Kiwi

Any potential buyers should probably confirm the fret wear first before making a committment.

Well FWIW, I prefer low action and I'm extremely fussy with my necks. Mainly because I've tried graphite necks (which are easy to get low action on when they've been dressed properly) and these have generally set the standard. The key to a good dressing is to pretension the neck to the same bow as when it has strings on it. Then its a simple matter to dress the frets flat.

[quote name='funkypenguin' post='454901' date='Apr 5 2009, 08:48 PM']If you're looking for a workhorse 5 string, have you considered an overwater perception bolt on (or thru neck if thats what you're after)? A friend of mine uses one and its a fantastic instrument, very versatile EQ with no real natural scoop in the midrange. P.S thats a phenomenal collection of gear you have there (lusting for the Mesa/Trace V8!!). how are you finding your MIDI bass now? has Jon tweaked it yet?[/quote] Hi Penguin, a few others have suggested looking at Overwater as well. I've also been talking to Chris Celinder about his Aura basses which are supposed to be a tribute to Ken Smith's instruments (although employing a set neck and chambered body). In the meantime I've taken on the flame maple Spector NSCR5 which a few members on the forum have owned. It could do with a bit of a fingerboard dressing which I'll do myself when I go to Jon's this week. However the sound is pretty much everything the Smith had but with a bit more midrange. For a Spector, its particularly warm sounding which surprised me no end and its the sound I've had in my head for a long time. I'll be replacing the EMG's with Basslines and I'll take a view on whether the tone pump needs replacing or not (it sounds better than the one in my Euro 6 which has now gone to the Gallery). Jon's finished the changes to the Headless 6, we're just waiting on the custom Newtone strings and I'll pop up there sometime early this week to collect it along with a headless guitar he's made a body for, a strat body he's refinished for me and the stingray which needed a refret. BTW, pending the move I've also completed outfitting the MIDI rig with a 2 channel valve parametric eq and a Class D power amp similar to Ped's (and nearly as cheap!). [attachment=24974:MIDI_bass_rig.jpg] Thanks to the amazing versatility of the MPXG2 I've avoided the need to get a mixer/preamp. I'm satisfied with this solution, its the best balance between the minimum number of components and retaining some flexibility for different playing environments. The Class D power amp was a steal at $216 and replaces the Strategy 400 which sold last week.

and when the wood is carefully selected you don't really need anything else. The rest of it can be done through the amp.

[quote name='doctor_of_the_bass' post='483601' date='May 9 2009, 10:25 AM']Very similar to my graphite necked Warlord...in fact the current high bidder is a very good mate of mine!!! Hmm![/quote] Its not me. I think its collectability will be limited to people on this forum or on other forums with a Level 42 connection where bragging rights are strongest. There's not enough nostalgia associated with the brand for it to have a wide appeal. I would be wary of chucking a lot of cash at it unless you don't plan on selling it for a long time. BTW, speaking of buses [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=48573&hl="]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=48573&hl=[/url]

I think you're probably in the majority. There's definitely a fatter sound to be had by raising the action.

I suspect Jon's been getting a little frustrated at the amount of business that has been passing him while he's been working on the custom instruments. I think having high spec instruments available off-the-shelf is a great step forward. The custom work we've all been giving him has bogged him down quite a bit (I'm as guilty as anyone) and I wouldn't be surprised if his bottom line has suffered a little by not being able to get enough instruments out the door quick enough. Having said that, most of us who have commissioned him for custom work may have helped his thinking along a bit, I suspect.

Some superb attention to detail in the fittings but the body shape is a little too fussy for me.

I've sent a link to a contact of mine who has depped for my band in the past.

Ah the Fernandes FAB-170. The selling point of these instruments was how close they got to Alembic inspite of shortfalls in workmanship. It would be slightly collectable if it hadn't been buggered about with. I'll be steering clear of it.

