TrevorR

So am I right... you could get a second hand Prat bass sight unseen from the States and get your friend to import if through customs for you for €XXXX. OR you could get Oscar Prat to hand build a new one for you to your own specs and send it across the EU to you without any CITES or customs concerns for EXACTLY THE SAME COST...? Surely not the most difficult choice?

If it was a selection of bass heavy albums to inform and inspire top two on the list would probably be two of the compilation CDs ni my collection: - Motown Chartbusters Vol 3 and - Atlantic Soul Classics Between them they cover a huge range of soul standards. Then I'd throw in a Thin Lizzy album for some tasteful but inventive rock bass, probably... - Jailbreak Then because the bass is so tuneful and funky on it I'd add... - Tribes Vibes and Scribes by Incognito And finally... - Rush, Moving Pictures Just because...

[quote name='mikel' timestamp='1503248199' post='3356678'] The Third Degree covering Duffy's Mercy. I love a bit of Northern Soul. [/quote] That's exactly what I was going to suggest. When I listen to it the song makes me feel like the Third Degree version must be an obscure original early 70s track which Duffy found in a second hand shop and covered! http://youtu.be/ZQ9oT_BRNt8 P.S. the singer on this isn't the cool dude in the video but the beardie folkish, singer songwriter from Hampshire, Jon Allen. This bloke... good singer! http://youtu.be/vTMEYe-wpcA

For me it was just bass (usually a Wal or more strictly, two) to a Lehle 3@1 switcher, then a Boss or TC tuner them an amp. Originally that was a TE Series 6 200w 1215 combo (my first proper amp trade up) then for the last 10 years a MarkBass LMII and one or two cabs depending on venue. Amp pretty much set flat. That was my core tone. Loved it. When I started doing a lot more DI/in-ear stuff I got a Tech 21 VTDI (having used a chum's rack Sansamp a bit). The VTDI is set for a fairly basic, low gain B-15 sound as an always-on preamp, just to give a bit more "live" flavour to the bass. My new but not all that different core tone. Any other effects are just that, effects to add different flavours here or there.

[quote name='bremen' timestamp='1344366510' post='1763550'] What a colossal letdown. I was hoping for Lemsip Opec at the very least. [/quote] No. Lembit Opik played with The Cheeky Girls... well, one of them anyway...

£6.3m on loan from the Bank of America, £7.8m on loan from a wealthy individual benefactor, £4.8m on loan from Evil Megacorp Inc... And folks here are too paranoid to take their 2 grand Sadowsky out of the house to a gig in case it gets a tiny scratch on it... imagine how Nicola Benedetti feels as she climbs up the rickety, semi-dark stage stairs in a ball gown and impractical shoes...!

Words? It has words? I was just listening to Mo Foster's bass!

Well said all these chaps!!!! I completely agree that you can't beat playing to a crowd who are loving it. And like others have said, one man's cheese is another man's beef steak. Some of my favourite tunes (to listen to) are officially "cheesy"! [quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1502097599' post='3349230'] Every time I gig. I don't care about someone else's definition of good or bad songs and I don't care who wrote them. If the band played well (and so did I) and the audience loved it then you can't ask for more. I usually inhabit "old fashioned" music so a recent discovery for me was to find out how good the songs of artists like Jessie J and Beyonce actually are to play and the positive audience reaction you get when you play these songs. [/quote] [quote name='casapete' timestamp='1502097784' post='3349233'] Nothing wrong with that, I've done it for 40 years! Playing music that people obviously enjoy / dance to is still what it's all about for me. And believe it or not, I do play / listen to some of it when at home too! Never bothered about confessing my love of good pop music - just because it's popular doesn't make it sh*te in my opinion. I did a birthday barbecue on Saturday night - about 50 people in total, all up dancing to 'Sweet Home Alabama' etc etc - happy days. [/quote] [quote name='Delberthot' timestamp='1502116804' post='3349387'] Every weekend for me too. currently playing in the best band I've ever been in with 4 amazing human beings as well as great musicians. We're playing weddings most weekends and last night we played Wannabe by the Spice Girls. A first for us all as we hadn't played or even rehearsed it before but that's part of being in a wedding band, playing what the audience want to hear (within reason) Saturday night I found myself jumping up and down on stage along with the audience when we played Mr Brightside. Life is good [/quote] [quote name='la bam' timestamp='1502117207' post='3349392'] great stuff! cant beat it when everyone has a great time! [/quote]

