doctor_of_the_bass

[quote name='bluesparky' post='577423' date='Aug 22 2009, 10:38 AM']It's just a strip of normal gaffa tape, he wraps it around his thumb for when he plays. Most of the time the strip of tape is hanging on his mic stand ready for when he comes on stage. Can't remember why he uses it - he thwacks the strings so hard and it's either to stop him mangling his thumb or the strings. He usually throws it into the crowd after each gig..[/quote] Without it (the tape), his thumb would burst (literally) - he plays very hard! A monster! I had his old red JayDee bass and the wooden p/up covers were grooved like furrows! Watch how he hits the strings when he plays fingerstyle! (good example is Children Say on the Live at Wembley dvd - featuring my old bass!)

[quote name='charic' post='571000' date='Aug 16 2009, 08:14 PM']we should form a 3 bassist band![/quote] Two Boys and A Baldy!

[quote name='AntennasToHeaven' post='570821' date='Aug 16 2009, 05:10 PM']Hello all! Cheers for the welcome. And Nick, of course i remember. Hope everythings going well, ive followed your ways and also became quite bald and fat...not to mention a bass wizard[/quote] I feel a bit like Darth Vader, converting all you young players to the Dark Side (i.e. being fat and bald - apart from Charic of course who is slim and fully haired!). Nick (Grand master of The Baldies! - and local hero to all Boro bassists - modest too!)

Welcome!!!! All the best! Nick

[quote name='4000' post='577442' date='Aug 22 2009, 11:07 AM']When that Whistle Test footage was aired it the first time I'd ever seen anyone play slap; I couldn't believe my eyes. I thought the bass was as beautiful as anything I'd ever see (and yes I still want a Starchild near-replica, if one can be built that weighs less than 9lbs!). Then he played Dune Tune and blew my mind. It was a little later that I discovered Stanley Clarke and found out where it originated... My first JD was also from Musical Exchanges. I wanted a white one and they had one advertised, so I put my name on it sight unseen and trailed down there with a friend. When I got there it was a GA24 and had neck bow like nothing on earth, and I didn't know much about setups then. It also didn't work! The assistant got out a soldering iron to sort out the pickup selector and I played a few of the others they had while he worked. I eventually picked up a Supernatural in Butterscotch with Saturn inlays, tailpiece etc, and the initials PSR on the first fret. I decided I'd have that instead, although it didn't stop the assistant getting a bollocking for not giving the GA24 to the repairs dept to fix (he bodged it). I remember the manager saying "you could've lost us a sale". I eventually sent that bass to JD for a fretstone and while it was in he changed the pickups, as he said the ones in it were dying. Unfortunately when it came back I didn't like the tone as much! Also the neck wouldn't stand strings over 35s (someone had shaved the neck mercilessly - not JD I hasten to add) so I got rid. The next JD (a MK model) was white and was bloody fantastic, much better than the first, but I had to take it back to the shop a few days after buying it because my back couldn't cope with the weight (my back problems had started by then). Strangely I once contacted a shop (I think it was Monkey Business in Romford) about p/x-ing the 1st bass for something they had in; the guy on the other end of the phone said "what have you got?", so I told him. There was a pause and he said "has it got the letters PSR on the first fret?" When I answered yes he said "that's my bass! It was built for me!". Never did work out the deal though, sadly. It went to someone else in the end. I wish it had got back to him.[/quote] Sounds a bit like the story of my first JD - again, I was only 17 when I got it back in 1988 - bought from Exchanges!!! They had an advert in Guitarist mag which was offering a batch of JD's with cracked lacquer - the paintwork was fine, just the clear lacquer was cracked in places. Anyway, they reserved me a cherry red Roadie II A (priced up at £395). Took the train to Brum - got there and the bass had a twisted neck. The salesman assured me it was the top nut not being level but even then, I was an astute bass buyer!! I protested (nicely!) and in the end, he let me have a Series III Mark King model in a lovely deep blue burst for the same prices as the Roadie! Sorted!! I then swapped it a year or so later for a cherry red one! Series II! I'm just wondering about the initials PSR - wonder if that was my good mate Paul Ruthven - he is a major JD buff who worked at Monkey Biz! He's on here as slacker42! Where are you Paulie!? Nick

[quote name='lozbass' post='578085' date='Aug 23 2009, 10:34 AM']Just jaw-dropping! Each a stunning example and they appear to be in perfect condition. The Alembic and Pangborn are particular favourites - fabulous in every way[/quote] That Pangborn is a stunner....! I cry myself to sleep at night now she's gone!!!!!! It used to originally belong to Stevie Stroud (Sir Cliff's bassist) who is married to Cheryl Baker! A lovely collective Dave! Nick (still got me uvver two Warlords!)

