Happy Jack

The guy was in Christchurch and I happen to be visiting Salisbury a lot just now, so it wasn't much of a detour to take a look at it. He wanted £110 for it. Now I know you'll think me naive, but up until this point I'd never realised that such things as Chase Collections even existed. I've never before seen a "cheap Chinese knock-off" of an SGC Nanyo so I was really quite curious, especially since there are frankly very few cr*p basses coming out of China these days. Apart from the usual screw-up with the string routing at the headstock, other features included a very high action (even for me) despite the saddles sitting flat on the bridge, an odd-looking neck pocket, and at least one of the neck screws sitting at a slight angle.

So me old mate @TheGreek spotted this on Gumtree ... at first glance an SB320 with an unusual finish, but the backplate ... oh that backplate.

It's really not that hard to find a Unicorn bass ...

My main gigging vehicle carries the plate BA55 BOP

He used to advertise Beatle basses for Hofner ... I've got a pic of his advert for the 500/1 somewhere.

Is that a euphemism? No, I rather thought not. Sorry to hear that Clarky, I'll try not to make you laugh.

Basses in the bathroom is a novel approach ...

Correcting causality cures casualness?

You're humming it now, aren't you? Go on ... admit it.

It must have taken bright eyes to spot that duvet.

And that's a Plus One on the Stagebugs. My Radial JDI and Radial J48 are wonderful bits of kit, but they sit in a box gathering dust while my SB2 and SB4 (piezo) are there at every gig, even when not intended for use that night. Any difference in sound quality between the high-end gear and the SB series is small enough to be non-existent except under utterly ideal conditions, whereas the difference in size and weight is completely obvious every time you pick up your ready-bag.

Quite possibly the most obscure artist ever to have a signature bass.

Nice score, especially as you have the skill (& facilities) to sort it out.

A liberal dose of 48Hz would cure you of all your negative vibes, man. 😂

We all spend our playing careers trying to replicate "the sound in our head". For anyone listening to pop music through the 60s, that sound is most likely to be a Fender Precision strung with flats, and quite possibly being played by James Jamerson (not that any of us had a clue who he was until many years later).

They used to import their blues from Belgium, but ever since Brexit ...

Yup ... I've never been a fan of borrowing the House Band's bass.

Looks like I'll be over-nighting in Salisbury mid-week a couple of times a month for the foreseeable future. Much as I love sitting in a hotel bar staring at the wallpaper, frankly I'd prefer to check out the local scene (maaaan) and in particular the various jam sessions and similar. Given a 30-mile travel radius, my old mate and drinking buddy Euclid tells me that's nearly 3000 square miles of Wessex that's availabe to explore, so you'd think I'd be spoiled for choice. Not so much. The usual searches have turned up a number of "2nd Tuesday in the month but only if the Moon is in the 7th House" type jam sessions, some of which are at venues which have changed hands / closed down / been struck by lightning since the listing was last updated. Speak to me, Oh Wessex Basschatters, where should I go on a weekday evening far from the madding crowd to hear Tess of the D'Urbervilles play a slow blues with Jude the Obscure?

Mind you, I nearly missed these at Waitrose this morning because I was so impressed by the meat & 2 veg.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Alumifin-Metal-Polish-Stainless-Aluminium/dp/B099F5LP9X/ref=sr_1_9?adgrpid=50766437902&hvadid=259098953720&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9045966&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=8411255051468544437&hvtargid=kwd-308538419023&hydadcr=28179_1821129&keywords=aluminium+polishing+kit&qid=1681122532&sr=8-9 😉😎