London bass guitar show 2018

[TRBboy]

I went looking for the SBL bit early on but couldn't find it.... and then got distracted and forgot to resume my search! Where was it? 

Etta Ros seemed very nice, is she a well known player?

[CameronJ]

39 minutes ago, TRBboy said:

I went looking for the SBL bit early on but couldn't find it.... and then got distracted and forgot to resume my search! Where was it? 

Etta Ros seemed very nice, is she a well known player?

The SBL room was in the corner next to Darkglass/Bass Direct. To be fair, if it hadn’t been for my reliance on the event leaflet with its schedule and map, I may not have found it either.

I met Etta on Saturday, along with Vicky O’Neon who was a legend and a bit of a beast on drums! Hadn’t heard of Etta before the weekend but to be fair I’m not really the kind of person to keep up with the latest names in the industry...

[Woodinblack]

I love showy things, I love the colour and flip flop paint, but that surface on the warwick is horrible. There is a honda civic down our road that someone pained themselves with household emulsion that looks just like that. 

Hope it looked better in person!

[cetera]

For me - my fave part is always catching up with old friends and fellow board members. To that end it was most satisfying

Bass-wise, little gave me gas (which is always a good thing!). I love seeing all the beautiful exotic wood/shape luthier basses but I'd never buy one as £4k for a bass that is so unique it would be worth £1K on the used market the next day just doesn't appeal..... worse than new car/used car depreciation....

Enjoyed the Spector stand - the new Ltd Editon Euro SE LX basses were divine with their Koa-topped looks, but I was disappointed that they had neither the Timbre acoustic or Rudy Sarzo Sims-loaded Euro available in time for the show. Bass Direct had some fab basses as always - the Dingwalls were quite something and I had a lovely chat with Sheldon Dingwall too. What a nice chap! In fact, delayed GAS for their Dbird (felt, played and sounded awesome) may just have taken hold of me.... 

Amp-wise, nothing took my fancy - which is fine as I've never been happier than with my current amp set up. Phew!

Volume-wise I felt it was better than previous years - less slappers, though I agree that the Eich/Darkglass stalls were unnecessarily loud at times.

I only took in one seminar as I was busy chatting to friends etc... and that was Guy Pratt. Brilliantly funny as usual but I was disappointed it was the same comedy routine I saw on his recent tour. I thought he would actually be doing a bass seminar discussing technique, displaying his famous lines in full etc.... oh well - a missed opportunity maybe....

Same time next year?!

[Andy]

I was planning to go on Saturday only but there were so many good masterclasses that I went back yesterday as well.

Joe Hubbard and Yolanda Charles were both completely inspirational.

Scotts performance/session in the SBL room yesterday was fantastic.

I really enjoyed Chris Childs masterclass as well - a great insight into his role as a gigging & session musician.

Overall, a really great show (although I found it a completely humbling experience because it highlights to me how little I know and how basic my own skills are!!)

 

 

 

[CameronJ]

17 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

I love showy things, I love the colour and flip flop paint, but that surface on the warwick is horrible. There is a honda civic down our road that someone pained themselves with household emulsion that looks just like that. 

Hope it looked better in person!

Ha! I know what you mean but the finish really did look amazing in person. Photos don’t do it justice. 

[CameronJ]

2 minutes ago, Andy said:

Overall, a really great show (although I found it a completely humbling experience because it highlights to me how little I know and how basic my own skills are!!)

 

A big +1 from me. I’ve got some serious learning to do.

[Chownybass]

We finally made it for Sunday. Apologies to all for missing the first day!

Was great meeting everybody, really appreciate the time of everybody who popped by the booth to try out our stuff. Overwhelmingly positive feedback reminds us why we do this.

@Happy Jack I hope you like your fretless. 

@NickD I hope you like your Pitchcraft pedal. Spread the word!

We've booked again for next year. 

[EBS_freak]

Well people, I have to say that I am disappointed. There's a distinct lack of selfies with Dave Swift so far. 

[police squad]

I went yesterday and Guy Pratt's dismissal of flat wound strings REALLY made me chuckle. I went home and listened to Like a prayer by Madonna and I'd always thought t was a sequenced bass line and also to Jimmy Nail's 'ain't no doubt'

I couldn't take Mo Foster at all. I don't really listen to a lot of Jazz but they were reading and the first number was a bit loose in places, like they hadn't played it before and I left during his 2nd number. I realise that he's done a lot of stuff but not for me.

Gear wise, there was a nice Muruscahwwwzzeeeee (what ever) on bass direct's stand. A white Elwood with a white fingerboard.

I don't understand these singlecut things, they all look a bit ridiculous to me. Enfield basses look good and I said hi to Nick.

Always good to see Jason Howe.

Would have stopped at the BC stand but I always seemed to be going somewhere, to a master class or the loo or coffee.

[EBS_freak]

6 minutes ago, police squad said:

Gear wise, there was a nice Muruscahwwwzzeeeee (what ever) on bass direct's stand. A white Elwood with a white fingerboard.

Here you go - clearly a take off of Larry G's Moon bass (without the slanted pick up). I tend to take pics of basses like this as it's one of my fave looking finishes that you can have on a bass... in fact, it's not too dissimilar to mine! I did toy with the idea of the buying the 5 string that Bass Direct also had - but I presume sold.

