NancyJohnson

[quote name='MacDaddy' post='159554' date='Mar 18 2008, 01:07 PM']I love this thread! BTW who made the Axe bass for him?[/quote] Steve Carr built the prototype. There was a Kramer production model. Incidentally, I've e-mailed Micki Free to see whether he still has the bass mentioned earlier in the forum. For me, it's one of those important instruments - one of the first I really recognised as being associated with a musician. P

[quote name='cetera' post='158827' date='Mar 17 2008, 10:35 AM']Apparently Gene lent the Charlie Lobue bass to Micki Free. Micki was in various bands in the 80's & was a friend of Gene's. He was later in 'Crown Of Thorns', a superb rock band that Gene & Paul Stanley managed. The band also featured Jean Beauvoir (Plasmatics) and Tony Thompson (Chic)! From what I hear, Micki never gave it back and it's unknown as to whether he still has it. [/quote] Christ! Micki Free. I loved the first Crown Of Thorns CD - must dig it out again. Have to say I was more interested with Jean Beauvoir being involved more than anything else. Great update. Cheers P

[quote name='cetera' post='158514' date='Mar 16 2008, 07:01 PM']That replica in the first post was mine. I sold it recently What do you want to know about Gene's 2nd Spector? It was made for him around the same time as his first one in late 1976 I believe, though he didn't use it much until the early 80's.... It's not much different from his first one, except the longer top horn and a mirror scratchplate. Stuart is correct, Gene used a Charlie Lobue bass from the first tour in 1973/4 through to 1976 (Rock n Roll Over Tour). He also used a Gibson Grabber/Ripper from 1974-1976 (Hotter Than Hell Tour to Alive Tour). Gene started working with Spector in 1976 & I believe the first recording the 'original' Spector was used on was the 'Love Gun' album. The original Spector was eventually sold at the Butterfields Auction for many thousands of dollars.... Gene still has the 'second' Spector referred to as the topic of this thread....[/quote] Do you know what happened to the Charlie Lobue bass? I loved how that early bass looked, especially with the armour. P

[quote name='Stuart Clayton' post='158461' date='Mar 16 2008, 05:16 PM']That bass you speak of was custom made for Gene by a luthier named Charlie Lobue, who also made guitars for Paul Stanley. Gene's Lobue bass was used for the first 3 KISS albums, and the Alive shows (as I recall), then he switched to Gibson Grabber/Ripper basses, before using the Lobue again (for Love Gun, again, as I recall), then he had a couple of Spectors built. The bass in the photo is a Spector, not a BC Rich. Stu[/quote] I didn't realise I could view the photo larger...yup, I concur, it's the Spector - the logo is discernible on the headstock. While trawling the web this afternoon (trying to find out about Charlie LeBou), in my defence, there is a BCR that looks almost identical to that bass. P

[quote name='NancyJohnson' post='158349' date='Mar 16 2008, 11:17 AM']I think you'll find that the bass pictured is a BC Rich and not a Spector. P[/quote] ...also, while we're on the subject of Gene Simmons, who was the New York luthier who built the bass he used until he started endorsing Gibson? The bass had a distinct Gibson Melody Maker shape, it was originally brown, then was refinished in black. The last time I saw it was during the Destroyer tour and in the Phantom movie it had a silver thing stuck on the top half of the body. P

I think you'll find that the bass pictured is a BC Rich and not a Spector. P

Cetera...you need this. [url="http://tinyurl.com/2l5nbp"]Gene Simmons Axe Bass[/url] P

I knew there was something new coming, but to be honest I've been a little bit lazy about going through the web locating what exactly it is. Good link. Cheers P

There's a trader selling Signature bass parts on eBay - usually they're loaded jazz bass bodies. I know that Alex Lifeson owned the [Signature] business and they were run out of business due to Fender lawsuits. TBH I'm tempted...£125 (obviously plus P&P and other stuff) for a loaded metallic red body. [url="http://tinyurl.com/2rrax5"]http://tinyurl.com/2rrax5[/url] Anyone bought anything from here? P

Try [url="http://home.comcast.net/~pickguards/index.htm"]Jeannies[/url] - they specialise in Lakland replacement guards. The website is a little cheesy - they'll probably direct you to an eBay auction. I just got a black pearl (aaar!) one for a DJ5 and I don't even have the bass yet, but I know when it arrives it's a mod I want done straight away. P

I'm thinking about using [url="http://www.basscentral.com"]Bass Central[/url] (Florida) for a DJ5 - I know this is a different model to yours. Thomann will charge me about £1,200 for bass+case (but free shipping), the same deal through Bass Central (including import tax & duties/insured UPS shipping/Lakland case) will come in at around £1,040 - a saving of £160.00 - I also know the driver who would do the delivery at this end, so maybe less . Bass Central say their Laklands are in stock and 'factory boxed' - they'll obviously ship in the case inside the shipping box. They're doing Bob Glaubs for $980, so a similar deal will set you back c.£820.00. I know where I'm going. P

