police squad

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1385318568' post='2286849'] What are you doing so far from home? [/quote] this is a proper tribute band. (apparently) and this 'pub' pays proper money. Next gig is a theatre somewhere in Surrey. We've got the closest thing to Copeland I've ever heard

1st gig. If anyone's about please pop in and say hi. I'll be the one singing and playing bass and looking like Sting

I had a white Ric copy. Used it in a jam tribute band. It was excellent considering how cheap it was. There are some youtube clips of me using it with them. Should have kept it really

I'm with Rick on this. I also play guitar and for a time designed and built valve guitar amps. Some guitars really do sing. They have a special 'something'. I have a Strat type guitar, custom made one piece body and warmoth neck. It sustains for ever, notes just hang in there and you can coax it into feeding back almost on cue. Every now and then I take it on a gig and just love it. (I don't gig it much because I've been into Les Pauls for a few years but it gets more use these days) It is the same with bass guitars too. Sometimes the components all hang together, the wood and the electronics, and bingo. The special one. Sure, I can play anything and often I do but sometimes an instrument really does speak to you.

[quote name='cameltoe' timestamp='1383825742' post='2269567'] I think it says a lot that no one has really mentioned Custom Shop. I'm very, very tempted by Bravewood. I may need to get in touch with him. If it takes 9 months then I can get the order in now, and save up in that time. Does he require a deposit? [/quote] Yes, he takes £400 up front. He's in Redruth so not a million miles from you.

Owen, Living the dream.....very nearly My brother has a Bravewood '68 strat replica (large headstock , maple board, black like Blackmore) and it's lovely. It's also got a nitro finish (it should be poly by '68) but John doesn't do Poly. John said it would be about 9 months, so the laquer can properly cure before relicing. It took 9 months and he sent me the odd update and even some photos before he started relicing it. He is a massive Sting/Police fan and he's also a great bass player and gigs a lot round his area. He let me collect the bass and we went out for a curry aswell. I'll check out Crinson guitars too

owen, we are drowning in basses!! Between us there a 6 P basses alone, not to mention the other stuff. I did have a slight issue with my Bravewood Sting bass. It rattled a bit, so I took it to my local tech (who is a genius) and he gave a clean bill of health. He told me to change the strings and hey presto, problem solved. In fact I put the strings onto my JV-62 Squier and then the Squier exhibited the same problem. I used my Bravewood for a 5 hour rehearsal last Sunday. It's light and sounds just like Stings. Watch the Police DVD, 'Certifiable'. It sounds great

It's lovely to play. Feels perfect. Pics of mine A shot of it in action

Here's my wife's bass

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1383779493' post='2269173'] The bravewood was probably the most realistic looking relic that I've seen. More often than not they just don't look right. You think, well why would the paint be worn off there ? I mean who wears clothes with sleeves made out of sandpaper ? I think fender started using poly finish in about 1963, that just wouldn't wear on the top through the action of someone's sleeve. [/quote] I don't think fender started using Poly in 63. It was later. Finish wears off if you play a lot. I know because I have done it. Even the 70's fender paint rubs through to the sealer. Bravewood (as I've said before) are very good. He made my wife a '63 replica in Daphne blue, unreliced, with an 'A' width nut. Email him. You're looking at about £1500 for a build by him. I could post some pictures of my '57 but I've done it before but there is a picture on the Bravewood site. It's the bass owned by a certain ex policeman (Sting)

that's a great score

[quote name='cameltoe' timestamp='1383590535' post='2266333'] Bravewood are local to me so I'd be interested, however i've read a few reports which concern me and he comes across really badly on his site. He also says he's not doing any more custom builds. [/quote] John at Bravewood is a lovely guy. He's done 2 builds for me in the past year and a '68 strat replica for my brother. Just contact him, you never know. That's what I did

[quote name='drTStingray' timestamp='1383494858' post='2265015'] I'm with Dingus on this. These were entry level basses back in the 80s at a time when the demand for Fender basses had all but collapsed. Combination of shift to keyboards instead of guitars and basses in pop music plus a vast array of superb product from other manufacturers - eg Yamaha, Ibanez etc etc etc. I see the Fullerton RI 80s Fenders are selling in vintage shops for just short of a grand also!! In the 80s people would be paying about £1000 for things like a Steinburger. You really would have been in danger of being sectioned paying these prices......... What will happen when the bubble bursts?? You are surely safer buying a US standard or maybe a vintage reissue? [/quote] they just were not entry level basses. There were many cheaper bass guitars out there. This was Fender taking on Tokai. They needed too. The tokais were very good and cheap. Jap labour rates were low so Jap guitars were great value. I've had a lot of squiers over the years and they have all been good guitars. Currently my main gigging guitar is a 1984-87 maple necked strat. As good as any other strat I've played. I've also got a '62 JV bass which I picked up from it's original owner last year. It's very light and very resonant.

my '75 P bass has the green and red system but it's so worn I can't read it.I think it's a '75 because the pickup is stamped '75 and the serial number is about '75 too not that the serial number is totally accurate. In 1991 I changed the pots but didn't check the dates on them, because no one was interested in a '75 Fender at the time

If I had a spare £900 I'd buy this This was originally mine. I bought it new in '83. Paid £399 for it from Livewire in Cardiff. Someone on this site used to work there and did post about it when I asked if anyone knew where it was. It was a great playing bass, if a little heavy. It's for sale again back home in the Mansons guitar shop

semolina active electronics. had em, loved em, then hated them for years and now I have a couple of actives in the arsenal and don't mind them so much. The circuit on my fretless musician bass are really nice

I saw 'It Bites' when calling all the heroes had just been released. Great songwriter and player. and I love his voice. will track down the new album as I need something a little different to listen to

Saw him at the '83 Reading festival. He was excellent. Great band with him too. RIP

My first bass was a Tempest SG bass. The same as a Kay. It had a plywood body, 2 pickups and was a see thru wine red colour. It was £65 brand new in 1981. Bought it in Kennards in Canterbury. My elder brother, who had lots of years playing guitar thought it played well enough. Well I loved it. Used it for about 3 or 4 years till I got a Musicmaster bass which I then changed to a Manson Explorer bass 6 months later. I gigged with the Tempest and it was great. Good action and even though it was short scale and had flatwounds I even learned to slap on it. The most disappointing basses I've owned, 1. Pretty much both the Rick 4001 and 4003. In 1990 I sold the blue 4001 to the guy from the Swinging Blue Jeans. The 4003 had a Neck like a bananna and they just didn't suit what I wanted, (looked good tho) 2. Jaydee Mark King. Played like butter and sounded terrible. It had no depth or woodyness. (going back to 1989 here and I don't really like actives) 3. Squier JV '62 Jazz bass. I just didn't get on with it. So I sold it . But mainly I've loved them all and wish I still had them, except the Rickenbackers.

I'm running QSC K12s and Ksubs. Great sound and nice and compact. Very occasionally I run without the subs and the 12s sound full and rich. I think I paid £3150 for the lot, from pro audio systems. The subs weight about 30kg each but have excellent castors and the handles are so well positioned that they do not present any problems. We put everything through it, drums, bass, guitars and guitar synth. I've even used it outside with an extra Ksub (3 of them) and it was awesome

Silverburst!!

I've got one. Strung with flats. Great bass, love it

very kind of you Kev, thanks. Bidding on ebay at the moment so fingers crossed

that's great. I'm registered so will surf the forum for advice.