EssentialTension

I've had this happen with TI Jazz Flats too.

Great day guys, thanks to all who were involved in organisation. I particularly enjoyed Jake's workshop, but Ped, Alex and Roger were great too. Also, a special thanks to Jake for his personal tips on my dodgy upright (in)abilities. My favourite basses were Clarky's Shuker P (very nice neck) and eshears's Lakland DPLE2 (nice everything). See you soon.

1) What kind of maintenance do you carry out on your instruments at home/gigs? String changes, setup of neck relief, intonation etc., rewiring/replacement of pots etc., cleaning, oiling fingerboard. 2) What position is it easiest to have the instrument in for these actions? (vertical, horizontal, at an angle?) Variable but sometimes vertical, sometimes horizontal, sometimes on my lap, sometimes on a table or ironing board. 3) Are there any tasks you currently carry out where you find it hard to securely orientate the instrument in an ideal working position? No.

[quote name='Faithless' post='620136' date='Oct 7 2009, 11:55 PM']now that's clear, thanks for that, EssentialTension anyway, I'd be interested to hear opinion of the man, who's played, for eg., both 4/94 and 44-01 or anything like that - how the quality difference actually [i]feels[/i] on those two basses. Anyone? [/quote] I've never played a US Lakland so I'm not in a position to compare. Someone who can will be along in a minute, I'm sure. I will say that all the Skylines I've played were excellent such that I'd be tempted to buy three Skylines rather than one US - if you see what I mean. On the [url="http://www.youtube.com/user/LaklandOwners#play/uploads/9/cIzV9462xeE"]You Tube Lakland Owners' Channel[/url] in one of the interviews, Dan Lakin tells a story that John McVie asked Lakland for a Bob Glaub. So they sent him a Skyline to keep him going while they got down to making him a US. McVie contacted them and said not to bother with the US because the Skyline was fine.

[quote name='Musicman20' post='619845' date='Oct 7 2009, 06:34 PM'][url="http://www.basscentral.com/lakeland_usa/lakland_bob_glaub.shtml"]http://www.basscentral.com/lakeland_usa/la...bob_glaub.shtml[/url] C'mon...where is the Skyline?![/quote] I think you'll be waiting a while for one of those.

[quote name='Faithless' post='620029' date='Oct 7 2009, 10:05 PM']That's the thing I've never got about Lakland.. Do American and Skyline series differ so much, in terms of quality, playability, etc..? I'm talking about models like 4-94(american) [i]or [/i]44-01(skyline) and such....[/quote] [url="http://www.lakland.com/skyline_vs_us.htm"]FAQ's: US and Skyline - What's the Difference? [/url]

[quote name='MacDaddy' post='620042' date='Oct 7 2009, 10:21 PM']I've seen some interesting home recorded footage of Keeley Hawes [/quote] What? No link?

[quote name='GreeneKing' post='619857' date='Oct 7 2009, 06:51 PM']Some basses have a compound radius where the radius changes along the length of the neck.[/quote] Is that the same as asymmetrical radius or would asymmetric refer to a radius change across the neck rather than along the length of the neck?

[quote name='Musicman20' post='619849' date='Oct 7 2009, 06:39 PM']Gig Skinz....this one: [url="http://www.flightcasepro.co.uk/products/Small-Mixer-%7B47%7D-Utility-Bag.html"]http://www.flightcasepro.co.uk/products/Sm...tility-Bag.html[/url] Price has gone up a little. Plenty of room. Lots of pockets....nice and sturdy for a bag.[/quote] I use one of those too - except mine's the [url="http://www.flightcasepro.co.uk/products/Medium-Mixer-%7B47%7D-Utility-Bag.html"]medium[/url] size I think. LMII + Radial Bassbone + TU-2 + K&K preamp + all leads and tools fit easily. I did have a Markbass LMII bag but it was much smaller than the Gigskinz, more expensive, and only lasted about a year before the zips went.

[quote name='Doddy' post='619775' date='Oct 7 2009, 05:17 PM']In all fairness,why didn't you get the money before sending the bass? As it is you've just given him a nice little gift.[/quote] I don't think it's as simple as this. As we know from another case someone can pay the money and then the bass not be sent. So in practice it doesn't really matter whether money goes first or bass goes first because one way or another there has to be some trust from one or other party. So the OP didn't 'give a nice little gift' any more than someone who pays first and then doesn't get the bass (or whatever it is) 'gives a nice little gift'. None of these kind of sales operates without trust on one side and honesty on the other. To the OP: I hope you get your money .

