RhysP

Keep it in the case under your bed & it should be fine - no need for silica gel, slackening off the strings or anything else.

[quote name='mrdreadful' timestamp='1326299388' post='1495147'] Seriously, I'd much rather be in a band with people I got on with than people who were the brilliantest at what they do. [/quote] I'm the exact opposite. [quote name='mrdreadful' timestamp='1326299388' post='1495147'] Fact is, some people just don't have good natural timing. [/quote] Then they should have the sense not to become drummers. [quote name='mrdreadful' timestamp='1326299388' post='1495147'] you wouldn't call BB King a crap guitarist because he can't do rhythm. [/quote] I would actually - I think he's f***ing awful.

How can you possibly refer to a drummer who cannot keep time as "Technically proficient"? So he's a "lovely chap" - what do you want, a decent drummer or a friend? You're not doing him or yourself any favours by letting him carry on - Kick him out & find somebody that can play properly.

Keep an eye out for a Rivera R30 on the secondhand market. They usually go for around the £350 - £400 mark ,which is a serious bargain for a US built boutique amp. I used to have one & it was a fantastic amp: Twin channel 1x12 thirty watt all valve combo. The two channels are roughly voiced Marshall/Hiwatt (crunch/overdrive) & Fender (clean). Absolutely beautiful clean sounds from it - I used to use it with my Gretsch 6120 & with a touch of reverb is was stunning. Beautiful sounding amp I only sold mine as I no longer had room for a guitar amp & a bass amp (should have sold the bass amp to be honest) & really regret letting it go.

[quote name='leschirons' timestamp='1326156630' post='1493234'] I've no idea. I complain about everything I play and what other people with me play as well. I get frustrated when I play with much better musicians but there is some sort of weird "danger" buzz going on at the same time. I get frustrated when I play with people below my level. I've been looking for a band that doesn't exist in my world for the last 10 years. I don't compose as I have nothing to offer that would come up to my expectations. But, I still do it. [/quote] That's completely nailed it for me (and lots of other by the look of it) - couldn't have summed it up better if I tried.

I've received a couple of basses that have not been in cases & there's been no problems with them. A heavily bubble wrapped bass in a decent box is probably safer than one in a case where it can move around to a degree. The only damaged guitar I ever received was in a case & there was no sign of any outside damage to the package - it was because the guitar moved in the case when it was dropped.

[quote name='ead' timestamp='1326097215' post='1492088'] On a related note Ian Anderson is touring the full TAAB show this year. I have my tickets! [/quote] I ordered my tickets ages ago & still haven't received them. Starting to get a bit concerned as it was from a ticket agency I've never used (or even heard of) before.

[quote name='Johnston' timestamp='1326058862' post='1491827'] I go with a 51 P At the very end you can see a shot, it doesn't have the big Pickguard of the 70's telebass. [/quote] Not all telecaster basses have the big pickguard, only the later ones. The late 60's tele basses look exactly like the first precision basses.

[quote name='acidbass' timestamp='1326057985' post='1491804'] I think his recordings on the 'Songs From The Wood' album were done with a Music Man - not sure if Sting Ray or Sterling though! [/quote] It would have been a Stingray - the Sterling didn't exist then.

Brilliant stuff - the best line up of Tull ever IMO.

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1326046804' post='1491567'] If you can't have your say on your birthday then when can you?? Happy Birthday mate.. [/quote] Thank you!

There are only certain types of Bigsby that will work with a Telecaster, and I'm not sure if the ones that attach to the side of the guitar are suitable as they are used on hollowbody guitars with floating bridges. Check out this forum I've been a member of for years: http://www.telemodders.com/index.html It's specifically for Telecaster owners who love to modify them. There will be loads of information about the various Bigsbies you can use & you can always sign up & ask them a specific question. They're a great bunch of people & incredibly knowledgeable.

As others have said, the Rick has a slightly shorter scale length, though you'd probably not notice the difference as it's pretty small. Rickenbacker necks (or at least the ones I owned) have necks that are pretty much the same width all the way up the fingerboard, whilst jazz basses are a lot more tapered from nut to bridge. Have you actually played a Rickenbacker before? They are very much an acquired taste and even though you love the look of them you might not get on with them - The Rick 4001 was always my dream bass until I owned a couple & found that I just couldn't get comfortable with them. Are you thinking of buying new or secondhand? Rickenbacker neck profiles have apparently changed a great deal over the years - mine were both 70s models & the necks were very thin but the newer ones can be pretty chunky by all accounts. Versatility-wise I'd echo what others have said & say it would probably be the Jazz. I'd definitely say try before you buy with regard to a Rick.

[quote name='Hutton' timestamp='1326011218' post='1490871'] I don't think that there's anything wrong with criticism. It would just be nice if you could be a bit more innovative and not keep coming up with the same old sh*te. [/quote] I asked for that.

That's a fantastic colour - I'd leave it as it is rather than 'burst it if it was mine.

