leftybassman392

[quote name='pmjos' timestamp='1499794724' post='3333687'] Over as far as I am concerned. The secret of good customer service is ''no surprises'. Customers are happy to pay charges they are expecting. I'll leave it at that. [/quote] Fair enough, but there's clearly plenty of people out there who think he's doing a pretty good job. Just sayin'...

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1499794324' post='3333678'] ... but which case could be esteemed to be covered by the 20% of all the successful sales. Just sayin'. [/quote] Depends on the business model. As I've said already, I'd have no issues paying a fee, redeemable against a successful sale. Not exactly an uncommon scenario.

[quote name='hiram.k.hackenbacker' timestamp='1499792299' post='3333652'] A service which they receive 20% of the sale price for. [/quote] Unless of course the instrument doesn't sell...

At the risk of seeming cynical, I'm getting a faint whiff of an accusation that Bass Direct knowingly misled a customer and imposed a compulsory fee without prior warning. Somebody want to tell me I'm wrong?

It's always good to hear both sides of the story with this kind of thing. Helps keep us all from rushing to judgement...

[quote name='Muzz' timestamp='1499776342' post='3333507'] I've sold basses through Bass Direct, and in one case there was an offer lower than the asking price. I was emailed to ask whether this was acceptable, we discussed the resultant final figure and I agreed. It was more than a £30 drop, though. I've not encountered the £30 fee for photography, but then my basses have always sold. Perhaps they've been stung by people using them as a shop window and then selling elsewhere: I've seen basses advertised as 'also on sale at Bass Direct', and their pictures and listings are always good... [/quote] Yup, an email or phone call is normally how it would be done. Not explicitly stating a no-sale fee is probably a little bit naughty, but in truth is not much more than an oversight. Given the kind of tactics some sellers resort to I think it's pretty fair in all honesty. I would have no quibble with it whatsoever.

Well as I said you're probably right in law (and if it came to it you would appear to have a good case). That said, given what has transpired why would you want to? I mean it's not as if the shop is trying to fleece you - in fact they're getting less off you than they might otherwise. If it is a case of sharp practice then it doesn't seem to be a very clever one. I don't think you're being unreasonable in wanting some clarification, but IMHO it comes across as a bit of a storm in a teacup. Not wishing to labour the point, but specifying an acceptable margin up front removes the issue altogether.

Never done it with Bass Direct, but have sold several through the Bass Gallery (15% there). Granted everything that everybody has said here about the legalities and contractual details, does nobody feel any kind of obligation to the selling agency? At one point it looked as if one of my basses wouldn't sell, so I volunteered a nominal sum anyway. In the event it did eventually go after two false alarms, but I would have honoured the offer had it not sold even though it wasn't written into the deal. Perhaps it's a generational thing, but I felt I should offer something for the work they'd done on my behalf (which was significant and almost certainly worth more than I offered). If it came to it again I still would. To be fair I have done quite a lot of business with them over the years and have built up a bit of a relationship, but even so... Is it just me? As to the amp, there are a number of potential issues there that you haven't made clear. When selling gear on commission sales I always specify an acceptable margin - "accept offers within x% of the listed price" kind of thing. Technically you're probably correct, but ask yourself 'would I have accepted the offer if I'd been selling it privately?'. If the answer is anywhere close to a 'yes' then with all due respect what's the beef?

[quote name='pnunes76' timestamp='1499680341' post='3332858'] Thank you for your explication. [/quote] You are welcome. I hope you find what works for you. Have fun!

[quote name='pnunes76' timestamp='1499643527' post='3332731'] You can explain, there is no problem.... [/quote] Well if you insist... Being left- or right handed is not like a switch where you are either one or the other. It is more like a continuous line: one end of the line is right handed and the other is left handed. There is almost nobody at either end, nearly everybody is somewhere along the line. Nearly all of us can do things with our 'wrong' hand (or foot) if we need to. How well we can do this is partly to do with how far along that line we are. Most people are nearer the right hand end. Scientists think this is because of a gene in the body that tells us to do things this way. Where each person is on the line depends on a number of things, some of which are genetic and some of which are what you could call 'social'. You can look all of this up on Wikipedia if you wish to know more. There are many myths about handedness, most of which are rooted in our culture. Left handedness has been heavily demonised in most cultures throughout history. Again, I won't bore you with too many details as there are plenty of places you can read about it. Perhaps just a couple of examples:- In Latin, the word for 'left' is 'sinister' and the word for 'right' is 'dexter'. The Romans hated left handedness. In Islam, the left hand is the 'unclean' hand (literally the hand used to clean oneself after defecation). The English phrase 'cack-handed' (meaning 'clumsy') is derived from this. The French word 'gauche' (literal translation 'left') is sometimes used in English to refer to someone who is socially inept or awkward. Finally, there are many reasons given for learning any instrument right handed. Some of them are sound, but others are somewhat fanciful. My personal favourite is one I first heard here a few years ago. It has been used in this thread as a joke, but it was once seriously suggested that left handed people should learn to play right handed because their left hand would be doing all the 'clever' stuff on the fretboard. In the first place, to say this is to completely misunderstand how your hands work on a bass (or any other stringed instrument for that matter); and in the second place, if it were actually true then by the same logic all right handed players should be playing left handed... Quite a long post, but you did ask.

[quote name='pnunes76' timestamp='1499635028' post='3332685'] So, your advice is to learn as a right-handed? [/quote] No, my advice is to try both and go with the one that feels most comfortable. I know many left handed people who have chosen to play right handed for what I believe to be the wrong reasons. Doing what feels most comfortable is by far the best reason to play one way or the other. Handedness is a very complex thing that happens in your brain. I can explain it further if you wish, but I do not wish to spoil the thread without good reason.

