neepheid

I should warn you that I'm thinking (just thinking, mind) about driving for 4-5 hours to filth up your gathering with Gibson basses. Seems an awful long way to go for 4.5 hours of bass geekery though. Be better to make a weekend of it. You guys do anything the night before - go to the pub or something?

Great bass, punches harder than its price suggests. I had a BB300 for a while, it performed well at gigs, I played it at Belladrum festival. The only reason I got rid of mine was because I restored a BB450 and it was unnecessary to keep two passive BB basses. If it's battered like you suggest then I'd think no more than £100 probably.

[quote name='happynoj' timestamp='1412239696' post='2566972']
the only Gibson instrument I would be interested in would be an ES-type hollow instrument, similar to the Jack Cassidy, but I would really like more than one pickup. Think Guild Starfire sort of thing.
[/quote]

So, the Gibson ES-335 Bass then? http://www.thomann.de/gb/gibson_es_335_bass_fc.htm

My first "proper" amp was a Hartke HA3500 and I thought it sounded great. The only reason I got rid was weight and the fact that my RedSub combo has a removable lightweight head with more power than the old Hartke, so I couldn't really justify it sitting around.

Tempted to give a Hydrive 2x1x12 stack a go in place of my current 4x10 as well.

It's 2mm according to this:

http://www.bassesbyleo.com/allen_wrenches.html

[quote name='waynepunkdude' timestamp='1411918145' post='2563867']


Jesus Christ get some perspective, it's some wood with some metal screwed to it, who cares, yes I have strong opinions, who cares?
[/quote]

You've met someone who has opposing strong opinions. Your sudden attempt to trivialise things smacks of a bully who has been caught out and is rapidly trying to back out with a "we're all friends here" gambit. You started it, why are you wimping out on finishing it? You DO have a closing gambit to hold your weak opening gambit's hand, yes?

[quote name='waynepunkdude' timestamp='1411917651' post='2563857']


Where can I get my ham toasty?
[/quote]

Anywhere but my house for all that I care, stirrer.

[quote name='waynepunkdude' timestamp='1411887443' post='2563471']
I shall continue until they make a decent one, free forum and all that, thanks.
[/quote]

You shall continue until [b]you think[/b] they have made a decent one. That's my point. Minus the beer and rum.

If you could prefix your non-factual opinion pieces with "I think" or suffix them with "IMO" instead of presenting them as fact that'd be an acceptable compromise. But as it stands right now, as far as I'm concerned you're nothing but a stirrer with nothing useful to add to the conversation and even less respect for other people and their preferences.

[quote name='PlungerModerno' timestamp='1411865649' post='2563433']
I'm just not happy with the set neck joint on 80% of their models... I'd be happy to pay for gibson electronics, but I think I'd put them in someone elses body, namely one with an upper horn to remove neckdive, and a bolt on neck to allow shimming / shaving to get it all working prefectly.
[/quote]

Why would a neck joint need shimming/shaving if it's made properly in the first place?

[quote name='howdenspur' timestamp='1411850126' post='2563353']
When you see what they're prepared to do on their guitars, including Firebirds, it is really quite baffling to the point of being ignorant.

But then, perhaps us chrome lovers are too conservative
[/quote]

It would be interesting to see what percentage of Gibson's total sales are basses. If it's more than 10% I'd be surprised. So you get approximately 10% of arsedness about basses. Quite how the EB (2013 onwards) snuck past the beancounters at all astounds me to this day. That's all your bass creativity for this decade, cheerio!

Therefore, however galling, it is entirely understandable that the vast majority of the attention is lavished upon Les Paul and SG guitars.

[quote name='waynepunkdude' timestamp='1411850790' post='2563356']
Gibson have never made a pretty bass, fact.
[/quote]

I'm a reasonably intelligent person so I have already established the fact through your reinforcement by repetition that you have a pathological dislike of Gibson basses, which you are more than entitled to, rich tapestry of life and all that. So you you can stop beating the drum and put it down, I got it (I'm pretty sure we've all got it now - you're not exactly invisible around here), thanks.

[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1411841939' post='2563252']
Why is it beyond them to put chrome hardware and pup covers on these?
[/quote]

It's not that it's beyond them. They've done it before. It's because they don't want to do it.

Ahh, Gibson, bless 'em - not giving a flying f hole about what bassists want since 1953

[quote name='gadgie' timestamp='1411743420' post='2562476']
You could always try asking Moon Moon how to get on with people.


only joking
[/quote]

I've only met him once but he's not half as bad in real life as he is online, FWIW

My other band is completely different to The Inevitable Teaspoons - guitarry, a bit funky, a bit reggae-y, a bit rocky. On 13th of September we had a slot on a local Internet music show called "Live at Captain Toms" (Captain Toms is a rehearsal/recording/gear hire place in Aberdeen). They do a morning show where each band gets one, maybe two songs, then do a gig at night with some of the acts from the morning with longer sets and interviews.

If you're curious, check it out at [url="http://www.kpx.tv"]http://www.kpx.tv[/url] or [url="https://www.facebook.com/LiveAtCaptainToms"]https://www.facebook...veAtCaptainToms[/url]

Here's FaR's set from the evening show:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iL0DP9H-Cq0[/media]

[quote name='JamesTun' timestamp='1411725121' post='2562249']
Maybe the players on BC [b]think they[/b] know what something is worth and won't budge on their estimations. (Very much like Wenger's transfer policies..).
[/quote]

Fixed that

I must be doing something wrong with my NR Thunderbird then



Nah, I seem happy enough (photo taken by Biz).

