thebrig

[quote name='simon1964' timestamp='1349729609' post='1829862'] Here's a pic of the neck date stamp on my '64 Precision. [url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sim0n1964/8068359886/"][/url] Given my date of birth is 5 Nov 64, I had to go for it! [/quote] That's the best one yet! My birth date is 6 Nov 51, the year fender first started selling the Precision bass, how much would that set me back?

Interesting read!

[quote name='Hobbayne' timestamp='1349710521' post='1829436'] You can be too selective though. I answered an ad from a guitarist who was looking to put together a rock band to do stuff from 1968 to 1975. It turned out that he was strictly adhering to that too, as he was only intested in these years and nowt else. [/quote] Please don't take this the wrong way Hobbayne, but surely, if the ad says "[i]I want to put together a rock band to do stuff from 1968 to 1975[/i]", then really that's what you should expect. I've spent the last 18 months trying to put together a [i]Dr Feelgood/Pirates pub-rock[/i] type band, and lots of muso's answer the ads saying that's what they like too, then 2 or 3 months down the line, they start wanting to introduce stuff that is not in that genre, and I'm back to square one. It might be narrow-minded of me, but that's what I want to play, and if I can find like-minded musicians, then I will be happy.

I think that we all need to get this into perspective. Some pubs get extra punters through the door because there is a band on, but a lot of pubs who have bands, don’t get any extra punters at all. I was in a pub only last week who used to have live music regularly, so I asked the manager why he no longer does, and he said, "[i]there was hardly any extra money going over the bar, so why should I pay out £200/300 for a band, and have no extra punters at all[/i], and I had no answer to it. On the other hand, if he was to turn around to me and ask, "[i]would your band play here for nothing, but the band and your partners would be ok for drinks (within reason) all night[/i]", then I would probably be tempted, after all, it’s a night out for the WAGS, a free rehearsal for the band, and more importantly, the buzz of playing to a live audience, regardless of its size. Now before some of you say that if we were any good, we should demand money, it’s not quite as simple as that, we are decent enough, but I know many exceptionally good bands locally, who are struggling to get gigs because there just aren't enough pubs doing live music any more, and those who do, tend to stick to the bands they know, and pay so little, that it’s hardly worth bothering about anyway. On the other hand, if a venue is charging for admission, then the band should definitely get paid, but if the venue is not charging for admission, and it doesn't really benefit from extra punters and revenue, then why shouldn't a band play for fun? I know a lot of you guys and gals are fantastic musicians, and play in great bands, and are getting gigs all the time, but you have to accept that there are different levels, and we all have a right to play for free, if that is what is required to get the occasional gig. It would be interesting to find out how many BC’ers are actually in bands, and if not, why not? Is it because it is getting increasingly harder to get gigs, so don’t bother any more?

Does the [b][i]Morpheus Droptune Pedal[/i][/b] work with bass? Anyone got/tried one?

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1349608615' post='1828156'] I'm more impressed with the braces ... [/quote] You were not meant to notice them!

[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1349604204' post='1828092'] There you go. I bought a new MM P neck from a UK guy on the bay and IIRC it was £95 all in. [/quote] Bluebass? I've used him before, and I contacted him first, but he didn't have any at the time?

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1349604549' post='1828099'] I've still got mine. As you can see it's hardly in original condition either. The finish had already been stripped when I get it, and the scratch plate had been drilled for two extra controls plus another jack socket, none of which were wired to the rest of the guitar electronics. All the replacements/modifications I've done since have been to keep it in a playable state. I love the sound of both Tri-Sonic pickups on together. Did your's have a fully adjustable bridge or a simple wooden one? [/quote] Mine was just the standard Sonic model I believe, and I'm sure it had a metal adjustable bridge. But it did sound good at the time, although I suppose it would do, as it was my first ever bass! Here's a picture of me playing it in 1967, the guy at the back was an american over on holiday, who we got to know and I think he is playing an EKO 12 string, if my memory serves me correctly, and I remember that it sounded great. And just look at my [b][i]flower power kipper tie!!! [/i][/b] We were all around 15/16 at the time, and sadly we all went our separate ways, and I never played again until about six years ago at the age of 54. Maybe we should start a thread featuring pictures of our first ever bands?

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1349603522' post='1828076'] Not a lot of choice for 1960, and as all the music I play these days requires 5-string basses, nothing I would use. The fist bass I bought - a Burns Sonic - was in production in 1960, but the features on mine, rosewood fingerboard and fully adjustable bridge put it later in the production life - more like 1962. The problem with most of the more interesting instruments from this time period is that production details are almost non-existent and a lot of them are nearly impossible to date with any accuracy. If I could find something with proof that it was made in 1960 I'd consider a Burns Artist Bass, a 2-pickup Mosrite (if that version was in production in 1960) or anything by Wandré. [/quote] My first bass was a Burns Sonic too, but with maple board, I paid £15 for it in 1967, and it was already well and truly used, and the paint on the back was almost completely worn away through buckle rash. At a guess, I would say that it had been around for some time, possibly as early as 1960. I swapped it a couple of years later for some fishing tackle, but really wish I still had it now for sentimental reasons.

