Kiwi

[quote name='doctor_of_the_bass' post='390699' date='Jan 24 2009, 10:25 PM']Allo! I used to be a Wal-nut some years ago; I've owned three Wals over the years, the following counts as two of those! (pic courtesy of the superb Wal database site [url="http://www4.informatik.uni-erlangen.de/~koesters/Privat/Wal"]http://www4.informatik.uni-erlangen.de/~koesters/Privat/Wal[/url] - taken by Jon Vanaman). I sold it to a good friend as it was very heavy and the flightcase kept getting mistaken by the local Harrier pilots at Wittering as an aircraft carrier...! Should have kept it in the collection really as it would be worth quite a bit by now - shame it wasn't a natural finish. Sounded fantastic - the controls were as per a regular Wal bass; the pickup balance pot was used to pan between the two necks and, if set centrally, provided some interesting effects in terms of sympathetic vibrations from the neck that wasn't being played! Cheers! Nick[/quote] I remember seeing that in the Bass Centre in Wapping nearly 20 years ago!

[quote name='Weird War' post='529852' date='Jul 1 2009, 05:56 PM']Guys, just logged in after some time away and I am genuinely saddened and shocked to read this awful news. I travelled to and from the aforementioned Bass Bash with Nick and Steve. Nick seemed a really decent, genuine chap; hell, he'd even seen Bad Wizard live. Rest in peace.[/quote] I'm still in shock as well and apparently its hit everyone who knew him hard. I'm still trying to get in contact with Maria so I can pass the wishes of everyone on.

Yes, the view is from a rest stop on the Summit Road, just by the Sugarloaf TV transmitter.

[quote name='wizbat' post='529283' date='Jul 1 2009, 01:28 AM'][attachment=26185:Port_Hil...yttleton.jpg] I'd like the island in the left side of the pic, then again anywhere would do!!.[/quote] Yeah, thats Quail Island. You might not want it so much after learning it was the [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quail_Island,_New_Zealand"]site of a former leper colony[/url] and quarantine station though. I've also just had a job offer in the last hour. I'm still negotiating the terms and salary but its been a dramatic day with learning of Nick's passing, to say the least.

I remember taking him to that national bass bash Mike mentioned. We were laughing so much on the way there that I had to be extra careful driving. Ironically we did say farewell to one another recently, pending my departure to NZ but noone could have known it would be forever. I've just checked my PM inbox and the most recent PM I received from him was sent while he was at work at the godforsaken hour of 7am which I thought was crazy. The last thing he wrote to me in response was this: [i]"I'm not crazy! How could I be crazy?! I am Napoleon!!!"[/i] And that's how I'm going to remember him. In fact, I've just discovered the last time he logged into the forum was the day he died. [url="http://cognitionandculture.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=468:in-memoriam-nicola-knight&catid=29:dan&Itemid=34"]http://cognitionandculture.net/index.php?o...n&Itemid=34[/url]

[quote name='MacDaddy' post='529148' date='Jun 30 2009, 10:05 PM']Nic who was doing the Normative Reasoning research? I had a few emails with him about it. Sad day [/quote] Yeah Simon, the same guy. I'm gutted. [quote name='Mike' post='529153' date='Jun 30 2009, 10:10 PM']Oh dear - very sad news. I met him at a bassbash and he seemed taken with my 68 fender jazz fretless. Seemed a thoroughly nice chap. Very sad.[/quote] He last logged into the forum on June 9th so he would have passed away shortly after. His colleague is a member of the forum now so perhaps he can shed some more light on what happened. I'd really like to get in contact with his wife, she must be beside herself with grief at the moment. They were very devoted to one another.

Just found out today from a former colleague of his, that R,5,R,5... died a couple of weeks ago from a cardiac arrest while playing sport. He was a research fellow in Anthropology at Oxford who some may remember used Basschat for research purposes. I counted him as a close friend and he was 33. He was devastatingly intelligent, a gentle giant of a man who possessed a wicked sense of humour. I'll miss his unique brand of italian lunacy in particular. He leaves behind a loving wife and an Alembic Series II. RIP Nick.

My headless has mags and bridge mounted piezos. The piezos are by Graphtec and feed into a buffer preamp. There is a volume control for each side so I can control the over all mix and volume. Ideally I'd like a pair of stacked pans (one for the mag/piezo mix and another for bridge/neck pickups) but its not possible with the MIDI function too. Too many signal paths. I've had issues with the graphtec piezos so couldn't recommend them. The transducers are too small for bass strings and I've had to resort to using exposed core strings in order to get sufficient contact over the saddles. RMC units have a good reputation however.

