dave_bass5

I didnt think that was any more exciting than the original (much less really). Elevator music for people who just need something in the background.

[quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1358283815' post='1936456'] Nonsense! It will NEVER get the "BassChat Approved" sticker! [/quote] The way today has gone its more like Knobchat ;-)

For buying gear there is only one place........Basschat ;-)

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1358264163' post='1935901'] I think "Basschat Recommended" rather than "Basschat approved" but I definitely like the concept. Should we have a star rating like the hygiene people do? [/quote] So what would the shop in the original thread get? Some people have said they have had great service from them, myself included, others said its not on and they would avoid at all costs. Bass players eh?

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1358262103' post='1935822'] Can we please drop this please otherwise I'm going to end up locking this one as well. [/quote] Could you merge the two together and then make them go away?

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1358261688' post='1935804'] I can see that. But threads will always take on a life of their own after a certain length of time or number of posts. It is not the property of the OP and therefore (in my opinion) the OP should have no right to close a thread down. I think this particular thread was a bit of a one-off in the strange way that we were updated in dribs and drabs about an ongoing situation. They were more like throwaway FB status-updates rather than posts to a forum! There were several silly comments made that reflected badly on the poster. WoT, in particular, gave the OP a bit of a cross-examination in order to get closer to the facts and separate them from the opinions. I think he was acting in our interests in doing so, but can see how others might take the OP's side and think he was going a bit far. [/quote] I agree with that. I think if the info, or more info, had been forthcoming, and quicker then some posts might not have been made, but that cant be blamed on Gareth as he was of course waiting to hear back form various parties at the same time. A lot of his posts were quite calm and brief, i felt for him, but i can understand others pushing for more info, like you say, once started there is no way of telling how it will go.

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1358260278' post='1935769'] Not strictly true I'm afraid. Gareth told me (and, I believe, some other NE-based members) by PM which shop it was. So he could be regarded as having broken confidence - a confidence which [i]we[/i] kept! I don't recall many people blaming the shop for the delay. However, the way they handled it was poor. As the initial deadline approached, and it was clear to them that it would not be met, they could have pre-empted Gareth's contact and simply told him that there were problems. That is good customer service. He should not have had to ask where his missing bass was. [/quote] My point was it wasn't posted by Gareth on a public forum, nor did he ever acknowledge any guesses about the shop. There were many people telling him to go and get his money back, and how he was getting messed about by the shop. Some said they would have done it months ago etc. At no point were MM or S&T ever blamed for the hold up, it was all directed at the "nameless" shop, and sounded liek a bunch of hot heads wanting to stir things up. We dont know the exact words used by the shop to Gareth, the delays in replying to him could well have been because they were waiting for replies themselves. Im in no way defending anyone, just criticising a lot of the earlier posts that seemed to offer no real help, and didnt seem to take all the facts known at the time in to consideration. I suppose these were just different views to mine but thats how i feel about that thread.

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1358259231' post='1935735'] The delay will most likely be due to the sheer volume of orders being processed by EBMM and the priority being given to Bongo production at a given time . It's in everybody else in the chains' intrest to get the bass to the customer as quickly as possible so they can get paid , I would think . [/quote] Exactly my thinking. While the shop is the first point of contact there will only be so much they can do.

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1358255845' post='1935635'] Yes, but there is still the "fact" that the bass took eight months to arrive when he was quoted four, and that comminications with the store seemed to be woefully inadequate. I think these factors were kind of forgotten when all the other stuff kicked off. [/quote] The way i read it was that the shop didnt hold it for 4 months, they took about a week, maybe 10 days to get it to Gareth once they got it (i could be wrong it was a long thread). If the shop didnt have it then its not really fair to put all the blame on them, when we know full well the route it had to take and the hold up was further down the chain. Im not excusing the shop for the way they miss treated Gareth but i cant see how the long delay was their fault.

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1358254144' post='1935587'] But if someone was close to naming a shop...for example, then how unthinking was that..?? putting it politely [/quote] Someone did name the shop, although it wasnt Gareth and Gareth didnt respond to the post so he has never mentioned the name of the shop, nor was he going to. It just seemed to be someone jumping in and showing us how cleaver he was at adding 1 plus 1 plus 1 and coming up with 3.

I got it as we play a lot of social clubs and they dont like loud volume, so being able to restrict the volume of the bass without losing the punch, and for the times when i pick too hard, seemed like a good idea. I like the sound of a slightly compressed P bass, and i can definitely hear this at gigs, its just that i also feel with the way my drummer tends to get louder and softer (sometimes even during a single verse) what starts out as a good level or mix, can turn in to a cymbal mix and with the comp on i cant match the levels without making adjustments almost on the fly. Its just easier not to use it most of the time, or start off louder and play quieter. I realise of course that this is all wrong but its beyond my control, believe me ive tried many times to sort this out. At least with the metering i can tell if im pushing it too hard or when its approaching the point that i cant go any louder, it has allowed me to adjust things with the knowledge that im doing it right during the gigs. My Paradriver also compresses a bit, and while its not the same thing i do hear a bit of what i like. I do really like using the M87 for home recording though, thats where i feel it really makes a difference.

