JapanAxe

[quote name='skej21' timestamp='1396472309' post='2414181'] Lovely! Time to update the signature? :-) [/quote] Just done it! Inevitably a sale will follow (1 in = 1 out), but can't be more specific for fear of infringing forum rules!

[quote name='bassman7755' timestamp='1396471308' post='2414152'] Is that a iphone file or something ? [/quote] No you just need to change the file extension to .pdf to make it work.

I have recently been following fretless basses in the BC Marketplace, particularly 70s Precisions, but having realised how bad my fretless playing is, I had a bit of a re-think. Some nice relic Jazzes on the Bass Gear website caught my eye, including a couple of stack-knob early 60s replicas, so I fore-warned Barrie (Molan of this parish) and took a trip down to Twyford this afternoon. I took my Streamliner and Midget for ease of comparison with what I already have. After a welcome cuppa I started working through the possibles in my mental list. I tend to know quite quickly if an instrument is not going to suit me, so after a couple of hours I had tried and put back 8-10 instruments; nothing wrong with them you understand, just not for me. My favourite to that point was a one-off replica of Herbie Flowers '59 stack-knob Jazz (see [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/117779-herbie-flowers-jazz-bass-replica/page__hl__herbie"]original build diary[/url]), fitted with flats. I quite liked the control layout, and the sounds were closer to what I was searching for, but it wasn't saying 'take me I'm yours'. When offered a try of the one other flats-loaded fretted bass in the shop, I thought it rude to refuse, so I found myself holding the '73 Precision pictured below. Consider this: I reckon not to like woody-looking finishes and maple fretboards, I thought my Precision itch was already being scratched my my Sandberg, and I wasn't even [i]looking[/i] for a P. But when I started playing this one, I just kept on playing, knocking out on-the-spot bass lines, and enjoying the range of the passive tone control and its wonderful sweet spot. Unsurprisingly, it came home with me. Playing it at home only served to confirm I had made the right decision, as I played along with iTunes set to shuffle and routed through my studio speakers. Thanks Barrie, Vic and Phil for putting up with 3 hours of my noodlings! I am one happy bunny.

If that's an Afterburner, I played one just like it at Bass Direct once. It was most excellent.

[quote name='PeteFromCorby' timestamp='1396384197' post='2413058'] In standard tuning every fret on the bass is part of the circle of fiths! eg the 7th fret is B E A D! [/quote] Actually those notes read in order, ascending, are spaced in fourths, simply because the bass is conventionally tuned in 4ths.

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1396357836' post='2412627'] G&L L-1505? Depends if you think the two switches are cheating or not [url="http://www.glguitars.com/instruments/USA/basses/L1505/index.asp"]http://www.glguitars...L1505/index.asp[/url] [/quote] Works for me. You could safely set the switches for [b]series[/b] and [b]passive[/b], then tape them inside the body somewhere and take the battery out. I'm not selling mine though!

Hmmm.. gotta check them out!

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1396276707' post='2411698'] I pulled out Fly, had a good play along with his music and I know my limits and I'm simply not good enough to play with this guy, I'd frustrate myself and him. Shame, but never mind [/quote] It's all good as far as I can see - he recognised something great in your playing, you were realistic about where your playing is at the moment. All the best for a brilliant new project, whatever it may be.

That's my kinda sound!

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1396216244' post='2411148'] good necks, good ceramic pups, commonly have a body made of some kind of mdf type stuff - good basses. [/quote] Mine was definitely wood. Is that mdf thing a Basschat urban myth, or have people here actually seen an example?

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1396047187' post='2409537'] Yeah f*** corn syrup. And f***ing palm oil. And why don't peeps eat butter anymore? Because they were taught to eschew healthy natural products and eat that sh*t the gub'nint says is healthy - highly processed, toxin-rich f***ing sh*t like Olivio. [/quote] Mrs Axe and I [i]love[/i] butter - life's too short to eat synthetic spreadable reduced-fat sh!te.

