RhysP

[quote name='Bilbo' post='1205203' date='Apr 19 2011, 08:58 PM']But the world can always use another honest man [/quote] Seriously, your "work ethic" comment got me thinking earlier; I know lots of musicians, and a lot of them are really good players. The two people I know that I really admire for their drive & the sheer amount of work they do as musicians are both excellent sight readers & possess an incredible amount of theoretical knowledge.

[quote name='Bilbo' post='1204925' date='Apr 19 2011, 04:47 PM']....I do believe that those who do read and learn theory have a stronger work ethic and are good role models.[/quote] This is certainly true for me - I can't read music & know hardly any theory & it's purely because I'm a lazy c***. Never made any excuses to the contrary - it's something I really wish I could do but I simply just cannot be arsed putting the work in. For the amount of time I've been playing (over 30 years) I'm a sh*t bassist & it's all down to extreme laziness. If somebody told me tomorrow that in order to keep playing I'd have to study theory & reading for an hour a day I'd just give up. I'd very probably be a sh*t role model too.

[quote name='tom1946' post='1204369' date='Apr 19 2011, 07:01 AM']You then have to post saying like "where are you located?" I immediately lose interest and don't bother anymore. No one wants to put their address or road up publicly but come on! the town shouldn't be a problem.[/quote] Nobody has to post personal information publicly - that's what PMs are for. If having to ask someone where they are based is enough to make you lose interest in buying something then you obviously don't want the item that much in the first place.

[quote name='Shaggy' post='1204248' date='Apr 18 2011, 10:43 PM']I seeem to recall one was used on Buggles "Video killed the Radio Star", but could be wrong.......[/quote] That was an Aria SB1000. [quote name='Rich' post='1204544' date='Apr 19 2011, 10:55 AM']Colin Edwin played a Wal on all the early Porcupine Tree stuff.[/quote] He still does play them on most of their stuff, though he uses Spectors now too. When I saw them last year he used the Wals 90% of the time.

See if you can find a book called "The Complete Keyboard Tutor" by Terry Burrows. I found it really useful as a complete beginner to keyboards. It can usually be found quite cheaply in Bargain Book type shops.

Started off playing bass, but started playing guitar as well later on. I've spent far more money on guitar equipment than I ever did on bass stuff. I was playing guitar pretty much exclusively about 8 years ago, but I've now come full circle, sold most of my guitar stuff & play bass 99% of the time now. I play keyboards as well.

[quote name='BigRedX' post='1202565' date='Apr 17 2011, 01:01 PM']If I had the money I'd be checking out the Chandler that's been on eBay for the last few months.[/quote] Yes, that's a beautiful bass. I'm surprised nobody has bought it, but I guess it's pretty limited in it's appeal.

I used to have one of the Hamer CH12 import basses (one of the early Korean ones). It was a really good bass but obviously not as good as a US Hamer. The newer import models (I think they have "XT" on the truss rod cover) are made in China and are not meant to be anywhere near as good. I loved it - it was surprisingly easy to play and sounded awesome. I really regret selling it. I'm a serious Hamer nut anyway (had loads of USA Hamer guitars over the years) & so very biased but Hamer is THE 12 string bass IMO.

[quote name='Stompbox' post='1202242' date='Apr 16 2011, 11:28 PM']I was wondering if anyone has any particular views on reading.[/quote] Understatement of the year!

[quote name='AndroWal' post='1202344' date='Apr 17 2011, 05:31 AM']I believe John Giblin moved from Wals to Zon for his fretless playing. I saw a more recent video of him in the studio playing a Zon.[/quote] Yes he did. His fretless Zon is unusual (maybe unique) in that it has a real wood fingerboard rather than the usual Phenowood board. [quote name='Conan' post='1202399' date='Apr 17 2011, 09:55 AM']He is certainly a difficult guy to find info on![/quote] He has pretty much zero presence on the internet, and in these days where every narcissistic dickhead feels the need to keep us up to date with their lives 24/7 & post pointless videos of themselves on Youtube I really admire him for that.

And of course Rupert Hine from Quantum Jump went on to produce Rush during Geddys Wal period. It all links together.......

This is bloody great! I'm not a big one for solo bass stuff usually but I'm loving this. Your basses sound superb & I love the horn arrangements - did you do them yourself?

Bought both my Zons secondhand from Ebay without trying them first & unless I'm in extreme financial doodoo's I'll probably never part with them. They are the best basses I've ever played. I bought a Musicman Stingray 5 last November which I tried before I bought - sold it recently as I just could not get on with it. I don't think trying an instrument for a half an hour or so before you buy it is any indication that you'll get on with it once you spend some time with it. I can't see why being an experienced bass player would make any difference when buying a bass you've never played before without trying it first. If it turns up & you hate it you're f***ed whether you've been playing for a week or thirty years.

The "Sunburst" comes from the first double cutaway guitar Hamer produced in the 70's - The Hamer Sunburst. Confusingly they were called "The Sunburst" regardless of the finish (though a large percentage of them were sunburst finishes). You do know that this bass is not made by the USA Hamer company, don't you? It's one of the cheaper import models that use the name. They're still meant to be pretty good quality though - I had a Korean Hamer 12 string bass & that was excellent. Can't help you with the neck dive question sorry - might be worth asking over on the Hamer Fan Club Forum.

You lucky bastard! Couldn't make it this time around, seen them loads of times over the years though - one of the greatest live bands ever IMO.

The top one is a total rip-off of a Gittler.

[quote name='parker_muse' post='1194100' date='Apr 9 2011, 09:59 PM']....Yet Yamaha have been around for 30 years......[/quote] Quite a bit longer than that actually!

That looks absolutely incredible! What did you do with the old Bartolini's?

Recently bought my Musicman Stingray 5 from me - prompt payment, great communication & a pleasure to deal with.

I've been playing for the same length of time as you & I've never owned a Fender bass (Precision or Jazz), nor do I ever intend to. I've never played one that I thought was anything more than OK. Quality-wise all the nicest ones I've played have been, without exception, Japanese models. If you MUST get one then I'd say go for a Japanese one.

[quote name='ThomBassmonkey' post='1191727' date='Apr 7 2011, 01:54 PM']I'm browsing around Thomann and they're surprisingly cheap actually. There's a Harley Benton plywood one for £58 or an aluminium one for £75 or alternatively a Rockbass one (Warwick IIRC, I had one with my Thumb that went when I traded it) that's £84. They should be enough, right?[/quote] No, they won't be enough. The cases you mention above are cheap sh*t made to look like proper flight cases. Spend the money on a PROPER custom flight case. You won't regret it, and you can always sell it again when you finish with it & get some of your money back.