Dingus

At least now we can have a thread about the thread .

No Bongo thread today ? I can't remember what life was like before .

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1358202295' post='1934928'] I have warmed to the Big Al 5, I would love to try one at some point [/quote] The problem I have with the Big Al is the pointed body shape . Sometimes when I am playing the bass through my amp at home the fellow in the house next door hammers on the wall and shouts " I'll come round there and stick that thing up your f***ing arse if you don't turn it down ! " . If he ever carried out his threat with one of these I expect it would be [b][i]very [/i][/b]painful :

[quote name='thepurpleblob' timestamp='1358202095' post='1934921'] You either like the look of the Bongo or you don't, I'm not going there, but it's a very good instrument. It's actually a really ergonomic design, it's lighter than the Stingray and it's got an even punchier output - especially on the thin strings which can be a bit of a weak spot on the 'Ray. [/quote] I too find the Bongo is very even across all four strings . The Dand G really ring out loud and clear .

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1358201767' post='1934912'] Some harsh comments on the Classic Rays, its not like a Fender rehash really, it has a slab body so thats not off the shelf, strung through strings which is unique to the classic as has its repro pre EB muted bridge, they also come with either a flamed maple or birdseye maple neck rather than an unlaquered plain maple like all the rest For me its still all about either a 2 or 3 band Ray with a single H, just choose your coulour and fingerboard and be done with ya [/quote] +1 Classic Rays look and sound fab to me , too .

The Sterling also has a neck profile that is narrower at the nut , closer to a Jazz Bass than a Stingray . The Bongo is a completely new design , and they are fabulous basses in my opinion . The Stingray Classic is designed to look ., feel and sound closer to the original MM basses from the late 70s , although it is ( intentionally ) by no means a faithful reproduction of them . The sound depends on the chosen pickup configuration , but the single H pickup in the traditional MM losition on any of those basses will give the classic Stingray tone , more or less . Other pickup combinations will give that sound with other additional tones thrown in . The single H Bongo will sound like a Stingray , but the HH and HS models have their own sound that is quite different .

[quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1358184996' post='1934485'] What the heck are JB's? I am just not down with the kids at all. and here's how we know- Currently listening to ABBA. Apparently i'm not down with anybody! [/quote] I got told I look like a down- and -out recently . Does that count ?

Don't judge the Sennheisers too soon Milton , they need a good amount of use to break in . The diaphragm in the earpieces of most headphones slacken off with use , usually allowing the bass to get a bit more generous and the overall sound to get better all round . I have used some Sennheiser HD485 phones as my main headphone for about three years now and they are superb , especially considering that they only cost about £45 when I bought them . I prefer them to my much more expensive AKGs .

As with any transaction , the seller can ask whatever price he chooses and if someone is daft enough to pay it then good luck ! I don't think I will be waving eighteen hundred of my own English pounds at this particular bass though .

A bit too ornate for me too , but could look a lot better in a different finish than the ones in those pics . Anyone got any idea of what thesec would cost in the UK ? I think these could turn out to be very nice basses .

[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1358170318' post='1934105'] It's an amazing line (ignore pun), but my favourite is 'I know I need a small vacation, but it don't look like rain'. It's just overloaded (ignore pun) with pathos and resigned acceptance, that line speaks (ignore pun) so deeply to me for some reason. [/quote] Witchita Lineman - probably my favourite record of all time . A slice of perfection . So beautiful and so brilliant it makes me want to cry . That trio of Jimmy Webb songs that Glenn sang - Witchita Lineman , By The Time I Get To Phoenix and Gaveston - form a kind of suite that tell a story about hitherto hidden parts of American life in a particular era . I am genuinely awed by these records .

Thanks for posting this . EWF were a band I used to give a wide berth to when I was younger , but in recent years I have come to appreciate that , behind the outlandish costumes and over- the -top stage show , they were a funky powerhouse .

