The Admiral

[quote name='doctor_of_the_bass' post='639530' date='Oct 28 2009, 10:25 PM']Off the top of my balding pate; Stacked volume/passive tone for each pickup, three way toggle switch for p/up selection, two mini toggle switches, one for coil tapping, one for series/parallel. I think thats it, might be wrong but there we are! Nick[/quote] I had one of these - my first decent bass, and I regret selling it, but I would agree on the above - from distant memory of course! A

[quote name='lemmywinks' post='639367' date='Oct 28 2009, 07:34 PM']Excellent. Always loved the Mac, McVie is a criminally underrated player and always has the right line for the song Lindsey Buckingham is one of my favourite guitarists too, what made him annoying?[/quote] I think what I'm getting at is the way it comes across as Lindsey and his backing band. With no Christine, it's really LB and Stevie Nicks who front the band, which - given the lovey dovey schtick they were doing last night, it further emphasised the 'us and them' aspect, with Fleetwood and McVie banging away at the back. To give the oldies/chemically damaged a break- he, at various stages, turned it into a solo gig too, which again fuelled the 'me and my band' feel. He also has this ' hey, look at me, I'm whacky [b]and[/b] cool' thing going on, which started to grate after a bit. He's obviously a great talent, a fine songwriter, and very intense in all things he does, but I can imagine he could really get on your Bristols after a while. Perhaps for the songs, drive and productions skills he's brought to the band since the 70s - that's the price to be paid. Oh .... and he went a bit overboard on some of the solos (on those hideous custom guitars) quite a bit too. But it was good ..... honest! A

Went to see Fleetwood Mac last night, and it really brought home to me what a great player John Mcvie is, and how you don't have to play a million notes a minute to be the engine room of a good band. He mostly played a very nice Lakland P, with bound edge to the board, and block inlays - swapping to a fretless (couldn't really tell 'what' from up in the Gods) for one song. Amps - Ampeg (racked) and Ampeg cabs : 2 stacks of 8 x10s I think, on top of 4x10s. Have to say that Lindsey Buckingham is clearly a v.good player, but he's [b]very[/b] annoying on stage - and Stevie Nicks............., well considering all she has been through, she looks pretty good, but can barely walk : tottering about on huge heels, and the way the set list ran, with her going off after 2 songs - for 5 - 10 minutes at a time, it felt as if she was pacing herself. At least we didn't get 40 minutes of stuff from a new album (threatened for early next year apparently), and at £60 a ticket (+booking fee) : it was just about worth it, although I wouldn't have paid it personally - My Mrs treated me for a birthday gift. A

This just inspired me to put The Last Waltz on the iPod..................... currently listening to 'Chest Fever'....sh*t.... how good is that! A

[quote name='blazer3' post='631893' date='Oct 20 2009, 10:34 PM']I"ve only been playing a few months but practice quite a lot and the girlfriends quite happy with that because i dont leave the house, HOWEVER, If i said i had joined a band and needed to practice twice a week then i know she would kick off ( shes that sort of woman ). Personally i would go with the bass because my relationship is a joke anyway, ( seriously ) and its only a matter of time before it burns out anyway. On a good note, at least i have 3 bass guitars to keep me company [/quote] Err...........Note to self : don't leave permanently signed into Basschat, and remove site from history/favourites. Unless of course this is some Freudian cunning ruse to 'let her go'??? I hope she never finds your post, because if she does, IMHO it's quite likely that even if you don't end up with a broken neck, your basses will!! A

