Kiwi

On 07/08/2022 at 08:12, VTypeV4 said:

Respect to Rob and all those at Status that made these very special basses. It will be a great loss to the bass playing fraternity but hopefully (as suggested elsewhere), the company will be continued in some form - even if it will be different than the one we've come to love over the years. I foolishly sold my first one back in '06 but having recently picked up another, it's even more so a keeper now. 😃

 

 

 

❤️❤️

Someone else we all know shares your taste...no logo though.  I wonder if that was intentional?

On 30/07/2022 at 16:43, E sharp said:

I always thought I’d get down there again one day and order a new one, even though I was aware that Rob wasn’t getting any younger. Similar to Martyn Booth, who I now. He’s now 72 and desperate to retire, yet has a sizeable back log of builds. Hence why he can longer do repair work. 

I follow Martyn on FB because I own a trio of MSG guitars which he designed for Yamaha. He keeps talking about the latest build being his last but never seems to quite walk away. 😁 Fabulous looking guitars though.

16 hours ago, patrikmarky said:

Can I get my 3 feedbacks  threads combined?

    

Yes, you can drop any of the mods or admin a PM with links to the three threads and we can merge them.

16 hours ago, Mattayus said:

It's still locked, and I've waited until the next day.

 

Any advice?

Is your browser blocking pop ups which prevent you from completing the two factor authentication process?

12 hours ago, diskwave said:

Sorry for the nerd assault. So is that a factory recall or was it refinished way back in the day?

No, completely original. It was common for them to grab a body finished in a standard colour off the assembly line and just blow the custom colour directly on top.  

9 hours ago, miles'tone said:

 

(the metallic paint used at that time

The metallic colours were two layers. The first was either silver (or gold for red colours) with a candy tint over the top.

1 hour ago, diskwave said:

Well well. Is that salmon pink underneath blue? Fascinating.  

LPB over fiesta red - which usually fades to salmon pink

7 hours ago, Bassman Sam said:

I would love to know the real story behind his "59" Fender Jass Bass. It's a thing of legend. R.I.P. Herbie.

He told me he bought it in Manny's in 1959 and didn't understand all the armchair experts who didnt believe him. I asked him what he thought about the idea that it was pre production and he was doubtful.  It didnt seem to be a complicated issue for him, he just bought it and played it.

They don't really sound like Wals too me.  Too bright.

I got to hang out with him at a Richard Durrant gig in 2006 after hardly anyone showed up.  In the intermission, I introduced myself and gushed a bit about the impact that Sky had on me as a pre-teen - before I had even developed an interest in playing a musical instrument (actually Tristan Fry inspired me to take up drums before I moved onto bass 2 years later).  Bless him, Herbie looked a bit embarrassed about Sky and then he offered to buy me a pint.  Afterwards he then offered to let me try out his Jazz bass.  It was super light, almost like a toy and the nylon flats were like anchor cables.  The controls were fragile too but it sounded just like it did on the records.  Such a great memory.

And let's not forget the huge amount of charity work he did, including music therapy.  He was one of the good ones.

RIP Herbie

2 hours ago, Quatschmacher said:

Do you rather mean a sequencer? How would you propose to feed an arpeggiator multiple notes?

You know an arpeggiator doesn't work like that.  Alexander, Cooper, Hologram and others (Linn) use pitch shifting and delay for the timing.

2 hours ago, Quatschmacher said:

I think it quite unlikely as space is getting tight again in the first app with all the new stuff we added and space needs to be kept for the tracking improvements that are in progress.

I'm getting a sense of Deja Vu.

2 hours ago, Quatschmacher said:

You can easily arpeggiate and sequence the FI via MIDI as is. Also, you’ll soon be able to use the FI to play MIDI synths that have their own sequencers and arpeggiators. Depending on how the latter work, it might be possible to stack the arpeggiator using single note input, depending on how the synth treats new notes while hold is on.

But that means getting into MIDI which is a world of faff, especially since there are currently divided loyalties between 5 pin and USB sockets and extra expense in trying to bridge the gap between manufacturers preferences.  I also suggest an effects section in the Future Impact is a little redundant given how many users will already have their own preferences for effects anyway. 

