skankdelvar

You're really far too kind. TBPH, it was a framework designed to lend support to my proposition that he's an utter cockwomble.

And they're pretty much spot-on. Hall can't really be faulted in terms of his company's operational strategy. It's one of many possible approaches that will produce different outcomes and if he's happy with the outcome he's chosen then fair play. It's also true that he enjoys quite good relations with individuals and publications who are satisfied with his products and his approach to business. On the other hand, Hall can be unacceptably rude and dismissive to those with whom he is at variance, even to customers with genuine cause for complaint. Moreover, some have at times pointed out that the basis for some of his litigation might be without foundation. I recall his abusive treatment of an individual on the Rick Resource who during the Janglebox affair had correctly and politely observed out that - under US law - one may copyright a circuit diagram but one cannot copyright a circuit. For me, the defining moment came a few years ago when Hall tried to bully not only BassChat but also the Admin here with whom he was in personal correspondence. Hall basically got a bloody nose then trotted off to a Ric-friendly forum and presented events in such a way as to place himself in a good light with his obsequious sycophants. So, Hall may possibly be an astute businessman but he is also, in my undoubtedly biased opinion*, not only a gaping prolapsed rectum but also a waste of useful cubic footage that might more profitably be occupied by a hot drinks vending machine. * Basically: My BassChat, right or wrong.

Alex Lifeson for the intro to Closer To The Heart

Ooh, nice work, Sir.

I for one welcome our new overlord.

TBPH I don't know if Mr Hall plays any musical instrument, save that instanced by our brother NikNik. Leo Fender didn't play guitar yet brought us the Tele, the Strat, the P and the Jazz. Gibson's Ted McCarty didn't play guitar yet brought us the Les Paul, the 335, the Explorer and the Vee. OTOH, Henry Juskiewicz could play guitar (after a fashion) and he was ultimately responsible for the reviled zoot suit SG, robotuners, the Firebird X and countless other duds. It's a funny old world.

Apropos of nothing, my pal (who's a guitarist) takes drum lessons from Andy Edwards who played with Plant for a few years. Seeing how my pal's come on in just a couple of years, this guy seems like a very good teacher.

You'd be right. Cripps' contribution to various Miles Davis' sessions speak for themselves, I think

The expression "I hate meeces to pieces" was popularised by the fictional cat Mr Jinks in the Hanna Barbera animated TV series Pixie and Dixie and Mr Jinks. It is a little-known fact that the prestissimo bongo accompaniment which underpins Hanna Barbera's classic chase sequences was recorded by the late Roy Jenkins (1920 - 2003, latterly Baron Jenkins of Hillhead) during a trip to Hollywood in 1957 undertaken at a time when he was intellectually at odds with his party leader Hugh Gaitskell. Jenkins' bongo recording was used and re-used in scores of Hanna Barbera cartoons including Huckleberry Hound, The Flintstones, Yogi Bear, Secret Squirrel and Yentl Yeti among many other shows. In June 1972 Jenkins declined to extend his licensing deal with Hanna Barbera saying: 'I'm putting that sort of thing behind me'. Faced with the threat of bongo-less chase sequences Hanna Barbera invited UK Foreign Secretary Sir Alec Douglas-Home to record a new version of 'the chase bongos' but Home declined, indicating that Denis Healey (Jenkins' successor as shadow Chancellor of The Exchequer) might be interested. Keen to deliver a snub to his predecessor Healey immediately agreed terms with Hanna Barbera, adding 'This will show that snivelling little ponce Jenkins where to get off'. The new bongo part was scheduled to be recorded at Regent Sound Studios on London's Denmark St in July 1972 during the third reading of The European Communities Act. On the day Healey - no committed Europhile - was on edge and fluffed his cues. Overhearing an engineer observe: 'That Stafford Cripps - he was never one to choke an intro' a furious Healey stormed out of the studio. The session was saved when pianist Nicky Hopkins was drafted in at short notice and delivered a flawless first performance even though he had never before played the bongos.

Rickenbacker Boss's Secret Sorrow 'I'm just a sensitive guy' sobs top honcho while issuing legal threats hither and yon.

Sammy "Stumpy" Bateman.