I would just like to state that I have nothing against bagpipes - having some scottish blood in me I actually get quite emotional when I hear them - a strange mixed up feeling of warm sentimentality & wanting to fight somebody. It was the using an "elbow patch for pullovers" bit that made me doubt the seriousness of his post.

[quote name='Hutton' timestamp='1325975355' post='1490702'] I am getting the impression that you aren't in the Fender cheerleading squad. I also wonder how many times you can get this point across that you have a problem with the 'F' word. Maybe Fender aren't as innovative as some other manufacturers but they know their market and they know what will sell. There are also one or two of us who are quite happy that they aren't innovative. So, yes it may be boring to someone who doesn't like Fender and their line-up of instruments. But why bother to repeatedly say it. When you see 'Fender' in the title of the thread just ignore it and don't get yourself all hot and bothered. [/quote] The "Wink" emoticon is used to indicate that the poster using it is being somewhat less than serious. It's a forum, why shouldn't I repeatedly say something? It's no different to the same people repeatedly saying that they don't like "Coffee Table" basses, or Ashdown amps, or multi string basses or blah blah blah. It's just my opinion, and like most other peoples opinions it doesn't really matter. Nobody with any intelligence is ever going to not play a Fender bass if they like them because of some opinion I may hold about them. I don't get hot & bothered, certainly not about something as trivial as a lump of wood with strings on anyway. If my posts bother you then put me on "ignore" - I'm sure I'll learn to live with the rejection. If you'd actually read all my posts about Fenders since I joined the forum you'd see I'm not a total Fender hater - I have constantly sung the praises of the Geddy Lee Jazz Bass as it's a bloody good quality bass, even though I'm not a fan of Jazz basses (a conclusion reached by having played them for 20 years btw). I think Japanese Fenders are consistantly well made & have recommended them time & time again. The Telecaster happens to be one of my favourite guitars. My go-to guitar at home is a Strat. I do genuinely think that Fender USA take the piss with their pricing and the uninspired & cynical (IMO!) rehashes of their classic designs they keep pumping out, but many others seem to feel the same judging by the comments on this thread and others.

[quote name='Immo' timestamp='1325972964' post='1490662'] And I've tested a lot of stuff [/quote] Not enough, obviously.

[quote name='alanbass1' timestamp='1325937626' post='1490008'] Reckon anyone looking at these would be more tempted to go the Suhr, Lull, Anderson route [/quote] You would think so wouldn't you? But the bottom line is many people would rather have the F word on their headstock than have a better bass. I call them "Fendermentalists".

[quote name='Linus27' timestamp='1325938631' post='1490036'] Generally I would had normally agreed with you. However, I got a request once to post a video clip up of one of my basses to show the tone. i used U2 New Years Day as its a solid bass line and before I know it, I was unindated with requests for more U2 songs to be posted and I now think after a few years, my video has been watched by 30,000 people and is considered the most accurate version on Youtube. I soon got requests for other bands which for some I have done not only resulting in the requesters and others thanking me and saying how much it has helped but also the original bassists saying great job etc. A lot of the requests come from people who are learning to play from all over the world and struggle to find the music in written form or TAB and it really helps them to see where the hand positions are as well as hearing the bass line a bit clearer rather than mixed down in the original track. I have also had requests and thanks from people who are disabled in some form and enjoy music and learning to play but have difficulties playing. Finally and recently, because my basslines to other artists songs are played note for note, one of my covers of a Simple Minds song is being used in a project to recreate the songs using the best version from Youtube of all other instruments as well as being analiyzied through some piece of waveform software to really see how accurate the cover is. Plus I do get lots of questions from bassists asking what I think of this bass, amp, cabs etc and can I do a song with X bass or amp etc. So to my surprise, these sort of covers have really helped a lot of people in more ways than I expected. [/quote] Why don't the lazy bastards just get off their arses & do the legwork for themselves? How would they have managed before the internet (like a lot of us did with no discernible disadvantage). They probably just wouldn't have bothered learning as it would have required too much effort.

You're taking the piss, aren't you?

[quote name='hairyhaw' timestamp='1325898139' post='1489734'] Always the first tune I think of when envelope filters are mentioned: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dp9aHtN4K74&feature=g-hist&context=G201d765AHTwYR_gAGAA[/media] Mutron III doing the honours. [/quote] It was an Eventide Harmoniser wasn't it?

[quote name='shizznit' timestamp='1325605916' post='1485024'] Be careful replacing necks for Fender basses or guitars in general. I bought my old '76 P-Bass with a nasty dink in the back of the neck that was driving me crazy, so I bought a new one at quite considerable cost from Chandler Guitars. The neck was too small in the pocket (you could fit a 50p coin in the gaps either side of it) and the bolt holes didn't line up. [/quote] I think you'll find that's not uncommon for a mid - late 70's Fender. A lot of them have got neck pocket gaps you could park a bus in, even with the original necks attached.