drTStingray

Almost anything on Island at that time was great.

One of the first non rock songs I liked - and learned to play early on on the 70s!

No I wasn’t in Brum by then. I drove a long way with the Acoustic stuff having phoned them first about it - I think Yardleys shop may have been Musical Exchanges by then. I was furious anyway. Musical Exchanges had a “bit of a reputation” in the early 70s, and several of my mates referred to them by the name of a children’s comic story gang led by someone called Ali Baba. I recall going to Romford (Soundwave Bassplace) around that time - and it being full of Trace Elliott equipment and bass players emulating Brit Funk - dunno if @Bean9seventy experienced that place - I recall on leaving the shop my eyes coloured everything a strange green hue from all the Trace amp lights they encountered for a couple of hours 😂

I too had the Black Sabbath album - there roadie lived in the flats near me and their white Ford truck was often parked outside. For me in 1970, a snapshot of music interest was - Free - Fire and Water; Jethro Tull - Aqualung; Ten Years After - Watt; The Faces first album. This track has what I consider one of Alvin Lee’s best guitar solos - from the album Watt - bass is pretty good as well. https://youtu.be/cwQp9CEGplE

It was originally Broad St (had a Dave Hill Superyob guitar in the window for some time). It wasn’t a very big shop and they moved two or three times IIRC. Snow Hill/Constitution Hill was Yardleys (certainly till the early 80s). Imprinted in my memory as they refused to put my Acoustic 371 stack on consignment as ‘too old’ - it was about 10 yrs old at the time - I think they wanted me to trade it in as they had a stack of new Acoustic equipment. I think Musical Exchanges ended up in the Yardleys shop. This was all around the time of Level 42 being of great interest to most bass players - and so they should always be!! 😀

I don’t recall when they moved but it was late 70s - did Musical Exchanges move to the Navigation St shop? My new Stingray came from Jones and Crossland (Smallbrook Queensway) around that time.

Probably not - my USA Sub has a generic one and has been fully functional for nearly 20 yrs - also survived a previous owner letting the battery leak in it. The tuners are likely to also be functional but you will likely find the Stingray Special to be exquisite in every way. It depends on your needs and desires whether that is appropriate - best bet is to try both - I mentioned before about two pick up versions - the SBMM is also available in that format. Worth trying them all if you can.

I’m sorry to hear this but it seems to happen all too often. Some proper’s perceptions and expectations are ridiculous!! In my experience, non bass players have little idea of what makes a particular bassist sound - er - like that bassist!! Was it the Who who used dummy cabinets so they could blow them up? Sounds like some of these ‘you must have an SVT and fridge’ people should be obliged with a cardboard cut out and the real sound coming out of a class D with 2 x 10, DId, and with a decent monitoring mix!! I would also be requiring the proponents of the huge gear to pay out of their own pockets to transport it, and preferably lift it into place each time 🤣

The main difference is the hardware - and particularly cheaper tuners and stuff - not sure about the battery box these days but certainly used to have a cheaper version of the MM one.

But not that shop location? It was on the corner of John Bright Street/Hill St/Navigation St almost opposite the New Street Station signal box and Bristol Road bus terminus before moving to Dale End?

You could almost be quoting part of our 1979/80 set - included Taste of Honey; Michael Jackson; War; Edwin Starr; Chic; Sister Sledge and many more. The besuited (well, satin stage clothed) R and B/disco/funk players were having the pleasure of playing Louis Johnson, Abraham Laboriel, Bernard Edwards bass parts, and it was a pleasure, and quite lucrative. From a different angle, the more disruptive elements were playing more agricultural, punk based rock. Bands playing in social clubs were playing chart stuff like Sultans of Swing, Another Brick in the Wall, along with the more standard Smokey songs, and all the strict tempo stuff (in between Bingo performances). No one was playing ‘rock covers’ like All Right Now and all the others so beloved today - rock music like Magnum was played in pubs. You could also go to smaller venues and watch such eclectic performances like National Health (Dave Stewart - morphed out of Hatfield and the North and originally with Neil Murray on bass).

