Clarky

I recently picked up a s/h fretless Warwick Corvette on BC, made in Germany in 2008 (as a cheap Wal alternative, having downsized recently). It plays beautifully (lovely thick ebony unlined board) and is immaculately made but jeez is it heavy! 5.3kg or about 11.5 pounds, despite having a not-very-large body footprint and relatively skinny horns. Bubinga is clearly nature's organic equivalent of lead. And I thought late 1970s Fenders were heavy ....

The first Alembic Classico upright bass ever made, being sold through the Gallery. Ex-John Giblin (John Martyn, Kate Bush, SImple Minds etc) http://www.thebassgallery.com/product_details.cfm?ID=2102&type=Bass%20Guitar

Here's the great Larry Taylor (Tom Waits and Canned Heat bass player) playing a $200 Jay Turner Jazz copy. Its good enough for him [attachment=95714:5845573338_82e3fa1b59_z.jpg]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1324460258' post='1474353'] [DIGS BIG HOLE] There [i]is [/i]a [i]slight [/i]resemblance.[/DIGS BIG HOLE] [/quote] I think you need to go to Specsavers too! If Paul Weller ate an entire pie shop, maybe from half a mile ....! [attachment=95664:bognor_gig_014.JPG]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1324456057' post='1474313'] [NOT PC] You should have done her on the strength of it. [/NOT PC] [/quote] Bit tricky as I was standing with Mrs C at the time [PC]whom I worship and adore[/PC] Weller and Adele [attachment=95658:02182217290_2.jpg] Clarky and Mrs C [attachment=95657:P1040331.JPG]

Just back from the Apollo where Joe Brand was on great form, Tim Minchin was terribly intellectual (and I thought not in the least bit funny, but then I was clearly in the minority), Graham Coxon performed his new-wave-mixed-with-Syd-Barrett-psychedelia stuff and Paul Weller closed with lots of his latest stuff and very few nods to populism as is his wont (biggest cheer of night for Town Called Malice, the only Jam song he played, will probably have irked him ...) All in all not a great evening of entertainment IMHO - the music didn't do it for me, although both bands were very polished - but clearly a decent amount of money raised for a worthy cause Highlight for me was a woman with thick glasses coming up to me and saying she thought I was Paul Weller

I have decided to get Max at sfx to build me a custom pedal incorporating the Micro Red Dragon [url="http://www.sfxsound.co.uk/mainpage.asp?page=micro_red_dragon"]http://www.sfxsound....icro_red_dragon[/url] with an XLR out. Decided I wanted solid state, so no risk of valve failure/fragility, but with ability to emulate valve sound. Plus his pedals are teensy so very gigbag friendly!

How are you going to fit that rig (pictured below) in a pub, Jack? [attachment=95587:rock-music-pictures-grateful-dead-5-17-74-pechner.jpg]

You misunderstand me Jack - I know full well how versatile the Wal is (from hi-fi through to dub) and I would like my old one back, thank you I was putting this in the context of how Percy Jones uses [i]his [/i]basses. I saw an interview in which he said he wanted a more organic, almost acoustic sound, prompting his move to Ibanez. Yet I think he gets this from his Fender P more than any. I have amended OP to be a bit clearer

Ibanez [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oxhoe0jQ-3g"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oxhoe0jQ-3g[/url]

Below are three clips of Percy Jones, respectively from early Brand X (playing a fretless Fender Precision), later Brand X (playing a fretless Wal) and finally Tunnels (playing an Ibanez piezo-equipped Ergodyne custom). My observations are that (1) it really is in the fingers as Percy sounds like Percy (and noone else) whatever he plays and (2) that the good old fretless P delivers the nicest, woodiest tone of the three (in Percy's hands the Wal is more middy, the Ibanez very dark and buzzy; I do appreciate the Wal can be much more versatile tonally than displayed here). Fender Precision [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OqQ4m84FyY[/media] Wal [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IenEUOxLNlU[/media]

[quote name='woodyratm' timestamp='1324283031' post='1472432'] Might be worth giving max at SFX a shout. Get something made to order. Max is a great guy to deal with and his pedals are excellent also. [/quote] Will get in touch, thanks

[quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1324243928' post='1472253'] I've just dropped him an email, will see what he says about feasibility/cost. Thx for tip-off [/quote] Update: Mike replied and said he doesn't offer DI as an option.

I recommend Status Hot Wire half-rounds (they are ground wound). They are relatively smooth feeling (half way between a very worn old set of rounds and a set of flats) but still a bit zingier than flats. I especially like them on fretless. One good thing is they come relatively cheap when you buy them online (c.£20 from memory), about a third cheaper than TI or La Bella flats

[quote name='KK Jale' timestamp='1324137427' post='1471206'] Have you heard of the Made By Mike SFT clone? He might be able to do a custom w/DI. I've never tried one, but I'd be interested to hear any reports... [/quote] I've just dropped him an email, will see what he says about feasibility/cost. Thx for tip-off

Thanks Rich but the Valvedrive is a bit bigger than what I was looking for - looking for a smallish footprint pedal that pops in a gigbag pockets alongside cables etc

Nice one Chris, glad its what you were after. Funnily enough, as I mentioned to you, Dave's B-10 (my old one and before that Mr Bassman's) has quite a 'man's action' and other web reviews of B/TB-10 owners say the same. I did read somewhere on the web that the big wooden tail block can be adjusted internally to alter the action. I guess yours has been lowered at some point, meaning it could probably also be raised again if you so wished.

Rather mixed one last night. Played a tiny venue as a stripped down band with backing tapes and with a dep drummer we had never rehearsed with - he was inches away from me, was extremely "busy" so that I couldn't hear the backing tracks and monitor issues meant others couldn't always hear the tapes. So a couple of tracks turned into right horlicks Funnily enough I don't think the audience noticed but I found it a bit of a downer as rehearsals had gone very well. Thankfully we did a cracking version of 'St James Infirmary' as encore which went brilliantly and had the audience dancing. So a good end to a rather iffy gig.

[quote name='RichF' timestamp='1324133074' post='1471161'] was just going to say, if your budget's no option, then there are plenty premier products. The one's we are talking about are £100-200. What is the budget? [/quote] Was thinking £100-200. Still undecided between SFT or VT bass plus separate DI (I see Dave Hall does a DI for a decent price of £42) or an all-in pedal like a VT-EQ-Drive

Well, much as I would like to be giving Phil more biz, I'm too amateur hour to justify a £630 valve DI!!!!!

Nice! Very Paul Simonon with the cream Dimarzio (or Dimarzio alike) pickups

The stacked pot modification on the Hoppus is really neat. Like that bass a lot.

Just opened a very well packed Acme Low B2 cab in great condition - many thanks Kevin for our third deal (I think, could be more lol?)