Beedster

[quote name='s_u_y_*' post='115680' date='Jan 7 2008, 06:53 PM']I hope you still have that Trace I sold you... I bet they sound fantastic through it. [/quote]

I do and they sing

Thanks for the positive comments above folks. FYI the blond fretless is now in the hands of Martin Simms and in a few weeks will be 3t SB like the rest. I wouldn't have modded it had the finish been original, but the body had been stripped by a previous owner so it seemed the logical thing to do really
Chris

[quote name='silverfoxnik' post='116318' date='Jan 8 2008, 04:36 PM']That sounds very much in line with another Basschat member who I was talking to yesterday who attended BIMM for 1 year but he left feeling it wasn't taking him where he wanted to go. One thing he said really surprised me, which was that BIMM often encourage their students to be in as many bands as possible which he described as having 'killed the live music scene in Brighton' because people were in loads of bands which they didn't really have their heart in at all!!
To me, that's just crazy advice [/quote]

There's too many people in education who are there because they didn't make it in the specific domain themselves ("those who can't do teach"). Consequently, many of these educators have no first-hand experience of the mechanisms required to succeed in the real World. This doesn't matter in many academic disciplines which are knowledge-based. However, I don't believe that this is true of music. Some of what I consider the most powerful and emotive music I've ever heard is played by musicians who are very poor technicians, whilst other music I consider equally powerful and emotive is played by brilliant technicians. Logically therefore, technique is not a requisite for creativity (IMHO that is). What I believe IS common to both the technically naive and the technically gifted creators of such music is their emotional connection with the material (lyrically and musically), with their fellow musicians and with their audience. Show me a lecturer who can teach that? I suspect that in the fullness of time we'll start to see that the only viable career path for the majority of graduates of such music schools - at least those who want to pursue their chosen profession - is to take up teaching posts in such music schools
Chris

Quick bump before ebay
Chris

[quote name='Mike' post='115946' date='Jan 7 2008, 11:38 PM']Expect a reply post-haste, Sir Muppet of Huntingdonshire!


I won £100 in a bet once, thanks to people in Huntingdonshire not accepting that legally it's not a county anymore![/quote]

Mike
If Steve doesn't want this, I'll have it
Chris

[quote name='Jebo1' post='115654' date='Jan 7 2008, 06:26 PM']I've seen about 10 or so fakes in my experience. They're easy to spot to be honest if you know what you're looking at, but for the wrong person it's an awful shame to have your purchase tainted by some scumbag.[/quote]

Or perhaps it's just the poor fakes that are easy to spot
Apologies Lawrie, I'm not knocking your undoubted expertise, and you're right in that an expert might spot nearly all attempts at forgery. I have to say however that given that some great works of art have been forged, and that these forgeries have on occasion fooled experts, I don't think a '59 Fender body would present too much of a challenge to someone really determined to deceive.
Or perhaps the money in basses isn't big enough for the real expert forgers to get involved?
Chris

[quote name='lwtait' post='115621' date='Jan 7 2008, 05:47 PM']is it me or is the jazz pup on the fretless really close to the bridge?

anyway cool collection, i love 70s precisions.[/quote]

VERY close, although Hhaving said that, the proximity is exagerated slightly by the length of the Badass II in relation to the original bridge. The original PUP didn't put out a whole lot of pwer in that position hence the overwound J-PUP from Wizard. Growlier than a Grizzly with a sore throat in a particularly bad mood now
Chris
PS I love 70's Precisions too

[quote name='99ster' post='115529' date='Jan 7 2008, 03:39 PM']Could very well be a '59 body (it does have the 'router hump' characteristic of an old Fender body) - but there's no way to conclusively prove that without the original date markings...
Maybe if the neck & all the other parts were from a '59 then you could probably safely assume that a refin body was the original body.
But like this? You're basically trusting the seller that it is what he says it is.[/quote]

Given the rate of forgery in other antique markets - and the high level of skill required in many of these - the idea that forgeries are not common in the guitar market is perhaps naive, especially given that a couple of dates/signature written in marker pen in the neck pocket is pretty much all that would be required to 'authenticate' a 'vintage' body. The markings in most of my Fenders would be extremely easy to copy and I doubt the original craftsmen would be able to tell the difference if even a half competent forger got to work. Buying a body like that above is a leap of faith unless you REALLY know what you're doing, and I think as has been pointed out above and elsewhere, perhaps even then, at that price, a foolish one
Chris

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='115510' date='Jan 7 2008, 03:22 PM']Nah, seriously... lovely collection you've got there. I'd love to hear a recording of the maple fretless...[/quote]

Cheers WoT. The maple neck is a bit of a revelation. I expected it to sound quite harsh, but it is surprisingly mellow, even with rounds. I'm going to A-B the neck with my rosewood fretless later this week so I'll be in a better position to describe the tone then.
Chris

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='115501' date='Jan 7 2008, 03:15 PM']Okay then, large TV logos.. in original finishes!

