molan

Barefaced cabs - I can't get past the cheap and nasty looks

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1376473541' post='2174308'] Some people just like an argument! Usually these people content themselves with bickering in off topic, but this time it has spilled over into the (usually) more sober gear forums... So it was never likely to end well! [/quote] I think this thread started out as people commenting on an event but it's definitely deteriorated as it's progressed. There are most definitely some people on BC who like nothing more than an argument and provoking others. Strangely they are always right - even when other people disagree with them

I see this thread is heading the way of so many others. Some people just seem to want to see the worst in every situation and appear to want to revel in negative events. I think it's pretty obvious to everyone that there was an issue with an instrument and it was, not particularly amicably, resolved between the seller and buyer. No-one will ever know the exact sequence of events with any level of accuracy other than those two parties. Continuing to throw mud at either of them does no-one any favours and appears to be breeding ill-feeling and unnecessarily argumentative comments. I find myself spending less and less time here these days Maybe I'll spend the day playing a lovely Alleva Coppolo bass instead. . .

[quote name='ezbass' timestamp='1376395608' post='2173239'] A show bass with flaws in the the final build? A ridiculous state of affairs. A show is a place where you should be going, "Look at me! See how good I am." not knocking something out on the quick, which the bass on TB looks like. [/quote] Show instruments are often 'B' stock - things that look good in passing but may have cosmetic or minor construction flaws. I think some of this may be because manufacturers know they are going to be badly treated by potential customers at shows and they don't want their best stuff damaged. Jens Ritter is one of the few guys that always builds something really special for each major show he's at. He guards them with his life though and makes sure they are incredibly well looked after. In general terms I don't have a problem with people selling ex-show stock so long as they clearly let customers know that things have been used and are not new and/or have cosmetic flaws. E.G. I sold a Yamaha last weekend that was ex-show and had some buckle rash on the rear and a few slap-swirls on the guard. It was discounted by something like £1,000 and the marks were very clearly shown to the customer when he bought it. Unfortunately not all people own up about ex-show stock. This is often especially true about amps & cabs. I know there's stuff out there for sale that's been played at blisteringly loud volumes at shows like LBGS but is being sold as 'brand new' stock. I'll have to back off on continually defending Jimmy I guess as I have a personal bias here but when I've spoken to him about some of his show stock in the past he's always said that he's happy to sell them with the cosmetic flaws because it means people can get an instrument that maybe they couldn't have afforded. That was exactly how he explained the one with the misaligned blocks to me. He totally accepted it was a mistake and it wasn't something he would let out the door on a new customer build. This particular one was built purely to demo a new pickup and pre-amp configuration for an electronics manufacturer. Even the wood and neck were specifically chosen to match their tonal requirements. It was never rally designed to be sold but it came back from the show and someone really wanted to buy it and they weren't concerned about the cosmetic flaws at the time. So - my tip is to be very careful if you see anything that's ex-show (especially NAMM) from any manufacturer. There are some really nice show instruments out there but also there will be some with more than a bit of player wear. Of course, if the price is discounted to take that into account then it's fine

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1376393522' post='2173180'] Barrie - I appreciate you know the guy personally and on a business level, which gives you a far better perspective then pretty much everyone in this discussion (and across on TB). I'm sure he's a lovely guy with a real passion for what he does. But surely you can acknowledge that the outcry from the community has been pretty understandable, given that one of their own has been sold a $5000 lemon, and then had the shutters pulled down on any resolution? Do you think the OP should have just 'sucked it up', to use a phrase from across the pond, which is what would have happened if 'the lynch mob' hadn't got involved? Jimmy had a chance to put things right, and he didn't. Now he has to deal with the fall-out. (Of course none of this includes threats, personal stuff and bad words, none of which are acceptable IMO) [/quote] I agree on all counts I do feel sorry for him in the way he was attacked (and is still being attacked in a different thread after the original one was closed on TB). I don't think his reply did him a lot of favours but he is the kind of guy who shoots from the hip. He was obviously upset and felt aggrieved about all the people taking a pop at him and decided to fight back. I also don't think that makes him a bad person (as many on TB are now making out), nor do I think it means that all of his instruments are "crap" and that people should never buy one again (which has also been said on TB). He's just bursting with passion and says what he thinks - doing this in public has obviously, and understandably, upset some people. As it happens I know there's a new one of his basses heading over to the UK very soon and I'm more excited to see / play it than many that have come in recently

