Russ

It has its place if done with appropriate snotty, gob-in-your-eye, f**k you attitude. But Green Day seem to have lost that somewhere along the line.

Lee's probably got work to do with Take That - I believe they're tracking their new album at the moment, and that is his bread-and-butter gig. Lucky bastard... I knew him when he used to work in Rockbottom in Croydon!

I think a lot of it is the co-ordination of your picking hand with the singing - that's the hardest bit, actually keeping the rhythm. Certainly, for more simple stuff, your fretting hand doesn't have that much to do. Many people seem to think it's a lot easier to sing and play if you play with a pick, as there's less to co-ordinate. Another observation is, if you're like me - a lefty playing righty, it's that much harder, as your dominant hand isn't the one keeping the rhythm. Sometimes I think I should have just bit the bullet back in the day and learned to play bass lefty!

It's a Maison. Basically a low-rent version of a Bass Collection. The headstock on the Maison is a little squarer and pointier than the BC or Tune ones, but the main identifying mark (the logo on the upper bout) appears to be covered over with gaffa tape. I've played a couple. Horrible, horrible things.

The reviews should answer more of the questions that a buyer might have about a piece of gear, based on its attributes and selling points. As I mentioned in the other thread, take the new Line6 combo - its killer app is the ability to emulate other rigs, and not once did it mention how good its impressions of an SVT, B-15 or Eden Traveller were. Also, with the Enfield bass, part of its appeal is the ability of its pickup and electronics to do effective Jazz, Precision and Musicman tones, and, again, no mention of how it sounded in that regard, too much piffling around talking about adjustable pickup height. Basically, reviews need more points of reference to gear that the reader might actually know, certainly in cases like this, to put them in perspective. In these cases, I came away with no idea about how either the Enfield bass or the Line6 combo sounded, other than "versatile" and "usable". Basically, they should tell the reader more about what they might want to know about gear, which requires an editor who knows these things and could ask the writer involved to expand on elements of their review, or remove elements, based on this. BP is very good at this. Other than that, having the weekend warrior stuff back would be good, and I'd like to see more opinions, rather than verbatim press releases. Also, more information on "working" players would be good, for those out there who are interested in going pro - function band players, pit players, etc. Would be interesting to hear about how they got their starts, how they do their networking, and so on.

Dug out that copy of BGM I was talking about... seems all the reviews I have an issue with are down to one particular writer (not naming names). His writing style is OK, but his reviews are devoid of any information that anyone might actually need to know, instead talking about how it's easy to raise and lower the height of the Enfield pickup, or how the Line 6 rig sounds better in the corner of the room. Sounds like padding to me.

I get it when I can, as it's nice to have a British take on all things bass. But, most of the time, the magazine reads like one long press release with a few (mostly lacklustre) interviews and wholly uninformative reviews - take the issue with the Enfield bass on the cover. I'm very curious about the Enfields, but am not in a position to try one out right now (stuck in the wrong country, alas). I read the review wanting to know what it sounded like, how good were its respective J/P/MM tones? Nothing. The tone hardly got any mention, other than it was "versatile". No further details. One of the main features of the Enfield range is its supposed ability to authentically ape J/P/MM tones, so you think it'd deserve a mention. Also, the issue that reviewed the new Line 6 amps (might have been the same issue) - all it said about the tones available is that "they're all usable". Nothing about how well it apes an SVT, a B-15, or anything like that. That's what Line 6 stuff is for! You know, you think they might mention all the stuff people might actually want to know. They have published some good reviews and interviews in their time, but they're few and far between, and I find the content patchy at best. And, I hate to say it, but "Bassist", back in the day, was much better.

It's very much an "old fart" thing to say that young bands out there don't get to pay their dues these days. But, looking back, were things really that much different when we were younger? I only started playing in the late 80s, so not all that long ago by some peoples' standards, but we all got lifts to gigs and rehearsals from our parents, learned stuff from tab in the back of Guitar World, had peoples' parents or older brothers on hand to help sort out technical difficulties, etc. OK, we all played crappy instruments (my first bass was a plywood POS called an "Axe", and the guitarist in my first band played a god-awful Marlin - I'd have killed for something as good as a Shine, SX or modern Squier back then) and didn't have access to Youtube, GuitarPro, etc, or to the likes of MySpazz and iTunes to promote yourselves, and it has to be said these things give kids today a bit of a head-start, but, overall, it wasn't all that different.

Oh, speaking of Lee and Bernie, did you ever see the doubleneck Strat/Jazz Bass hybrid Bernie did for him? Interesting instrument...

[quote name='steve-soar' post='447719' date='Mar 27 2009, 08:44 PM']I know, I should have bought his Ric as well. I am a dobber. End of.[/quote] Lee's flogged his 4001CS? He loved that bass... or did he have another one? He did look a bit weird playing it though, Rickys look odd upside down... Then again, he's got rid of some nice instruments... his lefty Sei and his Streamer Stage II were both lovely basses, and I was able to play them because he strings them righty.

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='446661' date='Mar 26 2009, 10:49 PM']Was that the SuperJazz or the Z2 that impressed you?[/quote] It was the SuperJazz. Best sounding super-J I've ever played, complete with the full Geddy Lee look (black body, maple neck with blocks, etc). Loved it.

I did pop in on Friday - no Martin (at the dentist) or Alex, just John. Had a good look around, saw the 9-string behemoth in progress (awesome - love the tailpiece design) and was utterly impressed with the 5-string Dingwall J-type bass that was there and the Sadowsky M5-24. Spoke with John a bit about my thoughts for my next Sei, and he seems to think they're all do-able (mostly to do with an Original-shape Sei with a bolt-on neck). Also had a jam with some of the guys from my old band while I was there... we've decided to do a "virtual" band thing and write some new stuff and collaborate online. Feels wrong being back in the US. Don't want to stay over here much longer if I can help it.

