prowla

I think that the UK importer of Rockinbetters was/is a company called "Tokai", but it's not the Japanese company who make guitars and so can be confusing. As for those Rockinbetters and other Chickenbackers, I really don't like them, not one bit. I respect Rickenbacker for protecting their brand; why can't companies show a bit of originality and make their own designs? That said, I've got a Matsumoku Ric copy and it is a quite nice bass; I got it incomplete in bits for a bit of fun and just need to do the TRC for it to be complete (the fool who had it before stripped of the original brand and replaced it with the "R" word). It sounds pretty damn Ric-like! (Mind you, I've also got two real Rics, so my bonafides are alright.)

[quote name='Lysdexia' timestamp='1491298143' post='3271856'] Hi - any help much appreciated. [/quote] Congratulations for starting the most generic thread ever!

I have a 4-string one of those.

I keep meaning to do something like that! Sounds like Stu Hamm after a few beers...

Well, if the bridge is near the end of the body, then the overall length is the same regardless of how many frets, surely. Me, I've got a Status 5-string, which doesn't seem large. (But it does have 24 frets.)

At the moment I have a pair of very similar J-basses, but one is fretted and one fretless. I think that fretless is better for more expressive playing, but less suited to punchy/attacking parts, where the strings just clatter against the neck. Jazz is the most obvious place for fretless, and heavy metal probably the least. But it's not black and white - many jazz-rockers play fretted and Mo Foster used a fretless on the first MSG album. With original material, I guess the bass player can do what fits.

I've posted these before The one on the left I bought like that: Warmoth body, John East pre-amp, Badass bridge, Status Graphite neck, 3 Schallers and a Hipshot D-tuner/eXtender, Schaller straplocks. The one on the right I made up from parts: Squier body, Mighty Mite fretless neck, Shadow pickup, my wiring assembly (CTS pots, Sprague cap & Switchcraft socket), 3 Wilkinson & a Hipshot D-tuner/eXtender, Schaller straplocks. (I have a custom "Prowla" logo transfer for the headstock, when I get around to it.) The one on the left has a fretless sibling too: Warmoth Body, Status Graphite neck, 4 Schallers, EMG pickups. I don't have a picture of it just now.

I saw Nick Kershaw with Steve Hackett a few years back.

[quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1489879318' post='3260588'] Well, that is ok, they aren't and never had been made by Tokai so largely irrelevant. I tried a new tokai strat a few months ago and it was rather nice, but haven't tried a newer bass, just an old explorer. [/quote] OK - there's a thread about this on the site... http://basschat.co.uk/topic/190096-so-a-rockinbetter-isnt-a-rickenbacker-a-rockinbetter-isnt-a-tokai/page__st__60 Apparently, it says, the UK company who import Rockinbetters is called Tokai, but it has nothing to do with the Japanese company called Tokai who make guitars.

I do not like the Rockingbetters. I've never checked out the other current models.

You could buy a cheapie in Italy...

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1489491596' post='3257334'] I remember you!! When we were setting up things were a mix of stressful / hilarious there's some pics I'll have to dig out of that It was also me you mentioned the relic'd instruments thread too (I've not looked at it!) 3rd time I don't think was me but if it was loud and the last day my voice was shot by then [/quote] Ah well - it's good to be noticed!

When I got out my old Ric after maybe 10 years and used a plectrum, I suddenly thought "Crikey - that's good!".

[quote name='bazztard' timestamp='1488935223' post='3253115'] I bet no frets on the G and D strings are worn, or any above the 5th fret ROTFL PMSL LOL [/quote] Just what I was thinking - it'll be pristine higher up the neck!

As an aside, I have a Mighty Mite neck on a P-bass and it is really (really!) good.

[quote name='ped' timestamp='1488912158' post='3252898'] OK, well you did mention relics... [/quote] Memo to self: don't mention relics...

[quote name='ped' timestamp='1488892280' post='3252677'] Genuinely surprised at this - we made a massive effort to engage with anyone who even made eye contact, so much so I was fully shattered after each day. Did you come over to the stand and say hello? Sorry if I/we missed you [/quote] Yes, I dropped by 3 times and had a quick word, but didn't feel particularly engaged. First time one person said "We're just setting up" and then carried on speaking to one of the others, so I wandered off (it was at least 10:30, maybe 11 on the Saturday). Next I mentioned I'd started the "Is anybody getting bored of "reliced" instruments?" and one of the people said "Which one - we have lots of them?" and that was that (it's now at 190 posts). The 3rd time I said "It's loud here!" and someone said they had been giving earplugs out on the way in and that was about it. So others may have chatted and so-on, but that's how it was for me - no real conversation.

[quote name='Merton' timestamp='1488803534' post='3251856'] ...Groan! [/quote] Thankyouverymuchindeed!

[quote name='bluejay' timestamp='1488832769' post='3252239'] Different angle and light: [/quote] I think of that as the Pretzel bass...

Yep - it would've been nice to see Status there and some pedal brands. I didn't know John East was there - I have one of his preamps in one of my basses. About the knitting exhibition - I heard it was so-so...

[quote name='Maude' timestamp='1488722483' post='3251261'] What about the opposite of relicing? I'm very interested in an instrument for sale on this site, I won't say what as I haven't posted on the for sale ad yet. It's a sixties instrument, pretty much all original bar for one part, quite rare but would need a complete restoration to be made playable again. I would love to buy, restore and gig this instrument but I really don't like the look of the body as it's badly chipped all round the bottom and has been poorly touched up, I would want to refinish the body so this instrument would end up looking practically new, albeit with a very vintage vibe. My question is, is making an old instrument look like new going to get the same reaction as making a new instrument look old? This is a genuine dilemma as I really don't know if I should refinish this sixties instrument, but I don't think I want it if it stays in its beaten up state. [/quote] Well, some of the value of a vintage instrument is the fact that it has been used and that the parts are original. So making it pristine again could have an impact on its value.

Oh, incidentally, for anybody who is thinking of going next year... [size=6][size=8]TAKE SOME EAR PLUGS![/size][/size]

[quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1488714462' post='3251185'] Why doesn't everyone have what ACG had, where you can just plug in with headphones and really hear the sound of the bass? Seems such an obvious way to do it but as far as I could see he was the only one. As a result, the ACGs were the only ones I actually know what they sound like without a huge bass rumble. [/quote] I played a Dingwall through headphones and it was OK, but they couldn't handle the bottom-B.

[quote name='bluejay' timestamp='1488663934' post='3250949'] And our Chris Sharman has an NBD - he was at the show with his wife, who approved the purchase. Happy Shuker NBD Chris! Edit: the GAS-inducing Shukers in full view [/quote] I had a go on the lower bass there, but unfortunately someone was playing one louder on the next stand, so I couldn't really hear it; it felt quite nice though.

(Now listening to Stu Hamm CD...)