MiltyG565

[quote name='artisan' timestamp='1425462355' post='2707493']
fair point,I have been messed about by a couple of new members recently having put something on hold for them,then promptly disappearing never to be heard from again.
It only takes a few seconds to fire a quick reply & keep your seller informed,payment can wait a couple of days but a confirmation can't,especially when other buyers waiting.
oh well.
[/quote]

Whilst I agree, one of the pills people like you and I have to sometimes swallow is that some people are absolutely crap at communication. The potential buyer's lack of reply didn't indicate a disposal of the arrangement after 3.5 hours.

[quote name='ras52' timestamp='1425309438' post='2706065']
Do you remember what colour her dress was?
[/quote]

Gold and blue. Or maybe it was black and white? Hard to tell, these days, what with the colour-shifting garments of the modern age. It's a civilisation in decline, I tells ya!

I don't like metronomes. I don't even like drummers or click tracks. Oddly, they make my timing worse. I know that sounds like I think I have great time when in reality, it's crap, and that my lack of ability to keep time with time-keeping things is just evidence of that, but no.

I genuinely keep better time on my own. I march to the beat of my own drum, quite literally. It's not perfect, but it's better than it would be with a metronome.

I don't understand it either.

But I also don't do anything at 170bpm.

I've just watched the Undercover Boss episode about Peavey.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_tSLcHS8BM

And some further reading from Peavey - http://peavey.com/news/index.cfm/id/816/Peavey%20Responds%20to.html

It seems to me that Peavey are proud of their American production, but what they can reasonably sell their products for is low when factoring in costs. It also strikes me that Chinese made amplification is sneered at when many companies (that aren't struggling to maintain the payroll) are making a lot of high-quality, low-cost amplification in China, and selling them at a premium for maximum profit in the Western world.

And I suppose overall, it has to be considered that Peavey don't have the same brand awareness that other manufacturers do.

But, Barnes and Mullins are possibly the best company in the UK to have distribute your gear. They deal with pretty-much every music shop, and they're good at it. Getting stuff from Barnes and Mullins isn't the same hassle that it is with other distributors.

So I think that this could be a real turnaround for Peavey. Time will tell.

Also, years back now, I saw Madonna play the BRITs, and she was dressed like Cruella De Ville and hand a bunch of demon goat dancers, and one of them grabbed her cape and Madonna landed on her arse! Oh, how we laughed at the time. Mind you, this was in the days before the internet, so it wasn't immediately talked about everywhere.

At my sister's wedding, I messed up and missed a chord. That was embarrassing.

Also, at A level exams, I was playing bass, and my friend was playing guitar. We had learned a song, but through the week she'd been to see her guitar teacher, who (for some reason) told her to capo at the second fret, but she never told me this before our exam. Exam time comes, and I'm inexplicably a tone out! I was fuming. In my ineptitude, I faltered and stumbled through the rest of the song. Thankfully, the examiner was more inept, and never even noticed anything had gone wrong. Drama types

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1424985370' post='2702735']
They are really useful!!! One of ours broke this week and it'll take a few weeks to get it back. We have two more, but we're all panicking, that's how cool they are!
[/quote]

I knew you'd be along to describe the significance of the machine It sounds cool. I want one, but for cookies.

[quote name='Jimryan' timestamp='1424965798' post='2702417']
A little message from my local CRUK Fundraising manager

"At Cancer Research UK we believe that innovation is essential for success. Whether it is our researchers, scientists or our fundraisers, we know that looking for new ways of doing things and by embracing technology we can speed up progress to beat cancer sooner.

The Bass Relay has inspired us at Cancer Research UK because a brilliant sum, £2,300 and counting, has been raised through supporters all over the country who have worked together as a virtual group united through Basschat. This virtual way of fundraising is relatively new and you've given us a glimpse of the future and the way that online groups could impact our work.

