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spongebob

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Posts posted by spongebob

  1.  

    Looking for some wiring inspiration here!

    I recently bought a new Bartolini 6RT for the neck pickup of my Rickenbacker 4003S. It's a 2018 model, so has the vintage tone selector.

    Picked up the bass from the Luthier yestoday. First impressions - loving the Bart. Maybe not to all tastes, but as a long-term Ricky player, I love it. It's like it's been turbo-charged - so much so, I'm going to have to order a 6RC for the bridge.

    However, there is a problem. The vintage tone selector is for the bridge pup only, it's not for the neck. So a neck pup replacement shouldn't affect it, right?

    Wrong! When the neck pup is solo'd, it as usual. Vintage tone knob up or down, no change. All good here.

    Solo the bridge pup - vintage tone knob down, it's off - raise it, old-skool cap engaged. Once again, all good.

    Put the toggle switch in the centre - both pups on together - here's where the problem lies. Having the vintage tone selector knob down (so it's off), it's suddenly on! Raise it, and it's off. Exactly the opposite to how it should be, but only with both pups on.

    Can't work out why it works as usual for the bridge pup, but engage both together, and it goes opposite - especially when it was the 'unaffected' neck pup that was replaced.

    Before I get the 6RC fitted, I'd rather go armed with more knowledge of what to tell the Luthier to assist him.

    Any ideas here? I spoke to him on the 'phone, he was fairly foxed - so hence, I thought I'd turn to the BC experts for a solution!

    • Confused 1
  2. This isn't going to sound good, but I really hate the crowdfunding idea.

    Especially when it's the ones that have been around the block - had a good life, lost/ripped off/blown it, then want their fanbase to keep them going. Let's face it, whose best years are many years behind them. There, I've said it!

    Band makes album - album gets panned - you don't have to buy it. Crowdfunding? Too late, you've already laid out for that sucker!

     

  3. 13 hours ago, bubinga5 said:

    I don't want to offend anyone who plays a Ricky, (but im probably going to).  The only reason I can think anyone plays one is because their musical heroes did and it has THAT tone on those records...I played a 4003 a few months ago and I just thought. HHmmm over £2000 for this heavy bass that the strings are rattling on the pointless pup cover when you dig in. Really uncomfortable instrument to play imo.. If someone made a bass now as Rickenbacker does without its heritage and songs that its been on. , im thinking knowone would pay much attention to it. Especially at the prices he or his son is asking. But they be riding that cash wave.  You can probably tell I dont like Rickenbacker's.

    Couldn't disagree more. That's as far as I'm going on this! 😀

  4. 4 hours ago, Cato said:

    I was a big fan of Cater USM in the 90s and before they expanded the duo to include other musicians about 70% of their live show was backing tracks and samples with only the guitars and vocals truly being live.

     

    Jeez! I saw them as a trio with a live drummer, and again on their last UK tour before they split up - think they were a 6-piece or something by then!😀

    • Like 1
  5. Things come and go, it's cyclical IMHO.

    Is R'n'R in a good place? Maybe not.....but there's no doubt in my mind that it will return in some form or another. It was only around 2001 that NME were championing the 'new rock revolution'....The Strokes, White Stripes, etc. I bought a fantastic compilation at the time, 'The Sympathetic Sounds Of Detroit' - one of fave compilations ever.

    I'd never have seen that coming a few years before. So anything is possible....just when it's down and out, doesn't mean it's dead for good.

    Bobby G, to me, has always been a man of style of any real substance. How he's kept his act alive for so long is beyond me!

    Maybe his hanging out on yachts with Kate Moss has finally done him in.....or just a good way of promoting your latest record.....?

    From Wikipedia - 

    "Gillespie was involved in a campaign to prevent a local pub gaining extended hours saying, "I found the repetitiveness [of the noise] disturbing and I was unable to sleep because of it."[9]

    No wonder rock is dying! 🙈

    • Like 2
  6. I like a chunky neck, but about 8 or 9 years ago bought a used Road Worn Jazz - simple reason, I liked the look of it!

    Played it for a few weeks constantly - but kept waking up in the night with quite bad fretting hand forefinger pain.

    Actually went to the doctors, it was that bad. Discussed and described the situation (he was a guitarist BTW), and his advice? Dump the bass!

    I sold it on, and went back to chunkier necks, and since then, not a jolt. So it's kind of like Lozz's problem in reverse! I actually find a P bass neck too thin - and my hands are far from massive.

