Misdee

Jaydee basses might be shaped similarly to Alembics but in terms of sound they are very different. I seem to remember reading a long time ago that Jaydee pickups are essentially P Bass style split humbuckers in a rectangular case. The Jaydee preamp with bass, mid and treble cut and boost is a million miles away from the Alembic filter system. That said, I remember back in the mid 1980's when Jaydee basses first arrived in the USA that Rick Turner, chief designer of the original Alembic basses and as such eminently qualified to make a judgement, reviewed a Jaydee Supernatural bass in Guitar Player Magazine. He commented on the similarities between Alembic basses and the Jaydee especially in terms of the distinct "pop" of overtones you got on both basses because of their extended frequency range. So maybe they are a bit similar in certain respects.

It depends on what constitutes a "boutique" bass. If you mean exotic woods, active electronics, brass bridges made in small numbers by "craftsmen" then...yes but no not really. Looking back now with the balance of hindsight at the days when such basses were considered the pinnacle of acquisition for most self-respecting bassists, a lot of what was considered desirable, and indeed essential, seems pretty preposterous nowadays. Conversely,however, the idea nowadays that I need a very old (probably knackered) Fender P Bass strung with heavy gauge La Bella flats and a vintage Ampeg B15 that breaks down regularly in order to be a hip and savvy bass player is equally preposterous. And the same kind of fashion victims that adhered to boutique basses in the 1980's/90's are extolling the primacy of vintage gear now. If you like boutique basses buy one. If you like vintage ones get one of them. The notes are in the same place on either.

At the risk of stating the obvious, Parliament's definition is political, the Courts definition is legal and guided by Parliament. That makes them partisan, not definitive. Just because they have power and are in control, it doesn't necessarily make them right.

Who could "officially" define what racism is? With what authority? That definition will always be a matter for conjecture. May I also point out, the Oxford English Dictionary is a reference for the English language, not a definitive handbook for reality.

Your definition i.e the one you are presenting as being the "real" definition. My definition is defined in context of the post, and clearly so. This is an argument about nothing. Except that some people are desperate to accuse other people of racism, either explicitly or implicitly, and that's a very serious allegation to make .

What makes you think your definition is definitive? My definition was in relation to the post I was referring to, nothing else.

Okay, thanks for putting me straight. I'll submit to your jurisdiction in future, then.

So what?

This is exactly the kind of self-righteous indignation I'm talking about. So now the benchmark of racism is non-adherence to the doctrine of the Guardian newspaper.. It's not within your gift to decide on my behalf what is and what isn't racist. I'll make my own mind up, thank you very much. I'm perfectly capable of doing so. And if I did enjoy the company of people who didn't fulfil your expectations of what's acceptable, it really wouldnt be any of your business. Moreover, you do me a great disservice in implying that by associating with people who have whatever opinions that I would be endorsing those views or be susceptible to them.

I've got a Stingray Special four string and it's by far the best Stingray I've had the good fortune to have known. The Specials have their own flavour of Stingray tone and I really like it. The new neodymium pickups and redesigned preamp are incredibly punchy. The whole package is well thought-out and ergonomic. Nicely built, too. Enjoy your new bass.👍🙂

Yes they did.

You are, apparently, unable to differentiate between irony,satire and sarcasm. You need to go back and read the thread. Other posters referenced shouting at asylum hotels ect. as a benchmark of the unacceptable.That's why I mentioned it. FWIW, I'm not having a go at you. I don't know why you would think I was. I think you are posing a very interesting question. I'm trying to give you a nuanced answer, i.e it's not someone's opinions so much as how stupid or smart, charmless or charming the person expressing them is whether I could play in a band with them. So if it was Morrissey I could put up with a lot. If it was Jim Davidson, less so.

You can post whatever you like. Others can respond. Have a lot of people out there had a problem with band mates joining the throng outside asylum hotels with the aim of intimidating the residents? Has anyone, and what if they did? But at least now we know we have a prescribed position on this matter.

