Misdee

I'm not that old.

Your clutching at straws now, aren't you? I'll spell her name how I like.

I really don't appreciate you or anyone else misrepresenting what I posted. I never said anything about "woke", or anything to do with that kind of thing. Not least of all because Fender making this signature bass is far from "woke". Put simply, the reason Fender have given this person their attention is because she is an a beautiful young woman, not because she is an exceptional or successful musician. Like I also said, there's nothing wrong with her bass playing, she's pretty good, but not exceptional. I only pointed out that there's nothing unusual about how or what she plays the bass, it's fairly typical. There's lots of similar players. I also pointed out that she hasn't had any mainstream commercial success with her music. That's demonstrably true. And I mentioned Marcus Miller as an example because he is a benchmark example of a truly exceptional musician who had a Fender signature bass. That's all I said, and I don't think there's anything contentious in that. The rest is everyone else projecting their own prejudices and preconceptions onto what I wrote. I can't be held responsible for that. Like I already said, if people enjoy Blue, her music and this bass then great. I never said she shouldn't have her own bass, I never said it was wrong. But it is what it is, let's not pretend otherwise. Ironically enough, if they offered this bass in a colour other than blue I might buy one. I really like the sound of the humbucker at the bridge, and lightweight is good for me nowadays. It's just that I don't like the colour.

Let's face it, it's not rocket science is it?

Well Justin died of an overdose, so I think he endured a crueler fate. There's worse things in life than being an estate agent.

Why do you assume that I should prioritise diversity and representation? It's your preference and preoccupation, not necessarily mine. You have no right to expect it should be so for everyone else.

Double post.

Like a lot of people nowadays, you automatically equate equality with virtue, and inequality with injustice.

Your the football fella who knows foot all about football (or anything else) aren't you?

It depends what you call intermediate. I've seen better and I've seen worse. To my that makes her intermediate. A top level player would be someone like Marcus Miller, ie with a deep knowledge of jazz ect. I am reluctant to rate someone as being a "pro" level player because being a professional just means they do it for a living, it doesn't mean they are any good in terms of musical ability, taste or judgement. In my estimation this girl is an intermediate player, not exceptional but pretty good within limitations. There's nothing remotely new or original about how or what she plays, it's the same old thing lots of bass players on YouTube and Instagram play, same influences, same style. Nothing wrong with that though, if that's what people enjoy then great. Anyhow, what struck me most when I watched the clip was not the music but more how she speaks and what she says. She wants to "inspire and empower" and for her bass to help people "live their best lives". This is the nonsense that young people thrive on nowadays, and a huge burden for them to take upon themselves. No wonder they are miserable. And regarding Nikki Sixxx, I don't really know what to say. He always looked ridiculous to me. I never saw him as trading on his good looks. Or indeed his musical ability.

Easy mistake to make. I've seen some photos of Carol with a Gibson Grabber or Ripper. That's an interesting combination. I'd love to see that as a reissued/ signature model.

Are you sure that wasn't Mary Kaye?

Just out of interest, what was it like, because I can't find any reference whatsoever on the internet? Presumably a P Bass.

No, but they are famous for being in bands with a decades-long track record of worldwide success. Their record sales reflect that. You are quite right to point out that none of them are/ were Innovators or virtuoso players. Whatever their signature models celebrate, it isn't that. I only mentioned her playing skills because the OP said she was a brilliant player. Objectively, she isn't, but if the OP or anyone else enjoys what she does or finds it inspiring then great, that's enough for me. This woman is internet-famous comparatively recently. That's an entirely different phenomenon. Like I said, don't get me wrong, I don't disapprove of her having a signature model, I just don't think it's because of her bass playing being exceptional. That's not unique, though. The fact remains though, that if she weren't a glamorous looking girl, we wouldn't have heard of her in all likelihood. That's just the way of the world, I suppose.

No she doesn't, and neither does Gail Ann Dorsey, for that matter. Don't get me wrong, Blue is okay but purely in terms of her bass playing I really don't hear anything extraordinary.

