skej21

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1418835369' post='2633898'] I'm not really into the whole relic thing, but it's just a cosmetic preference I'm not opposed to the idea or anything. What I do find a little odd is those who have bought a vintage instrument bemoaning the "fake" aspect of relics... A bass with someone elses "mojo" is arguably even more of a "fake". [/quote] It's definitely a philosophical outlook. I personally don't see the difference between someone slowly relicing a bass over 45 years through use and Mark compacting that same process of use into a shorter time period. I'm still buying a bass that someone else has reliced either way! It just happens that apparently, some people think that their opinion somehow allows them to tell us which kind of 'someone else's relicing' is the acceptable and which one isn't... Well it's my money and I'll do what I want with it :-)

[quote name='Drax' timestamp='1418821538' post='2633652'] The Limelight debate could run and run. By all accounts they play very well, and if people are happy with them at that price (and many bassists are), then I guess that's ok. I'm not sure the base instrument is a £150 dog though. The bigger issue / con - is the insane pricing of genuine vintage instruments. Just because it physically survived the last 40 years, doesn't mean it's worth £1,500. I'd wager the average Limelight bass is a better instrument than the majority of the £1-2k J's / P's being offered out there. [/quote] Completely agree. Also, calling them 'fakes' is more of a con than the bass itself. Limelight basses are never described or presented as genuine vintage instruments. They are replicas that offer a vintage aesthetic, tone and great quality to players who don't want a Pre-CBS Fender to take gigging down the local WMC every weekend. I understand people don't like them and therefore won't buy them. Others will buy them. To go around calling them 'fakes' and a 'con' like the OP is unfair IMO. Nobody says that Fender's Road Worn basses are trying to con people with 'fake' instruments. They are a similar replica for a certain customer's taste and are never close enough in detail to be able to fool anyone into thinking they're an original vintage Fender. You would have to be incredibly naive to put £3000+ in to a vintage bass without checking pots, date stamps and other details that original vintage instruments have and the replicas do not.

[quote name='bassintheface' timestamp='1418824153' post='2633699'] So, after selling on JV P last week, I've had the money burning a hole in my pocket. I had a few ideas of what I wanted - I was seriously close to making offers on both Limelights that are currently on sale here - Michael's '63 and 'Threes' '61 - and I mean close! I was also giving proper thought to ordering a custom Limelight - a 70's style, aged Oly white, RW board, blocks, bound neck, 3 ply back plate.... Finally, after much deliberation and weighing up all options, I've finally just pulled the trigger on this baby: http://classicandcoolguitars.co.uk/basses/fenderjapan62rijazz.htm Looking fwd to getting her on friday, when coincidentally, i have a gig!! We've also got our favourite sound engineer on FOH - Edgy - he's been the Maccabees' mons eng for years and has just got back off the Kasabian tour with them, so looking fwd to the inevitable stories! [/quote] This is the bass I put in part ex with mark to get my limelight. I can promise you it's one of the nicest jazz basses I've ever played. Stunning! I was actually debating whether to try and get it back after my Christmas gigging funds go in but looks like ive missed out :-) nice to know it's gone to a good home though! I also bought the stacked knobs and hardcase from members of this forum. A real basschat bass :-) Here's a pic from when I had it

Who's Mike and why is he opening himself up for the evening? In all seriousness, go. You're more likely to find out how much of what you know and practice on the bass is useful for when you're playing with other people, if you actually go out and try it out by playing music with other people!

In our band, three of us are confident and (just!) able enough to cover the singing for the entire set (split between us)... If the singer comes down with something with advance warning (a few days), we get a dep. if we don't have much notice (48 hours or less!) we just drop a harmony and take lead on the ones we find easiest. We've rehearsed this as preparation for such a situation so we don't have to cancel and let anyone down. Never had to cancel a gig because of a pesky cold and hopefully never will :-)

Nearly as poorly managed and overpriced as R***********s these days!! ;-)

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1418207589' post='2627895'] Luthiers wont import the woods..they will go to a company who specialise in that. They may also ( hopefully ) subscribe to an ethical policy... and that may even be law, but mostly you are paying for a one-off customised hand crafted instrument. I've had 3 and they've always delighted me in a way other production basses just can't.. [/quote] Yes but the company the luthier will go to for the wood will add the importing costs of the woods into their prices. That's the point. Someone, somewhere along the line will pay that cost and a big corporation like Yamaha or Fender or Gibson can absorb it a lot easier than an independent wood specialist selling to a handful of luthiers, producing small numbers of basses. That why a lot of 'cheap' manufacturing is done in Indonesia, as there are a lot of exotic woods that are indigenous to Indonesia and the guitar can be produced with woods without importing the wood at a cost before exporting it and it incurring import charges upon arrival in the next country. Luthiers MAY be able to produce a nicer quality bass but you'll pay a premium for it. Some people don't like that. Also, that's not always true. I have seen, first hand, a lot of basses from UK luthiers that mostly go for £2k + and I can honestly say that I've only ever found that one of those custom builder's products to be consistantly worth the money. I don't want to get into who as most of them are active on here and I don't want to offend or affect anyone as a result of my opinion but I've played production line Ibanez basses for £800-1000 that have been better quality than some of the custom build £2k+ UK builds. It's about what YOU want to spend your money on and what you judge as good quality. There isn't a sweepin generalisation that is the 'right' answer for everyone. It might have been total luck that the Ibanez I played was loads better than the X custom built UK bass I played. You might have a totally opposing experience and spend your money on something else instead. That's fair enough. But there isn't a blanket answer that 'luthier is best'... It's not science. It's subjective opinion.