[police squad]

9 minutes ago, EBS_freak said:

Here you go - clearly a take off of Larry G's Moon bass (without the slanted pick up). I tend to take pics of basses like this as it's one of my fave looking finishes that you can have on a bass... in fact, it's not too dissimilar to mine! I did toy with the idea of the buying the 5 string that Bass Direct also had - but I presume sold.

 

yep that's the one. I thought it looked cool

[TRBboy]

Tbh the show has put me in a bit of a quandary about my recent Sandberg order..... I've gone for a pretty 'safe' colour, but at the show i was really attracted to all the bright/ colourful/ glittery finishes...... hmmmm...... 

[Gillett Guitars]

Wow - where do we start with this one?  I suppose for us Gillett guys the highlights came at the beginning and the end of the show: first that we managed to defy the weather beast and get there at all - albeit with a makeshift shell stand (our posh one spent the weekend in our van Somerset); and last but definitely not least the 40-minute jam session that Yolanda did on our stand from around 4:30!  She turned up with a couple of her friends (another bassist and a keyboard player) and treated us and a growing crowd of remaining visitors to a musical feast.  She and the other bass-player alternated on 4- and 5-string Contour basses backed by the aforementioned keyboard buddy, who eventually handed the keys back to their rightful owner when our resident stand player Paul came back from a quick look round the show.  Our techie Simon grabbed some video on his camera and I'm waiting to see how that turned out.  If we'd known what was coming, we'd have hired a professional film crew

More to say but I have to stop cos my single remaining brain cell is getting tired.

Scrumpymike

Edited March 5, 2018 by Gillett Guitars

[MoJoKe]

2 hours ago, EBS_freak said:

Well people, I have to say that I am disappointed. There's a distinct lack of selfies with Dave Swift so far. 

He avoided the Markbass stand completely, and I spent the whole weekend working, so we nodded at each other a couple of times as we passed, but no time for selfies...  And where were you?  you didn't come and say hi?

[Gillett Guitars]

2 hours ago, EBS_freak said:

Well people, I have to say that I am disappointed. There's a distinct lack of selfies with Dave Swift so far. 

He came on our stand for a play but when I tried to take a selfie all I got was my face and his shoulder - should have done it while he was still sitting down

Scrumpymike

Edited March 5, 2018 by Gillett Guitars

[CameronJ]

46 minutes ago, Gillett Guitars said:

Wow - where do we start with this one?  I suppose for us Gillett guys the highlights came at the beginning and the end of the show: first that we managed to defy the weather beast and get there at all - albeit with a makeshift shell stand (our posh one spent the weekend in our van Somerset); and last but definitely not least the 40-minute jam session that Yolanda did on our stand from around 4:30!  She turned up with a couple of her friends (another bassist and a keyboard player) and treated us and a growing crowd of remaining visitors to a musical feast.  She and the other bass-player alternated on 4- and 5-string Contour basses backed by the aforementioned keyboard buddy, who eventually handed the keys back to their rightful owner when our resident stand player Paul came back from a quick look round the show.  Our techie Simon grabbed some video on his camera and I'm waiting to see how that turned out.  If we'd known what was coming, we'd have hired a professional film crew

More to say but I have to stop cos my single remaining brain cell is getting tired.

Scrumpymike

I got to witness some of this little jam session. Some great playing from all involved and I must admit it gave me a little bit of GAS for a Gillett Contour! 

[Andy]

3 hours ago, CameronJ said:

A big +1 from me. I’ve got some serious learning to do.

Great to know that I'm not the only one!  

[Gillett Guitars]

3 minutes ago, CameronJ said:

I got to witness some of this little jam session. Some great playing from all involved and I must admit it gave me a little bit of GAS for a Gillett Contour! 

Only a little bit?  You're just not trying hard enough!  Were you there when she turned round to Michael G with a big smile on her face and shouted out "I like this!"  We certainly liked THAT

[Andy]

2 hours ago, EBS_freak said:

Here you go - clearly a take off of Larry G's Moon bass (without the slanted pick up). I tend to take pics of basses like this as it's one of my fave looking finishes that you can have on a bass... in fact, it's not too dissimilar to mine! I did toy with the idea of the buying the 5 string that Bass Direct also had - but I presume sold.

Is yours a GB? Looks very nice from that shot whatever it is!

[CameronJ]

1 minute ago, Gillett Guitars said:

Only a little bit?  You're just not trying hard enough!  Were you there when she turned round to Michael G with a big smile on her face and shouted out "I like this!"  We certainly liked THAT

I was a bit gutted not to have picked one of them up and had a play! It was at the very end of the day yesterday just before the Olympia staff started announcing the show’s closure. My interest is definitely piqued though. From what I saw, the craftsmanship looks top notch.

[EBS_freak]

1 hour ago, Andy said:

Is yours a GB? Looks very nice from that shot whatever it is!

Yes - Spitfire.

[charic]

You don't see much from GB these days. I've only played a few but they have a great sound

[Happy Jack]

I have fond memories of Custom Classic ...

[Andy]

52 minutes ago, charic said:

You don't see much from GB these days. I've only played a few but they have a great sound

I had a Rumour until recently and miss it already - it was a joy to play with a unique tone