The point is that certain issues have a profile in certain people's imagination that is disproportionate to their actual incidence.

Is musicians shouting abuse at asylum hotels a thing nowadays? Is it a problem many of you are actually encountering? I expect not. But at least now we know that you're against that kind of thing. Were I a recently-arrived Albanian or Afghan youth anxious to be granted Leave To Remain just knowing that the amateur bass players of Britain were,by and large, on my side would,no doubt, be a source of great comfort. Maybe someone on Basschat could come up with a funky little ditty, preferably without any slapping in it though,(too aggressive, might trigger PTSD ect) we could somehow send to these poor souls. They could listen to it to drown out the sound of the lynch mob outside.

There's a certain conceit in those who want to decide on everyone's behalf what is acceptable and what isn't. (Guardian readers take note). I'd find it hard to spend a lot of time playing music with people who weren't able to tolerate my intolerance. What I find more disturbing than anyone's supposedly extreme views is the assumption by many people that benevolence and being "open-minded" is synonymous with permissiveness, letting people say, do and act as they want uncontested. Extremism and "bigotry" is then defined as anyone who doesn't concur with certain groups of people in society's idea of themselves, or anything that challenges and questions those ideas.

I don't think it's someone's views so much as how well they are able to express those views and explain them. I wouldn't dismiss someone for having opinions and a view of the world radically different to my own if they had a persuasive or coherent explanation of why they were that way. It just depends what they have to say and how convincingly they say it. That's what you'll be stuck in a transit van with. The bigger question is who gets to arbitrate which views are extreme? We live in a world full of extremities, and all too often the most powerful get to define their opponents as extremists as a way of undermining the truth. Besides which, are extreme views necessarily wrong? Your liberal views on certain subjects are considered extreme by a lot of people. It's all about context. Beyond all of that though, the older I get the more reluctant I am to condemn people for what they believe. I've come to realise that we all believe all sorts of crap at one time or another, mainly as a way of getting through life's difficulties. People who believe in the most unpalatable ideas are often the most vulnerable or most damaged in one way or another. If you like and/,or respect someone, you can easily be in a band with them even if you have differing views on things. If you don't like or tespect them, it doesn't really matter if they agree with you on everything

I've got a USA Lakland passive PJ with a Jazz Bass neck on it and it's a superb instrument in every way. Sounds great, plays great, feels great. The neck profile is sublime. If you trawl the internet you might find a used one within your budget.

I remember when no one used flats, back in the '80's and early '90's. At that time flatwound bass strings were something they had in the old days, like rickets and diphtheria. Definitely to be avoided. It all changed with PIno and that Voodoo album. Nowadays everybody has to have a Precision with flats on. It's become yet another bass playing tyranny. When I finally got some TI flats about ten years ago it was a revelation how much fun they were to play and how I could now accurately emulate bass parts I'd been playing right but that didn't sound like the original. More than anything, the different attack and decay you get on flats compared to roundwounds made all the difference.

I can't entertain the idea of buying a bass with blocks but without binding. It aught to be illegal.

You've also got to bear in mind, modern amps and cabs can make any bass with flats sound different to the olden days when valves and boomy cabs were the only option. There's an awful lot of hi-fi bass rigs about nowadays that can give a much more precise and detailed version of the flatwounds sound. That clarity, power and punch can negate some of the reasons why bassists ditched those strings in favour of roundwounds.

I've got a Fender AVRI 74 Jazz Bass with TI flats on and it's a lot of fun. Great for reggae and also '70's funk stuff. Also a great combination for using a pick with to get that clicky old-school sound. I actually prefer that bass to a Jazz with roundwounds nowadays.

It's quite a while since I was last in Nashville but I remember talking to a bass player who told me was getting 20 dollars a set on Broadway, three sets a day. The bandleader kept the tips. He asked me if he'd do better in London. I told him yes and no; you'll get more than that for a set but you won't play three sets a day.

Could have been worse. At least you didn't nearly drive off with Kiera Kenworthy. Kidnapping is a serious offence which people generally take a pretty dim view of nowadays