JottoSW1

On 04/07/2020 at 19:05, binky_bass said:

My very first bass was literally 100% covered in stickers... and when I say 100%, I mean it. The fretboard was stickered, the pickups, the back of the neck, the headstock, literally everywhere!! It made it play HORRIBLY but with me being 14 at the time it looked freakin' cool! 

These days, I HATE stickers on instruments... drives me crazy when I buy a bass/guitar that's been stickered mostly because the removal of said stickers is such a pain in the arsé! 

Though I have recently realised that hand sanitizer removes sticker glue very nicely!

Isopropyl Alcohol. Good for tapeheads etc too (non perfumed match)

3 hours ago, Frank Blank said:

QSC 👍

Many moons ago recall a studio owner pal having some major hassles with some of their power amps mind.

13 minutes ago, Dan Dare said:

A lot of the custom/exotic stuff is aimed primarily at wealthy weekend warriors - architects, lawyers, et al - who play in bands in their spare time. Nowt wrong with that. I'd far rather the companies concerned were making instruments than a lot of other dubious stuff. However, they won't necessarily be better, viewed purely as functional tools, than a decent Squier, Cort or similar. They just look a lot nicer and give greater pride of ownership.

I played in a band with a group of professional types once. Nice guys, not bad players and being given an occasional lift to gigs in a Rolls was fun.

Types often seen toddling around C London on Harley Davidsons with overloud exhausts and bolt on mean man expressions.😆😆

1 minute ago, Barking Spiders said:

Yep, totally agree. When I see that e.g. mahogany, ebony and rosewood have  been used for making luxury products (including basses!)  that's an immediate turn off. 

 

Purpleheart seems to be a Kiesel "thing" at the moment. Saw a guitar top there that simply looked like chopped red cabbage to me. Owner was not "impressed" when I pointed this out. Do love some of the Kiesel / Carvin basses mind.

28 minutes ago, JohnDaBass said:

I hope you gave it dam good thrashing afterwards 😂 In good olde John Cleese fashion 😂😆

Borrow some birch twigs from the local sauna. Must admit I've found the Qsc items that have been on sale here fascinating.

12 minutes ago, gjones said:

I hadn't paid, over the years, more than about £600 secondhand for a bass, until recently.

What I found, when I did splash the cash, is that although an expensive bass (ie in the area £2000)  is nice to have, you don't get that much more for your money.

I know many bassist who play cheapish basses, who get a great sound out of them.

Edit: I'd recommend investing money on amps and cabs, before spending on expensive basses. A cheap bass through good gear, will sound better than an expensive bass through bad/cheap gear.

Thanks for the edit, I can now rationalise / justify my recent amps & cabs splurge. Seem to now have options for any conceivable occasion for sure.🤣🤣

Just now, gjones said:

I hadn't paid, over the years, more than about £600 secondhand for a bass, until recently.

What I found, when I did splash the cash, is that although an expensive bass (ie in the area £2000)  is nice to have, you don't get that much more for your money.

I know many bassist who play cheapish basses, who get a great sound out of them.

Like with hi fis I guess the law of diminishing returns does apply.  There's a furniture aspect with the high end stuff. Sometimes I wince a bit at the endangered tropical hardwoods thing. Some of the stuff on the Kiesel FB page gets a bit grotesque.

Just now, Paul S said:

So many!  and largely under £300, too.

Of those I have tried and already mentioned, Yamaha BBs for sure.

I would add Peavey Fury and Foundation for P bass and Jazz bass duties respectively. 

Westone Thunder 1A for P bass (if only they were lighter!).

Various Aria Pro II and other assorted Matsumoku stuff.

+1 for last 3. Some alright old Washburn's too (scavenger for pbass)

My Sire M2 5str (Gen2). Second hand £200. Would like an M7 for the additional switching options but over £500 new. M2 probably the nicest "modern" bass for the money, though I haven't tried the Harley Benton option. Unlikely to happen, have 4 basses and am now saving for one more only (👌😅). After a Luthier bill has been paid.

1 hour ago, Graham said:

Deadguy - Fixation On A Co-worker

 

Yikes - did the foolish office entanglement (twice). Have to give this a listen 

4 hours ago, la bam said:

The Laney N410 is the one piece of equipment I'll always keep. Just because I know its compact and very capable of anything I'll do.

I was very interested in the SL amps, but never got chance to try one.

I've gone back to Ashdown for amps at the moment.