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1418206431' post='2627879'] Similarly though a small luthier making a limited number of instruments a year would not have the buying power or the means to mass produce parts in cost effictive way like the large maunfacturers... If everything is being made by hand the whole process is more labour intensive and therefore more expensive.... Of course whether you think the end product is worth that additional cost is subjective. [/quote] Yup. And much bigger companies don't have to worry about import charges. The majority of popular exotic woods would need to be imported into the UK or the US and bigger companies can produce more instruments and soak up the costs involved with importing woods than an independant luthier. Its not as clear cut as 'luthier is better'... theres only one person who can tell you which route is better for you!

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1418201033' post='2627817'] Presumably noone actually falls for these time honoured wind ups? I mean first time around would almost be forgivable, if you were victim of the guy who actually first thought of it, but not now surely... after they've been kicking around for decades? [/quote] Unfortunately, absolute stupidity is a timeless affliction!

Too much technical lingo in here. Can you please just tell me which colour is best for metal?

Great, great basses. My only gripe is the gold hardware. It looks great on models such as the SR1805 but I think on the SR1600/1605 it would look really nice with black hardware! Also one of the best things about the SR1200, SR1600 and SR1800 models that never gets mentioned but makes a huge difference to playability (IMO!) is the Wenge/bubinga neck. It's stunning!

Dunlop Super Bright stainless steel 40-100. You mention that you want smoothness and the Dunlop strings have a higher wrap ratio than most other string brands, meaning the strings feel much smoother as your fingers glide over the wraps. It's like the difference between driving over speed bumps and driving over a cattle grid at speed. Light and day in the difference of feel to other brands of string. Can't recommend them enough and they're pretty reasonable :-) http://www.bassstringsonline.com/Dunlop-Super-Bright-Stainless-Steel-Bass-Strings--4-String-Set_p_2160.html

I think any good covers band shouldn't use music stands unless there's a valid reason (like if they have a VERY last minute addition the set, for a wedding etc, or have someone depping at the very last minute who needs structures handy or similar!)... Our band leader has a music stand with an iPad on that he uses to control the offstage mixer for sound so that's acceptable too in my opinion. Also, if it's appropriate to your repertoire then fair enough. Jazz bands who improv tunes and have specific stuff to go through and it fits the aesthetic of the group, fair enough. If you're a dad-rock covers band trying to rock the WMC in your best jeans and Zeppelin tee combo, then it'll look a bit out of place. In reality, nobody is even there for the music. They're there for the bingo and the music is just a pleasant time killer in between. They won't care if you're using a bassoon, as long as you shut up when the bingo is on and don't run over so that they can have their cig on time!

[quote name='gary mac' timestamp='1417945531' post='2625239'] I just play each and every note on the instrument, first unplugged and then through an amp. No tunes necessary. [/quote] I like a mix of stuff to really see where the weak spots are (if any!)... For me it's usually a quick once though the main riff of 'Stacked actors' by Foos and 'sidekick' by Rancid with the pick. Then a couple of bars from my own piece for the harmonics/resonance of multiple harmonics. Play some of the Motown tunes from my function band repertoire and 'The Chicken' to hear the differences in the pickups (if it's appropriate - like a jazz or PJ). Then a quick blast through the latter half of 'Sex in the pan' by Wooten as it has a nice balance of muting, chords and harmonics all together. Then I run some scales and exercises including one that covers most of the notes up the neck just to hear the way everything sounds out. Intonation and action is easily sorted so I try to see past that if its not to taste or slightly out. Same with strings. I normally use quite light strings which are never fitted as standard so I have to ignore that too but that's not too difficult.

[quote name='taunton-hobbit' timestamp='1417890614' post='2624944'] People make mistakes - it happens - it's life - deal with it (professionally) and move on.... [/quote] I'm totally with you. It's just a shame that so many customers these days see human errors as an area of exploitation. They too often know that businesses don't want unhappy customers and use that to bully the retailer in to giving them some sort of 'compensation' so that they brag about how they 'won' or got a 'great deal' at the next open mic night (such bragging is a regular occurrence at our local open mic night!). I find that aspect of our culture repulsive. Bullying a member of staff who can't control such a mistake, knowing full well that they will have no choice but to give you something as a 'sorry' for the fact that they did something human is just disgusting IMO. Fair enough if they are rude or offensive etc but not for a simple human error. It's on par with America's culture of suing IMO. One of the last bits of gear that I bought was mis delivered due to a human error (the item was sent out a day early and to my work address rather than my home address). That's just down to a simple mistake. I didn't ring them up and start moaning and kicking off like an arsehole, demanding some sort of compensation like I am OWED it because someone made a small mistake. I just accepted that these things happen and nothing bad came of it. I'd happily use the store again and recommend them to everyone as the service throughout was excellent and mistakes happen. As for the OP, I totally understand the disappointment and I imagine that some of that may have been helped if the manager had been more apologetic about the error and less flippant. From the other comments, it sounds like it's not a common issue with Andertons.

