hiram.k.hackenbacker

I think I may have mentioned this elsewhere, but I recommend Dave at G & S Music as a source for most things Zappa.

As soon as I get a whiff of a new release, I send Dave a message and it arrives on the release day.

http://www.gandsmusic.com

6 minutes ago, SpondonBassed said:

I might have done the same but for the fact that my Blu-ray player can't "see" discs any more.

I can't be a®sed to troubleshoot until I am in the right frame of mind to re-cable all of the separates and hoover around the back of the lounge A/V system.

It's an old house and it can get right cobwebby behind with little critters and stuff if it's left long enough.  Not a nice job.

Have you a dedicated disc player H?  Just curious as to what's good these days in case I decide to replace mine.

Yes, I was fortunate to get one of the (then) best multi-regional players available before they inexplicably stopped making disc players and moved over to mobile phones instead. It's an OPPO.

I'm not sure what is good and what is not these days to be honest. I'd have to look into a bit more before recommending anything I'm afraid.

Yes, Dweezil has done a grand job keeping the Zappa legacy alive. Ahmet's show was very good as well. Nice to see Thunes again after all this time.

I've bitten the bullet and ordered the blu-ray. Found it reasonably cheap on eBay. Should arrive next week.

8 minutes ago, mike f said:

....And Scott was liked by Zappa, I think some of the other band members complaints about him have been retracted over the years.

With the notable exception of some of the brass section. If it had just been a straight ahead rock band line-up, that nonsense wouldn't have happened.

5 minutes ago, toneknob said:

I've probably missed a rather significant memo here, but who's the "we" here?

14 minutes ago, rushbo said:

Cheers Mr H. Here's the link for any UK based Zappafans:

https://www.altitude.film/page/zappa?country=united-kingdom

Yes, Altitude, not Atlantic - sorry 🙄.

12 minutes ago, toneknob said:

BLA 5 just touched down here. 

Looking forward to some of the tracks that haven't appeared so far on the series (unless my memory is fading, wouldn't be surprised): eg Always Crashing, and one for the  young folk, early single Can't Help Thinking About Me from 1966.

Yep, mine arrived this morning as well. Been saying for what seems like a year (😜) that we should do Cant’t Help Thinking About Me. Great tune.

15 minutes ago, rushbo said:

Is this available to view in the UK yet?

I did look the other day and you can watch it through the Atlantic film web site (I think) but you had a limited window to watch it (48 hrs) and you can’t go back afterwards for a re-watch (so it seemed to me). It’s available on disc through Amazon but will likely incur fees coming from the USA.

21 minutes ago, 12stringbassist said:

Try this if you haven't watched it already...
Scott Thunes on bass who really wound Zappa's band up if I remember right.

Yeah, wore my original VHS copy out.

The Thunes thing is well documented.

On 11/03/2021 at 16:54, Doctor J said:

....so Zappa was my musical starting point but, even for me, his music ranges from sublime to unlistenable.

I am a longtime Zappa fan and whilst I'll admit, in my younger days, I struggled to get acquainted with some of his material at first, I can't think of anything now that I would class as unlistenable. I'm interested in what you would put in that category. No criticism at all, I'm genuinely interested. I've probably listened to more Zappa than any other composer in my lifetime - partly because there is more to listen to I guess and I now view anything that has his name on it as a 'safe pair of hands' if that makes sense. I blind buy everything the ZFT put out and bar a couple of compilations, I think I'm fairly Zappa complete. Don't even start me on the 100's of bootlegs I have. Really looking forward to watching the movie, but have been actively avoiding anything to do with it until I have my own copy that I can enjoy.

Great basses these and a good price for this example. I bought a HCA version for a hair metal band I was depping for. Sounded the business. GLWTS.

Yes, like the sound of these but not owned one myself.

In all seriousness and to answer the OP's original question more directly, I did have a plan for my 50th birthday regarding a celebratory bass purchase.

