TrevorR

I know it's not actually London but it's close by... You could also consider ACM at Guildford. Well established, good facilities and good reputation (AFAIK).

Great idea... my gigging set up as follows... BASSES: Wal Mk 1 Custom Series, 1985, shedua facings, gold hardware Wal Pro Series ProIIE, 1979, ash body, trans raspberry finish (both with La Bella 760FL flatwound strings) Cleartone cables PEDALS: When two basses used together: Lehle 3@1 switcher pedal Pedalboard featuring... TC Electronics PolyTune Joyo Vintage Overdrive (hopefully to be replaced by an EHX Bass Soul Food later in the year - only used for mild grit and to feed the...) Morley Dual Bass Wah EHX Pulsar tremolo Boss CE-2B chorus Tech 21 Sansamp VTDI (feed to the PA) Connectors by Cleartone, OBBM; Pedaltrain pedalboard, T-Rex Fuel Tank power supply AMP: (when not going amp free) MarkBass Little Mark II MarkBass Traveller 2x10 cab ...and for larger gigs adding a MarkBass Traveller 1x15 cab to make a mini stack ACCESSORIES: All cables by Cleartone and OBBM Dunlop Straploks Italia Leathers 4" straps QuikLok A-frame guitar stands Air-Turn pedal for iPad OnSong software on iPad Shire Beta 57 vocal mic Ultimate Ears UE11 (I think) in ears Fischer Amps belt pack amplifier Hipshot Xtender EB-4 detuner just added to both basses. Pre-pedalboard... [font=Calibri][size=3][color=#000000][/color][/size][/font] [font=Calibri][size=3][color=#000000]Pedalboard pre-overdrive pedal...[/color][/size][/font] [font=Calibri][size=3][color=#000000][/color][/size][/font]

[size=3][font="Calibri"][color="#000000"]I’d agree that you should definitely shop around and explore as many different types of bass before plumping if you have £6+k to spend. You might surprise yourself and/or you might just fall in love…[/color][/font][/size] [size=3][font="Calibri"][color="#000000"] [/color][/font][/size] [size=3][font="Calibri"][color="#000000"]Definitely get along to Bass Direct, The Gallery and Andy Baxter’s shops – all of which will expose you to a wide range of different styles and makes and present a number of vintage options to look at – there will certainly be vintage Jazzes around their inventory.[/color][/font][/size] [size=3][font="Calibri"][color="#000000"] [/color][/font][/size] [size=3][font="Calibri"][color="#000000"]With your budget you are comfortably in the ball park for any “dream bass” or custom instrument (ACGs, Wals, Overwaters, Dingwalls etc etc etc)so the choice is so wide that it may be more difficult to narrow down – unless you just choose to decide “Vintage 60s Jazz it is!” and stick with those blinkers (meant in a “focus” way not a perjorative way).[/color][/font][/size] [size=3][font="Calibri"][color="#000000"] [/color][/font][/size] [size=3][font="Calibri"][color="#000000"]Should you be interested in exploring Wals as you mentioned above, the three shops above quite often have them in stock second hand to try and for any info on the Wals have a look at the ling in my signature below to the blog I write on the brand which is pretty much as comprehensive and definitive an info source as you will find anywhere.[/color][/font][/size] [size=3][font="Calibri"][color="#000000"] [/color][/font][/size] [size=3][font="Calibri"][color="#000000"]Happy hunting. What a lovely problem to have![/color][/font][/size]

[quote name='Lw.' timestamp='1487774116' post='3242700'] Or he could just get a Squire & spend the rest of the budget on a nice watch? [/quote] But what would he do with a young horse looker after-er if he's not got a horse (or a watch)?

[quote name='Number6' timestamp='1487716372' post='3242198'] +1 for Phil Lynott.....i feel he's the coolest bass/frontman of all time. [/quote] And he had the most rock and roll leather trousers in the history of rock and roll! #liveanddangerous

Rhys, I think I'm thinking about the previous Dan the Bass... TBH it's a few years now since I really checked out Magenta... [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HplzqfUDWY[/media]

