icastle

Is the wire from the tip of the jack socket or the sleeve?

My goodness! All the paint that's worn off has stuck to the back of the headstock. I never realised that's where it went.

I think the 80's were an interesting time for bassists. Hybrid amps, headless basses, exotic materials, effects pedals, string technologies - probably more advances in that one decade than in the previous 50 years and the years after. Some of the ideas have lasted the course, others have fallen by the wayside. Everything was trendy in the 80's. Except me - I've always been an old fart.

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1395238107' post='2400057'] What amuses me about trends in basses is how uber- trendy bass players nowadays assert that retro-style basses strung with flatwounds and old tube amps are preferable with exactly the same zeal and unerring confidence as trendy bass players asserted that hi-tech fancy basses with active electronics and bi-amped amplification rigs were the way to go back in the 1980's. [/quote] More amusing still is that they're often the same person.

[quote name='Myke' timestamp='1395091071' post='2398646'] Wow.. I'm still surprised at how stupid people are.. [/quote] Indeed. And it wasn't just one or two people either. We certainly wouldn't have locked the forum down and left ourselves open to being moaned at every couple of weeks if 1) it was a non issue and 2) there was an easy solution.

This is getting irksome now. I've already stated that if you feel your Wanted ad needs bumping then just repost it - it has exactly the same effect. I've explained, on numerous occasions, why the decision was taken to lock down the Wanted forum. I've explained that we will be taking another look at Wanted to see if we can find a way to give an appropriate degree of functionality back to it. I've also been up front and stated that it's not a high priority piece of work in comparison to some of the other pieces of work. Honestly, moaning about it every two weeks is not going to make it happen any faster.

[quote name='Myke' timestamp='1395087843' post='2398587'] I think that it is weird that you aren't allowed to reply to something incase someone offers the thing for sale without paying the fee but if you PM them then you can do that? Edit. I would like to add that I appreciate all the things that the Mods do and that I have nothing against Basschat. It's just one of those things. [/quote] It's an imperfect system that we pulled the plug on. The issue was people posting 'I want a Bass' and people responding with 'I've got an effects pedal I'm selling'. Generally, the usual p*ss takers who'd already tried selling their £1000 bass with a £0 valuation and got caught.

...and here's a lady with a blue bonnet. I hope they don't catch on, if you get too many it'll mean blue bonnet plague.

You need to enter the value of the item you are wanting to sell. EDIT: And don't use the £ sign - just numbers and the decimal point.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1394822397' post='2395677'] Hey, if we didn't go round in an 18-month cycle, there wouldn't BE any bass forum. Thhp! [/quote] Exactly. Isn't it time for Precision v Jazz or Flat v Round yet?

[quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1394816825' post='2395607'] OK thanks icastle but that just entails (potentially) a load more hassle for the mods. Do the stats suggest that the site was missing tons of fees by people taking advantage of Items Wanted threads? I rather doubt that was the case as anyone wishing to sell would know that they would get a guaranteed wider audience and potentially better price by simply posting a For Sale thread. [/quote] At the time we locked 'Wanted' down it was a real issue (we wouldn't have done it otherwise). Now it's locked, those original issues are no longer there, but we realise that others have replaced them. To be perfectly frank, as soon as paid advertising came in, we were seeing all sorts of concerted attempts to 'beat' the system. We still see people trying it on (do people [b]really[/b] think that valuing their Fender bass for £0 will go un-noticed? ), but we now have the tools and experience to shut those down pdq. Although 'Wanted' sits in the Marketplace, it doesn't actually involve any interaction with the payment gateway and that's where the difficulties arise. One solution would have been to close it off to anyone who's not paid a fee - but we rejected that on the grounds that it just didn't feel right to charge people for looking for something. Making the ads 'bumpable' by the OP was looked into, but it wasn't possible from a technical perspective - perhaps it will be after the software upgrade, I don't know yet. Anyhow, we are where we are with it and the mod team like it as much as everyone else does. As for not wanting to cause the mods extra work, please don't worry about it - the rest of them need the exercise anyway. EDIT: And you know I'm man enough to cope with your Marketplace needs.

[quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1394814978' post='2395571'] Is there no way that [u]only[/u] the poster can bump the thread (ie, so that noone can try and covertly sell, avoiding fees by replying)? [/quote] No, we looked into that at the time as it was our number one plan, but the forum software doesn't currently allow that degree of granularity. The best we can offer at the moment is that you post a new wanted ad (just copy and paste it) and let a moderator know so they can do some housekeeping to delete the old one - maybe hit the Report button on the original ad and type 'delete me' into the text field?

I'm a Jazz Bass! [i]A sleekly curvaceous body shape featuring an elegantly stylish and remarkably comfortable offset waist.[/i]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1394748188' post='2394877'] Funnily enough for the three years that I spent as a full-time musician, the US standard Fender that was my main bass was given to me for free. [/quote] That illustrates the point even better, but they're a tough audience here and I don't think I'd have got away with less than £700 in my example.

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1394747388' post='2394858'] It really isn't about the instrument, it's all about the player. I simply cannot believe there are any bassists who are being held back by their instrument - and if they are then they haven't got their priorities right. [/quote] Subject to my minimum criteria, I agree. Mind you, having said that I'd probably like to add 'and not a weird pointy shaped thing' to my criteria.

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1394745261' post='2394812'] The whole industry relies on the perception that there is a division between "professional" ( the magic word) and amateur gear, and that you won't really be able to be effective until you have got equipment of a certain level. [/quote] Unfortunately, I could go out and buy a set of professional plumbers tools and still be the most clueless plumber since Archimedes Dribble, that well known Atlantean tradesman who got the principle of 'stopcocks' so very wrong. A milkman with a super duper Fender that cost £4k is a professional milkman with a Fender that cost 4k. They may be talented, but they're not professional. A full time musician with a mid range Fender that cost £700 is a professional musician - it's how they pay the bills.

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1394743570' post='2394765'] You do realise that if everybody was as sensible as this then the consequence then the entire musical equipment industry would collapse? [/quote] Very likely, but then I always was an awkward sod. [quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1394743570' post='2394765'] It's about time we were all honest with ourselves that buying equipment and playing music are two very distinctly different pursuits. The uncomfortable truth is that accumulating enough money to buy high quality equipment is a much easier thing to do than learning how play your instrument well. It's not surprising that, almost without realising it, a lot of players put more of their energies into buying things rather than improving their skills on what they have. [/quote] I have always had strict rules about equipment purchases. Firstly, I ask myself if I need it, or just want it. If it passes that stage then I ask myself if it's going to pay for itself, if not, then it doesn't happen. It doesn't apply at the moment, but there's also a rule that states that all musical purchases have to be paid for out of performance money, not wages.

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1394724083' post='2394451'] Even worse than the haggle is those who offer a random collection of stuff for your bass. " Hi I don't have £850 but I do have a 112 cab, two old squire necks, six patch cables, a cover for an amp I don't own and a fez... how does that sound?" [/quote] I actually had one such offer reported to me where the items offered in exchange for a bass was a list of house contents, including beds, sofa, dining room table, assorted kitchen equipment and a washing machine...

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1394740963' post='2394725'] £400! You could get 4 basses from Argos for that! And still have change for some mid range running shoes. [/quote] And a decent screwdriver...

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1394740878' post='2394723'] Well it is for beginners. When you get really good and outgrow it you can get a proper one with 4 strings. [/quote] Cool

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1394739889' post='2394707'] It beats me why anyone takes so long chosing a bass. Just pick up an Argos catalogue. Less than £90. Job done. You can even chose black or red. http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/039186.htm?cmpid=APPSOCIAL01 [/quote] Interesting description: • 6 nickel flatwound strings. • 3 single coil pick ups. • 5-way pick up selector switch.

Well if the old lasted 10 years and all that's happened is something has snapped, I'd be more inclined to weld\bolt it back together and get another 10 years out of it. You have the added advantage that trolleys don't currently require an MOT.

I was shocked to find that there's no [i]The London Bass Guitar Show 2015[/i] thread yet! C'mon bluejay, you're slacking...

I can't see any reason why it should be locked and it's certainly not been flagged up anywhere. I'm guessing it was a finger failure. Please consider it open for business.

I get a good balance between indoors and outdoors, although in Winter there's no difference between the two.