prowla

[quote name='LewisK1975' timestamp='1487604206' post='3241107'] And this really is the problem. There will be the odd endorser here and there, but the only model they're really going to sell in spades is the Thunderbird, it's the most recognisable and has been used by a fair few famous names. If it were me, I'd go with that, and making the standard Epiphone Tbird available in more than one colour would be a good start.. Nothing wrong with that IMHO, Fender have been doing it with 2 Bass models since the 60's. Musicman/EB with the Stingray. Sure there have been other Fender Basses and other EBMM Basses, but it's those models that have always been on the production line, regardless of what else might be.... [/quote] They could do something with the Thunderbirdy - maybe a deluxe model with binding which exudes quality. An Explorer (though Hamer did one). Maybe a 5-string only, designed from the ground up, rather than a 4-string with an afterthought. A doubleneck bass/lead. Seems like they have no imagination.

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1487587609' post='3240874'] I would imagine the first instruction to the designers was, "This can't look anything like a Fender". That's one hand tied behind their backs right there. The next was probably, "This can't look like anything we already designed". That's the other hand tied! The designers were probably pointed in the direction of "safe". This is a first step in a comeback for Gibson. The next bass will probably be a better one. I'm no Gibson fan and my instructions to the designers would have been, "Take the most popular bass we have ever made and come up with a great version 2". It's a first step, but this design makes me think that Gibson are competing with Asian made basses in the US. I would expect Americans to lap them up. That looks like a good starting point for Gibson, but what do I know. Both Fender and Gibson have been (and maybe still are) on the verge of bankruptcy so have to make big moves to stay in business. Neither seem to have been very bold or adventurous with their new models, but if these basses play well and sound good then people will accept the looks. GAK have them in stock for £844. That's not a bad price for a USA made instrument, and the deluxe version will probably make more people happy. [/quote] I just have to believe that they could have drawn on their heritage and come up with something classy and new, but which is also identifiable as their brand. Instead what they've done is plonk a couple of mismatched parts together and produce something which looks like a T-bird neck on a Peavey bass body with tweaked Music Man pickups. They might turn out to be decent quality, but I doubt that those models will turn out to be on many people's wish lists.

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1487547191' post='3240735'] I don't know. Fender get slagged off for sticking with the same 4 designs and Gibson get slagged off for coming up with something different. If these basses sounded good enough I'd play one. Hanging around my neck they wouldn't look generic, boring, horrid, zzzzzzzzz or weird. I've got enough of that to spare whatever bass I'm playing. [/quote] The issue with these new Gibbos is that they look a bit generic; I'm sure they could come up with a good design if they really wanted to. I mean, if they didn't have "Gibson" on them, would anybody have given them a second look?

[quote name='Sibob' timestamp='1487530232' post='3240512'] I much prefer 4-1 to 5 in a row Si [/quote] Well, perhaps, especially since my arms aren't that long! But it just looks like the 5th string is a lazy afterthought, like they went "We'll just put the extra on the other side on it's own; nobody'll mind!"; 3+2 is more balanced.

And another thing: the 5-string basses with a 4+1 headstock - why do companies do that?

The Thunderbird is a cool bass. The EB ones were elevated because a couple of decent musicians had them. Did they do an Explorer bass, or was that only Hamer & suchlike? Grabbers, Rippers, etc. are not things I would aspire to. The LP is one of the world's defining guitars, but as a bass it just doesn't work. I'm sure they could come up with something decent if they wanted to, but the ones above look like their Asian suppliers got some of the parts mixed up and they had to assemble them anyway to meed a deadline.

[quote name='No lust in Jazz' timestamp='1487413878' post='3239577'] The whole thread saw we 90% though an electrical guitar order form earlier in the week. This didn't help.. [media]http://youtu.be/K6G_hugwG0E[/media] [/quote] God, she is an awful woman!

[quote name='Andytre' timestamp='1487268941' post='3238546'] Just finished one today, the body and neck are well made, and fit together nicely, the electronics are okay. Pickup sounds fine but the pots are cheap and a bit crackly. Tuners, bridge and and chrome parts are all cheap but for the price they do the job. Think the whole thing cost £80 including paint, so could of of just got a harley benton but i wouldnt of got to chose the colour or had the fun of building it! [/quote]Folks will be green with envy!

