Dingus

Any discussion about Rush inevitably ends up with the same unanswerable question : why can't they seem to make a Rush album anymore ?

[quote name='noelk27' timestamp='1383598082' post='2266485'] Really? Did you take the time to read up on noise and nuisance at common law? If you had something tells me you'd already know the answer to your problem, and that's to turn the big rig off and shut the f*ck up. [/quote] To be fair , the law is ambiguous in that people are allowed to make a "reasonable" amount of noise at a reasonable time of day . It isn't against the anti-social behaviour laws to play your bass at sensible volume levels for short periods during the day , even if you live in a flat . A great deal is open to interpretation , essentially , and the law sets no specific noise level which is the point at which noise becomes excessive . But all that is largely irrelevant . Does anybody really want to make someone else's life a misery because they want to play through an amp ? Is it really worth causing another person that kind of distress?

I like a lot of things about this album . This is the one that marked a distinct about-turn and return to basics , no doubt influenced by the new music of the time that eschewed the grandiose over-production and sterility that had prevailed throughout the 1980's . I went to see them on the Counterparts tour and they were just as slick as ever. Counterparts had a lot of potential and is a great -sounding record in terms of overall sonic quality , but is let down by having only maybe three decent songs on , in my opinion . A lot better than Roll The Bones, I suppose, that one didn't have any , or Presto that only had one song of any merit .

Just to digress slightly for a moment , what if Squier made basses exactly like the JV Series ones again nowadays , priced around the £500 -£600 mark ? There is probably no real reason why the couldn't do it if they wanted to , and they would sell by the container load .

I once had complaints about the noise in my old house from the female students that lived next door . They hammered on the door one day and complained that the "noise" of my bass playing was " stopping them from studying ". Students studying ? This country has gone f***ing mad , I thought to myself . To be honest with you , it was a blow to my ego more than anything else , because previously I had imagined them enjoying their daily dose of of scales, modes and blistering '70's funk grooves , and I thought they might be speculating on whether I was someone famous . At first I was tempted to dismiss their complaints and carry on regardless , but after thinking about it , I could see they had as much right as anyone to complain , and I started playing through headphones , and now that is my preferred method at home . There is a certain point in life where you have to become an adult , see past your own selfishness and have some empathy for others . What I do regret is not taking that oppotunity to mention to the girls next door that I was regulaly being kept awake by the noise of one of them having sex in a very loud and enthusiastic manner . Often it was getting to be after 4.AM when I eventually fell asleep exhausted where I sat with the glass placed against the adjoining wall still propped agaiinst my ear .

[quote name='drTStingray' timestamp='1383589852' post='2266312'] In 1973 the pinnacle of my bass desire was a new natural precision with maple board in the window of Yardleys in Birmingham - it was £252 - I was still a teenager and had just started my first proper job and earned 4 times that annually. The price of a new car of an upper spec say the equivalent of a Focus ST was the same as my annual salary. A terraced house would have set you back 4 or 5 times that salary. So the P bass would have been about £5000 against the car value - about £8 to £10K against the house and against an upper starter salary about £4000 in today's money. How much could I sell it for as a mojo d player (cos that's what it would be - did you see the belts we held our flares up with!!!) - say £1500 to £2000? [/quote] According to the inflation calculator , £252 in 1973 would be £2581 today . In 1989 a new Wal Custom would have cost you £790 full retail price , I know that because I bought one in that year ) . That is the equivalent of £1665 today . I'm not entirely sure what the relevance of that information is to this discussion , but I thought I would throw it in for anyone who is tormented by their desire for a Wal bass in the present .

