ezbass

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1441902816' post='2862845'] I have a '73 Precision that I love, but I am also GASing over a '63 that's up for sale. The asking price is more than twice what I paid for the '73 - can it really be worth it? [/quote]I'm going to say yes, but I have an agenda

Stage presence is key. If the person with that quality can also sing well - debate over.

Definitely better and, I think, you could go even smaller.

Bloody marvellous! Good work that man.

[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1441647847' post='2860567'] Either this thread changes the direction it's heading or it will be headed off at the pass. [/quote]Proabaly not before time, the fun bus section notwithstanding, this thread has been circling for a fair bit.

Mwahvellous!

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1441567353' post='2859927'] Worse than a burst... a burst with a matching burst headstock... [/quote]Absolutely [quote name='Rich' timestamp='1441574674' post='2860029'] I agree entirely [IMG]http://www.shukerguitars.co.uk/j36.jpg[/IMG] [/quote]Having said that, that Shuker is very nicely done.

[quote name='icastle' timestamp='1441563232' post='2859861'] After all, the audience/client is there to see us perform, not get a ring seat view of crisis management. [/quote]There it is, in a nutshell. From the Dog and Duck to the Albert Hall, punters are punters and they want the entertainment they came to see/hear. I saw Steve Hillage back in the 80s and the 2nd guitarist's amp packed up. Steve did his best to entertain us whilst the problem was sorted, but it was frustrating, had there been a back up, there'd have been little or no problem.

I take two basses to my gigs, one fretted, one fretless. Would your average punter notice if I only used the fretted where the fretless would be far better suited? No, but it gives me pleasure to play what I (or the original artist if it's a cover) think is appropriate for said ditty. Do I take expensive gear? Yes, because having something that I love the tone and feel of just for home use only and taking something 'inferior' to said gig seems, to me, a bit like a child having toys and never playing with them. My instruments were meant to be played and, I think, heard by others. I know there are many who just don't feel right or 'safe' about taking, for instance, their Fodera to the Dog and Duck for fear of damage and/or theft and I completely understand that. For my part, however, I'm willing to take that chance and don't give it a second thought because, if I did, it would affect my performance and then I wouldn't enjoy playing my pride and joys. I know others can't do this and and would just worry all the time and fair play to them, hopefully they get enough joy from their instruments playing them at home, rehearsal or when recording. Am I pretentious for taking my nice gear out to gigs? I don't think so, for I am not pretending to be anything or anyone but me. If people think that I'm showing off, well standing on a stage playing to an audience IS showing off, to a degree, but I'm not showing off through my use of certain gear. I've bought all of my gear because it gives me pleasure and I hope it does the same for the punters. If they judge me by gear alone (either positively or negatively) then they plainly aren't there to listen and watch, but there just to evaluate the world by their rather, if I might say, sad parameters.

I suffered the danger of sitting in front of the PC and surfing bits and bobs for Rics. Anyway, long story short, I ordered one the bridge pickup bezels from Rickysounds. For those not in the know, these basically fill up the hole left if you remove the cover. I found myself occasionally catching some of the pointier parts of the assembly when playing, no cuts, but somewhat uncomfortable, so this made sense, expensive sense, but sense nonetheless. I did a gig with it last night and I have to say that it was money well spent. No catching of my digits, a nifty thumb rest (you can have them without, just flat, or with a depression in addition to the one shown below) and, I think, it looks neater than the previous gaping hole. For your visual delectation... [url="http://s308.photobucket.com/user/ezbass/media/IMG_0168_zpsrlpucsrg.jpg.html"][/url]

It's the size of the hole IIRC. Check their website, or email them, they're very helpful.

Not sure about wisdom, but definitely a certain perspective (as anyone will have being born and growing at a certain point in time). I think it's safe to say that The Beatles [i]appear[/i] to have had a much larger impact on those in north America than maybe it did here (see quote from the bass playing community above).

We had a great gig at a pub we've been playing since we started. Sometimes the crowd get a little too 'boisterous' (there was a fight last time we played there during Two Tribes; very appropriate) but last night was just the right amount of booze coupled with high spirits, fuelled by music. New landlords in attendance and they seemed mightily impressed; more gigs there for sure

[quote name='Big_Stu' timestamp='1441446306' post='2858916'] The UK band "Slade", who I've mostly "grown out of" now and were largely but not entirely repelled by the US market but were huge on the East coast and some southern states, also influencing Gene Simmons & Paul Stanley to copy and exagerate their stage act, inspired Cheap Trick (it's even where they got their name) exceeded several Beatles accomplishments. Elvis, another Beatles influence, was also recording and gigging before and AFTER the Beatles split. [/quote]They play a fair bit of Slade on Planet Rock these days and it's surprising how fresh it still sounds. Slade Alive still rates as one of the best 'live' albums for me. Great band, Merry Christmas Everybody notwithstanding.

There is too much Wal action on BC these days, stop it! I could inflate an airship with all the 'GAS' I have for a fretless one of these.

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1441373679' post='2858414'] Stevie DiStanislao is a mint drummer. [/quote]+1 I had a video of him playing with Carl Verheyen, top thumper of the tubs. All in all, a very nice rhythm section.

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1441371460' post='2858375'] Amongst others... IIRC. [/quote]Unfortunately. For those who missed out on this and other similar incidents, it goes like this: things were said; offence was taken; departure ensued. The details are not worth repeating, as it doesn't matter, the result stands. To quote some other threads, you had to be there.

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1441361871' post='2858228'] Don't go there. [/quote]Not our best moment.

[quote name='MoonBassAlpha' timestamp='1441369672' post='2858339'] That sounds like a long-drawn out process, not to mention tricky! Good luck with it though. What's the model of that Gibson (or is it Epiphone?) that is a smaller bodied version of the 335? That would be pretty much the same then. I think it's a 339 [/quote]It is both Gibson and Epiphone and it is the ES339. The Epi version has more models, one straight ahead (as is the Gibson version), one with coil taps (my guitarist has one of these, they're amazingly good and versatile) and one with piezo (I think I'm right in saying that there are 3 of them).

Wow, that an impressive output/collection.

[quote name='Kiwi' timestamp='1441144662' post='2856508'] All three together: [/quote]Loving your work.

They reviewed it in this month's Bass Guitar Magazine, they couldn't fault it.