I had one, since sold to vmaxblues of this parish. Soundwise it outgunned a Sandberg TT4, played fine, response a bit uneven (though not quite to the extent of 'dead spots').

That would make dreadfully cross.

[quote name='ML94' timestamp='1395497011' post='2403066'] I may have to go to bass direct and check some of the gear out! I'll look into all the options you guys have suggested and see if anything hits me ! [/quote] I'm not knocking Bass Direct one bit, but with the possible exception of [url="http://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/Genz_Benz_Contour_Combos_210,_115.html"]this crazy Genz Benz offer[/url] on a 1x15, you will get better bang for buck from the Basschat Marketplace [url="http://basschat.co.uk/forum/20-amps-and-cabs-for-sale/"]Amps and Cabs For Sale pages[/url].

[quote name='geoffbyrne' timestamp='1396109400' post='2410039'] I've had to botch up something like this - the lugs were broken off a pickup which was brought to me. The underneath of the pickup was flat, so I cut a suitable piece of old pickguard material and used epoxy to glue it onto the base of the pickup. This gave me enough overlap to put the screws though. It worked fine and is functionally invisible. Since you are most likely keeping the originals in case you want to restore them, I'm assuming that you wouldn't mind grinding the lugs off some after-market pickups and glueing a new base on them. G. [/quote] Hmm that sounds like a plan! I could always get an ultra-cheap eBay set of coves on which to perpetrate the butchery.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1396008089' post='2408912'] Plus I looked like a pensioner having a stroke while wearing gardening trousers at a chimps tea-party, .... [/quote] And that wasn't the look you were going for?

[quote name='toneknob' timestamp='1396085370' post='2409728'] Your shopping fee is wrapped up in the cost of food. Booking fee pays for the infrastructure of the website, databases, staff etc. [/quote] Of course you are right. In my youth, venues handled their own ticket sales, or (somewhat straining my memory here) you could get them from some of the independent record shops. I'm not certain whether these shops charged a fee on top of the face value, I think they took their commission out of the face value, or else acted as agents in return for the increased footfall. Ticket-selling then was mainly a local activity, whereas now the Internet has made it global. To me, the worst of it is the lack of any serious attempt to enforce anti-touting measures. A venue is not going to implement any system that slows down punters coming through the door and flocking to the bar to buy overpriced beer in flimsy plastic glasses. I believe Glastonbury has an effective system, although I've never been. I wouldn't mind so much failing to get a ticket if I were 'competing' against other genuine potential gig-goers; in fact the competition is with loads of people buying simply to make an instant mark-up. A while back I tried to buy tickets for a one-off small gig by Robert Plant. I knew my chances were slim so I wasn't too surprised when I didn't get any. I went on eBay straight away, and sure enough immediately found a listing for a pair of tickets at twice the face value. The listing was quite lengthy and detailed, so the seller had obviously prepared it beforehand, then started it running once they'd obtained tickets. People can now become touts in the comfort of their own home! I didn't buy the tickets btw, but they went pretty quickly. Unfortunately, the chances are slim for any legislation (or even a worthwhile industry code) to address online touting. The present government will not do anything to restrict the 'free market' (never mind that it is in fact being distorted) and the industry players are doing quite nicely thank you very much. Fortunately, Swindon has some decent live music venues (Wyvern Theatre, Arts Centre, Riffs Bar, the Vic*) where you can enjoy live music without being shafted on the ticket prices. You may not see the big names there, but since when has that been a guarantee of a good time? [see [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/233118-i-dont-like-watching-gigs/"]this thread[/url]] *[size=2]except for the shocking PA sound[/size]

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1396046039' post='2409524'] Indeed. Food politics is a massive issue, from animal welfare to governmental nutrition 'advice'. A lot of vegetarians and vegans, and macrobiotics, who make that choice because they they believe animals should not be eaten don't often realise the human suffering that goes into fruit and veg production. I love meat, but I am also highly concerned about animal welfare. [/quote] And don't get me started on corn syrup!