[quote name='Mowac' post='578297' date='Aug 23 2009, 04:14 PM']To say that I got my hands on this bass before the 'Doctor' is a true understatement! Ya can't have them all, Doc! [/quote] Heheh! All basses come to me eventually, its like a law of attraction thing!!! Seriously - just to add about the bridge - funnily enough my GA24 has one the same - the saddles are not adjustable for height, unlike most of John's bridges (you can of course raise or lower the entire assembly as opposed to individual adjustments per string). Since John made basses to order, some exhibit such features - its a very solid design. I don't know the name Mike Ellis but he was definitely the guy who sold it on Ebay originally as he'd said he'd had it custom made. Cheers! Nick

Lovely bass! The guy who had it built originally used to play at a Shadows meeting over in Warwickshire - he then sold it to Daveski on here and now its Mowacs! Nice colour! My GA24 is more of a pinky lilac colour but not the standard lilac that John does!

[quote name='Toasted' post='562716' date='Aug 7 2009, 12:18 PM']Here's some photographs of my friend and bass teacher, Bren Travis's Nightingale 6 string. I've been talking to EBS_Freak and he thinks it's probably one of less than 10 existing:[/quote] Ask him where he bought it, it looks like my old bass - superb bass, massive sound - I traded it in up at Electromusic in Doncaster many years ago - swapped it for a Yamaha TRB-6 (why did I do that?!!). Nick

I use the combo with either my 4 x 10 or 1 x 15 - never had any probs etc! Nick

Many name bands use backing tracks (even Yes!) - I used to be dead against the idea but when you are a tight band then the use of tracks to augment the music is a good thing (we use them in the panto band, drummer has the click and its very tight and it sounds like there's extra musos in there, as opposed to something just stuck on!). Obviously, in an ideal world where budgets don't come into play, then a full band is still the best thing!

[quote name='Mowac' post='571876' date='Aug 17 2009, 06:21 PM']Hello my fellow Jaydee enthusiasts. Newbie here to the forum. I wanted to be apart of this for sometime as they don't have any interesting forums in the U.S. regarding British made basses. You may know me by the same screen name on Youtube as well as I have several videos posted of my Jaydees. I'll be more than happy to post many pics all my Jaydees here in the near future. Thanks and best regards.[/quote] Hi mowac! You will find many JD fans here - you have some lovely basses in your collection! Cheers! Nick

Chris Squire is the definitive rock bassist as far as I'm concerned, he is unique not just by the way of his incredible bass playing but who else can sing like that and play bass pedals at the same time, and his compositions are always excellent (his solo FOOW album is testament to this). Awaken (Going for the One album) is my most favourite piece of music ever, it moves me literally to tears, its everything to me in terms of the dynamic power of music and its going to be played through a 20K PA system when I finally croak it! He's also a fantastic showman - he really is the centre of Yes music - ABWH was great but it was missing its heart, which should have been Squire. Tonally, anything on Fragile to me is the definitive Squire tone but again, his constantly evolving style has produced many great bass sounds over the years, think Drama etc and even on Big Generator where his low tuned 5 string Tobias (tuned AEADG) produced some ground breaking stuff (literally tuned that low!). Nick (fondly tickling his 4001CS!)

[quote name='AntennasToHeaven' post='570048' date='Aug 15 2009, 04:45 PM']Hi all, im 20 years old. Been playing around 6 or 7 years and have plenty of gigging experience. I listen to alot of technical music like Blakfish/Isis/The Dillinger Escape Plan/Sikth. Also listen to alot of post rock like Mono/Explosions in the sky/This Will Destroy You etc Im looking to form or join a band of like minded committed individuals. If this is your thing then get in touch ----------- www.myspace.com/adammiltonbassist[/quote] Hallo young mate! Hope all is well with you! Your old (and bald and fat) bass teacher! (you may remember me!) Nick

[quote name='BarnacleBob' post='568686' date='Aug 14 2009, 09:43 AM']Mint XL2 on eBay couple of hours drive away, but its 1 of only thirty that were silver!!!!! no likey! BB[/quote] ...me agree! Silver - nope!

[quote name='E sharp' post='569204' date='Aug 14 2009, 04:40 PM']Who's that greedy so and so with 3 . Is it the good Doc ? Honestly that photo has some lovely specimans . Did that come out right ? I meant the basses - you do know that , don't you ?[/quote] Actually I only had two Vigier's at that point (that fretless is Ped's!) but then bought another Passion with a full graphite neck - I'm down to one presently, which is my main bass, the blue Arpege! I'm the good looking meaty chap on the left of course!