Annoying Twit

[quote name='pfretrock' timestamp='1439640170' post='2844594'] My patience gave on my Prog 4 Deko, I fitted a gotoh clone from northwestguitars. Not quite the same finish quality as the gotoh, but a better colour match. Now I need flatwounds, which will cost more than the bass :-( But it is a very playable bass, the neck and body dimensions suits me, so will be worth it. [/quote] My Fender Flatwound strings from Thomann cost me £16 I think. I'm satisfied with the. But I'm not a string expert, so others may disagree.

The bass itself looks OK to me as a Warwick copy. I think it's a pity that someone has stuck a W on the headstock. As a no-brand, who knows how well it plays and sounds. Probably OK. I won't comment on the ad being deceptive, as I think it's a bit borderline.

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1439631285' post='2844500'] I take your point about rap, but it took off in the 80's, I'm no expert but it does not seem to have moved on to another level since then, but yeah I'm sure there are young bands who have been influenced by bands from the noughties, just remembered the Artic Monkeys, they've been influential I guess [/quote] Rap I can talk about a bit as I know it. While it took off in the 80s, it was still developing considerably at the time of the artists/albums I mentioned. De La Soul's 3 Feet High and Rising, which came out in 1989, as it was innovative and highly influential. For any musical genre, there are huge numbers of people who claim to have invented it (same for the music video), but NWA's 1988 track and album "Straight Outta Compton" was hugely influential in establishing and defining gangsta rap. I used those examples as I was familiar with them, and they post-dated your example dates of the 50s/60s/70s. I'm sure that there are artists who were/are innovative and influential in the 90s/00s/and 10s. However, this may not apply to every genre. There's nothing wrong with the Arctic Monkeys, but they aren't very innovative. Much of their music could have been released in the 1980s and nobody would have really noticed anything unusual. Possibly what is happening is that you aren't listening to the genres where real innovation is happening, and therefore aren't aware where the significantly innovative music is being released. I'm sure that the same applies to me, and I'm hoping that someone younger can provide later examples. I wildly guessed at Skrillex. I'm sure there are teenagers around the county having their mind blown by some current artist(s), and wanting to create music like that. But, that's not me. While I don't know who the real current innovators are, I don't think this is any evidence that there aren't any. (Such would be an argument from ignorance). Just that I'm out of touch. And of course, there must be innovators, or we wouldn't have new genres of music. EDIT: 90s, Nirvana! Hugely influential, even today. How could I have forgotten. Someone like The White Stripes have been influential, but I don't think they have been as innovative as others. There is an awful lot of their stripped down modern blues around today, however. EDIT: Skrillex invented dubstep, it says here. [url="http://www.theuntz.com/news/greatest-dubstep-artists-of-all-time-top-10/"]http://www.theuntz.c...ll-time-top-10/[/url] But, he's only #6 on this list of the greatest dubstep artists of all time? Skream & Benga - I've never heard of them. But, the following indicates innovation and influence. [quote] Skream & Benga are by all means innovators and game-changers, and undoubtedly appear on page one of the dubstep history books. These British electronic producers gave dubstep that spice and pizzazz it truly needed to draw a more diverse audience, leaving listener’s spellbound with their futuristic take on wobbly tunes. Whether producing together as two-thirds of Magnetic Man or embarking on solo missions, it goes without saying they qualify for legen…wait for it…dary status. [/quote]

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1439625307' post='2844414'] maybe I'm just getting old, but when who was the last really influential artist?in the 50's 60' and 70's they seemed to come round every few years, maybe that's because they were my formative (musically speaking) years [/quote] IMHO there are tons of influential artists, but you probably aren't aware of who is being influenced. Going back a bit, but look at how influential rap bands such as De La Soul, NWA, etc. were. Dance music pioneers such as Aphex Twin. They defined the sound of a large part of popular music for everyone. I'm sure there are similar bands/musicians now who are hugely influential on other artists, but I don't know who they are. Skrillex?

I think that after a few generations many people have forgotten the importance of musical innovation, and just evaluate the music with the ears of someone from 2015. And if the innovation has been influential and lasting, then the music will sound more ordinary. E.g. anyone who thinks that The Beatles were incredibly influential then should accept that Buddy Holly and the Crickets were also very influential, as they influenced The Beatles. (Even to the point of The Beatles being a The Crickets me-too band name, but with the spelling change).

[quote name='yorks5stringer' timestamp='1439593557' post='2844331'] I've defretted my Prog 5 string and with nylon flats it sounds great. The stock pickups sound pretty good to me, given they are boosted by an active circuit. I spent almost as long adjusting the intonation (awkward little grub screw) on each saddle as converting the Bass. Truss rod worked well and I got the fingerboard almost flat and then wound the saddle heights down without having to do any filing of metalwork. A few strokes of a nut file dropped the strings at the other end and I can now do fairly imperfect Pino impressions. All for the cost of 1 Deco, some mini end cutters and a sheet of laminate for the fret slots. [/quote] Congratulations on the successful deferring. Could you post some photos? Also, what are 'mini end cutters' and how did you use them in the process? @KB - good luck for a delivery today, and a good result re: condition. I see that the fretted bass ukulele is still 'available immediately'.

Congratulations from me too.

Happy New Deko Bass Day. It looks very shiny.

Surely there must be more to the physics of string size and tension than this. Surely a b string designed for a 34" scale will have different tension tuned to B on a 32" scale bass. My concern about this may be driven by a personal dislike of floppy strings, which may not be relevant to the OP.

