NancyJohnson

I played in Chatham on Saturday. There wasn't one full set of teeth in the audience. I wore an Alice-band for our whole set and didn't realise. The sound guy was off his head and disappeared while we were playing. We had a McDonald's on the way back.

[quote name='Wolverinebass' timestamp='1506333228' post='3377912'] Mick (the Greek) brought his to the bass bash on Saturday. I didn't play it, but I did a bit of amp fiddling when people were. It's actually not bad. Tonally it's okay. Volume wise, it's not bad either. I would honestly say it's not enough to play in a band with a cymbal happy drummer or 2 guitarists unless you're using a 6x10 which kind of defeats the purpose of using an amp that you need an electron microscope to see as its so small. I'd say, if you're doing a jazz gig or some kind of acoustic folk gig, it's great. If you're bag is metal or hard rock, you're stuffed unless you're using a massive cab as it won't have any headroom even if you used a topnotch 2x12 like Barefaced or Bergantino. So, to answer the age old basschat question "is it any good for metal?" The answer is a resounding "no." It's a very inventive bit of kit, but it's just not for me. I just need more juice from any amp I'd buy and you won't get it from the Elf. [/quote] This.

I do have a bass strung BEAD...you know, that never actually crossed my mind. I'd forgotten about it entirely.

While I'm pining for the arrival of my Lull 5-string, I am in desperate need of a 5-string loaner (with reasonably bright strings) for an evening so I can complete one song on a recording session we did yesterday. I tuned down the bass to drop-D and it just sounded too [i]flappy[/i]. The Lull I have a Lull on order is unlikely to drop for another 4-6 weeks at least. We'll be going in for overdubs either first week of October or around a fortnight after that. I'm recording in Bracknell (Creative Control, South Hill Park) and would be happy to collect and drop off, or if you want to swing by and watch me misplay and gurn through five minute song, you're more than welcome to sit in and mock. Like the topic title says. Help! Paul

[quote name='Matt P' timestamp='1506067189' post='3376178'] so that's what you did with it! i'm pretty sure you bought this from me, what scratchplate did you go with in the end? matt [/quote] I put the Badtz Maru one back on...I love that it looks like a toy bass.

[quote name='clivem' timestamp='1506080148' post='3376298'] This'll be my first bass bash! Looking forward to meeting people tomorrow! I've managed to injure my blinking hand this morning, which has me now thinking about what I'm going to bring tomorrow..... I think it's gonna have to be light! (Don't think there is going to be much chance of me man-handling anything big and heavy in/out of the car. So the big stuff (tube amps and 212/410 cabs) will be staying at home. I think an Eden WTX-264 with a Barefaced 110 is going to be what I bring for an amp. I've already decided to bring 3 "lower end" basses (hopefully) to sell. Now I'm thinking about what other basses to bring. Is there anything from this list that anyone would particularly like to have a play with? (Won't have room to bring them all.) Fender Elite Dimension IV Gibson 2017 EB IV Ibanez SR1300 Premium IV Ibanex SR1405 Premium V [/quote] I'd be interested in seeing the Gibson.

[quote name='TrevorR' timestamp='1506071303' post='3376211'] Nik, It was actually quite hilarious, I think Paul said to every single person who was there, "Look, if you win that Barefaced cab in the raffle I've got a lovely 335 over there I'll give you for it. And some pedals. And cash... And a kidney..." The look of shock and disbelief on his face when his ticket was first out of the bucket was priceless!!!!! [/quote] Blimey, what a memory you have. That was quite succinct. The Barefaced has become my go-to cab over the last year. I just need to win, sorry purloin, a Super Compact so I can run my GED2112 in stereo...

[quote name='silverfoxnik' timestamp='1506024299' post='3376018'] It was a fix! [/quote] Aah, it was clever subterfuge on my part. Well, while you obviously thought I was nipping out to check my car was locked, I did in fact travel a few hours into the future and found out what the winning number was going to be. I took my time machine back to 1976, had a quick chat with Herbie while he was doing the [i]War Of The Worlds[/i] album and told him to pull out ticket #64 at the 2016 Bash Raffle. While I was there, I hung around for a couple of months, saw the Sex Pistols at The Screen On The Green (brilliant, by the way) and then made it back to the Bash before anyone there knew I'd been away. I'm surprised nobody realised I was actually wearing different trousers from those I arrived in. I also bought back 23 1968 Fender Jazz basses that have now helped me in my dream of being mortgage-free. It's all in the detail. Nik.

I'll be there but my gear won't be. In body only and hoping to clean up on the raffle again. Titter.

I bought a Badtz Maru off here. The machines wete awful, while trying to enlarge the holes for new ones, the top of the headstock sheared off. So first up, new neck. It didn't sound so great, so I put in a hotrails style humbucker. It wouldn't intonate. The bridge was awful, so I put a Mustang bridge on it. Oh, and Straploks.

My name isn't Nancy and I'm not a girlie either. Not even the name I use in my band is real. Bwaharharhaaaaaar!

[quote name='Graham' timestamp='1505302001' post='3370839'] Queen maybe? I'm sure someone will disagree though - that's what the internet is for [/quote] Early Queen stuff is fantastic, well certainly up to A Night at the Opera (and parts of A Day at The Races), but after that it's all a bit meh. That said, I'm loving that Queen Inc. are (finally) releasing so much of the older material - At The Beeb (1989 release), plus the recentish Rainbow '74/Hammersmith'75 shows and On Air.

