Shaggy

Beautiful! If you were Elvis you'd have a P-shaped swimming pool....

[quote name='BassBod' post='115486' date='Jan 7 2008, 03:08 PM']Hey Shaggy, Glad to see someone's enjoying the fretless P bass (I traded it last year with Walbassist, after many years good service...). I'm sure you can guess why the ebony board is thinner than usual! Have fun BB[/quote] Hi BB - I think Gareth had it skimmed too - fastest neck I've played bar none. Getting planty of use, and she loves a valve amp!

[quote name='BigRedX' post='115674' date='Jan 7 2008, 06:45 PM']That Ovation as absolutely gorgeous! (was it originally fretless or is this a conversion?) Should be any remote chance you ever decide to sell it please let me know...[/quote] Originally fretless, Magnums are pretty rare birds these days anyway, but this was the only fretless I've ever seen. Unlined, with fret line marlers on the side of the board.

[quote name='TimmyC' post='115678' date='Jan 7 2008, 06:52 PM']It's all about the tort with white[/quote] +1

OK, here are four of my six basses . All from the US of A, all rugged enough to withstand a direct nuclear assault, oldest from 1973 and youngest from 1981. It was never meant to be a “collection” from that country and/or that era, they just ended up as keepers as others came and went – mind you, 2 are recent acquisitions. I suppose that’s mainly because (a) as a big simple bloke I like big, simple, nicely playable basses, and ( when I started on bass in my mid teens these were the basses of the time that I lusted after. That being the case there’s a notable omission – my bass heroes at that time were Chris Squire, Geddy Lee, and Bruce Foxton (plus I fancied the pants off Gaye Advert!), and I wanted a Rickenbacker 4001 so badly it hurt. If I were a pick player rather than a “fingers” player I’d have had one many years ago, but as I’m not I can’t get on with them well enough to want to gig with one, which unfortunately rules them out. I’m sure I could be persuaded by a purdy one though….. I also like unusual “oddball / ugly duckling” basses, which many would label the Magnum and RD Artist as, but they’re beautiful to me. It only occurred to me after I took the group shot that the only painted finish bass I’ve ever owned was my very first (a late ‘60’s Kalamazoo KB-1 short-scale, in black) – must like wood! (oo-er missus!). To give a quick lowdown on each, I guess in order of amount of playing time; 1. 1980 Music Man Sabre. The “evil twin” of the Stingray, and certainly overlooked as a classic bass until recently. This was my one and only bass for the best part of ten years; and still my main squeeze in the covers band I play in – gives a massive sound that’s just right for a 3-piece. Not subtle – it’s an old-school funk / rock bar-room brawler of a bass, on the heavy side, and the batteries will die at critical moments (no passive option switch), but ergonomically and for sheer playability this and the P fit me like a glove. It’s just such an accomplished all-rounder - the MM Jazz bass I suppose. Mine’s all original with 2-band EQ, but originally painted alder body stripped to natural by previous owner, with oil & wax finish, and I recently fitted a US-made black perloid scratch-plate (still got the original black one). 2. 1973 Fender Precision fretless. I bought this through BC in the summer off Walbassist, and haven’t put it down since (probably why Mrs. Shaggy makes me sleep in the spare room). I use nothing but this in another band (‘60’s rock / R&B / instrumental) I’m in, mainly because it looks the part, although it can do so much more. All parts except p/u’s and fingerboard original, but heavily modded by a pro luthier which ruins it as a “vintage” bass but were the only reasons I wanted it. Neck slimmed to J-bass profile, original rosewood fingerboard replaced with an ultra-thin ebony fretless one, P p/u replaced with SD vintage series, and an additional SD antiquity II series J pickup fitted in bridge position. The playability and richness of tone are just astonishing. Considering this is the oldest and simplest bass of the four it surprisingly has the subtlest, most refined and articulate voicing of all of them. Easily the lightest too. The added J pickup gives a lovely woody bite to the mix, so it’s a versatile bass, but I have to admit I tend to keep it locked on the P p/u – I’m just addicted to that plummy, punchy tone. 3. 1979 Ovation Magnum 1 fretless. This was my main fretless until I acquired the P, and I still dig it out occasionally when I’m after a “Mick Karn / Wal-type” sound which it does very well, and on solo neck p/u it sounds amazingly like an acoustic upright (I bought it off a Jazzer trying to scrape enough moolah together to move to the US). Completely indestructible and way ahead of its time – the neck is strengthened with carbon fibre. Mine is all original and standard, but missing the sliding string mute fitted to the bridge/tailpiece. The body-shape was taken from the Breadwinner/Deacon solid guitars, and I wish they’d kept it as radical as the guitars instead of watering it down. Very ergonomic though, fast playing neck, and always a source of interest at gigs and jams. 4. 1981 Gibson RD Artist. This was Gibson’s flagship bass in 1977, but no-one understood the complex Moog electronics and it was too damn heavy – mine must have been one of the last made. A shame, as it’s a handsome beast, well made, very playable, and with a sound as massive as but different to the Sabre. Incredible ringing sustain, as it’s 34.5” scale, through-body stringing, set-neck, and all solid rock maple. Only just bought this – yes, though BC (Woolleydick) - and to be honest haven’t really got a role for it yet, unless I join a Nirvana tribute band! But overdriving my Trace valve amp the sound is pure heavy rock magic, and it’s got a slap tone almost as good as the Sabre, which up to now I regarded as the mother and father of all slap tones. Mostly stock and original, except the original series V black humbuckers replaced with chrome “EB-3” type ones, and the Moog active pre-amp / compressor / expander replaced with a standard 2-band Bartolini one (switchable to passive). In a way it’s full circle for me, as my very first bass 30 years ago (the Kalamazoo) was also fitted with Gibson EB-3 pickups without actually being an EB-3. From young punk to old punk! Anyone else got these / memories of these basses (OK – quite a few P’s around!), or other Yanks of a similar age – Guilds, Ricks, Kramers etc? Let’s see them! (NB; My other two basses are custom-build “boutique modern” interpretations of a fretless Stingray and a fretted Jazz 5, which I’ll feature separately when I’ve finished the latter – if I ever do!!). PS; Sorry - none of these pictures came out where I wanted them!