[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1376388324' post='2173051'] I would be just about able to forgive the absolutely shoddy quality of that bass---just about, at a push---because I don't know the full story. I also didn't think it was unreasonable that he hadn't posted in that thread. However, once he did decide to participate JC's public response is completely and utterly unforgivable. He may well create fantastic basses (I've never seen one in the flesh, never mind played one) but he doesn't seem to have a clue about PR. There's more to running a good business than making good gear. [/quote] Unfortunately Jimmy is a complete one-man show - he selects the woods, carves them, hand-winds the pickups, puts all the electronics together, does all the sanding and finishing, sprays and lacquers etc. etc. about the only thing he brings in is hardware (and even some of that is custom built for him). He spends pretty much his entire life building instruments and is really not a PR guy at all. In all my experience with him he's been very open and honest. When there's an issue he's accepted it and sorted things without a single quibble. He's also sold some things with obvious flaws and, again in dealings with me, he's explained these very clearly in advance. He's a very, very passionate guy and wears his heart on his sleeve - what you see is what you get with him and I've never had a problem with this. His rebuttal on TB in the face of a lynch-mob is pretty strongly worded and may not be the most PR-friendly way to respond but I can imagine how he felt on discovering that there was a tirade of abuse being fired at him in such a public way and from a bunch of people who'd obviously decided to hang him out to dry. Personally if I had the sort of problems the buyer had I'd get on the phone to Jimmy immediately and, again from personal experience, I'm sure he would have sorted everything without any bother. I can't help like the guy. He absolutely loves what he does and he makes some amazing instruments and puts his all into his, really quite small, business. It seems a shame that so many people on TB seem to be happy to put all kinds of labels on him without actually knowing him or how he works

[quote name='Cairobill' timestamp='1376260938' post='2171562'] Yes, just been perusing this thread. I had the opportunity to play a blocks and binding AC at the gallery a while back and came away thinking that the bass was a nasty piece of work and a colossal waste of money. [/quote] I know that bass It was a show demo item and had flaws in the final build and, most noticeably, the blocks were aligned in an odd way. When Jimmy sold it he, very clearly, identified the issues and reduced the price considerably. When it was sold over here it was, again, clearly marked as being a show demo with some build flaws (none of which affected playability or the core tone - although it was built for Aguilar and had all of their pickups and electronics so it didn't sound like a typical AC). At some point in its history the mentions of these flaws seem to be have been 'forgotten' and it was marketed without any mention of them and at a much higher price than it was probably worth. Someone obviously bought it because it doesn't seem to be for sale any more. It's a good example of why builders should probably not let these types of instruments out on the market. Potentially the first buyer can snag a bargain that might sound good but has cosmetic flaws but if they move it on and mention of the flaws is removed from the for sale notices then people think they are an accurate representation of the brand

[quote name='Bassman Sam' timestamp='1376352424' post='2172808'] I think BC has a long way to go to be anywhere near as bad as Talkcrap but I know what you mean. [/quote] Totally agree - I guess I just worry that BC is also heading down the 'lets slag something off that we know nothing about because it means we don't have to actually hold an opinion' route. I've seen this happen a few times though - almost always over high end builders as well - maybe it's that good old Brit attitude of wanting to find fault in things that are rare / expensive / not made in the UK etc. etc