Come to think of it, I've also got a Reflex with what is essentially an 18v Bongo preamp in it. However, it has the added intreague of being switchable between active and passive mode. Never noticed much (any) difference in output level between the two, except if you were to crank up the bass and low mids in active mode, probably. I seem to remember that EBMM recommended that the Reflex should always be plugged into your high impedance input, and I would surmise that the same would apply to the Bongo.

I don't think she's a brilliant player. She's a reasonably competent player at an intermediate level. Marcus Miller she ain't. She is, however, a marketable player. If she looked like Olive from On The Busses (I'm showing my age) we would never have heard of her and she wouldn't have a signature bass from Fender.

I've got an HH Bongo and I've recorded with it quite a bit. I've never had a problem with the output, even when I add some EQ from the Bongo preamp. It's definitely very hot, but I've no recollection of it ever unduly overloading enough to cause obvious distortion, and I play moderately hard. No problems through a big amp and 4x10 cabinet either.

I've got a Bongo and a Stingray Special. They are very different basses both in terms of sound and how they feel to play. It would help to know a bit more about the problems you had with your Bongo and what it is that you are dissatisfied with about the Stingray. Regarding 18 volts, I personally have never noticed much difference between 9 volt active EQ and 18 volts in practical terms, but I don't usually crank it up that much. It just depends on the design of the circuit. For example, back in the 1990's I used to have a Status Empathy with an 18 volt circuit. I remember plugging in an old Wal with a 9 volt circuit and comparing the two. The Wal was literally twice as loud. When people talk about extra "headroom" I'm a bit sceptical about how useful that might be in reality. Manufacturers are quite good at solving problems that folks never realised they had. There's plenty of 9 volt circuits that are perfectly good. I've certainly never come across a Stingray that seemed underpowered, going back all the way to the original pre-EBMM instruments. To my ears, the Stingray Special is a good-sounding example of that design, but it's not radically different to any previous Stingray, except it substantially lighter in weight.

Thanks, that's a fascinating read. So many musicians have rediscovered the sublime artistry that went into those old Serge Gainsbourg records that it's about time someone made a proper documentary about it all. London in the late 1960's/early 1970's was such centre for music, it's not surprising there was a thriving workforce of first-rate players to actually make the tracks. Phillips Studios in Marble Arch where Herbie Flowers et al did so much work and those Serge Gainsbourg records were made ended up being bought by Paul Weller, if I remember correctly, and was renamed Solid Bond.

I grew up listening to Jeff Wayne's War Of The Worlds (my older brother was a big fan) and even back when that album came out Herbie Flowers was the elder statesman of British bass players. Regarding whether Herbie played on Melody Nelson, the last I heard was that it had been established that it was definitely Dave Richmond on at least most of the tracks. However, considering Dave Richmond played a Burns bass and Herbie played a Fender, it would be fascinating to listen to the isolated bass tracks and work out if Herbie Flowers is in fact playing on some of the songs. I wouldn't be at all surprised if turned out he did. Thinking about it now, Herbie's distinctive tone, that Jazz Bass with flatwound strings and lots of treble, often played with a pick, would be very fashionable nowadays. That sound stood out so you could always hear what he was playing, and what he played sounded great and made the music better. Herbie was a magnificent bass player in a magnificent era for popular music made in Britain. It says a lot that his death was announced on the BBC national news. I hope he will always get the recognition he deserves.

I remember it well. It was a big deal at the time, and the end of an era.

Led Zeppelin, Knebworth 1979, £7.50. That's the equivalent of £35 today. 20 Embassy Regal, a bottle of cider and a Mars Bar would leave you change out of a tenner (including the price of the ticket) and you had everything you needed for a festival.

Fair enough, you are absolutely right. They should be open and transparent about what you will pay. It's totally unfair not to. To me though, the face value of the ticket is ridiculous to begin with.