Jump to content
Why become a member? ×

Happy Jack

⭐Supporting Member⭐
  • Posts

    15,259
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    25

Everything posted by Happy Jack

  1. Over the years I've commissioned a number of custom builds. My three drivers have been: Light weight Unusual materials Distinctive body shape and/or configuration Effectively that list translates into the single concept: Not Easily Found Elsewhere. There is also recognition there that this is not about price, or about being able to recover my "investment" later. If that was a significant issue for me (and of course it is for most people, I do realise that) then I'd just stick to buying pre-CBS Fenders ... boring, but reliable. Back when I bought a series of basses from @Prosebass (who I believe no longer does custom builds) I actually did OK on resale and I recovered most of the money, but in my head at the time it was money spent, not money invested. I've never bought one of @Beedster's bitsas, nice as I know them to be, nor anyone else's, simply because Fender clones are very easily found at every possible price point, every possible quality level, and in every possible configuration. I don't need to have one custom-made just for me; the one I want is already out there and available on Basschat, Reverb, eBay or somewhere in Guang-Zhou. But if I want an uber-lightweight active 5-string fretless then I call up @Andyjr1515, which is exactly what I did. If I were to want (yet another) aluminium bass, or a cheap(er) copy of something by an exotic, high-end luthier then I'd consider commissioning a build. Otherwise, no.
  2. ... is absolutely not required to replace me as the bass player in long-standing covers band The Junkyard Dogs. Based in Harrow, we've been going a long time (since 2010 in this incarnation) and the line-up has changed occasionally. As part of a serious refresh, I want to move sideways onto keys which of course means bringing in a new bassist. My God-like ability on bass is totally non-existent so any competent player would be perfectly capable of stepping in. We play essentially the hits of 1965-85 so there is no requirement to slap, tap or sweep, and very little call for relentless disco octaves everywhere. Getting all chordal on our asses or playing jazzy bass solos is pretty much contra-indicated. If you can sing then that's a bonus, but not a requirement. If you can play another instrument then that's also a bonus, but not a requirement. We currently play around 20 gigs a year but we're looking to gradually ease back up to our natural home, which is c.30 gigs a year. We go out for £250-£300 a gig, very occasionally £360, so this time next year we won't be millionaires. We try to rehearse every week (usually a Thursday but we can be flexible), not so much because we feel we need to but because we're a friendly bunch who enjoy each other's company. We're all in our 60s but - yet again - that's not a requirement. We have our own excellent rehearsal facility in Sudbury Hill, close to the Piccadilly Line, but for gigging purposes any incoming band member must have their own gear & reliable transport. If you're not up for this yourself but you think you might know someone who'd be a good fit, please feel free to pass on the details. https://www.lemonrock.com/junkyarddogs https://www.facebook.com/junkyarddogslondon https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTdLOzCAQkvIfkFdnhTLP4Q
  3. This cab isn't just for DB but it's enough of a boutique DB item that it's worth posting the link to the sale thread here too.
  4. So here's a game I play roughly once a year. I list a whole bunch of kit for sale (really not wanting to sell any of it you understand) and once a couple have actually sold 😩 I let the remaining listings slide down below the radar. Until the next time. I'm not selling because I'm desperate for the money, and if I was John Entwistle then I'd just keep the lot and have an ever-expanding collection, but the reality is that almost all my gigs are with PA support so my Crazy 8 is perfectly adequate as a stage monitor. Common sense says that this gorgeous cab should get back out in circulation. I have no interest at all in trades. Replacing a cab that doesn't get used with a different cab that won't get used seems like a complete waste of time and effort. On the other hand, much of my amplification is pretty non-standard or left-field and therefore hard to price, so I'm not absolutely