[quote name='funkypenguin' timestamp='1376350514' post='2172792'] I've played a couple of his basses, and personally the Fodera MG i played blew them away but thats just me [/quote] I've owned both Foderas and Alleva Copollos - both are right up there at the peak of bass building as far as I'm concerned. Very, very different design and build ethics but neither can really do what the other can. On a purely monetary front an MG is a good 50% more expensive than an AC (actually an MG Standard is 50% more, a fully fledged custom is more like 100% more). I can see where the money is though, the MG's are stunning instruments, I've been playing a new MGS recently and it's just a fabulous thing

I'm loving the stuff from people saying things like this thread has been posted for x number of days and Jimmy hasn't bothered to reply so that means I'll never buy one of his basses. Meanwhile the thread was posted on a Friday and, I'm guessing like a lot of working folk, Jimmy won't even have seen it until today. This is on of the hardest working luthiers I've ever met and I know for a fact that he doesn't spend his days aimlessly poring over web forums because, you know, he's like, making basses for a living. . . Talkbass loves nothing more than a good slagging off session and, in recent times, it feels like BC is heading the same way

I've owned several of Jimmy's basses, maybe 5 or 6 over the years and every single one has been absolutely superbly finished and I'm more than happy to vouch for his build quality. I've met him a couple of times and he has a, near obsessive, desire to build the highest quality instruments that deliver not only amazing tonal qualities but also, near perfect, aesthetic original design ethics. I genuinely don't think there's another builder out there that comes remotely close to Jimmy when he's on his game. He really cares about his customers as well. I recently bought the 2nd bass he ever made and the owner had removed the original pickups and replaced them with, rather nasty, Seymour Duncans. As soon as I told Jimmy he offered to replace them with his own hand wound originals completely free of charge - this is not the type of guy who screws with his customers and doesn't care about after sales service! I find the fact that he hasn't replied to this thread somewhat revealing and wonder if there's something kicking around in the background that we don't know about and that he doesn't feel a public web forum is the right place to respond. . .

[quote name='Denzel' timestamp='1376157834' post='2170400'] Molan, Can the 750 not do a moderate volume rehearsal or practice at low volume?? Is it drowning everyone out? I can deal with a headphone amp for personal practice but not up for having two heads long term really. On viewing your gear lineup it looks like you have two of everything!! [/quote] It's fine at medium/low volume but the fan is very noisy for home use (or studio if you were to use am ambient mic's). I do have a habit of doubling up on things, maybe I need both a 750 and a 751, lol

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1376093969' post='2169789'] The La Bellas have change in the last couple of years to having no silks on them. [/quote] I've seen very recent stocks of the standard nickels that still had the windings on. The very latest ones don't have them though (still the same strings, just no silk).

[quote name='Platypus' timestamp='1376091445' post='2169765'] Was meaning to ask you how you were getting on with rig! [/quote] I really like it a lot - it's just a question of whether I can justify having two rigs as it's not really suited to home practice and small rehearsals

Big difference in quality between those two. I think a Minnie is maybe twice the price (but is supposed to be a real pro piece of kit). BassGear in Twyford have just agreed a deal with Jule for the Monique range and should be able to get a Minnie. Delivery times will be circa 2 months though I think.

Should also add that the 750 (or 751) partners the DB410 or GS410 really, really well. In fact the best live bass sound I've ever heard was a DB750 through a pair of GS410's as used by Paul Turner

For me it's the Aguilar every day. Fafner is big and powerful but doesn't have the 'musicality' of the Aggie. Deep, rich, warm and full of natural tone that I think the EBS struggles to replicate. Notes just seem to bloom and fill out as you're playing. The joy of the Aggie is that you just turn it on, plug in your bass and play. Maybe just minor tweaking but no need to spend hours fiddling with controls

Standard La Bella and Carvin strings have black windings. Basically the same strings, really like their nickels.

