GT40Graham

I've dealt with Paul and Co many times and can't speak more highly of them. The only time that I've had a problem was with a set of Rotosound Swing Bass strings where the D string had a funny "rattle", a replacement arrived the following morning. He always responds quickly to e-mails as well which is a major plus point in my books.

It could be such a good mag but always manages to fall short IMO.

I know where you're coming from. Sometimes there are so many different sounds available that it is impossible to sort through them all and as you say, most audiences don't notice. I did find with my own Bass Pod XT Live that I would end up using just one or two of my own presets and the odd effect but that was it.

The thing that happened to me the most was finding that there wasn't any bass going through the PA despite ebing told that there was. Once I got wise to this I would just turn down my amp during soundcheck (the d.i. feed is unaffected by the volume control) so that I could hear the bass in the PA and then bring the amp up to a suitable volume. Fave though was our guitarist who would stand behind you shaking his head to show everyone that you'd made a mistake. Ironic thing was, he would sulk if you criticised him for making a mistake of which there were plenty. A true bell end of the highest order.

I went to the Bass Guitar Show at the weekend, hoping to pick up a nice Rickenbacker 4001/4003 in Fireglo. No such luck although Promenade Music did have a Mapleglo and a Jetglo at very attractive prices. A trip to the West End (Denmark Street/Charing Cross Road) did reveal a number of s/h Rick's including a couple of checkerboard bound ones in (yet again) Jetglo and Mapleglo. The Jetglo job was nearly £4k. There was also a very attractive blue 4001 for sensible money which was very tempting. Macari's on Charing Cross Road had a 2012 Rickenbacker 4003 in Fireglo and at a good price too. It had what appears to be the new Caribbean rosewood fretboard which in this case, had a very distinctive grain pattern at the low end. After a certain amount of haggling, cash was exchanged and I now own this beauty and for a price lower than I've seen some s/h ones go for! Excuse the poor quality of the pic, hotel lighting.

Well for me, it was my first show and will be the last! The number of traders was pathetically small, I have seen more basses and more variety at the provincial guitar shows. Having said that, well done to Promenade Music for having a nice selection of basses and some real cracking bargains. I took a wad of cash expecting to be spoilt for choice - no chance as there was so little choice. I ended up spending it at Macari's in Charing Cross Road. As for all that slapping! It's all been highlighted above but even the guys on the manufacturers stands were demonstrating their wares with slapping. For the size of the show and what was on offer it was worth a £5 entry fee.

Although I've never asked them to do a set-up (I do my own), I have been pretty impressed with all aspects of MOR Music. I'd give them a whirl.

[quote name='woodster909' timestamp='1330552089' post='1559435'] possibly my favourite bassline, and the fab four at their peak [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuQ22WYr7N8&feature=fvwrel[/media] [/quote] Looks like a Hofner to me

[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1330456499' post='1557866'] It would appear Jon Camp has arrived over on Talkbass, I'll pm him, hopefully he will reply! I'll try to get him over to Basschat as well. I remember reading that interview and him stating that his Ricks were modified. If they had different pickups at the time of the above clips I will be very surprised - it just sounds like a classic, stock Rick to my ears. [/quote] That would be really good if you could get him on here.

[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1330450612' post='1557753'] It may have been at some point but the clips posted here (apart from the Northern Lights clip) are standard Rick tone. The Sight and Sound concert is very clear, it certainly [i]looks[/i] like a stock Rick too. [/quote] But apparently not. That bass is known as the "Great White" and I understand that it had a Di Marzio p/u in the bridge position. In interviews, Camp states that his Rick's were heavily modified. A guy on Rickresource currently owns the bass.

Without checking properly, I seem to remember that Jon Camp's Rick was heavily customised with different pups and other mods.

I have found that [url="http://www.partysounds.co.uk/"]Partysounds[/url] works very well.I know how you feel though. I've been setting up a band for the last few months and it's been a case of "one step forwards, five backwards". Stick with it.

