Dingus

Have you considered a Bongo? I like them just about the best of any current EBMM bass myself, and if you like the sound of a Jazz then the more defined sound of a Bongo might be more to your taste than a Stingray or Sterling.

[quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1386702162' post='2303347'] A visit to that workshop must have been magical. My current Ibanez Sr1205 has a Wenge neck with stringers and it is a gorgeous wood. I have promised myself a Wal with Wenge facings before I die (still regret moving my old mk1 custom on!). [/quote] Enough talk about dying! Wals are great basses, but I wouldn't plan the rest of my life round them , that's for sure . By that time you will probably be able to buy a bass as good as a Wal for about a hundred quid that has been made in China by beagles specially trained to operate computerised machinery whilst smoking fags . I couldn't say it was magical - I had gotten up [i]way[/i] too early to get the train to Wycombe- but the last time I went to the workshop I got to play ( very badly) the prototype for the first ever Wal six string while Paul serviced my bass . That prototype had a solid ash body, from what I remember, and I think it eventually went to Rob Burns. They didn't have a lot of new basses sitting around to try out usually, maybe just one or two at most , but there was usually quite a few basses in for servicing, but they were strictly off-limits. They had an old Jonas Hellborg combo in the room where they kept the basses, if I remember correctly, and a Trace Elliot cab, I think . What I do remember clearly is they were the nicest, most decent people you could ever wish to meet. They treated everybody as if they were important, and they were generous to a fault in not charging much at all for servicing and repair work quite often, and giving away things like free sets of strings. Pete was a true gent, as well as a master craftsman, and I wish he was still with us. I had a wenge Wal ,among others, and it had a very agressive sound, from what I remember. It was also very heavy. There is no doubt that wenge is a really remarkable wood for making bassesin terms of the tone it can produce. Warwick basses and similar designs like your Ibanez have a very noticable compression to the sound of the notes as well as a mixture of richness , strong mids and brightness, and I'm sure it must be because wenge is so hard and dense.

Strings were definitely the big gimmick for ELO back in the day. They also had perms sported by various members of the band that put even those worn at that time by the players of Liverpool F.C to shame, and that was some achievement.

[quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1386694505' post='2303181'] Wow, I never knew that about Wal...thanks for sharing. Every day is a school day! [/quote] That's why when they got serious about making basses they ended up in High Wycombe. Everything they needed in terms of tooling the wood for the basses was in one place . The workshop for most of their time was a space in a pretty big old factory unit, from what I remember( it's twenty years since I was last there , near enough) , and then towards the end, (if I understand correctly because I wasn't playing Wals anymore by this time, ) Pete had a space in the corner of another furniture factory, and I think they let him use some of the machines and woodworking facilities. Wenge is widely used for marquetry work on fancy furniture, apparently, so should be pretty easy to source as a veneer.

For me the difference between a cheesy cover song and a rock classic is around seven pints of beer. Less drink than that and I am [i]way [/i]too cool to enjoy sweaty dad rock , and much more than that and I am likely to be singing "Eye Of The Tiger " with my trousers round my ankles to an assembled audience of police officers and cleaning ladies.

I think the fundamental stylistric difference between ELO and Wizard was that ELO were derivative of the Beatles and Wizard were derivative of Phil Spector. At the time ELO were thought of as a mainstrean pop act, but Wizard were a bubblegum pop act, thought of as a bit of a novelty band. Because of that, maybe some of Roy Wood's artistry has been overlooked, but just like Jeff Lynne and ELO, there is no doubt he was a very smart guy with a musical vision. Looking at their work and comparing it, you would have to say that Jeff Lynne was more prolific and more consistant at making artistically and commercially successful records.

[quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1386685907' post='2303063'] T Do you know where I could get the correct wood in such a smal quantity? [/quote] Just about all the exotic woods used for fancy tops on basses are what are commonly referred to as "fine furniture woods", and are available either as planks or veneers from fine furniture wood suppliers, of whom there are quite a few. It is no coincidence the Wal were based at High Wycombe , which is the epicentre of the British furniture making trade has traditionally been. The basses were, for much of the time Wal were there, made in a corner of a furniture making factory, with the company being able to make use of various facilities that were of common use to both guitar building and furniture making trades. In light of that, if you try searching on the internet for U.K suppliers of fine furniture woods, you should have no problems tracking down a suitable piece of wenge.