I decided on the bass in question a few years before with a view to getting it built for completion around the relevant time. A few e-mails went back and forth between the manufacturer and I regarding options and pricing, but it was going to be a very long wait unless I was willing to accept one of the couple that had already been built. For a number of reasons, I didn't pull the trigger and before I knew it, the moment had passed for a new build to arrive anywhere near on time.

The day of my 50th came and went free of any significant bass purchases. I did buy a few that year, so don't get the violins out, but I didn't get to scratch the particular itch I had....until three years later!

I found my '50th birthday bass' for sale and completely by chance, it had the exact spec I would have chosen - it was like it was meant to be. It was/is in absolutely mint condition and one owner from new - also a lot cheaper than a new one!

2 hours ago, Rusco said:

What bass did you add to the collection as a milestone keeper?, you know that one you’d never sell for both musical and sentimental reasons.

I can't say I'd never sell it as it takes me a while to decide whether it's a keeper or not, but today (ask me tomorrow and it will probably be different) I'll go for a Zon Sonus, or one of the very nice Fodera Monarch's for sale on these here pages, or maybe a Ken Smith Black Tiger. You'll not go far wrong with a CW Status if that's what your considering.

44 minutes ago, AndyTravis said:

Love that - like the 4004LK without the horrific bits.

Steady on old chap. My LK is a thing of beauty 😂.

On 15/02/2021 at 23:22, molan said:

Contemplates selling vintage Fenders to fund Fodera purchase. . . 🤦‍♂️

You’re thinking along the same lines as me then Barrie 😂. Not helped at all by the fact that there are three lovely Fodera Monarch’s on Page 1 at the moment. At least this one is in the UK and a short drive from me.

I have exactly the same problem courtesy of a smashed ring finger that set incorrectly. Fortunately it’s on my plucking hand. I can’t see a way around your predicament.

10 minutes ago, bassfan said:

Or a Ken smith, Status, nice ray, fender..... 😂😂

I can resist another Status (just) and another ‘Ray. Might be in trouble if a nice Smith comes along, other than that, I’m good 😜.

11 minutes ago, AndyTravis said:

There’s one for sale here...or is it gone? Love the Sonus shape, and Cody Wright always makes them sound ace

Yeah, it’s not in the UK though 🤷‍♂️.

I could be properly done for if a nice Zon Sonus 4 appears. Regretting not buying the one I played last year. Oh well.

I made it through February 

Nope. Does nothing for me.

I have to say, I like both the basses, but I dread to think how much they are asking for them.

1 hour ago, toneknob said:

Vinyl only so far. I was going to get Vinyl + CD this time so I could eBay the CD to cover the costs of getting Vol 3 from the USA after slighty late arrival at the pre-order party (ie UK sold out, USA not yet), but that's not entirely in the spirit of things.

Didn't know that Vol 6 was going to be another from 1999 - the Vienna show from Oct 17 would be nice as it's the only live performance of If I'm Dreaming My Life. Having said that, any Hours show is going to overlap massively with Vol 5.

He played 'If I'm Dreaming My Life' in New York two months prior to Vienna. That's the only two times. Astoria would be nice as it's a longer set, but I'll buy it whatever it is, so not too worried - but yes, massive overlap.

That it's another '99 gig is what I've been told by a reliable source, but we'll have to wait and see.

I don't know if the vinyl is produced in lesser quantities, but they always seem to sell out first and go for more on eBay.

13 minutes ago, toneknob said:

Got mine ordered, which makes me 5/5 so far.

Tell you what, if you're missing out on the stress that accompanies tickets going on sale for your favourite band (for example), thne awaiting the email announcement for the next Bowie BLA installment is pretty close.

Are you going vinyl, CD or both?

You’re probably aware of this already, but it was known that volumes 5 & 6 were both going to be ‘99 gigs and that one of them would be ‘Something In The Air’. So now that’s out of the way, I wonder what the final one might be. The London Astoria gig maybe?