cd_david

Ali McMordie is the first bass player I heard. I can still vividly remember sitting in my neighbours bedroom at the age of 13 and listening to Suspect Device on his Amstrad tower hifi. It was a complete gestalt moment. It was the first time I heard the bass and understanding it as a separate instrument. From that point, on I was hooked on SLF and when I eventually bought my first bass at the age of 16, Ali was the player that taught me everything I needed to know about playing the bass. Melody and movement within even the most aggressive songs was possible. No boring plodding away. The bass could play a tune all by itself yet add so much to the song without over crowding it. When I started a YTS at 18 it’s fair to say I was obsessed with bass and music. It consumed my life. So when I met a fellow bass player in the same office I was ecstatic to be able to gas about players, music and gear all day. It was this friend that opened the door to Rush and Geddy Lee. This influence came at the perfect time for me to be able to aspire to greater levels of musicianship. Geddys playing floored me. “How can anyone play the bass like that??” Another vivid memory is listening to a C90 compilation on my Walkman of Rush made by my coworker, on the overnight National Express to London to visit The 1988 British Music Fair at Olympia, little or no sleep with the soundtrack of Free Will, Cinderella Man, YYZ and all Villa Strangiato. For over 30 years, the unlikely combination of Ali McMordie and Geddy Lee have been the two main musical influences in my playing, the mainstays in my listening habit and made me a complete SLF and Rush bore to my friends. Needless to say, a black 76 4001 and a 79 Guild 302 are in my collection.

That is Fookin stunning 😍😘❤️

SSL, Neve, API, VIPRE dear lord 😍😜

Me too 😆

Gary Moore, sat listening to his songs tears running down my face. Although not my favourite musician by a long chalk I don’t know anybody that can put as much emotion into notes as he could. I wasn’t too bothered about Freddie Mercury dying at the time as I was young and probably didn’t appreciate death the way you do as you get older but every time I watch him perform I can find myself getting really choked up. He is without doubt the best frontman that has ever taken to the stage.

I’ve had all my Ernie Ball necks and maple boards lacquered. I hate the dry feel of an unfinished or oiled neck. I wish they’d offer it as a factory option.

Wow 😍

Found myself a Trace GP11 for the bargain price of £75. Ordered a couple of knob caps from Britishaudioservice.com for £6.50 plus postage.

I’ve only got one of these left now (Stingray) but it dawned on me, of all the fretless basses I’ve owned, they’ve all been unlined. Something very ‘proper musician’ about an unllined fretless. Until I play it on a dark stage 😁

I’ve just bought back my June 1976 4001. I bought it in 1989 for £325 from DGC in Durham. I stupidly sold it in the summer of 2017 and regretted it ever since. Thankfully the guy I sold it to offered me first refusal when he was considering shifting it again. Needless to say I didn’t think twice. It’s now back where it belongs with my 1985 4003s

You don’t happen to have a circuit diagram for this do you?

Yes it was all mine at one point. I don’t own it all now, just 2 408 cabs and 2 370 amps. Its my rehearsal room and no wife.

The 1140 and 1144 are actually slightly different. The 1140 is the studio version and the 1144 is the instrument version and having owned both ya the same time and A/B them, they do sound surprisingly different. I sold the 1144 and just kept the 1140

Beautiful 😍