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Having been in a band with someone similar my way of dealing now is if I’m unfortunate enough to end up in a band with someone like this I will leave and fully explain my reasons why. If the rest of the band stay with them they’re welcome to them. If they decide my way is preferable and that they would like to reform with me then great. I won’t work with people like that anymore, wasted too long that one time, never again.

Well I’ve spent the last days playing my BB2 without a tweeter and with the ABM I do not miss the tweeter…! Just got back from this event here, guys… The cab reaches my hip… … The amp reaches my ribs… … The Sound? Reaches my soul!

IMO, if you've reached the point where you feel the need to air this on a publicly accessible part of the internet, then either you or the vocalist needs to go.

Spoke to PMT today and they said they are going to replace it. The guys in the Cambridge store are brilliant!

Eyup Mick, My first reaction is let this guy get away to re-form with ex-drummer and find yourselves a singer who's up for working as a band. Painfully more work short term, but most likely less pain long term, fingers crossed!

Personally I would be looking to replace him, life is too short to put up with rude unhelpful and unwilling people. If you find a half decent vocalist you should be up and running after a couple of rehearsals if you give them a detailed list of what needs to be sung. Even more so if you allow them a music stand, it’s not like you are asking them to remember a long set of lyrics. I went to my first rehearsal in ages last night, and I was asked to try some new songs which I had never sung before and wasn’t familiar with. 2 listens to the songs while everyone had a loo break and I was pretty much able to get through them problem free with lyrics on my phone. My point is that you can achieve a lot with a positive attitude and some willing, so try and find someone like that.

I translated my review! The design of this bass is almost seventy years old. In fact, if you count its predecessor too (and the difference between those two is marginal) it’s óver seventy years ago Leo Fender released his Fender Precision Bass design, and almost three quarters of a century later it’s still a big hit. But if you look at this particular bass closely, it’s basically a very expensive wooden board with strings, right? The American Vintage series is a series that Fender has been making for many years now, under different names, but always with reissues of a particular iconic year. They make instruments that should look and feel like they were built forty, fifty or sixty years ago. This Precision is no exception. The classic single coil pickup (replaced in 1957 by the famous split coil), a one piece maple neck and not much else on it. Still this design has a certain something. It is of course a classic design, like the Fiat Panda or a Chesterfield couch, but apart from that, it’s a very balanced design that above all is supposed to be functional and simple. Right, enough nostalgia about days of the past. This is a bass that was designed a long time ago, but this particular instrument is brand new and has to conform itself to the demands of the modern day and age. Is this almost 2500 costing bass fit for today’s stage? Well, for a start you have to have pretty big hands, especially on the left. The neck isn’t just made from one piece of maple, it feels like Fender has used an entire maple tree for it. It improves the stability of course, but it’s going to be a (literal) handful for people with small hands, or for those who are used to thinner necks. Let’s just call it an acquired taste. Apart from the chunky neck the first thing that strikes me is the way this bass is built: it’s flawless. The see-through blond finish is perfect, the frets are great, the hardware works excellently (warning: the tuners turn the other way!) and the setup from the factory is also very comfortable. There are periods in Fender history where the quality control was so-so, but those days are long gone and this bass is a perfect example of that. This bass is equipped with flatwound strings as standard, which I think is absolutely required: that’s the way it was designed, that’s the way it’s supposed to be. Funny feature too: on the original basses from 1954, the bridge saddles were made of some kind of pressed fiber as a successor of bakelite, and on this reissue Fender has put “fiber” saddles too. No clue as to what this fiber consists of, but it certainly looks the part. A Precision bass must sound like “grunt”. Well, this bass certainly does that. It doesn’t matter which amp you use, “grunt” is what you get. Most people know the classic grunt from a split coil Precision like on old Motown records, but this grunt is different. It has less low end and it sounds a bit rougher, possibly partly because of the higher output than a split coil Precision. It feels and sounds like there’s already a bit of overdrive on your sound. Is that an issue? Not at all, on the contrary: you get this rootsy kind of sound that fits perfectly with the image of this bass. Let’s go back to that neck. As said, it’s pretty chunky. I don’t want to imply that that makes it uncomfortable to play, not at all. Playing this bass for an hour is an absolute joy. The balance is great, the neck isn’t very inviting to play fast licks (but let’s be honest: with a sound and feel like this, you don’t want to play fast anyway) and before you know it you’ve been playing the entire Motown and Stax repertoire. And when you’re finished doing that, grab your pick and play all Carol Kaye songs you know. But it’s 2022 now and I feel I’m getting nostalgic again. So out with the old, in with the new! Dua Lipa, Harry Styles, Tame Impala, the whole shebang. And lo and behold, even with the most recent and modern music, this bass shines. A nice, balanced sound with which you can do anything you like. Well, as long as it contains “grunt”. So yes, this is a wooden board with strings. And that’s exactly what makes it successful: you can do everything with it, because it doesn’t force you to do anything in a specific genre. A Precision always fits, and this American Vintage Precision is no exception. It isn’t cheap, but you could do all your gigs with it. As long as it contains “grunt”.

