neepheid

I know, min, it's all good. Banter++

OK boys, simmer doon!

This is why I won't spend six grand on a bass - because I can spend about 1/20th of that on this kind of thing instead. 1998 DeArmond Jet Star "Spel", Gumby, Dali, melty - whatever you want to call it. It just made me laugh so much I had to buy it. This example is in good nick, the only issue is that the knobs have disintegrated a little and the silver "D" discs in the top are long gone. Anecdotally, this was a common issue - seen a bunch of them online with replaced knobs. This is the long scale (34") bolt on version. The short scale one is fancier (two pickups, set neck) but I don't dig shorties so it had to be this one. Honestly I'd have loved a green one, but they're rare as hell, so a cherry red one is an acceptable alternative. Hard to photograph with the phone camera - the cherry red is much deeper than this and you can see the wood grain through it - phone just doesn't have a clue and goes "duh, it's red". Nevertheless, here it is. I've only played it in headphones and my office amp (Laney 30W HCM30B) so far, with whatever scabby strings it arrive with. But even with that stacked against it, it sounded pretty good - the split P pickup being more towards the bridge makes for an interesting sound, not completely devoid of bottom end and P-esque, but just a bit twangier or something. I've since given it the once over - a good clean, lemon oiled the fretboard (it was so dry!), restringed and setup fettled with. Here it is when it first arrived next to one of my T-birds. Welcome to the wonky family!

I'm sure I've got a redundant pedal or two to contribute...

I'm not angry, I just think it's stupidly overpriced. You may disagree, and that's OK. I'm entitled to my opinion, and if I feel moved enough to do so I will share it. But I took one look at the email that guitarguitar sent through and I said "HOW EFFIN' MUCH?!", out loud. More power to you if you buy one. If I had six grand hanging around to spend on basses, I'd buy five or six excellent basses. This kind of fetish object is an enigma to me.

I'm not blaming you - I just have a different idea of what I'm prepared to pay for any bass, and these surpass that level by a fair order of magnitude.

It's absolutely nuts. Bonkers price. Hard pass.

When I saw the title, I thought/hoped you meant one of these: Shoulda known better!

That, I cannot argue with.

Classic Aberdeen mentality, thinking it can charge "London prices" for things

It was a joke... does not stand up to scrutiny - what absurdity based jokes do?

I'm a big advocate of self-sufficiency, at least up to a level of doing basic setup (relief/intonation/action) work. Setup is personal - and it's really not difficult. Of course when you get into territory like what is being discussed here, it's player's choice if they want to stretch themselves and learn these other skills. Me personally I do all my setups, I'm OK with the electronics if it's not too taxing, replacing hardware is fine, and I'm currently at the grinding back ratty fret ends/knocking down proud frets kinda stage. Mostly using improvised tools, because I'm a cheapskate.

I don't have much data to go on when it comes to Ramjam - the only time I engaged their technical services was over 2 years ago for a full rewire of a bass, which cost £50, which I thought was pretty reasonable at the time. But who knows what it would cost me today, sorry.

If you don't mind naming names - which local establishment have you been going to at which you have noted the price rise?

I find a good old wireless walkabout goes down well. I also get up to no good during songs which have long, bassless sections - I pretend to sleep, or I naff off for a sit down and pretend to be on strike. Just clowning around basically. People seem to like it. Plus the basics - engagement with the audience - making eye contact with folk and nodded along with them bopping around - sometimes my hat gets borrowed - let 'em - I don't get precious. And for the final coup de gras - if the police come in for a venue check, be ready to play something like Breaking The Law or I Fought The Law etc...

Well it is in stock now, so I'm just waiting for them to get around to where I am in the backlog. If they ever do.

Happy to share a bill with you - there's only 2-3 duplicates on your set list vs. ours

Also - hello!

https://www.basschat.co.uk/forum/83-bassists-wanted/ - is the correct forum for this kind of thing - this one's just for saying hello

I should clarify - they sold out of the thing I wanted when I ordered it. Getting new batches of instruments can take months to get manufactured, not super bothered about it. I'm impressed that the idea that pre-bankruptcy orders would be honoured by the newco has even been floated - had written it off in all honesty. But it might still all come to nothing - that's what I mean by the wait and see.

Tell you when/if they fulfil my order from September last year...

The shelf! I had an Explorer bass, am well acquainted with the shelf. It's surprisingly comfortable.

Or they could have been replaced?