philw

[quote name='Eight' post='498504' date='May 27 2009, 08:46 AM']I like this very much. Despite being a 5... and fretless... and not black... I think its lubberly. [/quote] Mmm that is nice. Website anywhere? Googling Damico didn't get me anywhere. Phil

I reviewed the GK MB150, Mark Bass MiniMark and AER Amp One for Performing Musician mag. All were good but the AER completely seduced me and that's what I now use. It's small, light, loud and has a warm but clear tone to die for - with both Steiberger EUB and fretless Wal. Phil

BigBeatNut's Electro was in fact mine before I sold it to him, and sometimes I regret letting it go. The electro is a one trick pony but it's an unusual trick and one that sounds rather marvelous. I'd have another without a doubt - lovely instrument. Phil PS. I bet Rob Green would still make an Electro if you asked nicely and opened your wallet.

If I had to guess who "Paul" might be I'd suggest luthier Paul Herman - guitar maker to the stars (well some of them) and the man behind the promised second coming of Wal. Phil PS. And yes Alan Thompson is a great player. Saw him many times playing that bass in JM's band. Last I heard he was playing a Gougi - www.gougi.com/fr/atelier/ed/basse/index.html

I've seen some funny old headstock designs in my time but one in the form of a full size woman takes the biscuit. I'd wager the bass suffers a bit of neck dive. P PS. I suspect it's a Roscoe

Well of all the people at NAMM, Mr. PRS is probably one I'm least likely to get close to. However, if the opportunity arises, I'll do my best. Actually I've never really "got" PRS stuff. Way too "bling" for my tastes and it seems to me mostly bought to hang on walls rather than be played. Phil

All, I'm lucky enough to be going to the NAMM show in Anaheim next week (I'm helping Acoustic Energy promote the AE22 nearfied monitor that I designed to the US market). Apart from pro recording gear, NAMM is the biggest annual showcase for US guitar builders - from the big corporations to the one man luthiers. So putting my Veillette Guitars loyalty slightly to one side (I'm UK rep) for a moment, if any of you bass chatters are interested in a particular bass that there's no chance of seeing in the flesh in the UK, I'll be happy to try and hunt it down, have a look and report back. I can't promise to spend the whole time searching out obscure basses but I'll do what I can. Phil

[quote name='Spoombung' post='338190' date='Nov 27 2008, 10:46 AM']We should do a [b]Jeff berlin VS Percy Jones thread[/b]...but there'd be no contest! I never liked that Jeff Berlin method of playing very hard over the bridge pickup....plus that dreadful chorus pedal he used all the time. I mean, blimey, the sound was so hollow and [i]distorted[/i]. Percy's Wal sound on the other hand was incredibly rich with an almost acoustic hi fidelity. On the subject of that [i]Venue [/i]gig, I attended it [b]on my own [/b]- I just couldn't find anyone else willing to come along with me. I had to keep mum about it otherwise I would have been laughed out of town (I was in a Punk band at the time). It was full of guys wearing Marshall and Wal T-shirts. I got the impression it was populated with blokes who either distributed gear or sold it! Despite feeling inspired by Jones' performance, as I left the Venue, I sincerely hoped I had not been spotted by anyone I knew - such was my deep and profound shame.[/quote] Hey! Remember, I was at that gig Spoombung and I might take offence if accused of wearing a Wal or Marshall t-shirt. Never owned either, honestly. I wasn't in a punk band so I didn't have to hold my head in shame, more a kind of Japan with a girl singer type band. I was, or rather was attempting to be, the Mick Karn clone. Phil

[quote name='Spoombung' post='335805' date='Nov 24 2008, 09:38 PM']Interesting to read this thread... It was my ambition to own a Wal after I saw Percy Jones & Brand X play at the venue in london (along with Bruford's band) around '78. I couldn't believe the sound; a huge fat bass and midrange - and a high frequency that picked out all the tiny inflections and intricate fingering (and Jones was a unique player, of course). I remember how crude and distorted Jeff Berlin's sound was in comparison. Finally managed to afford one in '84 from the proceeds of a washing up job. I've still got and it's the only bass I've played regularly over the last 24 years:[/quote] That's a coincidence. I was at the same Brand X/Bruford gig at the Venue (although I think it was nearer 1980) and I too was blown away by Percy Jones and his sound. It was about that time I decided I had to have a fretless Wal (I'd been playing a year or so and had a medium scale fretted Aria). I finally bought my Wal new through Gigsounds in 1983 (it was £595) from the proceeds of my first proper job (and selling some Naim hi-fi). I still have the Wal and if times were very hard it'd undoubtedly be the very last of all my possessions to go on ebay. The Wal is a unique instrument with a sound and feel like no other I've ever played (and "basses I've played" is a very long list now). Simple as that. I'd recommend that anybody listen to Percy Jones playing his Wal on any of the Brand X albums from Masques onwards. Absolute master-classes in fretless imagination, sound and technique that to my mind have never been bettered. Phil

