Shaggy

Computer love - Kraftwerk

As the (rather poor) pic of my old '84 GS Galaxy on p1 is deleted; I've reattached here. Traded a while ago, and I do miss it, but realistically got too many nice semis already. Te point about Gordon Smiths is they were very workmanlike instruments made with non-fancy tonewoods, and mostly inspired by classic US designs. What was so good about them was the level of craftsanship that made them a joy to play - I don't think I've ever owned a bass that I could get the action so ridiculously low as on my old Galaxy.

Cindy Incidentally - Faces

Local boy in a photograph - Stereophonics

Beautiful stranger - Madge

It's a subject for a whole new thread I know - and it's probably already been done - but seems to me that bass playing height / playing stance goes very much with era and musical fashion: In the 1960's it was as the John Entwhistle pic in posts above: standing fairly stationary (unless you were Jet Harris) with bass at mid-height, and plunking away (though of course JE took the plunking to a whole new level) In the 1970's the rockers started slinging the bass l-o-o-o-w (as Pete Way, and also most of the punk rockers) plus adoption of the "power stance" and / or prowling about on stage (Phil Lynott, Chris Squire etc etc) In the 1980's bass playing height either got even lower (hair metal), or if you were a funkster the bass was up under your armpit (as Mr Mark King - no Thunderbird pictured of course, but definitely a Thunderthumb...) After that - anything goes.......

Absolutely agree; IHMO the original '64 T'bird was the finest passive bass that Gibson ever produced. The "tune-a-matic" type bridge is a joy, and the pickups sublime - they're the units that Mike Lull and Thunderbucker Ranch "reverse engineered" for their Thunderbird pickups. Only downsize was the big headstock on a skinny mahogany neck with no volute; they had a strong tendency to snap at the top of the neck with any impact. I think the headstock on the bicentennial (and onwards) was smaller and thus stronger. Entirely gratuitous pic of my 1965 T'bird IV -

Rhythm of cruelty - Magazine

Wrecking ball - Miley Cyrus

Down in the dirt again - Nine below zero

The late great Pete Way demonstrates the correct way........

Oh bondage! Up yours! - X-Ray Spex

Forever in blue jeans - Neil Diamond

Some guys have all the luck - Robert Palmer

Resisted: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wal-Type-Fretless-Bass/164665331126?hash=item2656d18db6:g:ZysAAOSwMz5fn~0Q Tempted to politely request him not to clutter up the Wal listings with something that resembles a Wal bass about as much as my @rse does.........

Holy mother - Eric Clapton

There’s always this project from our German eBay friend, which has been listed for approximately the last 100 years https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1967-RICKENBACKER-4005-BASS-USA/124536281019?hash=item1cfef0d7bb:g:abwAAOSwwyVf4coW

Take good care of my baby - Bobby Vee (and others)

There was one of those Jedson Tele basses for sale last year in a local secondhand shop for £50. It was normal short scale, not 25”. Nobody touched it (including me).

View from a bridge - Kim Wilde

When I started playing in the late ‘70’s I remember the local secondhand music shop usually had a few 1960’s Fenders in, sub £200. Needless to say, I only wanted an Ibanez the same as Sting’s. If only....

Values almost seem meaningless at the moment, and bottom line of course is that something is worth exactly what someone else is prepared to pay for it. It’s not just instruments; if you go into any “antique” shop you’ll see tat that a few years ago would have been considered only fit for a skip described as “vintage kitsch”, and in the car world of course any shonky old 1970’s rustbucket is a “rare and desirable classic” The trick is of course to buy something that appeals to you that is also deeply unfashionable at the time (so salt away a few Warwicks now.....). I’m lucky enough to have acquired most of my vintage gear that way. Nostalgia ain’t what it used to be........

Old red eyes is back - Beautiful South

I think the pictured tailpiece harks back to the older Capri series semis, though I could be wrong. Wouldn't be a Ric without a few eccentricities would it? God knows what the pickguard is hiding....