Mwahahahahahaha[/quote]

Can't argue with that
Chris

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='115427' date='Jan 7 2008, 01:55 PM']Technically, yes.

But... the ultimate prize is four 'Bursts. So... the race is on![/quote]

I'm getting the '79 refinished in 3t SB
Chris

Education is big money, and very few in education examine the rationale for, or even the ethics of, what they teach. I have been teaching (graduate, postgraduate and doctoral) a very specific area of psychology for years and have just resigned my post because I am fed up with what education has become in the UK, i.e., mass market, exploitative and in many cases, pretty much worthless to the student.
My view of the music schools in question are informed by the extremely poor quality teaching materials I've seen from a few, so I agree with Nik's comments. Whether there is a place for full-time, systematic and high-level education in popular music performance akin to that in orchestral performance is a question that perhaps requires more thought than I suspect many of the institutions, and even the students, give it. As somneone said above, it ain't rock and roll really is it
Chris
Note: All opinions are those of the author and no animals were hurt in the making of this rant

[quote name='bassjamm' post='115132' date='Jan 7 2008, 12:28 AM']Hi guys...

Thanks for all of the input! Some interesting stuff here.

Don't get me wrong though, i know what i'm doing regarding buying it because i genuinely love the instrument etc...fear not my freinds

Since posting this thread i've seen an early 80's Precision Fullerton Re-issue...what's the crack with them then? It's about £750/£800...is that any good...it's also got a Sadowsky Jazz pickup in the bridge? Can't try before i buy though :/

Jam[/quote]

Generally very good. Is it Olympic White, if so, I might know it

[quote name='Jebo1' post='114516' date='Jan 6 2008, 02:10 AM']Me, well, I use Beedster's old 62 reissue Salmon Pink P bass. It plays better than ever pre CBS bass I have ever played, and sounds like a million bucks. And I've played and owned lots of them.

Don't be conned by the retro thing. Make up your mind objectively!

When there's a recession the first thing to be devalued will be vintage guitars. If you're losing your house, the last thing you want is a pre-CBS Precision! You mark my words. The sellers market will soon turn to a buyers one. Give it some time...[/quote]

Lovely that Pink Jap isn't it.

Wise advice regarding the real value of basses also Lawrie
Chris

EDIT:

Not really after cash as much as needing to find some space so I'd take trades on these. At present I'm after an acoustic bass or an old style Precision (51 or 53) copy. Anything you've consoidered though
Cheers
Chris

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Very recent acqisition from Neil B on here but superceded by an Xmas pressie

Line 6 Lowdown 300 Pro. Powerful combo witth some good modelling into 1 x 15 and horn. 300W I believe. Portable and gig-able.

RRP £479, to you £200


Loads of info and reviews online but here's the blurb from Line 6

LowDown™ LD300 Pro delivers five carefully crafted amp models that can take you from vintage punch to modern grind. You also get a critical set of effects that no bass player should be without.

Once you create your own custom sound, you can save it into a preset using the channel memories on the front panel and instantly recall it anytime.

FEATURES:

5 Incredible Bass Amp Models: Clean, R&B, Rock, Brit, and Grind

5 Essential Bass Effects: Synth, Compressor, Envelope Filter, Octaver, and Chorus

Deep Switch With Special Tone Shaping for Supreme Fatness

XLR Direct Out With Line 6’s exclusive A.I.R.™ processing
4 Programmable Channel Memories, 36 with FBV Shortboard™

Headphone Out

Jam Along CD/MP3 1/8” Input

Built-in Chromatic Tuner
Footswitch Jack for FBV Express™ or FBV Shortboard™
15” Speaker w/horn
300 Watts
Dimensions: 89lbs, 18"L x 22"W x 30"H
AMP MODELS:

Clean
Inspired by* the Eden Traveler, this model is all about clean, funk and fusion bass tone. It’ll give you all the warm lows and punchy highs you need

R&B
Inspired by* a 1968 B-15 Flip Top, this model is a tribute to those late 60’s and early 70’s clean fat bass tones. It is the kind of tone you hear on most Motown recordings, as played by a pioneering young James Jamerson.

