EssentialTension

I've had a very good experience with GAK but it was mail order rather than online which means I phoned them up and didn't just order online. The order was for a Gibson Firebird. They hoped it would take about a month to arrive. It actually took four and a half months but everytime I phoned to check they were always helpful. They normally take a 10% deposit on an order that is not in stock but because they knew this would be a quite a while they took no deposit. When it eventually arrived I asked for it to be unpacked, checked over, and set up, and not just shipped on. This was done but the guy I was dealing with over the phone said he still wasn't quite happy with the set-up - slight rattling above the fifteenth fret - and so he sent it back to the workshop to be sorted. Only then did I pay and the beautifully set up guitar was shipped to me.

[quote name='LukeFRC' post='361586' date='Dec 23 2008, 12:10 AM']would i be correct in assuming that if you are a selling a bass calling it a 'double jazz' is better than calling it a 'musicman style' or something as it doesnt reference another bass maker directly?[/quote] Well, maybe, but calling it a double 'jazz' references Fender at least indirectly because when we say 'jazz' pickup we actually mean the Fender Jazz style of pickup.

I was successful in getting one that fitted for my MIA 1999 Jazz. The thread is [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=28405"]here[/url].

[quote name='OldGit' post='361570' date='Dec 22 2008, 11:53 PM'][b]I thought the bass was pretty good on the Dollar stuff [/b]and it's always nice to see "celebrities" when they still were.. .. I assumed it was a synth but I liked the dynamics on the rekkerd .. Oh yeah that's certainly him on the Paul Young.. mwaaaaaaaaah-de mwaaaaaaah[/quote] That's quite possibly true but the 'extreme awfulness', as i saw it, of the the whole thing prevented me from noticing there even was a bass on it.

I think it was too. I also thought it was extremely awful.

[quote name='Lfalex v1.1' post='183913' date='Apr 23 2008, 02:53 PM']I bought some a while ago from a pharmacy. Told them it was for cleaning tape heads, contacts, pots etc. About £3 for 500ml.[/quote] Ditto.

[quote name='bassman2790' post='361457' date='Dec 22 2008, 09:47 PM']I have one of those but it's not really a volume/gain issue as the BB1500A's output isn't that hot for an active bass and I always have to plug it into the 'passive' input of my amp (and yes, it has a brand new battery...it's just the way some Yamahas are). [b]It's the difference in tone between the basses that's difficult to compensate for.[/b][/quote] EBS Microbass or Radial Bassbone could maybe solve that. Or preset EQ pedal that you put one bass through and not the other.

[quote name='HarryPotter' post='361194' date='Dec 22 2008, 05:01 PM'][url="http://www.dawsons.co.uk/acatalog/stagg_bc300_3_4_size_black.html"]http://www.dawsons.co.uk/acatalog/stagg_bc...size_black.html[/url] Just wondered if they are any good? I'm not expecting miracles at that price just a viable alternative to a Squier Bronco to satisfy my gas for a cheapo 30" bass. I can get one for £80 new. TIA.[/quote] The bass player in my son's band used to have one when they first got started. I'd have to say it didn't sound great although I never played it myself. I used to sometimes lend him an old Aria I had which made him sound much better. Maybe not a bad deal for £80 new though. You could resell it for most of that.

[quote name='Rusty Shackleford' post='361320' date='Dec 22 2008, 07:31 PM']are these desires i fell towards this bass unnatural?[/quote] Steady on! That's my bass you're talking about!

And you can hear a Dark Star in a '72 Telecaster here: [url="http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=BMk6Z5Dxxxk"]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=BMk6Z5Dxxxk[/url]

[quote name='Beedster' post='360838' date='Dec 22 2008, 12:09 PM']Anyone got an opinion on whether Dark Stars would be a good choice for my Tele (currently has the original Fender humbucker at the extreme neck position). Quite happy with the sound of the present PUP but wondering if the Dark Stars would represent a significant improvement? Chris[/quote] +1 on what Steve said. Having had a Dark Starred bass I'd say it would be a good move and I believe the Dark Star drops in without any routing. The Dark Star would bring the bass alive but I can't guarantee it would be to your liking. There's a Talkbass thread about it [url="http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=275848&highlight=telecaster+dark+star"]here[/url].

