molan

[quote name='M@23' timestamp='1464383372' post='3059145'] Cheers Barrie. Gigged it last night. It's great. The low notes below E are fantastic and I found myself using them more than I have with other basses! It's such a joy to play. Loved the VTC too, found myself using that more than I initially thought. You're right though, it just had its place in the mix. Our guitarist used a beautiful old Strat - and the whole band sounded better than it has before. Everything sat in its own space. The Sadowsky pre is outrageous, and the whole instrument is so responsive to how you play. [/quote] Excellent! I really like the VTC option with a push / pull active passive bass. On one of my basses I have the passive tone set up to be really 'old school' with the tone wound quite far back and then using the pre more on the active setting. I spent a lot of time talking to Roger about his pre. He spent ages perfecting it based on real user input to get it just 'right' for gigging players. My Sadowsky is the only 34" scale bass I ever gig with these days

Having seen a lot at BassGear i'd agree that '08 was the beginning of a better standard across the board for USA models and from 2010 onwards things got a lot more uniform. The Vintage RI models stepped up a notch when the new models were introduced in 2013. Oddly there were a few models from the RI range with slightly dodgier QC before this. '13 and onwards basses were definitely better with upgraded pickups and a more authentic tone. Non USA standards are probably a little more wayward and you sometimes find a bass with sharp frets, some bridge issues and the odd dodgy neck but these are a lot rarer than they used to be. Overall you still need to try and try before you buy, especially in terms of getting the sound you want, but the USA instruments shouldn't really have any basic QC issues now

[quote name='obbm' timestamp='1464213846' post='3057714'] Nice one. I just love the natural look. I have 2 Metros, a PJ and a UV70, both natural 4-stringers, and they are without doubt the best basses I have ever owned. They feel and sound just right. I'm always getting good comments from the band. [/quote] Natural UV70's are great funk basses - they just nail that sound perfectly and the natural finish adds a really authentic late 70's vibe

[quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1464213079' post='3057704'] I don't get it? Are these new Barefaced cabs? [/quote] Build quality looks to be an improvement if they are 😂

Sadowsky basses really come to life in a live gigging situation. If you like it in he shop and t home just wait until you hear it with the band at volume

[quote name='neilp' timestamp='1463480528' post='3051620'] I have to say this is something I've never understood. My basses don't go, and have never gone, outside the door unless in a hard case. They're too precious to me. [/quote] I'm completely the opposite - My basses leave the house all the time and their hard cases never leave my loft. In fact I have two custom built full flight cases that came with basses when new that have never been used

Just for fun I took the, slightly strange, route of re-stringing my old '63 Jazz with Thomastik Infeld flats, using an all valve Monique pre-amp and then making myself play with a pick for an evening of rehearsals. Sounded great and was fun to use a pick as I haven't used one for years. Didn't spot any change in action but the TI's are a slightly lighter gauge than my rounds and are definitely lower tension. Nice for the old girl to have an outing as well. Hasn't been used for ages

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1463414486' post='3051169'] 5-series is the way to go ... [/quote] Believe me, I've thought about it I reckon a full sized gig bag will go in the boot. Mind you, I once had 15 basses in the 3 Coupe and a lot of those were in hard cases!

[quote name='spongebob' timestamp='1463391792' post='3050884'] However, I could get my bass behind the seats if it was in something thinner...hence my curiosity was tweaked by the Mono M80 bag. Noticed the do a Vertigo at £50 more.... [/quote] There's usually not more than £10 between the price of an M80 and a Vertigo. The Sleeve is roughly £50 cheaper than either but it's quite different from the M80 and Vertigo. I've used the M80 a lot. Works well for me, nice big pockets and not too bulky. Just moved to Harvest leather but that's a lot more money Part of the reason for this is purely because of the 'car boot' syndrome. Harvest make a shorter scale bag that takes my Ritters perfectly and it just fits inside a BMW 3 Coupe boot. The M80 laid across the back seat OK though.

[quote name='OutSpoon' timestamp='1458595849' post='3009016'] Thanks guys - solid advice. I'm working with their team at the moment on the best options to get my baby home! [/quote] They can sort all the paperwork for export. Costs about $125 (but you'll have to pay VAT on top)

[quote name='OutSpoon' timestamp='1458498208' post='3008092'] Or is this just the cost of doing business and he should Do The Right Thing? [/quote] Be careful with a Fodera. You could, theoretically, get caught out on either side of the Atlantic if you don't have the correct paperwork. The butterfly in the headstock requires official export papers signed by the US dept of agriculture and fisheries confirming that the abalone used has come from a verified and sustainable source. If examined and you don't have these papers then it could be impounded and I'm not even sure you have a right to it back! In terms of getting a UK receipt of purchase you'd need to find someone who's happy to say they sold a Fodera knowing that they aren't officially for sale in the UK (although there's obviously routes through European retailers).

[quote name='Grassie' timestamp='1458588661' post='3008917'] Ooh, so how do you become a Fodera salesman? Can anyone do it? Any jobs going? Go on - gissajob. [/quote] Stage one is to move to another country No UK Fodera retail options any more.

I've been gigging my white Cora a lot recently. In fact, so much so, that I've just bought another Cora so I can keep one at home and leave the other at the rehearsal space when I need to

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1453993002' post='2965103'] Funny that. A big reason I got my pair of 1126 was that they fitted perfectly in the boot of my small car (A3 Sportback), as you may remember I found something yesterday... I have a couple of BF cabs that almost but not quite fitted in my boot. I always carried one in the boot and another on my backseat. They looked like they *almost* could fit but it was impossible to get both there. Last night I was transporting 3 sets of speakers with my seats down, and after unloading at the end of the night I decided to leave the two BF in the car overnight. What I found was that with both cabs in place in the boot, I could pull the backseat up just fine... and voila! They do fit after all! It's just that there's no extra clearance to get them in or out without loosening the backseat backrest first. I'm not saying that it will solve your problem, of course... but if you think they are almost there but not quite, perhaps it'll help... and then you can let your lust for the 1126 go wild? [/quote] Unfortunately my car is a 'coupe' so I can't convert completely. The rear seats do fold but I I'd have to load through the car so it would be a bit of a pain. There is enough space in terms of volume but it's the load angle getting the 1126 over the lip of the boot that causes the problem. The ones that amazed me were the Aggie Sl112's - I can fit two of those in the same space!