NancyJohnson

You know what? Nah.

The Alverez Dana Scoop? Oh, the horror.

I used to run a Matrix poweramp, it was fantastic and only went because I was just trying to cut down on the weight of the stuff I was carrying. The GSS is still on the website, €300 for the 600w/4ohm one, the 1kw is €460. Maybe it's just a website glitch. Not familiar with Demeter kit, but the 800D ticks all the boxes really.

I think all I really want is a small/powerful poweramp with just a volume control; all my pre-shaping comes from Tech21 stuff and this always goes into the effects return of whatever amp I'm using (currently a 900w Darkglass A/O head). I'm not particularly fond of the DG A/O tonally, volumewise it's more than adequate.

Anyone using these for bass? [I've edited the title here as we seem to be taking in more suggestions.]

Going a little off-piste here, I put in a retention of title clause into our updated T&C's when I was working in the wristwatch business. We saved literally tens of thousands by pulling unpaid for stock before the administrator/liquidator took the product and sold it at auction for peanuts. Did I get any credit for this? Answers on a postcard.

Early Cheap Trick today. Studio-wise I reckon I'll stop when I've finished Dream Police. Live albums, the 2020 RSD release is up now (Live at The Whiskey, 1977), so I'll include that and Budokan of course.

I didn't know they did strings until about a year ago. There was a promotion here, I bought a set to see if they were any good (yes).

Tough crowd these New Zealanders.

Ooh. Three question marks. Evidence??? I have none. No photos; this was '78/79. Photos were limited to holidays and Christmas, back then. Rest assured though, it's all true. Now if only I'd hung onto that Travis Bean.

Markbass coated strings are a good alternative. They feel lovely, holding up well so far.

For some reason Reverb has started directing advertising at me with Orange Matamps being highly featured. How does Reverb know that back in the late 70s I bought a 100w one of these at an ex-hire place in Chalk Farm and that it caught fire in a rehearsal and that we put the flames out by pouring Coca Cola in it and that I sold the charred husk to a dealer in Denmark Street for £60 and that these are are going for thousands? How would Reverb know this? 😂

I have Drop-D tuners on a couple, don't use them much, but they're there just in case I love Dunlop Straploks. [Edit]. While I put Dunlops on every bass, I feel that D-tuners aren't appropriate on every bass. I would have never considered putting them on a Rickenbacker or one of my old Thunderbirds, just wrong. Spector yes, my old Aria-P, yep, my Hamers? Nooooo.

Elixirs supply chain to UK/Europe seems to have been a bit hokey this year. Because they don't do extra long 5-string sets, I ordered a set of 14087s and a single B-string (15433). The 14087s took about three weeks, the 15433 another month after. Luckily, because they last so long, I won't have to replace these for a while...the B is out of stock (1-2 months delay).

The P-bass in the photo is mine. 1978 Aria. Every time it goes out, I put a scrape in it. It's odd, I love that bass even though it's not really me at all. I just love it because it was a surprise (and very cheap) Gumtree purchase, I bought it back to life and it lives. Swapped out bits and it's never failed me.

Gibson site shows pages of Les Pauls, SGs, 335s and pointy 'designer' stuff, but basses are limited to the SG Bass and Thunderbird in two colours each. If they don't make these you'd just have a handful of disgruntled bass players going 'hurrumph!' and the whole launch would just quietly go away. That said, expect to see the handful they have made in their Reverb Demo Shop. Gibson just seem to be so out of touch with their (potential) customers; perhaps yes, thousands of people do actually want more Les Pauls and SGs, but there was also massive interest (still is) for a faithful reissues of the Junior double cut, Firebird FB1, Thunderbird II basses.EB2s etc.

Wings Over America. Then it'll be Band On The Run.

Despite being double-jabbed, I'm still quite worried about mixing with a load of people. Reluctantly it's a 'no' from me. Sorry!

Just scanning through this, it's a pretty woeful exercise in not joining the dots, especially considering the evidence. I also find it alarming that the proprietor of the auction house is a friend of the person who bought the guitars. Jeepers.

I just got sent some audio sent through from some studio sessions I did eight or nine years ago. For one reason or another, I never got copies at the time and we struggled to find someone to do vocals. Studio owner moved location, was going through some old hard drives at his new setup and sent me over audio. It's just pre-production stuff, but lovely to hear. PAUL&CARL_1(1).mp3

This is what I tend to noodle on. To be honest, I'm not entirely certain about the DG head tonally, so I tend to use a GED2112-DI or a DP-3X into the effects return.

Just re-reading this thread. By way of observation, I remember back in the 70s the only exposure we seemed to have of gear was through Beat Instrumental or the Bell catalogue; there was no way (on a paperboys wages) that I was going to be able to stretch to a Fender, so copies were the way forward. I have zero memory of there being Precision copies at all; in truth this is the one I wanted. I'm sure there were P-bass copies, but it always seemed to be Jazz copies.

This was my thought.

Honestly, while there was innovation at work with this model, it wasn't that good. The guitar itself was only one part of the package; there was a controller unit (about the size of a class-d amp) that you needed to carry around too. Gibson argued that it wouldn't have been cost effective to pull out the tech out of the guitars, revert them 'normal' and make good, so this stunt was the only way to go. There was this nonsensical comment about 'dangerous metals' being used in the manufacturing process (but those metals were clearly ok if you owned the guitar, eh?). This publicity stunt backfired horribly for the company. Whoever thought this was a good idea should have been given the sack. It does raise the question if what happens to other the scratch and ding Gibsons that don't make the grade? Probably get pushed over to the custom shop and converted into distressed 50s reissues.

I was shuffling through a load of Harry Nilsson on Friday; I'd Shazaamed 'Best Friend' (not on Spotify, boo), so just picked through some albums. It was like listening to an early 70s version of Jellyfish.