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1386624257' post='2302427'] I'm 60 but certainly wasn't listening to anything like ELO in the 70s. That was thought of as TOTP fodder at the time to me. This was a rich period for music so surely there must be some Dads out there that were into The Clash, Joy Division etc. [/quote] The drab but fascinating reality of life in Britain in the 1970's has become all but lost in the general public perception of that era , which become so skewed by silly fantasy versions where everyone had big afros and wore spangly flares and danced to ABBA at discotheques with flashing lights under the dancefloor . The prevailing collective anxieties of a declining post-Imperial , post-industrial society and the undercurrent of menace and casual violence that prevailed have been airbrushed from the collective imagination,, but those things were what characterised that time in this country. The point of that is that I am genuinely interested to know , what was the [u][i]real [/i][/u]soundtrack to the '70's? Was it what what the majority of folks were listening to, which was whatever the sinister and incredibly influential men at Radio 1 ( they had what was in effect a State-run monopoly over pop music at the time ) told them to listen to and buy, or was it the more experimental music that was a product of and reaction to those social conditions? Joy Division , inadvertantly or otherwise, sound like the embodiment of decaying urban Britain in the late 1970's , but then again , hardly anyone was listening to them at the time and their legend has grown over time , and Mull Of Kintyre or Mr Blue Sky say just as much about the same things by implication of what they self-conciously chose to focus on [i]instead[/i] of those things. ELO were indeed another mainstream top 40 act that seemed to most of us to make notable but ultimately disposable chart music . Just like with ABBA ( who were derided by" serious" music fans at the time as being trite, throwaway pop), it's only now that people have taken a step back and realised the intricacies and sheer artistry of their music. All I would add to what has already been said is that Jeff Lynne has got one of the great rock and roll voices , and his vocals are pivotal in making those ELO records so distinctive.

[quote name='burno70' timestamp='1386581696' post='2301618'] 'Come on Baby squirt some gravy.' Nobody does lyrics like that anymore! [/quote] That lyric has a special significance for Mike.

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1386456113' post='2300441'] Mike Patton is a musical wonder. [/quote] Just don't leave him unattended around your headphones, or anything else for that matter. Trust me , he is a dangerous man to know. .

Surely it would be possible to track down the previous owner responsible for this" work" and bring them to justice? Instead of contacting Martin Simms and the Bass Doc I would be more inclined to get in touch with Interpol! This is a guitar crime the likes of which I have seldom seen. If this bass could talk , all it could probably say would be " Aaaaaahhhhhh!!!!!!!", or at or maybe just "Ouch!". What I find hard to understand is why , even before they were as valuable as they are now ( fifteen years ago you could easily pick up a decent used Wal for £600) , someone would choose a Wal of all basses to do this to. It just makes no sense. It's like giving me a pair of fake breasts, a jug of custard and wig and expecting me to be able to perform a Liza Minnelli tribute act at a local holiday camp . This bass would never substitute for a Jazz Bass , even if you lived in Albania and had previously been playing bass on an egg slicer strung with razor wire and tuned down an octave. All I can say is that my thoughts and prayers are with the victims of this senseless and vicious attack . Lets hope you can at least give this poor beast a dignified and comfortable existance for the rest of its' days .

That video is a professional-quality piece of work, Johan, and that is a great selection of basses with some fascinating and unusual choices . Thanks for taking the time to make it and share it with us. If I had one piece of constructive criticism it would be that it would be far better to focus primarily on the clean sound of the basses rather than the distorted tone. I know that distorted bass tones are fashionable in certain genres of music at the moment, but when assessing the sound of a bass in itself, distortion can give a very false impression of the unadorned sound of the instrument. I would venture that the distorted tone of these basses reveals far less of the subtleties of the sonic differences between these basses than the same video showcasing the clean tones would. Even so, I still really enjoyed watching this, and I look forward to seeing whatever videos you produce in future.

