Paultrader

Brilliant! What year is it? I bought a Watkins Sapphire bass from Bells once. I looked great but had such a heavy headstock, it was completely unbalanced. My mate John had a Watkins Rapier from there too. A trip to Bells Music in Surbiton was a real adventure when I was a youth!

I love Powell and Pressburger films - I've got the collection on DVD. Ill Met by Moonlight, A Matter of Life and Death and A Canterbury Tale are amazing films, only restricted by the technology of the time. I love the part in A Canterbury Tale (my favourite) where the organist at Canterbury Cathedral tells Dennis Price, 'Don't swing it!' as he plays for the troop's leaving service. If you haven't seen these films and can cope with black and white, check them out.

I've got a RS210 and an RS212 with a TC Electronic 450 Classic amp. To be honest, I've got nowhere near the limit of volume yet. It has a great sound and projects really well. It did take me a bit of time to get used to the sound after 12 years with a Trace Elliot rig though - it's smoother and with less punch. For small gigs I just use the 210 and I certainly don't turn the amp up far before it is very loud - much more so than I'd usually expect from two ten inch speakers. I would listen to the sound from the cab and stop before there is significant distortion - I reckon that will be well below full on the amp. Paul

I had a 2-colour sunburst Fender P that I swapped for a Mustang in 1981 when I joined a band to play rhythm guitar (I had another P bass, a '76 which I still own). I'm now convinced that it was an early 60s one and go into a cold sweat when I think about it. Hey ho! I also had a Fender Telecaster which I sold and then missed really badly. I bought a Strat which I just didn't get on with, but the guy I sold the tele to did like it, so two years later I got my beloved tele back in a straight swap. My P, the Jazz and the Tele will never be sold!

The smallest was eight at a wedding. I felt much more sorry for the bride and groom than for us! The largest was 15,000+ at a balloon fiesta in Oxford on a gorgeous sunny Saturday - magic! I love that big open air sound from the PA when the bass is all around you on the stage, deep and throaty.

If I can't make it to a practice, they cancel it - that sums it up really; you are the core of the band's sound. I always tell the rest of them that I'm there to make them sound good, and that role seems to suit my personality. The guitar is in the head, the drums in the backside, but the bass is in the balls! There's nothing better than hitting the E string and shaking the room!

Welcome to Basschat. Recently had a brilliant holiday in Berlin - a very friendly city.

I'm a lefty playing right handed bass. To me it was always the natural thing to do.

We were playing in the same room as the wedding reception and only had an hour to set up for a ten-piece so our tech was working flat out, and us as well to get organised. We had to start without a soundcheck and this seemed to spook us a bit. The drummer got hesitant - he's great but when he's unsure, instead of playing with extra power and flourish he hesitates, and his nervousness is picked up by the band. So, it was a bit hairy but I don't think the punters noticed too much. We were disappointed with ourselves though, because on a good night we can really be stonking good. My particular mistake was to forget that in 'Valerie' the second verse is twice as long - I went into the chorus, and this was half an hour after reminding the guitarist [u]not[/u] to forget it - got a smug look from him - the git (I love him really).

My '76 Fender Precision Sunburst. I've owned it since '79 and it has paid it's way many times over through the years. It's a very good friend.

Very nice. Definitely rosewood!

[quote name='iconic' post='1207881' date='Apr 22 2011, 08:30 AM']does it get any coooooler than Chic![/quote] Phew! Obviously not then! Wasn't Bernard Edwards just an amazing funk bass player.

I didn't listen to this music much at the time, but have since gone on to really appreciate it, and realise just how amazing the musicianship is - magic! I don't know whether this is as cool, but I've always adored Chic too. Here's a favourite clip of mine. What wouldn't I give to stand between those two gorgeous ladies playing that fantastic riff! [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsKPPL-j6kE"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsKPPL-j6kE[/url]

I've got a little Trace Elliot Boxer 65 which is just right for me. I use it for practices too.

Trouble is, the older you are, the more it would cost. Anyone got a '55 Precision for about £300?

Hi Jake, Welcome to BC. I share your age and your situation (divorce finally sorted in Feb, and now met a lovely new lady). I also share your locality as I live just down the road in Eynsham. This forum is great fun, much better than Facebook! Hang in there mate - it gets better. Paul

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='1198866' date='Apr 13 2011, 10:50 PM']Great photo! I hope you don't mind, but I had a few minutes to spare so I thought I'd put a bit of colour back into the pic... [/quote] Wow, that's brilliant - thank you so much. It looks tons better now. Would just love to be transported back there for a few moments to really remember what it [u]felt[/u] like.

Yes, GAS free, which is just as well because I'm also cash free. I lve both my basses. One day perhaps, would love to own an old Fender Jazz, but I like to play my instruments, and if I had three, one would always be left out!

We play B-A-B-Y in our soul band. It's quite easy to learn from the track. It's in Eb then modulates to E at the end. Dr Love Power by Ann Peebles is a good track for the bass - and has a nice horn part too: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Pd7Z9anIZ0"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Pd7Z9anIZ0[/url]

[quote name='4000' post='1195998' date='Apr 11 2011, 05:38 PM']Personally I think that's a damn fine picture. The 70s was probably my favourite decade so far though, so I'm biased![/quote] Many thanks - to me they represent great times. I may have much better equipment now, but the enthusiasm was total!

Thanks for a great response to this thread - it's great to know that there are lots of us out there still listening to this stuff. Now off to listen to 'Redneck Friend' by Jackson Browne. Yes, the slide guitar is brilliant, but my low-end orientated brain filters it out and what I hear is the gorgeous bass rumbling along like an express train underneath! Cheers All.

[quote name='Beedster' post='1187095' date='Apr 3 2011, 09:09 PM']So if a guy has the perfect bass (pre-CBS Precision), perfect strings (La Bella heavy flats), perfect amplification (loads of tubes), what's the best cab for the American 60s/70s tone we're talking here.....?[/quote] All I can say is that I seem to have all the wrong stuff!

Did my first gig last night with the TC Electronic rig described in my signature below - 450 Classic, 210 and 212 cabs. I didn't actually get the volume above 3. The sound was great, much fuller than with the Trace Elliot gear I had before, and so much easier to load and unload. Even with the simple controls on the Classic amp, there is plenty of sound adjustment and the range of tones available is superb. The most amazing thing was that after the gig the lead singer came up to me and said he thought the bass sound was much better now - I always assumed that he couldn't tell a bass from a hockey stick! I think this gear is amazing. I really had to push the boat out to buy the whole set up, so I'll be keeping it for a long time.

Welcome, this is a great site for good chat - but be careful, you might want to start spending money!