4 Strings

[quote name='Geek99' timestamp='1371891599' post='2119150'] If its as good as some of you seem to think I had best hold on to it for a bit - couldn't afford a new one, that's for sure [/quote] I think they are generally thought of being among the best you can buy, if not the best, and made in the UK by hand. I suppose it's down to whether you like it and can use it.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1371756494' post='2117867'] That's the problem with pro gear in all passtimes or hobbies, the best sounding/feeling/fastest or whatever feature it is that we desire is not always the most robust, try breaking a Raleigh Grifter yet a £3k alloy bike can be ruined by accidentally threading the left hand threaded bearing case into the frame the wrong way! [/quote] Try riding a Raleigh Grifter over the Col de Tourmalet after 180k!

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1371719274' post='2117232'] Trouble is I'd say a pro bass player doing 5 gigs a week wearing an amp out in five years or less could be seen as a reasonable period of time, I'm sure they should and will last longer but modern cheap electronics are not built to last like an old ampeg, a new ampeg isn't even built like an old one! [/quote] Or Hiwatt. I suppose that's the point, to try to improve on things not being made to last. Perhaps there's a view on relative price, for example a £100 cheapy would not be considered to be expected to undergo the sort of use described here for 5 years whereas an expensive one, such as a Genz Benz, would.

The Deluxe doesn't mean it's more luxurious, just that the knob configuration is similar to the Fender Jazz Deluxe basses with the jack in the edge of the body. It's additional knob is a passive tone control. The one shown in the pic above has the jack on the plate. They are very powerful, I have one similar to that shown with an 18V supply and its range of active tones is outstanding, plus, of course, the passive straight-forward Jazz tone. (That bass is for sale too!)

[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1371664216' post='2116810'] I think whichever you need, you can use. I've used the SoGA a couple of times & had results. Though Game tried to tell me that the SoGA didn't apply to them (by letter too), so I forwarded the letter to Trading Standards & got a replacement Xbox. [/quote] Wow, power to the people!

[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1371661779' post='2116783'] The warranty is two. The SoGA is 5. It means that the item must be fit for the purpose it was made to do & be free from any defects. [/quote] What about the EU directive, overridden by the SoGA? I suppose the SoGA will be difficult to invoke should it be needed after the guarantee period

Cool, registered or not. So is it two or five?

+1 to all these comments. Spent a long time learning and soaking in a number of Jamerson tracks for our Motown act, I sincerely love his playing and appreciate your own appreciation of him. Skilled piece of analysis and playing! (I've sent a link to my lad, just finished his musical degree this year, also a very capable bass player who appreciates JJ)

"[color=#2B2B2B][font=Helvetica-Bold, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif][size=2]GENZ BENZ [/size][/font][/color][color=#2B2B2B]warrants all products to be free from defects in materials and workmanship, for a period of 2 years (tubes come with a 90 day warranty) from the date of purchase, when purchased from an authorised [/color][color=#2B2B2B][font=Helvetica-Bold, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif][size=2]GENZ BENZ[/size][/font][/color][color=#2B2B2B] dealer. This warranty does not cover normal wear and tear incurred from the normal designed use of the product and specifically limits the warranty for tubes to 6 months. This warranty is only effective if a copy of the original sales receipt is presented at the time of warranty service."[/color] [color=#2B2B2B]You need to have registered within 10 days of purchase. [/color] [color=#2B2B2B]From, I think, some experience at Talkbass, the guarantee held even though they changed the valves for a different spec. I have a less 'hot' valve in V1.[/color]

[quote name='Chiliwailer' timestamp='1371588581' post='2116002'] I hear you man, a spreads of opinions is right on. However was there really a need for spreading a load on someone's post? The point could have been made without trying to put another persons post down, i.e. make your point and don't quote another as wrong! Ok, the Chill is chilled. Cheers. [/quote] Hey chum, you're the one with aggressive responses, I was expressing surprise at your experience and making known my own. I'm not expecting you to follow me, why would I do that? I expect nothing of you as I don't know you. And as such I certainly wouldn't be putting you down (like picking up on use of words and suggesting 'whatever floats your boat'). I appreciate and enjoy this board and have felt a tad guilty never making any contribution in the past, even selling stuff and not doing so. Having to pay simply made me do what I thought I should anyway. Result a pleasure.

[quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1371402139' post='2113409'] 10-16 June 2012 - New Posts in Basses for Sale - 70 10-16 June 2013 - New Posts in Basses for Sale - 35 [/quote] Interesting, I suppose it won't be possible to do a similar comparison for number of basses actually sold in the same periods

[quote name='The Dark Lord' timestamp='1371396411' post='2113321'] I've been looking for a USA Jazz of late, but there seem less of them around. [/quote] Buy mine!

