TrevorG

25 minutes ago, ossyrocks said:

 

The Elf is a great little amp, I have one, but the fan is more than a little noisy. I would say it's fine at rehearsals and gigs, but at home in the lounge for practice, I can't tolerate the fan noise.

To be fair I have today swapped one of my ELFs for a Tonehammer 500 which is way quieter. The OP only mentioned size and small gigs. No mentioned of noise so I still think it's possibly a good offer for them.

I have the K1. Discontinued but still a great amp/combo, if a bit overkill. Stand too close and your face will go numb. Good luck.

While their cabs are pricey the Trace Elliot ELFs are great. Fan's a little noisey but it's 200 watts that can go in your pocket! There are 2X8 cabs and single cone versions. Very nice but as I say, not cheap. Good luck.

I have an Overwater fretless bass I would describe as really sexy but yours is on the edge of perverse!!! That grain!!!!!! Front and back. Chris May practices witchcraft. Congratulations.

34 minutes ago, 40RobH said:

Wow that would be amazing. Thanks.  Looks like the bass was given to Simon Towshend (Pete’s brother) by John E so if anyone has a contact for him….

Can't make promises but it's worth a try. I work in Tv now so my music industry contacts are a bit old and spread far and wide... like me.

That's amazing. I worked with Pete Townshend years ago but don't have his number anymore. I'll see if I can find a way to get a note to him. He might know...

Don't like heavy.

Don't like cynical products that get five minutes attention in the workshop and then a five figure price tag cause it's "cool".

Don't like silly shapes.

Don't like fan frets.

13 minutes ago, tegs07 said:

 

Either way using your link or mine instruments have still fallen in price relative to wages.

I see your point. It wasn't the point I was making but I see it all the same.

11 minutes ago, tegs07 said:

Looked it up on the internet and yes $200 second hand in 1977. Average income in the USA in 1977 was around $7000 so the (used) bass cost him nearly two weeks salary for the average worker. The average salary in 2022 was $33,000 so 2 weeks salary would be around $1300. Nearly enough for a new Fender Jazz.

Price list from 1977

52 minutes ago, tegs07 said:

John Lennon bought a six bedroom house in Weybridge for £20K. Shyster estate agents now want several million for it:

 

https://www.thepinnaclelist.com/design/kenwood-home-weybridge-surrey-england-uk/

 

I expect inflation has something to do with the price discrepancy.

I would understand the discrepancy if I'd paid that for Geddy's(please note spell check tried to change that to "Teddy's") actual bass. But I feel I'd follow more in his footsteps if I bought one from another pawn shop where inflation would still not take it to £1500.

24 minutes ago, Hellzero said:

I didn't know that porn shops were selling instruments, I'll need to check...

 

And who is Jeddy Lee: a character from Star Wars?

I suppose if I don't check my spell check I deserve the consequences. I once texted my wife, who'd just met an old friend, to "give her my love". When I looked the message read "finger her my love"! I should know better by now.

Depends on the signature. I read somewhere Jeddy Lee bought his Jazz bass for £200 from a porn shop. So why does a copy cost £1500? Anthony Jackson's name on a bass comes with a £16000 price tag. I did own a Stanley Clarke signature Alembic. You can't get those tone controls on many basses or have the quality of build and it was relatively cheap at the time when I bought in in Tokyo. Hadrien Faraud's Ken Smith looks fabulous and there are plenty around but I wouldn't prefer it to other Ken Smiths as they're all great. Same with Victor Wooten and Fodera. Loved the look of Mononeon's bass but it turned out to be not for me at all. Signature basses like Victor Bailey's tend to have more attention to the build than other Fenders and that's cool but in general a good bass is a good bass regardless of sponsorship.

1 hour ago, Baloney Balderdash said:

Add to that the specific individual instruments in question and not least the specific pickup models they are equipped with.

 

A J Bass with the most P pickup like sounding neck J pickup on the market soloed compared to a P Bass equipped with the most J like sounding P pickup on the market would be very hard to distinguish from each other, not to say completely impossible for the untrained ear or in a busy mix (again of course assuming equipped with the exact same type/brand/model of strings and played through the exact same rig).