[quote name='hiram.k.hackenbacker' timestamp='1330441690' post='1557518'] That's a pretty awesome line-up you have there. I recognise all of them apart from the lady.... Let's see...Paul Michael Glaser (the original Dave Starsky) on the left, Robin Gibb in the middle, then Jenson Button and Simon Pegg on the right. [/quote] Could it be Sting in drag?

[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1330422469' post='1557025'] What's the bets that your Ricky was stolen 33 years ago? [/quote] Ha, ha. It was brand new at the time and they had to replace it under warranty because of a cross-threaded truss rod nut. Although they had a lot of classic gear at that time, it didn't have the value and kudos that it has now. They got greedy. Interestingly, I still get e-mails from them with some beautiful guitars so they are obviously still trading, for how long I wonder?

Cool.

[quote name='4000' timestamp='1330188803' post='1553933'] Not from that, but a lovely example of Jon and just about my holy grail of Rick tone (along with Messrs Squire & Kilmister): [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQ_5h0SKUSM[/media] [/quote] Not forgetting Northern Lights: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBLuEI6MdCw"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBLuEI6MdCw[/media] Technically not a Rick but the sound is awesome.

I'm very saddened to hear this as Rick Harrison sold me my first Rickenbacker (the black one in my avatar) from the Music Ground store in Dunscroft near Doncaster some 32 years ago. I've been in both the Leeds and Denmark Street shops many times although I found Justin Harrison to be an arrogant ****!

When I first started playing, there was only sheet music available and that was only for piano with a guitar chord box if you were lucky. You were also lucky if it was in the same key as the record (a record is a pre-cd thing) and if it bore any relationship to the song that you were trying to learn you were mega lucky. Tabs can be helpful but I have yet to see a really accurate one. I love to see Thin Lizzy tabs that are tabbed in Ab (G#), how stupid can you get? I knackered many a record by lifting the needle on and off, trying to listen to that elusive part. Thank heaven for cd's and mp3's.

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1330413191' post='1556901'] For me, I hate seeing bands where they just don`t look like a band - a live performance is visual, if you bother with lights and backdrops, wear something to add to the performance as well, look like a band with an identity. [/quote] Couldn't agree more! I've been doing the glam thing until recently and now working on a pop/rock covers thing but there won't be any jeans, t-shirts, trainers or cropped trousers in evidence, that I can guarantee.

As a previous Powerseller on eBay (for my business and nothing to do with basses), I have tons of horror stories, not about customers although there were a couple of those, but from eBay themselves with ridiculous policy decisions and at that time, ever-increasing fees. I very rarely purchase from there now and where possible, I approach the seller away from eBay. I have noticed that some companies have lower prices on eBay than they do on their own websites (Rickenbacker parts spring to mind) so bear this in mind. As regards Basschat, I have bought one bass and one bass amp from here and both purchases went without hitch, both sellers being very friendly, very professional and very helpful. Basschat every time!

Personally I wouldn't sand off the existing finish as it will be much easier to get a smooth and level surface using that as a base. It wil be much, much harder to get the wood smooth and level after stripping the paint off as most paint strippers will affect the wood in some way or another by making the grain swell. You will then have to redo all the work that has already been done by the original painters so why bother? Sand the existing finish to give the new paint something to adhere to and then use a suitable primer before applying the colour coats. You will need a lot of coats and you must sand down between each and every coat with fine wet and dry (always used wet). To polish the paint, get an electric buffer as used by car refinishers and use that with cutting paste. Take your time.

These Haynes Manuals are pretty interesting but they are very repetitive, so the disassembly of one guitar has exactly the same text as the disassembly of the other guitars. Having said that, it is all spelt out in easy to understand language and if it covers one of the specific models that you have then so much the better. You can usually pick them up at less than the RRP, especially on the run-up to Chrimbo.