Shaggy

[quote name='BigRedX' post='1199945' date='Apr 14 2011, 09:07 PM']That one's on my watch list. I think it's going to go for way too much money considering how much of it has been replaced/modified. Originally I was after as nice an example as I could find, but since my aim has changed to finding someone who can make me a 5-string version I'll settle for a battered but all original example instead, which can be used as a template, and then sold on.[/quote] Actually, looking at the Magnum headstock I bet you could fit another tuner on the bass side of the headstock, & the neck might j[i]ust[/i] be wide enough for a 5 (it's more P than J) Happy to take any tracings / measurements of mine as a template though - sounds like a cool project!

[quote name='BigRedX' post='1172689' date='Mar 22 2011, 11:16 PM']I've seen another fretless in eBay several years ago but IIRC it was a (very good) conversion.[/quote] One here; [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vintage-70s-Ovation-Magnum-Fretless-Bass-Guitar-Case-/170625273646?pt=Guitar&hash=item27ba0f0f2e"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vintage-70s-Ovation-...=item27ba0f0f2e[/url] - Goddam shame about the pickups and other butchery

Absolutely cracking bass - I know you had your heart set on a Burgundyglo but you just can't beat a Jetglo; I used to have a '73 JG 4001, much missed, and have loved them ever since seeing Gaye Advert attached to one. Hope it makes up for all the faffing about last year with the 3-way deal that almost happened (but didn't .... ) Great review too, it made me look at my 2005 MG 4003FL with a less jaundiced eye - I have an irrational predjudice against "new" basses, but the 4003 seems to be fundamentally a better bass than the 4001. Just needs the right strings to bring out its best I reckon. Enjoy - what amp are you putting it through? Edit - SVT 5 - pro, just saw your sig. Class.

Took me ages to find this thread as the search function didn't work for "___---___" ! Anyway, I met Adam (the artist currently known as ___---___ ) at a sunny Bury St Edmunds train station last saturday, for a trade involving my acquiring his very lovely vintage Gibbo SG, and him having to lug a ludicrously heavy Vox amp and only slightly less heavy Mu-tron III back home on the train. Smooth deal, great communications, would deal with again anytime - thanks!!!

Likwise bought a set of DR's off the stringmeister - smooth deal, entertaining as always to correspond with. A true "Angel of the North"......

When I was in Liverpool Uni ('79 - 81), Echo & the Bunnymen, Teardrop Explodes, Wah! and OMD were all local bands yet to make it big and you'd see them playing the Student Union most weeks. Even though I was aware they were good we rather took it for granted - but with hindsight what a truly amazing time for music in the Liverpool / Manchester that was

I'd be tempted by this (if I didn't have 2 already) - [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Gibson-EB2-Bass-Guitar-1964-5-headsdtock-repaired-/290552191492?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item43a6429a04"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Gibson-EB2-Bass-Guit...=item43a6429a04[/url] Even with the neck repair a seriously cool vintage bass for not too much dosh, with all the low end you could want +1 on the '51 P bass though. Or either of these; [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=129227"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=129227[/url] (lush! ) [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=124021&hl=Cowpoke&st=0"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...owpoke&st=0[/url]

[quote name='Beedster' post='1187095' date='Apr 3 2011, 09:09 PM']So if a guy has the perfect bass (pre-CBS Precision), perfect strings (La Bella heavy flats), perfect amplification (loads of tubes), what's the best cab for the American 60s/70s tone we're talking here.....?[/quote] Not sure myself; but in my quest for "bassy yet punchy" I'd love to try my P through a 1 x 18" - a decent one (EV, JBL etc) rather than the flabby under-powered 18" Fane in a chipboard box I owned many moons ago........

[b]G-strings, huh?, What are they good for?[/b] Pulling back, and letting go with a "thwack" mostly......

