Chiliwailer

Hi folks, Years back I bought a Rodenberg overdrive pedal for guitar which I still love and use. I was just checking out their website and such as a mate of mine was asking me about it, when via their facebook page I saw that they make bass pedals for Marcus and Victor, I was quite surprised, or maybe out of touch? Anyone tried these pedals? Edit.... Looks like they make bespoke versions for certain pro's and put their names on the pedal. It's the GAS 789's that's been personalised for Marcus and Victor.

[quote name='toneknob' timestamp='1422534828' post='2673765'] Well the three (soon to be two) Wunjo shops are co-owned. I understand the newish Westside belongs to someone from the old Music Ground organisation. On the other side are two or three Rhodes shops, and Vintage and Rare has now changed hands, now it's No.Tom and does a similar job, but has extended the catchment from "mostly Fender and Gibson". Check out the recently sold 4005 on the website (http://notomguitars.com/collections/basses/products/1968-rickenbacker-4005) Also, a well-known US actor was seen in there last week dropping £10k on a vintage P, which puts his recent comments in the press in perspective a bit [/quote] [quote name='ras52' timestamp='1422539692' post='2673856'] Surprised to hear that Westside is a MG outfit, as I got really good service from them when I was shopping for an acoustic six-string. [/quote] Last I was aware.... Westside is owned by Johnny X, he is the UK distributor for Martin guitars, but staffed by a couple of Ex Music Ground including Paul, the most incredible guitar player and all round good guy, Music Ground just have the one shop, thank heavens, that place was hell when they owned half the street, the mighty Wunjo have 3, Regent Sounds is owned by an amazing guy called Crispin, No Tom is owned by a good bloke called Ron. The two Rose Morris stores have seperate owners and Macaris have their second shop there. Angel Music is owned but a couple of very cool pro's and Rock Stop has had the same staff and owner since the late 80's! IMO Denmark Street isn't so cool for boutique or high end gear, back in my day the shops averaged between 10- 25k a week, and that's only achievable by selling generic stuff to the masses. Destination stores are definitely the way forward for something special.

[quote name='JamesBass' timestamp='1422209126' post='2669876'] Cheers, good to know Incase a vintage specimen comes across my path when I'm abroad, or on the net and GAS takes over! [/quote] I know there is a first time for everything and all that, but I have never myself heard of a guitar being seized for having Brazilian Rosewood, and that after years of working in MI. But I'm certainly not stating that this could never happen, I just never got wind of it and am quite alarmed by the comments above, they obviously come from good sources. As well as old Fenders, many old acoustics such as Martin are B/R and come back and forth from the States on a regular basis. Those customs guys would have to get seriously clued up, or tipped off, to know which guitars to look for. I have an old Martin which is B/R, there is a damn good reason why it is held in high esteem. I'm sure other rosewoods do just as good a job too, but I never heard a bad B/R guitar in my time and I know guys that absolutely swear by them. I'd be truly gutted for anyone who lost out.

Haha, I've seen it used used up until 1966, the change might have come around late 64-65???

[quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1421999565' post='2667486'] Thanks, CW - I am reading and am potentially interested but I suspect the CS price will be prohibitive - bet it comes out at £2.5-3k [/quote] Right you are mate, but if it's half as good as my 2013 Ltd Ed 55 Precision then it's worth bouncing off some 0% credit cards for 2-3 years, £70 a month should do it. Hehe, I'll stop being a devil now....

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1421962153' post='2667264'] I'm trying to work out what the Journeyman P's have that previous CS P's haven't...? [/quote] Yeah. I was a little disappointed as even though they look great, it's more Relics for 2015! The Precision is a 59 but with a 60's shape neck, rather then the regular big 59 neck, so you can get an anodised guard but C shape oval neck. I guess the faded 3 tone SB is to again give it that 50's 2 tone SB look but 60's feel. The Jazz has special designed pickups to match the style of the first ones. What is also cool is that the necks seem heavily Reliced to feel worn in but the finishes aren't too Reliced, like a cross between a Closet Classic and Relic? They are the differences that jumped out to me, The Ltd Ed 55 Precision looks great. Available in dirty white too.....Clarky, if you're reading this, look out!

For what it's worth, speaking about passive I'm a big fan of Lindy Fralin Jazz Bass pickups.