Whatever you do don't buy a new one - they plummet in value like a stone and prices of new ones seem to keep going up

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1375987062' post='2168364'] I think getting a hardcase is essential for a bass over £1000. Anything over £2k and I'd expect something very high end and fancy. The best hard cases are the new Fender hardcases and the EBMM ones. The best soft cases are the Mono cases. [/quote] I have a loft full of hard cases - I really don't like them and have no use for them at all. I'd much rather have a quality gig bag. The only hard case I have any interest in is the original '64 Fender that came with my P. It's knackered and falling to pieces but looks quit cool

As some of you may know, I help out from time to time in a bass store and we see lots and lots of basses coming in all sorts of packaging and with a huge variance in quality of gig bag and hard cases. However, the single common factor amongst all of them is that not one has ever arrived with any damage I hear horror stories from time to time but we've never experienced a single shipping issue because of poor packing. Admittedly we tend to operate at the higher end of the market but we've also bought in quite a few instruments at cheaper price points. There's a real variance in what people are looking for in terms of cases and gig bags. Some are really pleased with a decent fitted hard case whilst others (generally those who gig a lot) take one look at a hard case and say it'll go straight in the loft and that they'll be using a high end gig bag instead. Meanwhile others see something in a great gig bag and express disappointment because there wasn't a hard case included in the price We can sometimes swap things around but a lot of stuff is branded and/or unique to the manufacturer so it's often difficult. A quick summary of what we get and people's reactions are: Fodera - all new basses over £4K - teardrop Fodera branded hard case - people like the unique case but don't often use them. Ritter - also £4K+ - G&G type hard case without brand logo (as used by Fender for CS and Vintage models) - generally like and more likely to be used as regular transport Alleva Coppolo - again over £4K - usually come in a top quality Protec Contego gig bag - everyone likes these but some people wish they were bespoke models and branded. Now and then people wish they had a typical Fender style hard case. Laurus - circa £4K - slightly odd shaped bespoke gig bag designed to really fit the bass well - everyone does a double take when they first see the case but appreciate that it's a good piece of design to fit the instrument F Bass - circa £2.5K and up - bespoke branded gig bag - generally liked but not as strong or versatile as Protec or a Mono - generally well liked Fender Custom Shop - start at £2K but can rise rapidly - Fender branded G&G type classic hard case, sometimes with colour options like tweed or brown, usually nice bright plush lining - people like these, especially the tweed and brown options and they fit the CS brand really well. Another one for the loft storage though - sometimes because the case is seen as an investment in the future value if they come to sell the bass Wood & Tronics - around £2K - Fairly basic Warwick Rockbag soft/hard case (like a Sadowsky) - people ask why the case has a Warwick logo but usually like them, some comments about the fact that they are the cheapest of this type of design Carvin - starting at around £1K and up to £2K - Carvin branded Fender type hard case - with this brand everyone seems really impressed that they come with a nice hard case. possibly because the basses are perceived to be a 'value' brand and people assume they will only get a gig bag. Godin - around £800 - bespoke branded gig bag, not heavy protection but obviously unique because of design/colour - most people expect to get something like this on a sub £1K bass. Never really hear negative or positive comments, just basic acceptance. Obviously we get all sorts of used and PX instruments in as well but way too many to try and list out what they all come with! Happy to give a view on any (and more depth on any of the above) if anyone wants to know anything

[quote name='Oldman' timestamp='1375854148' post='2166412'] Yep, thats sounds like it, did a similar exercise when first saw the Bona, acquired an ex works price list, twiggy margins, a minimum order stocking plan. It is lovely kit, I am contemplating buying a 4 Ohm XS110 so I can have a three cab rig, dont tell Mrs Blondie [/quote] My replies dried up when I queried pricing structure vs, quality made in USA, competition

Did some investigating on this, checked prices, distribution options etc but they just stopped replying. Maybe they don't really want a UK outlet

Saw him with Stanley Clarke, Anita Baker and with his own band. Always such an exuberant performer and full of fun - one of the funkiest keys men ever! http://youtu.be/CT2ZBoWtNes

Interesting comparison I've heard previously someone who personally loved the sound he was hearing onstage from his Sadowsky but his sound man said his vintage Fender sounded much nicer out front. In that particular case it was possibly that the Sad was brighter and cutting through more on stage but maybe too bright and 'modern' when taken as part of the overall band mix.