OldGit

[quote name='The Funk' post='37171' date='Jul 26 2007, 09:30 AM']Don't go to court yet.

Contact Allan Leighton and explain the situation to him as calmly as possible.

Did you get any packaging instructions from their employees before you posted it? I can't remember what you said about that earlier. If you did, you should definitely make that one of the first things you say.[/quote]

Do you think he will speak to me (I think he's a bit busy right now with a national strike looming) and if he did do you think he'd contradict his Customer Service Director?

[quote name='MB1' post='37131' date='Jul 26 2007, 05:01 AM']MB1.
Stop worrying about it, f**k it off, Worry about your bass playing, and let the f**k**g singer worry about the P.A.!!!!!!!!![/quote]


If we did that we'd all be up the creek
Hands up if your singer/front person knows much about sound

[quote name='Bald Eagle' post='37085' date='Jul 26 2007, 12:01 AM']F'em, i'd keep quiet now and send a consignment of house bricks or such fully insured to a bogus address and claim off the bastards big style [/quote]

Thanks I'll add that to muy collection of possible actions

Brilliant advice from Pete there ..

A few other observations
We run a little setup like you are talking about and we have managed two quantum leaps in quality during it's life time.
One was when we bought a pair of Electrovoice SX300 speaker cabs for the front of house to replace our crap/cheap ones. (forget the bass bins, you'll not need them at this level) and the second was when we switched to a Yamaha powered mixer from a Laney.
I don't know what model it is a normal "marshall head-like" upright thing but it has two amps built in - one for Front of house and one for monitors so that bit is easy too.
Then all you need is a pair of wedges and you can hear yourself sing as well ..
Do get monitors of some sort as playing without them is a) not necessary and really hard work. Singing without monitors will just mean your act will be not nearly as good as it could be.

Another thing we do is have a mic on just the bass drum. The rest of the kit is perfectly audible but adding a little kick to the FoH mix helps with the beat for the dancers.
We also have a tiddly bit of bass from my XLR out and line outs from the other two backline amps in the mix (add 4 vocals, a sax, harmonical, acoustic guitar, guest players etc, all plugged into teh mixer and you can see what Pete means about a 12 channel mixer getting full very fast)

As Pete says that way we can have the on stage stuff quiet(ish), have some in the monitors if needed and maintain a much higher quality of sound overall for the audience.

As with all things the more you can spend on quality kit the better your sound will be. This is very true for vocals and especially monitoring. Good cables (try OBBM on here) and good mics will pay for themselves several hundred times over. (better sound = more bookings = more money)

If you don't know what mics to get start with Shure SM58's or SM58b ("beta") as an absolute minimum. There are mic experts on here so just ask.

[quote name='Bald Eagle' post='37016' date='Jul 25 2007, 09:23 PM']Wow this is a fast moving thread! all I have to say is,

2. Was it a bolt on neck?

4. Expanding foam, like builders use works a treat.

5. Trying to get anything out of them may be futile they cover their arses big style these outfits.[/quote]

If those questions are for me about the orginal bass

2. Was it a bolt on neck?

No it's a set neck. I may frame it once I've won my compensation.

4. Expanding foam, like builders use works a treat.

yes ... I can think of a few places I'd like to stick the nozzel right now ...

5. Trying to get anything out of them may be futile they cover their arses big style these outfits.

They sure do. I've never met a Director level person who was so unresponsive to a valid customer complaint whilst hiding behind "the OFT regulations on fair play for customers"

[quote name='obbm' post='36989' date='Jul 25 2007, 07:25 PM']OK so I've just sold a bass and need to send it to the North-west. What is the best way? BTW it needs to be insured for over £1000.[/quote]

Drive it yourself ... seriously .. or use a flight case.

[quote name='Hamster' post='36896' date='Jul 25 2007, 03:02 PM']Steve - What I meant was that the 'This Way Up' sticker was correctly applied to the top of the package, but the delivery man put the box upside down in the hall so the sticker was 'on the bottom'

I've had a good conversation with the sender and have some good photos of the amp before he packaged it, all of them show the amp to be in a good and not smashed to bits condition.

Hamster[/quote]


Good luck mate

Well I don't know if you are as tired of this farce as I am, however, if you are reading this you may be interested to know where things have got to.


I've reached the Director of Customer Services at the Post Office in my quest for common sence and fair treatment (in my opinion).

Their stance remains the same: I didn't wrap it correctly. Had I wrapped it correctly they would have paid out.

Their definition of "correctly" varies a bit between their letters but nowhere in any literature or on the website do they state the "official" guidance for packaging Electric or acoustic guitars or basses.

So what should a person do? Well ask the Post Office for guidance, of course.
I asked 6 PO counters people and the PO telephone help desk for guidance on wrapping a bass guitar for posting via Special Delivery Next Day. They all said the same thing: Wrap it well in bubblewrap and mark it fragile.
That's what I did..

PO Customer Services still maintain that I should have put it in a box. In fact had I put it in a cardboard box they would have paid out without any trouble. They say.

Can anyone tell me if I'm being unreasonable here?

If 7 employees of the company tell me that wrapping it in bubblewrap is OK, is that the guidance I should have followed or some unpublished guidance seemingly made up by the customer service department, and not specifically published anywhere?

So ... Do I contact Allan Leighton, top man at the Post Office, directly (they gave me his office number ) or do I just progress to the small claims track in the county courts?

Has anyone ever won in this situation?
Has anyone any experience of the small claims track?

OG

[quote name='Mr Bassman' post='36206' date='Jul 23 2007, 11:54 PM']Maybe it's because they drive on the wrong side?[/quote]
Ha ha yeah or maybe the cartoonists look in the mirror when drawing a new concept - s'weird ..

