doctor_of_the_bass

Aha! I nearly had bass #53 today but twas not to be....! Kiwi - are there any piccies of your gould-of-geoffrey-garbed vessel of distillation anywhere for I to peruse? My hanky is poised....was that you or an aged Boy George in the pic!? Ped - glad you like the avatar! Merton - many thanks! I'd swap me red one for your lovely Retro...! Old Git - good to meetcha at the bash! Nick (terminal gas sufferer)

Tell me more good sir! Next time I will bring the Alembics....! And the other two Pangborns!

I used to own this - funny feeling owning something that I used to slabber over whilst watching Mr King playing it in concert..! Wish I'd still got it - aside from its `slightly well known former owner connection' it was the best JD I've ever owned.

Current fave: My all time fave that I had some years ago - not just because of its history but as an instrument:

...a fine fettled fretless fancy! I really love Ped's fretted Passion as well. Must look out for another one, two Vigs are company, three's even better!

I've got this comfort `blanket' called Waldo thats been with me since '72....! Mmm! Not really! Actually, I still have my very first bass, strap and amp, an Aria CSB-450, a Marshall Bass 60 and a brown Fender strap, all from 1982! Would never get rid of them (although the Aria was p/exd against my Fender in '84 - bought the Aria back from a secondhand shop in 1989 for the same money it was bought for originally, which was £130!

Allo! What a super day! Can't really single anything out as it was a real pleasure to meet so many great people and fantastic players - Ped's Vigier does get a very special mention tho!!!! Rich - that Shuker is wonderful! Merton, lovely Status, Kiwi, a man with great taste in graphite etc etc. I feel a little funny having won yet another bass but there we are (my donated prize OLP has gone to a very good home too). The words `git' and 'jammy' may well apply here! Hope you all got home ok! Thanks again. Sorry for the constant slappertronics and terrible face pulling! Nick

Like it! Definitely a candidate for good quality black hardware, looks like a Sadowsky on speed! Anyone looked at SIMs website recently? He's doing some nice bursts/tints - the business has obviously diversified since he started out; LEDs are perhaps not everyone's cup of darjeeling - can't believe he started out 14 years ago.

..me too. Velly tasty!

...by the way, that Vigier Surfreter (sp) looks edible!

Allo! I've got the following: Gibson 335 1964 original model in cherry red, block inlays - absolute peach. Gretsch Country Gent 1967 twin cutaway model - ala Harrison (brown with painted on F holes!) Ibanez RGX 350 - locking trem widdler job PRS SE - teal green LAG Roxane Aria PE Elite (LP copy) Vintage LP (new model but aged) Schecter PT Tele (diamond series) Gould LP copy Rex (by Hofner) jazz hollowbody Yamaha FG-310 acoustic but I'd really love a decent Strat, Tele and a real Gibson LP, and perhaps an SG. And a PRS like Fosk's!

Very nice! Would love a new Status...my four are all oldies now! Will be bringing a couple of them to the bash, my ice blue Series 2000 and very very old Series II!

Hi Steve! Nice one - if you need any help etc with the gear, feel free to get in touch - pm me here or email me at: [email protected] Nick (Smith!)

Allo! Having been accused of having far too many basses and suffering terminal GAS (!), I'm very happy to add a mint condition OLP StingRay V in metallic blue to the raffle! See you all there! Nick

Did you buy that one that was on Ebay recently? I have no info personally on them but many years ago, I used to drool over one in a local shop - it was very well made but was in that shop for around 5 years - lovely bass! Nick

Allo! Velly intellesting! There were only 16 `Stratas' ever made - I had #16 - said bass now resides in Switzerland with Andre! The particular example on Ebay was on sale a year or so ago - shame about the stickers! N

Don't feel bad - I've recently run a census on my `collective' and its now at [b]fifty one [/b]basses and [b]ten[/b] 6 string guitars! Do I win £5? Cheers! Nick O

Cheers Dave! Will have to meet up again! Nick

Replied! Nick

I'd do it but alas am too old, fat and of course bald! I'd recommend Adam - very good player (he used to have lessons with a fat, old and of course bald geezer many moons ago when he first started out!!!). Adam is in fact advertising on PNET right now so I'm sure things will come together for you. Cheers! Nick O Lus!

Hi Dave! Wonderful! My Series I Session model is over with John being resprayed - can't wait to get it back! Might be doing a deal with my best mate to regain my old pink GA24.

Thanks Adam! See you next week Matt. Cheers! Nick

"For me its all about balance, happiness with providing". Jake Couldn't agree more Jake. I used to run two vehicles (Porsche 944 - the `toy' and a trusty Escort van for transporting my rig!), had major monthly spending power (hence the means to start building on the collection of instruments which I'd started whilst still at school), everything was fantastic - the job involved IT consultancy for TV companies - spent a lot of time down at MTV etc but then everything changed - we were bought out by a competitor and things changed for us. The department was dissolved and I ended up having to change job and go back to being a technical author, which at first was fine. However, things went downhill after this change - many friends lost their jobs and after a period of 6 months I became deeply unhappy being chained to a job which saw me getting home at 10pm every night following a commute home from London. Many friends of mine thought I was crazy walking out (I was earning £32K at that time) but it was the best thing I'd ever done - I was skint for a while but the collection helped me keep going through some sales and now, 7 years later, I'm earning a decent monthly wage for the most part, mainly through tuition (including the odd guitar lesson!!!), regular gigging and theatre shows. I'm enjoying life again and of course, my own playing is improving through teaching!!! And the collection is now at 51 basses....! My father summed it all up many years ago - `grab life by the b*lls otherwise let it pass you by' - took me till I was 30 to realise this but now my life is mine again and I'm very very happy.