skankdelvar

Whether they're gen or not, he's clearly in need of a big hug.

Funny, I always thought of Numan as synth-rock of the OMD school and Roxy as being in their extended "Ferry as lounge lizard" mode. The ever-reliable Wikipedia briefly lists the following as New-Rom: Depeche Mode, Spandau Ballet, Visage, Japan, Ultravox, Adam & The Ants, Culture Club, Duran Duran, Classix Nouveaux. ....which represents a fair spread of sounds. As to where the 'New Rom' sound came from - well, as mentioned above, there were various UK bands and individuals experimenting with synths at the end of the 70's, start of the 80's - Numan, OMD, etc. This later merged with some rhythmic aspects of disco and pop e.g Chic. Vocally, Scott Walker was a big, if unacknowledged, influence. Around then, some club guys in London (Rusty Egan and Steve Strange) stuck a label on all this, while the Soho-istas glammed up as a sort of reaction against the perceived drabness of punk. Thus the New-Rom movement emerged, but bands developed their own, varying sounds - ranging from the light 'session' pop of Culture Club to the left-field stuff from Japan. Musically, not as uniform as punk, with, I suspect, a fair bit of input from studio musicians. Probably the biggest influence on the sound was the wider availability of big polyphonic synths - e.g. Kurzweil, Oberheim - that gave everything that 'lush' 80's keyboard pad sound, as well as the hideous 'parping' keyboard bass. From my recollection, the early 80's was a pretty dull time, musically, with more emphasis on fashion and style than songs and substance. Sounds familar?

I've only ever heard religious stuff on Songs of Praise. I find the contemporary stuff a bit Lloyd Webber. Might sound better without the inevitably ploddy drums. The only God stuff I ever really liked was 'The Count Bishops'. As regards the OP, wouldn't know, haven't been there, couldn't say. I expect a lightning bolt would fry me the second I went through the door.

[quote name='Neill' post='307972' date='Oct 16 2008, 04:16 PM']it is quite expensive to just look at but very good value if you switch it on and hear it[/quote] Works for me - LOL.

+1 on the Peter Cooks, but you should at least be able to get into Wunjo, Music ground, Rose Morris, Rockers and V&R. Might take a bit of wiggling, but should work out OK. Apart from that, if she fancies something different while you're GAS-ing, there's a big Borders round the corner, and Foyles opposite the West End of Denmark St on Charing X Rd has lifts to each floor. If you're driving, be aware that parking is mad expensive. One of the nearest cheaper car parks to Denmark St used to be under the YMCA in Tottenham Ct Rd, but things may have changed... If you leave your car further out and use the Tube, the nearest station for Denmark St is Tottenham Ct Rd, but check first to see if they've got a lift - don't think they do - so you might have to go to Goodge St on the Northern Line, but I think there's still at least one set of stairs up to the lifts - check the Transport for London web site - should be some info. Have a nice day out!

[quote name='cheddatom' post='274327' date='Sep 1 2008, 11:08 AM']Is it just me who loves playing on a hollow wooden stage? The vibratons go all the way up my legs and tickle my balls in a way that no other stage can accomplish.[/quote] +1 - worse sound ever on a concrete stage under a high, conservatory-type roof.

In a Volvo 240: 7 Piece drum kit 1x15 Bass Combo 2x basses 2x guitars Pedalboard Marshall Head 4x12 Cab Pa Mixer head 2 X PA Bins Stands, leads etc in tack-box Me Gtrst Drummer Me old 240 much better for hauling gear than current 850...sigh

I believe that "Awesome", as an adverb, means "Actually rather nicely". Whereas "F***in' ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" implies that the item in question "promotes a profound sense of well being and universal bonhomie". It's all so over-cooked and yet so half-baked...

How about "I saw Mummy ****ing Santa Claus"?

