The Admiral

I was in London for work on St Patrick's day and wanted to go for a beer, but avoid all the one day only faux 'oirish' crap that goes with it. In the mood for some live music, I ended up in 'Ain't nothin' but....' - the blues bar in Kingly Street, where the Franck Ash band were playing. Anyone who knows this venue, will be aware that it's a [b]really[/b] small place, with a tiny stage - about 9ft x 5ft (if that). Clearly you don't need a huge rig, and in fact there simply isn't room for anything bigger than a small combo - which brings me to my point : the bass player in the band was Winston Blissett (Kylie, Lionel Richie, Robbie Williams, Massive Attack etc) and he was playing a nice custom 5 string....... but through what I'm sure was a Behringer bass combo, and it sounded great.

I might have been seeing things, but it got me thinking about how much we sometimes might think you have to spend on gear, but is it as much about how you play, as through what? Clearly an expensive custom bass will give you a great initial sound, but the combo was more than capable of covering the low B.

Finally, what a great thing that you can see musicians as good as Mr B, with a really top notch blues band, in a small pub in London, and for no cost other than your beer. A great night - and no 'diddly eye'!.

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I've owned a BBG4AII since 2000 and it's an amazing bass. I had to order it at the time as it was a non stock model, and you don't see many of this particular model in the UK - most of the ones I have seen for sale are in mainland Europe and the USA.

[attachment=74501:Yamaha_B..._Reduced.jpg]

The engineer recording it at a local studio was enthusing about it recently, as it had - in his opinion, such a great tone compared to a lot of the stuff he records. It won't (obviously) compete with a custom bass costing thousands, but for the money - I think they are incredible value - and the basic models are excellent instruments for learners. Why anyone buys a Squier when you can pick up a Yamaha RBX new for £140 I can't fathom, beyond of course the issue of image/brand.

I actually managed to buy a 'spare' BBG4AII, in the exactly the colour I wanted - Amberburst, on eBay for £116 recently, and it was immaculate. I couldn't believe I won it for the price, but it was the best bargain I've ever had on eBay. BC member '4 string thing' was selling a blue/green one on here recently and whoever got that will have had themselves a bargain too.

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[quote name='mcnach' post='1133804' date='Feb 19 2011, 09:16 PM']sounds like a phone call may be in order, I like the idea of buying local homegrown products where you can actually talk to the "farmer", and I hear nothing but great stuff about the company![/quote]

+1 for Andy @ Wizard and the 'Thumpers'. Fantastic for the money, and great customer service when I dealt with him recently.

PM sent.

Glen Tilbrook................ who is a very underated player IMHO, and it would never be boring.

There is a very interesting chapter in Will Hodgkinson's book 'Song Man' where he spends a day with Andy P at his home in sunny Swindon, which covers a bit about his career since XTC : writing with Cathy Dennis etc.

One to spend your Christmas book token on perhaps, as it also contains musings on songwriting from a number of other big names, including Keith Richards and Ray Davies.

[url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Song-Man-Adventure-Single-minded-Songwriting/dp/0747584958"]http://www.amazon.co.uk/Song-Man-Adventure...g/dp/0747584958[/url]

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As a traditionalist - Something solid in 'Bottom End'

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Planning a 'project' to see me through the winter months, which will involve upgrading a nice 'P' copy.

I want to replace the bridge, nut, pick ups and possibly the machine heads (although they seem pretty reasonable), and I'm looking for suggestions :

Bridge - The Badass seems to be the 'standard', but they are pretty pricey, and if I could find something better than the bent bit of tin it now sports, but without costing a fortune, that would be a nice compromise. I've seen Gotoh's at about £40, but are they any good - or should I just bite the bullet and go for the Badass?

Pick ups - Dear Lord - where to start! I am wanting to use the finished article in a blues/classic rock genre, so zinging highs are not required - it's more about a good bottom end and a bit of thump. Passive circuitry and not costing the earth preferably. All suggestions welcome.

Nut - currently a bit of old plastic that would have looked low rent in a 1968 Cortina ashtray. Again, suggestions?


Finally - where to buy? There seems to be a real divergence of offerings : either sellers are stocking loads of cheap and nasty Chinese bits at very low prices, or 'Rolls Royce' stuff at big bucks - but not much in the middle ground.

Thanks in advance o wise Basschatters.

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A couple o suggestions :

80s big hair power ballad - 'Alone' : Heart

If I could turn back time : Cher

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Couple of Thunder 1A's on the bay currently, as you may well have noticed - (not me selling BTW).

This one needs some TLC by the look of it :http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160515382899&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

But this looks in nice nick - early headstock logo too I think isn't it? : [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180596999867&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...e=STRK:MEWAX:IT[/url]

One in Manchester, t'other in Chorley. Clealry a hotbed of Westone action here in the North West.

