Shaggy

It often impresses me picking up a 1960's solid-body bass how "modern" they can feel, - especially the Industry-standard basses still around today - and I guess it's because weight has come full circle since then; the '70's and '80's were definitely the era of the [b]heavy[/b] bass (with notable exceptions). I've got a couple of modern basses, but easily the lightest solid body I own is a '65 Thunderbird IV The ubiquitous '60's short-scale semi-acoustics of course can be featherweight, but will [i]never[/i] feel / sound "modern" - nor should they!

I know I've posted this before somewhere, but first rig (1977) was a Kalamazoo KB bass through a home-made amp made by my brother that looked remarkably like an IRA bomb of that era - mind you, he even built in a distortion circuit (now works for Siemens, clever sod......) Cab was the wooden carcass of an old TV set that I spent forever stripping and varnishing, with two speakers scrounged from my Dad's old Bush radiogram (probably about 3W each despite being around 10"). It literally fell apart like a comedy prop on the first gig, as soon as I cranked it up. Had to then share the keyboard players Selmer amp. Replacement was a 2nd hand Carslsboro Stingray head into a home-made 4x12 (proper Celestions mind) - undoubtedly a POS but I felt I was finally a Rock God. Kids these days with their Ashdowns and Hartkes, dunno they're born, [tuh!]

I can understand and sympathise with those with spinal / muscular conditions making weight a critical factor (professionally I'm a radiographer after all) but for myself I quite like a heavy bass to get physical with. I regularly gig my Gibson RD Artist which has to be the heaviest production bass ever - although the Custom fretless MM "Sabre" I made (now with Chris2112) is heavier still. Likewise amp rigs - when you're lugging a huge PA around a heavy bass rig is just a bit more of the same, and if everyone in the band helps it's never a problem.

"Lola".......

[quote name='retroman' post='1061579' date='Dec 17 2010, 02:09 PM']Very slightly OT, there's .......... also a '64 Thunderbird II on Ebay US if the vintage ones float ya boat as well [/quote] This one? [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Gibson-Thunderbird-IV-Electric-Bass-Guitar_W0QQitemZ200555215870QQcategoryZ4713QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp5197.m7QQ_trkparmsZalgo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D4%26po%3DLVI%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D5717224143617745605"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Gibson-Thunderbird-I...224143617745605[/url] Looks nice, but bizarre that he's cut and pasted the blurb for a modern T'bird IV to describe a '60's T'bird II. Also looks a bit too shiny not to be a refin, though could be wrong Mike Lull do a nice take on the 60's T'birds; [url="http://www.mikelull.com/Instruments/T_Series.htm"]http://www.mikelull.com/Instruments/T_Series.htm[/url] - nicer than the current Gibbos IMO, although bound to be pricey

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='1056068' date='Dec 12 2010, 02:59 PM']Tab is just as acceptable a way of reading music as reading music, I can't see an argument against it.[/quote] [quote name='waynepunkdude' post='1056304' date='Dec 12 2010, 06:41 PM']No such thing as acceptable or unacceptable if you can you can play the song as intended, however you do it is irrelevant and boarders on snobbery. The OP is asiking about a book that people will use at home not a score that will be used in a production so it makes sense to make it as accessible to as many people as possible.[/quote] +1 I rely heavily on tabs; it's an invaluable way of quickly learning the fundamentals of a piece of music, that I can then interpret in my own way. It's all relative anyway; virtuosos such as Segovia and Mick Karn who didn't / don't read music would probaly find conventional musical notation as stifling to their way of playing as language is to thought. Tablature dates back to mediaeval times for fretted instruments ( as I mentioned here; [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=114506"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=114506[/url] ) so the prejudice agaist it seems strange; on multi-course instruments (lutes can have 13+) it's absolutely invaluable for showing the fingering.

[quote name='skankdelvar' post='1055466' date='Dec 11 2010, 10:15 PM']Divinyls - I touch myself (Ooo-er)[/quote] Possibly the sexiest song since "S-s-s-single bed" (Fox), and Donna Summers "I feel love / Love to love you baby" Great album too (Diviyls) Of that era one of my favourites is "Tell me your plans" - The Shirts, although a bit obscure nw. Back on topic - "Torn" - Natalie Imbruliga can be rocked up well "They don't know about us" - Kirsty McCall "Christmas wrapping" - Waitresses; very seasonal, and killer bass-line

Having used to be in a "chick" band (I just couldn't wear the basque any more....... ) Black Velvet - Allanah Myles What's Up - 4 non-blondes Weak - Skunk Anansie Ironic / One hand in my pocket - Alanis Morrisette U & ur hand - Pink Valerie - Amy Winehouse (Zutons) Crash - Primitives Left outside alone - Anastacia Teanage dirtbag - Wheatus Proud Mary - Tina Turner (Creedence Clearwater Revival) Maria - Blondie When you're gone - Mel C & Bryan Adams (if you've got male vocals too!) Our lips are sealed - The Go-go's 99 red balloons - Nena & don't forget ABBA......

[quote name='Hamster' post='1054608' date='Dec 11 2010, 12:09 AM']I put this together for you, I think it's sort of ok - but someone who knows what they're talking about will be along in a minute!! Hamster [attachment=66151:Let_s_St...Together.pdf][/quote] Hamster, you've saved me once again - thanks mate! [quote name='Doddy' post='1054637' date='Dec 11 2010, 01:39 AM']Just out of interest,the notes are written an octave too low,resulting in all those nasty ledger lines which are out of the instruments range.They are right if you were playing it on keys,but for bass you should have it written an octave higher.Bass is technically a transposing instrument-it sounds an octave lower than what is written.[/quote] No problemo, it was only the tab I wanted anyway. I used to sight read music well (trained on violin) but got lazy, and my other main instrument these days is renaissance lute - for which all music written was in tablature form.

Anyone know a tab for this one? Nothing on the usual sites.

As soon as I saw phobucket's avatar - Ian McShane as "Lovejoy" I thought; "now there's a seriously cool dude......." Turns out his taste in basses is as good as his taste in '80's Brit comedy dramas; Ben sold me his '76 Alembic series 1 thereby fulfilling a want I've had for many, many years. He was an absolute diamond geezer throughout the deal, gave me a great price on both bass and shipping, sorted everything out at his end (Philly USA) with total efficiency, and kept in touch with regular hugely entertaining communications. I've sworn on the Holy hand grenade of St Antioch to never buy another bass [b]ever[/b], but if I did I'd deal with Ben again anytime. Cheers fella!

Traded aforementioned Paulman 5 from Lawrence for my Gordon Smith - Paulman will hopefully be residing at Shaggy Towers for a good while, as it's a stunner. Just the type of BC-er I like to deal with - good as his word, no-nonsense, entertaining correspondent, and all-around good guy. Has also been tutoring me in the ways of The Dark Side (ie Alembic ownership) Ta for a really smooth deal