I find some of this Denmark St bashing quite bizarre and short sighted at times. Here is a thread praising a new shop which has 3 ex Denmark St guys, each with well over 10 years experience of working there - go figure. Sure, there are, have been and always will be some tossers working there, even the odd dodgy shop from time to time. There are also guys who aren't born with customer service instinct, awareness or skills and therefore need time to develop them or move on. But there are plenty of good guys and good businesses there that don't deserve to be unfairly and damagingly tarnished with the same brush. There is big love here for Wunjo Bass, and rightly so, it's a shame they are caught up in this. To let one bad apple spoil the bunch is quite petty indeed. I spent many years in MI - retail and on the road working for Fender. From my exeprience, there is no perfect shop - all will have a bad day or a bad guy working there from time to time. I could tell you a horror story or two about many shops that are mentioned here with praise - aside from Bass Direct too. Unless of course I consider that Mark isn't too fond on Fender Custom Shop, though with all those lovely boutique basses there who am I to argue?

Ooh, very nice! Great necks on those 59's, chunky and sounding fat

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1421694563' post='2664079'] Thanks for this info. Yep, can confirm the shop is very cool! [/quote] I can't wait to stop by, cheers for the thread!

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1421689968' post='2664007'] Really !! From where? Is Martin the older geezer with the beard? Or the younger one with the beard? [/quote] Yeah, as said before, Martin is older and ex V&R, but he certainly ain't no Chris Trigg. Martin is a wonderful man, honest, well natured and a great musician. Steve would be the younger one with the beard I pressume. I haven't seen him in years, he was at Hanks, though he left a long time ago and was in bands after that, Justin was with Chris Bryant for years, until Chris did a runner overnight. That is if it's the Justin I think it is. Really glad good to know that these guys are in a cool new shop.

Ex Denmark Street guys, and all very nice chaps too, especially Martin. You'd be in very good hands

[quote name='Meddle' timestamp='1421619607' post='2663431'] I have the Strat! Took me an hour and a Genesis album to make. The neck was the worst bit. I've superglued the back to keep it in one piece. [/quote] Yeah, I still can't work out where the truss rod goes....

[quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1421583716' post='2662856'] Might be a good idea for Andy Baxter to take your mate's bass off eBay then Chiliwailer! If someone places a bid where does that leave him? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1957-FENDER-PRECISION-BASS-2-TONE-SUNBURST-ANDY-BAXTER-BASS-/181622698939?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item2a498e73bb [/quote] The devil in me wants to find out....:-)

Mrs Chiliwailer wanted to buy me a bass for Xmas, however she couldn't quite afford a Mike Lull. [URL=http://s1381.photobucket.com/user/chiliwailer/media/image7_zpsd0d519d8.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1381.photobucket.com/albums/ah227/chiliwailer/image7_zpsd0d519d8.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://s1381.photobucket.com/user/chiliwailer/media/image6_zps98fcdf2e.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1381.photobucket.com/albums/ah227/chiliwailer/image6_zps98fcdf2e.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://s1381.photobucket.com/user/chiliwailer/media/image5_zps207a4c96.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1381.photobucket.com/albums/ah227/chiliwailer/image5_zps207a4c96.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://s1381.photobucket.com/user/chiliwailer/media/image4_zps87ce4512.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1381.photobucket.com/albums/ah227/chiliwailer/image4_zps87ce4512.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://s1381.photobucket.com/user/chiliwailer/media/image3_zps9cef1f50.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1381.photobucket.com/albums/ah227/chiliwailer/image3_zps9cef1f50.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://s1381.photobucket.com/user/chiliwailer/media/image1_zps2c03b4cb.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1381.photobucket.com/albums/ah227/chiliwailer/image1_zps2c03b4cb.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://s1381.photobucket.com/user/chiliwailer/media/image2_zpsb520a16a.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1381.photobucket.com/albums/ah227/chiliwailer/image2_zpsb520a16a.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1421579782' post='2662801'] Andy Baxter has a rather more relic'd (but still v nice) '57 for just over £7k. The NKR price is absurd! http://andybaxterbass.com/details.php?id=774 [/quote] Thats my mates, he's keeping it now and like Happy Jack, it'll get gigged too, much respect to that. Andy is in Goa right now it may a while to come off the website, but I managed to talk my mate into keeping it, it's a very, very, very nice bass..... Funnily enough, it was bought from NKR for 8k last year. The Andy Baxter price was cheap as my mate initially wanted a quick turn around. Like is said earlier, quite often the owner of the guitar dictates the price. At least to begin with.

