Shaggy

Well, unless you're at least slightly gear-obsessed then you're unlikely to be on this forum. I find basses deeply sexy objects (OK so I have a problem, but at least I know it. Doesn't everyone sleep with their basses?) I read a review by a guy who said the fave bass he alays came back to was like making music with an old friend, who guided and even taught him how to play better - I guess we're all looking for that "holy grail" bass. Let's face it, if we all took the sensible attitude to driving we'd all be in Toyota hybrids. Hmmm.....characterless hatchback or my '73 Norton Commando? No-brainer - it's an entirely diferent plane of skill and experience.

The sun shines on the righteous in Wales. Anyone recommend a good finger-nail strengthener?

Joined a punk band in '77 when like Sid (Vicious) I could barely play a note. Never looked back - you only progress in a band. (I can play 3 notes now!)

JayDee Supernatural - love/hate styling (OTT '80's) but play & sound cool Also played a mate's pair of Wal Mk 1 Pro-Basses recently; Shergold styling with naff headstock but the holy grail of fretless tone. Yes,I'd love one!

I wanted to post on this thread, but the wife vetoed it

Real name Greg. Been playing bass 30 years (began in Cambridge’s first punk band!), now in South Wales, started as I wanted to be mobbed by nubile groupies. Still waiting, goddammit. Occasionally been known to work as a Cardiac Radiographer in between playing pubs and rugby clubs (In “Men behaving badly” the guy Martin Clunes suspects of sh@gging his girlfriend is a Radiographer so we’re obviously perceived as a glamorous lot). All of my basses and motorbikes are old and scruffy. Don’t like new and shiny. What I wish I’d known back then – wear earplugs. Eh?

Jeez, previous posts make my 30 years of bass ownership pretty seem pretty inadequate…… Starting in 1977; 1. Kalamazoo copy of Fender Mustang (late ‘60’s) Kalamazoo was Gibson’s budget brand at the time (USA made though), and it showed; nasty chipboard body; the pickups and hardware exactly as EB3 (ace, apart from bridge), sounded like slapping a log with a dead haddock. Looked the mutts nuts though, and as a young punk I loved it. 2. Columbus Jazz bass copy. Had to get a long-scale as my arms had finally grown. Slightly better materials (plywood this time), stuck the neck pick-up from the Kalamazoo on it which gave it a huge dub sound. Swapped it for a bike. 3. Ibanez Artist Musician. First “proper” bass – I wanted one because Sting had one – and the only one ever bought new – from Hessey’s in Liverpool, of Beatles fame. Fabulous bass, if a bit characterless. Swapped it for a motorbike. 4. Fender Precision fretless copy (unknown custom). Learned my DIY re-finishing, routing, and pick-up installing/re-wiring skills on this one – boy did it look a mess by the end. I did a really nifty “F—ker” label on the headstock in “Fender” script which fooled everyone. 5. Gordon Crook custom fretless 4, Wal-shape, neck-through, Sapelle mahogany body wings, two “J” pick-ups, active. Got this dirt cheap being scruffy as anything and an unknown make, and it was a real gem. I made a decent job of re-finishing in satin poly and changed the p/u’s for Bartolinis (also cheap s/h ones), and it saw me through most of the late 80’s - 90’s. Wish I still had it. 6. Music Man Sabre (1980) – see avatar. Hankered for a fretted bass again about seven years ago, after getting back into hard rock. Now my main bass, just does anything, and for funk/slap blows anything else I’ve tried away. 7. Custom/Music Man “Stingray” fretless (1980/2001); The Sabre had a MM factory replacement maple-f/b neck, but also had its original rosewood-f/b neck still with it which had a split fingerboard due to over-tightening of the truss-rod. I had a luthier put a fretless fingerboard on it (African Blackwood) and did the rest myself – body in Bubinga with Thuja burr top, Seymour Duncan p/u and active EQ. Really pleased with it, although I made the body about half an inch too thick so it weighs a ton. (see pics) 8. Ovation Magnum 1 fretless (1979). Always wanted one since I saw Barry Adamson of “Magazine” using one, strange ‘70’s styling but a really soulful, individual voice, built like a tank, and the fastest neck I’ve ever tried. 9. Listerud Totem 7-string custom (2004). Bought this on BassWorld, and just sold in on BassChat – I’d been considering a 5 as my band was doing a lot of low-B stuff, saw this and figured it’d be the last ERB I’d ever need. Awesome, awesome bass, but just too many strings for a dyed-in-the-wool 4-stringer like me. Just bought (on BC of course) and soon to collect, a ’73 Precision modded to fretless and to P-J p/u configuration. My first genuine Fender ever, and like the Beedster it could be a case of full circle and back to basics. Interesting thread - do a similar one on amplifiers?

