Old Man Riva

Paul Desmond is one of my favourite players. On any instrument. His tone is beautiful. If you’re diggin’ that then the recordings he did with Gerry Mulligan are well worth a listen. Before lockdown I was due to see Darius Brubeck (Dave’s son) at the local (Loughton) Methodist Hall. Ah well...

My courier status shows the location as Stanford Le Hope. However, in a more detailed view, it doesn’t show that the item has arrived at the facility - in a similar way that it showed it had ‘arrived’ at Herne Boernig in Germany on 23rd Dec and ‘departed’ Herne Boernig on 24th. It’s a mystery of Scooby Doo proportions!

Same here. Ordered/bought a bass from a different German store on 21st December. It was couriered via UPS (collected on 22nd). Status says delivery is scheduled for today (prev. was due yesterday) but that it is currently delayed due to “Eurotunnel traffic disruption”. UPS services (Standard delivery) were paused around Christmas time and a note on their website says that they will resume Standard service from 4th January, so imagine the bass will arrive next week at some point. My order has a reference as Stanford Le Hope as the location but I’m assuming that’s the next intended location rather than where it currently is as it doesn’t show as arriving there. My understanding (from the Government website) is that, as the item was purchased/couriered before 1st January, there won’t be any unpleasant additional cost surprises due to our new trading arrangements with the EU. So it’s just hurry up and wait!

I really like that! I know what you mean - “it’s a ‘bird, not quite a ‘bird” - it feels a bit RD Artist-y, which I know is a (not quite) ‘bird shape, but still... slightly different. I wish I’d bought one of those reissue Pelham Blue NR basses when they were out a few years back. Macari’s had one in the window for years after they first got it in and the price dropped to around £800 at one point, I think. Not a fan of the black p/up covers but have to say they look lovely on that bass you’ve posted - that said, if it were me, I’d be going for chrome!

I know what you mean! I found it so uplifting watching that...

Thanks all (and to PM messages), really appreciated - Basschat community, again, giving sage bass advice! I emailed Lakland yesterday and within the hour received a really helpful response from Brian (I’ve never been a social media user/member so Facebook etc. hasn’t been an option!). I’m sure working with them I’ll get what I’m after, though have a feeling I will need to order via the more expensive USA Series option, albeit for only smaller changes to the Classic Series (lighter body weight, darker rosewood fingerboard), which is a bit of a shame (though there are bigger things going on in life so I should shut up and stop complaining!). Thanks again!

... so, this is a Christmas song from 1975 that I bought as a kid. It was a double A-side (the flip side being the more familiar In Dulci Jubilo) and reached the Top 10 in that year. It used to make me feel happy and sad in equal measure - still does! And the first line surely has to be the most surreal opening line of any Top 10 hit ever!

Duly noted!

Some people make it look effortlessly easy..!

Love that, thanks for sharing! There are some really nice jams in there as well - the intro is something I really like. To my ears they’re such good players, with a real ear for the songs/singer - and that Jazz Bass sounds tubby as anything! One of the discoveries for me during lockdown was JJ Cale, after a mate recommended his music to me. I knew a few of his tracks (Cocaine, After Midnight) covered by others but as I didn’t like the artist in question the songs just passed me by. Then I listened to the JJ Cale versions and it all became clear what I was missing out on!!

Some good mentions so far - and, from a poppier perspective, I’d also add the Attractions to the list (I went to see Elvis Costello in the mid-90s and the band were absolutely superb). Perhaps a less obvious choice would be these...

Inspired in no small part by meterman’s Cal Tjader post...

Oh Kev, I couldn’t find the right words to describe how wonderful they sound together!

As an update... the B-15 is now back! As stated above I took it to Sickamps in Harlow following the recommendation from jimmy23cricket above - thanks to Jimmy for the recommendation! It turns out that one of the output valves had failed/shorted. Sickamps replaced the matched pair of output valves and also the rectifier valve. They also rebiased and cleaned all pots etc. with DeOxit cleaner and generally gave the B-15 a good going over. It sounds amazing! I bought it second hand from Guitar Guitar a few years back (a new one would have been too cost prohibitive) and, whilst it had sounded good, it always buzzed and crackled a bit. Also the ‘66 bias appeared to be on the trebly side, lacking bass - I assumed this was the sound so always opted for the warmer ‘64 bias! There are now no buzzes or crackles at all, and the ‘66 bias, whilst brighter than the ‘64 bias, now has real depth to it. As I say, I couldn’t be more happy with the outcome or impressed with the service... Top marks to Sickamps!!

PM’d!

Thanks Si, really helpful and much appreciated..!

That’s great, will do!

Apologies if this has already been covered elsewhere (and I’m sure I’ve read comments in other threads but can’t find them - feel free to direct me!) but has anyone had experience of custom ordering a Lakland? I’ve got a wonderful US JO bass that I love and am having a think about ordering a Lakland of my choosing directly from them. In terms of custom ordering via their website they reference the USA Series and the Classic Series. If I’m reading it correctly they’re essentially the same basses but with the more expensive USA Series they offer more custom options (1.625 width neck, blocks and binding etc.)? I found it odd (though it may be that I’ve missed something) that the base models were so different in price, insomuch as that something as straightforward as a P Bass but with a Jazz neck ordered from the Classic Series range would give me the same bass as I’d get via the USA Series but at a much cheaper price? If anyone has had experience, how did you find it - ease of ordering, were you happy with the results, how long did it take, any things to look out for (customs etc.). Any feedback would be much appreciated!

Inspired by Lord Soup of County Gaye Advert and his Gary Numan post I’ve just had a (re)listen to this by Robert Palmer. It’s a cover of a Gary Numan track (Numan is on keys and his bassist, Paul Gardiner, also plays on the track). I’m a big fan of Robert Palmer and loved this album when it was released in 1980, especially as it contained this superb left-field cover...

I really like Rick Beato. Such a passion for music, which comes through on whatever topic he’s covering and episode he does. I just can’t get on with Andertons. I’ve tried but figure it’s probably not for me - I like the main fella (the Captain) but the zane level for some of the others is a little too high for me! Peach Guitars, on the other hand, are someone I really like watching - for me they strike a nice balance between seriousness and being fun and engaging. The lad (Jack) that does the guitar reviews is a terrific player...

One of my favourite TV shows ever! As a kid I was a sucker for the US cop shows - Columbo, Kojak, Rockford Files, Banacek, Cannon, Petrocelli etc. Some great music too - watched a Columbo the other week which had a terrific Oliver Nelson score!

That site is ridiculous! Between that and old episodes of Columbo that’s my Sunday sorted!

Used to try and jam along to this for hours as a kid. I got the cassette version of the album out of the main library in Coventry and just listened and listened on the mono player I had. The track was a bit of a revelation as it sounded so different, certainly to the more rockier stuff I’d listen to at the time. All these years later and it still sounds as fresh and exciting as it it did the first time I heard it...

Glad you liked it! They brought a touch of Technicolor to the drab monochrome of the early 80s Midlands - at least for me they did! Love that track! I can remember seeing them for the first time on The Tube... completely blown away. There were a few left field Brummie acts at the time - Steven Tin Tin Duffy, Fashion, Swans Way, Hollywood Beyond etc. Must have been something in the Grand Union Canal!