Somebody should make the TalkBass mods aware of this. It's basically an attempt at fraud. Phil

All, I'm in the market for an inexpensive double bass (I already play EUB but fancy a "real" one). There's one on eBay at the moment that the seller claims has a solid spruce top and solid maple back and sides. However, despite being the original owner of the bass he can't tell me the manufacturer or the model number (he says it was a present and all he has is a print-out of the spec) so I don't really know if it really is solid or a laminate. I'm going to see the bass tomorrow evening and I wondered if anybody has some tips on identifying what a bass is made from? Ta Phil

That's a relief. Though it was just me being useless

I got to play a bass cello at the LIM show on Thursday and very nice it seemed too - although in the show environment it was pretty hard to make any serious judgment about its sound. One thing surprised me however - I found it quite difficult to play. I use different left-hand fingering techniques - one for electric bass and one for upright bass. The bass cello, in having the scale length of an electric bass but with the orientation of an upright, resulted in my left hand getting tied hopelessly in knots as it lurched randomly between the two fingering techniques. I'm sure, given a little time I'd get used to it, and electric bass fingering would make most sense, but I hate to think what would happen to my upright bass technique. Of course all this is a touch academic - I don't have the £2.2k I was quoted by House Music (The Bass Centre) at the show. Phil

I didn't intend the emphasis should be on any particular sales channel - e.g on-line auctions - just anywhere an interesting bass is spotted. One of my fave sites for browsing is Bass Northwest where the "previously enjoyed" list quite often includes something worth a second look (especially now when a pound buys two dollars). Having said that, the lack of posts on the thread so far suggests I'm pretty much the only sad git around so discussion of the finer points is somewhat academic Phil

All, I've been wondering about this post for a while and I've got five minutes to kill so here goes... I, like probably a quite a few folk here, am an inveterate browser of on-line bass stores, ebay and classified ads. I've only bought one or two over the years but I still love looking. Occasionally I see something rare, interesting, underpriced or just plain weird and I think, "I bet there's somebody on Basschat who'd have that like a shot." So how about we continue this thread with links to "interesting" basses for sale anywhere in the World. To fall into the "interesting" category I reckon a bass has to be either a bit unusual/rare or, if it's as common as muck, apparently cheap. To kick off, if anybody fancies a Status Electro, there's one on Gumtree (London) at the moment for a very reasonable £300 ONO (was very tempted myself but it's fretted). So, what else have you all seen out there for sale that made you think (and if anybody can find me an underpriced Tacoma fretless four I'll have it). Phil

The French guy in the YouTube clip is actually playing an NS Design Cello, not a Bass Cello. I've always fancied a Bass/Cello too (I already have a NS CR4 EUB and it's wonderful) and occasionally even wonder about seeling my fretless Wal to raise the cash. Common sense is usually restored after a minute or two however. I wouldn't have too much of a problem buying one blind from Thomman. Ned Steinberger has never really designed a duff instrument, the manufacturing quality of the NS instruments in general seem pretty good, and Thomman have always been reliable (for me anyway). There'd also be little trouble selling a bass/cello if it wasn't right. Phil

Thanks Jake - so I was being dim. It's a nice looking bass - just a shame I'm so far from Manchester. Phil

Chris, I can't find it in Basses For Sale. Am I being dim or is it nor there? Phil

Biggus, I know a bit about back problems so you have my sympathy. Two thoughts. First. Somebody early in the thread mentioned the Status Electro. I'd agree - nice bass, much more versatile than you might imagine and very light. I kind of regret letting mine go. Second, as you'll see in my sign-off I represent Veillette Guitars (www.veilletteguitars.com) in the UK. I have an ex demo, and light, Single Cut Retro that I'd happily do a good deal on for a BassChat member with a dodgy back. The bass was reviewed in Bass Guitar Mag a year or so ago. Third, I was about to suggest giving you my fretless Wal, but damn, it's a bit heavy. Phil

All, Any opinions on the realistic value of a bog standard late 90s US Fender Jazz in red with a white scratch guard. In good condition as far as I'm aware. Thanks Phil