wedded to the figure stated. I'm in Harrow HA1, close to Sudbury Hill on the Piccadilly Line, and I gig regularly throughout Beds, Bucks, Herts & Middx, with occasional forays into Surrey. Pickup in person is always preferable to despatch (from home, or a mutually-convenient pub, or at one one of my gigs), but I've had nothing but good experiences with DPD so if you live more than - say - 50 miles from Harrow then that's an option. Here's something pretty exotic. It sounds great with electric bass (particularly fretless) and quite outstanding with DB. It's not pristine. It's played enough gigs to pick up some scuffing to the grille and a couple of marks (see below) but it's a solid 9/10 on the cosmetics, and definitely 10/10 on performance. Simple, recessed carry handle so your amp can sit atop it. One side completely clean. The other slightly less so. That chip is about the size of the end of your thumbnail. Assuming your thumbnails are the same size as mine, of course. Can be daisy-chained and has a variable tweeter. Jeez! Would you look at the log scales on that!
  5. Yup, bringing the price down to $12,500 would be a game-changer.
  6. I'll take three please, and can you gift-wrap two of them for me?
  7. Things I have learned today ... Mooradian are actually still in business. https://mooradian.com/ *************************************** 9 days later: Or perhaps not. I tried to contact them over a week ago using both the email address given and their own Contact Us form. No reply of any sort. So either they're gone, or they may as well be gone for all the use they'll be. As you were.
  8. Happy Jack's Great Exotic Sale continues with this absolutely lush microphone preamp. It's this one: https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/warm-audio-tb12-tone-beast Original packaging, power supply & manual. Condition is pristine and flawless. I did a lot of recording during the Lockdowns (remember them?) which is when I bought it, but it's seen no action in the last four years. There's not even any "rack rash". They're still available new: https://www.andertons.co.uk/warm-audio-tonebeast-12-in-black/ Don't know if they still do the jokey slogans on the carton, though.
  9. It's this one: https://www.gear4music.com/Drums-and-Percussion/Alesis-Nitro-Max-Electronic-Drum-Kit/5X88?origin=product-ads&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22254162605&gbraid=0AAAAAD_kjLRo3zwO3mh0fmvasQyqIkOBi&gclid=CjwKCAjwtrXFBhBiEiwAEKen1x5cMGLEUFPo8-kKRKrvLf-NHsy4ySpDH4t_qglX3ICtSswi_I5BhRoCX0UQAvD_BwE Almost complete leccy kit, all that's required is a drum throne and a kick drum pedal. When I took the photos I was intending to include the DW2000 but Paul the Drums heard about it and threatened to throttle me if I sold it. In fairness, the price wouldn't be so ludicrously low if it was still included. Replaced in my studio (The Final Junkyard) earlier today by a Roland TD-17 so this is now not only surplus to requirements but also temporarily available to post (although at quite a stiff cost, I imagine) because I have a bunch of drumkit-shaped cartons for a very limited period. Collection in person would still be better but, unlike a bass or an amp, testing would be decidedly tricky. The kit is 18 months old and works perfectly, up to and including my rehearsal last Thursday. It's done maybe 150 rehearsals with half a dozen bands, half a dozen drummers, and it's never ... erm ... missed a beat. Sorry. No sane drummer would ever choose this as their main gigging kit, but for rehearsals, home practice, or for a beginner it's ideal. Much lighter weight than the equivalent Roland or Yamaha kits, it's a very easy one person lift to move around a practice space or bedroom. It's also perfectly capable of gigging in confined spaces (small pubs, wine bars, etc) because apart from the small footprint it needs no floorspace to lay out all the hardware and cases required by 'real' drums. And no, the DW2000 is still not included.
      • 1
      • Like
  10. Ah shame. I have a stand that I could let you have that would probably work for you.
  11. I bought one these just a couple of weeks ago: https://www.thomann.co.uk/km_141_mkii.htm It's designed for DB rather than EUB but it does an excellent job of holding my BSX Allegro. It also folds up very neatly into a sensible package. @bassplayer76 whereabouts in the country are you?