Mrs A is not well and I'm sitting with her on the sofa (with her under a duvet), and me with the laptop. She's just clocked the question, and pointed out that no female perspective has been offered on this yet. So......... i) There are only so many people in the world that one can be in love with and have the potential to be your soul mate, and if you truly believe this woman is your soul mate, then you should perhaps respect the fact that she is prepared to say that she has a problem, and wants to to talk about it. Rather than just going behind your back and seeking 'comfort' in the arms of another, she obviously believes that you, and your relationship, are worth fighting for. ii) Are you sure that the amount of time, effort, energy, money etc that you are expending on your music is not actually disproportionate? iii) When you first met, it is quite likely that she was the centre of your universe, and now - down the line - she may well be feeling that she has been shunted into a distant orbit. If, for example, you are gigging every Saturday, rehearsing/recording on Sundays, plus 'band stuff' another one or two nights a week, it would be worthh thinking about how that would feel if the shoe was on the other foot, and you were the one sat at home watching the tv with a bottle of wine and a packet of minstrels, or ironing shirts etc. iv) Think forward to being 60, and imagine sitting at home on Christmas morning - alone - looking at your 4 walls and wondering about 'what might have been' with your current girlfriend/partner, and whether any amount of memories of great gigs would make up for that potential feeling of loss and emptiness. How you feel when doing this will put this whole issue into perspective. And my twopennorth : how many times do you convince yourself that you must have that new bass/amp/pedal etc............. only to realise 6 months later, you should have stuck with the one you had (and have now sold), because it was fundamentally just the right bass/amp/pedal for you? It's very easy, IMHO, to get caught up in the moment and make a bad decision - a bit of perspective is what is required. If you harbour no desire or dream of turning pro and/or 'making it' - there are always other bands, but maybe not another girl, who is 'the one' for you. A

[quote name='The Admiral' post='472904' date='Apr 26 2009, 08:13 PM']Pm'd you. A[/quote] Still available if anyone is interested. The tip beckons if not claimed as the wife's patience with it gathering dust has reached def con 4. A

Pm'd you. A

[quote name='overwater#1' post='467413' date='Apr 20 2009, 01:07 PM']What would postage be, I'd be very interested if we could sort that? can send you a cheque and what not? Thanks very much!![/quote] I'm guessing £10 to £15 or - if you are ever down Manchester/M60 way, we could do a handover. Cheque would be fine, or PayPal if you prefer. A

I don't know , you spent £49.95 on a decent hi fi amp, and after only 18 years, it gives up! Free to a good home - my amp as above. It's a great little amp, but it went 'phut' the other day, and I can't find anything obvious/easy to resolve. I think it's actually the power supply transformer that's gone, so an easy (and probably cheap) fix for those who know about such stuff. Yours for the postage - UK only please guys. Cheers A

And people used to rip out their old fireplaces too......... Time has a habit of turning 'reasonabe' acts into wanton vandalism, and I suspect this may have been done when this was just another second hand bass - and didn't have the cache it would have now. My old physics teacher actually had an original Rivoli - which he had bought in Liverpool in the mid 60s, when he was a very early Beatles fan, and I played it a few times at school. It was a lovely guitar, but with his preferred flat wounds (unchanged for about 15 years) it just thumped - no treble at all - very McCartney I suppose. He used to use a graphic pedal to try and get some top end, but, given that he used an AC50 head and a 1x18 Vox cab, it was hoping a bit. Lovely guy - haven't seen him for years, and I hope he and his Rivoli are doing better than this one. A

[quote name='deaver' post='397381' date='Feb 1 2009, 11:03 PM']A Kay Rickenbacker copy which I think I bought from Sounds Great (Heald Green, Sth Manchester) in 1979. I bought it to make girls immune to my spots, glasses and complete lack of wit or charm.[/quote] Satellite through neck P bass from Russell Acott in Oxford - £118 in 1981 - and why.......? Of course the legend that was and is Phil Lynott. Slightly off topic - I was in Sounds Great on Saturday, and I have to say ...'what credit crunch?' - it was 'kin heaving with punters buying (not just looking at) guitars, and the interesting thing was, they were all 40+ age group, paying big money for Strats etc. They've actually got some unusual/nice stuff in too - a 2nd hand Parker Fly bass (commission sale) and a lovely old T Bird too. Oh...... and Johnny Marr was in, trying and buying a new multi fx - and testing it out with what looked like a 60s white Fender Jaguar. He's still proper pop star skinny too - what a legend. If you ever get the chance to go - it's the best guitar shop in and around Manchester. Right by the big John Lewis at Cheadle too (half a mile - tops) - so let the Mrs go for a look round there whilst you have a mooch. Cheers A

