doctor_of_the_bass

[quote name='Mowac' post='584892' date='Aug 30 2009, 02:33 AM']"Bryan (Mowac) has got a pic of three of his JD basses together, one being a white Series III bodied Roadie, plus his Classic Series I and MK Series II - can you post it here mate? You will then be able to see the differences! Nick" As requested, just what the doctor ordered:[/quote] Thanks for posting that pic Bryan! Cheers! Nick

[quote name='cd_david' post='584710' date='Aug 29 2009, 07:46 PM']Come on Nick get them all together for a new group shot please?????[/quote] They're all over the place!!! One day I will get it sorted!

Hallo! The Mark King and Roadie models (plus the Session, Studio and Video basses) are/were available in three different body sizes. The Series I is the biggest, the Series II is a slimmer shape (still quite `long' in the body) and the Series III is a scaled down Series I. The GA24 models are a different shape again. All the basses share the same electronics and pickups apart of course from the Roadies which are available as either one or two p/up passive or active models, and of course, special order instruments. Pickup placement - the Series I basses had the neck p/up very close to the end of the neck. The Series II Mark King basses (not the Roadie model) normally had the `funk groove' between the end of the neck and the front p/up - hence the p/ups were more closely spaced than the Series I. However, there are a number of Series II MK models out there that dont have the funk groove! There are also some Series II models with the same p/up spacing as the Series I models! Confusing eh!? The Series III shape did not have the groove and the front p/up was further away from the end of the neck (similar to the Series II). Bryan (Mowac) has got a pic of three of his JD basses together, one being a white Series III bodied Roadie, plus his Classic Series I and MK Series II - can you post it here mate? You will then be able to see the differences! Meant to say, you could have the following Roadie models - the I and II in this case refers to one or two pickups: Series I, II or III body size: Roadie I - 1 pickup passive, Roadie II - 2 p/up passive, Roadie IA - 1 p/up active EQ, Roadie IIA - 2 p/up active EQ. All availalbe fretted or fretless and he has built 5 string versions (I had a fretless 5 string with a Series I body). Here's some pics from the net of the three body sizes: Series I in pearl pink: Series II with funk groove. Note the narrower body width - the top cutaway is much narrower than the Series I Series III in pearl blue - scaled down version of the Series I Nick

No probs! Love is all around! Nick

Just to say, John has orders for 40 or so instruments at present, get your orders in as quick as you can! My custom Classic should be finished very soon! Nick

Guys - be nice to each other please! I'm now a whopping 17 stone and you don't want me sitting on ya! Many thanks! Nick xxx

[quote name='Mowac' post='583637' date='Aug 28 2009, 03:28 PM']Just a footnote: I just found this the other day. This gentleman I met at the annual local guitar show in my area last year snapped a photo of me with my pearl pink Jaydee. Here is the link: [url="http://www.grinningelk.com/diary_details.asp?id=9"]http://www.grinningelk.com/diary_details.asp?id=9[/url] I believe I am officially an ambassador for Jaydee basses now in the U.S. [/quote] That guitar show looks like my house!!!

[quote name='crez5150' post='583640' date='Aug 28 2009, 03:33 PM']Where is this bass now......? I very nearly bought this once upon a long ago.....[/quote] Go back to post 20 in this thread - its all there! Did you work with Mike Walsh??? I think we've met somewhere (I think it was Music Live many years ago).

[quote name='MB1' post='580903' date='Aug 26 2009, 01:48 AM']MB1. Hey Doc! Your Old One! Was this not the bass Mark put up as a prize in a competition in Musicians International magazine?....I know he originally signed it on the front in silver marker which was lacquered over. When i met Mark on the World Machine Tour i mentioned it as obviously i hadnt won it, He told me the guy who won the bass didnt actually play bass and had sold it to a shop....shortly after being presented with it,Mark saw it in the shop window and got polydor to get it back.....Is this the same bass?...does look like it!...[/quote] Hallo MB1. The bass was originally bought by Mark off of one of John Diggin's work colleagues for £100. It was then Mark's main bass from around '84 till '87. I heard that it was auctioned off for charity, hence the `Love, Mark King, Level 42 '88' signature (which was indeed lacquered over). Not sure about the competition thing - might be the case! I tried tracking it down in 1999 and found it through a mate of mine (Ed `i owe you a pint' Partridge) down in Essex. It was a race against time as there were at least four guys after it - I got there first! It really was a superb bass, not just down to its history but the sound was incredible. I sold it to Morgan Roussel (www.level42.com - he has an incredible collection of ex-MK basses) in 2003 due to fiscal reasons (broke my heart but at least I was its keeper for a time!)

[quote name='EBS_freak' post='580880' date='Aug 26 2009, 01:06 AM']Do you ever use it though?! Or have you taken off the low B and high C!?[/quote] Cheeky boy! I do actually sometimes get it out and have a play but its the world's heaviest bass!