I've just completed selling a bass through Bass Direct and again it has been a very pleasant breezy experience, and again I'm very pleased 👍

Isn't that just your personal bass count?

5

Find a new singer. this one is a liability and will never be anything else.

Are you doing this for fun or for money? And if it's for fun, is the singer's behaviour taking the fun out of it?

Well given that most other posts are either "Bass Direct are great and here's why" or "Bass Direct are stinky poo and here's why", thank god for tangents 👍

I played one of the Tributes at a Dawsons store when they came out. Action was about 15mm at the 12th fret. Makes you wonder whether guy doing QC that day was allowed to bring his guide dog in or not.

All bass manufacturers: Roll the damn fingerboard edges - It makes any bass (or geetar) feel much better to play; its not difficult to do and doesn't take long, but often (i.e. on all maple necks) should be done before the finish is applied.

I’m happy whenever someone tells me they have over 30 basses or guitars. It makes me fell better about only having twenty something.

I disagree. That just prolongs the agony, and in many cases will delay the change. Once you've established a certain member doesn't work, it's time. It's also pretty dodgy in my books: I like to be transparent about this kind of thing. If it's just 'work', sure, do whatever it takes to get the income. But if there's a substantial element of 'fun' in the whole arrangement, I don't see how that can work. It really would not work for me. But that's just, like, my opinion, man. One of the things I learnt over the years that has served me very well (I think) is to not be afraid to quit a band or to define my boundaries/expectations. I wasted far too much time at first with dysfunctional bands because I didn't want to stop, even temporarily, and look again for new people. But if you don't move on...

Update. One more purchased so now: 75 basses 10 guitards

It never happens to me. Feargal Sharkey

He sounds like a knob. If he's a diva now, imagine if you achieved more success😳 I would look for a replacement. Of course, during one of your singerless rehearsals, you could decide that a couple of songs sound better raised by a couple of whole tones, and forget to mention it before your next show. ... I'm only kidding, of course😉

Is it just me that can’t get on with the look of them?

Well, as I've been reminded of this thread, here are my two - although both are still presently with Matt Marriott (he 'borrowed' them to do some videos...a worryingly long time ago ). My bubinga-bodied through-neck fretless, based on the same proportions as the stupendous Warwick Thumb: And the Camphor topped neck through single cut:

Along with the Grabber and Ripper can Epiphone also please resurrect the Rivoli bass.

I've always worked on the 'no @rsehole' principle. No amount of talent is worth it, life is too short. As difficult as it might be, if your vocalist has reached that point, life, and music, will be much better in the long run.

The first 4 albums were indeed fabulous. But since he is no longer with us I can’t offer him an audition…

