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bassbloke

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Posts posted by bassbloke

  1. If there's one thing i've learnt in my 50 years on this earth it's to keep politics and religion out of online discourse.

     

    I can't fault Kneecap's performance.  The video clips before the start of their set were perfect.

     

    Musically, Ezra Collective were the standout for me.

    • Like 4
  2. Avantasia at the Roundhouse.  Not the most inspiring from a bass playing perspective, but that's not the point of seeing Avantasia.

     

    They played for nearly 3 hours with a vocal lineup that included Tobias Sammet (obviously), Eric Martin (Mr Big), Ronnie Atkins (Pretty Maids), Bob Catley (Magnum), Tommy Karevik (Kamelot) and the incredible Kenny Leckremo from H.E.A.T.  Even the three backing singers were incredible, especially Adrienne Cowan.

     

     

    • Like 2
  3. I bough my main bass on a holiday to the USA/Canada in 2003.  Fender US Deluxe jazz 5 for £650.  Them were the days.

     

    My advice would be to spend your holiday money on a trip to Japan.  Exchange rate is very favourable for visiting westerners and you can pick up a good deal on a flight.  Tax free shopping is a breeze - your tourist visa includes a QR code that you use at point of purchase to exclude 10% sales tax.

     

    Tokyo is full of great guitar shops- Ishibashi in Shibuya and Shinjuku for example.

     

    The best deals are on Japanese instruments.  I picked up a near mint non export Aerodyne Jazz for £450.  The shop staff are incredibly helpful and will even disassemble a bolt on instrument, slacken truss rod and bubble wrap body and neck to keep it safe.  I brought mine back in a carrier bag and stashed in the overhead compartment .

     

    Clothes shopping dirt cheap too.

     

    Granted, I was there for work, but a friend went on a leisure trip and claimed his shopping savings covered cost of his flight.

    • Like 1
  4. If you're a fan of Pete Trewevas, then check out the last Transatlantic album.  It has a great line-up - Mike Portnoy, Neal Morse and Pete on bass.  Some lovely melodic playing.

    • Like 1
  5. My first decent bass was a Fusion V and I'm still kicking myself for selling.  Like this one, I swapped out original blade pickups with EMGs.

     

    My friend had the Jackson equivalent and I can confirm that the Charvel version did indeed poo on it from a great height.  Better shape, neck, construction and electronics.

     

    If this was a 5 and in original black sparkle would have bought it without a second thought.

     

    I appreciate that's a lot of ifs.

    • Like 1
  6. On 24/01/2025 at 15:24, Max Normal said:

    Deffo a scam website. This luthier is from California and makes expensive one-off guitars and basses. He has a facebook feed.

    Nothing that screams scam to me.  Ken Lawrence basses were much more prevalent back in the late 90s/early 00s.  The other instruments are exactly what I'd expect from a Japanese guitar store.  I just got back from 10 days in Japan for work and most guitar shops have a section for expensive/over priced US instruments.  Saw plenty of eye wateringly expensive Alembics.  There's a market for it.

  7. Well, new used bass day as opposed to new bass day.

     

    Picked up for a very good price from Ishibashi Music in Shinjuku, Tokyo during a recent business trip.  They had the grey and red in stock and whilst I preferred red, it had a few sizeable dings and paintwork chips and only around £10 price difference, so grey it was. Still very nice though.

     

    It's a non-export model, which IMHO, looks nicer and more balanced.  The black scratchplate and control plate contrast nicely against binding on the body.

     

    Light, heavily contoured basswood body, very slim 70s profile jazz bass neck and a lovely punchy sound.

     

    If I was being picky, I'd say the jazz pickup sounds a bit thin - a common  criticism - but it adds some bite to the sound. The P pickup sounds lovely and it's nice to finally have a bass I can use for the precision bass sound.

     

    Only other complaint is those silly plastic knobs.  Will be replacing with chrome domed ones.

     

     

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    • Like 8
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