[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1349602878' post='1828069'] Trouble is when it arrives in the UK there will be additional duty to pay, plus a £13 fee to parcelfarce for paying the VAT on your behalf. So the deal can often not be quite so sweet. [/quote] Yeah! I just bought a Mighty Mite neck from the states, it cost me £68.13 + £30.88 pp, and then got a bill for duty of £32. So all in, it cost me £130, which is a lot, when you consider I only paid around £70 + £5 pp, when I managed to find one over here not so long ago. I have managed to get a jazz body in once 'duty free', but it seems that they hardly let anything in free now, even low-cost items like strings.

Forget the Beatles and the Stones, it's the 3rd anniversary of [b]JEDWARD!!![/b]

I would love to own a bass of my birth date. So does anyone know where I can pick up a nice [b][i]1951 Precision Bass[/i][/b] on the cheap? I can go up to £250!

My missus reckons a bass is the sexiest sounding instrument of all, closely followed by a sax. And I'm not kidding!

[quote name='blunderthumbs' timestamp='1349569601' post='1827916'] Thanks for that Briggy. All sorted now. [/quote] Glad to be able to help.

[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1349570780' post='1827926'] Trying not to sound obvious, but are you on Ebay.com or Ebay.co.uk in the address bar? If you are on the UK site it will always give UK listings first followed up by international (or US) listings. You can further filter on the left as previously said. [/quote] Definitely ebay.co.uk. It's far worse if you search 'precision' or 'jazz', because you get hundreds of ads from the US, and in particular '[b][i]The Stratosphere[/i][/b]' site, who seem to specialise in dismantling brand new basses, and flogging the necks and bodies separately, some bodies are even fully-loaded, and these aren't just [i][b]Squiers[/b][/i] and [b][i]MIM's[/i][/b], they also include [b][i]American Standards[/i][/b], [b][i]Specials[/i][/b], [b][i]Vintage USA RI's[/i][/b], [b][i]USA Deluxe[/i][/b], [b][i]Roadworns[/i][/b], etc. and looking through their guitar section, they even dismantle '[b][i]custom shop[/i][/b]' strat's and tele's. Here's the link for those who have never seen it before. [url="http://stores.ebay.co.uk/The-STRATosphere/_i.html?rt=nc&_nkw=bass&_sid=105525814&_trksid=p4634.c0.m14.l1513&_pgn=1"]http://stores.ebay.co.uk/The-STRATosphere/_i.html?rt=nc&_nkw=bass&_sid=105525814&_trksid=p4634.c0.m14.l1513&_pgn=1[/url]

Thanks Bert, it's been bugging me for ages,

I constantly go through the 'basses for sale' section on ebay, but just lately it seems that it's being bombarded to by ads from the states. Does anyone know of a way to filter these ads out?

Go into [i][b]'My Settings'[/b][/i] Click on [b][i]'Manage My Attachments'[/i][/b] Check the [b][i]boxes[/i][/b] alongside the [b][i]pics[/i][/b] Click [b][i]'Delete Selected'[/i][/b] [b][i]Done![/i][/b] [i][b] [/b][/i]

Delete all the photo's you have uploaded that are no longer required. Also, before uploading, open the photo in Paint Shop Pro, or similar photo editing software, and reduce the photo down to 10%, that way it reduces the size of the file, but will expand when clicked on.

[quote name='Thor' timestamp='1349476745' post='1827017'] Quite a lot of the community knock these, and yes I can understand why. I'm fortunate to be the present keeper of lots of different basses, among them I do have a '68 P Bass, a '92 Jazz V, a '95 Jazz American Standard and I also have a 2011 Roadworn Jazz. The Roadworn, in my opinion, plays (and sounds) better than the '95 USA standard hands down, the neck, the action, it's amazingly lightweight - it's all good! [/quote] I think that the knocking is all really "tongue-in-cheek", so I wouldn't take too much notice of it. I must admit that I would love a "roadworn" bass, but personally, I would like it to be genuinely that way. I don't doubt that the "roadworns" are great basses, as so many BC'ers are always singing their praises, so why can't the Mexican factory produce the same instrument without the artificial ageing, as I think that they would appeal to far more people, because I think a lot of people are put off by a brand new instrument looking aged, and if they cut out the aged look, maybe they would be cheaper?

[quote name='4 Strings' timestamp='1349460799' post='1826705'] In the meantime you can offset some of the cost of it by flogging your Thumpinator to someone with a lesser amp, your Streamliner has such a circuit built in. [/quote] I might just do that!

Just got the email from Alex. asking for the balance on the Super Twelve. The wait is going to be even worse now that I know I shall be receiving it soon.

Why not buy a decent second-hand American Standard for around £600, and rough it up a bit?

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1349211900' post='1823490'] Something wrong with your calendar thebrig!? [/quote] Thanks for pointing that out mate, I should have said 22nd August.

Ordered a Super Twelve on 22nd August, so it's now week six. I had to sell my Genz Benz rig to fund a new head and the Super Twelve, I've bought the new head, but I'm now cab less, and I'm just about to join a new band that is gigging at least once or twice a week, so I'm hoping mine will show up soon.