[quote name='Gust0o' post='619497' date='Oct 7 2009, 12:46 PM']I managed to beat an escape from the office for a rare stroll along the river... only I managed to find myself drawn to Banks music, for a quick browse. I'm pretty glad I did. As per usual, I received the typical patter - how's the day; business good; is that yet another tie; cold out - and the lad got to chatting about what he'd had in on the last delivery. MIM Ps, MIM Js... including a stunner in white. Tempted? No thanks. I can't imagine myself playing Anthrax covers in my games room on that thing. It'd be like like marrying Keeley Hawes. It'd be great, she's beautiful... but, sooner or later, she's going to find out I'm an idiot. Not getting good vibes on that, laughs the lad, but we did get some Vibes in - cue another stunner in white, with a tort plate. Well, I had time to kill, so time was killed. I was very impressed, all told. I don't know what I was expecting. I've seen some great comments on here about these, versus previous Squier and Fender efforts - sound and tone, both great; look and feel, great; price, great! I'd almost prepared my defence for bringing it home. "Well, Mrs Gus, it's just like marrying Keeley Hawes... and then she found out I was an idiot; so anyway, this was a bargain." Glad I took that lunch break now![/quote] Well, I read all that and I was left with a vision of Keeley Hawes with a tort plate - not unpleasant I thought.

I've always loved olympic white but I've never had one (yet).

That's real real treat to see. Congrats.

[quote name='lemmywinks' post='619518' date='Oct 7 2009, 01:03 PM']A while ago i sold a bass to a forum member called jamiejames. The bank transfer was agreed and i arranged for the bass to be shipped on the same day, bass was collected but no money turned up[/quote] Sorry to hear this; I hope you can get a suitable result.

As some have suggested already (including me), I'm all for not copying a line slavishly and for copping the feel instead or even coming up with a wholly new line. However, I think there's also much to be said for and a lot to be learned from making a close study of the bass lines of great players like Tommy Cogbill. Similarly, I spent some time studying Ray Charles left hand piano part before I came up with a bass line for [i]Hallelujah, I Love Her So[/i]. I think it took me places I wouldn't have gone without that careful listening to little details.

[quote name='Nodd' post='617388' date='Oct 5 2009, 01:24 PM']It is on the hang tag and on the amp chassis on a metal plate. Is there a way of figuring out the age, or birth date from the serial number? Nodd[/quote] I read somewhere - possibly or even probably Talkbass - that the serials all start at 100 and are prefixed by the model code (WK for the Walkabout). So, if your serial number is WK-3765 you have the 3665th Walkabout built. The only way to date is ring Mesa. IIRC.

[quote name='LukeFRC' post='617975' date='Oct 5 2009, 09:18 PM']hmm, yes my reply appears a bit harsh and sarcastic. I appolagise.[/quote] Thanks, Luke. And I apologise too for both my response to you and any offence caused by my first post. [quote name='LukeFRC' post='617975' date='Oct 5 2009, 09:18 PM']however a shop lives and dies by it's reputation. This thread is about an amp being repaired at at [i]another[/i] shop in Glasgow, guitarguitar were used as an example of good customer service. I see little need for your comment referring to someone elses past problem with the shop in this thread. It's not relevent to the discussion and just hurts the reputation of a perfectly good local business. I think if you want to talk about whatever problems you personally have with them, it belongs in a different thread.[/quote] I would take this point as a general rule but I remain aghast at the particular events to which I referred.

[quote name='velvetkevorkian' post='617620' date='Oct 5 2009, 04:27 PM']I guess its possible that Gary Willis has never bothered to adjust the intonation of his bass? The behaviour he describes sounds similar to when a fretted bass is not intonated correctly, and as we've seen a lot of folk don't really bother with setting up fretless intonation in the same way as a fretted.[/quote] Well, his comment is from a page that is one of a series on how to intonate a bass so it hardly seems likely that he hasn't bothered to adjust the intonation.

[quote name='LukeFRC' post='617896' date='Oct 5 2009, 08:12 PM']er... a wee bit unfair that, I just read the thread, as far as I can see someone asked their shop in newcastle about an item. The item was in glasgow and as a result they didn't give the correct information. As shown when they got pictures through from the Glasgow store. Their mistake was not providing adequate information to a sales person hundreds of miles from the item he's not seen. Compared to the rubbish i've heard sales people say in other shops about items in their hands its not the end of the world. I've never had anything except brilliant service from the edinburgh store. I would think another large reason why you would 'never buy anything substantial from Guitar Guitar' is the fact you live in brighton?[/quote] It remains my opinion. I may live in Brighton but I strongly considered buying the item concerned as did another basschatter - who it appears was seriously misled by them. I don't really see that where someone lives is of any relevance when you're buying over the internet. You're correct that it was not 'the end of the world' but then none of this stuff is 'the end of the world'; but being so clearly misled about a £1200 item I'd say is serious even if you think it unimportant.

