Machines

A few months before I even flirted with playing bass, I was getting into very different music to that i'd grown up with (hard rock/grunge) and bought on recommendation 'Dream Theater - Live Scenes from New York' in ~2001/2002. On bass, was John Myung, sporting a rather immense looking 6 blue string bass. I was utterly blown away by how well he played and sounded, and am still a Dream Theater fan today. A year or so later I got into bass, and my parents gave me a very generous £500 budget for a 21st birthday present, that ended up as a Yamaha RBX775 in Flat Blue, because it looks a bit like the RBX6JM, but it was cheaper. The years went by, and I still have it - just defretted and refinished (red goat leather, yes really). Anyway - late 2020, I see an RBXJM2 in Plum Pearl appear locally on Facebook market, for a decent price. I really wanted that turquoise RBX6JM, but this was the next best thing. It was a little messy, but i've replaced the rusty pickup and it's now sounding great - it's a 6 string Stingray at heart. April 2021, I see an RBX6JM in Turquoise appear on FB market, at a good price ! Quickly I message the seller...he replies fast. It sold 30 minutes ago to someone in Europe, but they hadn't paid yet. I offered a cash deal the next day (a drive to Bristol for me), alas he honourably sold it to the first buyer, after they paid him the next day _ don't begrudge it, but I was gutted for the sake of half an hour. OK - well i'll find another one ! The Bass Gallery had 2 on their website, both at £999. This is by far the most expensive i've ever seen these basses, gave them a call and they wouldn't budge more than £100 on price, I wasn't going to be robbed, so held out. eBay alerts, daily checks of the big (and small) websites second hand sections, online pawn brokers..... nothing. *10 months of checking daily later* Friday PM, I load up eBay on the morning catch up of newly listed items, scroll... scroll... oh man. A turquoise RBX6JM, at the right price, I contacted the seller and saved a few quid buying it outside eBay, it took a little while longer than expected to arrive. But it did, along with a genuine fitted Yamaha hard case (never seen one of these before) Behold - the bucket lister.

If this bass had appeared even on day 364 of the challenge, I was going to fail. Just glad I can finally stop bloody looking.

It was online for a while after the deal was made 😝.

So after several years i've looking and just missing out, this is exactly what has happened. I was browsing eBay new listings Friday PM, scroll scroll boring boring.... scroll..... OMG 🥴 Contacted the seller and we made a good deal, i'm very happy with the price. The irony is that not a a couple of hours earlier i'd broke my challenge accidentally winning a local Vintage VJ74 on eBay, which I had no intention of winning but put in such a low price I wasn't worried, yet it's here now. It's actually pretty decent, not sure what i'm going to do with it yet, though. The Myung is expected Tue/Wed.

I'll probably be at the BassDirect stand helping out.

13th

Sneak preview

One is a whimsical eBay bargain which will very likely flip within a week, the other is a bucket lister.

I may be about to be out twice in one day. Info pending completion of sale.

This is a stupid challenge and I'm out, but I beat @AndyTravis so that's all that matters.

Took the 415 tonight, absolutely killed it.

Until recently - all of my instruments are in the £250-£400 range. I've been through the £1500+ stuff and yeah it's good, but i'd rather have several cheaper instruments than 1 expensive one. For me - the extra cost doesn't translate in to my experience of using them enough. The recent expensive one is a Spector Euro LX - this one does translate.

It's not the sentiment here but the delivery, it wreaks of the 'NO IRISH' signs in UK pubs of old. In this situation, i'd quite likely leave them looking for a bassist too.

Stop it, that's my job.

I haven't had a PJ bass (other than a starter instrument 20 years ago), and now I have both standard and reverse setups (BB415 / Euro LX). They're quite different - but they do sound great. I never stuck with any Jazz bass for long, but these seem to do what I want a lot better. All 3 settings I find useable (mostly leaning to the P or both).

I have never modified the bridge on my basses, because I think it's snake oil.

Perhaps - but they aren't on this website debating it with potential customers.

This is true, but they aren't making claims about extra sustain. I'm willing to believe it could be true, but as a business model - you are asking people to just believe it and spend quite a substantial amount on unproven equipment. This would in my opinion, limit your sales.

Whenever there's a pricing debate - this is what applies: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supply_and_demand

Considering the amount of physics expertise involved in this design, can you produce some data on how that relates to an improvement in sustain. e.g. a dB decay graph over time compared to a 'bent bit of tin', same bass same strings.

Cheers.

Just watched this. Might message the seller on Facebook and gazump @AndyTravis