If I may share my experience - which is limited to a single stolen bass. No research was done whatsoever. In this instance, I visited the local Cash Generator as soon as I'd noticed the bass was missing - which was shortly before shops closed due to Covid. I gave them details of the bass then - assured me they'd keep an eye open. I followed up with a message via Facebook messenger, with the serial number and photos - which was acknowledged and they again assured me they'd be on the lookout. I've also spread the message far and wide - here, Facebook, guitar shops etc. Fast forward to when the shops re-open... I receive a message from a good Samaritan, saying that his interest was peaked by a Gumtree ad for a Fender Jazz at a bargain basement price (£180!). He suspected it may be hot, so googled the serial number from the pics and found me. It turns out the ad was placed by a different branch of Cash Generator - and they'd just sold it! I did manage to get it back thankfully. It turns out my local branch bought the bass - and very quickly transferred it to the other branch. The reason given to the police, wasn't that they knew it was hot - just that they thought it would sell better in the other branch. My wife's spoke to the selling branch (before discovering it wasn't them who bought it) - she suggested that they'd have found out very quickly if it was stolen by just googling the serial number. That's not part of their process apparently. Apologies for the slight thread hijacking - I do truly hope you get this back, and hope the uniqueness of the bass works in your favour. George

So you want me to go ahead with the horses head?

If you want to give me his mobile, I can happily text him the gist of this thread, start the ball rolling so to speak? 😂

I justify my "collection" (to myself) as before too much longer it will be used to part fund my retirement.

We used to have this in an old band. I'm now I'm a band with people more on my wavelength and the number of times I've said "I can't stand this song, but I'll do it" and I end up either enjoying an aspect of playing it or recognising the audience enjoys it, that's enough for me. It's when people refuse without trying because they don't like it, don't know it, didn't like the video, their brother had it on vinyl and wouldn't let them listen to it... Or best yet my old drummer "NOBODY KNOWS THIS SONG!!" For Bad Case of Loving You by Robert Palmer. The people at the Grammy Awards who voted it best rock vocal of 1979 knew it.l, so I'd be willing to bet a fiver an average pub crowd might be able to hum the chorus.

Plucking cat 😁 😺

They used to tune the guitars to an open chord so it was less painful when he was strumming them IIRC. I have a mate who has never been much of a player, has always struggled with timing and doesn't have good pitch. He likes guitars though and enjoys buying/restoring them, he's got really good at setups and can level/crown frets etc, helps that he has a bit of money and wasn't shy about buying good quality tools but he's found a little niche which enables him to keep tinkering with guitars. Just need to convince him to buy an expensive bass straight edge now.

I love gigging, but avoid playing music I don't like. I managed to filter out the gigs that really whizzed me off and now I gig regularly but not too much. I do sympathise though with that feeling of losing the thrill - my advice is to only do gigs that you are proud to be doing and that are well rehearsed.

Things I'd like manufacturers to do.... Read this thread

How can this thread keep up with you @cetera

Just an interesting aside really. I ordered a second Silverstone as I'd decided two 1x12"s were my dream rig. Stevie delivered it this week and we had a bit of a session with all things bass speaker. He was just leaving and on impulse I unplugged my bass and tried my acoustic guitar and strummed a few chords. I'm no guitarist but the sound was glorious (It's a Takamine with some light Elixirs fitted) lovely warm sound with a really musical top end. I have to say this was as good an acoustic guitar sound as through my RCF PA. I imagine it would do as an all round guitar speaker if you use a modeller with an acoustic amp. The advantage of that really sweet mid-range response.

Hang on lads I've lost count. Can we start again?

Browse the Rickenfakers facebook group, all will be revealed. (HW4005 in my avatar 😉)

I couldn't do that. Turn up to rehearsals/gigs with someone knowing you were going to sack them. Seems a bit shabby tbh.

Finished the first coil of the humbucker this afternoon, did 7000 winds in total and then wired it up to test the output. Works well. Managed to keep it looking quite neat, very pleased. Will make the bobbin for the second coil tomorrow and possibly get started on the winds if I have time. Managed to get a good technique going clockwise, will be strange doing a counter clockwise wind now. 😆

Not that you deserve a civil answer, but for the benefit of the rest of the thread's readership: I've a P that I like very much. It weighs 9.15 lbs. My damaged left shoulder has informed me that 2022 is my final year with it. I know for a fact that my shoulder would be happy with an 8.0 lb P bass, so, wanting something to string with flats, I've been looking for one around that weight. If I can't find one, I could order another empress-bodied LB-100, which would be below 7.5 lbs, but would also be well over 6 months wait and £££££. The lower the weight, the more of a long term solution it is, the wiser I'll have spent my money.

Fair to say solid colour basses don’t really do it for me anymore… Current roster;-