That's the only time I’ve seen footage of Chic playing live at all - I missed out on shows by them and Sister Sledge circa 1980 as I was gigging. Plenty of TV sessions, some with the Stingray. I always loved their sense of detail - you’ll find the Stingray had a black scratch plate when BE was wearing a black stage suit - a white one when wearing a white stage suit!! 😎 Didn't matter when wearing the BC Rich. At that time Ibanez Musicisn basses in natural mahogany were popular with funk/Disco/R and B bands - along with similarly coloured Alembics (Louis Johnson; Rose Royce; John McVie), and Wals. Plain, darker wood basses were fashionable. They also sounded great.

There was a Bass Guitar Magazine interview with JT where he talked extensively about the bass - even quoted the serial number!!

Also seen playing a Yamaha (BB?) in the studio, with John Taylor whilst recording a Power Station track (Get It On).

Nice - some guys from a Mecca band played in our band for a while - they worked fully pro there was so much work. Their Mecca band did Earth Wind and Fire and other complex stuff - about 20 people in the band. Not dissimilar to the band which plays on Strictly Cone Dancing - but 1980!!

This is good advice - also the Stingray Specials have exquisite necks (roasted maple; very light oil and wax finish). I would check in with shops before going to try one to be sure they have one in stock. A good bet is Andertons, Guildford though maybe some distance from you. I would also recommend strongly an HH version - a lot more variety of sounds whilst still having the classic Stingray sound.

Omg this thread is in danger of morphing into a standard Basschat Rickenbacker thread 🤣 Once again @Bean9seventy is partially right - people in Mecca dance hall bands did sight read the stuff but only some played with picks 😉 The band I played in played more than one Parliament cover!! Not using a pick I might add.

I think you may have that wrong Mr @skankdelvar I’m pretty sure he was into bee bop - maybe Lindy Hop? 😏

43 is good as well 😏 https://youtu.be/JSj0PXJ6d5Q

You have to read between the lines (or the commas)!! We have had these threads before and whilst some is difficult to follow much is not that challenging… I get the impression he thinks some of us don’t get the points he’s making - which is very likely if you weren’t there - it’s extraordinary really that there was a whole U.K. dance scene based around several bands and really good dance music (with exceptional bass) in the early 80s - hence the responses……. 🤪

My earliest unlacquered roasted maple neck is on a 2014 Classic Sabre - the neck hadn’t discoloured on that - I’ve had an SR5 with standard oil and wax finish on maple neck since 2003 and that has changed colour - it’s basically darkened significantly and started to develop some figuring, which to my eyes is quite pleasing - it doesn’t simply look dirty though I know what you mean as they can do. Whilst neither have been on a world tour 😂 they have both been gigged extensively. As I said before, we all have our preferences - my Classic Ray with lacquered neck is equally playable on gigs than the other but in you get chance, try a Special - the necks are exquisite - they do pop up used occasionally though mine are going nowhere!!

Translation hidden back on p5.

Watching Jools Holland’s Hootenanny 😂😊 No NYE gigs or any other Covid super spreader events, thankfully.

Gentlemen, aren’t we a bit thread off topic? Where is @Bean9seventy when you need him? 😏😀 Unless Mark King or Boon Gould or someone worked at Macaroni, Chelmsford before Denmark St 😏 This thread has got me watching Level 42 videos on You Tube again - some great recent stuff around - nice lively Jaydee Supernatural bass - just as it should be 😀

The roasted maple necks of current Stingray Specials don’t discolour and feel absolutely exquisite - they also feel like they have a slightly narrower profile. Whilst I like my Classic Ray with its lacquered neck, the oil/wax roasted maple take it for me - I guess we all have our preferences. The BFR instruments with lacquered, figured roasted maple necks are quite stunning (the fretless variants have tempted me). However I do agree these late 80s/early 90s instruments are fabulous - and very good value.