Nick Riffed

[quote name='Roger2611' timestamp='1382282061' post='2250029'] I have unleashed the monster, long story short...car was in for some work last Saturday just half a mile from our local PMT..now I have been having lustful thoughts about the Rickenbacker Bass they had in stock...I thought kill two birds with one stone, drop the car off, walk to shop, buy bass, job done....Mrs2611 was ok with idea even though the bass was a good whack! Anyway that's where it all went wrong... PMT had sold the bass...on our slow trudge back to the car we came upon a snazzy furniture store which just happened to have a set of wardrobes that Mrs2611 took a real shine to....45 minutes later the Rickenbacker fund had suffered a rather large dent to it.....but it didn't end there..oh no the new wardrobes now make a set of draws redundant...so they are off to the tip, but space left can now be filled with a sofa bed....now on order....all I have to do now is redecorate both bedrooms before said items of furniture arrive.....Rickenbacker fund gone....now how much are those polish cloths I guess it is very much give and take....my good lady gets some stuff she wanted....next time I NEED a new bass...opposition shouldn't be too strong [/quote] You'll probably get a better tone out of the wardrobe.

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1382281829' post='2250026'] There are a few places that sell new replacement pattern parts (mainly pups and tuners) but i had to buy a complete VOX (not working and in poor condition) just to get a bridge cover! [/quote] I would like to know who those supplier are if poss please. I would hate to strip any old Guitar for parts unless it was a complete, no hope basket case. Two things, Do both the Bassmaster pups have the Vox stamp (can't see to neck one too well due to the flash) and is the Clubman neck that much wider or just and illusion? Unfortunately I am unable to put any pictures of mine up at the moment because it has just been picked up for me by a mate in Yorkshire, where it had been posted on Gumtree, and is now residing in the back of a wardrobe to protect it from the dog and the grand kids.

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1382275739' post='2249909'] [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvZjldFCzco[/media] The Beau Brummels with their shiny new (and unplugged) VOX Guitars & Basses. [/quote] Very much a song of it's time. I must admit that it sounded much clearer through my laptop speakers than I thought it would. It would be nice to think that this was the actual kit used on the original recording. I didn't realise you could get such clear tones by not actually plugging in to something. Maybe that's where I'm going wrong.

BetaFunk, I'll have a look for that book. Your to are kinda cute and look like new. What have you had to do to them to get as they are and do you have any idea where any spares can be obtained, mainly the original type of knobs?

Thanks for that Bert. I won't be reaching for the lighter fuel just yet though.

Graphene.

I love Leland Sklar. I love his playing, I love his attitude, I love his Facebook page, sh*t... I even love his dogs. He has been a large influence in me wanting to play bass and has many qualities about his playing that I would love to attain. Great interview. Any chance of getting one with Chuck Rainey before it's too late.

Hi, I'm trying to find out a little more about early, pre Phantom or Teardrop Vox basses. There is a Vox Guitars web site but all of the earlier basses seem to be either vaguely glossed over or not mentioned at all. I know that the really early ones, Contours, Bassmasters and Clubmans were built by Stuart Darkins and Co, Furniture makers in Shoeburyness, Essex and that they first had laminate bodies and Sycamore necks. I know that at some point production of the neck's moved to GPlan furniture. There is a query over whether this was in Hemel hempstead or High Wycombe. I know that some have the date of manufacture either written or ink stamped in the neck pocket and that the VOX decals could be rather hit and miss as to whether you got the right one to match the Bass if you actually got one at all. The words "Luthier" and "Guitar builder" don't seem to appear anywhere. Lol. The Vox factory was in Dartford, Kent. Were the necks and bodies sent there for final assembly or were they put together at the furniture factory? Did Vox develope and make their own pickups in house, a most likely option seeing they were building arrange of amps and keyboards, or did they buy them in from someone else like the Celestion speakers they put in their amps? I have emailed Martin Kelly, a chap who runs the Vox Guitars website but as yet I have had no reply. He is currently compiling a book but his main interest appears to be mainly Phantoms, Teardrops and the later Italian made stuff that looks very pretty, is fairly well documented and , to be honest, of little or no interest to me. What I would be most interested in finding would be any information from anyone who has a knowledge of the Dartford Vox factory, Stuart Darkins and co or GPlan at the time these were being produced. About 1960 to 1965. Yes, it was a long time ago but maybe you have an aged family member that worked at one of them who still has the ability to converse. I would also be very keen to find out if anyone would know where spares could be obtained or if they own a Clubman, Panther, Contour or Bassmaster what they think of these early mass produced British basses. I would appreciate it if anyone making 'fire wood' comments could contact me before November 5th. Many thanks, Nick

I suppose it's a bit like painting. A lot of us would take a roller to the front room ceiling but wouldn't attempt to paint the Sistine chapel.

