Musky

[quote name='BassApprentice' timestamp='1333315145' post='1600060'] Woops didn't see the pinned topic! [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Not strictly eBay I know but I had to put this up [/font][/color] [url="http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/vintage-kasuga-bass-guitar-case-stand-and-strap--excellent-condition/99493034#gallery-item-full-2"]http://www.gumtree.c...ery-item-full-2[/url] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Stunning Copyright Rickenbacker copy for sale in Inverness. If had a spare £350 I would buy this in a heartbeat [/font][/color] [/quote] That one's in the For Sale forum as well. http://basschat.co.uk/topic/170580-vintage-kasuga-for-sale/ Cheaper on Gumtree though.

Yeah, the wiki disappeared with the site revamp. It was an underused resource for sure, but then it was so tucked away that most people didn't seem to know it was there. Anyway, it's archived at the Wayback Machine. http://web.archive.org/web/20110609144632/http://wiki.basschat.co.uk/info:amps:impedance_and_wattage

[quote name='kennyrodg' timestamp='1333223968' post='1599008'] Thanks Musky, Much obliged to you mate. [/quote] No worries. I've just been searching for that old thread and can't find it at all. I'm wondering if it was on one of the older incarnations of the forum - anyone remember the thread I'm thinking of???

The Bass 9's were really cool looking basses - very Jaguar- like, covered in a fantastic variety of vinyl coverings, with an amazing pickguard of the same material that's facing the headstock in that auction. To call it mother-of pearl really does it an injustice - it's under 2mm thick but has an amazing depth to it. I've yet to see a modern pickguard that approaches it for looks. Which makes it even more disappointing that the bass in question has replaced classic cool with oddball quirkyness.

That's a Series 6, which were introduced around '89-'90. There's a thread around here somewhere (probably started by Merton) which gave some details on Trace's history, but if I remember rightly dating by the serial number seemed to be a bit of a lottery. If you open up the amp one of the boards is likely to be dated, but it seems like they could have the boards around for a while (a bit like Fender and their necks), so it's not a necessarily a construction date.

[quote name='Baxter' timestamp='1333060213' post='1596957'] Aye, heres a pic I took from my facebook, i hope its big enough to see! [/quote] Thanks - that doesn't look too shabby.

Nice review. Any pictures? I'm quite curious about the newer design bridge. Is a tune-o-matic type affair?

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1332790841' post='1593225'] Aaauuuggghhhh! Get that sorted, now! [/quote] There's no point - I'll only have to change them in a couple of years.

[quote name='jezzaboy' timestamp='1332787342' post='1593142'] Re winding the string the wrong way. It`s almost as annoying as people who leave the un-trimmed ends of the string hanging out, mostly on guitars but I have seen it on a few basses. Or people who don`t put the end of the string down into the hole on the tuner peg Jez [/quote] Oops. [attachment=103444:Cardinal Headstock.jpg]

If you're considering the Promethean, the Harley Benton (currently unavailable) or Red Sub versions should be on your list as well. They're essentially the same amp at a much lower price. http://basschat.co.uk/topic/168416-another-promethean-clone/

[quote name='jezzaboy' timestamp='1332688176' post='1591628'] I had a look on TB and in the US there ain`t a lot of love for Ashdown as they don`t seem to have a large presence over there but they do seem to love their Ampegs. Are they still made in the US or is most of the gear now made in China? Jez [/quote] Vietnam I think. I could be wrong but I don't think Ashdown is as competitive price-wise as it is over here, so that might be a factor.