Craig Logan in Bros before the chronic fatigue syndrome set in . Mimed a bit , pulled loads of birds and then buggered off with loads of cash while they still had some money to pay him with . My hero .

[quote name='Fionn' timestamp='1358075826' post='1932571'] In this concert from 1993, he is using Trace Elliot gear ... 1x15 and 4x10 cabs, not sure what the head is, but it's [b][i]not[/i][/b] one of the valve heads. Can anyone shed light on this? It's a great concert, check it out when you've got a spare hour and a half ... [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhC-hhavnYg[/media] [/quote] I saw Stuarts rig up close in the summer of 93 and he was using one of the regular AH Series Trace heads from what was the current range at the time . I remember it had the Trace logo moulded into the sleeve of the head - I think they were made of or covered in injection moulded plastic or something around this time . I was using Trace gear back then ( still am now in fact ) so it stuck in my mind .

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1357995311' post='1931518'] I don' t go into music shops. Actually' I never try gear and bought all my gear without playing it first. What am I like? [/quote] You're not alone in that I havent played the actual bass I have ended up owning in over twenty years . They were all either ordered from stock or custom built .

[quote name='BassPimp66' timestamp='1357956365' post='1931141'] I don't like music shop playing as I find the basses typically unplayable: 1) mega-high action 2) bass out of tune 3) heavy gauge strings (I like lights!). So many times I picked a bass in a store and it felt completely wrong compared to the way I keep my basses set up. [/quote] +1 on that . I've played so many basses in shops that felt like they were set up for King Kong to play that I've often wondered if there is something wrong with me and I am a nine stone weakling ( actually , I wouldn't mind being nine stone . )

Some vids to wet your appetite Sean : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-3qfwJzhEo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWdCmN2Ap6k

I went to see Jamiroquai on the first UK tour in 93 and was backstage and got to see Stuart soundchecking and have a few words with him . He used a pink Stingray four string for one song ( I think the song Revolution ) , and although my memories of the evening are a bit hazy , I seem to remember that he told me it was the bass he had before the Warwick .

Ideally , they will be playing some background music in the shop that I can play along to or , even better , that I actually know how to play well already . That way I can jam along , and if I'm lucky I can effect a look as if I have just picked up the tune on the spot and am some kind of bass guitar genius .

[quote name='Pete Academy' timestamp='1357927575' post='1930809'] I work in a music shop. What I find most with people, especially younger ones, is the need to play everything at top speed. Drummers are terrible for this. Don't forget we've heard it all before, so we don't judge anyone. Just be yourself. [/quote] I remember a friend of mine who worked in a guitar shop in the late 80s claiming that he was suffering from post traumatic stress disorder from hearing the guitar intro to Sweet Child Of Mine played ( usually wrongly ) so many times .

I have played Play That Funky Music so many times that it has now imprinted its ' chord progression into my mitochondrial DNA . I have dreams about the chromatic walk up from A flat to B flat . And I once had an argument with a Dutchman about the correct way to play Addicted To Love that almost came to blows . And I recently realised he was probably right .

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1357899583' post='1930141'] I feel slightly nauseous [/quote] Don't knock it till you've tried it .

[quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1357847288' post='1929545'] Hope you're not saying that from experience [/quote] Sadly not .

It might all have changed now , but during my time in NYC in the late 80s / early 90s the big guitar shops in Manhattan were mainly on 48th Street - Mannys , Rudys ect - but musician friends who live there often tell me that when they come to London they think the music shops are much better than in NYC , and from my limited experience I would tend to agree . 48th St is great for looking , but the prices are geared towards rich tourists and investment bankers rather than genuine enthusiasts , but it's still well worth a visit and just off Times Square so easy to get to . Sam Ash on 48th St has got a specially designated bass lounge with some interesting stuff in from all accounts . That street is where it all happens .

Like looking at Judith Chalmers topless sunbathing ie a nice pair but very orange .