Skybone

Another "watched it on iPlayer", managed to skip through most of it, though I did think Jain (French lass with the sequencer/looper box) was rather good. Watched Eivor (the lass with the drum instead of the acoustic guitar), thought she was good, a bit more interesting than the usual lass with the acoustic guitar. LP were OK. Thank goodness for fast forward.

I'd assume that you've already had the screwdriver's out and tightened everything you can. My old L2000 had a seriously annoying rattle, turned out that there is a grub screw in the bridge that pushes all the saddles together. Tightened it, and the rattle went away. My old Tokai Love Rock (LP clone) had a similar rattle, and the only thing that sorted it out was a change of strings.

I do have 2 basses at the moment, but they are both the same, so it kind of counts as one... honest.

I'd love to compare a Helix LT against my HD500x.

Maybe look into something where you can Mix the effected signal with the clean signal, so you don't loose the bass. Maybe something like a BOSS ODB or similar. Must admit, I don't know of any fuzz pedals that have this option, but it's worth looking at something with a mix control, and having some clean bass in there, as opposed to a totally "dirty" / wet sound.

That is the annoying thing about the Ricken Waffen, they spend more time annoying people with Fakers, that they simply alienate their own supported brand. This is also true of "he who shall not be named" and the relentless legal threats, combined with their own dwindling factory output, and increased pricing, creating a demand for a lower priced version of the instruments for those who's budgets can't stretch to the real thing. Guess I'll have to stick with my Faker until I win the Lottery then.

I've used Dunlops in the past, and didn't get on with them, I much prefer the design and operation of the Schaller's. I've never altered my strap for the threaded part, just force the washer down with the ring part of a spanner on the washer, then tighten the nut with the spanner, using a screwdriver in the "U" section of the lock to hold it "straight"(ish). If you are concerned about the nut coming loose, then get a tube of Loctite 243 Threadlock from your local Auto Spares shop / Halfords etc. Put a dab of it on the thread of the nut before putting it on the post. Hold down the washer with your left finger & thumb, then screw it down and tighten with a spanner. Leave the thread lock to dry for a while, then it should be secure for years. I've been using Schallers for nearly 20 years, and never had any problems with them, on a variety of guitar straps for bass and guitar.

If you can find a Ric for about a grand, buy it whether you want one or not! Worth trying though.

[quote name='mikel' timestamp='1491981640' post='3276852'] When you have a toilet to change in. [/quote] When you get your own toilet to change in.

Sounds like an exciting new challenge, cool! Enjoy the new found space.

Watched the first songs before I switched off. The only performance I enjoyed was Anderson Paak & the Free Nationals, and that was before he started playing the drums! One to watch methinks. Goldfrapp were OK, Kasabian were obviously rerouted on their way to The Mighty Boosh stage show. Didn't think much of Thundercat, they were all seriously good musicians, but the song wasn't really "stand out" enough, and the synth bass sound was... interesting. In my opinion of course. Other opinions will be along in a moment.

The through neck Rockinbetter's have 3 piece maple necks, and generally basswood body wings. The net result is they're a bit lighter than a Ric. The body is a bit darker than the neck which is a bit more interesting to look at. The Tokai connection is only through the old UK distributor, who also imported Rockinbetters. They became known as Tokai Rockinbetters because they were advertised with Tokai's and with 'Tokai UK' as the contact. AFAIK they were also marketed as Bass Collection California in the UK & Europe, and as Rebelrocker's in Australia & New Zealand.

It's always baffled me why Rickenbacker haven't brought out a "lower priced, offshore sourced" versions of their instruments. If they actively worked with the factory and made sure that build quality and everything was right, then what's the problem? That approach seems to have worked very well for PRS with the SE range, as well as Fender, Gibson, G&L, Music Man etc. But it would seem that Mr Hall's patriotism will only allow him to build instruments in the good old U.S. of A. I still think that the Rockinbetter is one of the better copies out there, though a 70's MIJ Faker would be closer still. Studio GC, how do those Gemini pickups sound?

Have you tried advertising it on the RickenFakers Facebook Group? Its possibly the only place left to advertise and sensibly discuss Faker's. All the debacle about selling on Faker's made me think long and hard before I bought mine, but as the only possible replacement for a Ric (I had to sell my old 4003), I had kind of decided that whatever happens, I'd be keeping it for quite some time to come! I still want a Ric, but I'm unlikely to get one any time soon, where my Faker was affordable, highly playable, and now, virtually unsellable! I'd say that you should keep your Rockinbetter as a backup if nothing else. At the end of the day, they're still superb basses in their own right.

[quote name='4000' timestamp='1491679594' post='3274779'] " 'E were a great bassist were our dad"......... [/quote] "E'd lug 'is own gear to the gig on t' bus, nip back for everyone else's, including t' drummer, play a 14 hour set non stop, note perfect, load out on 'is own while everyone else went t' bar, and still 'ave time for us lot"

Ba Dum... tish

All good advice, as ever though, it's getting the time to learn new songs and styles. It's hard enough trying to find the time just to get some practise time in at home. Can anybody recommend any technique books / DVD's or online content? Dave, we're trying to do something along the lines of "classic rock", and I have a classic rock/hard rock/metal background, mainly root & fifth or following the guitar riff with fills thrown in. With this, I'm trying to do something different (for me at least), and work something around the guitar lines while keeping a groove going. Oh alright then, I'm just trying to make the basslines more interesting to play!

By 'eck lad...

Apparently, it's all about that bass, 'bout that bass, no treble.

I was going to post this in the "Having a Tutor" thread, but it's a bit of a tangent, so a new thread might be a better place for the query... I've been playing for "a while" now, switched between bass & guitar over the years, but bass was where I started and where I'm happiest. In the ongoing saga of trying to get an originals band going, I teamed up with a guitarist a few years back, and we've been working on songs for a while (when time & life allow!). The thing that's currently bugging me about my playing is that my fills & runs seem a bit "samey", and when I try other ideas out, they just don't work or sound quite as good as I'd like them to, and I end up going back to those "samey" sounding lines. The guitarist seems happy with the stuff that I'm doing, but I'd like to add something else in there, as well as adding to my knowledge & skills. Does anyone know of any good resources for fills & runs, be it online, in a book or on a DVD or something. I think I need to expand my knowledge. I'm not particularly interested in learning a new playing technique, but some new ideas for the fret board hand wouldn't go amiss. Yours, Frustrated of the Highlands

Looks great, want one, but might have to sell some body parts first.

Well I for one loved my old 4003, gutted when I had to sell it. I'd love another one, but I don't see that happening for some time (or a lottery win!). So I'll stick with my Faker for now. I do wish my old one had the Vintage push/pull pots, but it pre-dated that feature by a few years. Other than that, it was just a superb bass. IMO of course. Of course, they aren't for everyone, but give it a bit of time and play it often. Congrats on your purchase, and pics when it lands!

I remember buying a brand new Gibson LP Studio from a reputable retailer, it had all the requisite brand & distributor tags on etc. as you would expect with a brand new guitar, except the serial number was for a guitar made three years previously. It was still a great guitar, all the warranties were in place (brand & distributor tags), no worries.

RIP

I only have 2 basses, and they're both the same, so you could say that I quite like mine.