skankdelvar

Y'know, I never imagined for an instant this would turn into a serious discussion. For one thing, [i]not[/i] playing open strings means your bass is effectively tuned F Bb Eb Ab*. And you never get to use the lowest note on the instrument. And scores of well-known riffs suddenly become a finger stretching nightmare. To suggest that the [i]general practice [/i]of using open or closed strings are alternative approaches seems beyond the bounds of sane debate. It's like asking if one uses both one's feet when walking. Now, if we're talking about the tonal variations encountered when playing [i]specific[/i] passages in [i]different[/i] positions or on [i]different[/i] strings- that's - er - different. [size=1]* Yes, I know a 5-string would be tuned C etc. But 5-s aren't proper basses.[/size]

I assume the price reflects the fact that: * It's a one-off 'prototype' * Norman's gigged it * The well-respected Martin Sims did the relic-ing Under the circs, that doesn't seem wholly unreasonable.

[quote name='The Funk' post='641841' date='Oct 31 2009, 01:00 PM']I'd love to see a band member say "thank us for being here - you are having a great time!" [/quote] That's going into the act. If I ever get it up and running.

Oh yes, indeedy. 12 bar in A, means I can do the whole song one-handed. Leaves the other one free to sign autographs. My [i]very good [/i]friend Victor Wooten (or Vic-baby, as I call him) was [i]enormously[/i] impressed by this when he caught my solo set in Pillerton Priors village hall. Expect a few surprises on his next tour.

Looks a bit like my P. Cosmetically challenged.

[quote name='doctor_of_the_bass' post='639626' date='Oct 29 2009, 12:17 AM'][/quote] Y'know, if you'd just get around to fixing that fence, you wouldn't need to prop it up with those nice basses.

[quote name='KevB' post='640252' date='Oct 29 2009, 05:04 PM']Undoubtedly but it's an odd situation where the founding people who gave the band it's name have relatively few writing credits through the years, I suppose it's probably not a lot different from Wyman & Watts though [/quote] Wyman & Watts - sounds more like a traditional Gentlemens' Outfitters: "New cravat, Jumbo?" "Wyman & Watts, old chap!" [/topic derail]

[quote name='The Admiral' post='639522' date='Oct 28 2009, 10:16 PM']He also has this ' hey, look at me, I'm whacky [b]and[/b] cool' thing going on, which started to grate after a bit.[/quote] Did he do that funny little goose-step walk during his solos? Very odd. Didn't know they were touring, TBH. Nice to know they're still out there.

I've bought a few amps from the US. Some Yanks have a negative view of the US Mail (damage, etc) and so will only ship using fairly expensive couriers. Always worth getting stuff sent using a service which supplies an item tracking number, so you know where it is in the system. The only real nail-biting I've experienced is the wait from US posting to arrival in the UK. And then it can sometimes take a week or more to get from the UK airport to your local courier depot.

[quote name='OldGit' post='639503' date='Oct 28 2009, 09:56 PM']I never understand why bands spend ages getting the music right in rehearsal but don't do the show aspects,[/quote] Agreed. I reckon it's because playing an instrument is considered a creatively valid thing to do. But all the other stuff is seen as either premeditated 'play-acting' or spontaneous 'showing off'. And maybe because they feel a little bit silly. Perhaps they think the other band members are going to laugh at their moves. All very British.

[quote name='leschirons' post='637873' date='Oct 27 2009, 01:35 PM']I do 90% of lead vocals in one band and 50% in the other so I need to be looking out, straight ahead at the punters.[/quote] Ah, but what do you do the other 10% and 50% of the time? Are you a dot-ogler?

[quote name='Musky' post='637757' date='Oct 27 2009, 11:40 AM']I'm really not sure there's anything that can be added beyond what was in Jon's post. Although he's far too modest to mention it, he's one of the most (the most?) knowledgeable people on the planet when it comes to Rickenfakers.[/quote] Yep. They're quite scared of him over on the Ric forum. I hear John Hall's been thinking about a Black-Ops wet job.

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='637593' date='Oct 27 2009, 08:32 AM']keyboard players needed to have a major-league gimmick if anyone was going to remember them.[/quote] Keith Emerson > Bowie Knife > Hammond Endorsement opportunity missed.

So you're tearing up the boards, the band's hot and the audience is going wild. Or maybe not. All a bit tepid, really. Punters a bit....flat? Looking at the gig photos the next day, you're struck by the fact that the [i]only[/i] person looking at the audience is your tiny, bouffant-haired front-man. Everyone else is staring fixedly at their instruments, tongue poking out like a dim child learning his catechisms. And that's pretty much the case for the whole set. Me, I'm trying to force myself to look [i]up[/i] and [i]out[/i] more than I do. I think it's definitely got to help. So, do you stare purposefully out at the assembled throng, catching peoples' eyes and acknowledging their presence. Or do you give it the Jazzbo Hunch* and pretend they are't there? * [i][size=1] (This egregious swipe at the Jazz community does not necessarily represent the views of SkankCom, its employees, shareholders or associates and in no way suggests that adherents of the Jazz genre are deficient in any attribute which may be considered to be entirely commercially, culturally or socially beneficial).[/size][/i]