I'd say not, because that's a minty clean, lovely old AC50 that deserves to be taken out of an evening and I'm an old fart who happily gigged a 50w Marshall Mk2 against an AC30, a Musicman HD130 and a loud drummer. There's also a cheap and dirty approach to this issue (with which other forumites might disagree). At the time of posting one can secure an Ashdown Toneman Deep 1x15 cab off Thomann for £129 inc shipping and a Celestion BN15-300S NEO-8OHM neodymium lightweight speaker from Watford Valves for a ludicrously cheap £100 inc shipping. One could theoretically whip out the stock Ashdown speaker and replace it with the Celestion Neo. Bingo, a fairly lightweight 1x15 8-ohm cab for £230. Unscrew the Ashdown logo, pair it up with the AC50 and see how it sounds. Caveat 1: I've not used a BN-15 Neo and I've no idea of their reputation. Also, it's sensitivity is only 95dB. Another option would be a Jensen Smooth Bass BS 15N/350A from Hot Rox for £149 inc shipping. At a nominal 98.7dB it would be a more efficient speaker than the Celestion. Haven't used one of those either. Also, one would need to check the speaker aperture dimensions, etc for precise fit. NB, neo speakers have fantastically powerful magnets so observe any cautionary guidance or look it up on't web. Caveat 2: Some people here might think there'd a need to re-tune the cab ports to the new speaker. I wouldn't know.

@Chris Royle AFAIK most if not all AC50's were rated at 8/16 ohms impedance. If that's the case with your amp you must ensure that any cab or combination of cabs that you try out will show the amp a minimum of 8 ohms. Pairing it with a load of less than 8 ohms (e.g a 4 ohm cab) could potentially blow the output transformer. Expensive fix. How can you ascertain the amp's impedance range? Many AC50's have an impedance selector on the back panel. Earlier examples didn't have this selector but check the back panel and there should be an indication of the amp's impedance. Here's one example of the impedance selector on an AC50: ... and here's another which uses a bridging pin instead of a switch: ... and here's an example where there's no selector, just a choice of two output sockets at the relevant values:

Nice work, Sir

The web site from which I nicked the Antigua wall of shame pic alleges that the Antigua finish was born back in the late 60's when the body binding process employed on the Coronado II accidentally burned the edges of the body. The site continues: "Instead of chucking the bodies, Fender developed a color scheme that burst from black on the burned edges to a type of mustard yellow on the inside of the burst". So, not quite the same as the Antigua we know and - er - love. It's even nastier (or nicer, if one is that way inclined).

Antigua trigger warning: Image may cause alarm

I always thought I must be the only person with a severe reaction to the Antigua finish. Evidently not. Perhaps we should form an Antigua survivors group: 10-step talking-it-out sessions; hands-on massages from qualified 'practitioners'; aversion therapy involving three week trips to Antigua (the place). The government should pay for this support; we're the victims, after all.

So sorry to hear this. Only you will know what's the right thing for you - but were I unfortunate enough to be in this position I'd prioritise my security and health over the bass gear. The most important thing is getting well again and you won't get well if you've no (or less) money to eat or to cover your transport costs to attend the remedial therapy you'll undergo. There's a wealth of bass gear out there and always will be. Take your time, take it easy and look after yourself

The elastic search for which I have waited these 11 long years? I can barely contain my excitement.

Calculator here

Based on my experience of couriers I would have thought not As for the final cost, I think one would be looking at about (edit to correct) £664-ish inclusive of import duty and courier importation handling fees but exclusive of supplementary insurance or any additional Cites paperwork (the cost of which eludes me).

17th Feb 1964 according to setlist.fm. Two shows - one early, one late. FYI, it was a Monday.

My old trout has never given me a hard time about my GAS nor has she ever exhibited the slightest interest in instruments, amps, peripherals or popular music. Which is why I was incredibly spooked by events that took place in a guitar shop a few years ago. I was trying out a couple of small valve guitar combos using one of the shop's guitars when she suddenly appeared at my shoulder as if instantaneously tele-ported there (it's one of her little ways). 'H'mm,' she said, looking at the guitar in my hands. 'It's a Telecaster but it's not a Fender, is it? High end job? Tom Anderson, maybe?' 'That's right' I replied, entirely unnerved by her keen eye. 'Sounds different to a normal Tele,' she mused. 'Chambered body?' 'How d'ye know that?' 'No f-holes. Anyway, if you bought it you'd have to change those locking tuners. You don't get on with locking tuners.' At this point the typically sniffy shop boy's staring at her with eyes like saucers and I'm so proud of her In the car on the way home I asked her if she'd been possessed by another consciousness, possibly that of Mr George Gruhn. 'Don't be silly', she said. 'It's not that I'm interested but you're always talking about this stuff and I suppose it just seeps in after a while'.

An astonishingly good album. The follow up Main Offender wasn't quite as tasty but both of them are better by an order of a magnitude than any of Jagger's solo output and - IMO - superior to most of the Stones' albums since Some Girls