[size=3][font="Calibri"][color="#000000"]That does seem like pretty odd and controlling behaviour from the band leader (something to watch, methinks!). Of all the basses to take against visually as “not fitting in a modern prog band” the Attitude is an odd one to choose – pretty blue colour or not. It’s a pertty conventional bass overall, as a P/J bass derivative (albeit with tweaks, twirls and additions). In fact, I would have pegged it a pretty nu-proggy overall myself. Odd. Considering other nu-prog bassists the Magenta guy is all Stingrays and the odd jazz, Pete Gee from Pendragon is a Wal player, Pete Trewavas (Transatlantic hat on) loves his Warwicks and Ibanezes right now, Steve from Threshold plays a Sei, Dave Meros from Spock’s Bears likes Ricky’s Sterlings and custom made basses, Jonas Reingold of the Flower Kings loves a Yammy… That’s a pretty broad church into which an Attitude in blue really ought to fit nicely.[/color][/font][/size] [size=3][font="Calibri"][color="#000000"] [/color][/font][/size] [size=3][font="Calibri"][color="#000000"]A bit of cyber-stalking of the band’s (absolutely woeful IMHO – they really need to sort that, especially the cover photo on FB which truncates ¼ of their name… d’uh!) website and Facebook page suggests that their previous bassist was a straight down the line traditional finish P and J guy so I guess that’s where their expectations have been set. The other guitars in their were both (pretty boring looking) Strats. So maybe he’s just a retrogressive progressive rocker![/color][/font][/size] [size=3][font="Calibri"][color="#000000"] [/color][/font][/size] [size=3][font="Calibri"][color="#000000"]If you like the music and like the band, of course you may not want to rock the boat. However, if it were me, that sort of behaviour/attitude is something I would want to have at my mind and keep an eye on over time…[/color][/font][/size]

Saw Chuck Berry in 1983. The bass player in [size=3][font="Calibri"][color="#000000"]his pick up band was playing a purple Ibanez Explorer bass… Sounded fine (and less out of tune than Chuck’s guitar!).[/color][/font][/size]

"P type but not Fender" says [s]Mryrkykertk[/s] [s]Murysichkyk[/s] [s]Madukhck[/s] [s]Mrrszkhtyc[/s]... [b][i]Limelight[/i][/b] to me!

Ooooooh, that is gorgeous! If it had been Padauk Red (like my SB700) I'd be seriously tempted right now!

[quote name='fiatcoupe432' timestamp='1487715897' post='3242188'] Absolutely beautiful basses there and setup [/quote] Ta! I am indeed, a very happy bass bunny!

Probably Phil Lynott just for the lines he came up with and the way his bass lines fitted within the song - plus he was suhc a great singer, writer and front man. However, others who would be up there vying for position... Geddy Lee, Chris Squire, Abe Laboriel, Davey Paton, John Wetton, Neil Murray and a host of others.

My two Wal basses (bought in around 1993 and 2001) have been a pretty effective GAS cure and neither are going to be sold any time soon (i.e. NEVER!).

Back in the covers/function/wedding band days this was my set up... Two reasons. First I always had a spare bass just in case (not that I ever actually had a bass failure on stage but insurance is an item you buy hoping never to use). Second, although I could happily play the entire gig on either bass I would swap between them across the course of a gig. This was never a problem but I made sure that my set up meant it was never a problem or a delay between the songs. My set up signal path was "2 basses - Lehle 3@1 switcher pedal - inline tuner pedal (Boss TU2 or Polytune) - Amp...". Also I was very particular about how I approached switching basses so as to ensure that the gig and the audience experience didn't suffer. I never switched between them song about... rather I segmented each set into blocks of several songs and looked for segments of the set which particularly "suited" either bass - either tonally or in terms of the feel of the bass/neck. I'd then swap quickly at the end of each segment. With the switcher pedal it never took more than a couple of seconds to change basses so there was absolutely no interruption in the flow of the songs. The singer/guitar player similarly would switch across the course of each set between acoustic and electric (not necessarily at the same point as me) but, again used a similar technique. When you have to stop, go over to the amp, unplug the jack from the amp, unplug the bass, drop the jack on the floor, change basses, find the jack you dropped on the floor, plug the other jack back into the amp, change the settings on the amp because that bass has a different output, walk back to your performance position it does look unutterably amateur to an audience and does create huge dead air in the flow of a set - doubly so if you do it between EVERY song... I would never have allowed myself to do that. It was, for me of course, pure indulgence but I love both my main basses and they both have different tonal characteristics and feels so it was a little subtlety that gave me pleasure (and, I'm sure therefore enhanced by playing). Did the audience notice - not consciously but that's not the point. So, I'd say feel free to bring a couple of basses along with you (if that floats your boat - one P and and the Sire sounds like a nice, versatile combo) but do also invest in a good quality inline tuner pedal and a good switcher unit (something like the Lehle [expensive but bombproof] or a Boss LS2 Line Switcher). The advantage of that is that a good quality switcher pedal will allow you to balance the outputs of the different basses so you don't need to change the amp gain or master volume when you switch between them.

