hiram.k.hackenbacker

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1456183786' post='2986468'] That's easy - a pre-CBS Fender P. [/quote] Good call. One of my options is a YOB '66 Jazz. I just haven't found the right one yet. With hindsight a with a few glasses of champers, I should have bought Si's one when I had the chance, but it's sadly now sold.

So, it's my 50th birthday today and I've had a really lovely day. I've been properly pampered by Mrs.H. I've had a totally chilled out day, we walked the dogs, she made bacon butties for lunch, I vegged out this afternoon, did a bit of noodling on my Jazz, then went out for dinner at 7. Just returned and now with a glass of Verve Clicquot in hand and admiring a bootle of Jack Daniel Master Distiller Limited Edition Whiskey that my best mate bought me. I may have to crack that open fairly soon :-) Regarding a gift, some time ago my wife asked me what I would like for my birthday and I struggled to suggest anything. Apart from the most important things (kids/family) my interests are fairly limited to film, music and bass which brings it's own set of problems. She's not 100% keyed into what I might like in any of these categories without a bit of heavy steerage, if you follow my drift. So, she suggested I just choose a bass - any bass. Despite a fair amount of thought and a heck of a lot of surfing, I've not found this process particularly easy. I do feel that whatever I choose must be a keeper right out of the gate, so I feel I need to be sure. I don't think she would be offended if ultimately I made the wrong choice, but I would like to avoid that if possible. I'm not after any assistance in the idea department as I have about five or six basses that I'm looking at right now, but I just wondered, if you were given the choice of one new (to you) bass that there was a little bit of pressure on you as being a keeper, then what would it be?

[quote name='hiram.k.hackenbacker' timestamp='1456100246' post='2985464'] There's a lovely looking BFR on eBay right now for ~£2.5k, but it's a bit too far away from me to go and try it. [/quote] eBay BFR Sterling [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/262296272734?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2648&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT"]here[/url]. Another BFR that looks very similar, but with a maple fretboard [url="http://www.basscentral.com/pdimages/2014/BLOWUPS%202014/MUSICMANSTERLING4HBFRTRAWALNUTQUILT21246.html"]here[/url]. Almost the same price, but in $'s!

[quote name='drTStingray' timestamp='1456098864' post='2985449'] The Stingray looks great. EBMM do custom jobs but only for the likes of Tony Levin and other artists. They've done some nice ones for Randy Jackson in the past (including an HH Sterling with white pick up covers - only available to mere mortals for the single H type Sterling and Stingray pick up, or SR5 single H with a white pick guard) [/quote] Agreed and hats off to whoever's idea it was. The white LED's are just perfect for it. Little too blingy for my taste, but absolutely right for that bass and it's owner. I've recently come around to the idea that I might like to try a Sterling. There's a lovely looking BFR on eBay right now for ~£2.5k, but it's a bit too far away from me to go and try it.

[quote name='LayDownThaFunk' timestamp='1456079973' post='2985205'] A bass that isn't a Fodera with a yin yang job that looks better. Precious little thing, OP. [/quote] What [i]are[/i] you on about?

[quote name='Graham' timestamp='1456050988' post='2984759'] Why not? He was playing a Stingray on ITV's prime time Saturday night Flagship show, that's got to be worth a lot of advertising to Musicman, whoever's playing it. [/quote] I think it looks more like a Fodera and very much less like a Stingray as a result of the paint job. Now we know the origin, I would think Martin Sims would probably get more out it than EB.

[quote name='Painy' timestamp='1456052381' post='2984785'] Wouldn't have been the only Yin Yang bass not made by Fodera. [/quote] Is that a Warwick? It's certainly a different take on it. I can't decide whether I like it or not.

[quote name='barneyg42' timestamp='1456051769' post='2984772'] This might explain things! [/quote] Very well detected. Thanks for the info :-)

[quote name='Cameronj279' timestamp='1456052791' post='2984791'] I think the Stingray with the yin-yang finish is much nicer looking than the Fodera. [/quote] Beauty is in the eye of the beholder of course, but I have a Fodera Yin-Yang Standard and four Stingrays. I have also had other Stingrays that I have moved on. None of the them are anywhere near the quality and playability of my Fodera. Still love the 'Ray, but a Fodera they ain't.