[quote name='PHiLCORE' post='33812' date='Jul 18 2007, 07:29 PM']what price range you looking at???? Ive jsut got back itno playing bass again i played for about 3 years and then stopped and have picked it back up now im 20, Ive jsut bought the Squier Jazz Mintage Modified £250, Id recomend it to anyone.

[/quote]


Russ has one of these for sale in the for sale bit

They are £206 new - cheapest I've found - and rated highly by everyone, just about.
[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=2081"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=2081[/url]

It's a Fender Jazz Bass style, of course, which may not suit you...
(incidentally, this has caused some confusion before with beginners, "Jazz Bass" is the model not the style of music it plays )

and I've got a lovely acoustic bass for sale but I'd not recommend starting on one

Excellent .. Good ol' contemporary Louis Jordan tune too
ROFL at the dog teeth change over

I wonder why they are all playing left handed though

[quote name='stewblack' post='32381' date='Jul 16 2007, 09:59 AM']Just bought a case from Si in a shady motorway services type meet up and he is a wonderful chap, quite prepared to go out of his way to meet me and give up valuable time to help me out. Top bloke, cheers mate![/quote]

Gosh Stew, making me blush, already
Thanks for detaining your family for so long in the rain I hope the gig was a nicer experience.
OG

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='32148' date='Jul 15 2007, 06:31 PM']For those of you who didn't see the poor sap flunking marching band practice in his own reality TV show, the drummer from Motley Crue, Tommy Lee's real name is Tommy Lee Bass.

I think he missed his calling.[/quote]

ha ha that's a bit like Frank Beard not having a beard in zed zed top

"I'm surprised no-one's mentioned John Kerry yet: the Democratic Presidential Candidate was bassist in a school band that recorded an album. (BBC News report.) First bassist in the White House? "

Yeah I'm so behind with my reading and viewing for the US presidential elections ..

[quote name='paul, the' post='31058' date='Jul 13 2007, 06:57 AM']Lisa - great tone and line:
[url="http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=6duPfoEH7mk"]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=6duPfoEH7mk[/url][/quote]

Hey! I'm not the only baritone sax playing bass player .. Gracias Senor!

[quote name='ARGH' post='30838' date='Jul 12 2007, 05:55 PM']The longest time for a build comes from Carl Thompson....was ment to be a year...ended up being 4 of them!

IT WAS WORTH IT.[/quote]


ooooh what's THAT like?

Best thing to do is take up residence in the luthier's workshop and just sit there, all day, every day,
chanting "Is it nearly done yet, is it nearly done yet, is it nearly done yet , is it nearly done yet" quietly to yourself whilst rocking gently back and forth, gripping a chisel.....

[quote name='Rich' post='30907' date='Jul 12 2007, 08:50 PM'][url="http://www.waymantisdale.com/"]Wayman Tisdale[/url], ex-NBA basketballist and verrrrrrrrrrrry tall man [/quote]
Gosh! Either that's a piccolo bass or he's almost as tall as Dood ...

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='15109' date='Jun 10 2007, 03:19 PM']That is just plain silly!

When I first started reading the list I thought he'd just made up a list of every piece of bass equipment available... until I scrolled down to the shots![/quote]


There's shots?
I didn't get that far .. I just got as far as "I wonder why Americans make fun of lawyers" ... and gave up reading

Well how about that
[url="http://www.film.com/photos/17/15435392"]http://www.film.com/photos/17/15435392[/url]

Daniel Radcliffe and Gary Oldman!

Wizard!

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='30548' date='Jul 12 2007, 07:47 AM']When I got to the gig, I opened up the back of the car and couldn't see the bass anywhere. Apparently she hadn't loaded it in the car and couldn't remember where she left it. So I got back into the car and went back home but couldn't see the bass anywhere - either inside the flat or out.[/quote]

About 6 months ao I found a 60's Ric 4001 in the street in a batterd case.. just like CK's story ..
left a note at the house, called 101 and told them and had a little play Remembered why I don't like playing 4001's

The guy had been picked up by his manager at about 7am to go and record about 50 miles away and had a "Dude, where's my bass?" moment when they got there He had to max out his credit card and buy a Stingray from the local shop to do the recording session whilst his manager called every music shop and crack converter in our area....
They finally got back and a neighbour gave him my note - I'd put it in the wrong house ... so he was very relieved to come and get it back

There's some pretty fine bass playing on some contemporary kids programs as well..
Tracey Beaker for one

[quote name='ped' post='29438' date='Jul 9 2007, 11:21 PM']CHIPS looks like a great show.[/quote]

Awwww Too young to have seen Chips

So nice to see a solo that isn't slapping at 100 mph

Oh and CHIPS again, of course

[quote name='dood' post='28339' date='Jul 7 2007, 04:28 PM']Hi!

But it'd be a shame not to try it ;o) Actually, as it happens Jon and I were going to put LEDs on Doodle, but my bass neck has so many carbon inserts in it, that there wasn't any room left for Mr Simms to drill out the neck! So we had to forget about that.

"Doodle 2" the working title, may well be a different story! lol[/quote]


Drill? Surely he uses trained termites?

[quote name='EntropicLqd' post='28152' date='Jul 6 2007, 11:30 PM']That is certainly part of the reason my bass has taken so long to build. The LEDs took a long long time to fit apparently.[/quote]

My pickup was custom made and was the first one they had done in a 3/2 Pbass config so it took a loooooong time as they had to design it and prototype it a few times before the final thing was perfected ..
Tricky little blighter..
Of course, had I liked thr symetrical no pole EMG Pbass 5 string pickup, or the weird ones where the cases are the same size but one has 6 pole pieces and the other has 4 and a blank space, I'd have saved 2 or 3 months on the build time.
I'm glad I didn't though