philw
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Everything posted by philw
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All, I'll be setting off from sunny Brighton a bit later to drive to Cambridge for a live session with the band (The Galleons) on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire (about 9.15 apparently). We're going to get to play two songs, so that's 236 miles driving (according to Google maps) for around 8 minutes playing. Or to put it another way, 29.5 miles per minute of music. Now I'm sure, in the grand scheme of things, it's nothing too exceptional, but it got me wondering what's the longest anybody's travelled specifically for the shortest single performance? Phil
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And why are Eko acoustic basses now so cool? Back when I was selling mine on here a few years ago I could hardly give it away. P
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[quote name='grossey' timestamp='1323264301' post='1461192'] I may be getting involved in playing some worship in prisions in the new year. [/quote] Given the context, can I just check who you'll be worshipping? The guy upstairs or the one downstairs? P PS. Get a Double Bass.
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Pete, through the bass he made for me back in 1983, undoubtedly and fundamentally shaped my life making music and news of his passing is really very sad. My beloved Mk1 fretless custom sitting in the corner as I type suddenly looks just a little bit more special this evening. RIP Pete.
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Looks like I should have a look at the LS-2 then. Thanks guys. P
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All, I've come up against something for which I can't find a solution so I wonder if anybody has any suggestions. I regularly use two instruments at gigs: a Steinberger CR4 EUB and a fretless Wal. Up till now I've been using an ART Coolswitch to switch between the instruments and it's been absolutely fine. The trouble is, on a couple of songs I've started to use both instruments (arco on the on the EUB and then immediately fingerstyle on the Wal) with very little time (or brain power) available to remember to stamp on the Coolswitch. I also really need the sustain from arco notes on the EUB to play under sections played on the Wal (and no it's not a prog band, it's an "alt folk" band!) The Coolswitch has a "Y" option where both inputs are connected simultaneously to the output, but as the thing is a fully passive device, the two instruments are then effectively connected together and both their tone and output level suffers. So, what I need is an active switch box with two inputs (actually I'd like three but that's really, really unlikely) and the facility to select input 1, input 2 or both. As far as I can see, no such thing exists, but I may be wrong. Anybody? Phil
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Brian Barrett at The Low End had one for sale recently. Pics of it are now in his sold gallery here: http://www.thelowend.net/gallery/viewtopic.php?t=5597 Phil PS. If you suffer at all from GAS be very careful when browsing The Low End site. Keep your credit card locked away.
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I'd say don't worry about lines. Dots on the side on the "fret" positions will be enough to get you in the right ball-park and then it's down to how much fretless playing you do. Fretless technique is also not really about planting your finger at the right point on the fingerboard and leaving it there. The freedom to slide notes a little, add vibrato and generally shape the expression of a note means that the nominal "correct" intonation isn't always as clear cut as you might think. P
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[quote name='M-N-Y' timestamp='1321388583' post='1438657'] A Manne bass from Italy like the one in the photo below. [url="http://www.manne.com/pict/acoustibass.jpg"]http://www.manne.com...acoustibass.jpg[/url] [/quote] I had a Manne Acoustibass for a while. Nice bass but it had a decidedly dark tone and was somewhat a one trick cliché as a result. Not quite up to the build quality you'd expect on a boutique bass either, but we're talking a good few years ago so things may well have improved. Phil
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Anyone Out There With a Wal Fretless With a Coated Fingerboard?
philw replied to AndroWal's topic in Bass Guitars
Strikes me that even Wal owners that expect to be buried with their bass, like me, are aware of its value. Value that epoxy on the fingerboard would undoubtedly destroy. I am going to get a vinyl roof on my Ferrari though. Phil -
Wal MK1 Fretless 1983 - 1 owner from new - SOLD pending
philw replied to paulbkeeves's topic in Basses For Sale
Bump for a lovely bass. Based on serial numbers it's nine instruments later than mine. Was it originally fretless though? Fretless Wals with rosewood 'boards are rare, fretless with a full set of "conventional" position markers even more so. Phil -
Sold my Squire 50s Precision to Mel. Wouldn't hesitate to do so again, although that would be weird, a bit Ground Hog day. Phil
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AER Amp One - The best amp I have bought - EVAR !!
philw replied to The Dark Lord's topic in Amps and Cabs
Yes, the Amp One is completely brilliant. I reviewed it in the late lamented Performing Musician magazine here: http://www.performing-musician.com/pm/jul08/articles/aerampone.htm And ended up buying the review sample. I still can't get over how much like a Wal it makes my Wal sound, and then how much like an NS EUB it makes my NS EUB sound. -
Not really looking at trades I'm afraid, unless you had something really interesting in mind. P
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A sat here working late bump.
