BetaFunk

Post your funkiest funk toons here!!! Let's kick it off with a little bit of General Caine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XrkjBr9ioM

[quote name='Myke' timestamp='1388320565' post='2320674'] Never trust Yodel. [/quote] In my experience most of the couriers are the same. You're in the hands of the Gods as soon as it's in the couriers hands and you just have to hope and pray that it arrives in one piece, if it arrives at all.

[quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1388317759' post='2320636'] Didn't the squiers turn up here first anyway? I know if you look on the net there are stories of usadians getting them imported from here last year. [/quote] Yes we did have the Squier VI here first but they are are now plentiful in the U.S. I doubt if many were imported into the U.S. from these shores due to the much higher price they are in the U.K. I can't see many of our friends over the pond splashing out about twice the price (when you include shipping and duties) for one than it was over there. They are approximately £275 over here so with shipping and tax it would be well over £400. Currently you can buy one in the U.S. for £200-£220. [quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1388317759' post='2320636'] I also meant general pickup cover places anyway, there are a lot of US pickup cover places in the states, but there don't seem to be any here. [/quote] The amount of guitar and bass sales in the U.K. is tiny compared to the U.S. so i suppose that is reflected in the amount of outlets selling after market parts for guitars and basses.

[quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1388262838' post='2320229'] I saw the guy in the states too, it seems there are a lot of companies doing them in the states, but not many in the UK. [/quote] That's because there are a lot more Bass VIs in the U.S. than there are in the U.K.

Here's Pedro Aznar in his role as the Pat Metheny Group Percussionist, Voice and Multi-Instrumentalist in the early 90s. There doesn't seem to be much he can't play. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pAj7QORpLI[/media]

[quote name='foal30' timestamp='1388273310' post='2320394'] I don't think in the video provided he is playing a Growler, that is a single pick up model. Possibly a Classic (?) [/quote] Yes, i've just had a look on the net and it seems to be either a Classic 5 or a Basic 5. I'll leave it to the Tobias experts to work out which one it actually is. Nice bass though whatever model it is.

[quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1388256134' post='2320102'] Last original bass VI I saw on ebay was £1200 [/quote] [quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1388260719' post='2320199'] Yes, this was a japanese one. I have never seen an original US one. [/quote] Yes that's why i questioned your post about the price of an 'original' Bass VI as the Japanese ones are re-issues not originals.

[quote name='Phil Starr' timestamp='1388130833' post='2318696'] You will almost certainly shorten the life of the speaker by playing bass through it and probably destroy it unless you play at very low volumes. Please don't do it. [/quote] It must be very painful for you to watch old footage of The Who. P.S. I can't say that i would lose any sleep over whether the speaker would be destroyed or not. There is enough musical equipment in museums that just sits there without being played. I use what i have and if it wears out and packs up then so be it. The fact that someone has used it and enjoyed it is good enough for me.

[quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1388256134' post='2320102'] .I would say an original fender Bass VI left handed would make the new fender at £600 seem like a bargain. Last original bass VI I saw on ebay was £1200 and I would assume that a lefty would be a good chunk more as it would be less common and left handed people like paying more [/quote] I haven't seen an original Bass VI goes for anywhere near as low as £1200 for many years. A Japanese one, yes, but not a 1960s U.S. made one. These go for between $5,500-$7,000 in the U.S. with Custom colours going for anything between $10,000-$14,000. The last one i saw in the UK was a 1965 Olympic White one which was for sale at £5,000.

[quote name='JazzRay' timestamp='1388253586' post='2320045'] The Fender Bass VI was introduced in the early 60s and they did a lefty, so another option is to try and find a vintage lefty Bass VI for easy money. [/quote] Not sure what you mean by easy money but all the 1960s Fender Bass VIs i've seen recently are around the £5,000 mark. [quote name='JazzRay' timestamp='1388253586' post='2320045'] BTW, it not a Bass, it's a Baritone guitar, the most famous exponent being Robert Smith from The Cure [/quote] BTW, It's a Bass. It is definitely is NOT a Baritone guitar. Robert Smith may be the most famous Bass VI player to you but i'd put Jack Bruce, Jet Harris and Glen Campbell as being pretty famous for playing them and there was also a couple of blokes called Harrison and Lennon that used them.

[quote name='Lowender' timestamp='1388236566' post='2319760'] That's actually a really nice "upright" approach to the electric. Really fine musician. He never soloed anywhere like that with Mahavishnu. One has to wonder if McLaughlin wanted him to purposely as as simple as possible since everyone else was so busy. [/quote] I remember an interview with Rick Laird from some years ago when it was mentioned that in the Mahavishnu at the time it was between McLaughlin, Cobham, Hammer and Goodman who could play the loudest and fastest. Laird said that someone had to say 'one' and that was him! If you look at any Mahavishnu video of that time and se how busy all the others are there would have been no room for a Jaco or a Stanley in that band so i suppose Rick fitted the bill as the real anchor in that band. On saying that Jonas Hellborg arrived later but the band was a little different then.

[quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1388217974' post='2319502'] Having owned loads of Fenders and a couple of Alembics...there is no comparison imo when it comes down to sheer playing experience. Fender = Mondeo Alembic = Ferrari [/quote] Only using a car for getting from my house down a bumpy old road and on to my local town to park in a multi-storey car park i'd go for the Mondeo over a Ferrari every time. Much more versatile. Maybe it's the same with basses to some people.

[quote name='foal30' timestamp='1388202849' post='2319474'] I always thought he was a Kiwi [/quote] He was born in Dublin and then moved with his parents to New Zealand.

[quote name='Kiwi' timestamp='1388171822' post='2319166'] Judging by the headstock logo at 1:05 its a Tobias. But there's not enough light to tell what model it is. [/quote][quote name='foal30' timestamp='1388203042' post='2319475'] Tobias for sure. [/quote] Yes, i read somewhere that Pedro played a Tobias Growler. He also played a Fanta Beaudoux Pedro Aznar Signature bass. http://instrumentosdella.wordpress.com/2013/07/23/beaudoux-modelo-pedro-aznar-fretless/

[quote name='JazzRay' timestamp='1388154743' post='2318939'] The Beatles didn't play Hofners through choice, due to the trade embargoes after the war you just couldn't get Fenders, (and god knows who wanted Gibsons!) until around 1960. [/quote] Admittedly they were very thin on the ground but you could get a Fender guitar or bass if you went to the U.S. and brought one back which plenty of people did do. Mostly if they had travelled to New York themselves or got someone to bring one back. A good few guitarists and bass players in Irish Showbands also had Fenders and Gibsons before they were widely available in the UK and Eire.

This is Part 1 of a 4 Part interview with Rick....... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzyDMIhHgXA

I think this is from around 1978....... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQL90y3tcfc

[quote name='Lowender' timestamp='1388164022' post='2319035'] The upright is really his instrument. I felt Rick was a little lost with what to do with the electric. But he's playing his ass off in that trio. Great stuff. [/quote] He started out on Electric Bass before taking up the Upright and then returning to the Electric later in the 60s but i agree that Upright is his instrument. In an interview he said that he liked Scott LaFaro and Charles Mingus but his heroes were Ray Brown and Paul Chambers so that seems to confirm his preference for the Upright. He also said that he gave it playing bass in the early 80s because he didn't like being just a 'bass for hire'. I understand that he didn't record for some time after that.

[quote name='Fionn' timestamp='1388156790' post='2318962'] Great clips. The Aria was sounding pretty good too [/quote] Yes, i loved this band and saw them live with a couple of line-ups. In that clip who'd have thought that the guy (Melvin Gibbs) playing the Aria bass would be in the Rollins Band 10 years later. Never saw that coming at the time. I also saw Melvin Gibbs with the Power Tools Trio with Bill Frisell and Ronald Shannon Jackson. That was a bit of a thrash i can tell you! I saw him with Vernon Reid as well in the 90s.

[quote name='Bassassin' timestamp='1388147666' post='2318845'] I'm going to say Ibanez RS840BK with a replacement neck. It's not an Ibby headstock & it has a rosewood board with what appears to be position dots near the bottom edge - fretless Roadsters were all maple boards with no dots or lines, as far as I know. Control layout appears to be just 4 knobs & 1 toggle, suggesting it's a passive 800 series - but it is hard to see clearly. The black body would've been a standard finish on the 840 too. Jon. [/quote] Excellent. Thanks Jon.

[quote name='KiOgon' timestamp='1388150480' post='2318884'] Get in touch with The Bass Doc from this very manor, famed for his custom pick guards, amongst many other things [/quote] +1 for The Bass Doc. He's made me replacements for a Shergold i had and for my old VOX and he always does a superb job.

[quote name='alhbass' timestamp='1388139890' post='2318769'] Wow! Thanks so much for posting this. I'd never heard of this before, despite being something of a recent convert to Gil... Great Christmas present! [/quote] Glad you enjoyed it. 1980 is one of GSHs most over looked albums and although it doesn't have the powerful tracks that previous albums had it still has it's moments. All the albums from his most creative period of 1970-1982 are essential listening.

This is for Bilbo and all Pat Metheny fans. Pedro Aznar. The best bass playing percussionist ever!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-x-031gqsVI

At 2.00 in the clip below you get a better view of the bass that the Reverend Bruce Johnson is playing. The other bass player (playing the Aria) is Melvin Gibbs. This clip was is approximately 10 years before he joined the Rollins Band. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7-6jo8mzdg[/media] P.S. It is part of the same clip as i originally posted but it seemed a bit clearer to me.

[quote name='KK Jale' timestamp='1388113349' post='2318678'] Looks like something in the Ibanez Roadster family. RS824? RS924? [/quote][quote name='FlatEric' timestamp='1388130891' post='2318697'] I would agree - I'm pretty sure it's a 924, Rosewood, Fretless. [/quote][quote name='lowregisterhead' timestamp='1388134418' post='2318716'] It's a Roadster body, but the headstock looks not quite right - could be either a custom neck, or an early prototype... [/quote] Thanks for the replies. I agree about the body being an Ibanez but also agree that that headstock doesn't look quiet right.