[quote name='HowieBass' timestamp='1421521912' post='2662283'] I've read that heating a neck and then clamping it straight can work - but I don't know how luthiers apply the heat - do they use heat guns? That neck's pretty badly twisted though [/quote] Halogen lights usually, left all day and over night, though it often works in the short term, apparently there is no guarantee it'll last. I had a 70's Strat done years back, it had a massive chunky neck. I informed the guy who's bought it from me but never got to find out if it lasted, it was in 10/10 condition otherwise so I don't think he was playing it anyway.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1421496518' post='2661960'] Fender have always had a somewhat eccentric approach to finishes on their instruments. Anyone remember the semi-transparent white from the late 70s? The first time I opened the box containing one of those I thought it was a mistake and the finishers had simply not sprayed a dense enough colour coat, but seeing the same finish applied to the whole range of instruments in the shop made me realise that it had to be deliberate. It always seemed to be applied to the most horrible grained wood as well and you could easily see the joins between the various pieces of wood used for the body. A friend of mine has a Strat in this finish. It's now completely covered in postage stamps to disguise the fact. [/quote] Absolutely, thought it was an awful refin from a sold colour bass first time I saw one! How about the mid 70's Rhinestone Strat that Arbitor UK had permission to make...if you fancy a laugh Google those! Let's not even start the Antigua debate either....

I reckon the term 'investment' is as dead as disco in the vintage guitar world. So many prices have dropped since 2007 on the guitars that were touted as sure fire investments. The gold rush is over. Rich boys toys now.

Perfect. I got some strings from Matt, very fast to post and all round nice guy, cheers.

What I'd love to see Fender CS doing for 2015, and not because I want one, but for a nice change, would be a regular P and J, not reliced, not vintage based, but a regular modern style with CS features like quarter sawn neck, hand selected light woods etc. Nowt against Relics, just saying.

That sandblast is close to the bone! In my years selling fenders in MI, I saw some real shocking finishes and models, but the thing is, people bough them as much as other people hated them! Fender have been doing this stuff oddball stuff for years, for those who want to be different or find beauty in our ugly, why change it? I like the idea of the current Proto though, TV Jones make amazing pickups, that suit the look of an old school P Bass. my only problem with the Proto's is that the resale could be hard and low value, due to how different and off track they are. But isn't that the point of a Proto?

[quote name='Opticaleye' timestamp='1421441845' post='2661404'] According to the article he has an employee who went to luthier school and it just states that he assembles each one himself. [/quote] It also states "they're full on repair guys". A good repair guy most often comes from Luthier school Assemble can also mean manufacture, or in the above case, whatever you deem it to mean. I couldn't give two hoots about defending Lull, I care even less if anyone helps him. Benefit of the doubt may be better perhaps and I'll Always defend that when a good mans reputation and honesty is at stake, and he really was a cool guy when I met him last year. From the Lull website... Hands-On To this day, Mike continues to hand build and test each and every bass and guitar that leaves his shop. He works with each customer creating a custom instrument to fit their individual needs and desires.

I was lucky enough to spend 3 years working there, they do get some very good stock in that shop. It's amazing how many excellent condition Fenders are actually out there. They were high ticket price instruments back in the day, I reckon a lot of people had more cash than talent and wouldn't have needed to sell the instrument when it stopped being used. I'm not even amazed or excited anymore at seeing mint old Fenders, i guess the novelty has worn off somewhat over time, especially when you just keep seeing them pop up. But of course as far as musical instrument history goes, if you got the cash to tie up in one, knock yourself out and have some fun with it. I have a Maritn guitar from circa 1870, complete with original hard case, it gives me hours of pleasure playing it and an immeasurable buzz out of owning it. As for the price, that's the down side of a business that is 90% commission sale and the owners demands are the basis for the price. Many a time I've seen stuff advertised there high but then sell at the current 'vintage seller' going rate.

[quote name='Jazzjames' timestamp='1421411805' post='2660861'] Yeah fair enough, I take your point. I am in no way calling Mike Lull a liar, I have the upmost faith in his work and the instruments that he produces- hence I own one. I read the 300 instruments a year thing here: [url="http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2011/12/15/custom-shop-an-interview-with-mike-lull/"]http://www.notreble....with-mike-lull/[/url] And have since reread it and indeed he does do the work himself. I guess I assumed that he must have help at 1 bass a day! [/quote] I was as shocked as you mate!