Kiwi

I was in contact with the NZ and Aussie distributors this week to see if I could get mine repaired - the power track on the PCB has lifted off and broken repeatedly. The Aussie distributor said he didn't think there were parts available. The NZ distributor was really friendly and said he'd put in an RFI to Akai to see what the situation was currently. No way I was prepared to spend 60 quid an hour for the repair in London.

[quote name='Steff' post='732620' date='Feb 2 2010, 10:02 AM']I am sorry If my first post seems offending in some way. No offense meant at all.[/quote] No offence caused at all, if anything I should apologise for giving you an unintentional scare despite having benign and humorous intentions. Nice rawk pose in that first pic BTW. We should probably start another thread of rawk poses...

The SWR Redhead is a sweet amp and amazing value if you can get one imported from the US...HOWEVER, it's a real back breaker. As a studio amp, it hasn't been designed for portability. Not sure you'll be able to land one in the UK for less than £500 unless you find someone virtually giving it away. I'd suggest the GK RB700 2x10 wedge combo and I admit to a personal bias for these amps. I had the 1x15 version (two of them in fact) and they were fantastic, apart from the weight (which was managable but not for me back at 3am up two flights of stairs). Make sure the wheels aren't buggered (a fault with the spec of the rubber that GK aren't prepared to admit to other than sending out replacement wheels that they can't guarantee won't bugger themselves again). Alternatively there are offerings from Warwick which are OK but a bit coloured towards Warwick basses and stingrays. The hArtke Hydrive might be worth investigating as well but it looks like you're already aware of them.

I've had a begrudging admiration for the Soundgear/Tune/Yamaha Motion body shape, if you're aiming for ergonomics its hard to come up with shape that is significantly different.

Just tell her you're not interested in doing the gig anymore because she's turning it into a complete ball ache. Keep it simple for yourselves and don't get sucked into her maelstrom of disorganisation and incompetence. Unfortunately these people crop up in all walks of life from CEOs right down to scatty college girls.

[quote name='BB2000' post='733644' date='Feb 2 2010, 11:54 PM']In addition very heavy (cheap) ash was often used for ash bodies at this time, instead of the expensive swamp ash used earlier (14lb jazz basses are not unknown)[/quote] Swamp ash was originally used because it was cheap and plentiful, not because people liked the sound of it. Fender was set up for mass production from the first moment, tone was secondary and this tends to get forgotten amongst all the vintage hype. Fender had the production values similar to many far eastern factories today. That some of the basses sound good is probably a happy accident due more to good engineering than materials choice.

Welcome Steff, who you've played with doesn't count for much around here I'm afraid, unless you own a coffee table sized bass that cost millions to make, has 100,000 year old mammoth ivory inlays, an LED monitor mounted on the back of the headstock for breaks during the guitar solos and a spalted crotch quilt burl top made from the last remaining Truffula tree. Gear pics please and don't disappoint us...

What part of NJ Lady Kari? I got distant relatives in Wayne.

Assuming that you're all talking about the same thing...its a product of a specific band of frequencies being more prominent than others. The instrument alone isn't enough to get it in my experience, it also depends on how well the amp and speakers pass on that same set of frequencies. Those frequencies are typically boosted to a point on the verge of being overdriven and the overdrive is what gives the growl, preferably through the speakers more than the amp though. GK have a boost feature on their amps that is pretty much the same thing although I don't think their cabs contribute as much to the sound as they could.

I did, but the reason was that the amp was shipped from the factory without a thermostat fitted. Ended up with the fan just hard wired to be on all the time. You might need the thermostat replaced?

+1 for Andy. I deal with him on a regular basis and can't speak highly enough of him. He really is a wizard, thats no understatement. If you want something exact then let him know and he'll custom design a pickup for you. I have his pickups in all my main basses after asking him for as much low end as wire and magnets could deliver without sacrificing clarity.

[quote name='Faithless' post='730960' date='Jan 31 2010, 06:56 PM']I don't dig the comparison of Fodera and Sadowsky - yep, they're both based in NYC - that's probably the only similarity.. Sadowsky is pretty much all Fender-based, whereas Fodera has quite unique and non-traditional design style and sound.[/quote] What left me underwhelmed about Foderas was how close to a jazz bass they sounded (to my ears at least.) I guess I was just disappointed with them despite having high hopes. No question that they're well built though.

late 80's are good years for Stingrays. Nice score matey.

I have and usually regretted it but not always. Its not like its possible to audition gear in gig-like settings anyway.

[quote name='yybass' post='730859' date='Jan 31 2010, 05:50 PM']IMHO Alembic's, Fodera & Ken Smith basses are in a different class to the aforementioned basses.[/quote] I've owned three Ken Smiths. Unlike the Foderas I liked them enough to own them but they've all been sold since. I still own an Alembic but I like the sound of my modified 600 quid '96 Czech made Spector to be honest. It's way better than all three Smiths ever were in every way. The Smiths and Alembics I've played are all idiosyncratic instruments, meaning if I took one to a gig I'd have to set my backline up around compensating for those idiosyncracies. So in my experience the distinction isn't so clear based on brand if it just comes down to sound and playability.

Fodera's prices are influenced mostly by demand, they have a 2-3 year waiting list. Maybe take what you value about Fodera and see if someone else offers the same but more reasonable price? Loads of contenders at least in the US. I can think of a couple of names in the UK too.

Those wear patterns look really odd. The thumb wear pattern on the body is too far above the strings for starters...why? On the back of the neck, there are wear marks right up at the dusty end...why? There's also a gold undercoat under the body finish which appears to be on top of a silver basecoat but there's just a silver basecoat under the headstock. Is this correct for the year? I know Fender buggered about with custom finishes but I'd imagine they'd at least have the same undercoat for CAR if the instrument is chronologically correct. The scratch plate is also remarkably flat. For a bass of that age I'd expect to see some warping. The tuners also look very clean for a bass that has been so well used. I'd expect to see them more pitted considering the condition of the headstock. I'm thinking the bass might have a reliced refin and replacement bits.

I heard of a guy in London who had a GK RB head into a 4x10+horn for the clarity and a Mesa Boogie 400+ into a 2x15" for the low end and warmth. Apparently sounded monstrous. I've had a much more satisfying sound from two 2x12 cabs rather than one. Just feels like the whole rig isn't trying as hard and the sound is fuller and cleaner. I try and keep the number of total drivers I'm listening to, at a minimum though because I've found it muddies the attack.

I've used it on loads of stuff. Works great when you give it a decent dose of UV. +1 on getting it smooth though, you'd need to layer it with loads of clear coats and sand back or just accept it as it is. One idea I've been toying around with is finishing a bass in dayglo flourescent colours, for UV stage lighting.

[url="http://music.uk.msn.com/news/articles.aspx?cp-documentid=151843728"]http://music.uk.msn.com/news/articles.aspx...entid=151843728[/url] The story has now made the front page of MSN Today for those who have MSN Messenger installed.

[quote name='Chris2112' post='721982' date='Jan 23 2010, 10:18 AM']And if it sounds like an Alembic and not a jazz bass, quids in![/quote] Yeah, its not really a super jazz, it sounded more like a Persuader to me.