EssentialTension

Well, in the 70s I had at various times a Hofner, a Hayman, a Precision, a Jazz, an Aria, a Gibson.

If I bought the Sting version, how much would it cost to get rid of the inlay that says Sting? I've got nothing against him, he's a very good bassist, but I don't think I could put up with his name staring at me from the twelfth fret.

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='532103' date='Jul 3 2009, 10:31 PM']I just don't like furniture basses[/quote] +1 It must have a pickguard even though I never use a pick.

I play exclusively with fingers. Custom built basses don't interest me at all.

Check out the [url="http://www.talkbass.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=126"]For Sale pages at Talkbass[/url]. There have been a few for sale.

[quote name='Platypus' post='532057' date='Jul 3 2009, 09:37 PM']OK not in the UK, though the price quoted by Bass Central here is very good and they are happy to ship to UK: [url="http://www.basscentral.com/lakeland_usa/skyline_decade.shtml"]http://www.basscentral.com/lakeland_usa/skyline_decade.shtml[/url][/quote] Those are typical US street prices. If you get hit for the tax - which is very likely - the passive with single coils will come in at about £1100 or so and the active with humbuckers (the Bass Central page says single coils but I think the actives are all humbuckers and it looks to have the tap switch) at £1300 or so. It might be worth searching for a used one in the US. A lot were sold very quickly and surely some people will be off-loading them by now.

Lakland Joe Osborn with Chisonic single coils can be heard [url="http://www.lakland.com/ac_j-sonic.htm"]here[/url]. The Decade sound samples are still with the Dark Star pickups. The Decade with the Chisonics will sound darker than the JO due to the neck up pickup being much nearer the neck and the body being mahogany.

[quote name='nash' post='525284' date='Jun 26 2009, 08:23 PM']in the uk? i lov to look of hem. what are the sonic chi's like?[/quote] I don't think you'll get a Skyline Decade easily in the UK. If I didn't have one already I'd be calling GAK who stock Lakland and do have (in the Brighton shop) the Hollow body with Chisonics in stock. I got mine direct from Lakland as I was one of a group of seven who planned the translucent burgundy finish, the blocked and bound neck, the black headstock etc for what was going to be a Dudepit Limited Edition which fell through but Dan Lakin liked it so much he decided to use our plan for the first run of Skylines and at the same time honoured our fouled up Dudepit deal. I believe that 120+ were made in that first run. Whether there has been a second run I don't know. Later runs may come in different finishes. It is a beautifully finished bass, extremely nice neck which has been plekked. It takes a while to get used to how the bass sits on its strap due to the short upper horn - especially if, like me, you tend to play over the end of the neck. The Chisonics have some characteristics of Fred Hammon's Dark Star pickups - sort of a combination of wide frequency range and yet a kind of darkness at the same time - and so also of the old Hagstrom Bisonics after which the Chisonics are named. The pickups are very sensitive to changes in position and dynamics of your picking. I think the mahogany body adds to the Gibsonesque darkness. The neck pickup is right up against the neck and soloed it has an almost Gibsonesque EBO sound but without the mud - excellent for reggae and all other Jamaican styles. If you add in a little bridge pickup you can sort of approximate a P bass. The bridge pickup can sort of approximate a J bass. In both these cases however it is approximate - the Decade has its own sound. My Chisonics are the single coils but they are available as humbuckers too (with coil taps) and with an active preamp, although I have a passive model. As far as I know, I think it's possible my Skyline Decade is the only one in the UK. It was definitely the first here last November. I do know of one in Holland and one in Spain. If you find one here new it is probably going to cost you £1300 (if not more) - you might think that's a lot for a bass that is partly manufactured in Indonesia even if the electronics and the set up including plekking the neck is done in Chicago - and with the present exchange rates you could reckon on paying about the same amount I think if you were importing it. Lakland have a prototype of a short (30") scale version of the Decade which is likely to go into production if there is enough interest. I've also heard rumours (and they are merely rumours) of sometime in the future a kind of Bass VI Decade: 30" scale, 6 string, like the Fender Bass VI. Short scale USA neck with Skyline body Decade on the right, Pino Palladino's USA Decade on the left: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=34287&hl=decade"]A thread about my Decade with pics is here.[/url]

Gary Glitter's [i]I'm The Leader of the Gang[/i] didn't go down too well.