USA Peavey basses are indeed top class instruments, despite being overlooked and dismissed by some people. Peavey started out as a lower -cost alternative to the already established big-name players in the industry in the early 1970's. and has never quite shaken off that image, despite the fact that they have always been superior quality products with a lot of thought and planning having gone into their designs , and some of their more upmarket offerings are as good as anything on the market.

This might be stating the obvious, so forgive me if you have done this as a matter of course , but have you checked that height of the pickup on the Japanese bass? If it is lower than it should be, the pickup will sound weak. If the pickup is at the right height then there is a way to measure the output of the pickup in terms of resistance. I think . I don't know how to do it, I'm afraid, but someone on Basschat will, I expect . I suppose at worst, a new pickup will sort out the problem .

If you want a serious answer, sell then buy, because then at least you will know how much cash you have realised from the prospective sales. It's all pie in the sky until the punters put some money in your hot little hand, so if the money from the unwanted gear is important to you then wait and see what you can get then go shopping for more stuff . I am currently selling some D'Addario strings on Basschat , and so far the unreasonable bastards who who pass themselves off as the members of of this site have failed to buy them , despite my bargain price, easy payment terms and promise of complete satisfaction and the chance to win a night out with one of the actresses from Hollyoaks , so I wouldn't take it for granted that your gear will sell automatically.

[quote name='Raymondo' timestamp='1386511067' post='2300842'] Well I had one of the best nights of my life! It was fantastic,sure,the strokes have meant that Tony doesn't sing very much now but his wife jo did brilliantly.I got to chat to all the band members and even got asked to play in the jam session that followed the gig. Dave Anderson (ex Hawkwind) the bass player kindly let me use his gear,unfortunately Tony didn't join in on the songs I played but he was very appreciative and encouraging. Tony and his wife run an open Mic session at the pub every Tuesday...I intened driving over to join in a few times in the new year. Yes I know I am suddenly calling him Tony but they were all so friendly (and amazing musicians!) that I felt like a friend. [/quote] Isn't it funny how , more often than not, musicians who have been there and done it and who are the real deal are the most friendly and welcoming , and that it is the no -mark wannabes that you come across now and again who turn out to be the ones with the bad attitude and heirs and graces.

[quote name='JamesFlashG' timestamp='1386513598' post='2300871'] Ok so i am really unsure what i want mainly because i have not had the option to play many only to read about them, I have around £1000 budget so i can get something pretty nice second hand for that price i think, i would prefer a 5 string bass i have been looking at: Fender jazz deluxe 4 & 5 Fender Precision deluxe (P/J config) Fender Marcus miller sig (v) Mayones Jabba 5 Sandberg TM5 Overwater classic Jazz (probably will struggle for one of these with my budget) G & L JB Lakland any other suggestions for me to check out? I'm basically going to make a list and contact somewhere in london that has a huge stock of basses ( the bass gallery is the only place I know of?) and just spend a day playing them and comparing because i really don't want to buy something without playing it first! so please give me your thoughts on the above basses and any others you can think of like i said mainly interested in jazz style basses but also quite interested in a P/J config as well! [/quote] [quote name='OliverBlackman' timestamp='1386514156' post='2300878'] If you're going to be London way I have an Overwater Jazz 5 for sale that you can try out. [/quote] Of the basses on your list, Oliver's Overwater Jazz will almost certainly be in a different class in terms of overall build quality. I've played plenty of Overwaters over the years ( although never a Jazz Bass) and they were all what you would expect from a top quality handmade bass. One thing to consider for any of the basses you are considering or that people recommend is do you like or even prefer a 35 inch scale length? If so then you options are more numerous, but if not you can forget about the Lakland for a start. Some Overwaters are also 35 inches for the fives, but not all of them I think , so you would need to look into that. The Fenders you list are not so great as five strings , in my experience( although I have not played the Marcus Miller) . The preamps were indifferent at best , and the low B was definitely weak and dissappointing on all the five string Am Deluxe basses I have played . On that note, if you are shopping for a five , two things to consider as priorities are how does the low B sound in its' own right and also in relation to the other strings( i.e if it is uniform in tone and timbre ) , and is the string spacing comfortable for you ? If either or both of those things don't please you then chances are you will never be happy with or enjoy playing the bass.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1386448578' post='2300352'] I will always remember them thus: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyLrD-OAu2k[/media] [/quote] When I first started playing , and even a bit before then , that was one of the songs that kids playing in their bedrooms were trying to play. In however modest a way, Tony McFee was a guitar hero of his day . Yes, it can be sad sometimes to see bands playing in reduced circumstances , but ,at the same time, I have nothing but respect for these guys that they are still doing it . I would have thought though, that a band with a history and a cult following like The Groundhogs could easily pull enough of a crowd to be doing music clubs rather than local pubs.

