Chiliwailer

From the age of 15 I had always wanted one, then aged 21 a guy I was playing with bought me one (no, not that kind of playing). I found my month and year of birth bass in a lovely Autumn Glo brown. I was well chuffed until I got familiar with it. No where to put my thumb, a top horn which always dug into my chest and a very strange balance when standing. I sold it, dream over. Still love them though, especially with a pick and I always liked playing on the couch with it.

[quote name='Prime_BASS' timestamp='1384604939' post='2278587'] Don't waste that finish on bedroom playing. Get it out there where it's meant to be. [/quote] [quote name='Stan_da_man' timestamp='1384606353' post='2278611'] Huge +1 [/quote] I'd love to fella's but I have a severe nerve damage condition which has stopped me from gigging. Hey ho

Adrian bought some strings from me. No hassles at all and was patient as it took me a week to get to the post office.

Any bass the amazing Jah Wobble used! Can't find a good picture of his Ampeg Scroll but here is the Ovation Magnum [attachment=148502:Wobble Magnum.jpg]

Isn't it just perfect when a new instrument surpasses your expectations? First off, it was the colour. I bought this bass after seeing a set of pictures that really didn't do it any justice at all. When I opened the case my smile couldn't get any bigger. Then when I plugged it in, BANG! The sound is @#*%$$ huge, so powerful and perfectly live Flea. It's got the SD pickup and Aguilar pre amp and even plugged into my cheap mini mixer for headphone playing to MP3's it sounded spot on. I bought this bass for playing along to RHCP tracks and jamming with a drum machine on headphones - it's going to be perfect. So yeah, I'm well chuffed and it fits into my bass family pretty nicely. R.I.P. GAS because 3 is the magic number. [attachment=148418:P1050964.JPG] [attachment=148420:P1050966.JPG] [attachment=148419:P1050963.JPG]

How much?!!!! Cheers for the link

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1384206908' post='2274101'] Not a rule, just a philosophical proposition. It's got nowt to do with finding a bass, it's about finding oneself. One should ideally play THROUGH an instrument, not ON it. It's a lot easier to find a bass to play on than it is to find oneself through it. If a bass is decent, one can find oneself through it. The best bass is the bass you don't even notice you're playing. Or am I just being a preposterous ol ****? [/quote] I wouldn't say you are! Nothing wrong with getting deep when you feel it, nice one :-)

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1384204167' post='2274049'] There is no such animal as 'the ultimate bass'. For there to be, you must be a constant. If you are any sort of musician, your musical motives and inspirations, and your equipment requirements, will be changing over time as you journey along your musical path of learning and expression. If you feel your basses are inhibiting your journey, that is one thing. Thinking a new bass will speed your journey is quite another. [/quote] In the interests of discussion and not attack, it sounds like you're laying down a rule there. Do rules suit us all? Who sets the rule and defines it? Perhaps that statement suits you and your personal subjectivity, but does that rule you layed down fit us all? Many a musician finds the instrument for them and sticks, not the majority, but a good minority.

[quote name='cameltoe' timestamp='1384203373' post='2274038'] This is a long-term plan to replace my three mid-price Fenders with one, ultimate bass, drawing on all the things I've liked and not liked in my previous basses. [/quote] I'll drink to that.

[quote name='Telebass' timestamp='1384122707' post='2273099'] Gigged the new lightweight bass last night - what a difference a pound and a half makes! Like air bass with strings! [/quote] Nice one! Crazy the difference makes isn't it?!! [quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1384129847' post='2273167'] Did you find your 'good woman'? [/quote] Haha, yes, metaphorically and literally! I'm really happy with my '66 P Bass, had a few pre '66 Fender P's in the past and only sold them due to cash issues, but this one is now here to stay and I wouldn't change a thing on it (though I did need to source an original pickup for it to get back the tone I desire in an old bass). My Custom Shop Jazz Bass felt and sounded just right instantly wjen I first played it, so no changes will be made to that one either. In the past I've customised a fair few basses, and sold loads of customised ones too when I was working in shops. I'm really pleased that for some people customising a bass makes it just right for them, though sadly for others it's an endless battle to make a bass something it's not. As for my real 'good woman', she's certainly a keeper and I won't be making any changes there Have you found yours?

[quote name='Paul_1991' timestamp='1384111136' post='2272900'] Glad to hear it arrived safely mate. Do put some pictures up when you receive it. Best, Paul [/quote] For sure Paul, I'll do a NBD for you to check out. Hope it comes though customs soon, but you just never know how long they'll take. Bye for now mate

[quote name='redstriper' timestamp='1384109308' post='2272868'] It's in an ugly, heavy old beast, but still by far my favourite bass and I hope it continues to be as reliable for the next 34 years. [/quote] Loving it!

[quote name='redstriper' timestamp='1384107968' post='2272843'] [/quote] I wouldn't say it's likely, but it can happen. It's usually due to the pickups taking a knock or just plain old bad luck due to the wire breaking. Treat the bass with care and you should be fine. I've had tons of old basses and never worried about it myself. A personal perspective about rewinds: I used to have a '64 Jazz Bass with rewound pickups, sounded spot on and like other Jazz Basses of that period because the right guy rewound them. I later sold the bass to a mate of respected vintage guy Phil Harris, via Phil. The bass was a refin and the price wasn't affected by the pickups and he wasn't put off I recently bought a '64 Precision pickup which needed a rewind for my '66 P Bass which I had a Lollar in. I sent it to Bass Doc who did an incredible job, to the point where the rewind would go unnoticed by 99% of people! Rewound pickups don't put me off it they are done sympathetically to the era.

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1384101869' post='2272756'] If the pickup materials in a vintage bass fail and if they can't be replicated you can be sure the value will collapse. So we may celebrate the increase in value now, but it's possible any owners of vintage basses may do well to sell now, rather than keep them to the point of failure. [/quote] Excellent post, I really liked it. Not agreeing with the above paragraph though. If you're very unlucky, the pickup will need a rewind, but that can be done with the same grade wire to a period output and the pickup and bass would then sound the same as before. So the sound can be replicated if that happens, it's just the value of the bass may take a little dip, depends on the bass and condition though,but generally not a 'collapse'. But sell my lovely old basses because of that minor risk? Not me my friend. Though I'm sure others could follow your logic and they wouldn't be wrong if that's what they believe in, just not for me that's all. I hope this doesn't sound like a hostile dig, it just my view on that comment, not a moan!

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1384089850' post='2272593'] But it isn't a vintage sound is it? All those old records were made when the guitars and basses being used were new instruments. [/quote] Sure, good point, but those instruments were also mixed with 2 inch tape, valve compressors and old amps, mics and desks etc. This one serious can of worms without a map, no?!!

[quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1384086829' post='2272537'] So to nail the vintage sound we just need to use weaker magnets. Seems a far more pragmatic approach than spending thousands. [/quote] Haha! Not quite what I was saying but I won't argue with that either

In my humble opinion it's simple. Fender, until around 1966, used excellent quality woods and vintage Fender pickups from that era were better made and now have demagnatised poles which make them sound different to modern ones and very pleasing to my ear. I don't feel the woods age and change the sound dramatically, but the pickup does. I love vintage Fender more than anything, but I keep my feet on the ground as modern basses can sound awesome too, just a different awesome that's equally viable.

The Bass Doc here on Basschat?