Was this the bouquet gear you meant?

It's also interesting that these MM lovers claim it's not a cult but they all have a 'Musicman', 'stingray' or other related words in their basschat member names :-P The illu[b]MM[/b]inati!!

[quote name='M@23' timestamp='1417539483' post='2621512'] Thanks mate. I spent lots of time agonising over which style to go for! I wanted tweed, but thought it wouldn't look quite right with the Markbass yellow. Pictures still don't do them justice though! [/quote] I do like your colour combo. I only went for black and oxblood because I have basses that would all sit nicely with those two colours. So sad but it's worth those little details!

[quote name='bjelkeman' timestamp='1417464123' post='2620666'] Looks very nice that colour combo. And we know it sounds great too. What more do we need? Och yeah they are lightweight and not expensive for what one gets. [/quote] Shhh. Don't tell everyone or they'll all want some!!

I could write pages about my S112 but I think the best thing I can say is that it looks as good as it sounds. Simply stunning. I'm not sure that photos do the oxblood grille justice but is a lovely colour. I popped a photo of the cab cover in too so people can see how good it is!

[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1417296386' post='2619005'] Lets have some decent photos! [/quote] The problem is that even high quality photos don't even come close to doing justice to the quality of these basses.

[quote name='Mattmit' timestamp='1417255653' post='2618556'] Yea.. My gas had been surprisingly low since getting my limelights too.... Haha, sorry. That's blatant baiting! But I have been pretty settled since having the precision, jazz, and a 5 string sandberg precision type. I'm wanting to get rid of my other basses so those guys get my full attention. The precision is really good but I got it early on and his relicing wasn't as good as it is now, each one he does looks better than the last, a blessing and a curse. [/quote] I must admit, I have had almost zero GAS since getting my Limelight. I've even been quite active in trying to find a bass to obsess over and just can't find anything. Grrrr!

[quote name='Mudpup' timestamp='1417129643' post='2617460'] This is the second time its happened to me and in these times of independent shops fighting to survive against the internet giants it constantly surprises me how little effort some stores put into selling their products. Roll back the clock about 3 years - its a significant birthday for me and i have some cash (£1500) to splash. Always wanted a Warwick Streamer so i hunt around and find one in a shop about an hours drive from me. I call the shop to check its ok to pop in and have a widdle on it a few days in advance. Turn up at allotted time and wander around for about 20 mins in the shop waiting for someone to say hello to me. I eventually give up and grab a bod to ask if its ok to plug the bass in. I am directed to a 15watt Ashdown combo and given a lead. The bass has 10 year old strings on it and a set up that you can drive a bus under and sounds crap. And the combo isnt working properly either. I politely ask if i could use a different amp and could they pop a new set of strings on it and give it a tweak so its playable to which they answer "not unless youre going to buy it". Anyone spotted the flaw in this approach yet? I go for a walk taking my dosh with me and buy something else a few days later. Now to todays experience. Saw a Musicman bass (think zingy, twangy, lively.......) on ebay that i was interested in - Xmas just round the corner - and its for sale in a shop thats in the way back from work. Pop in, locate bass, ask politely etc........ 2003 bass with the original strings on it again and in dire need of ten minutes with an allen key. Sounded like a rubber band. Suffice to say, i dont have a nbd to report. Is it just me being picky or do people just not know how to present a product to its best advantage? No wonder theyre all going bust....... [/quote] From what I can see, your choice of where to buy and locate potential buys is probably contributing to the overall poor experience, in addition to the poor service you get tbh. The first instance is just annoying and the ugly side of music retail. Those experiences happen. As for avoiding the second situation, if you're going to consider buying a bass after viewing it on fleabay first, it's unlikely to be a great experience. Maybe go to a specialist who cares enough to have their own decent website to advertise their stock (and expertise!) properly and somewhere that has sales assistants who offer good enough customer service that they don't have to flog off their cr@p on fleabay to a blind buyer as a last ditch attempt to get rid easily. Having (recently) dealt with one of the specialist Bass retailers in the UK, I couldn't have had a better experience. Superb communications, highly knowledgable staff, polite and helpful. Got my new cab and a great feeling from the experience. Difficult to find that quality from an independant, Jack-of-all-trades retailer that you find through an ebay link and popped in to (as proven by the old strings and lack of knowledge to give a basic setup!).