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1383588051' post='2266283'] why not save up for a custom shop? seriously - I think JV's are great, but they aren't exactly the budget option - but if you have a dream bass in mind why not save up and go for that? (or see if someone other than fender would make you it, bravewood or someone) Part of the value of JV stuff is how good they are as instruments- and partly because there is (at the early end) interest from Fender collectors. Now the JV I sold recently was one of the ones with the early cult status, and one of possibly only 300….. the rarity inflates the price (rightly or wrongly) how many roadworns are there in existence? Corrected your post there.. I think it's important that any buyers take it on a case by case basis. Some of the prices for JV's I wouldn't pay, and others I would if I were in the market. Some of them are exceptional instruments. Some modern fender USA are exceptional, some modern MIM are amazing. Some are utter crap. Mind you I still have preferred every japanese fender necks to anything from the USA or mexico, maybe cos my hands are fairly small. Mind you Fullerton basses from the early 80's seem to have shot up to the £1.5-2k mark so maybe the JV's aren't that expensive now... I think the mistake you are making in your reasoning is making the selling price new a determiner as to how good they might or might not be. In 30 years time will we look back and say a 2013 warwick streamer is 5 times better than a fender roadworn? No we'll look back and retrospectively say that the roadworn were great and worth the money still. There are plenty of other basses we can look back at and say they were really great instruments,and if you look at the late 70's early 80's a lot of the instruments coming out as budget from Japan are still brilliant instruments. I picked up a 1977 Yamaha BB1200 to replace the JV, it's great, the BB300 I had for a while was nice too… early Ibanez models, Tokai were also really really nice instruments - and comparable to a lot of the new stuff being made today. Probably when they came out they were in the more affordable range compared to a genuine american fender. How does that effect how good they are as instruments now or their price? Mind you I also wouldn't agree that modern Fenders are that great, some are but a lot are mediocre, and the new 2013 AVRI seem a step back from the quality of the earlier AVRI range (which was v. good IMO) - but they are instruments that the price has shot up for over the last few years, as I said you take the JV quality on a case by case basis - but comparing them to the modern USA fenders… I don't think it's the USA fenders that are overpriced…. [/quote] Was your JV one with the Fender logo as the main headstoch decal ? They are the sought-after ones. You are getting a little confused in all of this , Luke , by virtue of your own reasoning , which by and large , I agree with . You say the mistake I am making is assessing their worth as instruments on the basis of the original selling price , but you are making a far greater mistake in asessing the worth of these basses on "how good they might be". That is a very difficult quality to quantify . Therein lies the potential for hyperbole . The reputation these basses have garnered in some quarters has become somewhat eggagerated . The fact is , they were good , but when I look at the prices they are now selling for , they were never [i]that [/i]good , simple as that . The fact is people are paying a lot of money for a thirty year old budget bass , and I only hope they are doing so with their eyes open . The Roadworns have probably sold in fewer numbers than the JV Squiers , by virtue if the fact that the Squiers were cheaper and more accessible . Give it time and the Roadworn mojo will get to work in people's minds and they will become cult basses. And those early '80's Tokais you mention , I remember them well and they were brilliant . I seem to recall that the JV Squiers were actually built for Fender by exactly the same people on the same production line in the same factory in Japan .

[quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1383585781' post='2266243'] No, I get lockjaw though Janek Gwizdala is pretty vocal when he's playing, he reckons it helps his phrasing a lot.... [/quote] Quite a few advanced players advocate singing what you play , but it irritates me immensely . If I wanted that I would have bought a ticket to see George Benson . Shut up and play your guitar.

Tough one , because however reasonable you are being in the eyes of other Basschat members , the reality is that if the complaints continue , regardless of what the letter of the law states, all the landlord will see is a young guy with an electric guitar and a big amp and that will automatically put you in the wrong . If you want a stress-free life and like living where you are now , I would recommend getting a Korg Pandora and some headphones . They are a lot of fun , and don't half help avoid these kind of situations.

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1383586808' post='2266260'] In my experience people dont talk about how cheap the old Fenders were. Rather, the opposite, they talk about how a Fender bass cost about ten weeks wages. That's why so many of us wanted a Fender but couldn't possibly afford one. They have got cheaper and cheaper over the years. [/quote] This is absolutely correct . Both in terms of inflation and especuially if you allow for the fact that fourty years ago wages were lower i real terms , Fenders are much cheaper now than they used to be. Even in the early 1970's a new standard USA ( that's all they made in those days) Fender Precision would have set you back the equivalent of about £1800 for cash , and significantly, that was before the introduction of V.A.T when Purchase Tax was not as high as the 20.% we pay today . Nowadays you can get the equivalent bass for about £1100 You also have to bear in mind that it would have been harder for most ordinary people to find that kind of money out of their meagre wages. What has become forgotten very quickly is how much the material culture and economy of Britain changed during the 1980's to accomodate far more people purchasing relatively expensive luxury consumer items, including electric guitars . Up to that point , even relatively well-off people in Britain had relatively modest posessions in comparison to their social equivalents nowadays. By comparison , post- WW2 America was a far more affluent society and the domestic retail price of Fenders from the outset was within the reach of a mass market, albeit at the top end of that market .