[quote name='Brusen' post='526612' date='Jun 28 2009, 10:54 AM']The red jazz was owned by a player named Christian Danstrøm, I'm 95% sure. He's a very good bassist.[/quote] Yes, that name definitely rings a bell. Unfortunately none of his skill has rubbed off the instrument onto me.

If it was a 5, I would have melted my credit card already.

A 1994 Celinder J Update. Plenty of player wear on this one which is always a good sign in my book. Chris says that its the second jazz bass he ever made. Formerly owned by a well known Copenhagen player whose name escapes me at the moment. Ash body on this one I think. The plan eventually is to get the bass refinished in CAR and anodised scratch plate, and shape the neck at the nut to match the P Classic below. Then I'll convert the bass to passive hopefully with some of the new pickups Chris is working on, if they're not too expensive. I also have this 2002 P Classic which Chris said he originally made for himself because he wanted to try a P-bass but with a jazz neck. Ironically the nut is narrower than it is on the J Update. Alder body on this one which makes it nice and growly. Really lovely sounding bass and I don't have to fight it like I do with Fenders. Of course you know I used to have this one, made for Scarbee which I sold to Wombatboter earlier this year because the sound was more modern than I was looking for. I thought I might miss it but I haven't yet.

Rene, there's one for sale on the forum at a bargain price. Did you see it in the classifieds?

[quote name='bubinga5' post='526478' date='Jun 28 2009, 02:40 AM']CK have you played the Celinder VB bass. thats got to be good for sure!!![/quote] I played the fretless version when I visited the Celinder workshop. It's a great bass. Warm, singing and no dead spots

Alembic Series II graphite fretless 8 string Celinder Victor Bailey tribute 5 Celinder Victor Bailey tribute 5 fretless Lakland 5594 (like Chris_b's) Musicman Cutlass (without a wonky neck) Musicman Stingray 5 (2006 Black and Gold Ltd Ed) with Status neck. Shuker Headless 6 fretless Shuker Artist 6 (spruce top, floating bridge) Shuker Artist 6 fretless (spruce top, floating bridge) Spalt Magma X501 Spector NS5XL Spector NS5XL fretless Steinberger XL2 transtrem Status Series 2000 5-string Status Stealth 5 headless (with MM pickups) Yamaha BBNEII Yamaha BBNEII (converted to fretless) and my own custom graphite necked headless basses

It's just a standard neck pickup cover as was fitted to many older Fenders as they left the factory. I think the original intent was that the bass player could rest their hand on it while picking without muting the strings. Marcus Miller still has one although he uses it to rest the heel of his wrist while he's slapping.

BTW, Wayman Tisdale (who also ironically died of cancer recently) had one of those reverse headstock Celinders made for him, I wish I could find a better pic though.

[quote name='Scarbee' post='524757' date='Jun 26 2009, 11:07 AM']Hey, I miss that bass - should never have sold it... Hope its having a good life though! [/quote] Hi Thomas that bass used to me mine but I sold it to another Basschat member in Belgium late last year. At least you'll know where it is now though.

[quote name='mcgraham' post='486778' date='May 13 2009, 11:43 AM']That guitar looks amazing. Headless WITH whammy WITH sustainer... does it have piezo/midi? Please say it doesn't, otherwise extreme jealousy will kick in... Mark[/quote] Hey Mark, it doesn't at present. I don't think piezo transducers are available for Steinberger R-trems at the moment. But given I have all the other kit anyway, it would only need a body mounted pickup for me to do that, so its definitely something I'm considering. I just wouldn't be able to play the guitar as well as I can play the Shuker. Speaking of which, I fitted a set of Thomann supplied La Bella Slapper strings with the exposed core and it made a hell of a difference to the tracking. The B string lacks a little guts played through the piezos but the notes are much more stable and there's much more control over the note attack and decay. It feels like the MIDI side of things could be reliable and sensitive enough to play live.

Found this series of Youtube vids from the same people who made the Spector vids. 12 hours of work in each instrument, excluding finishing.

Just found this while looking for other things on Youtube: 16 hours of work in each instrument, excluding finishing.

I understand he sold it to Brusen who then traded it in with Chris on a new order.