Shaggy

Guard ON; pearl white, plain black, or mirror. Only my opinion, but every time I see a G&L I think - that'd look so much funkier with an oval pickguard........

Wasn't there a thread on this recently? +1 on Pino; great playing on "No Parlez" album (Paul Young) & "Music for chameleons" (Gary Numan, as immortalised by Alan Partidge on air bass, but still v cool) also; Bad Company ("Feel like makin' love" a great repetitive groove to improvise over) "Sledgehammer" - Peter Gabriel (Tony Levin) "Black Velvet" - Alannah Myles early '80's era Simple Minds Some of the less esoteric Japan stuff, eg; "Quiet Life" & "Gentlemen take polaroids" albums (Mick Karn of course) Many funk / disco grooves work even better on fretless; eg any Chic/Sister Sledge, "Ain't no stopping us now" (McFadden & Whitehead), "Boogie Oogie Oogie" (Taste of Honey), "Boogie Nights" (Heatwave - nice intro) "Boogie on Reggae Woman" (Stevie Wonder) etc etc

Definately true - seems to be high demand for P's - especially vintage - a glut of cheap nice 'Rays ( ) - and where are all the Rickenbackers? Hiding under beds?

[quote name='Huge Hands' post='158801' date='Mar 17 2008, 09:56 AM']It is also worth noting that I used to be in a blues band that had the major hump with me because this bass looked "too modern". They were more concerned with that than the music. Glad I'm out of it! [/quote] Had exactly the same experience playing in a '60's R&B band using my 1980 MM Sabre - not exactly "modern"! 2 guitarists both had red strats, Vox AC30's etc, and kept nagging in a light-hearted way about the Sabre - it more amused than annoyed me. As I was fancying an old Fender anyway I sold off my 7-string (Listerud Totem) and bought a 3TS '73 P off the forum, which I love to bits and result; one happy retro band (still in, as a sideline to the main covers band). Guitarists, eh? Corts look pretty cool and good value.

[quote name='Beedster' post='156358' date='Mar 12 2008, 10:08 PM']Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo Sorry mate, I've three fretless Precisions, 2 '70s - a '73 P/J with rosewood board and a '79 with maple - and one P/J that's more recent. By far my favourite is the '79 maple board, it's strung with TI Jazz Flats and is the most sulky, sexy, jazzy sounding bass I've played. It is just soooooooooooooo smooth, it almost plays itself. Even my guitarist loves playing it. Certainly it isn't Pino's sound - which seems to be what so many players strive for with a fretless instrument - but that was active electronics & roundwounds on rosewood, so it wouldn't be. If I get to the bash I'll bring it along, I think a few people will be surprised how good a maple fretless is. Chris[/quote] Could be I had a dud -you know better than anyone how variable '70's Fenders were/are! After seeing Sting's I had to have one the same (natural / black p/g) and just never got on with it - mind you I'm far, far more aware of what a big factor strings are now than I was then. I admit - I do admire Pino's sound, although the P gets a thicker, darker fretless sound you can't get on a 'Ray. If you get that Mark head the '79 should sound real sweet - post some clips!

Newport? Ble mae "Gogs" yn mynd?

ebony board with added bridge J-p/u conversion is the way to go - nothing else I've tried comes close. The maple board ones look ace, but sound dead and wear rapidly.

I put a model 1 into a Kalamazoo KB many years ago, and I'd have to agree with all the above - much better clarity and definition than the original mudbucker, and string spacing identical. They come (or used to) with 4-pole wiring and a micro-switch to allow series/parallel switching. Well-made too, sealed in an epoxy block, and black metal top. I later put the same pick-up into the bridge position of a P-bass copy to make a "poor man's 'Ray", and even though the strings were way off the poles it worked suprisingly well. If you find a UK suppler please let me know - my Gibson RD Artist has had its original pick-ups replaced with Epi EB3 units, I've got an original '60's Gibbo bridge humbucker, but a DMz model 1 would be great at the neck, or even both.

