Black Coffee

This is classic.
Surely this guy isn't seriously believing all he says.
Pure entertainment..
Especially the white felt from Holland. That was a gem. I'm sure the Dutch are as bewildered as I am.

[quote name='BassPimp66' timestamp='1355777298' post='1902701']
What's stupid and expensive here?
(1) the guy wearing 2 straps, instead of 1
(2) the guy buying hair conditionner to take care of his incredibly long goatee
[/quote]

It's just all wrong looking. If it was scratch and sniff would it be head and shoulders and goat ?

Would nirvana have missed krist?

I have bought and tried some gimmicks in my time.
Some massively expensive string manufacturers materials which are plain useless and never stay in tune.
Some seriously awful basses which cost more than a months pay (Rickenbacker 4004), and are a struggle to get to sound different to a bass half the price. Felt short changed after that one, not because the purchase was bad, just the bass wasn't as good as the price suggested it should have been.
What is the greatest gimmick and waste of money in bass land ?

[b]Active / passive . . . . . ?[/b]
[b]I like to tell my wife it's just another reason to own another bass and have the choice. [/b]

[b]But. When the Death Metal bassist is thumping the life out of his B string all night long among a screaming lunatic singer, double-bass drumkit taking a beating and twin drop D tuned guitars, do you really pause to be sure you get to savour the clarity or scooped mids or the active benefits proclaimed by the preamp on board brigade....? MMMM. Its all personal choice.[/b]
[b]I still could do with a lot more practice no matter what bass I play. [/b]
[b]No quick fix for fudgy fungers. Smelling pistakes and bum notes all sound the same no matter if its active or passive. [/b]

Dingwall Z3 5 string in buckeye burl finish. (in bass direct currently) G . A . S . overload.
Rickenbacker 4003 in fireglo.
Fender 60th anniversary bass,
Musicman 5 string HH stingray with maple neck, in Tobacco burst body finish.
G+L ASAT 4 string bass
Ken Smith 6 string
Fender custom shop badly battered old 50's P bass would be the cranberry sauce on the dinner.
Finally, a house in the country with intravenous coffee feed in every room and a 5000 watt Genz Benz bass rig to play them all through.
Thanks Santa.

Interesting posts guys.

Anybody consider The Police without Sting. . . ?

I can't believe I didn't include Lemmy in my opening post. Only one of my favourites . . . .

Totally unique voice, style and that overdriven 4003 Ric pickup. Not saying Motorhead or Lemmy are the best at anything because there are too many variables to consider, but would it be fair to say that Motorhead simply wouldn't be Motorhead without him?
I saw the posts about PL and Thin Lizzy, I love Thin Lizzy and deliberately have stayed away from recent gigs because it's just not gonna be the same without that Lynott voice and stage presence. I'd do the same with Motorhead.

As for Metallica, I was a fan of Jason but I can't help but wondering what might have been if Cliff has been still around. I saw them on Death Magnetic tour and they are really really good live, but can't help thinking they lost their way in full albums of quality songs after CB. Big loss, still reverberating.

I had owned a MIM lined fretless jazz and it did exactly what it said on the tin.
I parted company with it for only £285 as it was fast becoming a furniture fixture so I reckon if you persisted in patience you could get something similar on ebay / gumtree maybe. Lot of bass for little money as the demand isnt as high as for fretted versions.
I don't play a lot of fretless so I will not dwell and waffle, I am sure someone else can add plenty to this for you.
Go lined fretless for the first one to find your feet on intonation; that's about the only other thing I would say.

Who would be irreplaceable as a bass player ?
Im not suggesting irreplaceable means the best; but would the band be the same without them; eg stage presence, unique sound, particular skill in technique.

Would the chillis still be red hot without flea?
Would maiden still gallop without Harris ?
Would Mr Big sound the same without Billy ?

Who never got over their bass player moving on ?

Is there any fun in having a bottomless pit of unlimited money to feed the need to expand the bass stable?

Regarding prices on basses, I dont think Warwick and Stingray are in the window alone here on price. Rickenbacker are falling in price for new models. Several years ago when I dabbled in three different Rics in a nine month spendingasm the tag was £1850 ish for a new 4003. You could get a new one now if you do a bit of research for about £1500
I have to say that over the years I have lost a considerable amount of cash on buying and selling basses; lets be honest - who hasnt. But; I have had a blast of a time playing some beautiful basses and don't regret any that I have sold except one Stingray 5 that was better than even the 25th anniversary SR I had for a spell.
It's a fact of life at present that all goods are worth only what someone is prepared to pay for them, not a penny more.
Going back to my first line in the post - unlimited cash would take the fun out of buying, playing, looking, lusting, selling, buying, playing etc etc etc and on and on. If you peak without the experience of ogling and drooling over other kit for months before getting your eager mits around its neck there's no fun and no anticipation and excitement.
This philosophy has worked for 25 years until now when I bought a really expensive bass (£3000 roughly) and an unanticipated incident meant I needed cash in a hurry and now I can't sell it because it's so much that the number of people with a larger amount of disposable dosh is smaller than the collective who would deal in smaller amounts.
As a breed, bass players have GAS. GAS is infectious and it is a lifelong affliction. GAS will get your pulse rate up, and make you ignore your wife (much to her frustration)while she is asking you where the car keys are while you read the small text about the 18v preamp and the abalone fretmarkers. GAS is the reason why the basschat forum exists and in answer to the original question - is why the SR is the new Warwick pricewise.