We are so grateful for everyone's support with the Bass Relay because every pound raised will mean a step closer to the day when all cancers are cured. And there are all sorts of ways that your fundraising could help…

For example, the sum you've raised is more than half the money needed to help us to buy a clever machine that can make 80,000 copies of DNA in just one second, like a turbo-charged genetic photocopier! If you want to understand what makes a cancer cell tick you need to get your hands on the cell's DNA- and lots of it. Scientists can use these machines to scrutinise individual sets of instructions in the DNA to work out which errors in the code lead to cancer – helping to diagnose patients sooner, saving more lives.

Thank you so much to everyone at Basschat who helped to make the Bass Relay such a fundraising success. One day we will beat cancer, thank you for helping to make that day sooner.



Best wishes,

Hayley"
[/quote]

Fantastic!

It's really good to know that the money goes to something really useful, like the DNA copier thing.

You've put a lot of effort into this, James, and the rewards are there to be seen. You've raised loads of money, and I think that BC as a whole is proud of that.

Perhaps someday in the future, people will be able to shrug-off a cancer diagnosis as "no big thing".

Well done

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1424853938' post='2701087']
They really are a 'gold standard' distributor. Superb service, great stock control, fast delivery and solid back-up for warranty issues and spare parts.
[/quote]

Absolutely! We do a lot of trade with them, because they're good to deal with, and they offer good products.

[quote name='Mornats' timestamp='1424652043' post='2698874']
My Yamaha TRBX came with D'addarios which I described once as being "dull from the start, just like dying Bass Boomers". Bass Boomers had a sweet spot that lasted a while for me but I only gigged 45 min sessions every 2-3 weeks at most so I guess that's the same as playing for 2 weeks for most people. Anyway, my Elixir's are great, just how I want a string to sound and last. Weirdly, it wasn't until I got my VM jazz that I wanted a bright string. I'm happy with mine now anyway and I also notice that you sell Elixir's on your site so I'll grab all my future ones from your good self
[/quote]

We do indeed do Elixirs! Feel free to get in touch with me if you need any help

I've never experienced this problem with the D'Addarios. I suppose the fact that they were pre-strung on a bass that you bought didn't help. But they do all different kinds of strings that vary in brightness. The flex steels are super-bright - even brighter than ProSteels, and ProSteels were a market leader regarding brightness.

The thing that I find about steel strings is that they last longer. Is steel less reactive or does it corrode less than nickel?

[quote name='louisthebass' timestamp='1424377869' post='2695754']
I used to use Rotosound Starfire nickels years ago - the brightness on nickels doesn't seem to last as long as regular stainless steels, but they do have a nicer feel on the fingers.
[/quote]

That's pretty much the main difference. Steel strings are brighter, but have a different feel to them. Nickel-plated strings are generally cheaper, and feel nicer under the fingers.

We use it in work all the time. The playlists are handy and easily provide some variety, rather than just playing 1 artists endlessly, and having to spend considerable work time thinking of things to play that aren't too "out there" and off-putting for people.

My favourite is the Hipster Funk playlist.

We use an iPad for POS, so we just stream Spotify, and then we have a bluetooth speaker hidden at the other end of the shop, which we control entirely from the iPad. It's very handy.

[quote name='Mornats' timestamp='1424617202' post='2698318']
...GHS Bass Boomers (they're the same string IMO) about 5-7 days after having them on. The initial bright clang would be gone and the slightly worn sound lasted a while before slowly dying off.
[/quote]

I used GHS Bass Boomers once, because I was an utter RHCP fanboi, and that's what Flea uses. First thing to note is that they aren't cheap, even by bass string standards. I believe I paid around £20 for them online, and this was maybe 4 years ago, D'Addario nickels were around £15/£16 at the time, and I was a student with very little money - it was a big deal, for me.

I was sorely disappointed at the longevity of the string. They died so quickly! And they weren't that "smooth" either. I remember them taking lumps out of my fingers.

