molan

[quote name='dood' post='969613' date='Sep 27 2010, 04:09 PM']I'd love to be there! What a line up and a great networking opportunity for any bass player![/quote] Looks like I have a 'chat' set up with Vic Wooten already

So here's a little practical example of the Fodera pricing policy. To have pickup covers made in wood that either match the front of the bass or the fretboard there's an upgrade charge of $450. To perfectly match, cut, finish & fit the covers amounts to 5 hours of labour from either Vinny or Joey (and let's not forget these are two of the foremost luthiers in the world so their time is highly demanded). That's a charge of $90 and hour or approx £60. I recently saw a BMW man hour charge of £115 an hour and, whilst I accept that BMW have to cover some pretty heavy equipment costs, I have a sneaking suspicion that Vinny & Joey are going to be a shade more skilled than the guy who works on my car. In fact even an average service guy for the plumbing or gas is charging about £35 for half an hour around my way! Of course the argument here then becomes whether it should really take them 5 hours to do a job like this. My view is that if it ends up looking absolutely immaculate & that it takes 5 hours to achieve this level of perfection then you pretty much get what you pay for. If you want some beautiful matched pickup covers, which I'm sure have no sonic value whatsoever but make you feel more inspired (or even just make you smile when you pick up the bass), then why not pay to have them fitted?

[quote name='LawrenceH' post='969060' date='Sep 27 2010, 01:24 AM']No, I think claiming a Trabant is the automobile equivalent of a £1200 bass guitar (let's say, oh, a Sandberg or a Shuker) is actually the most ludicrous comment on here And some (not all) of those Fodera prices are effing ridiculous (truss rod cover?!). Of course anyone is entitled to buy such a status item and if it floats your boat great, but you can't have it both ways, everyone else is entitled to think what they like when they see it. You'd better play extremely well indeed if you don't want some of them to think you're a bit of a wally![/quote] Sorry - I thought the point was that if you were only buying things because they would 'do' the job they were intended for then you'd go for the lowest cost option. I'm a very average player so obviously I'm not allowed to buy nice basses because people will think badly of me I'm afraid I still think that calling someone a "bell end" simply because they own something expensive is a ridiculous way to behave, especially in a public forum where some of those people might see the comment and be offended.

[quote name='maxrossell' post='969082' date='Sep 27 2010, 07:12 AM']I know people who own £50 watches, £20,000 cars, £20 handbags and £1,200 basses, and they're people who work bloody hard, are very successful at their careers and are reaping the benefits. Most people would think that those things are very nice indeed. But everyone I've ever met who owns £5,000 watches, £200,000 cars, £200 handbags and £12,000 basses inherited their wealth and hasn't done a proper day's work in their entire lives.[/quote] Maybe that's why we differ in opinions - I haven't met anyone with a £200K car (there really can't be many of these out there?) but I do know plenty of people who've had £40K - £60K cars, £200 is nothing out of the ordinary for a handbag for a lot of people I know (the last one my wife bought was £350 in the sale!), £3K+ watches are definitely pretty common where I work and, mostly through BC, I've met quite a few people with basses worth loads of money. Without exception every single one of these people has worked very hard indeed have enough money to buy these things. . .

Booked my tickets yesterday - looks like a great line-up this year! Clinics from: Victor Wooten Anthony Wellington Darryl Jones Sean Hurley Matt Garrison Nathan Watts Billy Sheehan Mike Inez David Ellefson Alphonso Johnson Divinity Roxx Bootsy Collins Bunny Brunel Alex Al Steve Bailey Gig featuring: Andrew Gouche Alphonso Johnson Quartet Boosty Collins All-Star Band Special Guest Appearances By: Tal Wilkenfeld Nathan East Lee Sklar Verdine White Chris Chaney Bryan Beller Jimmy Earl Reggie Hamilton Mike Merritt Paul S. Denman Oskar Cartaya John Pena John B. Williams Mike Visceglia Looks like a fun weekend

I have to admit that this thread has actually renewed my interest in buying a new Fodera - watch this space for 'incoming' messages

[quote name='Chris2112' post='968922' date='Sep 26 2010, 10:21 PM']To be honest, I think we'd all be so vulgar if we could afford it![/quote] I totally agree. I've always found that the only people who bitch about other people who own beautiful and expensive things are those that simply can't afford them themselves - the ones who shout the loudest are usually the young who don't understand the concept of accumulated wealth, or those who have reached a stage in their lives when they realise they are unlikely ever to be able to afford them. Both groups usually then resort to 'knob' jokes - still, if it keeps them amused then so be it . . .

