noelk27

[quote name='Buzz' post='324854' date='Nov 8 2008, 04:24 PM']... some people have posted brilliant informative posts ...[/quote] Cheers, mate. Always nice to be appreciated.

[quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' post='320387' date='Nov 2 2008, 07:30 PM']All lined fretlesses I recall playing were in tune when played on the lines and unlined ones were in tune on the dots.[/quote] Heaven on earth, it would get so confussing if that weren't the case. A lined fretless where you had to ignore the lines? My poor brain is starting to hurt even just at the notion of playing one of those!

[quote name='Buzz' post='319936' date='Nov 2 2008, 02:18 AM']Dunno on that, while I'm not a violin player, I do think with them reaching the millions that while they may be really good instruments, made of rare wood, handcarved with lots of love, I can't help but think that 90/95% of the "price" is name alone, with people just percieving it sounds better because they expect it to. Don't get me wrong, although instrument making is an artform, and can go wrong at any and every stage, it's very forumulatic for the "base" model. They've all got to have X, attached to Y via the use of Z etc... Not to mention they're instruments that amplify sounds by vibration in the wood, who knows, but other violins may have been made from the same trees/batch of wood, but by an equally skilled but unknown builder, they wouldn't fetch a fraction of the price if if they sounded better.[/quote] No, I can’t agree with that. Apart from the fact that the Stradivarius studio made more than just violins, the instruments they made were unique. They were unique, not because of the woods selected, or the craftsmanship employed, although those played a part, but because of the way in which the finishes were applied. The studio developed a type of coating and a method of applying that coating that allowed the woods to breath, and not smoother the instruments tone. What they realised was that the final layers of finish had a profound influence on the tone an instrument would produce, and they did something that no other studio did with their coating process. Add to this that the instruments they manufactured were produced in very limited numbers, and you have your answer. I have no experience of playing a Stradivarius, but through RSNO know of someone who has- a leading player, in whose opinion the instrument she played vibrated in a way that no other instrument she’d played before had ever done. As for vintage basses, at it’s simplest, what people pay for is character. Forgetting that the numbers produced were much smaller than today, that the tolerances in manufacturing were wider, that the finishes had an influence on the characteristics of the woods, and that the woods themselves mature, people pay for character.

Hmmm, wondering if this is geographicalist ...

[quote name='BigRedX' post='316996' date='Oct 28 2008, 07:14 PM']Go to Japan ...[/quote] That's what I do. Then again, I don't have a choice - the other half works for Samsung, and is based there. You can get a return ticket for under £500. Unlimited use of the Bullet trains - kinda - if you buy a travel pass before you go. And you can be amazed at just how low-rise swathes of Tokyo really are. Go on, you know you want to!

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='309723' date='Oct 19 2008, 10:21 AM']Just give the starter motor a tap with a hammer first thing in the morning, soon stops the whining.[/quote] You'll be a fan of GBH then?

It's not Fender, but the distributors who stitch up the territorial markets. But if there's something being produced in Japan that you're after go direct - try [url="http://www.kurosawagakki.com"]http://www.kurosawagakki.com[/url] who will export to you, or [url="http://www.digimart.net/pub_gk_list.do?c1=1&c2=13"]http://www.digimart.net/pub_gk_list.do?c1=1&c2=13[/url] if you want to do a wider search. It would also be worth your while taking a look at the Japanese G&L Tribute Premium range - they do left handed models in two neck widths, one very Jazz in it's proportions - Kurosawa Gakki are main dealers. Of all the countries to buy from, Japan is one of the easiest, as the resellers there go out of their way to be helpful. Once it gets here, it's just a matter of going to the local ParcelForce depot, paying the charges and taking it away.

[quote name='Thunderthumbs' post='117135' date='Jan 9 2008, 04:45 PM']Another one I've just remembered......Dennis Smith that played with Nik Kershaw. Appeared at Live Aid with him.[/quote] Sure Dennis Smith - ex The Advertising and Secret Affair - would laugh at the notion he was a New Romatic. I think the word is Mod. Or as Ian Page would say, Glory Boy. Although Power Pop was another label. Did love the crackle of Smith's Rickenbacker though.

[quote name='pete.young' post='299504' date='Oct 4 2008, 05:00 PM']Doesn't Parcelforce have an insurance limit of £150 for musical instruments? I seem to recall someone on here falling foul of that, maybe OBBM?[/quote] For the Standard service. You can purchase additional insurance up to £2,500 - unless Parcel Force have changed the T&C quite recently. But all the add-on services are overpriced.

How's Kylie?

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='299437' date='Oct 4 2008, 03:27 PM']Am I missing something with ParcelForce's online quotes then? I take it Europe is significantly less expensive than Canada, which is coming back as £280 without any insurance![/quote] No. Parcel Force will move the goods Surface to Italy. It would move the goods Surface Air Lift or Air to Canada. A bass cased exceeds the Standard category air freight dimension criteria and is classed as an Oversized shipment. Although, Parcel Force isn't one of the more competitive carriers for outside of Europe. It's worth noting that there are several freight companies that won't accept musical instruments for air carriage unless shipped using ATA/CAA approved containers. On the issue of shipping generally, I’d say remove the strings. The bass will be fine in a padded gigbag, if you put it in a strong cardboard box. That’s how most large manufacturers freight their products. But, for peace of mind you could pack any voids inside the box with polystyrene chippings.