I suggest the primary value of the Future Impact is as a generator of synthy waveformed notes either single notes or arpeggiated.   That output can then be tweaked via external effects (either in a loop or in series).  Adjustments can be made using knobs without the need to get on a laptop and access various menus and sub menus.  Trying to cover all bases (aha) in one pedal is perhaps self defeating when more convenient options for specific functions within the FI are already on the market.  

I feel the pedal should play to its strengths not offer features that customers already have.

On 22/06/2024 at 06:26, Quatschmacher said:

The operational system of the V4 software allows seamless switching between four separate application programs. Currently only two of these slots are used, next applications coming with FM synthesis, sample replay or multi effect section.

Can they do an arpeggiator with a clear attack and release for each step?  I remember asking for this last time and the V3 didn't have enough room for the extra code.

Just make some 5 string pickups in EMG/Bart format and tap into a new market.  Ideally 16-17mm string spacing.

On 23/05/2022 at 06:16, Misdee said:

great hairstyle

He reminds me of someone: 

I also think he's decided get a cheap publicist, throw himself out there as a brand identity by generating a media profile and stay in people's faces long enough to see what happens.  It reminds me of  the same approach taken by Mononeon...remember him?  There are probably others too.  There was some guy over here called Biscuit who was trying to be famous for being famous.  His playing is alright but I don't think it justifies the hype because I've seen gigging ' meat and potatoes' players in the UK who are better.  But maybe I'm getting a bit cynical in my old age.

18 hours ago, police squad said:

didnt know Alan Knight was still working. Nice job there

I'm not sure if he is, he made the Hitmaker ten years ago.   He does really good work.

Generally we would discourage naming and shaming unless there is irrefutable evidence...which means the necessary legal standards of acceptability.  FWIW in the case of Mick Mason, he's shamelessly promoted himself and there are multiple 'witnesses' all supporting the same conclusion.  Other cases may be less clear.

On 04/08/2024 at 16:04, mattwarrillow said:

Also I've heard good things about Lakland and Sadowski but again there's nowhere local that really sells them. Frustrating 

This is why we have Bassbashes...:)  Depending on where you live, it might be worth asking anyone attending to bring their 5er jazz bass for you to have a go on.  The market is saturated with choice - in addition to Sadowsky and Lakland there is Sire, Goodfellow, FGN, Moon, Markbass, Blade, Spector (super fat necks though) amongst many many others.  Sire has been somewhat of a game changer in recent years and are fairly accessible so would probably be first of my list to try. Followed by some of the japanese brands such as Blade, FGN and Moon. 

On 04/08/2024 at 15:07, police squad said:

can I see a Nile Rodges hitmaker there

Yes, a near perfect replica by Alan Knight in Bromley.  Let's just say it didn't cost me the 5k Fender are asking and lacks a dusting of gold paint to make it look more yellow.  But the parts are all Fender licensed apart from the body which is alder and slightly thinner than standard, as is the original.  The pickguard is also a Kahler brass job, NOS from the early 80's, and identical to the one on Nile's guitar - rocking horse poo these days, I got lucky (ha).  But Fender sell after market replacements now.  I did have replica 50's strat pickups made in Russia installed originally but I disliked their weak ouput so much that I installed a set of 50's Fender noiseless instead and there's not only a little more gain but also no hum.   Tonally it absolutely delivers that scratchy recorded sound of the original...although Nile's use of other guitars on recordings is kind of overlooked in the hype to promote mythology and fetishisation of the Hitmaker. 

On 04/08/2024 at 14:27, rwillett said:

If it helps, I can reduce your embarrassing number of guitars.

 

It's a free service I offer to Basschat members. No thanks necessary.

 

Rob

You are more than welcome to the jazz box, but collection only...

I'm a little embarrassed by the amount of guitars as it suggests I'm much better than I actually am.  But I enjoy messing about with them, pick up swapping, customising etc.   But space constraints will mean a one in one out policy soon, I think.