Are you at the point where you're considering joining a band, or have the prospect of jamming with others? If not I'd say you don't actually need another amp and the little practice sounds fine for your purposes. If you've got a long term aim of eventually joining a band, start putting by a little cash aside for the day when you actually need something bigger. Until then hang on to your 315.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1332538662' post='1589906'] I'm still to be convinced that authenticity is at all important to the average person who spends money on music. [/quote] Sure it is. In a nutshell - nobody likes to be lied to. Of course people look for different authenticities in different acts, so the fact that Madonna (for instance) is constantly recreating herself makes no difference to me. Yes, her persona at any given point is a confection but that doesn't make her any less 'real' if you accept her on those terms. If she stops the constant image and style changes she becomes just another heritage act.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1332532681' post='1589808'] Why is this important? It's not. If I knew the secret ingredient that could persuade people to like my band I would be using it and so would everyone else. [/quote] Try telling that to Milli Vanilli. Authenticity [i]is[/i] important, but because it's such a nebulous concept it's very difficult to pin down. Or Fake. The thing is, people are often very happy with inauthenticity in the music industry. What we don't like is a mismatch between the basis for claims to authenticity and the reality. It's the reason why X Factor winners are so often paraded singing unaccompanied, or why Lady Gaga was widely promoted solo at the piano. Both subjects can be viewed as inauthentic by some widely held criteria, yet they have to demonstrate the claims made for them stand some scrutiny. It's important for any originals act, as a mismatch can seriously damage a career or prevent it taking off in the first place. Which is what Jake's question was getting at in the first place.

A Behringer BDI21 - that then leaves you £70 odd to buy something else.

[quote name='Nibody' timestamp='1332421743' post='1588046'] [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/220981698645?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649"]http://www.ebay.co.u...984.m1423.l2649[/url] Interesting copy, and a cheap project for someone? [/quote] Looks to be a Wesley Europa. The back hasn't been hand painted black - they came with a really crap finish on the back! What I can't figure out is why the seller has done a really bad photoshop job on the edges in the second picture.

[quote name='dlloyd' timestamp='1332360327' post='1587360'] To the OP... Have you been to the Uni library? What does "authenticity" mean? Is it a valid measure of worth? Are there different kinds of "authenticity"? Can something be "authentic" in one way and "inauthentic" in another? Are there types of "authenticity" that are defined by the artist and types that are defined by the listener? That should provide you with enough for an essay. Read this book... [url="http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=AxfSyg5PZ6sC&pg=PA78&redir_esc=y"]http://books.google....A78&redir_esc=y[/url] [/quote] [quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1332409358' post='1587771'] I think you can break it down into each aspect of an "act". Is the act as a whole authentic. Is the performance authentic. Is the recording authentic. Is the song authentic etc etc. If you pay to go and see someone sing and they're miming, that's not authentic, but if you know they're going to be miming, it is authentic. If you think you're listening to artist A singing on the CD but you're actually listening to artist B then the recording isn't authentic. People seem to be relating "authenticity in music" to "quality of music" - although it is subjective, I don't think many musicians would agree that Britney Spears produced a higher quality of music than Beethoven. However, in terms of authenticity, she doesn't pretend to write her own songs - what's not authentic about Britney Spears? (besides any cosmetic surgery) Or is "authenticity in music" the same as "artistic integrity"? In which case i'm not sure Britney Spears ever produced any "art" at all (in that picking a song off the shelf and singing it as instructed is not an artistic expression in my opinion). [/quote] "The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made." - Jean Giraudoux I've got to admit, I was a little disappointed that the question that the OP had been set could be filed under 'marketing'. At least they had the good grace to put the word authentic in inverted commas. But it's been an interesting conversation, and for me the quotes above get to the heart of the matter. There are clearly many different authenticities. To talk about all music being authentic is a bit of a red herring: yes, all music is authentic (including John Cage's 4'33") in that it exists, but the authenticities created by musicians and fans alike can be very different. What is authentic for a boy band and a metal band may be completely different. As a generalisation fans of boys bands couldn't give a damn about notions of artistry, whether they can play an instrument, write a song or were assembled by a musical svengali - what is prioritised is looks and the faint promise of availability. Different genres have different authenticities. But it gets even more complicated. Was Ziggy Stardust authentic? I'd imagine few engaged with Ziggy Stardust without realising he was a creation of David Bowie, and many in turn knew Mssr. Bowie was Davie Jones in previous times. But people interact with Ziggy Stardust as a performance, authentic within it's own frame of reference. You could even read David Bowie as a performance of Davie Jones if you wanted to push things a bit. Moreover, it's well worth asking what exactly is being authenticated - the music, the performance, the artist, the audience or even a subculture? Murky waters indeed. To be a little more germane to the OP's essay question, it's quite easy to tease out the different authenticities within different genres (the key ones at least). The look, the sound, the attitude are probably as far as you need to go for a thousand word essay. Any thing else will depend entirely on the genre (or sub-genre). Just don't be caught faking it. Die hard fans might overlook it, but others rarely will.

[quote name='Johnston' timestamp='1332317815' post='1586407'] There are a few without the fotoflamed neck. IMMO on here has one and at least one other BCer, [/quote] Ah, cheers for that Johnston. No mystery here then!

[quote name='Gust0o' timestamp='1332280753' post='1586184'] Quick question lads: isn't the truss rod access normally up at the headstock? [/quote] I've no idea, but fotoflame instruments came with the same effect on the neck - they were noted for having markings that were supposed to look like McD's Hamburglar on the back. It might be worth checking into the neck a bit more. It's not a problem if it's another MIJ neck, and might even be a bonus if the finish on the neck is given to cracking as well, but a cheapo neck would obviously seriously devalue the bass. Edit: Actually there's a couple of guitars on [url="http://xhefriguitars.com/page7.html"]this page[/url] that don't have fotoflame necks, so maybe it's nothing to worry about.

[quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1332197858' post='1584830'] You could do a lot worse than finding a copy of 'On Jazz' by Theodore Adorno - all of his arguments against perceived authenticity (or pseudo-individualisation, as he called it) ring true in today's musical market place. [/quote] And then read Theadore Adorno Meets The Cadillacs to put it into some perspective.

Blimey. Something I might be be able to contribute something useful to - I wrote my dissertation on authenticity in popular music, albeit back in the mid nineties when the subject was distinctly under-theorised. I know Simon Frith has since taken quite an interest in the subject, and doubtless many others too, so what I learned my well be distinctly old hat nowadays. Quite a few people have mentioned that you have to define authenticity, and what is authentic to one person is not to another. That is entirely the point. Authenticity in music does not actually exist in any concrete sense, but is produced entirely as a result of the meaning given to it by the individual - and it's a constantly evolving process in which the audience can be as creative as the artist. I'd imagine Jake is posing his question because he wants to know what we (as individuals) consider authentic to build up a picture of how we construct our own versions of authenticity. Quite interesting to note that a number are doubting the existence of authenticity at all, which fits in nicely with post-modernist theory - authentic inauthenticity as Lawrence Grossberg called it. Why shouldn't Jedward be more authentic than Led Zeppelin? At least we all know how they came about, saw (and perhaps participated in )their rise to fame on our TV's and know their songs were writen for them by others - something that can't be said of LZ.

[quote name='Johnston' timestamp='1332169664' post='1584193'] From a Re read what is Hornbeam? Has anyone ever seen a production bass made in Beech or cedar? [/quote] A lot of old instruments from Britain/Europe used beech bodies, and necks too. I'd imagine it was used mostly because there was good availability at a decent price, much the same reasons for Leo Fender using ash and alder. I think the Parker Flys use cedar for the bodies. But yeah, it's a strange selection of woods he's decided that the bass isn't made from. Probably to show that you're dealing with a man that knows all about timber and their properties. Strangely enough, just before this thread was posted I was looking at some of his other listings and admiring how well they were crafted, right down to the pictures of him holding the instruments. Wonder if he ever worked in advertising?

I got to admit I'm a bit curious as to how Andy was using the amp at the time. Volume and Bass controls maxed out, or maybe running a distortion pedal? I would have expected the speaker to be crapping out well before the voice coil went.

That looks pretty good actually. Nice job!

Ibanez Promethean is possibly an option, maybe the combo (which gives you the option of removing the head). Alternatively the Harley Benton BA500 or Red Sub offerings, which are substantially the same as they come from the same manufacturer as the Ibanez. There are a few threads about all the above such as this one. http://basschat.co.uk/topic/168416-another-promethean-clone/