I have played both and I think for the previously posted already reasons they are both excellent basses.
It's a personal choice when to comes to picking one over the other; but if I had to pick one I would go for the Stingray. To me it just felt more comfortable to play, and I just have always liked the look of stingray basses.
Best thing is to go and play both of them ideally one after the other through the amp you would use and decide yourself.
If you can find one of the earlier MM SUB5 basses second hand (they don't make these any more), it would go a long way towards saving a few pounds and they sound just as angry as a stingray. I owned a 5 string of one of these in blue finish with the metal pickguard and upgraded to a SR5 only because I got an offer I couldn't refuse for a second hander.
Have some fun playing them before you buy and let us know what you think.

MMMMM
lovely Christmas present potential. . . . . .
Does it play as nice as it looks ?

This is all personal taste, choice and the sort of music you play. Or you can call it natural curiosity progression in your bass trade.
Some big bassists always go 4 string (Steve Harris), others are 5 string full time.
Personally I think when I play the low notes sparingly and as extra features of the music rather than the normal it adds more to it. Again, just personal taste on my part; it doesn't mean I dont like listening to someone else moshing away all day on a low D.
I flip between 4 and 5 depending on what I am playing but it took me a while to get my head around the B string being there and tripped over a few bum notes when whatever part of my head was learning to deal with - multi string dexterity I'll call it. It bugged me quite a bit at times but if you persevere and get through it it's nice to be able to alternate without missing a beat / or note for that matter.
I find it's most beneficial when someone hands you a music sheet and it's got a lot of E flat in it. Good not to have to retune to have a low option.
Personally - I think Dingwall are the best 5 string basses. Pricey, but if you can stretch to it they are worth a try.
Enjoy.

Yep. They are a classic bass.
You cant help but love the MM SR sound.

Nah. No discount. Just nice to hear what your playing without plucking the strings hard.
I did manage a grin, specially with the tube gain engaged.

I like the sound of that.
But i wud need a twin neck version. In case ur bass wuz bigger than mine.
Cant have that.

Thanks to evry1 for their advice on this topic. Regarding marital disharmony, i find it easier to consult and inform the wee wife because she has ESP. Extra Spending Perception.
Having said that i do stop short of taking her to the scene of the crime. A grown man begging for his wallet in front of other mature adults is not a nice sight.
On a serious note . Provided s.w.m.b.o. is kept in the loop and has the final say on colour i have reasonably free reign.

On a different point. You could just light a fire and fuel it for two winters with the neck of the bass alone. Then kill a cow and float it downriver on the body wood to the slaughterhouse and get enough meat to justify the size of the fire you will make with the body of the bass. feed my neighbourhood too.
Just a thought.

I had heard Denmark Street. Hadn't heard Charing Cross Road.
Thanks too for Wunjos.

Is the "how much?" implying , "thats wild expensive" or, "thats wild cheap"

Where I am from, money is not round to go around; but made flat for stacking in neat bundles that don't fall over until they are six feet tall.
This will be a voyage of discovery. Good thing the VAT controller will be shopping elsewhere in Oxford Street when I am viewing the bass goods.
If I buy something will they post it ? Then I just have to apologise when it arrives at my door 4 days later rather than ask for permission in front of a shop full of people.

I have a visit to London planned early next year and I might have a couple of hours to kill; and the choice between browsing the likes of Primark in Oxford St with the boss or browsing bass guitar shops is not a difficult one to have to make. Sorry Primark, but brown bags and middle aged trolley rage doesn't do it for me.
Problem is - I always hear that it's good for guitar shops in Central London. But, as I don't know the capital that well, can anyone point me in the right direction.
If there are issues with advertising businesses in the rules, and you can't name a shop. Is there a street, or an area which is populated with a cluster of likeminded proprietors ??

Thanks

[quote name='Nibody' timestamp='1349601436' post='1828043']
To poorly quote Billy Sheehan on anything with more than four strings "I have a couple of five strings at home. I find most people dont give enough time to get good on a four string first" *interviewer* -"How long is that?" *Sheehan* - "About 20 years"

or something like that
[/quote]
I remember watching this Billy Sheehan interview and thinking to myself that even though I am playing 25 years (it's 6 yrs since I ventured into 5 / 6 string land) I still couldn't play remotely like Billy Sheehan on a 4 stringer. I actually self critiqued and felt inadequate at the finger dexterity I had just watched.
Some people were made to play Bass like Billy Sheehan, Mr Aircraft carrier sized bass is clearly not one of them.
Neither am I for that matter, but I stay off Youtube.

I'd had GAS for a RIC since I first picked a bass up 25 yrs ago.
Three different Rics later I still have bad GAS for one but can't enjoy the playing because I find them awkward if you pluck as I do rather than pick.
It remains one bass I want the most because I loved Lemmy's playing and everything about the loud and proud ethic, and also they just look so cool. But sadly at the price I can't justify a £1500 piece of furniture, because that's what it would be.
Since I last owned one the idea of removing the rancid U-bend and placing the black little pickup surround in place has come about and I am very tempted, but my inner sensible compass says nothing will change. So I will continue to "GAS" after it and do nothing about it. If I could try one with the pickup surround set in place it would cure my curiousity; but till then looks like Alka Seltzer will have continue to sort the GAS.
MMMM

...

Thanks for looking. . . .

Hi.
I went with the streamliner 600 watt. If my budget had stretched i wud have went for the 900

Nothin to worry about though because with the focus 210 cab setup it was plenty of power on show.
I bought this without a test drive and its incredible, but like i said I am putting £3,000 of bass through it too.
Have no fear buying genz benz. Take the plunge and grin benz.