Rayman

Ahhh…..how many times have I posted that I’m GAS free on this forum down the years…… sigh. After buying yet another “best bass I’ve ever had” ……. I’d be fully content with my setup for about a week….. max, before it started all over again. Gear…….Better than sex, better than cake, better than everything. It never ends my friends, it never ends.

I might make the trip myself later in the year. Having just acquired a Justice recently, I’m absolutely stunned by it. Beautiful thing, superb quality and unbelievable tone. I have to say though, whoever had it before me made a balls of the setup, and I had to put a little shim in there too, but now, it’s an amazing bass, love it.

Oh don’t spoil it with Rickenbacker parts whatever you do.

Works for me! 😆

Best bass bridge ever made according to Jeff Berlin, so it must be true

Same with the Starfire

Has everyone seen the JC on the bay, that’s been defretted and had its fretboard painted gold?? It’s unbelievable

I’ve had a love/hate relationship with hollow/semi hollow basses over the years. I really want to love them, but I just don’t. I had a Gretsch Thunder Jet, absolutely beautiful to look at, but tone wise just totally meh. I also had a DeArmond Starfire, again stunning to look at, and lovely to play, but it just wasn’t my sound. My bass player in my solo/band project had a JC, and loved it…. and sounded great recorded, but lacked something live. The Epi JC has always been on my list too….. but I fear it’ll be the same end result. Middy, thuddy, but unexciting. I want to be wrong, I hope I am, when almost certainly get one.

So new to Rayman towers is this early 00s Epiphone Embassy Standard IV. Basically a Thunderbird in a more manageable shape, I grabbed it for a very bargain price, not expecting much I’ll be honest. Well how wrong I was, after the usual setup/cleanup, replaced the very average Jin Ho tuners with Hipshots, then fitted it with Roto flats, it’s a stonker. Beautiful blue/green translucent finish, it has been sat on a wall unplayed since it was bought new nearly 20yrs ago apparently. Lovely action, nice honk, NICE dubby lows with a little top end zing, nice. I’ve gone from two basses to 7 in a very short space of time….. and with another (new) Epiphone Newport on it’s way, there’ll be 8 here, and that’s enough (of course it is 😒). Happy days.

Yeah and in hindsight there was no point. I should’ve just put away for when my flexibility came back. I have an Epiphone Newport on order, to see if a shortscacle helps….

I hear you with regards to the frozen shoulder thing, I’m a year and a half in. I ended up selling my TRB1005 because I was painful to play. Strap locks…. Personally I put Dunlops on everything. All my basses have them fitted as soon as they arrive. So all my basses and straps all correspond. You can buy the button parts separately from Feline Guitars without having to buy the full set every time a new bass comes in.

But will everyone else hear the difference?? 😆

Yep, that I absolutely agree with 💯 %

Interesting ??

Mate…. remember that massive Phil Jones rig you had? Years ago? At some bass bash somewhere? I remember wondering how different that would sound, with a bunch of 8” (?) speakers instead of a couple of 12”s? I suppose it’s all part of the same conversation….. would the audience notice the difference between that and a Fender Rumble? I mean I’m playing devils advocate here as far as the thread goes, but it’s an interesting question.

AHHHHH not what I said 😉….. my (admittedly generalised) point was that they more or less get the same end result. The playing experience would obviously be very different, but for the punter in the audience, the end result is exactly the same. I DO however have an absolutely stellar £50 bass that’s one of my favourites.

Yep, the same formula works for pretty much everything. I’m not saying either are right or wrong, just saying. I suppose it’s all down to the user experience and the performance of the item, but if it achieves the same end result….. I do wonder about the big price difference.

Bass guitars….. You can buy one for fifty quid, you can buy one for fifty grand…. but they all do pretty much exactly the same thing. You can make folks smile, dance and have fun with an instrument that cost less than a tank of fuel…. or you can bore them senseless playing a slap solo on one that could be a deposit on a house instead. Mad eh?

I have one… love it, lovely tone, nice to play. Currently fitted with flats, it’s a great bass. Not the highest output from the pickups, but you can turn the amp up right? Mine was £375 recently, but I shopped around and struck a deal. They are massively overpriced online at the moment. Just saying.

We have tickets for the tour, and cannot wait. I doubt Victor will make the trip though unfortunately.