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One for the family to club together for perhaps :

[url="http://www.umanovguitars.com/store/details.asp?prodid=4289&cat=640&path=600,640"]http://www.umanovguitars.com/store/details...mp;path=600,640[/url]

[quote name='Mog' post='1035778' date='Nov 24 2010, 11:42 PM']Love it. The Amberburst version is something I've been gassing over for years, might as well add Teal to the list as well.[/quote]


Like this? Everyone who plays it is astounded by the quality and sounds. Bought new in 2001 for about £320 I think, but my memory may be playing tricks. This is the one bass I will never sell.

[attachment=65090:Yamaha_B..._Reduced.jpg]

[attachment=65091:Yamaha_B...educed_2.jpg]

I bought this in 1982 and have kept it for old time sake, but it needs some love, and I don't have time to lavish it. Nothing majorly wrong with it - bar it has temperamental pots due to sitting around in my cellar (albeit it's dry and heated) and a couple of knobs missing, which could be picked up for pennies I would think. I've tried giving the pots a clean (with some proper switch cleaner - not WD40), but it's not playing very well. So, if anyone has the time and inclination to put this straight, they are welcome to it.

I'm particularly interested in donating if you are working for or with a charity which needs some gear for less well of/fortunate kids/adults to use.

PM me if interested in this classic bit of british amplification! It even has a custom made vinyl cover!

Located in South Manchester/Central Manchester (office hours)

[attachment=64297:Photographic_014.jpg]

[quote name='bottlebassman' post='978821' date='Oct 5 2010, 09:07 PM']"One last soul" by Black Country Communion. [/quote]

What is your take on the album? I ask, as I've been thinking about buying the Special Edition, but the reviews have been really mixed. The fact that you are listening suggests of course that you rate it!

Ta

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[quote name='blunderthumbs' post='979956' date='Oct 6 2010, 10:01 PM']Saw the guys in Manchester on Sunday on the opening night of the tour.
They just get better with age, and the new drummer, Pete Ray Biggin is the dogs
dangly bits. Loved it so much I bought two tickets to see them again this Sunday
in Liverpool. Taking my 8 year old daughter with me. It's high time she saw
what real music is all about. [/quote]

Which just goes to prove that music is a subjective art form and particularly drummers it would seem - or it could just be me. A

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=105280&st=0&p=976705&#entry976705"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...mp;#entry976705[/url]

+ 1 on the "you can't go far wrong with a Yamaha" comments.

I have one of these : a BBG4AII - which you don't see many of in the UK. This one (link) is for sale in Hungary I think, but it's the same colour as mine and I'm not at home to use my own pics!

[url="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.njuskalo.hr/image-w450/bas-gitare/yamaha-bbg4aii-slika-1854441.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.njuskalo.hr/bas-gitare/yamaha-bbg4aii-oglas-774469&usg=__DEcL8jP_G70Hidw7IYgbc3yZqMY=&h=664&w=450&sz=53&hl=en&start=4&zoom=1&tbnid=YknC6d6eEE9vcM:&tbnh=138&tbnw=94&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbbg4aII%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1"]http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http...um=1&itbs=1[/url]

I ordered it through Sound Control in Wilmslow, and it's fantastic for the money (about £350 I think in 2001). They come up occasionally on eBay for about £100 - £150, which to my mind is 'bite your hands off' money. Very Fender like, but a bit different too - if that makes sense!

Have you checked out BC'er Oggy's BB414 in the For Sale thread? - It looks a cracking bass from the pic's.

Cheers

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and now available at 30% off apparently - £102. Very tempting!

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=350351117014&fromMakeTrack=true&ssPageName=VIP:watchlink:top:en"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...atchlink:top:en[/url]

Slightly off topic, and I'll start by saying that I am a great believer that anything is worth what someone is prepared to pay for it....... but............. I never understand why anyone bids so much for some items - viz, this Harley Benton Violin Bass, which went for £87 + £15.00 in courier costs - so £102 in total. You can buy a new one from Thomann, with a 3 year warranty from the retailer, and use your credit card for the consumer protection aspects, for £124 delivered!

Fair play to the seller - he must be chuffed. If only we could all do so well when selling on eBay.

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250698472954&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...e=STRK:MEWAX:IT[/url]

I really fancy one of these, but, not having the readies for a genuine high spec Hofner, I 'm wondering if anyone in the BC community has experience of any of the budget models?

The options I have found are :

[b]Hofner[/b] 'Ignition' violin bass (I'm guessing a Chinese version from Hofner to compete with the other 'copies' in this price band) @ £208 (Thomann) £240 w/c

There also seems to be an 'Icon' range version @ £350 and a 'Contemporary' range @ £499, as well of course as the big money 500/1 62 reissue at £1,200

[b]Epiphone [/b]- currently £210 in my local Dawsons, which I had a look at on Saturday and looks very well finished.

[b]Tanglewood[/b] - RVB2 @ £296

[b]Harley Benton [/b]- (Thomann own brand and I'm guessing pretty nasty at this price) @ £120

[b]Westfield VB960 [/b]- £245

I'd prefer the Hofner name on the headstock, but not at the cost of a better instrument from another maker at the same price point.

Any thoughts/experience greatly appreciated.

Thanks

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I had a 6 month sub, which I let lapse - for all the reasons covered in this thread.