[quote name='radiophonic' timestamp='1487237788' post='3238211'] I see a couple of nice examples posted in the Shergold thread. Now [i]those [/i]were double necks... Best of all, one of these modular monsters: [url="http://www.shergold.co.uk/beat77.html"]http://www.shergold.co.uk/beat77.html[/url] [/quote] Those were two guitars which bolted together.

[quote name='EliasMooseblaster' timestamp='1487164061' post='3237669'] Better still, on the Brandoni P-bass kits, they come pre-wired with the pickup taped to the scratchplate! [/quote] Not quite DIY then though...

[quote name='police squad' timestamp='1487165625' post='3237689'] according to the status data bass, there's another series 2 with a 4XX and it says 1989 [/quote] That sounds about right, thanks!

I've never found the short-scale Mustangs very inspiring, I have to say.

[quote name='police squad' timestamp='1487161648' post='3237631'] what year is the headless? [/quote] Not sure; I've had it since the 90s; it's s/n is 4xx.

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1487161296' post='3237621'] Pretty sure that was a Kramer. [/quote]Oh yeah' my bad. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=024UcB1m7Do

[quote name='Rikki_Sixx' timestamp='1487155911' post='3237535'] I'd love to try a DIY kit (or just buy a ton of parts) sometime. I'm not too concerned about the woodworking aspect of it as most of the work is done (to varying degrees of QC!), but it's the electronics I'd be concerned about. I haven't used a soldering iron since high school, and I've forgotten what little I ever learned about circuitry! [/quote] The electrics in a plain P-bass are simple.

I think the Boomtown Rats' "Rat pack" was on a TB.

Wahaay I got a video of me noodling around on the 'faker; scuse the scrappiness and the fact I probably murdered a couple of decent tunes, but that's just the way I play and I had no idea what I was going to do when I pressed Record! [url="https://youtu.be/iQl9Ho-RUls"]https://youtu.be/iQl9Ho-RUls[/url]

I'm living in the Tri-Status area...

[quote name='Bassassin' timestamp='1487103385' post='3237191'] That's much more like it - classy Faker, that one. [/quote] I've just recorded it - am attempting to upload to YouTube...

Not sure of your location, but as I mentioned there was one in a shop in London a while back.

On a more positive note, my Diamond 'faker is now a working bass. Still a couple of bits to do before it's complete.

[quote name='jezzaboy' timestamp='1487098948' post='3237110'] Radiophonic says: [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]The Nate Mendel seems particularly pointless - just an annoying amount of fake damage that you only notice if you look a bit? I'd still have one, but I'd want the body sprayed black! [/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]And thats what I have done. I was sick of the red colour, so I sprayed it satin black as I was looking for a black P bass. It sounds much better as well [/font][/color] [/quote] If you put stripes on it you'll be able to play faster.

(I don't think anybody's getting upset, are they?)

[quote name='Marc S' timestamp='1487075731' post='3236763'] My first bass was a Kay - rick-ish shaped, rather than Rick copy I'd say.... I think I paid about £25 for it back in the 80's..... and sold it for about the same It was truly, utterly dreadful. I'd say they aren't worth £50 even of Monopoly money Trust me, don't buy one - They'd be firewood but the paint is probably full of nasty toxins [/quote] Well, that's a glowing recommendation, isn't it!

It's highly likely that you are going slightly mad, but you're not alone in that! :~} ... Those Travis Beans are awesome machines. I think they're probably unplayable, will knacker your back, were prone to going out of tune due to metal expansion, can't be played if it's really cold (did you see the video of the bloke whose tongue got stuck to an ice-cold beer tap?) and may give weird (or no) feedback to your neck hand (Kramer derived ones added wood inserts to the neck to give them a bit of feel). So, based on that, I say go for it! (I've no idea as to price, though I did see one a few months back in a shop on Denmark Street and I remember thinking it wasn't cheap.)