Interesting stuff Happy Jack, I always liked Hofners, very individual. I once saw a mid-‘60’s “Strat” type one with the body covered in snakeskin (Not sure if mock or real!). Apart from the “McCartney” bass, Hofner and Framus basses never seemed to do as well as the guitars. Always thought they went a bit overboard on the sheet perloid though - put the stuff everywhere - seems to be making a comeback now with Italia. If the musical instrument market had been more lucrative I’m sure the Allies would have nicked the German products after WWII as they did with the car and motorcycle industry – I used to have an old BSA Bantam which was the pre-war DKW. The East Germans turned the other half of DKW into MZ, which was a far better product than the British one!

[quote name='mxm' post='111862' date='Jan 1 2008, 05:05 PM']...just had to say the dj where i played last night got confused and instead of 'auld lang syne' we got 'happy birthday' !!!! 10/10[/quote] Whoa, what’s that bass in your avatar? George Clinton rules!!!!

Never been sure about semi's, but that's cooler than the Fonz at the Noth Pole wearing only Ray Bans

[quote name='bass_ferret' post='110856' date='Dec 30 2007, 10:24 AM']Thats a heck of a lot of Super P basses we have collectively come up with - in addition to Fenders own offerings of custom shop and jap re-issues.[/quote] True, I was surprised how many there were. The starter question of the thread could have been equally said of the MM Stingray, and the answer being the same as for the P - they're both simple, stripped-down, iconic designs with less scope for "souping up" than twin p/u models. No co-incidence that many P players also use/used 'Rays (eg; John Deacon) and many 'Ray players also use/used P's (eg; Pino)

'81 Gibson RD Artist bass, but had to wait for today. May need to pump some iron in order to last two sets with it - HEAVY!

[quote name='PauBass' post='108845' date='Dec 24 2007, 11:07 AM']Is this bass the one selling on Gumtree? If it's the one, I contacted the seller and it smells fishy to me...I'm not saying it's a scam but read the reply I received from him and judge yourself: [b]I`m curently located in Germany whit some bussines and the item is in ebay custody(England).Ebay have the item in their custody packed, insured and ready for shipping. They will contact you with all the details of this sale (they will send you an invoice ) and with the payment instructions. You will send the payment to one of their agents that is handling our transaction and after that you will send them the payment information so they can verify It. I will have to make you aware of the fact that i don`t know the agent name because they change it in every transaction for security reasons. As soon as they do that the shipping process will start. After you receive the item you will have a 7 day return policy (starting the day you receive te item), in this time you will have to decide if you accept it or not.So please give me your full name and shipping address so i can have them contact you regarding the transaction. Regards[/b][/quote] Our drummer just tried buying a '72 VW Camper on the 'bay, from Germany, same bumf as above. It was a scam - luckily sussed in time. So let's be careful out there!