This was mine - I bought it as a project bass and replaced the machines, the bridge, and put a [black] John East unit in it. I kept it for a short time then sold it on because I had building work to pay for. Incidentally, it's also the bass I'm holding on my picture thingy on the left...I thought that was my Precision. When I first saw the Aerodynes (via a link off alt.guitar.bass) I wasn't really that taken with it - the binding reminded me of the type of guitars ZZ Top used to use, so it wasn't love at first sight, more a long term love affair. It was a lovely bass, the finish was beautiful, the neck was thin and fast and [before I did the upgrades] it sounded sweet straight out of the box. None of the upgrades took anything away from it, but I would say that fitting the East unit didn't contribute to the sound that much, other than overloading my amp. A couple of words of warning; my right forearm would be all red and achy after playing it due to the slab body and the control cavity wasn't deep enough to house the East unit, so I had to rout out a battery cavity on the rear. ADDED: I fitted a BadassII to it and there were no problems whatsoever - direct replacement - a ten minute job tops. Yes, there was a cavity the original bridge sat in, but the BAII covered it neatly enough...no horror stories. Would I buy another one? Hmmm. I don't think so...it was nice to have one for a while, but I'd be more inclined to put my money towards a Geddy Lee or one of the Jap JB75 reissues. P

[quote name='Merton' post='139357' date='Feb 13 2008, 10:56 AM']Cheers man. That Scarab is a beaut - anyone got any ideas where to find one?! Has to be white like this one![/quote] Mine went to a guy in Oxfordshire...I guess like anyone posting here they do look and see activity on their old guitars and with that in mind, Scarabs do turn up from time to time. Can only suggest you check the US ebay, Talkbass, Craigs List, maybe even gbase.com once in a while. One interesting aside here, the neck on that Hamer was so great, I was toying with having it removed/cut out/whatever and set in a Thunderbird body. The neck was the overriding thing here...I would have just kept the electrics and dispensed with the body. At this stage, I was using a Warwick Streamer 5, so the Hamer was definitely my second choice bass. When the p/x deal with the Precision came along, I said bye bye to the Warwick. Good hunting! P

I know this is an aside - but I love the general sound of 4000 series Rickenbackers, but they're hideous. I'm so close now with my Precision and POD. P

[quote name='Merton' post='107054' date='Dec 20 2007, 01:16 PM']Mememememememe. I soooooooooooo want one of those, I will find one eventually [/quote] OK, here's my old basses. To the left my Hamer Scarab (and my old Laney rig - just like the advert they used to run). The Hamer sounded like a piano. It was an outstanding sounding bass and the neck was the thinnest I've ever played. I did however look like a dick when I was playing it and it had some serious neck dive issues. I p/x this (and the Laney head) for my existing '79 Precision. Next up, my long departed Travis Bean 2000 series #222 ('where are you sweet baby?'). I think about her every day. You'll notice (if you are a Bean aficionado) that the wings aren't as wide-set as older models. I bought the Travis Bean for £375 in a store in Lewisham in 1980, driven by a review I remember reading in Beat Instrumental and the fact that Mick Karn used one. I removed the frets, then had the board replaced with a fretless ebony one (I had a BadAss 1 put on at the same time). I then had it re-fretted by Dick Knight (the guy who built Chris Glenn's Explorer bass). It weighed a ton. I eventually p/x'd it against an Ibanez Roadster that I destroyed at a gig. Much love P

[quote name='Perry' post='137016' date='Feb 9 2008, 10:39 AM']I'm GASing for a P Bass, but I have a few questions. 1 Will it sound the same as my Jazz (MIA) if I dont use the humbuckers?[/quote] No. P

[quote name='dangerboy' post='136544' date='Feb 8 2008, 01:52 PM']Hi Matt, The Travis Beans are through-necks. Kramers had bolt-on necks on wooden bodies (and aren't as sought after for that as well as other reasons). The rout for a Kramer neck is very different from a Fender - so you'll need to either buy a used Kramer neck (I got one off eBay and used it to make this: [url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/84144792@N00/sets/72157603263405555/"]http://www.flickr.com/photos/84144792@N00/...57603263405555/[/url] ) and get a body made for it, or get an alu neck made to fit a Fender. Of the alu luthiers I've come across: I'm pretty sure Electrical (http://www.electricalguitarcompany.com/) will do you a neck. Last time I asked Greg Bailey (http://www.baileycustomguitar.com/) he didn't have a long enough lathe to do basses. Pete Longfellow (http://www.longfellowguitars.com/) in London might be worth a shout as he casts his necks rather than machining them. Go read www.metalnecks.com to discover everything.[/quote] I owned a TB2000 about twenty years ago. #222. Part exchanged it for a f2cking Ibanez Roadster. I think about it every day. P

Jeepers...zandingo...what have I started? P

What I'm looking for is if there's a proper term, so I can just say to my guitarist, 'You hold down the riff and I'll do a <zandingo> under it.' Harmony...heh. P