4000

The bass is nice, but look at that Hiwatt!

That looks cool. 😁 Have always wanted a twin neck. Or two. Or possibly 3. 4 string fretted bass and 12 string guitar, 4 string fretted bass and 4 string fretless, and 4 string fretted bass and 8 string fretted bass.

That reminds me, at ‘O’ level we could either take music or art, but not both. I was top of the school at art and music lessons involved no music whatsoever, so obviously I took art. What sort of syllabus has music OR art? I had to take German instead of music, which was my worst subject (not helped by the fact that for two years our German teacher sat and read the paper in class).

Steve Curtis at the Guitar Repair Centre inside PMT in Salford is good, did some work for me earlier this year and he’s Gibson and Taylor accredited.

I don’t know how feasible it is for you to get the bass to Paul but if I got another Pro (on the wish list) I’d definitely get him to change the pots for metal ones, as I mentioned above. I was always on pins with my last one; I’m a bit weird about having breakable stuff that’s difficult to replace, it doesn’t sit well at all. I want backups for my backups!

I had an SMX and used an SMX combo too but IMO neither came close to my very early 11 band AH150, although both were very good. The AH150 was just the nuts tonally.

Discovered the album 666 whilst in lockdown. It’s great, but does contain one of the maddest tracks ever recorded in Infinity (unfortunately there isn’t an infinity sign on my keyboard).

Not really on topic but there’s a Ric 4003 in the background in one of the scenes in Avengers Infinity War (least I think its IW).

I think he’s 6’4”. And about as wide.

I know a Wal Pro owner on here had Wal replace the pots on his Pro with metal shaft ones. You could try asking in one of the main areas (general discussion for instance).

Modern times had arrived, in ‘63? In the 2nd year seniors - around ‘77 - I was throttled by a maths teacher to the point of not being able to breathe. We had another who would hurl board rubbers at anyone not paying attention. And I mean hurl them, with a good deal of force. In a games lesson, the games teacher slapped a pupil so hard across the face that he spun him completely round (although he was a knobhead and deserved it). At my previous school a teacher threw a desk at a pupil. Modern times certainly had not arrived in ‘63!

I went to an all boys grammar in the late 70s. We eventually started getting girls in when we were in I think the 4th year; started with just a few 6th formers. Our games teacher ran off with one of them and our headmaster was sacked after being found peering through the keyhole of the girls changing room. 😂

Actually, I do blame school for my stage fright. We had the typical annual nativity play and one year (infants/early juniors, can’t quite remember) I was chosen to be the Narrator (i.e. reading the bits of the story between the ‘acting’ and ‘singing’), mainly because I was the most advanced reader in my year. Cocky little me was well up for it; “I’m ready for my closeup now!”😁. Unfortunately shortly before the show was about to start the teachers deserted the kids backstage, and none of us had any idea when we were supposed to go on. By mutual agreement, we decided I should go on and start doing my bit, so I waltzed on stage, fully in my element, and started. Unfortunately this was while one of the teachers was still playing the piano (which I suppose was supposed to be entertainment prior to the show starting) and it gradually dawned on me that no-one in the audience could hear what I was saying and the confidence started to drain out of me, Eventually another teacher appeared and ushered me offstage, half way through my recital. This in front or a hall full of parents. I then had to wait 5 minutes til the piano intro had finished and then saunter on stage and do the whole thing again. I was absolutely mortified and to this day have never really got over it. Bastards!

I had one term at senior school learning recorder. I found I wasn’t very good at reading music. We then moved to a different town and I started a different school. Our music lessons there mostly consisted of the class clowns doing stuff like putting waste paper bins full of rubbish on the door so that when the teacher (a rather quiet, reserved older lady) came in they’d fall on her. I can’t remember having a single lesson where we learnt anything about music, it was usually just chaos. Rather cheeses me off to think about it now. So no, they didn’t help at all. I think listening to music and singing hymns at infant and junior school (which I really enjoyed) coloured the type of music I like though. I suspect my love of Prog came from a mix of the jazz I heard at home and the hymns we sang at school.

