Misdee

The usual tired and predictable default denigration of Britain as a nation and it's stature in the world. It's not a controversial statement to say that Britain is a great country with an extraordinarily rich history and culture. Or at least, it shouldn't be. "There is no resentment felt for Britain across Europe..." None at all? How would you know? You have your own agenda, regardless of what is actually true, and you have created a false narrative around it, namely that Britain is in a state of crisis whereas the rest of Europe, by comparison, is both more rational and thriving in every respect. A complete fiction based on feelings not on facts. "This lie you have been sold by multiple governments and media sources..." ect. You sound like a spotty student handing out leaflets outside McDonald's about the evils of corporate capitalism. Do actually believe this half-baked twaddle? Like all conspiracy theorists, the fundamental mistake you make is overestimating the competence and ability of the supposed conspirators. Multiple governments and media sources can't even sell the truth, let alone a lie. And how you can possibly conflate Brexit with anything in my post is symptomatic of your one-dimensional viewpoint. "He's critical of other European countries so he must believe in that." Brexit or no Brexit, every single country in Eurovision is a non-entity when it comes to making popular music compared to Britain. That is not really up for debate. We all know it and so do they. What Brexit has to do with that only you can tell us, but I would point out just how bad European pop music has always been. Brexit is only a recent phenomenon. We should show some respect by coming up with a better entry? Why do we owe respect to anyone? I think we show ample respect by participating. Oh,hang on a minute, I see what you mean. Maybe we should get the Beatles or Led Zeppelin to reform in time for next year's competition in Switzerland. This is Eurovision after all. Only the best is good enough. Just for your information, I don't mind at all that the rest of Europe is rubbish at pop music compared to Britain and the USA. I enjoy their inadequacy. All countries and all cultures are not equal in terms of achievements. I'm sorry if you find that idea upsetting but that's just the way the world is. And by the way, Ibiza relies on tourism. Without tourism it would be still be an island of poor peasants and fishermen. They should be grateful.

Never underestimate the bitterness and resentment felt towards Britain by so many people across the world. To us Eurovision is a joke. To a lot of the other nations it's a serious matter of national pride, such is their cultural poverty compared to our own. Those hapless Eurovision entries that we tune in to laugh at really are the best they can do when it comes to pop music. They can't forgive us for that. That said, the UK entry was indeed crap. He got what he deserved. Thank goodness. Do we really want to have to stage Eurovision ever again now that it has become this ridiculous political football? Switzerland was the default voting choice because of it's famous history of political neutrality. I'm sure Eurovision will now find a way to try and drag them into World War 3.

That '71 is a beautiful bass and it sounds good, too. Lightweight, B-neck, just about perfect for me in every respect.

And if the new owner has paid £6000 for this bass, in the current market he has done very well indeed. If it was my bass I would have expected at least a grand more than that in my hand before I would let it go. I hope he has a lot of pleasure from playing and owning it. Very special basses for sure.

The point is not so much "it cost less in the past" so much as that Wal basses were much more available. They were always great instruments, but they weren't Holy Relics like they are now. I remember Barry Moorhouse at the Bass Centre in Wapping saying how they had sold 11;Wal Basses in a week and then sent the van up to High Wycombe collect more. They had a display stand with several Wal basses every time you went in the shop. I don't think the new Wal basses are particularly overpriced in relation to the competition like Fodera ect. But you can't buy one anyway. They are definitely proportionately more expensive than they were,though. In a discussion abou the used price of Wal basses that is perfectly relevant. And as to this bass being costing less than a new one...it isn't a new one!

The moral of this story is, if it seems too good to be true then it probably is. I remember when a new four string Wal cost £880, and you could get a deal on that price for cash. Allowing for inflation, that's £2560 in today's money. (GigSounds in Streatham did them for £729 without the case, which would set you back another £90.) I also remember when used Wal basses were hard to sell, and you could pick up a decent one for £600, no problem. Mid to late 1990s. They are without doubt magnificent-sounding basses, but definitely a niche product and not likely to suit everybody. Anyhow, I hope the new owner is delighted with his purchase. Nothing sounds like a Wal, you've either got one or you haven't.( I haven't.)

Just checked, I ought to be able to get it. But I still can't despite retuning ect. Hmmm.

Thank you! 😊

Sky Arts is indeed great, but as I mentioned previously, it's disappeared from my Freeview a couple of weeks ago. Please can anyone tell me if it's just me or if it's not included on Freeview anymore. Thanks.

Sky Arts has disappeared (again) from my Freeview channels. No channel 36 listed. Tried retuning a few times but to no avail. Anyone else got the same problem? (Or a solution). I'm really missing it. It's my most watched channel by far.

The thing about Eurovision nowadays is it's become too self-conscious. Put simply, it's not quite good enough to be good, but it's not quite bad enough to be entertaining either. Eurovision used to be captivating because of it's unintentional quirkiness. Now that it's contrived to be that way it's lost that unique charm it once had. I

Nostalgia for Stock Aitken and Waterman. I never thought I would see the day.