[quote name='Buzz' post='300859' date='Oct 6 2008, 10:06 PM']Christ man, after being a cheeky sod and getting that "endorsement" deal, get the Dano. Go off the beaten track and bit, you might like it, I want to try one, just not a fan of slab bodies but I could perhaps put up with it if I really like one.[/quote] +1. They do both thud [i]and[/i] sproing

Seriously bizarre bit of market forces voodoo thing going on here. And where have all the Subs gone? - loads around during the summer - cheapest went for about £190, I think...

[quote name='Bill Fitzmaurice' post='299082' date='Oct 4 2008, 03:24 AM']Valve amp technology hasn't had a significant change since roughly 1969, so a 30 year old amp is just as good as a new one from a technological standpoint. But speaker technology more than ten years old is dodgy, and more than 20 is a dinosaur.[/quote] +1 - in fact, a 30 year old valve amp may in some ways be better than a new one. Assuming it's true point to point or turret board, it'll be easier to service than many modern examples, where half the components are crammed onto a PCB, including the pots and suspect things like plastic valve socket bases. Probably a less compromised signal pathway too - no modern bells and whistles like effect loops to suck tone. These unsung heroes from the late 60's , early 70's can be a real find. You're a very lucky man - top score!!

...and he built a 7/8 (?) scale biplane which he had in his back garden.

In the world of geetarists the badass is currently in serious disfavour; given explanation is that all the extra mass reduces sustain and robs tone. Funny old world, eh?

Me, I'm the fastest. Hear that? I'll do it again if you like.

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='295089' date='Sep 30 2008, 08:23 AM']It's worth pointing out that Fender made some of their best, well-built instruments around 81-83. Also, I strongly believe the rot set in around '74. Prior to that, they were using 60's stock and 60's methods. As a result, there are some wonderful early 70's Fenders around - along with some dogs, but nothing like the hit/miss rate of the later 70s.[/quote] Fair point about some of their best 81-83. The so-named 'Dan Smith' Strats were supposed to be very nice. So, a coupla years either way, but we agree that late 70's was a particularly suspect point in the company's history, as it was for Gibson, Martin and many others. To support this, I confess to ownership of a '76 Tele that's a complete woofer, when compared to a 2 yr old £150 Squier. But when my mum bought it for me in '79, I thought it was marvellous. (Well, it was, compared to the Jedson that preceded it.) My current (and only) bass is a '69 P, and, while I'd love to bang on about vintage 'Mojo', it's nothing special. Loads of better basses around. Please note, as per the discussion, I'm thinking about 70's Fenders in purely monetary terms; casting no nasturtiums on anyone's cherished axe or playability / tone thereof. We all love our children in different ways and for different things. So, again, I'm quite glad there's less of a 'Vintage' bass market. Like for like, older basses seem generally to be more realistically priced than guitars. Which is good news for everyone.