    Sure there's a solution - most things are possible. Either way, good luck and hope you get it sorted soon! 😀

  7. It's good to see Ric on a bit of a high the last few years. New models, colours....and I personally think the QC has improved. 

    I've owned a good few from various years and styles, but my 4003S is faultless, and really light. 

    Personally, I've always found the lighter the bass, the more 'Ricky' it sounds. Probably a totally abstract notion, but the heavier basses never sounded quite as good. Likewise, my best 2 have both been blue as well! Weird! 

     

    • Like 1
  8. Prices of these have always gone up and down. I remember a whole back selling a couple of 4003 basses for a fair bit more than I paid. 

    Couple of years later I missed out on a lovely 4001 at £800!

    Maybe we're going for a little bit of a downturn at the mo. I bought my current 4003S after Christmas at a good price, although they've risen again somewhat since then. 

  9. I bought a bass on BC some years back, just had the address stuck on the hardcase....it made it! 

    Bought one on ebay as a flipper....guy sent it in a gig bag covered in brown wrapping paper, which had all split. Miracle upon miracles......it was intact and blemish free! 

  10. The Cure? Debut album 40 years ago. 

    Can you imagine in 1979, if a major festivals' major attraction was a band that had made their debut in 1939? Same time difference.

    Some of the acts mentioned have been around 20, some 30, years alone. Part of the festivals' suffering is over-population, just too many out there still doing it. Harder for new acts, as they're constantly playing alongside their elders. Years ago, I don't think this was happening (or not to this extent).

    Bands don't split up, just go on far too long past their (some arguably never had it) prime. There, I've said it! 😆

     

    • Like 2
    • Haha 1
  11. Wobbly saddle victim here - about 2 decided to collapse mid-gig some years back. Had to keep raising the saddles between every song!

    Fair play to Hipshot, I got on to them, and they sent me a new set, from the States, FOC. Luthier fitted them, and they were fine. From what I read, the problem is very hit and miss whether you get it or not.

    I think the current Ric bridges are stronger, don't bend like the old days, so I personally wouldn't change mine now, unless I really had to, or suddenly developed a taste for frequent palm-muting (matron!). 😃

    • Like 1
  12. 10 hours ago, FinnDave said:

    I have 100 or more CDs on the shelf above my stereo in my 'music room' (smallest bedroom/box room) and they are all Grateful Dead, mostly live recordings. In fact most are 2 or 3 disc live shows. A few are 20+ disc box sets. I have most of them of them in my iTunes library as well.

    So whatever I listen to, it will be the Dead, unless it's a gig or rehearsal recording of the band I play in, which plays nothing but the Dead. 

    I just hope they're all pre-mid '72, before Pig left and what happened next......*runs and hides* 🙈

  13. 2 hours ago, oldslapper said:

    My favourite era and line up. Sorry to the purists, but “whatevs” 🤪

    Mine too. Mk.3 and Mk.4 are always the Purple I go back to.

    'Burn' must be one of my favourite rock albums. It just kicks every track - only complaint is the bass could be a little beefier in the mix!

    • Like 2
  14. Main one for me was Lemmy - fan since I was 13, as has been said, he was just always 'there'. I really thought he'd go on like Dave Brock for a good while longer.

    I saw them a few times, and was making plans to go to the next London show. Something had stopped me doing it....and as it turned out, they never happened. Still my main influence now, it's Motorhead4life for me!

    Other one was more complicated - Richey Edwards of the Manic Street Preachers. At the time, a disappearance, now a registered death. I was a massive fan of the band until the point he vanished - not at all afterwards!

    Felt much closer to Richey than to Kurt Cobain - both within 12 months. Looking back, strange times.

    Of late, Bernie Torme was closer to home, having worked with him on a couple of occasions, one being my favourite recording that I've ever been involved with - fab man to work with.

  15. Just been alerted to, and watched, part of an episode of 'The Repair Shop' on BBC1 this afternoon.

    It's a show where people bring in various artefacts with a story, and top pro's restore them.

    Today's featured a mid-60's Jazz bass, bought in by the son of Tony Wilson, bassist for Hot Chocolate until '76.

    Won't do any spoilers, but it'll be on catch-up, so worth a look! 

    • Like 1
    • Thanks 7
  16. 5 hours ago, HengistPod said:

    Personally, I'm quite surprised that Pete Way managed to outlive any of the other guys, and I'm still not fully convinced he'll get it together enough to actually go on the advertised tour this autumn ...

    RIP Kipper.

    After reading his autobiography, I feel the same way.

    It ends with him still beginning his drinking at 10am - fine, he says, because he's an early riser!

    RIP PR.

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