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Now sold. P
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Surplus to requirements so it has to go. I'm the second owner (and the mains adaptor is not original) but it all works and has clearly led a relatively easy life. £125 shipped seems a good deal to me. Phil [attachment=90532:Sansamp.jpg]
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Fretless Precision Neck
philw posted a topic in Accessories & Other Musically Related Items For Sale
All, This was a custom order from B Hefner (http://www.bhefner.com/) that I intended to fit to the Squire CV Precision for sale here: http://basschat.co.uk/topic/156785-squire-classic-vibe-50s-precision/ Sadly a "misunderstanding" left me with a fretless neck with side position markers at the between fret positions. And that's not what I wanted. So here it is. Full spec is as follows: [b][font=Verdana, sans-serif]FINGERBOARD RADIUS[/font][/b]: 12 [b][font=Verdana, sans-serif]FRET SIZE[/font][/b]: NONE (FRETLESS) [b][font=Verdana, sans-serif]PROFILE / SHAPE[/font][/b]: MODERN C [b][font=Verdana, sans-serif]TUNER HOLE SIZE[/font][/b]: STANDARD 11/16" [b][font=Verdana, sans-serif]ORIENTATION[/font][/b]: RIGHT HAND [b][font=Verdana, sans-serif]FRET QUANTITY[/font][/b]: 20 FRETS [b][font=Verdana, sans-serif]BINDING[/font][/b]: STANDARD (NONE) [b][font=Verdana, sans-serif]NECK FINISH[/font][/b]: CLEAR GLOSS URETHANE [b][font=Verdana, sans-serif]FRETWORK[/font][/b]: NONE [b][font=Verdana, sans-serif]NUT TYPE[/font][/b]: COMPOSITE NUT [b][font=Verdana, sans-serif]TRUSS ROD[/font][/b]: HEEL ADJUSTMENT [b][font=Verdana, sans-serif]INLAYS[/font][/b]: BLACK DOT [b][font=Verdana, sans-serif]NECK WOOD[/font][/b]: QUARTERSAWN MAPLE [b][font=Verdana, sans-serif]ORIENTATION[/font][/b]: RIGHT HANDED (STANDARD) [b][font=Verdana, sans-serif]FINGERBOARD WOOD[/font][/b]: MAPLE [b][font=Verdana, sans-serif]FRETLESS[/font][/b]: NONE [b][font=Verdana, sans-serif]HEADSTOCK SHAPE[/font][/b]: TELE BASS [b][font=Verdana, sans-serif]HEEL SHAPE[/font][/b]: P-BASS ROUNDED STANDARD The neck is a lovely piece of work and I'm looking for £120 including shipping. Phil [attachment=90530:Fretless Neck 1.jpg][attachment=90531:Fretless Neck 2.jpg] -
All, Despite my love of the way it looks this spends most of its time hanging on the wall. So it's up for grabs. I'm the second owner but it's still in pretty much showroom condition. It has a pickup cover added which looks great (but doesn't help the playability much) and I have the missing finger rest but can't for the life of me find the screws to attach it. These seem to be around the £320 mark new so the £225 I'm after is clearly a bargain. I'm happy to ship the bass at the buyers expense and risk (it'll be about £15 I should think) and i'll include a used but perfectly serviceable gig bag. Phil [attachment=90528:Squire Classic Vibe 1.jpg][attachment=90529:Squire Classic Vibe 2.jpg]
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OK, so here's the latest addition to the collection and one I've always fancied – a Yamaha BEX4 in blue. It was a good deal (£260) it's in great condition, sounds lovely and just needs some new strings and a setup (the action is very high so the neck needs shimming). [attachment=84455:BEX4_1.jpg][attachment=84458:BEX4_2.jpg] But, and it's a BIG but. I hardly ever play fretted basses and I have an urge not just to de-fret the BEX4 but to get a lovely new unlined ebony fingerboard fitted. You see, not only do I dislike the look of de-fretted basses, all the dots are in the wrong places. The thing is though, there's a voice in my head telling me I really should have a fretted bass in the collection and the BEX4 should be the one. So, what would you do? Phil
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All, I've always fancied a Yamaha BEX4 – I love the look and I'm a sucker for semi-acoustic basses – and I've come across one for sale for a reasonable price. So can anybody tell me if they sound/play as good as I think they look? Phil
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[quote name='TheGreek' post='1288079' date='Jun 30 2011, 06:33 PM']I sold this to Phil..I was disappointed with the p/ups which I believe Phil upgraded before shipping abroad..GAS all you like, just don't buy!![/quote] Your memory is playing tricks Mick. I didn't change anything on the bass other than the setup. I got it playing pretty well with a nice low action – the combination of neck-tilt and truss rod adjustment rather fried my brain though. It went to a guy in France. Can't remember his name now but I Googled him at the time and he seemed reasonably well known on the French Jazz scene. He seemed very happy with the bass. It was a lovely, characterful instrument dripping with mojo, but not a patch on more contemporary versions of the semi-solid concept. Phil
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Now that's an interesting and unusual Wal. Try joining and posting on the Wal basses Yahoo group (http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/walbassesnaturally/). Phil
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[quote name='ikay' post='1279655' date='Jun 23 2011, 02:24 PM']Thanks Phil, much appreciated. I'm keen on the shorter scale of the Mouse to be honest but didn't know about the Minotaur. Listening to the demo on the Veilette website though it sounds like a very different animal to the mouse (haha). Much more tightly focused sound and less of a db impersonator. Maybe the chambering in the mouse is what gives it its more airy upright sound? I will take a closer look at Veilette though, I do love the sound and flexibility of the semi-hollow piezo/mag Archtop model on the Bass Player video on youtube.[/quote] Forgot to say earlier...If of course you fancied a short scale Archtop/Minotaur hybrid, such a beast could be created. P
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[quote name='ikay' post='1279655' date='Jun 23 2011, 02:24 PM']Thanks Phil, much appreciated. I'm keen on the shorter scale of the Mouse to be honest but didn't know about the Minotaur. Listening to the demo on the Veilette website though it sounds like a very different animal to the mouse (haha). Much more tightly focused sound and less of a db impersonator. Maybe the chambering in the mouse is what gives it its more airy upright sound? I will take a closer look at Veilette though, I do love the sound and flexibility of the semi-hollow piezo/mag Archtop model on the Bass Player video on youtube.[/quote] Yeah I'm not sure the Minotaur clips on the Veillette web site are particularly representative of the instrument. Clearly it can do the brighter, more focussed tones but certainly Joe's intention when designing it was to create something that inherently had a warm, woody vibe. Joe's also very accommodating and really enjoys matching the tonal characteristics of an instrument to a customer's requirements. So if somebody wanted a Minotaur that majored on warm and woody, that's what they'd get. Phil PS. Trying hard here not to write advertising copy!