Fisherman's club, Glanamman, darkest Carmarthenshire A youth benefit gig, and only second gig this year due to a singer-less hiatus since Xmas* (see below) Also, after (*coughs*) years of bass-playing, my first experience of DI-ing, thru band's new 1.2kW PA. Seemed fine duirng soundcheck., but during gig; Bass sound at audience level - absolutely awesome (allegedly) Bass sound at my level - nothing. Nada. Couldn't hear a goddam thing, even with monitors. Not a real problem for playing, but the whole "live vibe" totally missing. Worse - playing "Hard to handle" (funked-up version) and finally settling into a groove for the first time in the evening, I suddenly found to my horror I was DOING THE CHICKEN-NECK (rythmic "head-pecking" motion with optional side-to-side oscillation, much favoured by '70's MOR bassists). OMG - lost my sound AND my mojo in one evening!!!!!!! Only one solution - call for the Doctor................... .............Dr. GAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS Oh yeah. uh-huh. (*Usual tragic story - after years of grind, band finally makes it big on the local sene, largely due to sensational female singer. Guitarist's wife then accuses guitarist (probably with good grounds) of sh@gging sensational female singer, and delivers ultimatum to effect that singer leaves band or guitarist leaves house. Exit singer. Now got 2 sisters singing, not as technically good but more entertaining, just hope no-one suggests "ABBA tribute"!.........)

Mick Karn's tulipwood-faced Wal Mk1 custom. And even a small part of his talent of course!

Apologies for the misplaced humour Burpster - reading your first post I was suffering the post-traumatic stress of a Sunday nite band practice featuring the most flatulent lead guitarist on the planet, who will shamelessly blame his guitar, amp, or any other animate or inanimate object. Our (female) vocalist prefers the far end of the stage to him. Well, I’ve never heard Satan's growly farts, but it must be impressive – sound-clips please!

Gutted - I recently got a DAB set for the car and always do the morning commute banging along to "Breakfast with Alice". Very little advertising compared with other commercial stations - is that the root problem?

[quote name='The Burpster' post='137463' date='Feb 10 2008, 08:58 AM']I have a '93 Fender HM that sounds like satan farting..... [/quote] That’s right. - blame the bass / dog / whatever Curiously, all of my basses sound like the wife nagging unless I play through headphones……….

[quote name='foal30' post='134840' date='Feb 6 2008, 09:08 AM']I got a live take of the cut "Floorboards" whose proper name of course escapes me as I type I always thought it was a fretless.[/quote] “Song from under the floorboards” – a killer single from the third album (“Correct use of soap”), although my personal favourite is the second one (“Secondhand Daylight” – standout tracks “Back to Nature” and “Permafrost”). As SJA says - and photos confrm - it’s not a fretless and the very fretless sound is down to note-bending with a bit of flanging & delay. When I saw them live in 1980 his bass was pushed so far to the front of the mix it was almost disco – probably the most energetic pogo-ing I’ve ever seen going on in the audience but unfortunately still some punk-era gobbing going on. I think Howard Devoto assembled Magazine from the classified ads after leaving the Buzzcocks – makes you believe in fate!

[quote name='NancyJohnson' post='133899' date='Feb 4 2008, 09:28 PM']I love the way Thunderbirds look with a Spector neck/headstock. On my PC I also have a great shot of a very old Jazz with a pair of Musicman pickups and what I believe is a BadAss II bridge. I guess that with a bound rosewood board w/block inlays would be kinda peachy. P[/quote] Rather like a Gibson RD and an MM Sabre in fact......... (shamelessly plugging my own basses!)

I missed that R2 programme, meant to hear it as I saw both Magazine and McGeogh-era Banshees live and adored them. McGeogh, Adamson, and Formula were an absolutely unique musical unit – nothing like them before or since - and although Howard Devoto’s whiny vocals can irritate he sure could write songs. Barry Adamson was probably the main influence on my bass playing. Although no virtuoso – he has quite a spare style of playing – his timing and soulful, funky basslines are just so spot on and fuse so wonderfully with McGeogh’s jagged guitar sound and Formula’s swirling keyboards. Also the only reason I ever bought a bass deliberately because of a player to get a similar sound – my Ovation Magnum, although I went for a fretless.