White Cloud

[quote name='The Admiral' timestamp='1357077925' post='1917320'] Well, i think this is turning out to be the best music show on tv this Christmas/New Year. Great songs, fantastic band including the freaky upside down left handed bass work of Lee Pomeroy, and excellent guests - including James Corden, who can sing pretty well and camped it up on 'Pray' a treat, including some nifty dance moves. iMHO it's been a woeful time for tv this year and I'd given up hope of anything enjoyable, then the Mrs put this on. Oh, and some very nice Yummy Mummies in the crowd too! [/quote] I agree. Nicole schersingwhatshername strutting her stuff in kinky boots was also a nice distraction!

Very nice basses. I had a nice example and stuck a Badass on it...it sounded great and was a gigging warhorse. Sold it to fund something else after a bout of GAS and kind of regret it.

[quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1356962918' post='1915664'] Yup, playing at a private function @ the Cardross Coachhouse from 10pm til 2am. Three 1 hr hour sets with a couple of breaks! Not a big gig I suppose but there will be 200 Scots partying down. Played the same venue last year and it was great! All the best when it comes folks! [/quote] This gig turned into a bitch. Arrived to set up the gear to find that the venue had just kept prinitng more tickets when they ran out...the venue was mega crammed with unhappy people because there was nowhere to sit/stand/whatever. The area where we were asked to set up was full of diners eating their dinner...by the time they had finished we had virtually zero set up time and zero sound check. My guitarist turned up with untried new gear and sounded like a novice all night as he couldnt get to grips with his bloody new pedals...volumes all over the place. Amateur hour on the biggest night of the year. I'm seriously unhappy. NOT to be repeated...next year I am staying at home. At least we got paid tho lol.

When I first saw this thread I thought "oh no, not another Fender P bass" - but after seeing it I have to admit it is a really beautiful Precision bass. Love the slight worn look...and the Badass is a really nice touch. I would like one!

Just love Jons basses. A Letts bass is on my "things to own in 2013" list lol.

Yup, playing at a private function @ the Cardross Coachhouse from 10pm til 2am. Three 1 hr hour sets with a couple of breaks! Not a big gig I suppose but there will be 200 Scots partying down. Played the same venue last year and it was great! All the best when it comes folks!

[quote name='Dr Chocolate' timestamp='1352558673' post='1864611'] Hubba Hubba [/quote] Drooooooooool! Another Jon Letts beauty. Look at that top

Congrats, simply stunning. Really love Jon's work - I need one of his basses in my life!

I have always wanted to fluently play "Joe Frazier" by Jeff Berlin.....but I am lazy and cant be arsed putting the time and effort in lol.

[quote name='Doctor J' timestamp='1303804958' post='1211443'] Do people think that Ibanez aren't capable of making high end instruments or something? If you've ever played an Ibanez J-Custom guitar, you'll know they're among the finest crafted instruments you'll ever see in your life. If Ibanez are saying there's two grands worth of materials and construction in these then I'm keen to play them, to be honest. One grand of Ibanez is often to the level of two grand of some other, let's say, more respected manufacturers. I would fully expect these basses to be the dog's burritos. I'd agree entirely with the Yamaha comparison, just because they're great at making great value for money instruments doesn't mean they're incapable of making something special that justifies a premium. That's logical, right? [/quote] Spot on!

[quote name='SlapbassSteve' timestamp='1356895737' post='1914897'] Personally I love the look and tone of them, but that doesn't stop them being seriously uncool. Lovely sound though! They'll probably come back into vogue soon though, weren't Fenders really out of fashion when they started making headlesses in the early 80's? [/quote] Fenders were uncool to the point of being only slightly higher in the bass pecking order than firewood in my experience of the early 80's. Its ironic today to look around and see so many young players who have the exact opposite opinion 30 yrs later.

I owned an XL2 in the 80's and I consider it to be probably the best designed bass I ever owned. It took a bit of getting used to; the neck wasnt super friendly - but I loved the portability, reliability and overall sound. I recall it had a very distinct low end that suited what I was playing at the time. If I had another chance (and cash) to buy one in good condition I would snap it up.

