noisedude

Johnson was the replacement name for AXL guitars, basically a manufacturer who put out their own line of "me too" copycats. They changed distributor in the UK about 18 months ago, from British American Distribution to Westside. I used to sell AXL/Johnson guitars and basses (in my previous life before being a lowly school teacher) and they were decent but not superior to the Aria, Stagg, Encore etc etc etc starter stuff. One thing I'll say about them is that they were dreadfully set up as a rule. We had to work much harder to make a Johnson play well than a Stagg, for example, including fretwork more often than we'd like too. I think that they were spoken to by Fender at some point and had to (officially at least) pull all of their P-Basses, J-Basses, Strats, Teles and other Fender copies. Whether the things you see out there are old stock still doing the rounds or cheeky copies made under radar I don't know. Incidentally, anyone want a Warwick? [url="http://www.johnsongtr.com/Scavenger-Bass.1241.0.html"]http://www.johnsongtr.com/Scavenger-Bass.1241.0.html[/url]

[quote name='Mike' post='132495' date='Feb 2 2008, 12:02 PM']I was watching that bass. I used to own one, and gigged with it regularly. Just go for it - it's a tool (and a very nice one) and you'll kick yourself if it gathers dust at home. Just take care of it at gigs, watch it like a hawk etc![/quote] Yeah someone listed the item number up here I noticed after buying it. At the time I wasn't delighted with the price, it was a decent buy but not an amazing one, but now I see the condition it's in, I'm looking at a pretty professional-grade instrument and thinking that I couldn't have bought a MIM P-Bass for that money. I have another Ibanez, an SR300FM that's about to have some Quarter Pounders put in, but this is so much better to play that I think that's strictly backup and "I need a bolt-on sound" only now.

235 then. I have about 22 so I make that a total of 257 so far. Lot of 9v batteries there.

[quote name='Thunderthumbs' post='132371' date='Feb 2 2008, 01:28 AM']Any pics?[/quote] Tried earlier but need a bit more daylight to get the colours right! Will sort it out tomorrow!!

Dear Basschatters, Help me! I'm experiencing something that I expect is quite common but totally new to me. I scored a very nicely priced Ibanez DWB3 Doug Wimbish signature off the 'Bay and it came today. The thing is absolutely brand spanking new. The case is tolex, the sort that scrapes quite easily on the corners, and it's got one mark on it. The guitar doesn't even have those surface scratches from shirt buttons and straps that a fastidious collector would T-cut out. Big deal. I've had lots of new guitars before, and more expensive ones too. So why am I now already looking at cheaper alternatives for sweaty club gigs? Surely I bought it precisely for such packed and noisey nights and yet I'm convinced that I'm going to dent it the first time I turn round too fast near the wall at rehearsal. I'm actually scared of denting this bass, even though it's technically already 2nd-hand! Maybe it's the untarnished gold hardware or maybe it's the gloriously unblemished finish. I don't know. But can someone tell me why I'm not happier at getting exactly what I wanted?? Yours in confusion and turmoil, Noisedude

[quote name='yorks5stringer' post='132263' date='Feb 1 2008, 10:09 PM']Do you mean Bonzo Dog Band "Gorilla" -only blue men sing the whites, or are they hypocrites...? Everytime this happens it really hacks me off. You ring them, they give you a date, you confirm and drop off posters, then they ring and are very sorry but...[/quote] No I mean [url="http://dictionary.die.net/guerilla"]guerilla[/url]. It's very annoying that it happens, I think promoters double-book quite often, expecting that one will pull out. I quite often turn up for a gig that should have three bands, and there are four or five who have all been told that.

Hmmm .... interesting stuff. I've been looking at a 5-string Rebop but part of me wonders whether I should save a little extra to do it properly and get a Euro .... any thoughts, Spector owners? Cool review, good to see how it stacks up against some pretty worthy competition.

[quote name='OldGit' post='132121' date='Feb 1 2008, 06:35 PM']Seem to... Talkbass guys like them too and you know what they are like for expressing their views ...[/quote] I'm learning!! Looking through the various sites it would seem that SX have a lot in common with both Richwood and Shine's Chinese models ... the tell-tale numbers in the product codes and the combinations of finishes (not to mention that Telecaster with a dope leaf which I'd recognise from Shine's Frontier Series anywhere!). I reckon there's really only about four OEM factories in China and they account for the Chinese output of dozens of brands.

Richwoods are absolutely NOT made in the UK. They're imported from China via a company in Holland by a chap who has an old farm in Pickering. He happens to be local to a photography firm who on the side sell his Richwood/Boston/Caliber etc lines for him. The instruments aren't bad but nothing special for the money, wouldn't say they're any better than Stagg and the like. Shine are good value (it is a mis-spelling of the Korean company Saein, whose Chinese factory used to be contracted for some Epiphone lines). I'm intrigued by these SX things. My experience of cheap stuff is that you can stumble across a great one (I have an awesome Caliber T*le) but they're inconsistent. Do these SXs really keep coming through good? Who wouldn't want a good backup for that price??

[quote name='yorks5stringer' post='132075' date='Feb 1 2008, 05:19 PM']Just been rung up, gig cancelled because they had double booked...it's not the first time and I expect it won't be the last but it still pi**es me off. Will post the new date when she rings again! [/quote] I think you should play a guerilla gig on the street outside. That'll teach em. Although it might not work so well in this sort of weather.