You would be surprised about how many things there are kicking around my house that I can plug my bass into, none of them happen to be a computer. Lol.

I have a little Hohner B2A that was my first bass. I've recorded with it , gigged with it. Funny little thing that still makes people look twice, It's all neck really, but what a delightful neck. I do wish people would make up their minds about what they are worth used though. Take a peek on eBay or Gumtree, there was a choice of a SH one complete with it's original case for £240 or and equally SH one without a case for £500. I didn't pay close to either of those prices. Where can you get an accurate valuation for used gear? Not that I want to sell any of my stuff, just be interested to know.

A bit late in the day I know but for what it's worth I have a Warrior III FH. If you can pick one up for anything under a ton, do it. I wouldn't part with mine for the world. It is a very comfortable bass to play. It doesn't sound too bad either. They are also just that bit different without looking outrageously stupid. Provided it is all straight, you can't go wrong.

[quote name='Zenitram' timestamp='1381933946' post='2245705'] If you need a not really very local drummer with no kit (well, electronic) and no transport, I'm yer man. [/quote] What is it with drummers having the most kit and no bloody transport?

I wish you the best of luck in your venture. I have absolutely no contacts that I could help you with but suggest that you approach the board of the charity to see who they know who may have connections. Do they have a patron? Do they have a press officer? My only other thought would be to trawl through the web to see which musicians have had or have cancer and see if they would be prepared to help out. Sounds a bit cras but there you go.

[quote name='Bassman Steve' timestamp='1382199899' post='2249237'] Last time someone tried to give me a solo, the band stopped and so did I. [/quote] Lol. Never stop until you come to what you believe to be the end of the song, sod the rest of them.

[quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1382166544' post='2248773'] You didn't do too badly with the Vox. It's worth £87,63, but I'll take it off your hands for 90 quid. Fingers crossed. [/quote] Now if you had said £90.50 I may have been tempted.

[quote name='Lowender' timestamp='1382186737' post='2249039'] The bass is the last instrument that should solo unaccompanied within a song form, but for some reason some band mates feel that's exactly what should happen. I don't get it. [/quote] Maybe a change of Band mates is required.

I went to a pub that I won't mention to see a well known blues/rock covers band, whose name I also won't mention. They played some great stuff but in each number all 3 guitarists, the drummer, the keyboard guy and the bass player all took a solo spot. A close to 3 hour gig and they played 7 numbers. It all started getting predictable and more than a bit tedious which distracted from their obvious talents. If a solo fits fine, but this self indulgent type of musical masturbation..........................

This all sounds very complicated. I have a little blue tooth transmitter and a little blue tooth receiver that cost about £6 each on Amazon. I plug the receiver into my home hifi amp ' Aux in' via a mini jack to red and white phono jack splitter then plug the transmitter into any thing with a mini jack out socket and that's it. Having a 'mike in' and a separate volume control on the amp helps coz I just bung the bass straight in too. If I use my phone I can link to the receiver directly. Works for me.

.. And Chas seems to be gradually turning into Jeff Lynne. Uncanny. Have they ever been photographed together? Can Jeff do a Cockney accent?

"Switch on all your distortion pedals at once. Run around the stage waving your bass above your head getting different pitches of feedback and end by setting fire to your bass and amp." Works for me but could get a tad expensive.

Brings to mind a little incident that happened in the middle of a gig a few years back. I was playing in a covers band which consisted of bass (moi), drums, guitarist and singer. All had been going well, it was our second gig at the place and we were doing about 2 and a half hours. We were winding up the first half with 'Alright now' by Free. I just put in the intro bit to the guitar solo and all of a sudden. .........no guitar! I looked round to see a bemused looking guitarist still trying his damnest to play with no sound coming out. You could almost see the cogs whirring as he went though a sort of check list. Lead in guitar = check Lead in amp = check Leads in and out of effects pedals =check What the f*#@!! I don't stop for anything, broken strings, flying bottles or Police raids so me and the drummer ploughed on through a 5 minute improvised drum and bass solo whilst the twat fumbled around in bags and cases until he eventual managed to replace the battery in an effects pedal. There is a moral to this story.... I'm buggered if I can remember what it is.

I missed all the '80's stuff. Not because I was too young. Not because I spent the '80's in a drug induced haze but because I had never thought about playing a bass back then. I do, however, have a little practice amp from back then. A Custom Sound Cub 30. Cheap as chips and works fine at home for noodling about. It ain't too fond of the bottom B's on the 6 strings though, bless it.

Thanks guys. What's in a name anyhow? No such thing as a drumist?!! I wouldn't be too sure on that count. I use the word count with some trepidation. And how many bloomin' drummers are there that don't bloody drive??!! It's that 'bassist' just seems to link too well with words like racist, sexist, arsonist, rapist and bloody cyclist! Happy days.