Just come across this - anyone know if it's any good. [url="http://www.tapeop.com/subscription/index.html"]http://www.tapeop.com/subscription/index.html[/url] I certainly like the price! A

[quote name='Alun' post='385257' date='Jan 19 2009, 07:01 PM']Deacon Blue with Ewan Vernal on bass - some genius playing And maybe not underrated as a band but I don't think the bassist gets anywhere near enough recognition - Crowded House and the wonderfully wonderful Nick Seymour [/quote] +1 on the Nick Seymour front - never plays the obvious and is human enough to fluff at least once a gig, which always ends up with Neil Finn giving him the Paddington hard stare across the stage. I read an interview with Neil Finn where he was talking about how the band got together, and his quote regarding Nick's audition was "..... he didn't have the best chops, but he had the best trousers..... so we picked him....." A

[quote name='uptonmark' post='350489' date='Dec 10 2008, 11:00 AM'][b]and the beat goes on.... its a love thing.... both by the whispers[/b][/quote] ATBGO - what a corker! Always a top tune at the School Disco back in my youth - along with the Jacksons 'Sheke your body down to the ground' A

[quote name='NJE' post='387678' date='Jan 21 2009, 04:24 PM']+ infinity on Pat badger, awesome bass player and anyone who can keep up with Nuno Bettencourt is a legend in my eyes.[/quote] Bit of Extreme YouTube action on a Jazz : [url="http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=vFN4Tu5yUN8"]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=vFN4Tu5yUN8[/url] I saw them live at Cardiff Arms Park in 92 and Pat Badger played BC Rich Mockingbird and Warlock basses for all of the set, bar a couple of the slower ones, where he had a really nice Hofner violin bass. Good gig that : Squeeze, Little Angels (another really good band who never made it seriously big), and Bryan Adams headlining. A

[quote name='bass_ferret' post='386576' date='Jan 20 2009, 07:13 PM']I would get 2 2x10's. Leave 1 with the big band and use both, take the other home for the small band. Job Done.[/quote] I'm being harangued by Mrs A to get off the compueter as we need to be elsewhere 10 mins ago - and I've not read the whole thread, but - in I was in Dawsons today and they are clearing all their Ampeg at about 40% off. Not sure if that's relavant? Go to go!!! A

[quote name='PJ Phillips' post='385335' date='Jan 19 2009, 08:17 PM']NAH YER TAORKIN-A Great bass player Also just watched the Del Amitri link. That Justin Currie can sing can't he? Great band. Cheers BCers pj[/quote] But not on this Del Amitri encore............. great cover version! [url="http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=z9t6aaDaBws"]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=z9t6aaDaBws[/url] Love the Blankety Blank 'choose your encore' backdrop too. A

I was having an argument - as you do - with a friend the other day about a particular band, and it has prompted me to start this thread. Which band do you think is criminally underated, and within the band who is the bass player who is also overlooked. My nomination, and the ones that featured in my argument were : Del Amitri and Justin Currie (a less is more kind of guy - but always what is right for the song) A quick video as evidence : [url="http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=-bkwz1iXjK4"]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=-bkwz1iXjK4[/url] Your turn.... A

[quote name='farmer61' post='382035' date='Jan 16 2009, 08:44 AM']Is it just me or does Lars Ulrich come across as a bit of a knob![/quote] And according to my lovely wife - he sounds like Elmer Fudd! Also - on the subject of Trujillo - check this out ...... [url="http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=K6kiVhWEgUY"]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=K6kiVhWEgUY[/url] I love the bit 45 seconds in - Kirk walks in ... "dude, your gigs in jeapordy....." Trujillo is just a great musician - and I think it will be interesting to see if he manages to get between Hetfield and Ulrich - who have always been the driving force and controlling influence in the band (after Cliff Burton's death). Poor old Jason was just a hired hand, and did a tough job really well, and I actually think they could carry on without Kirk too, but Lars and james go back a loooong way, and I could see Ulrich spitting the dummy if Hetfield gets too pally with Trujillo and starts listening to him and his ideas. Fascinating to watch how it plays out .... and my wonderful wife bought me tickets for the Feb gig in Manchester too, as a Christmas gift. Can't wait. A