Just has a message left on the mobile from a chirpy girl in the subs department - offering me 12 months subscription for £22, or equivalent to £1.84 an issue.

Times are hard at BGM we might presume?

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I've noticed that on eBay and also on Basschat - there are a lot of black p basses with the mirror scratchplate a la Phil Lynott, yet Fender never actually made a signature model in his lifetime as far as I know. Which made me think : 1. who else has gone unmarked as a player without a signature model in their lifetime, and 2. what happened to Phil's bass? I'm sure I remember it being given as a prize in a competition - after his death : or have I got that wrong? I certainly couldn't find anything on the net about its whereabouts. I'd certainly love to see something that was modelled on his actual bass by the gurus at Fender.

For those who would like to remember the man - From Sydney Opera House : - [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgST27FIzNg&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgST27FIzNg...feature=related[/url]

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A quick update : just delivered the Rower and picked up £800 in return. I would have had to sell on eBay for nearly £900 to achieve that result net of fees, and the ones I have been following on there recently have been hitting £750 - £800, so I'm well pleased. Many thanks for the suggestion to list on a Rowing forum - the guy is delighted, as it saved him about £500 on a new one, and it was barely used. Everyone a winner.

Except eBay of course.

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That's a fantastic bit of improvised construction - sounds great too.


I actually built this for an American friend of mine for his birthday, out of stuff I had knocking about at home and bits I picked up on eBay for peanuts. The 'body' is a bit of floor joist left over from the repairs to my kitchen floor after a Boxing day water leak, the nut and bridge are made from scrap aluminium angle. The tuner is a Schaller M4 (eBay - £3.50), and the pickup is from an old 70s Strat copy, which was donated FOC by a guy on another forum. Strung with a .46 E string from an old Les Paul, and plugged into an overdrive pedal - played with a slide it sounds awesome : really loud - instant Seasick Steve. I had to make a case - to take it to the states as 'hand luggage' (amazed I got it on board actually, as it's really heavy and would have made a good weapon, but there you go) , and the hardware for that case cost more than the diddly bow!

I have some spare parts left over - so I'm thinking of making another one now.

[attachment=57156:Reduced_1.jpg]
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[quote name='tauzero' post='930508' date='Aug 20 2010, 01:42 AM']Yes, it's an ebay condition. If you try and get round that by saying that you won't take Paypal in the description, your auction could be killed by ebay. I always state clearly that collection is available and cash on collection is welcome.[/quote]

I believe ebay actually bought Paypal a few years ago, so they are effectively forcing you to use their own money transfer service, which feels like a questionable practice to me when the fees are so high.

I know a guy who sells a lot of used DJ/audio gear through eBay, but does it by offering comprehensive descriptions and photos, but has his starting bid ludicrously high. He then puts in his telephone number and invites questions. Most people who are interested will call him and say so - but not at that price, and they then go on to do a deal for cash - off of eBay. He never sells an item on eBay - just using it as a 'shop window', and relies on dealing with people who are not impressed by the dire warnings given by eBay about how you will be ripped off by people who ask you to complete the transaction outside the site. There is certainly a chance of that, but by using eBay you are guaranteed to be ripped off by them as far as I can see, so if as a buyer you trust your eyes, ears and experience and are willing to travel to take a look, this may be an option. The fact that he hasn't got to make up the extortionate fees allows him to offer more leeway on the deal, so buyers benefit too. Wouldn't suit everyone I accept, but an interesting tactic.

Also worth noting from the very experienced sellers I have read commenting on the eBay forums, how much the sellers rights have been eroded by eBay's recent changes of policy. They seem particularly unhappy that you can no longer leave negative feedback for buyers, once they have paid, and any complaint investigation seems to be weighted clearly in favour of the buyer, with cases of refunds being made to buyers, and the seller then having to prove that the item was as described/received etc, before they get their money back. It seems far more open to sellers being scammed by unscrupulous buyers - buying, paying, and then raising a complaint to get their money refunded - before disappearing off the site.

See here : You may need to sign in to eBay to read :

[url="http://forums.ebay.co.uk/thread.jspa?threadID=1200362756&tstart=0&mod=1282138121392"]http://forums.ebay.co.uk/thread.jspa?threa...d=1282138121392[/url]

[url="http://forums.ebay.co.uk/thread.jspa?threadID=1100313423&tstart=40&mod=1281394644265"]http://forums.ebay.co.uk/thread.jspa?threa...d=1281394644265[/url]

[quote name='bethnalgreen' post='928086' date='Aug 17 2010, 10:04 PM']Are you sure it would add up to £100, as the max final value fee is £40. The other bits and bobs plus PayPal would bump this up, but maybe not to £100?

Still too high though![/quote]

Fair point :

£17.38 to list and put a reserve of £750 on it.

Final value fee : 10% of winning bid, up to a max of £40 - so £40.

Paypal fee : 3.4% on an assumed selling price of £800 = £27.20

So £84.58 then - a bit of rounding on my part, but still a ludicrous amount of money - over 10% of £800.