Bassculture in Germany do - [url="http://www.bassculture.de/"]http://www.bassculture.de/[/url] - I had some MM p/ups with flamed maple covers made by them on a Listerud bass that were just lush

My first love is and always will be British post-punk circa '78 - 85 (Joy Division, Magazine, Siouxie, Smiths, Jam, Japan (who were more Roxy/Bowie throwbacks, I know).........etc) but I've always had a soft spot for the great music in this thread - the soundtrack of my childhood after all. Maybe one reason why most of my basses are old (60's / 70's) and American. When you see a band like the Eagles or the Allman Bros playing live you've just got to marvel at their incredible technical proficiency, the telepathy between them, and the sheer in-the-grooveness of it all. So many great session players around in that era too. Standout for me would have to be John McVie, and I was really glad Stevie Nicks bigged him up in a recent TV documentary as he rarely gets the recognition he derserves. One example of his genius; I usually have Radio 2 on in the car (see how post-punk I am?), and a while back Richard Madely was filling in for Chris Evans (one knob for another, really) - he put on "Dreams" saying "this for me is the best bassline EVER made" ........... it's just 2 notes, repeated, in a lovely, laid-back groove with the drums.

Possibly I've got the wrong end of the stick here (not having read the article), but the 5 I've never tried and would love to before I go to the great gig in the sky, are (more or less in order); [list=1] [*]Travis Bean TB2000. They look so cool, owners rave about their tone and sustain, and Mick Karn's weapon of choice for most of the Japan recordings which are so iconic to me. [*]'60's Rickenbacker 4005 (true hollow-body). Big fan of old Ric's, and of electro-acoustics. [*]Alembic John-Paul-Jones bass. Uber-cool [*]Pre-EB MM Stingray (fretless, a la early Pino) I used to own a pre-EB MM Sabre, but apparently the voicing of the pre-amp is different plus the huge magnets of the neck p/up of Sabres slightly dampened string vibration, so just would like to see how different they are. [*]GUS bass - do they sound as good as they look? [/list] A common theme on this thread that many own their dream basses already. I'm fortunate enough to now own 7 of the 8 basses I've consistently GAS-ed for over my playing career of 34 years (8th being the elusive Travis Bean); which I guess could sound smug, but it's my main indulgance as a self-confessed gear-head - at least 25 of those 34 years was with one ratty old bass (usually a copy or something obscure) and one el cheapo amp.

[quote name='cocco' post='1172896' date='Mar 23 2011, 08:08 AM']hopefully it will do some good for the ovation re sale value [/quote] Nice one here....... [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1978-Ovation-Magnum-Bass-/310306246818?pt=Guitar&hash=item483fb190a2"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1978-Ovation-Magnum-...=item483fb190a2[/url] (shame it's in the US! )

[quote name='BigRedX' post='1171991' date='Mar 22 2011, 12:31 PM']BTW Shaggy was your Magnum always fretless or is that a mod? Also the black pickup surround?[/quote] Original fretless; only one I've seen - to my mind it's one of those basses that are just "right" as a fretless. There are individual fret markers on the side of the board with 3/5/7...etc markers in between, which isn't my preferred layout. Ebony board of course, on all models. The p/up surround frame is original black-finished alu alloy too - I used to think the polished versions had been stripped and polished by owners (probably when the paint had started flaking), but I think someone on here - joegarcia? - said the factory finish changed from black to polished alloy at some point. You can see from the pics that the thumb-slide mute is missing on mine.

Ay, I'd noticed those new Eastwoods and was very disappointed - as the OP says the whole point of the original was to redesign the bass guitar from the ground up, with a whole raft of new design features and use of new materials. Slightly flawed they may have been, but I love my Magnum 1 (in pics) - now my longest-serving "keeper" by some measure. Someone on Finnbass said they admired it aesthetically for its "combination of art nouveau curves and massive f*ck-off industrial hardware", which about sums it up. I wish Ovation would return to making electric solid-bodies how they used to do best - high tech, highly original designs which I think would be better recieved these days. Unfortunately a reissue of the Magnum wouldn't be in the ethos of that, but I wish Eastwood would have tried harder than this cheap, bland, formulaic load of old tosh.

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='1156766' date='Mar 10 2011, 03:59 PM'] You probably have to be Scottish to get this. edit - