neepheid

One person's trash is another person's treasure. If you like it and have that kind of money lying around in your change saucer then go for it. I think it's a ridiculously overpriced bitsa. I wouldn't buy it if I had a full change saucer the size of the Ark Royal.

And that took >10 secs to post, FYI.

Sometimes it's loading pages like *snaps fingers* that, and sometimes it's taking >10 secs to open a thread. I'm at work (Uni) so I don't think I want for bandwidth. Probably server load. It'll calm down once the migration is fully complete. Go make a cup of tea. White, no sugar, ta

Had a similar (not quite as scarily close to the gig) situation the last time I did the ska covers thing - due to a variety of illness and other misfortune the singer/keyboard/trombone met the drummer for the first time in the afternoon on the day of the gig. Whizzed through a few songs, got a beer then went for it. Drummer was still listening to the songs on his ipod before we went up. Gig went great

I don't think it's a good idea. I know people are in general absolute mince at searching for stuff which might be relevant to their predicament, but I don't see how trawling through a linear progression of disconnected and disparate problems and their solutions is going to be any better. No doubt there'll be some initial success, then someone will say "this should be made a sticky". Please no more sticky threads. This forum already looks like Spiderman got a bit eager on his first day back at work after a year long sabbatical.

I absolutely play all of them, if I don't then my wife will make me sell them

If it hasn't been requested already, I'd love a darker theme, it's a little bright in here

I have long term ambitions to acquire a symbiotic connection with the bass (like gits who are able just to pick up the damn thing and play the hell out of it as naturally as one might brush one's teeth). However, the only bassist I actively compete against is myself. By that logic therefore I am both the best and the worst bassist in this world view

[quote name='Chris2112' timestamp='1316483881' post='1378710'] Heavy, ugly, neck-divey, awful sound. On the positives, I image they would burn quite well on an open fire. [/quote] Don't pull your punches - tell us what you really think!

My head's spinning. I want to downsize my rig. Lovely sounding though my Ashdown ABM cab is, circa 80lbs of front heavy 4x10 down/up 2 flights of stairs that barely fits in my car for each gig where I need to provide amplification (regardless of whether I have PA support or not) is no longer tolerable for me. I'm not 20 any more! I intend to keep my Hartke 3500 head, I've never had a problem with it and I like the sound it makes. The only thing I might change is put it in a shallow 2U rack instead of the current full depth one (although it does make for a handy bit to stash the power/signal cables ) So, what cab(s) should I get? This is the rough criteria I have: 1) I need to cover all eventualities - practice, on-stage monitoring for gigs with PA, providing all the bass for small venues with no PA support (my new band has a habit of doing mad outdoor/marquee gigs out in the sticks). 2) I want it to be light - by light I mean less than 30kg for a 4x10 (a MB Standard 104HF is a sliver under 30kg, I nearly chucked one of those in the air at Moffat when lifting it with the strength required to move the ABM ) 3) I want it to sound good (I know this is tricky and subjective) - I don't play loud music, my band plays a mix of folk and rock I suppose (with the occasional blues number or cover of Louie Louie in there - always wakes up a sleepy crowd). I compete against a drummer who isn't a heavy hitter, one singer, one guitar and one keyboard/mouthorgan/penny whistle. I guess I want a fairly transparent cab, the Hartke head has plenty EQ options and it should be in charge of the sound, not the cab. 4) Obviously it should be reasonably well made - I'm not one for flinging my gear around or thrashing it, but I don't want it made of matchsticks either. 5) I am trawling the second hand market, I don't think I can justify buying new. Just some good quality intermediate stuff for an intermediate bassist please, I have a rough budget of £400-500 for this. 6) I want to run the Hartke at 4 ohms so that I can get 350W instead of the 230W I get currently. I've seen quite a few people taking the modular approach with a pair of 12s, what's the deal with that? I like the idea of taking just one to a gig if all I need to do is monitoring (or it's a really small gig), but taking two if I need to bring the noise. I've had 2 gigs with the new band and the thought of 2 more next month where I'm pretty sure I have to bring backline have galvanised me into some action. Please tell me what to buy! Don't lead me up the garden path! Read points 1-6! In patient anticipation of your considered opinions. And sorry for rehashing this often asked question.

Bought a Neotech strap from Kevin. Everything went smooth, well packed, no probs

[quote name='Rick's Fine '52' post='1375333' date='Sep 16 2011, 11:37 AM']I think this post has been hijacked a little, and has turned into a "basses i like vs basses i don't is the important thing", which i completely agree with. I don't think anyone would suggest otherwise. The post is to ask people what they consider to be a 'vintage' instrument, simple as that. The issues on whether vintage instruments are worth the money is an entirely different argument, one that has been debated at length on this forum alone. The market price of anything is based on demand. the whole fairy dust thing is lost on me. a good bass is a good bass if it was made in 1951 or 2011. Fenders are always considered more collectable because they reach a wider audience. I would imagine an Alembic Stanley Clarke, on paper, is a better bass than a fender precsion. But if you advertised them both, the people genuinly interetsed in an Alembic would be far less than those interested in a vintage fender for the same price, thats just the reality. Did/do fender make great basses, yes, did/do they make firewood, yes. Anyway, back to the subject, looks like it's '73 then. :D[/quote] You asked what's a "vintage" instrument. I offered the point of view that I do not recognise the term as being in any way relevant within the context, albeit in a ranty way, because it irritates me. It's meaningless balderdash, being further perpetuated by its continued discussion. So we're only allowed to voice an opinion in your thread if we A) agree that vintage as a concept is valid and B) provide a year of manufacture before which basses are considered vintage or an age that a bass must achieve before it is considered vintage? Is that it?

Vintage? An ill defined term used by people to pump up the prices of items based upon mythical, intangible, time bestowed properties. I think it's to do with the distribution of Fairy Dust. People who set a firm time where "Vintage" stops assume that Fairy Dust stopped falling on basses at that time. People who apply an age to "Vintage" assume that Fairy Dust falls on basses at a constant rate. The corollary to that is that Leo Fender was God's sole appointed sprinkler of Fairy Dust on basses. This is because it's only products of companies he's been involved with that seem to have this pre-(whatever company bought the place and RUINED EVERYTHING) nomenclature applied to them.

Best one I can find: our frontman Andy with Daryl on keys

I bought an EUB from Graham and everything went great - except when I gave him the wrong postcode for the delivery address! Mixed up my work address with my home postcode, doh! Communication was good and the cock-up was sorted quickly. No problems here.

[quote name='Kelso' post='1373001' date='Sep 14 2011, 11:01 AM']Hello! I recently bought a 72' tele bass (seth lover humbucker) and love it. Very playable and looks awesome. I noticed that someone else is selling a 72' tele bass with a coil tapped lover humbucker. This has got me thinking and I'm now considering whether or not to get mines coil tapped. What are peoples views on this? Is it worth getting done? I love the deep tone I get from the humbucker but can't see any harm in expanding my tone options. I guess my decision comes down to three things: 1. Will it really make all that much difference in regards to variety of tone? 2. My bass is in amazing condition and 100% original so would a coil tap decrease it's value and if so, is the process reversable? 3. Does anybody know of someone who could do this for me? I would be too scared of damaging the bass and pick up! I'm in scotland so would prefer someone reaseonably close. Any advice/help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Kelso[/quote] It depends on how the humbucker is currently wired. If it's in series then you will notice a genuine difference between that and single coil or parallel wiring. Having had a G&L L-2000 modified to have series/parallel/single options available I have to say that the differences between a parallel wired humbucker and a coil tapped one are much more subtle. If you do it, do it in such a way that it can be reversed. Take a note of all the current connections. Take photos. Use a push/pull pot for the switching so you don't need to make an extra hole in your pickguard. Keep the original pot somewhere safe. Any holes you drill for anything else like a switch will likely decrease its value. Or, get a new pickguard made and make any holes in that you want. Keep the original safe. How close is close? Rich (Ou7shined on here) is in Aberdeen and he has excellent soldering skills, very neat and tidy (he did my G&L).

I was speaking about this to a mate the other day. I have more basses (which cost more) than my talents are worth. That's a cold, hard fact. I do like to collect instruments which please me (mostly Gibsons it would seem). If we're playing guessing games then I guess the admission that at present my talents do not justify the gear I have must mean that I'm more collector than player and as such worthy of the contempt of some (the vast majority?) around here (like the OP [i]peut-être[/i]?).

That's some expensive firewood.

[quote name='Sibob' post='1366308' date='Sep 8 2011, 12:51 PM']How schmexual are these two?[/quote] Not very, not to me anyway. Sorry

Invisible. No reflection on music shops in general, just the ones (well, one now) up here. There's nothing up here for my tastes. I have had to learn myself what is good and what is bad using information available online (specifications, soundclips, pictures) and trial and error. I bought my first bass in a shop but since then buying at distance and selling my mistakes is the way I have operated. I am organised enough to not need strings the same day so would much rather take advantage of online prices. Because of this, it never really occurs to me to visit a music shop. Even if I am somewhere where there is likely to be better stock available.

[quote name='bremen' post='1362838' date='Sep 5 2011, 01:25 PM']No I'm not. VAT is 20% on everything. Import duty is (mumble)% on everything above £18 (thanks Chris).[/quote] VAT is 20% on anything above £18 (commercial) or £40 (gift). Import Duty (Customs Duty to give it it's official name - separate and distinct from Excise Duty) is only payable on goods of a greater value than £135. It is waived if the Duty works out at less than £9. Copied and pasted from the horse's mouth: If you order or send purchased goods other than alcohol, tobacco, perfume and toilet water from a country outside the EU then you: don't have to pay Excise Duty may have to pay Customs Duty on goods with a value that exceeds £135 will have to pay Import VAT on goods with a value that exceeds £18 Note that on all goods from outside the EU, Customs Duty is waived if the amount of duty calculated is £9 or under. If you're sending or receiving a gift from outside the EU: Excise Duty is payable on any alcohol or tobacco products. Customs Duty is payable if the value of the gift exceeds £135, but will be waived if the amount of duty is £9 or under. Import VAT is payable if the value of the gift exceeds £40. To qualify as a gift: It must have been sent from a private person outside the EU to a private person(s) in the UK. The Customs Declaration must be completed correctly (see link below). It must be for the use of either you or your family. There must be no commercial or trade element and it must not have been paid for by the recipient either directly or indirectly. It must be of an occasional nature only - for example for a birthday or anniversary. If it's perfume or toilet water it must be within the allowances described in the earlier section 'Perfume and toilet water'. If the allowances are exceeded than charges apply on the excess. See [url="http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/customs/post/buying.htm"]http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/customs/post/buying.htm[/url]

[quote name='bremen' post='1362800' date='Sep 5 2011, 12:55 PM']Are you sure? I thought it was more like if the item was worth more than £20 or so, £40 if it's declared a gift.[/quote] You are confusing VAT with Import Duty. They are two distinct and separate charges.

Just delete the wiki now, I mean seriously - what's the point in it? Not only does no-one look at it, I haven't been able to log into it since the VAT rate increase to change the sums in the article which covers this very question. Hmph.

Why not do something different? It's not different enough to pique my interest, but hey, at least they're trying.