I like it! Tho' I am famed for my lack of taste

[quote name='bass_ferret' post='38800' date='Jul 30 2007, 10:06 AM']Alive - Tony Levin. Dead - The Ox - standing like a statue amongst the chaos bringing forth thunder from his fingers.[/quote] +1 Tho the coolest bassist I ever saw was in a Cambridge Jazz club about twenty-five years back – big guy, big beard, big grin, biggest beer belly I’ve ever seen, fag stuck in the headstock (beat-up Fender Jazz of course), grooving along nicely.

[quote name='paul, the' post='37743' date='Jul 27 2007, 11:44 AM']Sounds good. Thanks for the input. How much did the bass weigh Shaggy?[/quote] Bass was 4.7Kg (just over 10lb), but I put some full length wooden reinforcing in the box, so whole box came to 11Kg. All booking done on line (site earlier in this thread) - I'll certainly use them again

Just another word in praise of Parceline/UPS – I used then specifically because of advice on this thread last week to send a neck-thru bass, no hard case, from Swansea to Northern Ireland last week, arrived in 48 Hrs no problem Total cost £38 with insurance cover for £1000 (would have been £32 for £750), and pick up from home address.

[quote name='Chop' post='35940' date='Jul 23 2007, 02:53 PM']Thank You (Falletin me be Mice Elf Agen) the Magazine version off the Correct Use of Soap. Barry Andrews I think it was... Chop[/quote] Barry Adamson. A really superb and underrated bassist, the reason I got myself an Ovation Magnum. He does some fine solo stuff now, and has his own website.

Sweet child of mine - Guns & Roses (Intro) Le freak - Chic Bouree - Jethro Tull The fish - Yes (the whole thing!) The King will come - Wishbone Ash

Jonathan Ross was banging on until fairly recently about learning bass, but I guess he's given up!

Personally I like a big body to hold (Mmmmmmm...), in fact always looking for a nice old semi. Lonely bassist seeks voluptuous cherry Gibson.... The most ergonomic bass to hold I know is my Ovation Magnum 1. Its style has been compared to a potatto, so you just can't win. I find it deeply funky tho.

[quote name='Nate' post='26128' date='Jul 2 2007, 05:50 PM']BOOGIE ON REGGAE WOMAN by Stevie Wonder are also cool[/quote] Anyone know of a tab for this? as I'm a very, very lazy person. The original was on Moog synth, but Marcus Miller did a version.

I don't know about that particular model, but the Listerud I just sold on the forum had Bassculture Neodynium Music-Man style pick-ups, and these were easily the best I've tried; wonderfully clear response.

[quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' post='25339' date='Jun 30 2007, 05:48 PM']Any of a number of early Stones songs where Wyman mumbles along tunelessly on his fretless woolies special.[/quote] +1 My band wanted to do "Honky Tonk Women" recently (OK, not so early Stones), which is not my favourite Stones track (that would be "Gimme Shelter"), but figuring it out I thought what a wasted opportunity for a great bluesy, funky bass-line. Maybe I just dom't get the vibe. "Maggie May" sounds OK to me.