played most of the bass parts on that album.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Mike, Gabs & Team Scrumpy 🥳 - see you in October!

It's not as finished as I wanted & the Mrs wanted to redo her vocal (she hates her voice, but I love it). I'm fairly happy with what we've done so far & hope to get her singing more songs for me. Edited as I felt the vocal was slightly on top of the song (rather than part of it). Bass is a mix of synth and real, I played both parts. Here's the update... https://soundcloud.com/feintmotions/doomsday-cover

Got one of these recently, and was impressed enough with that I am planning a raft of mods to make it a really killer instrument. Today we start nice and subtle, almost undetectable. Can you see what has changed? More photos:

Shouldn't say it here, but I'm a huge jazz fan. What you don't want to listen to or haven't, I surely have, so you can tell it to the teachers you don't need to do it. Glad to see you back.

Why not pay to use the Basschat Marketplace (if you haven't already of course)? Items Wanted and the Other Musical Items for sale/exchange could be your friend. Lots of bassists dabble with guitar too. I wouldn't go near ebay or gumtree but Basschat is a friendly community (mostly!) and you can trust the member's feedback too.

That’s you gone for the rest of the day then 😂🤣

Excellent service from Scan by the way, ordered at about 1pm and arrived 8am the next day (and that day being Christmas eve) via DPD who give a delivery text with 1hr time slot.

Yep. It's amazing how many celebrities follow a plant based diet. Certainly with older professional musicians it seems increasingly popular. Interesting that the perception of veganism is typically the reactionary student who thinks everyone is entitled to their opinion when the reality I have seen is the vast majority just getting on with it and not being particularly in anyone's face about it. I guess this is why all the fast food companies that were traditionally the enemy of veganism are now having a vegan line.

He’s the one in the yellow jacket standing next to the bloke in red trousers…,

I believe that was discussed at one point, but, if I was Billy Preston, I would have paid to be there doing what he did.