Did a streamed gig at a large local venue last night for an annual local festival. Very strange experience. The room was about 75% empty due to restrictions, no cheering or clapping allowed and appreciation was shown by banging spoons on the tables. On stage, being unable to really see or hear the audience (apart from being able to hear the sound of the spoons!), it was like playing to an empty venue, with the added strangeness of knowing it was being filmed. We’d only been able to have one proper rehearsal too, and last gigged in January, so there was that added pressure as we weren’t really confident in our gig-tightness, although we played ok. It was nice to play again and it was lovely to be the only band from our town asked to do it, but I certainly wouldn’t want to spend the rest of my life gigging like that. I suffer from stage fright and everything felt so isolated that it just all contributed to a somewhat uncomfortable experience. It felt a bit like one of those dreams where you’re naked in public!

Have never got on with the P Lytes. The sound just isn’t there for me.

I had one for a while in the same finish. Thought it looked great, played nicely, but never really got on with the sound, which I found a bit lifeless (didn’t really use the piezo as I don’t get on with them). I also had a bit of a problem with the ergonomics.

I really like the front.......but that back is a mess.

I’d say the Bogart maybe edges it for me. I like the Schack least, but in a band it may be different as the extra mids may be helpful. Not much in it between the Statii, maybe marginally prefer the Kingbass.

This so illustrates how personal a bass - any bass - is. I’ve spent quite a bit of time with several Stealth 1s, and I only liked one of them, which I’ll admit was very good, although it was nowhere near as good tonally as a Barracuda I played at the same time. It was a 4, one of a few 4s I’ve played, but I haven’t liked any of the other 4s. The one 6 I played, which was for sale in The Gallery, I absolutely hated. I mean hated. Extremely well made, yes, but the neck and the tone were, IMO, awful. It just wasn’t musical in any way, shape or form IMO. Please note I’m just showing how different opinions of the same instruments can be, which is why I would always advise someone to try a bass before they decide. Asking someone else really doesn’t mean much in the scheme of things unless you know they like exactly the same things you do. I’ve been very impressed with the Bogarts, aside from the fact the body shape is extremely uncomfortable for me, which means I could never own one. The necks are sublime, some of the nicest necks I’ve played and, with the possible exception of the Peavey B Quad 4 and the early Vigiers, easily the nicest graphite ones. I still wish I’d bought that Frame bass though. That ticked most of my boxes. It looked great too!

You’d need to play the yourself. Personally I’d go Warwick (well, vintage Warwick anyway) pretty much every time, but only you can decide.

Annabella’s, you mean. 😉 They're one of my favourite bands, and Leigh “Leroy” Gorman one of my favourite players and main influences. Oh, and Leigh’s sound always sounds like a Wal to me. It’s perfectly possible to make a Wal sound less like a Wal, but there is definitely a “Wal” tone, that you’ll struggle to get out of anything else. I’ve had two BTW. Listen to Flea on Blood Sugar Sex Magic.

Yes, just because people have noted bad experiences with Status doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider them. I’m sure there have been an awful lot of Statuses owned on this Forum; I think whatever brand you mention, unless they’re very uncommon, you’ll get horror stories. I’ve owned a few Statuses but have never owned one from new, so that could be a factor with the practical issues I’ve had. I would imagine Rob Green’s support to be pretty good, although hopefully others more experienced will chime in on that. I think my worry with graphite is that if it warps - which it can - you’re pretty much done, unless it’s a bolt on. Having said that, if you’re buying new it may be covered. I do think that there’s something very right about the Steinberger though. It’s a beautiful piece of design. With regards the Frame bass, they used to have a headless 5 in the Gallery. Tremendous bass, although the neck (built in relief) wasn’t flat enough for me and the fingerboard was too flat. I’ve only ever seen 2 though, and only 1 with a graphite neck.

That’s my man Jaymi in the first clip, big Ric & Jaydee fan. I actually liked the Streamline I played (a friend had one), it was quite nice, although I didn’t get to spend much time with it. The light weight and ergonomics were a big plus in my book. TBH, pretty much every truly great-sounding instrument I’ve ever played, guitar or bass, has had microphonic pickups. It doesn’t bother me at all.