Have you tried the SL amps?

Had a brief tryout while I picked up N115, quite impressed. Plenty of power, seemed pretty flexible. Wish I could have spent longer with it. They had the big Laney Valve Amp too, imposing ! Didn't get a chance to do anything other than gawk.

On 28/06/2020 at 21:56, fleabag said:

I'd need to be a contortionist

If you were capable of that you'd potentially be able to save a lot on loo-roll 🤣🤣😆

Looks a brilliant little device. GLWTS

Take it you're keeping the Laneys.? Have you tried out their SL amp ? 

One of these available on evilbay at the moment (£130). Any good (bit octaver interested after frustrations with a cheapy Behringer). Worth the asking price.?

7 hours ago, IdrinkHeineken said:

 Troops Of Tomorrow by The Exploited.

 

 ... ... ... ... ... ...  ... troops of tomorrow  ... troops of tomorrow  ... troops of tomorrow  ... ... ...

 

 War!  Freedom in the war!  War!  Freedom in the war!  War!  War!

 

 Cheers!

 

Seems uncomfortably appropriate at the moment - what with the posturing @ Mount Rushmore.

One of a Kind - Bill Bruford. The excellent Jeff Berlin on Bass

Just found some TE Knobs in a friend's spares collection, but only white ones. 

Also had a play with my expanding collection of Cabs. AH500x power stage split both full range into 1) Laney N410 + N115 2) Epifani UL212 (4 ohm cab). A recent purchase from @Berserker. 

Hee hee hee. My meglomaniacal plans for world domination are complete 😀🤣🤣. Trace drove this lot without a hint of a problem. Thanks @stewblack.

Epifani sounds bloody awesome on its own @ 500watts too.

Same vendor has just put up an LH Gordon Smith Gypsy on here, does look much nicer. Also cheaper. Suspect Mods ought to shift his post to Commercial Items for sale tho.

1 hour ago, Nail Soup said:

Cool! I heard the story (on John Peel, many years ago)  that there was an obscure prog band that sang in their own language and had a tour bank-rolled (or something) by Steve Davis.... so that would be Magma then!

Used to have the brilliant Francois Moze playing Bass for them, his excellent playing on Gong - Gazeuse is an inspiration. As is the Album.

3 hours ago, LeftyJ said:

Not a pretty sight though 😓

https://reverb.com/item/34245265-mike-lipe-the-lip-custom-5-string-jb-left-hand-1992

Leather pickguard and a bit drab looking I guess. 

14 hours ago, Nail Soup said:

The Utopia Strong.

Debut album last year..... some kind of elecronica, and the band features snooker player Steve Davis.

His last record was the very different Snooker Loopy!

Steve is actually a massive music fan (prog is his primary genre), but has only in the last few years started doing DJ sets, and even more recently actually making music (with the two other members of Utopia Strong)

 

Went to Bloomsbury Theatre many years ago to see Magma. Was perplexed to see Steve Davis there, turned out he'd underwritten and organised the Gig

19 hours ago, Dad3353 said:

I got up early this morning, to taxi Our Daughter to the station. Upon return, I listened to Schubert's 9th, but nodded off after only a couple of minutes. When I awoke, I set it off again, so got to hear it all just the same. It was ending just as the post lady arrived. Happy daze. 

My Dad was obsessed with the Great C Major, still have his multiple vinyl versions. Might dig out his DG Berlin Philharmonic Conducted by Ferenc Fricsay and give it a spin. Live my beautiful turntable - play CDs more often admittedly.

1 minute ago, Barking Spiders said:

This. GG have always been the only 'prog' band I like. Not for them tales of goblins and wizards, capes and all that bobbins. While a lot of prog to me sounds contrived, pompous and forced, GG had a natural, offhand, casual cool about their musicality and virtuosity and a sense of fun! Beats me how their lesser peers went on to hit the big time and they didn't.

 

Agreed 100%. Naming no names re lesser peers, suspect our pet peeves might be similar.

Mike Lipe "the lip" 5 str left handed. 1992. Saw this had failed to sell at Gardiner Holgate Auction (£420) and tried to chase vendor up via auctioneers. Now on Reverb at a Guitar Shop in Ipswich. £1,495. More than I can afford, but this luthier a legend to rank with Mr Lull. Would love to try it out but probably best no to!

9 hours ago, Beedster said:

Your drummist must love you Steve

The drummist can't remember. His little grey cells have been extruded through his right ear 🥴