[quote name='Sibob' post='294581' date='Sep 29 2008, 03:10 PM']But you've just kinda made the point yourself! We've been through recessions before and those guitars still gained value! As and when the 50's and 60's stuff becomes priced out of the market (only available to rich collectors etc), the early 70's gear, pre '74, will start making big jumps in prices!! Si[/quote] Sibob, you may be considerably richer than me , but 50's and 60's stuff is already priced out of the market for Joe Average - about the only 60's Fender you'd get for less than a grand is a Musicmaster. IMHO, 70's stuff is already overpriced - very average P's and J's hovering around the grand or over. Funnily enough, about 5 years ago, the cut-off point for 'vintage was 69-71. As the market ages and prices inflate and dealers look for something to shift, the cut-off point keeps moving forward. 5 years from now, it will be 1980. (Having seen a 'Vintage' late 70's Strat in Denmark St that someone had run an angle grinder across to simulate playing wear, and priced at £1500, I feel qualified to say that there is a mighty stink afoot). OTOH, Some tender souls won't buy anything by Fender after CBS took over in 1965. IMO this is a mistake, as most agree that some good stuff was produced up till about 1969-70, when sweeping changes were made to construction, materials, routers and finishes. Thereafter, Fender produced guitars that were sufficiently sub-standard as to create the whole sorry 'vintage' phenomenon. This came to an end in the early 80's when CBS pulled out and the only Fenders you could buy were made in Japan. Thereafter, fender got back on track, and by the 90's were producing decent guitars again. That's about a 12 year gap, into which fall the 70's Fenders. I think that the average Fender before and after the wilderness years 71-83 is, on the whole, a generally better instrument. Not by much, not all, but most. As a result, their rate of price inflation may be lower than the market average. So one would be wise to either shell out for a 60's and hope to make a few bob trading it on, or buy an "mid-80's > Now" and just play it. The point about appreciation is that in most instances, in most markets, it occurs gradually over a long period. During this time and within market sub-sectors, you can get sentiment-driven bubbles - like the Blackguard Tele phenomenon. Periodically, these bubbles burst. Sure they may end up a little higher than at the point immediately before the bubble, but immediately after the bubble bursts, the price usually experiences a savage decline from the historic high. Over a long period, therefore, the totality of the market appreciates, but within that time frame, it can also fall. This is not the same as a constant rate of positive growth. The return on your investment therefore depends on when you get on the escalator. Furthermore, all sorts of tat gets marketed as vintage, gets overpriced and then drops like a stone when the recession hits. This drags the market average down. Now, for truly desirable instruments, such as Sunburst Les Pauls, early Strats and Teles, the rate of increase is nearly always greater than the market average. For other instruments, the rate of inflation is slower in the long run. And for some instruments, well, they fail to achieve vintage status and rarely appreciate beyond their original price when new, when adjusted for RP inflation. Ovation Electrics, or Fender Acoustics, for example. (OTOH, some instruments seem to remain relatively good value without huge appreciations in price. You can get a 50's Gibson ES 225 for a 20th of the cost of a 58 Les Paul. It looks fantastic, plays well and is high quality 50's workmanship. Just less demand and rarity.) So, recessions come and go (I'm on my 4th now) and, like most people, I avoid buying overpriced quality vintage rarities or overpriced old tat. It's not about how much the guitar is worth - it's whether you enjoy playing it. The hilarious thing is that in volume terms, by comparison to guitars, there's almost no market for 'Vintage' basses. And ain't that grand.

Enjoy!

+1 - you'll like it here

£400 for a double bass pick-up and a cable? That sounds like a very expensive cable. Get the refund...

And finished on £410

[quote name='Musky' post='294349' date='Sep 29 2008, 09:56 AM']+1 It's worth bearing in mind that a lot of people were buying classic cars as investments in the late 80's, and the market utterly collapsed with the early nineties recession. Anything is only worth as much as someone is prepared to pay for it.[/quote] Ditto stamps. All markets go up and down, which is why the phrase 'An end to boom and bust' is total b****cks. Who'd have thought Musicman prices would have tanked? Or that unprovenanced 50's black-guard Telecasters would go up to £50k? In answer to the OP, who knows? Depending on condition £500-£2000. Not as much as a 60's though...

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='293853' date='Sep 28 2008, 01:05 PM']Ah I was wondering if a passive with bigger coils would need more gain to power them. Cheers[/quote] As it happens, the electrical impulse goes [i]from[/i] the bass [i]to[/i] the amp. (If it worked the other way round, you would be strapping on a tiny electric fire). The bigger coils / pickups send more 'signal' so you need a bit less gain on the amp. Active pickups send even more signal because the little battery in the bass is doing a bit of amplification all on it's own, so when the signal gets to the amp you need even less gain. Good news on the Ampeg. Nice amps. Got your Danelectro yet?

[quote name='BigBeefChief' post='294438' date='Sep 29 2008, 12:00 PM']Slightly off topic, but it seems like a lot of bass players don't drink.[/quote] I used to, until I saw a video of a gig I did while totally mullered.