And then I understood why Flea, even in the early days of RHCP, changed his strings every gig. They wouldn't do 2 sets a week apart. You'd sound completely different at each gig.

If you don't like a bright string, I suggest a string that isn't designed to be bright (the Boomers are, although they're incredibly short-lived). A set of D'Addario half-rounds would do the trick. They're half-way between flats and rounds, so have some of the brightness of rounds, but the longevity of flats

[quote name='Vinnie V' timestamp='1424610544' post='2698214']
I'd rather use my local shop but A. They never have anything I want. B. £45 for a set of Roto jazz flatwounds? C. They argue with me about what I want. Rotosounds are to short for my Lakland. They say they aren't. I volunteer to get my bass as I live opposite the shop so they can show me how they fit if they are so sure. They "dont have time"

Daddario stainless all the way for me.
[/quote]

As I've said many times on this forum before - Your shop will only stock things that you want when you support them through regular custom, and build a relationship with them. If everyone was doing that, everyone would be happier with what they're being offered.

But some shops really aren't that interested in pushing up their standards and creating new "regulars". Their loss, really. And their loss is good business for me.

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1424605123' post='2698139']

But I feel a bit dirty, ignoring my local shops and buying online instead
[/quote]

At least it wasn't Amazon!

[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1423835003' post='2689519']
I've mentiond them on other string related threads before and didn't want to be seen to be on a hobby horse. If you are interested they are these;
[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Coban-Bass-Guitars-DCG3-Bass-Guitar-Full-Set-4-Strings-45-105-Deluxe-Range-j78-/151583961517?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item234b1bb1ad#ht_3977wt_1144"]http://www.ebay.co.u...#ht_3977wt_1144[/url]
At one time you could get them even cheaper if you bought multiple packs but that feature seems to have been dropped. I'm guessing they are just some far east bulk manufacturer that this shop then puts their own label on.
[/quote]

Seems to be a "small-time" guitar brand, knocking out Fender and Gibson (and ovation) rip-offs.

http://www.cobanguitars.co.uk/?blog=

I have no idea of the quality of either their instruments or their strings. Judging by the photos, though, I wouldn't be surprised if they were a budget brand mass-produced in the far East, and sold in bulk to a supplier.

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1423822225' post='2689338']
So, strings, eh? Some of the cheapest parts in a bass, and so often overlooked! They transformed my Precision.
[/quote]

Yup! The cheapest and easiest way to transform your sound, IMO! A crap bass with good strings will sound decent. A good bass with crap strings probably won't.

And I'm happy that McNach is a good customer of StringPing.com

I'm a steel fan, myself! Nice and clear, and lovely for slap!

I always loved music, and I was bitter that my parents had funded instruments and lessons for my older brother and sister, but not for me, so when I started working, I saved up, and being a big RHCP fan at the time, I decided that the bass was the instrument to get (because it was quite obviously the coolest).

Of course a few thoughts never crossed my mind at that time - Forming a band is hard (in my local area), and I don't tend to play much outside of social situations or work. I've never been one to sit down and practice anything.

So 5 years later, I'm still crap But I love it.

[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1423415023' post='2684516']
Do you think for the rhythm/solo bit all he was doing was playing it harder and softer while the switch does nowt?
[/quote]

Like when people demonstrate an S1 switch in a Fender Tele, but they have it switched to 1 coil, but they can assure you there's a difference in the tone!

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1423374088' post='2684012']
Which brand? Please PM me if you don't want to post the brand in the forum.
[/quote]

The brand is SX. They can be hard to find online, even just to find pictures of them.

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1423381626' post='2684039']
ThE "on is off" isn't totally daft is you think from the player's perspective you are pulling the switches towards you,which is what you do to switch things "on".
The pots being reversed I don't get at all.
[/quote]

I have a solution to it all!

