chris_b

My Framus Star bass. The plastic on the original tuners had already broken off and these were the only replacements i could find. Shortly after this photo the pots began to fail. The bass ended up with the pickup being wired directly to the jack socket. I thought I'd removed the frets later but they look like they're gone in this picture. The strings were a set of Burns black nylon covered flatwounds. [url="http://s293.photobucket.com/user/chris_b_photo/media/CopyofFSBme2.jpg.html"][/url]

My AE210 handles only became an issue when I was loading in and out on a boat and the tide was out so the gang plank looked more like a ladder. That was definitely a 2 man lift. But not a big deal and it wouldn't stop me buying a great sounding cab.

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1422421651' post='2672408'] ....If you feel your job is to fire up the rhythm section, your concerned about what the audience notices.... [/quote] I'm concerned with all aspects of the band especially how they relate to audiences and promoters, but I said "main" concern. I've seen bands with great front lines die a death because the rhythm sections weren't good enough. I don't agree with "...the audience can't hear the bass, so it doesn't matter what the bass plays...." type remarks, because the band will always hear the bass and they will play better or worse depending on the job the bass player does. They are the ones I try to support and inspire to greater heights so the audiences love "the band".

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1422440764' post='2672567'] ...personally I avoid open strings..... [/quote] Me too. On a 5 string bass there are always other choices. I love watching keyboard players squirm playing numbers in C# and even F#. My first 2 bands were Soul/Funk/Blues bands with 3 and 4 piece brass sections, so all keys are the same to me.

Check out Ed Friedland, the bass whisperer, on YouTube. He does sensible and relevant product demos and reviews.

[quote name='joeghee' timestamp='1422403447' post='2672366'] ....I do think that the side handles are mounted upside down. When mounted like this, there is not enough space for the wrist if it's carried by two people.... [/quote] I had trouble with my Bergantino AE210 cabs because they had the same handles. When cabs are this light it seems a design assumption is made that only one person will be carrying them and that isn't always the case. Apart from that these are cracking cabs. I'm waiting for the review after your first gig.

Anyone in Kingston on Sunday 8th Feb can see LC and Ian Thomas at Jazz at Boaters Inn. Then Phil Mulford is there on the 22nd.

I've never understood this "sympathetic resonance" thing as a need for separate bridge pieces. If you're muting the strings correctly how can that happen?

I have a different take on this. The band is playing for the audience, I'm playing for the band. What the audience notices isn't my main concern. My job is to fire up the rhythm section and drive the front line, with the aim that we can impress the audience. I know audiences hear me loud and clear because they tell me but I have to make it work for the band. Root notes or not, the band has to like what I play. A pat on the back from them means good job done.

Alembic discovered that if you added mass to the head of a bass, in the form of a brass plate, sustain improved so why wouldn't extra mass on the bridge work equally well? A major aspect of making good cabs is how you control the resonating surfaces to eliminate as much unwanted vibration as possible, so why wouldn't you want to manage and improve the vibration generated to improve the sustain and tone on a bass? People give Leo Fender mythical qualities with regard to designing guitars, especially basses, but when his team designed instruments they improved everything over time. In the context of this topic it's interesting to see that after his stint at Fender he never put a low mass bridge on a bass again. That's good enough for me.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1422201641' post='2669784'] ....I've always been hunting for my old Peavey TNT-150 black widow combo..... [/quote] For nearly 15 years I remembered my Dynacord combo as being the best amp I ever owned, until I played one a couple of years ago. It was very good but I think my Bergantino's are better. I always move forwards with my gear. The next one has better than the last, or I wouldn't be buying it. I don't do 90 degree turns, so the latest rig is always the best I've owned. Currently Mike Lull PJ 5 ~ Aguilar TH500 ~ Bergantino CN212. I also gig with Lakland, Thunderfunk, Berg AE112 and Barefaced BB2. All excellent pieces of equipment.

I would have thought that to be financially viable this amp would have to work as any other amp does, with any cab, but if the filter feature is any indication, it also has to be of specific interest to Bergantino cab owners.

[quote name='Rick's Fine '52' timestamp='1422193823' post='2669654'] ....[color=#666666][size=4][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]So, get your papers, say its for personal use, and it should be ok.... although it may be a concern for some.....[/font][/size][/color] [/quote] If only it were that simple. A quote from the following article: [i]First, your item is exempt if you acquired it before CITES listed it. Second, CITES will exempt “specimens that are personal or household effects,” so long as you didn’t acquire the items outside of your home country. This exception, however, does not apply to Appendix I species, which, as we’ll see, loom large in the world of vintage guitars.[/i] Brazilian rosewood is in Appendix 1 [url="http://www.fretboardjournal.com/features/magazine/guitar-lover%E2%80%99s-guide-cites-conservation-treaty"]http://www.fretboard...ervation-treaty[/url]

My first 5 string was an SR5. It was a good instrument and I liked it a lot but following on from 25 years of playing a Fender Precision, I never [i]loved[/i] it. I moved on to a Wal then a Lakland. That's when I decided that humbuckers weren't for me and I preferred wider string spacing and the 35" scale.

If you find a bad Fender from anywhere, blame FMIC. They're the ones who decide the specifications, the materials and processes to be used and the unit cost. They then chose to accept it from the manufacturer and sell it on to their customers. In this case any problems are American, not Chinese.

It isn't illegal (yet) to own something on the CITES lists, but it is illegal to move any items on the top 2 lists between the 187 signed up countries, no matter how old those items are. CITES is supposed to prevent the items being moved from one country to another, thus killing off international trade in endangered species and prevent those species being hunted, exported and becoming extinct. There are nearly 40,000 items on the 3 lists. There are places where CITES don't mean a thing and others where it does. The US customs seem to be particularly keen to seize anything that looks like it might be on the list. I believe some older Gibson guitars were impounded when being sent to Canada. You don't get them back. The UK and Europe have signed up and, I assume, will be a risk to importers of restricted items.

All bar 1 of my cables are OBBM and when that one gives out I'll get a replacement from Dave.

I was just musing. It would be nearer £25,000 with the duty etc and you might never see it if the US customs decide to look in the case.

[quote name='chrisanthony1211' timestamp='1420924469' post='2655198'] ....Whether the fanned fretboard works or not.... [/quote] The fanned frets work very well. Whether they work for you is something only you can answer.

A nice example of a vintage bass. I wonder if the price includes all taxes, duties and delivery costs. Does this bass have a Brazilian rosewood fretboard? I hope it doesn't get impounded due to CITES rules.

[quote name='alembic1989' timestamp='1422095306' post='2668581'] ....I guess what I'm saying is that if I pulled the trigger on such a kit and added high quality hardware is there any reason why it can't be every bit as good as a high end boutique bass?.... [/quote] So you're asking, if you put a set of Pirelli Pzero's on a Dacia Sandero will it be as good as a BMW i8?

If they won't replace the cable get in touch with Dave on BC for OBBM cables.

This is Rock n Roll. Because you can is the best reason yet invented.

Good song and great playing as usual. Look it up on Wiki for some interesting info.

A cheap bass isn't going to have much spent on materials and won't be put together with as much care. Everything on your bass is going to affect the tone so a cheap bass will react, feel and sound differently to a better built bass which is made of better materials. That might not matter to a player so a cheap bass will be a good buy. But if you can hear the difference, and that difference is important to you then you'll probably buy a better built, more expensive instrument. An example of either end of the scale I'm talking about would be Wish basses and Fodera.