Green Alsatian

I lurked. I stopped. I voted. I was caught between Alibabu, Old Ben and Skol amongst this month's entries, I went with Alibabu as I'm a sucker for electric pianos, brassy synth leads and I liked the bubbling bassline in it.

I had an Aria SB-R60 and half of the coil was dead - very weak D/G output. I noticed the Rautiaguitar option but I got in touch with Aaron Armstrong and he made me a direct-fit replacement for £100 delivered within two weeks. You can have them wound to sound like the original but I opted for the pickup to be wound a little hotter and was very pleased with the result. http://www.armstrongpickups.co.uk/miscellaneous-pickups/

[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1406223791' post='2509550'] Looks like Pete Agnew's Rick from Nazareth. Roger Glover had one with the same mods but his was black. Don't get me started on the shirt... [/quote] I wonder if Pete inherited it from Roger, who produced a few of Nazareth's albums around 1974: [url="http://www.dawksound.com/bass.html"]http://www.dawksound.com/bass.html[/url] I've only ever seen pictures of Roger playing the Jetglo one too. Looking at the battle damage on the one Sid's playing, it matches the one modified by Dawk and as used by Pete. Roger also had the black one rebuilt: [url="http://www.rauenguitars.com/pages/roger_glover.html"]http://www.rauenguit...ger_glover.html[/url]

Sorry - I'm thinking back to front again - forgot the older Roland synths didn't transmit CC! There was this thread, which although stating it can't be done within Reaper itself, reckons you can convert Sysex to CC with Bome's MIDI Translate. http://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=109112 My use of MIDIox and SendSx was just as a tool for verifying that the MIDI ports worked on synths I'd bought, backing up/transferring patches/banks etc, sadly - I didn't really delve beyond note on/off (most of the synths I had at the time didn't even have MIDI). A good place to ask, would be the 'Help' sub-forum of Vintage Synth Explorer forums - I used to frequent there a few years ago and there were many helpful and knowledgeable folks on there.

I don't know if this is any use to you - there's a section on the CC messages output by the Alpha Juno series in there: http://www.vintagesynth.com/roland/sysex.php I owned an Alpha Juno 1 about 10 years ago but never went any further than recording note on/off - didn't try recording any CC transmissions. From what I remember about the interface, you programmed it one parameter at a time with the Alpha dial - could you not leave (for example) the Cutoff parameter active, play and then adjust the cutoff with the dial while recording the MIDI from it? As a quick check, try something like Bome's SendSX (or MIDIox) with your Juno connected to your PC via MIDI. Rotate the Alpha dial and see if it gives you a burst of data into the 'Received' window. If it records the dial travelling through the parameters, it may be possible.

I like the look of that - the angular style works well with the fan-fretting.

I'll have to slow it down first to work it out!

I remember a thread from some time ago regarding simple basslines and somebody posted Gene Chandler's 'Does She Have a Friend?' which features all of 3 notes, no fills, no runs, so slides, just locks in with the drums 4/4 throughout the whole song. It's great! http://youtu.be/2xwL-7fKKUE

I see this happening a lot these days - one buys an item out of Post Office hours and the item is quickly marked as dispatched (ie. still out of Post Office hours). Most of the time, the item is genuinely posted on the next working day, but I'm seeing an increasing trend of items not arriving within a reasonable estimate for the service. I wait until the delivery estimate has passed before querying with the seller, but a few times I've been told that the item is probably lost and that they have another on hand if I'd like it. On a couple of auctions, the 'replacement' item is actually the original one, having recognised certain markings in the photos that are on the item received. I wouldn't mind if sellers just told me there'd be a week's delay in posting, but instantly marking as dispatched and keeping quiet is becoming irritating. I suspect that it's to try to trick eBay's 'how quickly did the seller dispatch' metric. Not a good idea as I always check the date stamp on anything I received so I know when it was actually posted.