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1383582614' post='2266172'] ...but surely, they're all simply frivolities..? This is Basschat, where [i]important [/i]issues are discussed and resolved. Isn't it..? [/quote] Well , I would say that at least with a bass you have got an asset with some long- term resale value , but apparently there is a growing market in secondhand designer bags and shoes , so what do I know? Of course basses are more important than women's shoes and handbags .Anyone can get dressed up , but it takes real skill to play the bassline to Mustang Sally to an half drunk and disinterested audience in a backwater pub somewhere in the Home Counties on a Tuesday night in February.

[quote name='KiOgon' timestamp='1383579471' post='2266109'] You can stick your piggy bank where the sun don't shine a P-bass won't fit [/quote] I've tried it and I wouldn't recommend it . They won't accept the money at the bank after you do that.

On the subject of wasting money and disposable income , do you think that there is a forum for women about buying shoes and handbags ? Shoechat/ Bagchat? Do they argue l out over what height stiiletto heels should be , which cobbler does the best repairs and are Jimmy Choo worth the extra money over Top Shop? Show us your walking videos?

[quote name='Donnyboy' timestamp='1383419208' post='2264352'] A little something like this....... [media]http://youtu.be/HAQ95Vln4I4[/media] [/quote] When women grunt it is usually an indication that something very good or something very bad is about to happen .

Do they have turntables in school music departments nowadays to teach the kids how to DJ ? I would like to think that even someone as witless as the the people running our schools seem to be couldn't be that daft , but something tells me I am probably going to be wrong on that count . Our school music teacher was a smashing bloke , from what I remember . He left, though , and was probaly replaced by someone worse. I used to love to play on the school vibrophone. I just made it up as I went along and it sounded a lot like bebop.

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1383562775' post='2265782'] This was my understanding, also. I think to dismiss the JVs as simply a cheap copy of the real thing would be a mistake. I have Luke's old JV0 Precision and it is without question the nicest Precision bass I have ever laid hands on. I can't say I have tried all the permutations, but have owned/had loan of/handled quite a few whilst looking for the 'right one'. MIJ, MIA, MIM - all sorts. [/quote] I'm not dismissing JV Squiers as a cheap copy as such , but they were relatively inexpensive when they were new and they are a copy , so there is an undeniable element of literal truth in that description . What stood about the Squiers was what nice basses they were for the money , especially by the standards of that time . They weren't the cheapest basses available in their day , but they were in a price range within the grasp of most enthusiastic beginners and were an excellent choice for both basssists and guitarists. Trust me , I was a young player at the time and I remember those days vividly . Their appeal was enhanced by just how bloody awful genuine Fenders were by 1982/83. No one wanted them , quite literally. According to my Historical Inflation Calculator , 150 quid in 1982/83 was the equivalent of £430 in todays money , so that gives you some idea of how they were pitched in the marketplace of the time they were current . In light of that then , in real terms these basses are selling for up to twice what they cost new . If someone has a nice Squier now and enjoys it for any reason then great , you pay your money and take your choice .The point I am making , however, is that if someone is looking to buy nowadays , it is only prudent to consider the current alternatives at the price point these Squiers are selling for , many of which can offer all the positive qualities of these old Squiers and a great deal more besides, in many cases.

I think this young woman is a fine player in these videos and I wish her every success, but it's also a perfectly valid observation that there is a [u]huge [/u]difference to playing at home in your bedroom to playing in front of an audience , even in the most modest of venues. . I had to learn that the hard way , and sounds like she has, too. The good news is that if she is struggling with that at the moment , all she probablyl needs is a bit more experience. Once again though , what I can't understand is why as soon as a moderately attractive woman picks up a bass she is immidiately feted as a sex symbol . I am genuinely interested if people would be so enamoured if she worked on the fish counter at Tescos. Do men[i] really [/i]crave someone who shares the same interests as themselves? Maybe I have high standards, but I wouldn't look twice at this girl . It is a very nice bass, though, so plenty of eye candy there. .