I think there's something to instruments with a bit of player wear, as some will know from my posts. Mainly I look for an instrument that has been played and looked after (ie maintained) over a long period of time. The reason for this is that if the instrument neck has been subject to any warpings or changings as its settled over the years, regular fingerboard dressings every time its been refretted mean that its more likely to have a stable AND straight neck. An old bass that has been sitting in a case for most of its life is more likely to be just fit for display purposes, assuming that the neck has had a high chance of warping over the course of the instruments life. Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule but its hard to tell without actually having the instrument in the hands and being able to sight down the neck. The majority of instruments I've purchased in the last two years have had extensive player wear and been heavily gigged. The Celinder Update J (Ol' No. 2) was owned by one of Denmarks top session jazz bassists and has been gigged solidly since 1994, the Alembic has been owned by a number of Canada's top session bassists and again has been toured with extensively, the stingray has the most player wear and has a neck that has been refretted a number of times and fingerboard dressed. The only instrument I wouldn't want player wear on is a Pedulla Pentabuzz because the necks are dead rigid to begin with and player wear to the fingerboard just means you're closer to needing a refinish. As for relicing, its cosmetic but I don't see the point of it either. Its like drinking orange squash and pretending its orange juice.

Thanks dub Bob - I've been too busy organising things to give it much thought to be honest.

Thanks to a sharp eyed Hamster, I've checked a couple of user accounts and it turns out that Allen Baker and Chelios are using the similar email addresses and identical IP addresses. I think a bit of an explanation is in order, personally. I've PM'd Allen Baker that the Chelios account has been frozen and unless that explanation on this thread is offered in the next 24 hours, both accounts will be permanently banned.

thanks Dave Foal30 - yep coming back to Chch until something else happens. There's another lead working for CCC too so watch this space. Even if I end up returning to the UK, I can always store my stuff for free at my parents place. Hey Ben, yes Auckland seems to still be relatively optimistic from what I can tell. Two of my job leads in private practice are there at the moment and I have contacts in Auckland City Council too. You know the ironic thing though? One of the companies I used to work for are recruiting again this week because they've got too much overseas work. I had to turn them down though because my plans to move were already in place and there was no guarantee that they wouldn't let me go again if work dried up suddenly. I'm a little hacked off about the timing but its possible that things might be on the up at last with at least those companies with overseas contacts.

If any venue says they're going to add VAT, ask them if the IRD is aware they're doing that. Whatever the answer, you can always offer to give them a call yourself just to be sure.

Quite a few suggestions here, Andy. [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=1390&st=0&start=0"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...t=0&start=0[/url] As for me, give me an Avalon U5 with a 4 band parametric eq, twin inputs (for 2 basses) and an effects loop. Then give me another but put two in a rack chassis instead with one input each.

Celinder.

I just watched their DVD of the final concert in Japan last week and started liking them more than ever. Some of their stuff has really stood the test of time. Whats with Eric Martin's Mod hair though? Has he been watching 60's videos of Roger Daltrey with The Who?

[quote name='funkypenguin' post='480535' date='May 5 2009, 11:35 PM']Active EQ gives you more options IMO, by allowing greater manipulation of your bass sound.[/quote] Well that's the thing for me, I don't think it does! Most onboard eq's aren't sophisticated enough to compensate for stage acoustics. They were first used before tweeters were built into cabs and back line was pretty lo-fi by comparison to todays equipment. So back in the 70's it did make a difference to have that extra boost at either end of the frequency spectrum. But with brands like the Hartke, Behringer and Peavey being so affordable, is there any need for it? If you use it to help emulate the sounds of other basses most of them are passive anyway and dependent more on pickup design and placement than what kind of eq is onboard. If you have to use it to get your bass to sound right before you start playing then you've got the wrong tool for the job and even if you choose to use it mid set because you can't hear yourself then it buggers up the levels on the FOH desk.

thanks Nick, S_u_y_

FWIW, I'm going off the idea of active electronics and especially EMG pickups. I've had a load of active eqs in my instruments over the years and none of them could compensate very well for crappy stage acoustics or poor wood selection by the luthier. I'm rapidly reaching the conclusion that all the eq-ing should be taken care of by the amp anyway, not the bass. If the bass sounds crap then change the bass or maybe change the amp but there's no point in making a silk purse out of a sows ear. After having EMG's in my Spector(s) I'm going off the idea of their colouring too. They're [i]practical[/i] pickups but coloured and they suck some of the dynamics out of the instrument.