  12. Trying to wean myself off preamps for use at doubling gigs, so I'm listing a couple today. First up is this one: https://gearspace.com/gear/ebs/microbass-ii?via=gear_post_link https://www.gear4music.com/G4M/EBS-MicroBass-II-Bass-Preamp-Pedal/65B6 It's a classic Swiss Army Knife of a pedal which does pretty much everything you're likely to need at a gig. The tone-sculpting allows either seamless switching between DB and electric or two different tones from a single bass, it has no problems handling piezo pickups, it's a great DI box, etc. etc. etc. I've always run this off phantom power from the mixer so I'm including a new, boxed power supply. This has done a lot of gigs with https://www.lemonrock.com/damoandthedynamites so I won't claim perfect nick, but it's a solid 9/10. Everything works exactly as it should. Four little patches of removable velcro on the bottom.
      • 2
      • Like
  13. Trying to wean myself off preamps for use at doubling gigs, so I'm listing a couple today. First up is this one: https://www.bassgearmag.com/radial-tonebone-bassbone-v2-pedal/ Famously built like a tank, it's a classic Swiss Army Knife of a pedal which does pretty much everything you're likely to need at a gig. The tone-sculpting allows either seamless switching between DB and electric or two different tones from a single bass, it has no problems handling piezo pickups, it's a great DI box, etc. etc. etc. Original power supply but - to my annoyance - I can't find the original packaging, even though I'm sure that I have it somewhere. 🙁 Condition is flawless & functional, very nearly pristine. That's why it's "very nearly" pristine ... four little patches of removable velcro on the bottom. Apart from that velcro, it's perfect. Everything works exactly as it should.
  14. Very decent piece of rack gear, equally suitable for studio or live use (I've used it both ways). The two multi-way cable clips on top are there by self-adhesive stuff and will remove. I found them useful enough to choose to leave them there for the new owner. The original box is present, as seen in the photos, but not the polystyrene inserts. I'll use bubble wrap for postage. Original spec: https://www.behringer.com/product.html?modelCode=0602-AAI
  15. The bottom end of Broadway (down near the Cumberland River) is one of my favorite places on the planet.
  16. Their Prestige bag is described as "Gewa-Tex" which sounds to me like an expensive way to describe nylon while making people think that it's Gore-Tex. What is yours actually made of (in the real world, not the marketing blurb)?
  17. Thanks Pete. Used to have one of these in 3/4 size, but I too gave it away. It would fit quite easily in my vehicle but (a) it was a right bugger to manoevre through the front door, the front hall, and the 90-degree turn into the sitting room, and (b) once emptied it took up as much room as when it was full. Not sure whether they actually do these in 7/8 size anyway.
  18. This remains a lovely piece of kit but it's deffo intended for a genuine 3/4 DB, not a 7/8 DB like my Alcoa. Overall length is 2cm short (bit of a stretch but probably manageable), but body length is 7cm short for my bass. My guess is that I could just about squeeze the Alcoa into this gigbag but it would be pulled out of shape with inevitable potentially disadvantageous consequences. I.E. I'd end up breaking something. Not keen to spend £835 to find out.
  19. This is making progress. They're giving a rough estimate of US$750 for a tailor-made bag to fit my bass, and in a custom colour. On top of that I'm looking at US$125 for shipping, and then at UK duty & VAT, so we're heading back towards UK£800 overall, but that's for a custom build. The conversation continues.
  20. I was actually very impressed with the range of DB gigbags these people sell, and their prices are really keen, so I did some digging. Oh dear. Oh dear, oh dear. Oh dearie, dearie me. It's apparently a tiny music store in Thessaloniki, up near the Macedonian border: Papafi 91, Thessaloniki 544 53, Greece if you want to check them out. Their FB page comprises endless photos of the same guy playing solo sax in different settings: https://www.facebook.com/drumlandsound/ Am I interested in sending Loadsamoney to Stavros? I am not.
  21. @Burns-bass - this makes interesting reading: The relevant measurements for your old Alcoa are 74" overall (plus 2" for the endpin), 47" body (again plus 2" for the endpin), 20.5" upper bout, 26" lower bout. I'm now thinking this isn't a 3/4 DB so much as a 7/8 DB ...
×
×
  • Create New...