flyfisher

I understand the sentiment but ethical pricing is a relative thing isn't it? We're basically talking about how much someone's time is worth. Well, if the going rate for a day's labour somewhere is $2 and that enables someone to feed their family is that 'ethical'. Or would it be more 'ethical' to pay them $4, which might allow their kids to stay on a school for longer. Or should we pay them the average UK daily salary, even though they wouldn't have anywhere near the outgoings of the average UK person? Perhaps we should relocate them to the UK so they can then enjoy our particular lifestyle? And what if an investment banker on £1m per year decides to retire early and starts making custom basses? Should they be priced at £100k each if he can only make 10 per year? In a free market economy, this whole discussion is pointless. Prices will sort themselves out. In a command-and-control economy, then there might well be a mechanism for controlling the price of such things, but let's not pretend we can have both.

[quote name='BigAlonBass' timestamp='1231024629' post='369653'] Nope, not an Urban Myth. Quoting Official N.H.S. statistics - An average of Nine people die every year in the U.K. from testing a PP3 with their tongue. [/quote] So that makes PP3s more dangerous than railway crossings, yet they are allowed to be openly sold - to children, no less - without any warning labels or fancy interlocking safety devices. Funny old world.

Good point. I'd bet loads of us have spent $15k on a decent car or, say, a few years of holidays. Such instruments might not be petty cash but are probably affordable if committed enough - and that's where the subjective value judgement lies. £6 for a packet of fags makes a 20 per day habit £42 per week or £2184 per year. Give up smoking for five years and there's your brand new Fodera. Simple. Except I don't smoke so I'll have to stick with my Fender MIJ P.

[quote name='icastle' timestamp='1328478820' post='1527897'] I'm not sure about this 6mm plug thing either. [/quote] Me neither. I suspect it's just a combination of sloppyness, laziness and metrication. The electrical/electronics industry has resisted metrication quite well really. Thus, 1/4 inch plugs, 19 inch racks, 0.1 inch pin spacing on ICs (less now of course) were 'metricated' to become 6.35mm plugs, 482.6mm racks and 2.54mm pin spacing - i.e. nothing actually changed.

I would suggest inserting a jack plug and then you'll be able to see which socket terminals are connecting with the plug and how the (unwanted) switching action works. It should then be obvious how to wire it up (remove the plug before soldering though). As icastle says, it's not really the wrong socket, just a bit of overkill really and hardly worth a trip back to Maplin when it will do the job.

[quote name='icastle' timestamp='1328462627' post='1527440'] I thought the usual problem was with the shape/profile of the tip bending the +R contact so it loses it's 'springyness'. [/quote] Funny you should mention that. I don't know if there are any standards for such things but our guitarist's electric-acoustic guitar has been playing up for a couple of weeks because of a 'noisy' connector or cable. Despite his constant exhortations that he'd get it looked at, I finally sorted it this weekend within about 5 mins. Nothing wrong with the cable but the tip connector in the socket was bent back so it didn't make a solid contact, resulting in the cable plug sort of 'rattling about' in the socket causing inevitable noise/crackling problems. It was a simple enough job to bend the contact back into place and it now works perfectly and noiselessly, though it'll be interesting to find out how long it lasts.

[quote name='kevin_lindsay' timestamp='1328456280' post='1527290'] Yeah, the APFS guys played Gilmour's 50th, and apparently then did so as Brit Floyd at his 60th!! [/quote] Well, thinking about it, I guess it's the only way he can ever go to a concert to hear Floyd songs being performed live!

Good quality cable and connectors are a good start but they're only the start. Much depends on how the cables are handled, coiled and stored - that's where I'd say 99% of the damage is done.

Ive paid about £25 to see Think Floyd and about the same for The Bootleg Beatles and both were great shows and, I'd say, well worth the money, but it's all subjective really. I tend not to think about the fame or authenticity of the band, more about the actual ticket price. I'm happy up to around £30 but it has to be something really special to get me to pay more. But I've already seen lots of bands in the days when prices were not silly money like today and that affects my outlook on such things. For example, I regularly went to Clapton's RAH concerts in the 80s/90s and £30 would get me right near the stage, but the Cream reunion concert tix were about £130 each, which I thought was ridiculous, so I just bought the DVD instead.

[quote name='daz' timestamp='1328415803' post='1526655'] We didnt have the internet of course. but after you had a few LP's you could start to go round to a mates and let him tape it while you looked through his music and asked him to tape you one in return. [/quote] Ah, so it was you that ruined the music industry by copying records.

