Shaggy

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.

The Pussycat Dolls & me!

[quote name='ngombe' post='23160' date='Jun 25 2007, 07:07 PM']Hit me with your rhythm stick[/quote] The first “proper” bassline I ever learned! (probably after “Smoke on the Water”) Mine; In Vogue (Japan) Permafrost / Back to Nature (Magazine) Down in the tube station at midnight (Jam) Family snapshot (Peter Gabriel) Ace of Spades (Motorhead) Dazed & Confused (Led Zeppelin) None technical, but the bass just makes the song on all these

I got six years out of my last set of strings - is this a record? I remember reading a famous bassist so famous I've forgotten his name saying he used to rub tomato ketchup onto new strings as he hated the "zing". Bike-wise I ride a 1972 Norton Commando 750 roadster, which should outlast even my current set of strings.

The old Ovation Magnum 2’s (late ‘70’s) used to use 2 x 9V's. I’m certainly impressed by the way the newer systems seem to drain batteries far less – I use re-chargables and my pre-EB MM Sabre sucks one dry in no time whereas my ‘Ray with a modern Seymour Duncan replacement pre-amp/EQ goes on and on.

Can only speak from my own experience, but when I bought my Listerud 7-string from a fellow BWorlder last Xmas shipped from Norway, TNT wanted £300 and wouldn't insure instruments, the Post Office wanted £40 and insured up to £1000. So went with the PO - bass arrived safe and sound woithout even a dent in the cardboard outer box, but bizarrely with a bust top string. Also could track the package the whole way via the Norwegian PO and then Parcelforce web-sites. Haven't stressed so much waiting for it to arrive since the last time the wife was in labour though!