Marky mark is a nice bloke but he got the hump with me some years ago!! Rob Green called me to see if I could go down to London to demonstrate a couple of Status basses on an Australian TV show. I hoofed down to the factory in Colchester and Rob gave me Mark King's brand new unplayed Kingbass - this one below and one of his P retro basses. I was slightly nervy about taking the Kingbass as MK was taking delivery of it about a week after but Rob was cool and said don't worry as it will look great on the telly with the LEDs etc! I was then whisked down to the studio in a super duper taxi and after three minutes in make up, I was interviewed by Mark Eddo who now works for the BBC Did the show, all was well with the world and then, later that year, my partner and I saw MK at Cambridge. We met him after the show and my mrs said `oh, that new bass sounded great, Nick loves the way it plays too..'. Doh! Mark was like, `you what?'. I then explained the demo and he was not best pleased! Heheh! Nick

[quote name='Mowac' post='578362' date='Aug 23 2009, 05:51 PM'][attachment=31437:DSC00117.JPG]Here is the first picture of this bass as it looked when it first arrived.(far left) It didn't look like it does now after I first got my hands on it three years ago. I refurbished it with all new hardware and also replaced the active control board myself. I also had it refretted and the fingerboard re-planed (sanded down high spot till it was flush with the rest of the fingerboard) as it had a high spot around the third fret. I also had John Diggins make me some of the new SN2000 humbucker pickups and I installed those myself. It looks like a new bass now. A labor of love that has given me back it's reward in being able to play this commodore of a bass the way it was meant to be played. My very first bass was a Yamaha BB614(no longer have), and this Jaydee was my second bass. Here is the bass as it looks now after refurbishment:[/quote] Another fine bass sir! Nick

[quote name='EBS_freak' post='580281' date='Aug 25 2009, 02:41 PM']And here's me thinking you never leave 4 string territory![/quote] There's more to me than meets the eye son! I've got a monster of a six - Jaydee Calibas!

[quote name='MB1' post='580646' date='Aug 25 2009, 08:20 PM']MB1. ....I did notice the custom inlays! ...Princes Trust Blue was nice Too!...if not as Shocking![/quote] That was a great bass too! Each star inlay had an LED in the centre allegedly - never really noticed them! However, as far as I'm concerned, this was the definitive Jaydee bass......my old one!!! You may recognise it....

As Dave has already pointed out, it were not me! Although it might have been in a parallel dimension! I was sat slaving over the score for `Rent'! As Toyah Wilcox once lisped - itshth a mythstery! Nick

[quote name='endorka' post='579895' date='Aug 25 2009, 09:54 AM']I'm going to be playing it in a few weeks, the MD is sending the bass part to me in advance, sounds like it is just as well! Jennifer[/quote] The actual music is not too hard to play (Santa Fe is an exercise in left hand stamina, especially with the arpeggiated 9th chords), its just that it is somewhat relentless and there are places where you have to be a bit nifty with the page turns (in fact Santa Fe is now memorised)!! Lots of rest bars so concentration is required with the counting and if you get the same parts I've had, there's not much in terms of dynamic marking - for example, the piano starts quite a few pieces and you get little or no `feel' for the `one' - what I'd describe as floating or free time!

Thanks guys! I've memorised a couple of the harder tunes purely down to the fact that they are buggers to page turn - no rests!!!! Its sounding really great - (not one to blow me own trumpet!) but its locking together really well! We're up above the stage on a platform so we can be seen (beats being in the pit) and see the show.

[quote name='sturm' post='579730' date='Aug 24 2009, 11:58 PM']is the score available?[/quote] I think you can 'rent' it! We get the scores ordered in via the theatre but the soundtrack is available in most record stores and I would assume online.

[quote name='MB1' post='578726' date='Aug 24 2009, 02:02 AM']MB1. ...Definately!..Running in the Family! [/quote] Very! Apart from the inlays! I remember the first time I saw that video - the pink JD looked incredible!

[quote name='Rich' post='579036' date='Aug 24 2009, 01:24 PM']Hey Nick, what's John doing to my old fretless Roadie 1? Just a refurb, or an upgrade, or whatever? And has he found the ultra-hi-tech precision-engineered pickup mounting system under the EMG yet?? :lol:[/quote] ...I found the said support unit! At least it was proper Lego, not a mega-block eh! Heheh! I'm having a new colour done - I've always wanted a deep green translucent finish on a JD and I think the Roadie will look great - he's putting a 3 band eq in there too!

Lovely!! Do not downsize your collection!! Nick

Allo Fliends! Just got back following a full days' technical rehearsal for a production of `Rent' - fantastic score, some very meaty and somewhat challenging basslines - anyone else played it? Santa Fe has to be the track du jour! Nick