Reading through the comments here, I'd concur with Timmo and PaulWarning...it really is a kind of IMHO type of thing and certainly one man's overrated is another man's underrated. It's all so subjective. I don't know whether being overrated comes into it really, I mean there's no doubting that the bands I mention below know their sh*t, but they are abhorrent to me on so many levels. I used to have these girlish crushes on dozens of bands but as soon as (metaphorically) [i]Teresa from the typing pool[/i] mentions them in passing or says, 'Ooh, I really like <[i]insert bandname here[/i]>', I'd draw a line under proceedings and make a mental note to move the band to my sh*t list. It really was as black and white as that...you knew when it was time to stop listening to them because they'd moved from your little secret to (shudder) the mainstream. There's a ramp of festival-pleaser bands that are a complete turn-off for me, with the top of list being comprised of Radiohead, Coldplay, RHCP, U2 and Muse. I look at the bills for Reading and Glastonbury and just go, 'Kasabian? Friday night headliner? Really?'

It looks a bit shiny on a 40 year old bass, it'll calm down a bit.

[quote name='LewisK1975' timestamp='1505211221' post='3370204'] Cool, been wondering about these myself since the BAII became impossible to get any more. I like the idea of the Brass saddles, which, correct me if I'm wrong, also offer sideways movement so you can adjust the string spacing? [/quote] Each saddle has a groove that carries an insert that the string rides on. There is a few millimetres sideways movement; there's a little hex grub-screw at the front of the saddle that you slacken off, adjust the insert, then re-tighten. Mine were set centrally on delivery, didn't need any adjustment.

Some of you may know a few years back I landed a very old Aria Pro II Primary bass...it was in a very poorly state. Over the years, I've done some patching up to bring it up to speed, but the bridge (a stock Fender bent tin unit with the knurled saddles) has been failing recently; the grub screws don't hold the saddle height and at a gig on Friday, one of them fell out. I ordered a Hipshot Kickass from BAss Direct yesterday and it arrived today and is fitted. It's pretty much a BadAss II clone, kind of updated with the rough edges removed. Brass saddles. Took about 15 minutes to install, another 15 to intonate and set the action and we're in business. The E -string saddle wouldn't go back far enough, but you get shorter saddle screws in the kit. It's really very nice and feels a whole lot more sturdy for starters. I'm a fairly heavy player and it's nice that the saddles aren't prone to movement. Notes actually sound fuller, more solid. Sound investment in my book.

Ordered a Hipshot KickAss bridge from them yesterday. It arrived today. Not good enough! Terrible service.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1505148446' post='3369815'] IME exotic woods might look nice (if you like that kind of thing) but they don't really add anything else to the bass. Same with fancy electronics, which unless you are Wal or ACG and are specifying your very own custom circuits are just some off the peg pickups and pre-amp shoe-horned into the instrument. AFAICS Mike Lull makes the best new Thunderbirds you can buy, while Gibson continues to drop the ball when it comes to bass guitars. [/quote] It's going to be covered in paint, so the exotic wood thing doesn't make much difference. I've never really bought into this argument that different woods sound better, plus in a blind test would anyone really be able to hear the differences between mahogany, alder, maple etc? Probably not. Years ago, I remember playing a Les Paul at a jam and the guitarist asked how I got 'that sound', I just handed it over and without the slightest tweak he sounded completely different. He never ever sounded like me, despite wanting to. Sound/tone comes as much from your hands as much as the pickups and guts of the thing.

[quote name='dood' timestamp='1505125580' post='3369580'] I'm intrigued too. What's the spec? Rare or exotic woods, or a complex construction? I'm not familiar with this model. [/quote] There's enough about Lull out there...Seattle based, high end builder, array of well known players. To be honest, they were never really on my radar until I saw the Jeff Ament (Pearl Jam) Thunderbird model (JAXT4); I'd been playing Gibson Thunderbirds for about a decade, but the Lull just took the design, made it bigger and bettered it. I'm a big bloke - the JAX has a body size 15-20% bigger than a regular Thunderbird - so it just looks normal on me. It oozes quality and plays like a dream. I saw some photos of Steven Jay Wilson online and he was using the NRT (non-reverse Thunderbird) 5-string shown in the above. It's loosely based on the Gibson Non-Reverse Thunderbird, but again, the body is bigger. It was like someone threw a switch, so I put up the rest of my 'birds up for sale and put in an order. Buildwise it's pretty standard stuff. Mahogany body and (Plek'd/graphite reinforced) mahogany neck...I've asked for an ebony board, but you know, if it comes with a mahogany board it's not a deal-breaker, the JAXT4 is nice enough...it's just looks aesthetically different. Pickups are Lull originals, Hipshot machines.

[quote name='dmccombe7' timestamp='1505115543' post='3369490'] I'm looking forward to seeing your bass on here. £4.5k for a bass is quite a fair bit and must be pretty special. Sure it will all go well and you'll be more than happy with it. Dave [/quote] Dave I've ordered the bass on the left below. 100% same spec. When the spec confirmation came through (weeks later), it was wrong...four string, vintage style scratchplate. Considering the money, it was all horribly vague. Now I know what it's like operating a small business; Mark is probably drowning in emails from suppliers, sellers and buyers. The team there have always been very nice when I've needed to speak to them, but maybe it's time for them to take on someone to handle their admin! It doesn't matter whether the bass is £250 or £5,000 you have to know that what you're getting is what you expect to be getting. I'm almost tempted to contact Lull direct prior to shipping to ensure that what they despatch is 100% what I've ordered. It feels awful, but I just have this nagging doubt that something won't be right. Anyhow, I ordered it in the first week of June, it should be here next month. Should. P

Wow, as Kate Bush would say: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5z3PEvdrQ8&sns=fb

Here's the next one... http://youtu.be/iZMbZcFCgVE