[quote name='Raymondo' timestamp='1501444064' post='3344722'] Mmmmm I think that's the point. I do not know how old you are but I am sixty and alongside all the "artists" That we all know and love...Beatles ,Stones ,led zeppelin...erm ...Maiden , er ...oh I don't know ..whomever you think is cool (groovy baby!) there has always been "pop" acts... that have been contrived to "make money". Indeed all the great acts "made money" when they could...it's what made the world go around. I have a friend who was a part of the original Black lace ..Agadoo and all that pap....He is a brilliant guitarist and musician that made a lot of people happy with his " pop"music .... You don't have to like it ...but hey ...somebody does...and that's the whole point of music...well I think so anyway. Enjoy your career...I have enjoyed mine and I genuinely wish you well. [/quote] [quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1501499248' post='3344996'] Nowadays? There has always been a "money grabbing music industry". One that at best "uses" and at worst "shafts" the artists. From Malcolm McLaren to Simon Cowell and Colonel Tom Parker to Norman Petty, Don Arden to Alan Klein etc etc and right back to the beginning. The very next day, after that guy discovered the log sitting outside his cave made a good sound if he hit it in a particular way, an agent turned up offering to make him rich for a stupidly large percentage. Modern pop bands struggle these days because there is no music industry any more and the great public expect their music to be free. For too many of them music is just a background noise that has no relevance in their lives other than to prevent and break up the silence. [/quote] [quote name='fftc' timestamp='1501536978' post='3345417'] Sorry, but I have to disagree with almost every assertion in this post. Bananarama weren't that bad. Music is more varied now, and there are tons of artists playing their own stuff. And Olly Murs might not be as good as George was, but Laura Marling probably is. I do agree about the TV 'talent' shows but I think that is a very narrow window on the modern 'pop' world. It staggers me how much variety is out there now. Granted, a lot of it is not to my taste at all. I can't get with any of the booty shaking stuff, and grime is another world entirely, but then I'm in my mid 40's so it wouldn't be right if I was into it! Doesn't detract from the fact that variety is out there. Take a look at some of the Mercury nominees over the last few years. Even just some of the artists who have been in discussion on this forum. Thundercat, Royal Blood, Rag n Bone man, Field Music. All current, all pop, all different! [/quote] Well said those chaps!

Same price quoted at PMT, GuitarGuitar and Absolute... they must be serious!

[quote name='Bolo' timestamp='1501569544' post='3345507'] And nowt wrong wirh a B.C. Rich mockingbird, bich or eagle either. Dean does some great affordable basses for all styles too [/quote] Indeed. I always wanted Neil Murray's quilted maple Mockingbird when I was starting out on bass... lets just say it was more of an "aesthetic" comment than a tone, quality or VFM one!!!

Hmmmm, don't know the country scene so well so let's have a look at the basses used in some fave classic and modern folk/folk rock bands... Fairport Convention: P bass, Jazz bass, Ricky, Steinberger copy, Riverhead Burns Flyte-alike, Ibanez Soundgear, Carvin Jethro Tull: P bass, Jazz bass, Ibanez Soundgear, Wal, Goodfellow, Iona: Chapman Stick, Wal, Warrior, Steinberger, Stingray, EUB Steeleye Span: Ricky, Fretless Jazz, Overwater, Fender Mustang, Tele bass, Gibson SG double neck Jamie Smith's Mabon: Stingray, Wal, EUB Oysterband: DB, Fender PJ, Squier jazz, Fender P bass. So I think we can conclude that the best bass is whatever you like (probably avoid BC Rich and Dean though!).