 

Gotta say this sums it up for me. From my limited experience I'd say the right J and P together will support any argument there is about tone. But, in general. if you have the right J and P FOR YOU you're seldom going to fall short of finding the right vibe for most songs.

On 13/02/2023 at 13:35, Supernaut said:

Sounds like you need a Stingray. 

First thing I thought. 

48 minutes ago, BassAgent said:

Well, it sounds very Acoustic-like. They have this very typical solid state growl to them, very middy. They immediately give you that Jaco feel with a fretless, or that JPJ growl with a fretted Jazz. I really like it, although I'm planning on selling it as it is very heavy.

 That leaves me even more jealous. But I'll pass on then weight and stick to Markbass. 

Congratulations. It looks amazing, even to an uneducated eye like mike. I'm also jealous of the Acoustic amp. What are they like?

Tried the Pau Ferro on the Fenders. It is just not the same wood as the Pau Ferro on my 24 year old Spector. Back then Pau was rare and expensive. Seems it's got very popular over the years which suggests to me someone invested in a lot of planting. Since two basses made from the same spec and materials can sound different I'm not going to jump down the rabbit hole with you.  I know  little about woods but have read that two pieces of maple/ash etc can sound different pending on what part of the tree they're cut from. Add all the other variables and I'm lost. There are days I think I know the difference. There are days I look down and I'm not playing the bass I thought I was because I can't feel or hear any difference. I'm just grateful they all sound good.

Stunning! I have a thirty eight year old Fretless Explorer and it's still one of the best sounding instruments I've ever played so I can only imagine what yours sounds like.

Yet to see a Ken Smith I didn't wish was mine! Truly fabulous instruments. Congratulations.

24 minutes ago, admiralchew said:

Thank you for the kind messages.

 

@NickA Great story about the professional jazz player asking for a go. Did you let them and what did they think? 
 

I’m very fond of Warwick basses too but they are different beasts as I’m sure you know very well. The only other bass getting a look-in at the minute is my Streamer.

 

I did check the database and found it invaluable. It’s amazing how many Wals have been refinished and changed over the years. This one is about 20 years old but is in pristine shape (well, until Wal take a look and tell me otherwise). The previous owner(s) definitely seemed to look after it, and I’m grateful for that.

 

A maple MkII 4-string would be lovely but I’m not so much of a Tool fanatic that I can’t see that this has everything I’d look for in a bass. I’ll never play like Justin Chancellor, Geddy Lee or any other celebrity Wal user, so I won’t try to mimic their Wal basses when this lovely bass is out there. Geddy’s jazz may be a different matter though!

 

@TrevorG I don’t really want to talk exact prices but I bought it in December during the same few weeks that I saw four or five other Wals sell through Bass Direct and Bass Bros (typically they’re on Instagram and never even make the website, and were a mix of MkIs, MkIIs, fretted and fretless) and I’ve seen several more go there and elsewhere in the last couple of months. Prices have been around £6,500-£9,500 and this was in that range. Given that even if you’re on the list and can place an order next week you’re looking at about £8,000 for a base model 4-string, for the right bass the used prices aren’t always crazy. I’m not sure I could want a bass more than this so getting my dream bass now for what I considered a reasonable price (for that bass, rather than a comment on whether such sums are every reasonable) seemed a price worth paying.

Oh, you don't have to justify paying a huge amount to me. If that bass had been twelve grand I would have still understood you getting it. Someone very famous leant me one once but it cost more than my college degree. That said... it was worth it! Congratulations.

7 minutes ago, Crusoe said:

Id say that if you looked at one of the dangly things hanging from your shoulder and one hanging from your bum, it would be about that expensive. 😄

That took a moment to understand...

It really does take your breath away. What a stunning bass. Can ask how much it cost?

Very jealous (but not of the weight). Great sound and clearly great construction. I have the Elf with the 2X8. Nice and light but not the same. 

Here it is!!

I nearly bought a bass that had this finish from the same company.