Check out my latest band [b]Barabajagal[/b] playing blues, folk, country, roots (and anything else we fancy) at the following venues in the next couple of weeks in and around Brighton: [b]Sunday July 12th @ St Andrew's Church, Waterloo Street, Hove[/b] onstage at 7.45pm with [b]The Epiphanies[/b] at 9.00pm - £5 entrance but all proceeds to St Luke's Infant School and we are really hoping the devil will give back our souls. [b]Wednesday July 15th @ The Ranelagh, St James's Street, Kemptown, Brighton[/b] onstage at 9.00pm - Free but you can put some money in a hat and all proceeds to us. [b]Saturday July 18th @ The Royal Oak, Wineham, somewhere in darkest (West) Sussex[/b] - Free we think!? And no hat. And we don't know what time either. You can check out [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=49931&hl=barabajagal"]Silverfoxnik's inadvertent review[/url] of us at the Southwick Beer Festival.

[quote name='LeftyJ' post='525113' date='Jun 26 2009, 06:10 PM']I just noticed Ibanez has released this, in the fine tradition of bass/guitar hybrids like the Fender VI: [url="http://www.ibanez.co.jp/eu/news/f_products/2009/Showcase/SR7VIISC.html"]http://www.ibanez.co.jp/eu/news/f_products...e/SR7VIISC.html[/url] [/quote] At the nut, the break angle of the strings looks terrible.

[quote name='EBS_freak' post='524814' date='Jun 26 2009, 01:19 PM']I saw one behind the counter in GAK a couple of days ago. The colour is quite cool! I certainly had a good look at it![/quote] I played one in GAK in Brighton. It was extremely nice and sounded even better.

[quote name='YouMa' post='525555' date='Jun 27 2009, 12:27 AM']I dont know,i have never met either of them,i just wish i could have been in there shoes at the sessions they played.[/quote] It's kind of spooky that they both had the same size feet as you. I'll get my coat (and shoes).

[quote name='bythesea' post='525831' date='Jun 27 2009, 11:54 AM']I was a teacher in a primary school. Maybe I should have asked the question. Always thought that some of the questions I had to ask were stupid - that's what the literacy hour was like. [/quote] Point taken but, of course, I didn't mean the teachers. Ah, hang on, neither do you, you mean the government's primary literacy strategy.

[quote name='grahamlparker' post='525018' date='Jun 26 2009, 05:08 PM']Carol Kaye played with a pick whereas James Jameson plucked with just one finger. Who would you choose between these two early bass guitar pioneers?[/quote] I'm not interested in choosing between them. Two great players, both Jamerson and Kaye. It's not either one or the other. Stupid question - it's like being in primary school.

[quote name='ahpook' post='520790' date='Jun 22 2009, 02:48 PM']ahem...it's a bass... actually, forget it...i've been down this road too many times [/quote] +1

Very very nice. Congrats.

Nice work Matt. I'm wishing I still had it.

I voted 'I play both' but it's actually an EUB not a double bass - so are we counting that?

[quote name='BottomEndian' post='513690' date='Jun 14 2009, 11:07 PM']As an update on my earlier post... Got my TIs from Stringbusters, so it looks like the "dead D" batch has been replaced. Strung up the VMJ fretless this evening. Wow. What a difference. It had D'Addario Chromes on it before (which replaced the horrible, horrible Fender rounds it shipped with), and I liked the Chromes a lot, but the TIs take it to another level. A lot more flexible than the Chromes, and I feel like I can play everything a touch more easily. Really sweet, thunky sound, without that zing of the Chromes. The only downside of the TIs compared to the Chromes is that I'd say the Chromes are even smoother to the touch, so the fretting hand can slip around even more easily than on the TIs. On the other hand... literally... plucking the TIs is easier, so it's swings and roundabouts there. I'm in flats heaven. Now I just need to try some La Bellas...[/quote] Give the TIs a few weeks and several hours of playing and they will sound even better. Then they carry on getting even better.