[quote name='ase_one23' post='617710' date='Oct 5 2009, 05:42 PM']wont find out till i get off from work whether there's a voicemail waiting for me from flynn amps, but as a side note on how customer service should be: [b]guitar guitar [/b]sold me a psu and daisy chain that they assured me were compatible - they werent. popped back in this afternoon, returned it and fortunately they had the one i wanted in stock now so got that instead. they owed me a quid, said i'd put it towards some strings - the guy went, tell you what, since u had to come back in, just have the strings for a quid. and thats why they get my repeat custom.[/quote] The reason I would never buy anything substantial from Guitar Guitar is in this thread: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=60125"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=60125[/url] Good luck with the amp.

[quote name='Major-Minor' post='617501' date='Oct 5 2009, 02:57 PM']Dave I don't understand your question ![/quote] I know, which will be why you haven't addressed it. It was a question about a claim made on Gary Willis's website about setting up intonation on a lined fretless. I was asking if his claim was correct and if someone could explain the reason for what Willis says happens. I already knew from another thread that some people here thought Willis's claim didn't fit with their experience. [quote name='Major-Minor' post='617501' date='Oct 5 2009, 02:57 PM']How can you "set-up" the intonation on a fretless bass ?[/quote] Well, maybe it doesn't bother you but, generally speaking, I'd like to, for example, have the octave at close to 17" from the nut on all four strings. If I tweak the truss rod for a new set of strings then it will be necessary to adjust the bridge saddles to bring the intonation in line. Maybe you don't like to do that but I think you'll find many do. However, that is how you set-up the intonation on a fretless bass. It will still be necessary to play it in tune. [quote name='Major-Minor' post='617501' date='Oct 5 2009, 02:57 PM']... I've always found that, when using the lines as a visual guide, i have to place the finger directly on the line to be close to the correct intonation. ...[/quote] So, to go back to my original question, do you think Willis has it wrong?

[quote name='Major-Minor' post='617360' date='Oct 5 2009, 01:04 PM']I have a lined fretless and I only use those lines as rough guide. On the DB, we always talk about "adjusting" your intonation as you play ie if you are slightly out of tune on one note, you need to use that information to correct your positioning on the fingerboard so the following note is in tune. If you rely on the looking at the lines on a fretless you will always be out of tune because you are not letting your ears do the work. Try practicing looking away from the bass, only glancing at the fingerboard when you make a large position jump. Listen closely to every note in relation to the last, and make adjustments as you go, using the occasional open string or harmonic to fix the pitch in your ears. And when you play with your band, focus on both your own intonation and, at the same time, the intonation of a fixed tuning instrument like say a keyboard or guitar. Make sure you are adjusting to that fixed pitch. Of course this is only for when you want to be bang on in tune. The beauty of fretless (and DB) is that you can bend that intonation to create a more expressive performance. The Major[/quote] Thanks Major. I do all those things and I don't in fact play a lined fretless but an unlined. The point of my question was really about Willis's claim and an explanation for it. Also, what are the implications for setting up the intonation on a fretless - if he is indeed correct - rather than about actually listening to the notes which I realise will always be essential.

[quote name='boo' post='382171' date='Jan 16 2009, 12:29 PM']There's even one on there for the song your after, though I can't vouch for it's accuracy or usefulness... [url="http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/d/dusty_springfield/son_of_a_preacher_man_btab.htm"]http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/d/dust...er_man_btab.htm[/url][/quote] That's a start but I'd say that it's definitely not entirely accurate. However I doubt Cogbill would have played it the same twice, but the same feel would have been there and that's what matters.

[quote name='endorka' post='381954' date='Jan 16 2009, 01:50 AM']I have done a full transcription/adaptation of this bassline, but it's in notation only, not tab. Let me know if you'd like me to send it to you - I believe the recorded key is E, right? Jennifer[/quote] Jennifer, I'd love a copy of that notation if you'd email it to me. The key is definitely E on the Springfield/Cogbill version. PM sent.

[quote name='The Funk' post='617016' date='Oct 4 2009, 11:33 PM'][/quote] Yeah man, that's what I wanna know, what is Willis talking 'bout.