[quote name='drTStingray' timestamp='1356703437' post='1912619'] [size=5][sub]At this time, bass playing had been thoroughly influenced by the likes of Pino, Jaco, Louis Johnson, Nate Watts, Norman Watt-Roy, Mark King - so things had become technical - look at Nick Beggs - Kajagoogoo (top 10 single etc).[/sub][/size] [size=5][sub]So basses of the era - Musicman Stingray, Sabre or Cutlass.[/sub][/size] [size=5][sub]Ibanez Musician; [/sub][/size][size=5][sub]Steinberger; [/sub][/size][size=5][sub]Wal[/sub][/size] [size=5][sub]All choice basses of the time. Alembic if you could afford one (few people could); Jaydee if you couldn't.[/sub][/size] [size=5][sub]Fenders were off the radar for many serious players at this time as seriously out of date and unhip, but found in the hands of punk rockers etc.[/sub][/size] [/quote] Lol, totally true regarding Fenders...very "boring and old school" was the perception I remember as a young bassist at that time. You could hardly give away 70's Fenders during the early 80's. Aria & Ibanez were really good quality "hip" instruments for young poor(ish) players to aspire to during this time...and both represent good value for money for you on your quest today!

[quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' timestamp='1263282719' post='709691'] The tone also comes from your fingers. I've tried using cadburys chocolate fingers & birds eye fish fingers, but found that my original ones sound best in an A/B comparison. [/quote] At the heart of this humourous posting there are extremely wise words. The single most important factor in the tonality of any instrument is the touch and creativity of the individual player that is playing it.

Stunning bass....and what a story.

I really admire Ibanez. I think any company that is not scared to break out of the bass industries 60 yr Fender obsession by comitting serious money into developing original designs deserves great credit. I have always found their instruments to be extremely well thought out, ergonomic, infinitely playable and great sounding. This model is a bit of a slow burner for me personally...but I have no doubt (from experience) that if I picked one up and had a play with it I would want one lol!

Great basses. Ergonomic, light, comfortable, user friendly...a thoroughly well thought out design that works on every level. The barts sound fantastic. What else is there? Totally underated for reasons that are probably more to do with headstock name snobbery than anything else. I own the ash bodied 5 string version (sr605) and I regard it as the best value for money bass I have ever owned....and there have been dozens over the last 35 yrs. Highly recomended!

[quote name='Cyrene' timestamp='1356733048' post='1913129'] I know someone who's selling a honey blonde Classic '50s P for around £500 for what it's worth. [/quote] Would certainly not want to dis these as they are generally pretty good - but I owned a fiesta red version of this model & the neck pocket was a bit loose. Good bass otherwise.

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1356730283' post='1913094'] I would look for a good condition used post 2008 American Standard , and the Basschat For Sale section is where I would look for it . Apart from being great basses , the added bonus would be that if for whatever reason you wanted rid , you could get your money back out of it with little or no depreciation . [/quote] Totally agree!

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1356615737' post='1911647'] I always ask both questions as both make a difference to me as to whether I would buy a bass. Nut width - I don't get on with a neck wider than 40mm. I haven't got small hands, I just find them much more comfortable. Weight - I have a bad lower back and wearing a bass that weighs more then 9lbs is uncomfortable intitially, next day it is extremely painful. (edit - before anyone trots out the 'it isn't about weight, it is about balance' stuff - for me and my particualr issues it IS about weight as much as balance) There are a lot of basses out there - no need to have one that doesn't suit. Happy new year! [/quote] Absolutely! I suffered a really bad lower back injury and anything over 9lbs is out of the question as my usual gigs require at least 3 hours of playing. I bought a Lakland sight unseen online (never a good idea) - and to my horror when it arrived it weighed almost 12 lbs!!! Needless to say it was unusable for me. I later bought another Lakland that weighed just under 8lbs. Weight is all important to me.

[quote name='lowregisterhead' timestamp='1356606520' post='1911516'] +1 for Laklands. I also have a Skyline Series Darryl Jones, and it's exceptional. Pick one up second hand, stick a John East preamp in it (very easy to fit yourself) and you'll have a bass that will knock spots off the vast majority of Fenders, IMO. [/quote] I used my Lakland Darryl Jones with an external Sadowsky pre-amp (the same 2 band eq fitted as standard on all Sadowsky basses) and quite honestly it was sublime. I picked up the DJ for £699 preowned and it was the equal of any jazz bass at any price....in my humble opinion!