Rock
This model is inspired by* the ’74 Ampeg® SVT®. This workhorse has appeared on innumerable recordings and arena stages worldwide. And now all the tone of the 300-pound behemoth 8X10 and head is available in your combo!

Brit
Based on a ’68 Marshall® Super Bass, this model delivers the kind of overdriven bass sound brought to us by late ‘60’s British rock pioneers like Cream and The Who.

Grind
As the name would suggest, this is for modern rock lovers, Alice in Chains to Mudvayne and Rage Against The Machine. Based on* a distorted SansAmp PSA-1 into an SVT® in addition to a direct clean bass signal mixed in, this model gives you that angry, clear and punchy aggression that takes your sound to DEFCON 1.

But that’s not all…

Synth
Sitting at the back of the model knob is this secret weapon that turns LowDown into a ’70s classic bass synth. From funk to modern rock, this synth model delivers incredible tones and tracks every dynamic move you make with ease!

EFFECTS MODELS:

Envelope filter
Based on* a Q-Tron, this is the baddest envelope filter on the planet. This effect can be heard on tons of major funk and rock tunes.

Octaver
Based on* the EBS® OctaBass®, this effect produces a single note one octave below the pitch of the played note, adding a powerful new vibe to your sound.

Chorus
Based on* the much loved T.C. Electronic® Chorus. This is the most transparent, smooth and expressive chorus for bass ever built. Using it does not reduce your low end and it’s especially beautiful on fretless bass.

Amazing Tone On Stage and In The Studio!
The XLR Direct Output was designed for recording or sending your sound to a house sound system when you’re playing live. This output utilizes our exclusive A.I.R. processing which has made Line 6 products like POD® the undisputed standard for direct recording. Whether you’re playing a gig in a club or rushing off to a recording session, this POD based direct out will give you huge, mic’d amp tone everywhere you go!

[attachment=4636:AUT_7954.JPG][attachment=4635:AUT_7952.JPG]


Zoom 708II FX processor and drum machine. Great little unit, I've been using it mostly for the chorus on my fretless but it does shedloads of other stuff. Superceded by the same Xmas pressie that leads to the sale of the Lowdown above. Boxed with manual.

Here's the blurb....

Zoom has combined a versatile live effects bass guitar processor with an easy-to-use drum machine, SmartMedia riff sampler and 69 new effects in the 708II.

The 708II's onboard drum machine includes 60 preset rhythm patterns featuring high-quality PCM sounds. The internal sampler lets players record sounds for learning riffs and phrases. Playback speed can be reduced with or without affecting pitch and storage is available via a SmartMedia card.

The system also has 69 Zoom bass guitar effects (9 simultaneously) including EQ, reverbs, delays, modulation effects and more. The 708II also features 33 amp modeling programs that emulate some of the world's most revered bass amps and cabinets.



Designed for performance, the system features analog edit knobs for easy adjustment of effect parameters in real time. They can also be used as "Instant Edit" in Play mode for Distortion, Modulation and Reverb programs.

A large LED display clearly shows all critical information on dark stages and other low light situations. The 708II's built-in expression pedal controls volume, wah and other effect parameters. Simple up/down footswitch operation allows easy access to patches and sampling functions.

Other features include 120 patch memory locations (60 user and 60 preset). For convenience, the unit can be powered by four AA batteries or an optional AC adaptor.



[attachment=4637:AUT_7962.JPG]

RRP £150

To you, £45 posted

Chris

SOLD


Cost me in the region of £50. Still wrapped in box (never even taken out let alone used)

£35 posted

Chris

[attachment=4634:AUT_7964.JPG]

[quote name='TheBigBeefChief' post='114423' date='Jan 5 2008, 10:53 PM']It's a bit like Ronaldinho in a Nike advert. He stands there with the ball, does some amazing tricks and shows off just for the hell of it. Most of these tricks he would never use in a game, but it doesn't mean that as technical excercises they're not worthwhile.[/quote]

Good point

I'll get some better pics soon but thought I'd post this little lot. I've mixed and matched the neck/bodies a little but what we have here is:

1975 fretted/maple. Strung with rounds, currently equipped with Badass II and SD SPB3, Great for rock, funk and contemporary stuff.
1979 fretless maple. Recently acquired from Bremen (the man in Cambridge not the small town in Germany). Strung with TI flats, all original apart from stripped body, a lovely sexy upright sound. Baseball bat neck to die for. Jazzier than Jazz Club. Gonna get Martin Simms to put a 70's 3T sunburst on the body to make it feel less of the odd one out
1973/4 Fretted/rosewood. Pure Motown. Strung with laBella Deep Talkers. Original harware. Fat neck, mmmmmmm. More thump than a herd of Rhino
1973/7 Fretless/rosewood (neck from a 77). Strung with rounds. Badass II, Wizard Thumper P-PUP at neck & Wizard overwound J-PUP at bridge. Would sound like Jaco if I could play like Jaco. Fastest Precision neck I've ever played.