I picked up a small Yamaha PA from my local shop tonight, and the guys were talking about the impending price increases they are going to have to mark up soon, and that I had "made the right cjoice to buy it now" . Apparently, due to the movement of the US dollar over the last 6 months (the universal currency of business in the far east and indeed the USA) against the pound, it would seem that over the next week or so it is likely prices on gear will rise by an average of something not far off 20%. Equally euro based prices - for gear sourced in europe - will mean higher prices too - and you only have to look at Thomann.de prices now to see how much they may be affected. I have no evidence other than my own observations, but it feels like Fenders have already crept up quite a bit since the end of last summer. I hate to say it - but perhaps if you are thinking about a sizeable purchase, now might be the time - particularly if you are after a £2,000 rig - which could be £400 more in two weeks time?! I believe 20th January may well be D-Day for many retailers - next Tuesday, although, that said - this is one bit of inside info, which - whilst I foiund it quite convincing (I'm not dithering over a purchase - so no chivvying along needed) it doesn't represent a massive base of evidence. A

[quote name='KevB' post='378699' date='Jan 13 2009, 10:21 AM']First bass : Columbus Jazz (modified by owner) Cost : I think about £30 Equiv now : About £70 I subsequently changed pretty much everything on the bass apart from the body, gave it to my niece to learn on and she still says its her favourite to play.[/quote] If anyone is like me they may not read the thread starting post, and simply guesstimate the inflation factor. For those that wish to use the actual inflation calculator - I'm posting it again ; it's here : : [url="http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/historic-inflation-calculator"]http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/historic-inflation-calculator[/url] Cheers A

In the midst of some BC surfing the other day, I came across a forum member offering an old Jap bass for sale - which was the exact model I first bought for £118 in 1982 from Russell Acott's in Oxford - a Satellite through neck precision copy. Mine had a factory sticker on it, which pointed out the pick ups were DiMarzio's, and looked lovely when it was polished up, and I wish I'd kept it, as it sounded nice too. Bloody heavy though. This made me think about how the price of instruments has changed over time - so I had a look for a UK inflation calculator, to work out what £118 would be worth today - and the answer : £311.52. If you want to do the same - here is the calculator link : [url="http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/historic-inflation-calculator"]http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/historic-inflation-calculator[/url] If I then think about the quality of the instruments available today as beginners basses - Yamaha RBX 170 for instance @ £120 on the internet - there is just no comparison, they are so much better and easier to play. Also, not only are the basses better, but the breadth and availability of teaching aids is astounding now : MP3 bass trainers, internet video lessons and even school music grades on rock instruments (unheard of in the 80s) etc. Yet a friend who teaches guitar and bass, regularly moans about the inability of his students to stick at the instrument through the basic 'pain' stage of scales and building up their hand strength, and their attention span seems so short too. He gets paid irrepective of course, but his main beef is that so many of them don't do any work between lessons, the progress is painful for both he and the kids, and they seem to want to be Jaco, without doing any work! He also finds plenty of kids, guitar players particularly, who can't pick up anything by listening, and have no idea where to start unless it's Tab, and whilst they can play any amount of widdly widdly solos, have no idea how to play chords and the rhythm guitar parts. That said, if I was 15 now - I would probably be pretty much the same - so it's not a serious rant about the youth of today, and perhaps it would be more interesting to build a thread on 'first bass, what was it, where from, and how much in today's terms?' Anyone fancy filling in the gaps here? First bass was : From : It cost : Which today is : Cheers A