[quote name='Chiliwailer' timestamp='1371394896' post='2113293'] The fee stopped me from selling my Stingray on here, I sold it elsewhere. Perhaps 2-3 free postings a year for members and a charge if you want to sell more? [/quote] Really? I have paid the fee a few times now, paid it with pleasure and it took away the guilt of not contributing.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1371414904' post='2113704'] I have heard this before but thankfully not needed to test the theory for myself, good to know though [/quote] +1 - mine must be coming up to a year now, been very pleased with it, absolutely reliable so far - but then I'd expect it to be at that price. Customer service counts for a lot though. Glad it's not imported by R********r.

[quote name='Damonjames' timestamp='1371324982' post='2112666'] The concept of buying from a British company is noble, but I dont think it really reflects on the quality on offer from the bigger boys. [/quote] I expect there is another manufacturer who uses the same, expensive Eminence drivers as Barefaced, but I don't know one. I think BF come up among the lightest too and right up there in sound quality and power handling. You may find a mass produced cab of this quality, but I don't know where.

[quote name='Twigman' timestamp='1371279377' post='2111975'] Rude? possibly....... I have been looking at heads - i do want something much lighter and more portable. The streamliner is at the top of the list atm tbh. Mark @ bass direct invited me to take my S12T & bass up once it arrived and go through his stock of heads...it's on the to do list but funds probably do not allow right now. [/quote] No rush, of course, the HA3500 is a great head (is ti a classic yet?). But I have to say my BF cabs really came to life when there was plenty of juice to put through them.

While we're waiting for the wood to arrive, here's some wood. I had thought of various woods for the body, including, being from London, London Plane. This is also a type of maple (see, I didn't know that). [attachment=136923:London Plane body.jpg] Its nice, but not as keen as I am on Sycamore. I found this, it has a sycamore neck. quite beautiful, what do you think? [attachment=136922:Sycamore neck.jpg] Next thought - Tuners

Would it be rude to suggest that you'd get more out of your cab with a more powerful amp? The limitation to your very desirable stack is now your amp. By a long chalk. Yes that is rude. However I have been through exactly this with a Midget/Compact combination. Swapped to a GB Streamliner 900 and the cabs more than meet the mark. Your only regret will be if you ever sell this cab.

Heath priced it to be £1320 without case, £1400 with a Hiscox. A little over budget. I have a case, but we'll see. So, to start - I have £120 from a Motown show the other week and I sold my Hartke amp for £150 (bargain, but I kept the case!) so I have £270, enough to buy the wood! (estimated at £250) In the meantime Heath has tracked down wood for a one piece Sycamore body and some flame maple for the neck. These are air dried, he will not work with kiln dried, and he reckons I'd struggle to find a better bit of neck maple in the country! Money transferred across, hopefully the wood should arrive on Monday. I have never been excited about a piece of wood before, but I can't wait to see the neck piece! For me, this is the core of the bass and its success will be judged largely on the neck.

Yes, thanks, that's kind of the point really. I don't mind too much if it ends up painted black, the idea is to produce a bass I can use all the time, for everything and not worry about but is of the best quality I can afford and set up to suit exactly what I want. The Utility Bass! Comparing the wood in the Ruach workshop to that used in my Fender and Musicman basses shows the mass produced items not surprisingly wanting. I really like these basses and they get a lot of use, but I'd like to get down to one and use that all the time. I haven't got any money and so it will be funded purely from sales of bass gear and any earnings from playing.

Hopefully this won't be too long! Utlra impressed by the work of Heath at Ruach basses with a painfully beautiful bass made for a friend of mine and his willingness and ultimate success in improving the neck profile of my Stingray, leaving the finish an improvement on the original. Top geezer, life revolves around wood (house full of amazing wooden furniture and art), bass enthusiast. I want a utility bass with the most amazing piece of maple for a one piece neck, a one piece body of lightweight wood and a durable finish. Two pickups, one to sound like Jamerson, the other to sound like a Stingray. A set neck (cheaper than a through neck), through strung, a set back machine head. All for a budget of £1200 - not much for a custom build. Details such as a skunk stripe (truss rod from the back), wheelie truss rod adjuster, knobs set into the body (rather than on a plate) were also flowing, including a 5-way pup selector. No fancy wood tops, no high gloss finishes (so that dings either won't notice or can be taken out easily) just two bits of wood in a functional form. I love the almost brutal simplicity of this:[attachment=136808:G&L Simple.jpg] Heath deals only in quarter-sawn wood for necks, I set him off to search for a piece of wood that would match this pic.[attachment=136806:Maple neck.jpg] I would compromise budget elsewhere to achieve this. Heath waxed on about the virtues of sycamore. Type of maple you know! Light and strong, not expensive and can be found with a delightful pattern and colour. If he could find some to look anything like this in one piece I'd be very happy. [attachment=136807:Sycamore Wal1.jpg] So that's the starting point. Thanks for keeping with me so far, target completion is the end of August. 2013!

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1370969374' post='2108097'] What sort of band are you in, Marcus? [/quote] Well, this week it will be.... Actually, I'm more interested in his job!