The Badass II's definitely help the intonation and tone, but I think I'm gonna go back to the originals 'cos they have a better feel.

I'm never going to buy another bass................

[attachment=4624:4_Precisions.JPG]

[attachment=4625:AUT_7985.JPG][attachment=4626:AUT_7986.JPG][attachment=4627:AUT_7987.JPG]
[attachment=4628:AUT_7988.JPG]

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='114574' date='Jan 6 2008, 10:51 AM']Anyway - the key phrase here is 'buy wisely'. All on my early 70s basses have been bought for very competetive prices - marginally more than the new equivalents, in fact.[/quote]

This little bunch came in at below £2500 for the lot. Each is a great bass. Apart from the MOJO factor, I like them all better than most other basses I've owned and I doubt I could have bought their equivalent cheaper new. Details in Bass Porn later
Chris

[attachment=4623:4_Precisions.JPG]

[quote name='Sting2007' post='114623' date='Jan 6 2008, 12:24 PM']Thanks Ian ! you have told me everything i needed to know , i was wondering if they were still on holiday tbh. Thankyou for the advice my friend ![/quote]

I spoke to Martin on Friday so they're back. I can't recommend Martin and his team highly enough, a very professional service and a nice bunch of guys
Chris

[quote name='BassBunny' post='114021' date='Jan 5 2008, 01:34 PM']How wrong Chris?
Asked for a specific P Bass and got?????????? [/quote]

LOL. You clealry know me better than Santa

[quote name='Deep Thought' post='113924' date='Jan 5 2008, 10:05 AM']I'd hate to do that to an old one which are almost becoming bits of history now.[/quote]

That's why I like old basses, I don't worry at all about dinging them. The only part of any of my four 70's Fenders I'm anal about knocking are the fretboards on the two fretlii which, for some reason, despite being over 30 years old, are still immaculate.
Re the points above, it's one of those discussion where nearly every view is valid, even if completely opposite to another equally valid view . The old Fenders, compared to modern machines, are pretty agricultural. Then again, so are old Triumphs, Porsches etc etc. The other day, Jonathan Ross questioned why men - and only men - are obsessed with collecting stuff from their childhood. I suspect that to many of the owners of old Fenders, it's as much this apparently male-specific quest for the items they dreamed about in their formative years as it is the quest for the perfect instrument.
It certainly is for me
Don't get me wrong, I think my four 70's Precisions (couldn't find a emoticon for 'smug') are the best basses I've owned, but I'd never be foolish enough to argue that my judgement in this respect is not at least partially driven by emotion and sentiment.
Chris

[quote name='EBS_freak' post='113446' date='Jan 4 2008, 11:50 AM']The best.

I think the thing which adds to it the most is the fact that Beedster's smiley face is there right next to the first post.[/quote]


Mate, that's my angry face, you should see me happy
Chris

Pics?

[quote name='BassBunny' post='114007' date='Jan 5 2008, 01:02 PM']As I tend only to play 5 String Basses these days and strung with Flatwounds, when I sent my Xmas list to the North Pole in December I asked for a set of Rotosound Jazz Flats, the 5 String set.
What the Red Coated, bearded herbert send was:

1 x 6 String Set of Elites Stadium Roundwound. Standard Guage. [url="http://www.basscentre.com/product.asp?pID=190&cID=11"]http://www.basscentre.com/product.asp?pID=190&cID=11[/url]

1 x 4 String Set of Elites Stadium Roundwound, Standard Guage. [url="http://www.basscentre.com/product.asp?pID=188&cID=11"]http://www.basscentre.com/product.asp?pID=188&cID=11[/url]

So both sets are up for grabs. £15 for the 6 string set, £12 for the 4 String. Both prices include postage.[/quote]

He got it wrong with me also. Reckon he's past it
Chris

[quote name='Thornybank' post='113945' date='Jan 5 2008, 11:10 AM']Just now, the West of Scotland is big on "Precisions with attitude" so shop on this one tidied - not fully refinned - would be £750+.[/quote]
Don't they have ebay up there with good condition 70's Precisions for £250 less? This is £450 max, anything else and your mate is gonna keep his bass I'm afraid.
Chris