Just be aware that finding a good Rickenbacker is almost as rare as finding someone on Talkbass with a sense of humour.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1386441773' post='2300236'] They were. The current mrs discreet was a Greenham Common woman. To this day she regales me with hilarious stories about latrine-digging, women being strong and how to knit your own wholemeal tipi. [/quote] If Mrs Dingus knew how to dig a latrine, our life together would have been very different.

[quote name='itsmedunc' timestamp='1386441496' post='2300232'] Slightly off key but about 26 yrs ago I was banned from playing at 'musician collective' venues. I wore a union jack t-shirt and the 'Women of the World' stage started to call me a Nazi based only on the 'offensive' emblem that I wore. The mid 20's ringleader (with a girlfriend of 15!) decided to rant and rave at me backed by nods and tuts from her cohorts. I didnt see why I had to defend myself over my t-shirt so I told her to f**k off and do some ironing. I was then (without trial) duly given my marching orders for being a sexist. The latter 80's were indeed dark times... I suppose at the time, being a vicious scaremongering paedophile was ok! [/quote] Ah , I remember it all so well and those were indeed great days to be an angry woman . I could tell you so many stories of how , during the long and bitter war against Thatcher , otherwise very ordinary women managed to do and say extrordinarilly silly things. under the guise of feminism. I wish it was that time again, to be honest with you . Nowadays both men and women seem to be united in the unbridled pusuit of buying more useless crap they don't really need . That woman you mention is probably a Tory councillor now. I have had the thought more than once that there would be money to be made from a Peace Camp-themed holiday park , where disgruntled liberals of various persuasions could go ( for a fee, of course) for a week or two to get whatever injustices are currently making their blood boil off their chests. The evening entertainment put on by the staff of the camp would be like a period-correct benefit concert, with out-of -work actors playing the part of Paul Weller , UB40 and Bronski Beat. Instead of bringing spending money , holidaymakers would be given a Giro when they arrived at the beggining of the week that they could cash at a fake post office, and then they would have to make that money last the whole two weeks of the holiday. We would then sell them lentils and Findus Crispy Pancakes at exhorbitant prices. The possibilities are almost endless.

[quote name='Booooooom' timestamp='1386429525' post='2300024'] Our singer just points out that there's no f in Christmas songs... [/quote] There is if you spell it "Chriffmas" , as if you had a speech impediment...

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1386437965' post='2300164'] What, like Stradivarius violins..? It's possible I suppose, but both my one-piece maple necks have had most of the lacquer removed using the traditional Scotchbrite pad method, as recommended by Bill Turnbull. He keeps bees, you know. Edit: Oh wait, you mean between the frets? [/quote] Yes, the fingerboard.. . between the frets. I like a laquered maple board , but a lot of basses nowadays have got an oil and wax finish on the maple and it's really noticable that the sound on those basses is much warmer and closer in sound to rosewood ect than from a laquered board.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1386436618' post='2300144'] Of course what I should have said is 'maple neck with maple fingerboard' or indeed 'one-piece maple neck'. The thin sliver of fingerboard may or may not be important but I do think a one-piece has a bearing on the 'tone' if you want to call it that, having had two basses with a one-piece maple neck. [/quote] I think a laquered maple fingerboard definitely does make a difference to the sound on a Fender, without a doubt , though I do think it's more the laquer you are hearing than the maple . .