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1383478409' post='2264781'] I've seen Jimmy Webb live a couple of times and of course he's not a great singer but certainly isn't as bad a singer as a lot of other composers. I think with Jimmy Webb it also helps him that Richard Harris who recorded many of his songs wasn't the greatest singer either. The thing about seeing Webb live is not his singing but the great stories that are attached to all the songs. [/quote] I think you have hit the nail on the head when you describe Jimmy Webb as a storyteller , because that is very much what he does in his songs. His compositions so cinematic , unusual and altogether intriguing that he is a one-off, unique talent with his own distinct style . I get the feeling about Jimmy Webb that, if the mood took him , he could write another multimillion seller like the ones for his heyday for a current artist today without any problem at all . He has got the gift.

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1383504034' post='2265188'] They are so prone to breaking that I know one main Ampeg dealer that simply refuses to sell them any more I'm not sure what the actual issue is but I've lots of stories of them blowing mid-gig and that's just a complete no-no on any modern head. There are other, better, alternatives out there I think. [/quote] O.K , at least I found now beforehand . Thanks for the information . That one is definitely off the list.

I really like what I have seen of the PF500, too, but what is all this about them not being reliable ? My current TE combo serves me well but is getting old and in need of servicing or replacing , and I have got one eye on a compact modern rig . I love that Ampeg sound , and the PF500 looks cheap and cheerful . But am I to understand they are prone to breaking down ?

Wow! That looks amazing. I love the sunburst and chrome on the body against the maple neck in contrast . That looks like a USA Lakland neck , with the birdseye board and the clearly visable quartersawn grain ( it will be graphite- reinforced , too). Excellent job . Now you just have to learn the bassline to "Won't Get Fooled Again ".

[quote name='drTStingray' timestamp='1383494858' post='2265015'] I'm with Dingus on this. These were entry level basses back in the 80s at a time when the demand for Fender basses had all but collapsed. Combination of shift to keyboards instead of guitars and basses in pop music plus a vast array of superb product from other manufacturers - eg Yamaha, Ibanez etc etc etc. I see the Fullerton RI 80s Fenders are selling in vintage shops for just short of a grand also!! In the 80s people would be paying about £1000 for things like a Steinburger. You really would have been in danger of being sectioned paying these prices......... What will happen when the bubble bursts?? You are surely safer buying a US standard or maybe a vintage reissue? [/quote] I can actually remember when those Fullerton reissues came out and they got some lousy reviews in the press , saying that they weren't as good as the (then) recent equivalents from Squier and Tokai . People can get nostalgic for [i][u]anything [/u][/i], and the so-called vintage guitar market is a testament to that , by and large. Bear in mind that , as Im sure dr T will also concur, generally speaking , basses are better made nowadays than they were thirty years ago . Manufacturing techniques, hardware and the expected standards of fit and finish for instruments are far more developed nowadays than i the days before such great consumer choice . For a whole host of reasons , manufacturers have had to up their game to keep up withheightened expectation from the consumer, so in that sense you get far more for your money buying a new bass than a piece of vintage nostalgia . The Squires felt good , but the are plenty of newer basses that feel just as good and sound and play better.

Are you talking about the Skyline or the USA model? I think the USA model has an LH3 preamp , whereas the Skyline has a Bartolini -licensed design made in the Far East. They both have the same pickups and hardware, and are essentially built from the same combination of woods i.e American swamp ash and maple . I haven't played one of these - I'm a bit tired of the whole active Jazz Bass thing myself ; it's been ubiquitous for way too long - but I expect they will be pretty good . I am a big fan of Lakland bases , and these will probably suit a lot of people who want that kind of a bass. I would venture that a Skyline AJ may well be a better buy all things considered than one of the current American Deluxe Fender Jazz Basses, which I have found to be rather dissappointing overall .

[quote name='cameltoe' timestamp='1383429120' post='2264496'] That's interesting. I will certainly keep an eye out and try a more recent one when I get the chance. I'd love Nitro, really. Custom Shop isn't ideal, price-wise, and you don't get to try before you buy, either. I agree. I tried my Roadworn back to back with a Custom Shop P bass a couple years ago, and if the CS was 10/10 my RW was 9.5/10. [/quote] The post -2012 Am St basses have got Fender Custom Shop Vintage pickups on, too. You also get an excellent case with them that would set you back well over a hundred quid as a separate item

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1383429168' post='2264497'] Especially seeing as how good they feel to play. [/quote] +1 on that . Great basses all round .