Have a listen to Electric Rendezvous by Al Di Meola from 1981. It's a superb example of AJ and Steve Gadd rocking out a bit and letting their hair down. Al Di Meola is tearing it up on guitar too. Thoroughly recommended.

If you are after a decent preamp pedal with distortion something like a Tech 21 Bass Driver is a great choice. You really can't go wrong with one. Built to last and there's plenty about on the used market if that's your preferred option. They are simple in terms of controls, but sophisticated at the same time in how the controls interact. If you are playing rock and metal music then I think a Bass Driver or similar Tech 21 bass preamp is perfect for your needs.

Jason Newstead played a 5 string a lot when he was in Metallica. I couldn't tell you which songs, though. I'm not really a fan of their music, just remember the basses. He's a very good bass player though, for sure.

I never thought of it that way. I'm sorry if you have taken offence That was never my intention. I'm certainly not associating him with Gary Glitter. It's just he was part of the same era of popular culture. I was thought I was making a lighthearted point about how abjectly crap stage gimmicks were back in those days by today's standards. I only mentioned Alvin Stardust because I vividly remember him and that glove during those days. I could just as easily mentioned how people thought Roxy Music had such a glamorous and futuristic image at the time. Nowadays they just look like students on a fancy dress night out.

50 years ago Glitter was a superstar in this country. I remember it well. Looking at footage of his heyday now you can't help but be struck by him being a bit too chubby and a bit too old to be appealing to a young audience. His act looks like someone's dad doing a turn (or having a bit of a turn) at a kids Christmas party.The whole thing looks shabby and homemade. That such tosh passed for glamour just shows the paucity of the real thing in most people's lives back in the 1970's. And while we're on the subject of mid-'70's popstars, what about Alvin Stardust and that one black glove? Was he unblocking drains before he went on stage or was it something much more sinister?

Back in 1975 adding a Badass to your Jazz Bass was a state-of-the-art upgrade. Badass stays!

The fat chunky necks on the Fender AVRI basses applies to the 1974 reissue rather than the 1975 version that preceded it. Even then, somehow that '74 neck is still pretty playable, probably because it has a narrower than usual nut width for a Jazz Bass. Those Reissue '74 Fender pickups are really good, too. FWIW, I've had a fair few '70's Jazz Basses back in the day and you can find the odd jem and some sound really good, but none I have ever owned were a patch on some of the better modern examples in terms of being well made practical instruments. I love the 1970's basses styling, but for playability, durability and practicality I opt for newer examples. A reissue or any nice Fender Jazz Bass with the right vibe is a really good option in my opinion.

I've already spent way too much time fiddling with this Online Configurator. No doubt I will spend a lot more yet. It's a brilliant marketing tool, as much as anything else. A lot of bass players thinking and talking about EBMM Stingray basses. A very canny move by EBMM, providing it translates to increased sales. I still think the choice of colours is a bit off, though, in so much as if you don't like satin finishes(I don't) or sparkle finishes(do I look like Liberace?) then your options are a bit limited. I still can't get a traditional white Stingray with a maple fingerboard, black scratch plate and chrome hardware i.e the classic plastic toilet seat bass.

The 20/10 series definitely do have a very different neck profile to previous Yamaha basses. It's a bit bigger overall but that's a result of the design brief at the time, which was to design the ultimate BB bass for modern rock bassists. I've got little hands (I wear small size underpants too) but I find the neck on my 2024x perfectly playable. The more traditional classic Yamaha shallow oval neck profile with a 40mm nut width is supremely comfortable though, it has to be said.

I've never played a 1024x, but if it's anything like the 2024x then yes it's a big upgrade on the 424x. The 424 was, from memory, a decent bass don't get me wrong. But the 20 and more affordable 10 range version made in Indonesia were a pretty epic design with a unique tone. I never played the 1024 version but I've got a 2024x that I bought fourteen years ago when they first came out and it's a superb bass. The 1024x is supposed to be very similar, so I would recommend it on that basis. The 2024X certainly doesn't sound muddy or dark to me, not do the 1024 basses I've seen on YouTube, but tone is a very subjective thing in terms of description. I would charactarise the 2024 tone as being like a cross between a Fender, a Spector NS2 and a Wal. Seriously, it's that good. There's a consistent punch in the midrange that makes it stand out like a foghorn. It's got the depth of an active bass whilst having all the positive attributes of a passive instrument. The 1024 is supposed to be the same bass built in Indonesia, although if you want to get specific, the pickups and hardware are replicas made for that version, not the exact same one as was fitted on the Japanese-made basses. Also, the Indonesian basses didn't have I.R.A or A.R.E treatment. If that makes any difference.

I've had a bit of a go in the last few days and my spec comes out roughly the same as a standard Stingray Special once it's shipped to the UK with duty and VAT ect. Not that bad. I really fancy one. I'm still not that mad about most of the colours though. They seem to given folk a wider choice of hideous to choose from.