hiram.k.hackenbacker

Price drop and option for shipping added.

Oh, and happy birthday @Bluewine. Hope you had a great day.

For about as long as I can remember, January has always been fairly quiet on the gig front in whatever bands I’ve been in. This year was no exception. Our first gig of this year was Jan 27th and we’re consistently busy for the rest of this year. I’m cool with having most of January off. It gives me a chance to chill and refocus looking at new material. 

13 minutes ago, chriswareham said:

Name starts with an "A". Based in Guildford. I've been shopping there since I was an almost penniless student more years ago than I care to remember, and they were a tiny shop on a back street. Last time I'll order from them though.

That sounds very unlike them. I shop with them and have never had an issue.

If it were me, I would be ringing them up and asking to speak with someone in authority rather than the spotty YTS oik.

They have absolutely no grounds to require you to provide video evidence of the fault with the product they have delivered.

What's more, anyone who has half a brain at that shop knows that and whoever you have had dealings with is out their depth.

They’re having you over mate. I’m assuming it was a brand new item and not sold as seen within any faults? If so, tell them to do one and get your money back. I would also very much like to know who they are so I can avoid them.

On 02/02/2024 at 20:24, Paul S said:

Played a 'blues and brews' night at the John Peel Centre in Stowmarket.  Lovely venue - we've played there before - easy load in/out, big stage, lights, great sound system with a team of sound guys.  3 bands, we were on last or 'headlining' as like to call it, a selection of local beers on offer.  I wasn't confident anyone would turn on a chilly thursday in February up but apparently 60 souls made it - far more than I imagined.  Bands were Red Sky High, Jamie Williams and the Roots Collective - who were especially good, great set of originals delivered in some style.  Their bass player had a bitsa short scale Bronco/Mustang/Jazz hybrid that sounded awesome.  Good player, too.

 

Having been nicely warmed up and lubricated the crowd appreciated us and we went down very well, despite some left of field errors on a few songs we have played faultlessly for months (why does that happen?).  We played a longer set, just over an hour, and it was all round a damned fine evening.  No traffic there or back, in bed by 1am.  My gear was my SG > new Trace Elliot Transit B pedal > desk which sounded pretty fab from where I was standing.

 

Guitarist Alan's pic, taken from the mezzanine 'green room' where the performers hang out - Jamie Williams et al on their last song.

 

  

I was just about to query which band this was in the photo and/or if you’d had a hair transplant since I last saw you. Then I read the last line. Glad you had a good gig 👍

7 minutes ago, neepheid said:

Wonky sh!te, fuggetaboutit!

Yes, they are known for their wonkiness, so I'll give you that 😉

1 hour ago, Richard R said:

There is still time to avoid the purchase.... 🤪

What's the bass?

A Dingwall.

Forgive me abstainers, for I have sinned. I sent a message to a seller about a bass.

No money has changed hands and I haven’t had a reply yet, but I feel I should confess 😎

52 minutes ago, mr zed said:

Still in - why do I read this thread then go straight to the basses for sale section???

No harm in window shopping 😎

I think I would pass on that one. I like unique designs, but that hasn't been done well at all.

Save a bit of room and bin the acoustic 😎

9 hours ago, EddieG said:

Binky, you could well be right on that, I know you've certainly got enough solid experience to base your reply on.👍

 

As per his request I've emailed him this evening with a proposal for an instrument that would bring matters to a close. The proposed costs come in under the outstanding amount and isn't demanding an Alembic or Ritter level of luthiery, but it would fulfil the needs I have for an instrument now, and is in my opinion extremely reasonable. 
I can list a cost breakdown later if needs be and I'll retain the email just in case, but the ball is now in his court, and it's down to whether he wants to follow exactly the specs I require, or doesn't. 

I was behind you all the way until I just read this. Are you mad? After all he’s put you through you’re going down the ‘finish the instrument’ route? Even if he does complete something similar to what you’ve specced, it won’t be 100% and it’ll just sit there as a reminder of all the crap you went through and that you still didn’t get what you want. Plus, you’ll never be able to sell if you need to. Might not even be able to give it away at this rate. I’d rather wave goodbye to the money forever. 

Call me what you like, but I have absolutely zero sympathy with the ‘builder’.

@EddieG has been far more accommodating than I would have over this debt.

Letts can give all the excuses he likes, but nothing excuses the fact that he has not started any sort of repayment plan.

Even a couple of £’s a week/month would be a start and that’s if you buy into the fact that he is a skint as he says he is. I don’t.

He’s in business selling and shipping basses on Reverb as well as posting videos on You Tube. Some videos have thousands of watch numbers on them. Given they are original content, is this enough that the videos are monetised? I’d imagine that would be the only reason he does it, because some of the content is just awful.

2 minutes ago, jimmyb625 said:

Here you go! 

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/196157214340

 

Very nice. If the right Dingwall Sklar came along, I would be in serious trouble. The nearest one I can find is Belgium, so I think I’m quite safe at the moment 😎

5 minutes ago, jimmyb625 said:

Still in by a long way. There is a bass on ebay right now that I really, really like, however there's no way I can afford to spend that much on it.

I think we need to know what that is 😎

15 minutes ago, Paul S said:

I can see a Dano longhorn arriving at casa S before the spring equinox, mind.  

Longhorn/Shortscale. Kind of doesn't make sense does it, but I definitely do see the attraction. I've not played one, but I think they look great.

One of my favourite Doris Day films, Pillow Talk, has a scene in a bar where the wonderful Perry Blackwell sings 'Roly Poly'. The bass player is holding a Danelectro Longhorn in a lovely finish.

I would saying he's playing it, but he's clearly not 😎. Perry Blackwell is still going strong at 98 years of age!

Anyhow, I made it through January without so much as a near miss. February is always a danger month as it's my month of birth. Not a significant one this year, so feeling confident.

16 hours ago, three said:

I think this used to be mine (though it had a black pick-up cover on the J pickup?).  If it was mine, it's an absolutely staggeringly good bass.  Undoubtedly, the finest Fender type necks I've played - the J necks are super-slender and feel fabulous in the hand.  One of Basschat's finest sellers too!

You're not thinking about the one I bought off you are you @three?

Sax player in my 80’s band has one. Wicked piece of kit. So many sounds available.

Admittedly I know nothing of Letts or his basses, but one would assume there must be some happy customers/owners out there somewhere?

I watched one of his build videos on YT and there’s some huge red flags throughout. Not quite MDP standard, but still worrying.

Are they old videos reloaded or are they new to his channel?

I wish I could help you out mate, but I don't possess such a bass.

I'm sure there will be an offer here soon enough.

The odds were stacked against last night even going ahead.

Our keyboard player had to pull out due to illness leaving us within a week of the gig with no option other than to cancel.

Keyboard players (decent ones) seem to be like rocking horse poo around these parts.

We decided to enlist the help of a guitarist to fill the hole which meant binning about 50% of our set for guitar orientated tunes.

One midweek rehearsal behind us and we got away with it. Went down very well.

Same again next week as a two guitar band.

Try The Swan in Hatfield Peverel. It’s not a huge pub and not usually over busy. We’re playing there next week. I don’t know how far in advance they get booked tho.

So are you looking at hiring the space in a pub exclusively for your band/guests or getting your band a gig in a pub at the same time as your 30 guests turning up?

My Ric came with a sticker on it and I removed. Instantly devalued it by 50% 😎