[quote name='Deep Thought' post='360790' date='Dec 22 2008, 11:04 AM']I love tales like this-same thing happened to my brother-in-law when he wanted to buy a new Subaru Impreza-went to the dealership and basically got treated like dirt. So he went and bought one somewhere else, and took it back to show the salesman, who saw the error of his ways. From working in sales in the past, you can never tell who's got the money-the scruffiest little gits are frequently rolling in it. Somebody told me car salesmen are taught to look at your watch as a way of sizing up your financial status-so [b]wear your diamond-encrusted gold Rolex when shopping for cars if you want to be taken seriously.[/b][/quote] What if you are so rich you have someone to tell you the time?

[quote name='misrule' post='360542' date='Dec 21 2008, 10:29 PM']I agree totally with your points -- but I used to hang around in Audi forums, and car fans moan about dealerships in exactly the same way we do about music shops. One 21-year-old son of a millionaire told me how a salesman shouted at him across the floor: "Get away from the car, you can't afford it." He strolled over, showed the bloke his bank statement then replied: "I was going to buy a car today but I'm not now." Cheers Mark[/quote] I once got in a taxi and told the driver where I wanted to go. He said 'It will be six pounds'. I said 'OK'. He said 'Can you afford it?'. I must have looked bad.

Very nice, Sarah, and I guess much better then the Shine. Enjoy!

[quote name='ashgeezer' post='360130' date='Dec 21 2008, 11:48 AM']According to the girlfriend, she was looking for a bass dvd and picked up a guitar dvd, when she asked the fella at the counter he just said to her, "cant you read, this is for guitar not bass" like i said she has no idea when it comes to instruments, needless to say she left the dvd on the counder and walked out [b]but if i know my girlfriend she would have said something else which would have been none to polite.[/b][/quote] Excellent.

Fender American Deluxe Precision has a double J humbucker in the bridge position too but without a coil tap.

Did you get it? Where are the pics?

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='360020' date='Dec 21 2008, 02:00 AM'][url="http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=LBbV57sJFHY"]Slade - Merry Christmas Everybody[/url] [b]Loving the walky chorus bit.[/b] We (my originals band #1) have got a gig on xmas eve and we're gonna bung this in about 3 songs from the end. It'll probably go down a treat. But will it fit with our rather more heavy stuff? Who gives... it's Chriiiiiiiiiiistmaaaaaas! [/quote] And the middle eight - or whatever you want to call it.

And here's some pics: [url="http://www.hollowbodybass.com/random/dean-stylist-with-thundertrons.htm"]Dean Stylist Thundertrons[/url] I think this was the basss I was thinking of and I may have imagined that I had heard a sound sample.

[quote name='steve-norris' post='359829' date='Dec 20 2008, 07:43 PM']Anyone used these? i belive they are used in Gretch Basses , i was drawn to them by the Eric wilson connection ( he used a Koll bass fitted with them apparently) as i love his tone in sublime. Just thought i would look at other alternatives before i order a darkstar for my incoming ASB 140. It will be used in a hollow body bass for ska punk, dub and a little classic rock. any thoughts?[/quote] IIRC, I heard the Thundertrons in a hollow Dean Stylist bass a couple of years ago and they sounded very good although I don't recall now exactly how they sounded. However, I think - although not with certainty - that the Thundertron has a smaller profile than the gap you going to have when you take the pickup out of the ASB140. So I guess you'd need some kind of surround if that's correct. Cheaper than a Dark Star but I think I would probably stick with the Dark Star idea.

[quote name='Machines' post='359827' date='Dec 20 2008, 07:41 PM']It's ok I have a Skyline 55-02 and know what quality to expect, i'm really not snobby about where something is made anymore.[/quote] Ah, Machines, that bit was not directed at you personally but to the great unwashed who know not of the thing that is the Skyline.