[quote name='bilbo230763' post='106987' date='Dec 20 2007, 11:45 AM']<<<<< My American Walnut Wal Custom Fretless. Have had this one since 1986 and have never moved on. Gigging with it tonight in Bury St. Edmunds (jazz piano trio). Sounds better now than it did 20 years ago (or is that just me?).... The other Status 6-string is a plank with wires in comparison (sorry, OTPJ, I just can't get it to work in a jazz setting). My Wal makes me sound like me... what more can you ask of a bass?[/quote] His! In the meantime, I’ll settle for my ’73 fretless P

Not much in the claim to fame stakes – Boo Hewardine was guitar/lead vocals in my school band (in ‘80’s indie band The Bible and better known now as a songwriter), and I was recently in a South Wales band with the lead guitarist from Lone Star (‘80’s rock band). However, a couple of years back was this close (hold fingers 1mm apart) to the “Carlsberg don’t do bands, but if they did…….” dream bass job. Temporarily in between bands I looked at the ads in the local guitar emporium, saw one looking for a “pro-minded bassist, own gear, for band playing 70’s-current covers, shortly about to tour”. I phoned the guy out of interest; he was rather cagey about the whole thing but said it was much as the ad said, with some fairly heavy finance behind the project, the band about to tour the North of England, and then possibly Europe. Well, I wasn’t too sure about the touring as I have on-call commitments at the hospital I work at, but he persuaded me too come and audition – the only formal one I’ve ever had. Which I passed, then he fills in a bit more details – the band was to support a troupe of 20 lap-dancers! I had to turn it down because of the length of touring even though the money was great. My mate at work said he’d cover all my on-call just to experience it through me and hear my stories! Mind you, I guess it’d be like working in a chocolate factory.

Definitely my first ever gig, aged 16, which was playing bass in a school rock opera*, also my band played an opening and closing set. The school hall felt as big as Wembley arena, and with my trusty Kalamazoo short-scale bass, and puny amp farting feebly in the background, I felt I had the world at my fingertips…. 2nd favourite – a couple of months later playing at a friends’ 17th birthday party, with a pair of still-warm girl’s panties dangling from my headstock. Ah, rock n’ roll. (*biographers’ note; the school opera was based on “Far From the Madding Crowd” which the artist formerly known as Shaggy had been forced to endure for English Lit “O” Level. The Stones track “Brown Sugar” was played as “Bathsheba” with the slightly dodgy lyric “Bathsheba, how come you taste so good……”. Half of the band stayed in the music business and hit it big in the ‘80’s & ‘90’s, the artist formerly known as Shaggy went to Uni, got a degree, and spent the next 30 years playing seedy pubs and clubs.)

+6 =142

Squier Jazz fretless really nice, and you could add a J-retro and upgrade the p/u’s later. Mind you, if I was looking for a fretless with that budget there are two absolute crackers in the For Sale section right now – Rich’s Jaydee Roadie and Bassballs’s Warwick Fortress – both active, both luverlee!

[quote name='David Nimrod' post='103534' date='Dec 12 2007, 08:08 PM']Blimey, I haven't had one of those for *ages* Is it true you get a fistful of hazlenuts in every bite?[/quote] No - if the ads were to be belived, the squirrels used to stalk you if you had a bar and nick them first (squirrelist, I know) [quote name='Rich' post='103693' date='Dec 13 2007, 07:38 AM']Anybody remember British Leyland in the 70s, and some of their ghastly cars? Remember how badly screwed together they were, bits falling off all over the place? Remember Alfa Romeo doing much the same thing in the 80s? Was their quality control done by the Chinese? No, it was just bad. QED.[/quote] I have a Triumph TR7 (convertible) which I love. There's a BL worker still sleeping in the boot I think. Re Ashdown; never tried them, but they do look very cool

[quote name='dub_junkie' post='100638' date='Dec 7 2007, 02:00 AM']congrats...I love the look of the pre EB Sabre basses.I once owned an '88 EB Sabre f/less and always wondered how it would sound against one of the Leo era ones given the different switching but never got the chance. I still havent heard/played a pre EB one and I guess I wont either as they're rare birds these days. I'm guessing they're not too disimiliar to an early L2K? enjoy the bass![/quote] Peter Gabriels's "Sledgehammer" has Tony Levin playing an old fretless Sabre, and James Browns' bassist used a fretted one in the '80's. Hope the bass has arrived OK! How come someone so young has such great taste in basses? (ie; late '70's Americana)

You’re going to be one happy fella! Definitely one of the most underated classic basses ever. Mine was chocolate brown before the previous owner had it stripped – I always meant to refin it in either black or sunburst but never got around to it. Don’t worry if the “bright” switch doesn’t appear to do anything – it’s not broken, it just doesn’t do anything

My old Listerud had MM style Bassculture neodynium pickups with flamed maple covers - having made a couple of customs I'd have loved to have used something similar instead of the usual black plastic SD's or Barts (ebony covers on one, maple on the other). Be pricey, I guess.