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1411670835' post='2561814']
Things are a bit weird as now I don't have an electric bass gig at all, just an acoustic project with the double bass and a band where I play guitar. I'll probably seek out another project to play bass guitar with, [i]but possibly not right away[/i].
[/quote]

Having been in this position before, I would agree with the sentiment at the end there - take your time and be picky. Don't rush into stuff and don't join the first band that comes along if it isn't right for you, just for the sake of being in a band again.

I'm a geek, I'm firmly in the mould of "always got a cable/battery/tool kit on him" bass player. I love geeking out about basses, bashes being the epitome of that. But I've met bass players at gigs who simply aren't that into it as would spend any time talking about gear or techniques, they just play and then wander off. You must have experienced it -

Me: "Great gig, really enjoyed your playing."
Bass player: "Thanks very much."
Me: "Nice bass you've got there."
Bass player: "Yeah, it is."
[i]awkward silence where you expected someone to wax lyrical about the type of wood it's made of and got nothing[/i]
Me: "OK, well, cheers!"

Hell, I've had indifferent exchanges at bashes before. So I'd love to believe that we're all a happy, polite gang of bass geeks, but it doesn't always pan out that way. Of course I've met some gems of bass players who are geeky, gregarious, gear mad and happy to talk the hind legs off a donkey about bass. They're ace.

It must be me, I am the only common factor in all these encounters of variable friendliness and engagement. Perhaps I'm coming in too hot for the reserved type, maybe I give off an aura of loserness that some people pick up on and have no wish to engage me in conversation beyond the perfunctory. I am not the most confident of people, and meeting new folk doesn't come easy to me, so I may be overly reserved or I may overcompensate. If you ever encounter me, and if you're feeling generous, please bear this in mind. I do warm up, honest

Maybe one day I'll accept that it's OK for me to take up the square metre or so of space that I occupy, and that it's also OK if I don't click with every person I meet.

Oops, that was deep.

Knobs are maybe on a little squint? Presumably they're set in place with a grub screw? Try loosening the grub screw, reseating them (don't push them flat to the pickguard, lift them ever so slightly) and try to keep them level as you tighten the screw.

[quote name='gadgie' timestamp='1411430450' post='2559518']
That's the new price. I've seen and held the guitar and the lad in the shop played it. Sounded good. I was just wondering on the cost for VFM
[/quote]

That price lies somewhere between "too good to be true", "WTF?", and "pricing error"

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1411461173' post='2559648']
I've found the complete opposite.

Most of my friends who don't play music and aren't in bands have larger music collections and go to more gigs than those i know that play music.

P.S. Great post by xilddx by the way.
[/quote]

Agreed from this commentator - the increase in my involvement in bands/gigs/songwriting has exactly coincided with a marked decrease in collection and collation of music in the house, and I used to be a voracious consumer of CDs.

[quote name='Weststarx' timestamp='1411461065' post='2559646']
I might be wrong but I think I know what Blue is saying...

That when someone finds out your in a band and they start talking to you about it when they either dont care or have no actual interest in what you do or in music.

The amount of times I've had someone ask me about my band etc and I've started to explain what it is I'm into and do, you can see the other person just half listening and wishing they never asked and they quickly end the conversation with 'Oh well I'll have to come see you sometime' which they subsequently never do.

They're probably just trying to be polite and create a converstation with you but it does get on my nerves because when the converstaion only gets that far, I feel they are somehow judging or laughing at me, because if they were actually interested in talking to me about it and understood what I do, they would atleast talked about it for longer than 2 minutes and would have maybe come to one show.
[/quote]

From the other side, bear in mind that some of us are terrible at this smalltalk nonsense and it's obvious to any onlooker that we'd rather the ground swallowed us up. You think [i]you're[/i] being judged? Too many times have I been on the other side, having to talk to someone new, scrabbling around for something to ask to at least look like I'm interested (which I am), all the time having a little voice in your head saying "they're going to think you're a knob". Painful.

I have had a Tribute L-2000 and a Tribute M-2000. Fantastic basses, well put together, sound great. Just watch out for the half baseball bat neck on the Tribute L2K Contrary to barkin's experience, I bought both the above basses unseen/online with no bother, so I would have no qualms going again.

I'd say £280 for a second hand Tribute L-2000 is a decent price (I'd say £300-350 is the normal range depending on the model - you'll pay a slight premium for the trans finish or the carved top).

Although most of my basses are Gibsons and therefore by definition made in the USA and not "cheap" (some recent examples are firmly approaching mid priced it has to be said), I currently have a Yamaha BB450 which I restored from parts and cost me less than £100. Great bass, happy to gig it any time and have played it at several gigs. "Cheap" basses I have gigged include:

Yamaha BB450
Yamaha BB300
Yamaha BB614
Squier Bronco
Epiphone Les Paul Standard

Mid priced stuff:

G&L Tribute L-2000
G&L Tribute M-2000
Epiphone Jack Casady

Don't even start me on some of the snobbery that gets thrown around, I find it pretty disgusting to be honest. An instrument is either good or it isn't, according to the person playing it and no-one else and it doesn't matter a jot where it was made or who made it.