Thought I'd revive this thread instead of starting a new one... I'm flying back to the UK for a visit tomorrow, and I'm planning on bringing my lovely Sei Bass with me. I've flown with it in its hard case quite a few times and not had any problems as yet, but there's always a first time... not sure I trust those baggage handlers with a £2500+ bass. I was thinking of just bringing it onto the plane in its gig bag as hand baggage and getting them to stick it in the coat locker or something, since you're now allowed to bring more than one piece of hand baggage again. Plus having it in its gig bag would make it easier to carry around with me when I get there. Anyone got any experience of doing this? The flight is from Newark (USA) to Heathrow on BA.

[quote name='barneyg42' post='437671' date='Mar 17 2009, 06:54 PM']Sounds like a Bass Bash in the making!! [/quote] Could be! I'll have my Sei with me, going to grab some strings and stuff for it while I'm there, and I can send the missus off to look around Camden Market for a while. Anyone else going to be in town Friday afternoon?

Thinking about it, I'm going to be up in London on Friday too (coming home for a week) - a visit to The Gallery might have to be in order.

[quote name='Hamster' post='437551' date='Mar 17 2009, 06:06 PM']I disagree with the above. You should go to the little workers café opposite the tube station and load up with doorstop bacon butties and giant mugs of tea first. [i]Then [/i]go to The Gallery. You'll be in there for the best part of 8 hours so best to load up on carbs, fat and tea first! [/quote] For when you come out, the chippy over the road from The Gallery (just up next to the canal path) does great chips.

Yep, The Gallery. Nowhere better for bass in London. If you're not familiar with Camden, it can be a little tricky to find. Easiest way is to go out of Camden Town tube (if you can take the left-hand exit as you come up the escalator, great, if not, go out the right-hand one and walk around to the other side of the station), cross the road so you're outside the World's End, turn left and head up Camden Road (you'll pass a big Sainsbury's on your left). When you get up to the crossroads where Camden Road BR is, turn right into Royal College St. The Gallery's about 50 yards up on your left. The place always looks closed (the grille's always down), but press the buzzer and they'll let you in.

Quite a few years back, I had a Stingray... it was pretty much my Holy Grail at the time, and I ended up sorely disappointed with it. Lots of bottom, lots of top, but nothing in the middle, no "oomph". I just couldn't EQ it so it sounded good in a band mix, and it just wouldn't cut through distorted guitars. It's true that the older, pre-EB ones don't seem to have this issue though - they have a good dose of P-like "bark", while maintaining that typical Stingray sizzle, and they seem to have better string-to-string balance too. What would someone have to do to "downgrade" their Stingray, to reproduce that 70's, pre-EB tone?

The "lust value" that Wals have had recently is down to three things - firstly, the tone. Thanks to the filter preamp and custom pickups, there's a lot of tones you can get out of a Wal that you can't get out of everything else. Secondly, there's the rarity value, thanks to there being no new Wals for the past few years. And thirdly, name players - Justin Chancellor has a lot to answer for. People wanting that cool Tool bass tone are craving Wals and forcing the asking prices right up. I remember going to the Bass Centre back in the late '90s, and Wals were about the least fashionable bass in the world at the time - they used to have trouble shifting them. Sure, Geddy Lee, Mick Karn, Nick Beggs, etc were all well-known Wal users back in the day, but Wals were still in production then (and hence available for a reasonable price), and none of them seem to have had the same impact on their desirability as Justin Chancellor has. Tip for Paul Herman - when you're coming up with the inevitable Mk4 Wal, please come up with something that's lighter and a little more ergonomic. The Mk3s back in the day were a step in the right direction, but get it right and I'll be in the queue for a new one.

I've played a fair few Foderas in my time (including spending a couple of hours at the Fodera shop in NYC). They're alright. They look good, play quite nicely, but the tone didn't do it for me on any of them. Quite pingy and middy, not much in the way of "guts". Certainly no better than any other good custom maker. Personally, I think they've good instruments, but they've become rather overhyped, thanks to Wooten, Garrison, Jackson, Feraud, etc all playing and endorsing them. I think it's a "flavour of the month" thing, and these things seem to go in phases... for a long time, it was all about Alembic, then Carl Thompson, then Sadowsky, then Fodera, and it seems to be Alleva-Coppolo's turn now.

Seems to have been a while since there was any update on the new Wal situation... anyone heard anything?

I've played the sunburst one a few times... great bass. Big tone, comfy neck, great EQ. The 5-string even has a decent low B. I prefer them to the USA deluxe Jazzes.

Take a look at these (from the Japanese ESP site): [url="http://www.espguitars.co.jp/artist/tetsu/index.html"]http://www.espguitars.co.jp/artist/tetsu/index.html[/url] ... the red Edwards Lakland-alike is filling me with GAS right now. Anyone got any idea where someone might be able to order one? I seem to recall there were a couple of places that specialised in Japanese guitars online, but I can't find them right now.

Or, hold out until the end of this month, when Musicman's Sterling series will become available... I think they're supposed to start around the £600 mark, and they're supposed to be almost as good as the US-made ones (pretty much Musicman's Skyline series). They'll be doing versions of the 4, the 5 and the Sterling.

[quote name='Chelios' post='424604' date='Mar 3 2009, 11:24 PM']Ill take one at that price [/quote] I've seen used Stingrays change hands for around that kind of price recently... keep an eye out.