alanbass1

Well, this cost my dad £90 - back in '75!

[quote name='thedonutman' post='666508' date='Nov 26 2009, 05:57 PM']Nice! I see you've never owned a bass that wasn't awesome. [/quote] I wonder what would have happened if I got a nice new shiny rick copy like my friend - he ended up selling and buying all sorts of low/mid price gear!

Well, playing both bass and guitar it's great to see some love for the cheesecutters. Some from my stable include my DeTemple Spirit '56: My '59 re-issue fitted with a pair of PAF's taken from a 1960 ES175: My all original '56 tele - sounds phenominal A couple of CP Thornton's: My Ricky Carl Wilson signature: And my '64 ES330:

Hi Geert, I purchased my Alembic MK new from the Bass Centre in 2003 and sold the bass to another forum member 'daveski' who is from the UK (lives on the South Coast). I know that daveski sold it on as he since purchased a deluxe version of the MK Signature. I might have the serial number of the bass I sold somewhere at home (I normally keep these for insurance purposes) so if you send me the serial number of your bass I can confirm whether they are one and the same. In the meantime, below are all the photo's I still have of the bass I sold:

I picked this up in '79 - it weighs 8.5lb and sounds/plays great:

[quote name='lemmywinks' post='652967' date='Nov 12 2009, 07:55 PM']Some awesome basses there, esp. the Wal and the Thumb What issues did the Zoot have? Would like to know as it currently resides at lemmywinks towers![/quote] As I said it turned out quite a nice bass (eventually) but not worth the two grand I paid. I think the pre amp let's it down. But my experience with the maker was what turned me off the bass and why I offloaded it. I was angry at the time and wrote the following review on Harmony Central: [url="http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Electric+Bass/product/Iceni/Zootbass+Custom+Shop/10/1"]http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews...ustom+Shop/10/1[/url]

Some others that got away.... Biggest regret getting rid of my Alembic: A couple of Sadowsky\'s: The NYC: And a Metro: I got this Iceni Zoot made. Eventually it came out OK but had serious issues with the builder which put me off the bass, shame really: I also had a \'63 P bass for a time, but my \'62 was so much better so I let this one go: Well, after many years of childhood anguish I finally got a Rick this year from Peter Cookes. But then came along the CS and it had to go!!!! The Spector NS5 that was the gateway to the Ricky CS: The Celinder Jazz Update that I traded with Molan to get the Maple Neck 72 P Bass - a very nice \'very Marcus Miller\' bass but I really want an old passive jazz. And in my search for that \'special\' fretless I have owned, and let go: A \'77 Stingray: and a Wal:

Here's some that I let go on the way: My first 4001CS that I got from Greeneking now resides with Dusty: And the Wal which was going to be the one, but I just didn't play it over my Thumb Bass: [IMG]http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m187/alanbass1/Bass%20Collection/Full.jpg[/IMG]

So, after trying several times I can confirm that I'm a four string man through and through, as such I traded my Clover for that 'special' Jazz I have been looking for for an awfully long time, it's a Custom Shop '64 with a Brazilian Rosewood 'board...

Been trying to get into 5 string and bought a Spector NS5XL Redwood from Molan. But along came Greeneking with the bass of my childhood hero, and the chance to get rid of my childhood agony of seeing my friend with his Shaftbury! So a trade was swiftly done. I have since passed on my Greeneking acquired 4001CS. But before I did I picked up Stacker's CS: [IMG]http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m187/alanbass1/Bass%20Collection/RickenbackerCS2Full.jpg[/IMG] But I got a picture of them together first:

I've always been a Mark King fan, although could never play that style. But what the heck, I ordered this from Rob Green and asked him to put on a matching back, I believe the only one he's done like this - also got pretty green lights:

Popped into Bassdirect not so long ago, always a problem for me as I tend to end up buying. This time it was one of those new BB2024X's

Well, I did a good seven years on the road and then got a proper job. In the 90's got back into playing with a band for fun and in the 000's picked up a Warwick from the Bass Centre when it was still in Wapping. They had a few but this one had something the others lacked...can't explain but it is a real nice bass.

So, toward the end of the 70'S I got into touring and needed a second bass. I was looking out for a second P bass and came across a Musicman Stingray. I instantly fell in love with the sound and the neck felt familiar so this too followed me around the world. It's also the lightest Stingray I have ever played - very comfy.

Well, I was 14 (back in '75) and although played guitar (had a Jedson Les Paul copy) got into my first band who was looking for a bass player. My dad couldn't afford a new bass but had a friend who bought a bass back in the '60's. So I got this, although I was really jealous of my friend who had a shiny new Shaftsbury Rick copy - and being a Yes fan boy was I jealous. Anyhow, I had this old '62 Fender that dad got me (complete with a strap that screwed onto the back and let the bass spin!). Still got it and it's been round the world with me, all original and unmolested.

[quote name='stevie' post='625233' date='Oct 13 2009, 05:07 PM']Dream on WoT.... you're an incurable romantic. What fuels their collectability is the expectation that they will increase in value - like stocks, shares, property and Chippendale furniture.[/quote] And they will.....

I had one bass made to my custom spec's and was very dissappointed with the end result. Probably more to do with the fact that they positioned the bridge for 35" scale and set the frets for 34" and the thing wouldn't intonate until it got sorted - then they damaged the finish! Never again.......

Looks good according to provide.net, who have the best dating material for vintage guitars: [url="http://www.pinrepair.com/vgi/fendinfo/djbass.jpg"]http://www.pinrepair.com/vgi/fendinfo/djbass.jpg[/url]

[quote name='WarPig' post='618251' date='Oct 6 2009, 10:10 AM']Quite like it If the serial is legit its a 61 neck, so as he said its not the original.[/quote] '61 necks did not have binding, block markers or serial numbers on the headstock - the neck as previously stated looks to be a '73.

My NS4 is a wondeful instrument - as was the NS5XL I had which I traded to Peter. I have tried a couple of Euro's in Bassdirect but they didn't really have that 'wow' factor that the NS4 and NS5 had.

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='623116' date='Oct 11 2009, 02:27 PM']Yes, I think it's literally twice the price it should be. The Gallery had a nice '64 Jazz in last time I was there a few weeks ago & that was only £4500.[/quote] Problem with that guitar was the respray. No matter what opinions people have on the value of originality, it is accepted that a respray will halve the value of a vintage instrument.