[quote name='pnunes76' timestamp='1499634451' post='3332673'] No, for all the things I do in life I'm righty, just to play guitar I'm left-handed. I'll try the two ways, then I choose who is the right for me. [/quote] Sounds fine to me.

[quote name='pnunes76' timestamp='1499633602' post='3332667'] It's one of my big questions, try to learn as righty or a left-handed...Some people advice me to learn as a right-handed. I have to try the two options. [/quote] Do you do most others things left handed? By all means try both, but if you're handedness is strong you will know. I've had no difficulty choosing left handed basses. It's only an issue if you really want a particular bass that isn't made left handed. Don't believe everything you read.

[quote name='Cato' timestamp='1499633408' post='3332661'] Just a thought, if you're just starting out, have you considered learning to play right handed? I'm a righty myself, but I'm aware that our left handed friends are cruelly discriminated against when it comes to the availability and range of basses made for them. [/quote] Not wanting to get into a spat, but for a lot of lefties it's not that simple. The OP's tutor is looking for a left handed instrument for him. Perhaps that might be a marker. Just a thought...

If you are looking for a left handed bass then this is the best place to start: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/forum/86-left-handed-basses-for-sale/"]http://basschat.co.uk/forum/86-left-handed-basses-for-sale/[/url]

*Dons 'Mr. Pedantic' cap* Actually they're all variations on a zither. So, um, everybody's right. That said, she seems to: i) have a lot of them; and ii) know how to play them which makes it kind of odd that she wouldn't know what they're called in her own country... just sayin...

I've encountered this girl before on my Youtube meanderings. Wouldn't be my first choice of listening material, but she does seem to be very good at it - as if I would know! Dunno if you noticed BTW, but the credits include a 'thankyou' to Rich. Is that our Rich? I think we should be told. While I'm here, it's good to see you around the place again. If I may say so your presence has been sorely missed of late - by me at least.

[quote name='casapete' timestamp='1499245318' post='3330196'] Good point above regarding guitarists using a capo, although not just because they are lazy / incompetent. Some songs with prominent guitar chords do sound naff in an altered key, and by careful use of a capo can be made to sound more like the original. [/quote] Indeed. At one time I worked a lot with a female singer (not a full professional at the time but became one later), and used a capo on virtually every song in the set. It was a vocal + acoustic duet and I saw it as my job to do what was best for the singer. The sound did suffer a little bit on some songs, but it was IMHO much the lesser of two evils.

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1499176799' post='3329714'] Some very odd replies here. The main reason is simply that people's vocal ranges vary hugely. Think Paul Robeson and Robert Plant. [/quote] Bit late to the discussion, but definitely this. I love this forum, but sometimes I just wish there wasn't quite so much of the 'everybody's doing it wrong except the bass player' around here.

[quote name='ahpook' timestamp='1499162365' post='3329567'] Odds-on you kettle will draw more current when it boils than your studio ever will. [/quote] This. Aside from power amps most studio kit has surprisingly small power requirements (power is the best way to measure it as many units will run from wall warts; chances are they will have voltage transformers in them so reading off the current draw is of no use to you). If you really must know for sure you can dig out your user manuals if you still have them and look up power requirements on the specification pages (or you could google them of course). Add them up to find out your maximum power requirements (in the real world it will be less than this unless you have absolutely everything drawing power at once, which sounds unlikely from your description), and go from there. As a guide, 10 amps equates to 2.4 kW (give or take) and the 13 amp fuse you'll most likely have into the wall socket represents a little over 3 kW. Get yourself a decent quality multiway adaptor or two and away you go. Oh, and and RCD device at the wall wouldn't do any harm just in case. [b]Edit to add[/b]: In the interest of technical accuracy {and as stated elsewhere), UK mains voltage is indeed 230v not 240 as I initially wrote. Not that it makes much diff as you won't get remotely close enough for it to be an issue.

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1498852219' post='3327616'] That, Sir... was beautiful. Brought a tear to my eye, it did. [/quote] Why thank you. As always, just a personal perspective...

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1498817811' post='3327238'] I am, I am ... Tottenham Court Road. [/quote] Well alright then!

What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be off honeymooning somewhere exotic?

[quote name='Earbrass' timestamp='1498816952' post='3327227'] You are forgetting the recordability side - rewritable CDs came along a lot later and were still more of a faff to use (though far better quality) than cassette. I'm sure many of us will have memories of making "mix-tapes" or of borrowing friends' (expensive) LPs to tape. [/quote] It's a fair point I guess, but having done quite a few vinyl-cassette mix tapes at one time my overwhelming recollection is of it being an enormous PITA to do.

IIRC the only benefit of cassette tape over vinyl was convenience. Once CDs arrived it lost it's USP. What has possessed people to want it back is not something I understand. Nostalgia? Crappy sound for the sake of it? What? In truth I've always been a bit of a fence-sitter in the Vinyl vs. CD debate: on the one hand CD has measurably better audio fidelity than even the best vinyl, but on the other hand a good vinyl setup is just so nice to listen to. Hmmm... Speaking of such things, it just so happens that I've recently set up the hifi system in our new house. It's a vinyl/CD-based system consisting mostly of Rega units with a Thorens record deck. Now that I think about it this is the first house I've had it working in for about 6 or 7 years (a tale much too long and tedious to relate here). So far I've only tried out a few CDs with it, and I can't believe how good it still sounds! Over the weekend I'll be putting some of my vinyl collection through it's paces and will report back in due course.