Squier have done a fantastic job over the last few years in providing excellent quality basses either side of the £200 quid mark. And they seem to be very keen to give the main Fender brand a serious nose-tweaking. I recall a few debates on here about the ethics or otherwise of stripping off the Squier logo and replacing it with a hooky Fender example. Which kind of suggests they must be doing something right. Their previous sig offerings have been a little - shall we say - US-punk focussed, so it's really rather thoughtful that they're chumming up to a Scots band with some serious chops. As for the whole question of "Sigs - good or bad", may I suggest the question be addressed, in person, to Mr JJ Burnel. Or that somebody prod Mr Zakk Wylde in the tummy and ask him how he has the effrontery to be playing a guitar named after a recently-deceased, nonagenarian jazzer. No self-respect, these people.

[quote name='Lew-Bass' post='637264' date='Oct 26 2009, 07:59 PM']Who are they, if you don't mind me asking?[/quote] The ludicrously talented yet unbelievably modest Craig Martini posts on here a bit. jimijimmi treads the boards with The Quireboys and Raven Vandelle.

I don't want one at the moment, but were I in the market for a twin-neck: [size=1]EBS-1250F Complete with onboard fuzz[/size]

[quote name='iamthewalrus' post='635890' date='Oct 25 2009, 08:50 AM']To cut a long story short, we were given a tour of the factory whilst the main guy there worked on my bass combo & they couldn't have been a nicer bunch of people to meet.[/quote] Same here. When I went there about 15 years ago, they only charged cost for the full set of pre- and power valves - about £20. No labour or other component costs. And put a full new set of pot knobs on FOC. Dunno if they still do all this, but it was cheaper than going to an amp tech if all you needed was factory spec maintenance. Although they've had a few wobbles over the years with outsourced QC, they're still a family business at heart, and enormously proud of what they do.

[quote name='leschirons' post='636030' date='Oct 25 2009, 12:03 PM']As far as I'm aware they're not playing Voodoo Child but Voodoo Chile. The former is the Electric Ladyland track. They're playing the "slight return" which is Voodoo Chile.[/quote] Voodoo Chile, eh? I've always wanted to go to Chile.

Hi FFC and welcome You'll probably get a better response to your query if you re-post the Q in the Gear / Bass Guitars forum - [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showforum=16"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showforum=16[/url]. There are lots of threads with similar queries down there. You can also use advanced search to search [i]just[/i] the thread titles, or you can simply dive in and work through the section. In brief though, the next step's going to be determined by your budget, the sound you're looking for, the genre of music you intend to play in the future, whether you want to try 5 or 6-string basses, whether the new bass is going to be a replacement for the Squier or you're simply adding to your arsenal. One set of circs might determine that you simply trade up - chop the Squier and buy an American or Mexican Fender. Another might be that you acquire a wildly different bass to complement the Squier. Remember BC rule #1: [i]There is no such thing as "too many basses"[/i]. Go post a q and you'll get some good pointers. Enjoy the forum.

[quote name='OldGit' post='636037' date='Oct 25 2009, 12:13 PM']Agree with your band that you will only go forward with this if you can get the documentation up front and go through it before deciding. ... Much better to read it through in the cold light of day.[/quote] +1 The organisers will probably have quite deliberately factored in the 'sign it in the heat of the moment' ploy. I smell brimstone. It's really difficult, though, when one's bandmates get all revved about something like this and plough onwards to a catastrophic cluster-feck. Similar BOTB fiasco happened to me about 10 years ago when our tiny, excitable drummer signed us up without inter-band consultation. No scam involved, but we were somewhat out of place. Four middle-aged blokes hacking out Feelgood-esque blues rock in the middle of a crowd of 14 yr old indie-poppers and their little friends. All the doting parents kept giving us sidelong glances, and I'm sure I heard the words "Kiddy-fiddler' more than once. Hence the hasty excision of 'Good Morning Little Schoolgirl' from the set.

Not sure I would associate the fliptop sound with rock - more the SVT whoompf - but that's just my 2p. SVT + 8x10 cab - drool - but clearly is not an option, due to size / cost. Some people rate the smaller Ampegs - B200 etc - others don't. And new, they're quite pricey, even though they're coming from China. Ampeg cabs are all pretty heavy as well. Perhaps you could look at a modular approach - an Ampeg pre-amp into a generic power amp into a couple of 2x10 cabs - giving you the option of the 'little' rig and the 'littler' rig. Go the S/H route and this might be achievable within your budget.

The Peterson Strobostomp gets very good reports, though a little pricey by comparison. Has also been known to excite some controversy here on Basschat. [url="http://www.petersontuners.com"]http://www.petersontuners.com[/url]

Quite well-known in the States, thanks in part to the innuendo-laden product names and advertising. Poor old Charlie Stringer - died in 1999. If he'd lived another ten years, he'd be remembered as the Father of boutique pedals.