Kiwi

Speaking of Mark King, there was an interesting discrepancy a while back over the situation with his Alembics. Alembic at one point claimed that they'd never given basses away while Mark King claimed he'd been subject to an unsolicited approach by Alembic in 1987 while on a Madonna tour (the implication being that he'd never had to actually pay Alembic for the instruments they offered to build for him.) Mica has stayed very schtum on that issue from what I'm aware. There was also a similar situation when Alembic presented Stanley Clarke with his birthday bass too. But its just two basses, I know Fodera players don't get their instruments for free by any means. Far from it.

There's another story that Mark felt the basses were too inconsistent for swapping on stage. Mark apparently pays Rob for his instruments, if you believe the folk on Statii.com.

The game is fundamentally about media coverage. So most of the time its about getting profile for the instrument (which isn't going to happen in the studio unless the endorsee really likes the instrument). For example, while endorsing Modulus and Musicman, Flea used a range of other instruments in the studio including an Alembic and a Wal. It's also not been unknown for some endorsing artists to require a hand made specification instrument, which looks like the production model too. I believe this has been the case with some Gibson endorsees in the past.

[quote name='Bassmonster' post='346455' date='Dec 5 2008, 02:32 PM']Well the news is its all complete, just waiting on word that its been shipped[/quote] Thank goodness for that! Perhaps its a proverbial leak in the dyke...?

[quote name='Toasted' post='345440' date='Dec 4 2008, 02:19 PM']Did you enjoy the vid, CK? I found it V interesting.[/quote] Yes, I found Rogers comments on the selection of body wood particularly interesting and the chambering is something I think we may see more of in the future from other makers.

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=198"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=198[/url] Is this helpful?

yeah I think thats a great idea. I wonder what he might make of a card signed "on behalf of the four and a half thousand members of Basschat"...? We might have to be respectful of his privacy too though. Is there any way of knowing if something like this would be welcomed by him?

[quote name='SteveK' post='345360' date='Dec 4 2008, 01:29 PM']Even after many Tequilas and Jagermeisters Luke didn't say much more than I posted above - he was quite obviously very sad and upset about MP's plight.[/quote] I hope its not a permanent condition but if he's isolating himself it sounds like he's maybe dealing with depression too. I hope it doesn't last too long for him, I'm sure there would be loads of support out there for him in the industry when he feels ready.

Jeez, thats one hell of a test for the tightness of a neck pocket!!

Oh this sounds tragic, can any one fill us in on whats happened? Mike comes across as such a genuine and lovely guy in interviews.

Are you running off a fresh beryllium sphere?

[quote name='bilbo230763' post='345101' date='Dec 4 2008, 09:22 AM']I never doubted it, CK. I just think people should know what they are doing with their forum![/quote] Absolutely! Thanks for posting it too, (always better for that kind of info to come from someone other than Ped or I!)

I had an SWR Triad cab which had that arrangement with a passive crossover but I sold it because I couldn't hear it properly. I don't think it sounded punchy or aggressive enough for what I needed.

LOL Bilbo you're not telling Ped and I anything we weren't already aware of. This forum is used as much as a networking/socialising site as it is as a place to talk about bass. That was what prompted my last 'consultation' thread to include the social networking development option. Offtopic is the place where people tend to sound each other out about things beyond basses.

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='343740' date='Dec 3 2008, 02:15 AM']You seem to assume that these 'competitive urges' are innate in human nature; so you seem to be claiming a particular view of human nature which, as I suggest above, is exactly what is in dispute here... ...This kind of theory has been commonly known as [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Darwinism"]Social Darwinism[/url]. The theory doesn't actually go back to Darwin and in fact predates him historically, owing more to Herbert Spencer who coined the phrase [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survival_of_the_fittest"]'survival of the fittest'[/url].[/quote] But doesn't cooperation allow a group of individuals to be more competitive?

[quote name='foal30' post='343574' date='Dec 2 2008, 09:56 PM']er, possibly I think the idea is to make it competitive to share that's evolution I can bear.[/quote] So what you mean is a society that values altruistic acts above its own collective survival? [quote name='foal30' post='343574' date='Dec 2 2008, 09:56 PM']If society's purpose is acquisition and it has designated enemies then a level of forwardness is required.[/quote] There is a big assumption under pinning that statement! [quote name='foal30' post='343574' date='Dec 2 2008, 09:56 PM']what you've described shows the history of free-market capitalism well.[/quote] If you look at the bigger picture, its how the whole biosphere has essentially functioned since life evolved. [quote name='foal30' post='343574' date='Dec 2 2008, 09:56 PM']Do we need evolution if this is the outcome?[/quote] Aren't you assuming that there's a choice? In the context of a society that represses economic activity as its basis, to quote that geeky bloke in Jurassic Park, "nature finds a way"...? [quote name='Musky' post='343667' date='Dec 2 2008, 11:23 PM']I think you've rather mistaken the left's antipathy to competition Kiwi. It's not competition per se that most groups are against, but competition as the basis for economic activity.[/quote] Ah ok. So what I can't understand is why a society that represses competition as the basis for economic activity believes that this is a sustainable practice if competition in other aspects is what we and pretty much every other living species on the planet owes its survival too...? Lets not forget there's not only competition between people, but also competition between species. Anyone who has dealt with a pest infestation of some kind will have experienced this first hand, I'm sure. Seems to me there's a fundamental conflict/incompatibility between moral ideals and economic realities maybe?

A stingray and a valve amp is a fantastic combination. Welcome to basschat Jim. Pics of your gear are always welcome!

[quote name='foal30' post='343512' date='Dec 2 2008, 09:09 PM']No, I think not. and if "competitiveness" is going to be the acknowledged driver of Society, by Society then those advocating such a system need to be at the forefront of leveling out the current inequalities. Not likely?[/quote] Competitiveness wouldn't exist without inequality. Without inequality, species wouldn't adapt and we wouldn't have evolution. Therefore a non-competitive society wouldn't survive for very long (and by that I don't mean the society would die, but its state of non-competitiveness wouldn't perpetuate.)