In the middle are three Yamaha MSGs (aka Image outside the UK).   Yamaha's jump on the PRS bandwagon and their existing experience in copying Les Pauls for their Studio Lord range.  As much as I would love to own a PRS or two, it's hard to justify when the MSGs are just as playable and (dare I say it?) look nicer.  The far left one is my main guitar and had a black replacement trem installed after threads wore out on the original chrome one.  It used to have the pickups in the one on the far right and the sound was very creamy - imagine the solo off Wuthering Heights.  Currently has a DiMarzio Satur8 in the bridge and Air Zone in the neck positions but I'm not so enamoured with the sound.  Middle one is an MSG Standard - more faithful to the LP concept and it has PRS Mira pickups for a classic rock sound.  Far right one is slightly surplus but a little lighter, it has Armstrong humbuckers which sound like PAF's once they've been eq'd for recording.  Smooth, nice midrange but also very balanced.

The blue strat in the corner was originally a Chandler Custom Strat, their take on a Valley Arts but now the only thing that is still original is the body wood - a 2 piece slab of quilted maple.  I made a neck for it last year because I was so comfortable with the 44mm wide nuts and ebony fingerboards on the Yamaha MSGs.

And last summer I also made this in about a week - a hybrid of a MSG and an Aria RS Esprit (which featured low pass filters) but with a middle pickup and piezos.  The pickups are passive Alembic Activators, the low pass filters are customised by Lusithand and the piezo is by Graphtec to fit the Wilkinson VSW100CV convertible trem.  I'm still working on the electronics as the piezo saddles have proved to be both fragile and expensive to replace but it can do Go West after turning the bridge filter down and dialling back the neck filter a little.  Piezo response is not as much like an acoustic guitar as I expected and there's a bit of a gain bump as they're going through two gain stages (filters and GHOST acousti-phonic preamp) but it'll do in a pinch...probably.

On 01/08/2024 at 22:37, gjones said:

Oooh I said 4 but I've just remembered another one (or two).

 

3 cabs, 3 heads, two combos.

 

And a guitar combo.

 

Pretty weird really, when the majority of my gigs have rigs supplied????

Are we including guitar stuff?

1:  4u rack with Mesa Triaxis, Rocktron 300A comp, Lexicon MPXG2, Marshall 2020 power amp through two Joyo 1x12's loaded with Celestion neo creambacks.
2: Fender Princeton Reverb II 1x12 combo loaded with Jensen N12K neo
3: Kemper Stage Profiler (with Line 6 wireless and Sure GLX IEMs) + Line 6 M5

4: Studio rack with Marshall JMP-1, Mesa Studio, Carvin Quad X and BUrman GX3 preamps into various rack effects by Lexicon, Behringer and Rocktron.

5: Hand built Fender Princeton Tweed replicas (1x8") x2

What timbre are you after?  There are LOADS of good basses for 2k from Stingrays to Statii.  It really depends on what kind of treble and midrange response you want and whether you have any ergonomic requirements eg. neck dimensions, body width or weight.

Four heads:

Burman Pro400HD 
Genz Benz Shuttle 6 (x2) (main gigging amps)
Trace Elliot Hexavalve

Cabs: 
fEARless F112 x2 (still the best sounding cabs I have ever played through)

Edit: Forgot Kemper Stage Profiler (with Line 6 wireless and Sure GLX IEM) + Line 6 M5 - this can be routed through the Aux In of the Shuttles if I don't want to use in ears.

Douglas, please check your alternate email address for a message from the BC admin email.

On 06/07/2024 at 20:04, meterman said:

A used Peavey Classic 30 would be a good start for a 1x12" valve combo, should be plenty of them around. 

Good enough for Dan Huff, SRV and Nile Rodgers back in the day...!

18 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

Just a quick question about Stingray basses. There seems to be so many different versions.

Is there a MM Stingray bass with a narrow slim neck.

Some narrow width PreEB stingrays exist but they're hard to track down.  Otherwise, yeah, go with the Sterling.

8 hours ago, peteb said:

 

Absolutely, although on the tonewood does not matter video he is basically saying the same thing with a different slant. On both videos he says that wood does make a difference, but it doesn't matter how rare / exotic / expensive the wood is, as long as it is stiff enough and resonates well. 

 

FWIW Paul Reed Smith says pretty much the same thing in a YT video. And Rob Green also 15 or so years ago when I dropped by his workshop.  So there's consensus between three individuals who own brands associated with high quality instruments.

I have one, it's fabulous.