Thanks. I see the electro-acoustic Santos series is not part of their range any more. Hopefully it will return, as has happened for other instruments that have disappeared and come back again. I'm looking forward to your review of the CG300e when you receive it. The reviews of the CG300e on Thomann's site are very complimentary. [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_hbcg300ce_konzertgitarre.htm"]http://www.thomann.d...zertgitarre.htm[/url] But, I do feel specific components of GAS for the Santos series book matched two piece solid spruce top. When they turned up as dekos, they were about £50 I think.

@Shockwave - it looks as if dekos are more of a lottery than we suspected. Which of the classicals did you order? I'm tempted to get a Santos Series electro-acoustic. At some undefined time in the future.

Travel guitar deko. [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_traveler_e_steel_deko.htm"]http://www.thomann.d..._steel_deko.htm[/url] Quilted maple top acoustic guitar deko. http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_hbx5t_bk_deko.htm

Congrats to everyone and good luck for speedy delivery of your instruments.

Basses for sale forum is here: http://basschat.co.uk/forum/19-basses-for-sale/

[quote name='pfretrock' timestamp='1439369331' post='2842152'] Still there on main site, rosewood or maple. Also bass uke. Progressives bass gone after almost 2 weeks. [/quote] After you posted I noticed that my program wasn't running. I started it up and there are LOADS of dekos. EDIT: Jazz basses are still on main list even though they are sold out. Ukulele bass is 'on request'. Some acoustic guitars too. Still some acoustic basses.

Not as influential as The Beatles, but in terms of being influential, Kraftwerk must be in the top 10. And if I had to pick out an influential album, it would be Autobahn.

That is really impressive. A labour of love.

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1439241546' post='2841292'] It's not that he [i]did[/i], just that he had the [i]talent [/i]to, if he'd [i]wanted [/i]to..! [/quote] One of the first ex-Beatles singles that I was aware of was Ringo's Oh My My, a co-write with Vini Poncia. I saw it on a kids TV show with the presenters dancing to it. A catchy song. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1C6rFWfYMg[/media] Ringo still writes a lot of songs, but generally they are all co-writer. This is from 2010 and is co-written by Joe Walsh. A catchy song that IMHO could have been a hit had it been released earlier when Ringo was known by more people. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRY95PkE7Ik[/media] Neither are massively groundbreaking, but Ringo has been all about having fun more than pushing boundaries since The Beatles split.

[quote name='Tweedledum' timestamp='1439276869' post='2841400'] A little sound sample of the Jack & Danny (teehee, what a great brand name) Bass Ukulele: [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHYqB29WwjA"]https://www.youtube....h?v=MHYqB29WwjA[/url] [/quote] Thanks for the video. It's a little bit smaller than the balalaika in your other video. For people who know the kala, how does the plugged in sound of the J&D compare?

Some new dekos, I am told by my program. I'm not sure which ones, but there is a progressive bass and some acoustics of various types. http://www.thomann.de/gb/decorative_guitars_and_basses.html

Could someone plausibly nearby email the seller to ask for the name of the luthier?

Some drum machines, including Hydrogen, allow randomisation of timing so that the drum machine doesn't play exactly on time. It also has a swing control. Unfortunately Hydrogen doesn't have groove quantisation. Which is a pity as it isn't hard to program.

Thanks Dave. I think I'll make this coming work week a prog-fest, listening to more of the Tony Banks album, your suggestions, and any suggestions that others make. I've got to go out now, and prog is something that I think needs to be concentrated on more than is possible on the move. EDIT: The links all work.

There are free drum machines available, e.g. Hydrogen. http://www.hydrogen-music.org If you use a drum machine you can do everything from a click on beats 2 and 4 of the bar, up to sophisticated rhythm tracks. Programming in your own backing beats is IMHO a useful skill to have, and using a drum machine as a metronome gives you little and often experience of that.

I have a frustrating relationship to Prog. I like the concept, but find that not enough of it grabs my attention. When I play Prog albums (I've got 'A Curious Feeling' playing as I'm typing) I find that it's all very well done, but the music just doesn't grab me. I do like the idea of albums with extended pieces, e.g. Pink Floyd's "Animals" and "Wish You Were Here" both of which are utterly brilliant from start to finish. When I listen to early Genesis, there are some bits I like, but I find that for me the album drags a bit. I don't mean to criticise the albums, it's more likely my attention span that's at fault. Genesis were too Prog for me, then on the Genesis album they were (IMHO) intelligent pop, and then after that album I liked some songs (e.g. No Son of Mine), but not the albums overall. Gentle Giant was mentioned in another thread, and I checked them out. But again, they're too proggy for me. I do like 90210 era Yes, but like Genesis they were much more of a pop/rock band by then. I really like all of Peter Gabriel's solo albums (particularly Up), and therefore you'd expect that I would like "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway", but not really. Inca Roads is one of my favourite FZ songs, and is from my favourite FZ album "One Size Fits All". Perhaps "Andy" (my second favourite song on that album) is also proggy, but overall the album is more song based than what I think of as prog. I think it's mainly the melodies. On quite a few classic prog albums, I find that there isn't enough melodic payoff, the melodies seem to just drag a bit, like a noodling solo. The songs I like have more defined and structured melodies, I think. There's a New Zealand band from my youth called "Ragnarok" and I really like parts of their album "Nooks", but nowadays I find the lyrics of the song "Captain Fag" ... a bit of a clumsy stereotype. (I don't know their intention, so I won't say homophobic). I post the song "The Volsung" as an example of Prog that I really like, and wonder if prog-heads could point me in the direction of similar. I'd like to know of albums like Pink Floyd's "Animals" and WYWH, but guess that I don't need to post excerpts of those as anyone able to answer my question will know them already [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCN1FXUnFP4[/media] I'll post Inca Roads as well, as perhaps that's not so well known. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYxaoRVofE8[/media]