I never really liked Steps, although i had a soft spot for Girls Aloud

[quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1358157021' post='1933793'] Glad it helped [/quote] It did, and having the input/compression meter on the M87 also helped me work through your guide. I know a lot of people say whats the point with all the lights but being able to see exactly whats going really helped me understand and get the best from it. Its just a shame that it made me realise (yet again) that i don't need one.

[quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1357721811' post='1927088'] That will be one of mine I think..... [/quote] Yep and very, very useful its been too. Thanks for taking the time to write it. It really showed me how to set my MXR M87 up, and once it was all set up i realised i dont need it lol.

[quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1358113905' post='1933455'] Wrong. Any neck heel expansion (extremely minimal in only the most extreme of circumstances) would simply result in a very tight neck pocket...which is what any manufacturer aspires to on a bolt on neck design. I cannot believe that so many players here are arguing that a gap is no big deal - the reality is that it compromises, to some degree, the integrity of the whole design. Its all about stability. I have removed necks from many makes of bolt on neck basses and some are so tight that they could probably be plugged in and played without the screws holding the neck in place (Lakland for one). [/quote] Well I'm happy to admit im wrong about the neck pocket and wood expansion theory (I was sitting on the toilet just musing really) but you yourself have just said that the gap is a compromise to some degree, so that doesn't mean it's a big deal, just that it might cause issues. In may case I see no issue at all and I've not read of anyone having a huge problem just because the neck has a small gap.

[quote name='peteb' timestamp='1358084417' post='1932731'] As far as I understand, Musicman make mass production basses but I've never seen a Stingray with neck pocket issues! [/quote] It's seems to be just necks these days ;-)

[quote name='Martin E' timestamp='1358080780' post='1932663'] I do wonder why these problems occur in the first place although there is no excusing a lack of quality control. Fender basses are mass produced as opposed to hand made but surely the whole point of mass production is that you can consistently produce parts to the finest degree of accuracy using computer controlled equipment. You wouldn't buy a new car and find one of the doors was too small for the opening. So is there a human element still involved in cutting a neck pocket and neck heel in a big organisation like Fender which accounts for these inconsistencies? [/quote] Could be that the neck pockets are in spec according to Fender. I don't think I have seen official Fender neck pocket gap specs anywhere. Maybe they set a tolerance to cut the pocket slightly larger to allow the neck heal to expand without causing problems. I'd imagine that happening is a much bigger deal than a slight gap, which doesn't really make a difference to playability or tone. Just my thoughts though.

I take your point John, I'd rather not buy a bass with any imperfections either, that's why I sent 3 MIA's back a couple of years ago. Saying that these are production basses, I think it's fair to expect flaws, although thats no excuse for Fender putting out bases that have them at this price point. It's down to the individual to decide if they can live with it or not. I'd rather live with a small gap down the side of the neck than say a scratch or blemish in the paintwork. That would really bug me. Probably why I think all that road worn stuff is nonsense :-)

Totally agree. After spending a few grand (at least) over the past 8 years with my current band I'm more than happy to use my Squier, to the point that I only have two Squiers now, a P and a Jazz. I can feel the extra quality in the MIA's but that doesn't seem to affect playing at all. I don't even have my Jazz insured. I do have a Lakland neck on my P, and due to the heel being slightly narrower than the Squier there is a gap, but I've plugged it with Balsa wood and its not noticeable to anyone other than me. This gap doesn't effect tone or playability at all, but I can understand that if you are paying a lot of money you want something that's made to that standard.

Considering the amount of people that own and play Fenders I wouldn't let one picture put me off. Big neck pocket or not if its a bass that sounds and plays well there is definitely not a problem, and this is coming from someone who regrets thinking the opposite a few years ago.

[quote name='SlapbassSteve' timestamp='1357910597' post='1930405'] Walking on Sunshine absolutely do my head in, [/quote] Oh god yeah, id forgotten about that. My issue with this song is my drummer is all over the place. Wrong beat, wrong timing, constantly changing the two as he cant keep up with himself, and its a challenge to keep up for me, but not in a good way.

[quote name='spike' timestamp='1357909356' post='1930373'] I'm starting to get a little bit bored with Valerie having played it at every gig I've done for the last five years. [/quote] Same here. I like the song but we start our last set with Valerie (in to Kung Fu fighting) at every gig. Getting sick of it but it does signal that the night is almost over so i can live with it.