spacey

[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1418852861' post='2634176'] This is a tired argument about Fender logos on Limelights as all Limelight necks are Fender licensed. [/quote] The necks might be licensed blanks, but I doubt very much they let them use the trademark. The two things are worlds apart.

[quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1418841209' post='2633996'] Or the availability of good copies reduces the number of people looking to buy the real thing, and reduced demand = lower prices for the real thing. I know a few guys - some on here - who've sold their old '60s/70's instruments and are still getting the same feel/vibe/tone and admiring glances playing a faker/snide/relic/whatever which cost a whole lot less, is a whole lot more reliable, induces zero damage/theft anxiety at gigs, and is, despite what people may think, often equally easy to sell on as the real thing if you don't get on with it or need the cash. [/quote] There is that point as well I suppose, people that might have bought a new USA Top range Fender are now buying the counterfeit copies, but then again the mess Fender line up is in, making basses in China and the like they might have brought it on themselves as well. Not exactly ticking the boxes at the moment Fender are they.

I would say the second the Fender logo is applied it steps from replica to counterfeit, I would think that is a good description of a counterfeit instrument. Unbranded, or even a makers name on the headstock leaves some credibility still in the instrument to me and as I say horses for courses, but to see badged fakes changing hands for £1000 does not upset me, it leaves me baffled who would stand on a stage with a grands worth of fake. What are they hoping ? other bass players are fooled you have a vintage instrument ? As to what upsets me, answer is nothing does, it baffles me why pay such money ? The relic attack by sander thing I find odd as well, its still a fake attacked with a sander to me, price tag or none. It might be a generation thing, with us older players preferring nice clean instruments as opposed to something that looks like Abu Hamza played it. interesting points been made as well.

The counterfeit ones getting sold will only increase the value of the genuine vintage ones, a real one, is a real one and as the prices of fakes escalates the genuine instruments will rise in comparison.

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1418830372' post='2633798'] We did have silly arguments about getting paid extra for setting up PA or for dealing with the client. Two big things that should get acknowledgement and some recompense. But then it got silly with sax player turning up 5mins before start and leaving as soon as the gig finished (and using a music stand) getting the same as drummer who had to be there 45mins before and was still there 45mins afterwards. And someone wanted extra for rearranging setlists and printing them out... All got very silly. [/quote] Everyone takes parts of the PA, everyone turns up at a set time, everyone sets up and has a job assigned to do, everyone packs up and nobody goes home until everything is packed away back in cars. Then we share the pot equally. Works perfectly.

Fiddling when the band comes on stage is my number 1 GRRRR. 4 clicks and go and you know your i for a good night. When they start off by testing amps, playing bits of riffs, hitting drums, you think oh for gawds sake.

A guy not too far away runs cabaret show bands and has begged me until he is blue in the face to join his eighties show to replace his bass player as they want to do Paul Young songs and level type 42 stuff . As we worked together in bands in the 80's and he was basically the bands drummer, I am not that interested in playing for him on a set wage of £80-120 a gig, it might sound good money but when staying out from home a night and a days travel either side become involved, its not that good pay. The fact that someone else is keeping the excess which can be a couple of grand makes the prospects even less likely and attractive. That and to be honest, I would have to work very hard to get back to where I was in the "good old days" with regards to skill-set. You forget more than you learn as the years go by.

I have worked in similar set ups and it is quite rare for there to be the "equal split" you expect with smaller bands. I got a wage per performance, take it or leave it, the set up was a businesses and like all businesses what the client gets charged is not the business of the workers. You get your set wage and the business owner gets any profit.

Seeing some of what I could only describe as "ridicules" prices on mainly counterfeit or snide mock up Fender basses. Are people really prepared to pay nearly a thousand pounds for what is a counterfeit vintage period snide instrument . The value of a vintage instrument is in that it is not in production and thus rare. Counterfeits are produced daily and whilst fetching such ridicules prices I can see bodge up bass bandits are going to go all out in the counterfeit department, turning £150 bista basses in to logo rusty metal and sander attacked counterfeits, many of which look like Abu Hamza has played them on a 200 date world tour. What floats peoples boats, but a who pays a grand on a fake instrument ? Are people really that desperate to fool people on stage that you have a vintage bass that they will pay such money ? Baffled I am. Discussion ?

[quote name='kodiakblair' timestamp='1418676428' post='2632298'] H Did the men with white coats cart him off before he could pay ? [/quote]

More like a glee theatre set up than a "band", one from the cabaret market, they will do well on the corporate scene thats for sure. Personally I would only stay if I was expected to stay at the event. Give me 4 guys knocking out stuff a bit less X factor style any time. Horses for courses.

With 13 people on stage they should be. Did they have ....music stands.....