As was said before... Celtic or Concert... world of difference. Since you're in Dorset what about Totnes... with Dartington College there might be some call...?

Fantastic. Made during or around the sessions for BB King In London https://open.spotify.com/album/6ES6xzXpxBhcjciskqKCgv Note Pete Winfield on piano

[quote name='cetera' timestamp='1501241950' post='3343523'] I'd love to get him along to be a guest speaker/do a workshop...... but we're lacking funds to fly him in from the Santa Cruz mountains [/quote] Well, let's hope he just happens to be popping out to the Tesco Extra in Addlestone that afternoon and can pop his head in on the way back... It could happen... honest...

[quote name='cetera' timestamp='1500979645' post='3341415'] I'm also working on one or two more NAME bassists to do talks/workshops if poss..... [/quote] Nice, Gary! If your mate Tiran happened to be in the area that day...

[quote name='MoonBassAlpha' timestamp='1500682297' post='3339643'] Is there a reason the pickup can't be re wound? Should be possible as long as they aren't epoxy potted. [/quote] It's pretty much a sealed unit... a lot of the SB pickups were...

And it's not a filter based preamp - BMT... not going to sound in the slightest bit Wal-like...

[quote name='kodiakblair' timestamp='1500401719' post='3337512'] That's just lovely Rob. Congratulations. Regarding the fretted 4. Tell the good lady,she'll have at least 20 months to calm down [/quote] Rob, if I may quote the late, great Sid James.... "Phworr, wot a lovely pair!" You must be chuffed. PS I don't want to say "I told you so..." about selling that 4 string of yours but...

[quote name='Ashweb' timestamp='1499986464' post='3335035'] Yeah, but on this side of the pond, everything went glam rock in the 70's with the likes of Slade, Sweet and T-Rex who had a much more powerful sound. The only bands playing 'real' rock n roll were the mighty Showaddywaddy... [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9NKs3h1CS8"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9NKs3h1CS8[/url] [/quote] That's not true... there was Darts as well! http://youtu.be/R8vxGmPfuHQ

I don't know about Wal sales but it's certainly had a huge impact on the number of "How can I get the Tool tone without buying a Wal?" internet forum threads!

So my Aria SB700 is kaput... no sound at all Now it may be that the pickup has gone. But I also put in a Hollis GX10 active buffer preamp many many many moons ago. When I repair it I'd like to include an active buffer again (if the Hollis has passed away). Not looking for gain boost, not looking for active EQ, just the little extra get from an active buffer... som extra presence, some extra sparkle, some extra authority in the tone. Anyway, that's what the Hollis seemed to add. Hollis went out of business years ago so anyone got any ideas of possible replacement circuits? I've only seen the Creation Audio Labs Redeemer and a slightly dodgy looking DIY one from this side of the pond. http://www.guitar-repairs.co.uk/jfet_guitar_preamp.htm But that looks more like a clean boost. Not really what I'm after. Any experience, other brands, advice much appreciated, ta!

So yesterday my lovely SB700 just didn't work... of course I need to give it a good going over with a multimeter. But I guess it looks like I'm going to be in the market for a replacement MBII pickup. So from a bit of googling and research it seems that there are three choices... Kent Armstrong, the guys from Finland and Reed James NEO Aria-replacements (though it sounds like the latter may have quite a lead time!). I just wondered if anyone has tried any of the above and what you thought of them? They all seem to go for about the same price. Currently I'm veering towards Kent Armstrong with Rautia in second position. However, I've no reason for that other than KA are in England so may be a wee bit easier. Grateful for any thoughts. Which might be "best", more authentic, beefier sounding... whatever. It will all help the decision...

Oooooooh, Rob. That's really gorgeous (well apart from the missing frets and superfluous strings top and bottom Lol!). They say a week's a long time in politics but knowing it's ready and beckoning... that is one loooooooong week!

I vote for "Love You 'Till Tuesday" - I unaccountably had a copy of "The World Of..." not long after it first came out as a 6 or 7 year old. That was my favourite tune. You could do THAT instead of Medals!!!