[quote name='maxrossell' post='968250' date='Sep 26 2010, 11:33 AM']Hey, you know, they're running a business. It all depends on who they want to cater for. When I see someone with a £5,000 watch when a £50 watch will do, with a £200,000 car when a £20,000 car will do, with a £200 handbag when a £20 handbag will do, or with a £12,000 bass when a £1,200 bass will do, I think one thing. And that thing is "bell end".[/quote] You know, I genuinely think this is one of the most ludicrous comments I've ever seen on BC, lol. I'm assuming you have a £5 plastic Watch, drive a Trabant, keep your money in one those fabric and Velcro wallets and play a £50 Chinese made bass - after all, each these will 'do' the job for which they were intended. . . Personally if I met someone with all of those expensive things you listed I'd assume they'd worked bloody hard, been very successful at their careers and were reaping the benefits - and good luck to them, that's what I'd say

[quote name='velvetkevorkian' post='967074' date='Sep 24 2010, 07:43 PM']The NYCs are chambered for weight, aren't they?[/quote] I think a lot of the newer ones are. I read somewhere (maybe TB) that Sadowsky had said it was getting increasingly hard to find high quality woods with a consistently light weight and that's why they use chambers a lot now.

[quote name='EBS_freak' post='966707' date='Sep 24 2010, 02:07 PM']..or pretty any J bass with the Sadowsky electronics in it. Don't get bogged down in the mythical Sadowsky snake oil thing. There is no real secret ingredients in getting the Sadowsky tone - it's pretty much down to the pickups/circuit... it certainly doesn't come from the woods or construction (afterall, it's the same as pretty much every bolt on jazz type bass)[/quote] I must admit that I agree with this in principle - however I did once try a stock Fender USA J with Sadowsky electronics fitted (that's what i was told anyway) and it didn't capture the sound I associate with Sads all that well. It was a pretty heavy beast though and every Sad i've played has been very light so maybe it's those good old natural wood resonance effects making the difference.

[quote name='bubinga5' post='963525' date='Sep 21 2010, 04:48 PM']Most of the time, especially buying from Molan, the basses are set up way better than a shop anyway...[/quote] Forgot to say thanks for the reference BB5 I've kinda kept out of this debate but all I'd say is that, having tried a pretty fair selection of 'super' J basses, if you want the Sadowsky 'sound' then only a Sadowsky will deliver it. Other people come close but, to my insensitive ears, they never quite nail it. I've only ever gigged a Sadowsky once and the sound guy (who also happened to be a bass player) said it was the best bass core tone they'd heard at the venue. I have a couple of NYC's sitting next to me right now, along with a Celinder & an Alleva Coppolo, and when I'm playing at home the Sadowsky J would probably be my least favourite. However, those words from the sound guy are still haunting me. . .

I think I read somewhere that PC has had some health problems, whatever they were it was bad enough that he was unable to play drums live on the tour. I thought he really seemed to have aged and certainly wasn't moving very well. Although I can take or leave a lot of his solo work I still think his touring band with the Pheonix horns & Lee Sklar on bass absolutely killed live I watched the show purely to see Bob Babbit, I was lucky enough to see the full 'Standing in the Shadows' funk brothers band when they played a few years back & Babbit is a bit of a legend. He'll always be a bit in the shadow of Jamerson but a fine player nevertheless.

I really liked Queen Emily, great to see a, mostly, older white band laying down a great funky groove. Really nice tone from the Kubicki / Ampeg set up too

Last time I saw Manring he was just phenomenal. To be honest I find a lot of his stuff difficult to listen to at home but he is an astonishing player to watch. I just checked out Alex B as well - some pretty amazing stuff going on there as well. God knows what it might sound like to hear these two playing together!

I'm not sure that "best bass maker" & "future collectibles" necessarily go together? A hell of a lot of collectible basses are in that position because the original maker is dead / gone bust / gave up making them any more etc. Some of these might actually be very good but others aren't so great in terms of playability, sound & build quality. . .

Always loved this song - real floor filler Went to see Teena Marie not that long ago and they had a great pair of DJ's playing beforehand. One of them played this & the whole room was full of people singing along. There's an instrumental version as well - useful for picking out the bass line:

Currently due to be flying to the Carib that day but not 100% confirmed yet. Would really like to be there if I can

Just my 2 cents but I think it'll be worth less in black - if you decide to refin then make sure it's a 'keeper'

[quote name='Platypus' post='952385' date='Sep 11 2010, 12:18 AM']Barrie, well I tried to tell you that, back in June, when I said "Perhaps the Staccato model would have suited you more.." [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=69137&hl=Staccato&st=222"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...cato&st=222[/url] [/quote] Lol - only problem was that they were a grand back then Much cheaper now - yay