Absolutely - my nephew was bought a bike for his 3rd birthday last year and he spent more time in the box that it came in than on the bike! I'm surprised nobody has cornered the market for empty boxes as toys.[i] "But it looks like an empty cardboard box - what is it?" "Your child will tell you, sir!". [/i]

[quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1403831478' post='2486960'] I think the thing to remember is that his channel is called "Unbox Therapy" and he seems to get some kind of weird high from opening boxes. "This box is really well made". "Ok mate, we get it, but I'm actually more concerned with what's inside the box, not the box itself" [/quote] Indeed, I've seen a few of his vids in the past and he does seem to get rather 'enthusiastic' over the openings - he'd probably make a mess of his trousers if he signed up to Loot Crate. I suppose the opening is the most fun bit, especially if the contents turn out to be underwhelming! He'll never beat Nintendo 64 kids for an unwrapping though!

Opens box, reads leaflet - "What an experience so far." [b]"WARNING TEAM - BIASED REVIEW IMMINENT!"[/b]

A top song - a simple but effective bassline that's fun to play along to. It wasn't that long ago when Oliver sadly passed away either.

Some of my favourite Herbie work was on War of the Worlds, with Thunderchild being my favourite: [media]http://youtu.be/L-S15IDcQgE[/media]

Vintage AV4? I owned one for a few months earlier in the year and would highly recommend one, even more so given their price. It does indeed have a p-bass dimensions neck. Fit and finish were spot on and I found that it sounded a bit chunkier than a Jazz - possibly due to the thicker neck and the body (alder) shape, which seemed a little bigger than a standard Jazz. Aside from the aesthetic mods I did (changed the hardware for Wilkinson black), soundwise, I felt no need to modify it as the Alnico Wilkinson pickups sounded great as they were. I'd happily own another. I like the Vintage V-series, but the AV series is definitely higher-specced.

I'm in total agreement with both yourself and Essential Tension (ie. it's a Precision) - I posted the above to shed light for others on why some think it's a Telecaster bass and not a Precision. Arbiter (or whoever wrote the article) were mistaken in referring to it as a Telecaster bass, in short. As you'll know, none of the owners who Barry interviews (including John Entwistle) in the book call the slab a Telecaster bass.

The term 'Telecaster Bass' in the context of the slab Precision, according to Barry Matthews' book 'Fender Bass for Britain: The History of the 1966 Slab-Bodied Precision Bass', came from Arbiter, who imported Fenders at the time. On page 9 of the book, there is a print of the 'Instrumental News' page from an issue of 'Beat Instrumental' harking from July 1966 and it features an article, titled 'New Telecaster Bass'. It reads: [i]Arbiter announce that they are now handling a new Fender bass. It costs 147 gns and has a Telecaster type body. Interest has been shown in it by many top group bassmen.[/i] The author's comment at the foot of the page states that this is the only advert that ever appeared for the slab Precision. It's likely that on reading about the slab's body, Arbiter assumed it was a new model and not just a unique run of Precisions.

[quote name='bh2' timestamp='1401087577' post='2459801'] Mint or pearl with covers.[/quote] Absolutely this! Here are some pics of sage green Jazz basses with your two options:

Yep - the alnico version covers just come off (I've championed them a few times on here - great pickups and sound more expensive than they actually are. The logo wore a little on my last set, so I just rubbed it off with a nail brush and a bit of soap as it's a transfer.

You beat me then - I thought I had a steal with a candy apple red 270J for £50 two years ago but £35 definitely pips that! I think you'd be wasting money upgrading the pickups in it as the stock ones are really good and give you everything you'd need from a PJ configuration. I toyed with the idea of modding mine, but was perfectly happy as-is and I've tried a few PJ sets on basses in the past EMG-X and DiMarzios. All down to personal taste of course, but experiment with the pickup heights and new strings first - you may find you don't need to do much.

That's actually probably close to the truth - the Tanglewood Rebel has also obviously borrowed from the looks of the BC310. I was offered £40 for it by one fellow, with a few offers in the £60 - £80 range which I politely declined (and led to me putting in the comment about the price). Still, replacement set of tuners ordered and I'll keep the originals as spares. The refinish mulling goes on, but I'm swinging more towards leaving as-is at the mo. There's a thread in there if I do go with a refinish (thinks back to Jazz bass sanding and shudders!)

Thanks for the comments, folks! Although eBay's more expensive to sell on, I've more feedback on there thanks to my lengthy feedback profile of 13 years. I'm a relative unknown on here, especially for selling, but naturally would never mention my auctions in keeping with forum rules (I waited until the auction ended before replying here). Selling on here's always an option though so perhaps one day I'll make the switch - I have bought from here and am always trawling the gear for sale. As for the bass, as my Aria SB-R60 went the other day and has now paid for some repairs to my car, I can keep hold of this one now and will see about addressing some of the cosmetic issues. I've found a seller with a full set of MIJ Gotohs as used on this, so I'll at least get the missing tuner cap and the slightly bent tuner sorted (stuff like that niggles me!). I'm trying to convince myself to not refinish it after the work involved in stripping on the last refinish I did! I had a fretless version in this finish about 10 years ago and a 5-string a few years after that and always regret letting them go. Excellent basses for the money, but as Kodiakblur said, nothing stands out about them until you play one, when their qualities become apparent. When my mate had one many moons ago in the mid-90s, I thought it looked like a beginner bass and asked him if he got it from Argos. And then I played it and shut my mouth. Of course, he wouldn't part with it once I took a shine to it!

Call or mail Thomann and they'll tell you how much it will cost to return it - they'll then deduct it from your refund. Here are the options I had for returning a small bass combo last July: [size=3][font=Arial, sans-serif]1)[/font][font=Arial, sans-serif][size=1] [/size][/font][font=Arial, sans-serif]Musikhaus Thomann organises a return with your [b]local post[/b]. You would simply be required to drop the parcel off at your local post office (with the return label you will receive from us once you confirmed this option) and 15 EUR per parcel would be deducted from your credit note for this service.[/font][/size] [size=3][font=Arial, sans-serif]2)[/font][font=Arial, sans-serif][size=1] [/size][/font][font=Arial, sans-serif]Musikhaus Thomann organises a [b]UPS collection[/b]. 30 EUR per parcel would be deducted from your credit note for this service.[/font][/size] [size=3][font=Arial, sans-serif]3)[/font][font=Arial, sans-serif][size=1] [/size][/font][font=Arial, sans-serif]You organise a [b]return yourself to Musikhaus Thomann.[/b][/font][/size]

Definitely ask a seller if the output is even across the strings - I remember a thread on Talkbass in which a fellow bought an SB-900 and the D&G coils were dead on both pickups (now that is unlucky!). That said, a dying pickup can be used to drive a bargain... Not even the new £4k Cliff Burton sig has the same pickup as the original (an MB-V as opposed to the MB-II) so if it did come to replacing a dying pickup, I'd happily recommend Aaron's work - did a great job on mine. As I mentioned, although there's the option to have the pickup beefed up, the pickup can be wound to the original specs. Soundwise, although I can only comment on the E&A strings as the D&G coil was significantly weaker on my original pickup, the replacement I ordered (albeit 'beefed-up' a little, at my request) matches the tone of the original but with a stronger output (as if raising the pickup closer to the strings) - the biggest tell is rolling the tone fully down in parallel mode which has an almost honky, but very early-80s sound. A perfect fit using the original machine screws, also.

If you're after the sound, the SB-R60 is pretty much identical in spec (passive with series/parallel switch, wide through neck, cats-eye inlays) to the B&G and can be had pretty cheaply. As Fionn has mentioned, the pickups on these are known to die and the D/G coil on mine was significantly weaker than the E/A. I had Aaron Armstrong (Kent's son) make me a replacement two months ago (with the option of adding a bit of beef to the sound) for £100 all-in and was built from scratch and delivered within two weeks. Aaron says he makes on average, two a week for them.