Should work fine with any OS because these sort of devices emulate keyboards and don't need any drivers or other software. The only issue will be the physical interface. I'm guessing this device is for ps/2 type keyboard/mouse interface only.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1328392595' post='1526475'] For me the demise of the general record shop was inevitable with the coming of the internet. Not because of downloads (legal or not) or because sites like Amazon can beat them on price, but simply because they can't compete on the sheer variety of music that's available on line. [/quote] Yep, I entirely agree. More music is more accessible these days. I realise the record industry might not like it but no one likes to lose their monopoly to print money and retain tight control over who hears what.

[quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1328388801' post='1526411'] As the record shops here in Dublin never had a huge selection, I would frequently catch an early flight to London on Saturdays with the sole purpose of browsing and buying, at first vinyl, and later on CD's. I never seemed to have enough time before I had to hurry to catch my return flight. I'm sure that the present generation would think I was mad. Maybe I was, but it was heaven to me. [/quote] Now that is some seriously impressive dedication! I'm guessing this was after the advent of cheap flights, but even so.

It would be interesting to know how people feel about this sort of thing across the age range. I used to spend hours on Saturday in my local record shop (Opus in Southgate, north London) rummaging and listening to obscure albums. I doubt my lad has ever been into a record shop but he does all his 'rummaging' for new bands on YouTube and the like. Times change.

Not sure how I missed this when first posted but I've only just listened to it - and really pleased I did. Absolutely love it!

Not much of a bass line though . . . .

I'd humbly suggest the same thing for anyone trying to sell stuff.

[quote name='jakenewmanbass' timestamp='1327970599' post='1519847'] Sorry for the name drop but it's been a bit of a day [/quote] Sorry? Are you kidding! If I'd spent the day in Abbey Road Studios, even just to sweep the floor (which is probably the only reason they'd let me in ) I'd be posting all over BC . . . even without bumping into Macca.

[quote name='Jimmyp28' timestamp='1327655754' post='1514720'] Ok a lot to get through here but lets give it a go and see what happens then . . . . . [/quote] I notice you didn't 'give it a go' at explaining how you would decide (control?) the price of such basses . . .

[quote name='EmmettC' timestamp='1327610536' post='1514282'] I don't think anyone will persuade the OP that he is wrong, [/quote] . . . . I'd just like the OP to describe how he believes the price of basses should be determined. Moaning about something you don't like is easy, suggesting a workable alternative is where the real intelligence lies.

[quote name='chaypup' timestamp='1327510203' post='1512617'] Sorry, but in my experience from working with touringbands this is incorrect. Great (and even halfway decent) originals bands know exactly what they're going to play and have rehearsed it to death. Even the between song banter is the same each night and is scripted and rehearsed. Ad-libbing simply leaves too much room for things to go wrong. [/quote] That's an interesting observation. I suspect it's a common thing in all branches of show business and separates the real pros from the rest. Many years ago a company I worked for arranged an internal 'conference' and hired Michael Barratt (of BBC 'Nationwide fame) to compere the whole thing. I was involved in setting up demo system that my boss was going to be interviewed about so I was present during the rehearsals. My boss was happy to just be asked any old question and ad lib the whole thing but Barratt was insistent about agreeing the questions, understanding the answers and, yes, even scripting some jokes. When I was in the audience for the main 'show' I could see the whole thing played out exactly word-for-word by Barrett, right down to the apparently off-the-cuff jokes, and he also maintained the timing of everything perfectly. His 'effortless' chairing of the whole event was actually a result of real attention to detail during the rehearsals. it was an interesting thing to witness.

[quote name='Jimmyp28' timestamp='1327500530' post='1512382'] If thats how you see it then thats cool that was my point, I do not see it as ok and was checking with the community to see if people felt the same way as I do. We all have different beliefs and I respect that. [/quote] So what's your belief about the way such things should be handled?

[quote name='Jimmyp28' timestamp='1327450310' post='1511631'] And I know of the saying “people will pay what that think that it worth” and it is a fair point to some degree, but this is my problem as well with that ethos. A, some one could possibly pay to little for an instrument that is worthy of a higher price. B. Some one could pay to much for an instrument that is not worthy of said price tag [/quote] That is, indeed, your problem right there - your assumption that there is a 'right price' for an instrument. Who would you suggest should decide on the 'right price'? The problem is your use of the word "worthy". It is an entirely subjective concept. When you become a global dictator then you'll be able to impose your own particular value system on everyone else. Until then, you'll just have to put up with people having the freedom to make their own choices and their own decisions. Bummer eh?