If it does not cover knocking out a rod and fitting a new one, its not much of a repair manual is it ?

Does it cover truss rod replacement ?

I would say they ended more bass players futures than created them. They were at best unplayable, intonation was impossible and the action was of legends. Todays players do not know how lucky they are, £120 buys you a new bass you can play and learn on. As said in those days, it was Fender and they were hit and miss as well. Rickenbackers had a pick up problem that ran on too long, you just could not get any bass out of them with the poor amps and speakers available. I think the first to arrive from Japan were Hondo basses with a p pick up that you could afford and play. They had playable action and intonate correctly. The poor sod buying this will get vintage alright, back to the days when it was a two horse race.

We are seeing a fools rush to old bass gear to get that "Classic vintage tone" Now as someone a bit older than most on here, I can tell you we cried to the sky when Trace elliot launched and the japanese started making basses. Until then you had very poor valve amps like Orange, yes Orange, total pants distorted awful amps. Fender basses thatcost £700 and weighed 3 tonnes and had action you could keep your sandwhiches under and then an abundance of Kay/ Czechoslovakian rubbish that was unplayable. Out came the Westone thunder 1, a bass you could actually play that cost under £150 A revolution was born. Squire launched to compete, others came in on market, Aria,Tokia, Ibanez, all with playable instruments that you could afford, Trace elliot made a bass amp you could carry and gig with and it stayed working. We would not go back to the Good old days if you paid us. Before the revoution, bass gear sucked and it sucked big time.

Reggae was explained to me many years ago by a very good reggae bass player. The explanation takes some getting your head round. Say "You and me is" to the 4/4 beat The words are different lengths but they all up to 4 Play on: AND + Is . Baffling, but works

Gangs of well organised criminals are targeting venues where out of town bands play, following the van is the name of the game. They appear to have access to auto locksmiths tools, to open the door and plug in a laptop and start the vehicle. The gear never shows up which leaves me to conclude they are either selling it in Ireland or shipping to one of the few countries that use 230-240v such as Bulgaria. The amount of gear going someone would find it again, I have heard of 4 van raids on touring band vans in Leeds alone. With access to the right tooling, the security built in to vans is useless if they can use a pick to open the door and laptop to start the van up and drive it away. Investing in a old school style third party alarm that is not disabled by the vans own security and a good steering wheel cover lock is now looking like a mandatory option to at least hold them up whilst you get the bats out. If they can get the van away, they have all the time in the world to cut the other locks off.

You either want one or you dont. Same with any premium branded item. If it was cheap, it would not be a premium brand

Most likely on its way to Ireland as we speak.

[quote name='ubit' timestamp='1418127688' post='2627064'] Sorry mate, but that's just so narrow minded. You would walk out because they had music stands? [/quote] If they all had them yes, there might be another band on where they are a bit more sorted out and rehearsed. Narrow minded, yes definitely, very narrow indeed, when I go out see a band I go as a punter and my narrow mind knows exactly what it likes to see and hear. If it was an orchestra or some cheesy black shirted and white tie wedding band, then I would expect some wet lettuce musicians stood sight reading, but for my pub bands, I prefer them to have sorted the simple issue of learning a set list before they took to the stage. They might be really good, dont really care, I want to see a bit of a visual as well. Nothing against those who have no choice to use stands and written notes as they have memory issues or just can not be arsed to learn the set, good luck to em, but I am off to the next music pub, along with my narrow minded outlook.

Only time in Hundreds of Gigs I chanced one bass and the ruddy nut fell of the jack plate and the socket fell in on the Jazz bass . You could not get odds on that at the bookies.

What ever helps you get started. As you get on in years if someone asked you what notes are in that, I often think fret markers would be handy, err F, B, A and this one right up here.

I would walk straight out before going to the bar, if it was a 4/5 piece [u][b] pub band[/b][/u], I dont care how good they are, nor who they are or who they think they are, with music stands all over the stage they are going to have the visual appeal of a wet weekend in Withernsea. Nothing to do with hate, more to do with I have a choice as to the standard of visual performance of the people playing in the band. Personally, it screams pants band that will resemble something the council put together. If they can not be arsed to learn a few covers, then I am not that arsed watching. I want to be in the pub with the singer with a radio mic climbing the PA stack, the guitarist fretting behind his head on fire and the bass player slapping out a fire solo whilst pretending to look the other way disinterested. Learning to play an instrument is quite easy if you stick at it, learning some stage craft is a lot harder. Some people might like to watch 4 people standing like cardboard cut outs reading from stands , fine by me, we all have our own choices.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1418075000' post='2626704'] I'll grab it now, its on the coat/hat stand.....lol [/quote] Spits beer on keyboard..