Dad3353

Looks like an 'Oops' moment on the part of Amazon, but fair do's to them if they are honouring their mistake. Reading the apparent reduction above, I went to Amazon.fr last night, to see it at just under 70€. Swapping over to Amazon.co.uk, I saw the £18.19, and ordered one from there. Once postage (to France...) added on, it comes to 30€, less than half the French Amazon price. It's now back to the 'real' price everywhere, so probably a 'glitch', but I'm still invoiced for yesterday's lower price. Available whenever, I'm not bothered; I'm not even a Geddy fan, either..! It'll do nicely to prop up a wonky table, though.

Have a look here ... KVR, Ignite amp sims ... There's enough there to play around with; they're free, but good quality Vst's.

Dating Hofners (any model...) can be complicated, as there was much overlap in their models. In theory, the body decal was not used on violin basses after 63/64. The best way to date these basses is really to lift the control plate and read the date codes on the pots. There is sometimes a date pencilled on the inside of the guitar table, which may be read with a mirror and light poked through that same cavity. A pretty good estimation can be made from a photo, showing the pick-ups, the headstock and tuners, the neck from the back, the control panel and the heel of the instrument. From that, much may be ascertained, but there are copies and modded stuff out there, too. Hope this helps; subject to completion, correction and/or contradiction from others.

I've just taken delivery of a Roland acoustic amp (AC60...), shipped promptly to France, impeccably packed and in pristine condition. All at a more than reasonable cost, so to say that I'm pleased would be an understatement. Excellent communication, including friendly banter; things couldn't have been better. Thanks again, then, Frank. It's been a real pleasure. I hereby declare this fellow to be, in my opinion and experience, a Thoroughly Good Egg.

Good evening, Kevvo, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share. (But you knew that anyway, I suppose ...)

Good evening, TW , and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

I saw Genesis at Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, playing mostly acoustic guitars, with (I think...) Phil Collins on drums. Well before it all 'took off'; they were excellent. I saw them several times, later, with the Gabriel theatrics 'n all, too; stunning stuff. Can't say for the post-Gabriel shows, but no regrets for having missed 'em. And 'Yes, the early Floyd shows were ace, with their oil-wheel light shows..!'.

... and the fitted hard case must be worth that, alone, if it stays at the present price (£51...), so a bargain, I'd say. Ebay rules preclude giving the location, but it's Sheffield, according to Ebay..! How many Heart Foundation charity shops are there, there..?

Are you sure..? To refute VERB [WITH OBJECT] Prove (a statement or theory) to be wrong or false; disprove. May I suggest 'uphold' as being more credible in context..? Just sayin'.

The very epitome of schizophrenia..! Couldn't be more divers..! Well done on, firstly, getting the gig in the first place, and, secondly, doing yourself proud in nailing it. Sock it to 'em again (and again, and again...). Good Stuff.

Well, there's a castle to visit and a couple of vestiges of ruined castles, and ... Errr... That's about all, really..! S'alright in the summer, when it's fine. Oh yes, and tractors. We see a lot of tractors. And cows. Quite a lot of cows. And tractors. You'd be welcome to visit, just the same.

Bootsie played acoustic bass..? Who knew..?

Good evening, Waldo , and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

Thanks for that, Ed; no surprises there, as that's exactly how what I listened to comes across. No problems with the drums but for their sound. The playing is not the question, just the timbre phonic which seemed, to me, to be unrelated to the songs; played correctly, but almost unmusical in finality. It's no reflection on the drummers, nor the composition or arrangement; just my drummer's ears that didn't like the sound. You'll do fine on stage with just the guitar and mic; the songs don't need any fancy dressing or artificial flavours. They stand up on their own merits; any lily-gilding would raise the question of 'over-production'. The complimentary tones from the brass and BV's add a nice depth, but the compositions won't fall flat for lack of 'em. Those that have heard the recorded version will fill in the gaps mentally; those listening for the first time won't feel that there's anything missing. Good luck with the project; give me a shout when you're next touring in Lower Normandy and I'll buy tickets.

Good evening, Yukimajo , and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share. White Rabbit..? Good choice, I say. To master this (and, indeed, any part that has these issues...), the secret is very simple: slow down. The fastest way to play fast is to play slowly. Get it down to a speed you can manage comfortably, and play it like that for a while (a week or so..?) Wind it up a notch or two; if you can do it, give it some time like that and repeat, but if not, wind it back down until you can do it. It won't take long with such a number to get up to speed, but slow and steady is the fastest way forward. Good luck with it; hope this helps.

From an insurance company..?

Yes, it should, to be grammatically 'top', but we'll let it pass this time.

One may appreciate the exhaustive description.

Good afternoon, Ed ... Beware of what you wish for..? I listened to the tracks linked, and you've asked for feedback, so... Shades of Lou Reed, early (and late...) Bowie, a couple of French blokes you probably haven't heard of... Take that as compliments; one could have far worse 'bed-fellows'. I'll start with the 'liked less' stuff (don't fret; it'll be brief...)... I wasn't keen on the composition format, with a few bars intro before the first verse. It works, of course, sometimes, but it breaks things up a bit to have the lyrics bang in right from the start. No big deal, but a minor irritation that's easily remedied. I'm a drummer, so maybe am more susceptible to the drum sound; I wasn't in love with these drums. The playing is apt enough, and fits in (mostly...), but the recorded sound was disappointing, and, for several tracks, seemed 'apart' from the rest. I realise that singing is a special skill (I wish I had it at all...), and one has to go with whatever one has been given, but maybe some vocal training could enable a little bit more vocal range..? I haven't checked, but most of the vocals seem to be in the same key, or at least the same spectrum. Again, a minor niggle that could be worked on..? That'll do for the harsh, neon-light 'criticism; time for a bit of positive enthusiasm, perhaps. Given the subject matter of many of these pieces, that doesn't come spontaneously from the lyrics, which are often darkly introspective, but there are points to be earned from that. I could find many echoes in many of the sentiments expressed (sometimes troublingly so...), so thanks for that. There are very touching, moving emotions performed with delicacy, all the more so in such a direct, seemingly simplistic manner. There is, throughout, a lack of 'polish' and 'production' which is, in this case, rather more of an advantage, as the 'raw' capture hits home harder than might a Hollywoodien super-production. There are a few 'blips' here and there (nothing major...) that serve to accentuate this 'basic' atmosphere, and that's to the good, to my ears. As for the guitar and bass work: entirely in harmony with the overall concept, well executed with no pretension nor pomposity. It all fits together very well indeed. Special mention for the discreet backing voices, and the trumpet (or cornet..?), very much in the style of 'Love', back in the late '60s. I'm not a digital person (I'm old, you see...); is there a hard-copy CD of this available that could be posted to France..? I'd buy it immediately, not just to support your efforts (although they deserve that...), but to be able to listen again, and think again of past moments of my own life that are captured in there. Any joy..? At any rate, here's hoping that this is what you wanted when asking for feedback. Cheers Douglas

Good evening, Jay, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share. Yes, use the 'Share' button just below the U-tube video, copy the link displayed and simply paste it into your post. The System will then embed it. Try it..? Hope this helps.