There are at least two cellists on this site - and I'm one of them. But the petrol money I'd spend coming down from Glasgow every week would mean I'd never be able to get a round in at the bar - and we all know the impact that sort of behaviour can have on a band!

[quote name='tombboy' post='297590' date='Oct 2 2008, 01:37 PM']Start - The Jam[/quote] Better known as Taxman, The Beatles ... Although the first person to mention Another One Bites The Dust, Queen, is going to suffer a similar fate ... You could add Everything Must Change, Every Time You Go Away and, maybe even, Come Back And Stay to the Paul Young numbers Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic and Tea In The Sahara and, at a push, Spirits In The Material World and Roxanne, The Police And, even if I hate the song ... Club Tropicana, Wham!

[quote name='chrkelly' post='294575' date='Sep 29 2008, 02:00 PM']On the 24th of August I ordered a new double bass pickup and an mic cable from a supposedly respectable company here in th UK.[/quote] You don't specify how the order was placed - but it's worth noting that, other than for contracts concluded face to face, the term of the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000 apply. Regulation 19 allows the retailer 30 days to make supply, failure to do so allows you to cancel - which must be in writing, either letter or email. The retailer is allowed 30 days from the date of cancellation to make full reimbursement.

[quote name='cytania' post='293568' date='Sep 27 2008, 06:30 PM']If the one-trick you want is whiney garage punk voicings check them out.[/quote] + 1 ... What he said.

[quote name='Earbrass' post='291827' date='Sep 25 2008, 01:58 PM']We've tried comparing with 'real' CDs, which helps somewhat. We are wondering whether it's worth while getting the final stereo mixes professionally "mastered" ... As far as I can tell, this would mean someone adjusting overall EQ, compression, stereo image, comparative loudness between tracks and length of gap between tracks.[/quote] Making up a reference CD is a trick that professional engineers / mixers use. It's essential to help you dial into any equipment or space you're using. Be sure thought not to make up a CD of your favourite tracks, but ones that you consider good mixes. You should always include a few examples of tracks where you feel the mix has been pushed a little too far, to assist you in spotting when you might be doing the same. Mastering is essential, if just to attain the loudness that listeners expect from modern music. You should check out Sound on Sound online, www.soundonsound.com, as there's an Everest of information there that might assist you.

[quote name='Cernael' post='293361' date='Sep 27 2008, 11:08 AM']I think the "centre line" refered to was meant to be "the compromise between flats and rounds; grounds".[/quote] Indeed it did- though I did play cello for nine years, so do us classical techniques often. I couldn’t comment on pau ferro boards, as I’ve never had one on a fretless. But I had a similar dilemma on a previous occasion. Then, my main fretless had an ebony board and my backups had rosewood boards. The strings I experimented with were D’Addario, which at that time produce it’s Prism, XL, Half Round and Chrome strings. Prisms were too hot, Chromes too dull, but between the XL and the Half Round, other than the first week or so when the XL had that bite that a new steel stings has, there was very little to distinguish the XL from the Half in terms of output. The Half, though, has the advantage of being kinder to your board, kinder to your fingers, and you’ll also notice less player noise. I also felt the Half lasted longer, though I’ve no explanation for that. There are other approaches- epoxy and polyester coatings- but trying Half Round is possibly the cheapest - ‘cause we all need to change strings from time to time. And unlike Pino, we can’t all afford to have antique boards from uprights cut and planed to fit our favourite instruments.

PayPal is one method- although it’s worth bearing in mind that PayPal uses it’s own currency conversation tables, which are always several points below high street rates, and will take a percentage of the amount transferred. If you’re not already registered with PayPal there’s a verification process that needs to be gone through, which, to register as a seller requires either credit card or bank details to be left on file with PayPal. A wire transfer direct to your bank account is another option. This, however, would necessitate you giving your account details out to the person making the transfer- something many people are becoming less prepared to do. Another option is money transfer businesses such as Western Union, Money Fax, and the Post Office’s service- the name of which escapes me. Standard transfer services from these companies are usually inexpensive- Western Union’s standard service to almost anywhere in the world being under £10 and taking between 24 and 48 hours to complete. There are also express services that are instantaneous- but cost considerably more. Most companies offer these services at retail outlets, online and by text. Retail is simplest, as there is no need to give any banking details, only an address. Depending on the amount being transferred, fees many become an issue- which may make a service such as Western Union the most economic.

I was just thinking to myself, if the internet had been around in 1951, is this the discussion that would have been taking place on the Musicians Union website. Bass player versus Fender Bass player - snobbery and prejudice. But when we all take a step back, and look around, how many of us play double bass as our main instrument? Took a decade though for the revolution to really kick in, when amplifier technology caught up.