[quote name='yorks5stringer' post='131800' date='Feb 1 2008, 10:39 AM']Great, you can tell the audience to stop talking then and listen![/quote] You have that problem too? I always just assumed it was something about me.

[quote name='slapathy' post='127900' date='Jan 25 2008, 05:42 PM']I agree, there MUST be someone in W Yorks/Bratford/Leeds/Wakey/Cleckhudderfax/Pontefract/Cas area who can help me with my embarrasing problem??? I bought a semi acoustic bass which has an action like the Humber Bridge, needs fixin before it goes back on evilbay. I had heard there was a bass luthier in Dean Clough, Halifax, anyone know any more?[/quote] You're right - there's quite a shortage around here. I don't know any one guy who's good at it all (and I used to work in the trade) but I know one chap who's good with general maintenance, electronics and all things custom and another who's excellent at frets/action etc but who charges much less and so doesn't do the thorough cleaning/maintenance stuff that you pay others for. I'm new to the forum so I will respect the system and not post names and numbers at this point, but if you want the acoustic bass sorting out then feel free to PM and I'll put you in touch with one or both of these chaps. A few years back there was a guy called Shane who did all of Sound Control's repairs who was excellent but I don't have his number and can't remember his surname to look him up!

Hmm ............ need to head to Baildon one evening next week, could work! If I come, I'll tell you what the young vote thinks (I'm not cool but I am quite young and a teacher ...... ). Nik

Cool! Lots of people near me! Hey, if you ever need to come see a terribly amateur but enthusiastic ska punk gig, get in touch. I'd give you the Myspace link but there's nothing on it at the moment pending our re-launch at the start of March. My gear at the moment (no laughing at the back, I spent all my money on six strings and condenser mics) is: - Ibanez SR300FM 4-string (which I have a couple of Duncan Quarter Pounders to put in) - Backup bass - Aria Pro II SLB something or other (another P-J setup, love it) - Laney RB9 head - Hartke 410 Transporter cab - Hartke VXL Bass Attack DI - Boss Chorus - Cheap GXL overdrive and EQ pedals I've just bought an Ibanez DWB3 Doug Wimbish off Ebay and should be receiving that this week sometime, and am going to order a Spector Rebop 5 with a zebrawood top to try out a 5-string. But really my priority should be saving for a lightweight setup (the Hartke cab isn't too bad but I've played a Mark Bass Jeff Berlin and it made me happy). I'm going to get learning and hopefully sorting out some new playing ideas too while I'm here. Apologies for the terrible screen name, btw, I came by it almost a decade ago and haven't been able to come up with anything better since! Nik

[quote name='Sean' post='128783' date='Jan 27 2008, 05:12 PM']I've got a feeling that I'll be hanging on to it for the foreseeable. When the day does come, though it should make up a tiny bit for all the cash I've lost in depreciation over the years with other instruments! I just hope the seller packs it properly and the courier doesn't jump up and down on the box - there's no case with it.[/quote] The only bad experience I've had in buying dozens of guitars off Ebay was one time when the guitar DID come with a hard case ... so the guy stuck an address label on it and slung it straight out. It was a Hiscox one with those catches that are really easy to knock open, I won't go into the details but by the time it was over I would have paid extra for it not to have a case but be boxed up instead. Let us know how it works out!

G&Ls are not that easy to come by and are, as you say, really well built ........ so I would recommend taking the advice of some of these guys and exhausting all possibilities before you shift it. Pickup heights is a good suggestion, as is switching out the preamp. Having said that, I know your experience (but on a smaller scale). I've had a Hartke VXL Bass Attack DI pedal for a while now that all the reviews say is ace, and that I love the feature set of, but I just can't get a single sound that's actually better than when I don't have it connected! So I'm wondering whether I have to bite the bullet and sack it off in favour of a 2nd-hand Sansamp. Which finish have you got? Is it a black one (basswood) or a translucent one (swamp ash)? Makes a difference to buyers. Maybe sell the G&L and put some decent pups in this Squier once you're certain the Tribute isn't for you.

Hello all, New member here - my name is Nik, mid-twenties, and I'm from the wonderful garden city of Leeds (specifically the rather nice bit out on the North West corner). I'm a bit of an all-round musician, classically trained on piano and flute with a music degree ... I then worked in the instrument retail trade for a couple of years, during which time I amassed a worrying number of six-stringers and a couple of cheap basses. I'm a school teacher now (converting to teach physics) so my cool factor has fallen through the floor. Anyway, I've been playing bass in a couple of settings for a couple of years now - covering the ground from soft rock to ska-punk - and am ready to step up my efforts because my brain is running faster than my fingers now. So it's time to learn some techniques and ideas from some of you talented people, whilst overhauling my gear setup. Very cool to find a UK-based forum that's actually got enough traffic to join in with - which I look forward to doing - thank you! Nik

Yeah it's definitely not a current re-issue so if it comes through how it should then you have a bargain for that money. Failing that, you can always hang on to it for a bit, take some proper photos and make a better listing, and then stick it bay on Ebay and turn a few quid profit!