[quote name='Shockwave' timestamp='1456018928' post='2984621'] They do do custom spec. You just need to be known enough to get it done. A Wilhelm screams bass player has a custom one which he got recently and he told me the story behind it. [/quote] Sounds interesting. Can you share that with us?

....was using what appeared to be a Music Man Stingray 4H on Ant & Dec's Takeaway show tonight, but it was in a black and white Fodera yin-yang type paint job with front facing LED's. I'm sure that can't have been manufactured by Ernie Ball, as I know from recent experience that they "don't do custom spec". Im sure there isn't any protection regarding the yin-yang symbol, but I wonder how Fodera feel about it?

That's great. Don't worry about looking for the info, I assumed the seller was part of the Ernie Ball PDN. I did look at Sweetwater who have some nice neck-through Ray's, but I think I'm going to go with the one at ProMusicTools. Thanks for taking the time to explain what you went through. Much appreciated.

Well, I'm pleased you've only had one awkward situation rather than two. Although I'm quite taken with the one I've seen on ProMusicTools, I would be interested to know which seller you used in the USA to see what they have in stock.

[quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1455647713' post='2981133'] My last Music Man bass from them was erroneously packaged without protection between bass and Music Man case, leaving the bass to move around inside the case. Also, they had put the case in a much larger Fender corrugated board box without filling the void adequately, allowing the Music Man case to move freely within the Fender box. Thirdly, they'd put on the address sticker in such a way that if one had the sticker in reading position, the bass inside would be standing on its headstock. The obvious result of all of this was that the bass had gotten its volume knob knocked off during transport. ProMusicTools initially would not accept any responsibility for this, and instead meant this was due to stupid consumer error, which got me fuming. When they finally did accept responsibility after I'd thoroughly documented how badly they had packaged this time, it took them [b]more than a year[/b] before they sent me the new pot I would solder in myself (I had offered to do this myself in order to save them the hassle as well as the shipping costs both ways). Several of my polite mails during that year remained unanswered, and my last, very clear and very strict one a whole year later (still polite, mind, just factual and strict) that stated I would complain about them to Music Man, resulted in an enormously butthurt answer and in the pot arriving here within a few days. No apology or anything like it. I remained flabbergasted. I saved them on postage twice and offered to take responsibility for the repair, and all they mustered was being butthurt by me saying their customer service was unacceptable to me. In summing up: in my experience they're very good when there's no problem, but they show their private personal issues very clearly when not everything is perfect anymore. [/quote] Mmm. This presumably wasn't anything top do with the "other" scenario you had regarding the NOS instrument? In the absence of others weighing in, I think I might be prepared to regard the above as an unlucky occurrence which hopefully won't be repeated for me. Could I ask how long ago this was?

[quote name='Mudpup' timestamp='1455646690' post='2981108'] Bought a Stingray off them a few months back. Good as gold - great comms before i bought, tracking info a little slow but bass arrived in a few days. I would use them again without hesitation. [/quote] Aha! Just what I was hoping to hear. Which Stingray did you buy if you don't mind me asking?

Just before I pull the trigger, I just wondered if there were anything other than positive experiences dealing with the above company. I've never purchased from them before, so thought I should probably check before I go all NBD :-) I am aware of the thread started by BassTractor from 2013 which exonerated them from the situation he found himself in.

It seems I've found the answer to my own question.... http://www.andybaxterbass.com/details.php?id=786 I'm a little confused as to how I missed it as I've been looking for a while. I just have to find one that isn't sold now

[quote name='Chiliwailer' timestamp='1454961485' post='2974665'] Not the best of games either unfortunately. [/quote] It was a strange one granted, but it was quite close the majority of the way through. More about which defence would fold first. I think Cam Newton let his side down. He looked defeated before halftime even.

[quote name='Toasted' timestamp='1454968455' post='2974738'] You say predictable. I say the biggest international pop hit of the past year. [/quote] Don't get me wrong, I love the song, but it didn't make it any less predictable

Probably one of the worst openings I've seen for a while, but I didn't really have high expectations from Coldplay. Don't really know what the organisers were thinking booking them. Thought things were on the up when Bruno turned up, but he trotted out the predictable and Beyoncé certainly didn't add anything. Oh good, Coldplay are back on. Yawn.