Verdigris patina copperwound strings? I shall immediately go out and but a brand new Shergold guitar to put them on!

[quote name='dood' timestamp='1487443898' post='3239888'] Slightly related to the topic, 'the other way round', has anyone tried the Nickel Bronze Acoustic Guitar strings from D'Addario? These: http://daddario.com/DADProductFamily.Page?ActiveID=3768&familyid=150 I've got them on my Faith acoustic here. They are (of course) Nickel outer wrap rather than the all familiar Bronze acoustic strings. I gotta say, I *really* like them. [/quote] [quote name='Geek99' timestamp='1487448187' post='3239929'] I've tried regular electric strings on an electro acoustic and they sound far too bright [/quote] I've often wondered about this. I've always used bronze or phosphor bronze strings on an acoustic bass for either acoustic or piezo pickup playing. This has been on the basis that I've known a few acoustic guitar players who have used steel or nickel strings on their 6string acoustics and they have without exception sounded absolutely awful either acoustically or electrically.

[quote name='uk_lefty' timestamp='1487244487' post='3238290'] This has all got a bit out of hand since my facaetious comment about wearing two watches... Are there any more useful gig tips? [/quote] As a leftie who plays righty I always remove my watch and put it in my back pocket before playing for two reasons, neither to do with the gig fashionistas. 1) Being a leftie I wear it on my right wrist and don't want the metal strap gouging up my basses. 2) if I do leave it on the electronic mechanism gets picked up by the pickups. Boy, that was a half hour wasted and an embarrassing rollicking from the sound guy after he'd spent ages trying to work out what that strange faint ticking noise coming through the FOH was. Fast forward 15 or 20 years and my diabetic consultant moved me from daily injections to an insulin pump, which of course is basically a small belt mounted electrical stepper motor... next gig, "...ticka-ticka-ticka-ticka..." Whoops!

[quote name='fleabag' timestamp='1487530053' post='3240508'] Then that makes Wilkes sliding pup gits were built in the 70's ... so he was up there with Armstrong Alembic and Gibson. !! [/quote] Nope, 1985!

[quote name='fleabag' timestamp='1487463477' post='3240052'] According to the Wilkes site, the Answer first came out 20 years ago, assuming that the current Wilkes web pages are not actually 10 years old The Rail bass was featured in a mag in '84 , but i've just remembered that the Gibson Grabber was around in the mis 70's [/quote] Well, the review by Neville Marten which is transcribed on the Wilkes web page (the review I was thinking of) is dated July 1985. Which does suggest that page has been hanging around for about a decade!

Oh, this one hurts. Rest in Peace Clyde, officially the Funkiest Drummer out there. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/clyde-stubblefield-james-browns-funky-drummer-dead-at-73-w467805

[quote name='P-ZARN' timestamp='1487434557' post='3239802'] Check out 'Doug Wilkes' website where he's been applying this idea to guitars and basses. [/quote] Oooooh, blast from the past. I remember when Wilkes The Answer came out about 30 years ago. Sadly it seemed to be an answer to a question no one was actually asking!

[quote name='skej21' timestamp='1487316827' post='3238820'] Trouble with a capital T is my favourite song in our set. Great band and a great bass line! [/quote] Your band plays Trouble With A Capital T? #deadjealous Also one of my top three or four fave Horslips tunes! You need to lobby to get The Power And The Glory added to the set too! Never had occasion to play a single Horslips tune live

[quote name='skb558' timestamp='1487281136' post='3238681'] Anyone remember Badger? Ex-Yes keyboard Tony Kay's band. [/quote] I had a poster of their album cover on my wall at university. Had never heard the album, just liked the Roger Dean artwork.

Longish story... my first set were an unwanted set from CamdenRob which he'd tried on his Wal Mk 1 and decided quickly weren't for him so I don't know for sure. They went on my shedua Mk 1. The second set on my Pro IIE are 760FLs. However they feel much the same as the ones on the Mk1 so I'm guessing they're both the same.

So, anyone recognise ANY of these at all? I love 'em! Horslips http://youtu.be/y5G8AJf4Xzw River City People http://youtu.be/wlLdr4yD-PA Gordon Giltrap http://youtu.be/ktRsmHrLHU4 Iona http://youtu.be/wRVZrvbOEMU Threshold http://youtu.be/3NnJ79Ndx6I