Unscrew the plate, and flip it around, and screw it down again. Voila! The pots and the writing are the correct way around

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1423354583' post='2683956']
Designed by the same bloke who designed the BMW and Audi trafficator switches.
[/quote]

Douglas, are you suggesting that the average BMW or Audi driver is confused by the controls of their traffical indicators to a degree at which they just don't bother to use them?

Or are you suggesting that they drive along with their indicators off because off is on, and when they turn them on, to turn, they're actually off?

Either way - burn 'em!

[quote name='M@23' timestamp='1423350902' post='2683928']
OK, the car analogy was a mistake! I'm not trying to draw any comparisons between the two brands, other than what you have just said.
All I was saying was; to suggest that Fender and Gibson are lazy for relying upon a handful of core products is ridiculous.
[/quote]

It's not lazy because it's worked for them. What would be really crazy is if they dropped the J/P/T/S lines and started making something completely different.

Some companies push at the boundaries of what's possible. Fender and Gibson don't serve that market (anymore). They have a reputation, and they sell their instruments on that reputation. Their reputation isn't for constantly changing to stay fresh, it's for making iconic instruments.

[quote name='waynepunkdude' timestamp='1423338561' post='2683743']
I'm late to the party on this but can someone tell me how the Hofner control panel was ever signed off on?
[/quote]

Hmm, that is a bit convoluted. I suspect the problem is that they didn't have people like you working at Hofner back in the 50s.

[quote name='3below' timestamp='1423335952' post='2683721']
This is one of the issues I believe Fender (and many others) have to face up to. How hard is it to source reasonable timber, CNC machines and then apply excellent QC. Fender (and others) should be able build at lower prices, build to order and thus give the customer what they want and deliver quality. With CNC machines, custom pickguards, pickups, even body shapes etc are not a serious issue. I have several (recent model) cheapy basses, the quality certainly gives my USA / German / Luthier basses a good run for their money - 90% of the performance at 20% of the price?
[/quote]

Well, These £109 guitars I wouldn't say were 90% of the performance of a genuine Fender, but they certainly aren't the 10% that they should be, considering that they're about 10% of the price of a Fender. They're maybe more like 40%/50%, and that's not bad going! But I will say that they are that price because the range is restricted to a few models, in a few colours. But, they are well made, and they look fantastic. And when I think about getting a Fender, I sometimes just wish that this brand would make a higher-priced range to compete with big-name brands.

Perhaps you're right, and Fender are taking for granted just how easy it is to rival the quality of their operation today?

[quote name='M@23' timestamp='1423331873' post='2683675']
The Mondeo was it's successor, I think?
Anyway, the point I was trying to make was that you can't label a company 'lazy' for releasing the same products for years. Those cars are the staples of Ford in Europe and whilst they release other models, that's their bread and butter. You said it yourself, bits of wood and string don't become superseded, so why mess with a product that has worked for years?
Like Ford, Fender has produced MANY other products, but the continued popularity of a couple of models attracts the vast majority of attention. Someone, I don't recall if it was your good self, said why not put a preamp in a Jazz?! Which already happened 20 or 30 years ago. Fender have produced some crazy, weird things as times and fashions changed, but the Standard P and J remained.
[/quote]

Gents - Ford, and most car brands DO release the same thing over and over again. The reason why the Fiesta and the Transit brands have stuck around so long is because they're synonymous with those types of vehicles. A Focus is basically an updated Escort. A Mondeo is an updated Sierra. The only new vehicles to come into popularity in the last while have been MPVs/people carriers, and soft-roaders. Everything else remains as it was, although periodically updated and released under a new name.

Fender's success was built on the J Bass, P Bass, Tele, and Stratocaster. They're the recognised 4 main food-groups of Fender. Any company would meddle with that at their own peril. It's a fine line.

But Fender have and do make many other instruments. The sane thing for Fender to do, really, is to [i]stop[/i] producing other instruments that aren't J/P/T/S.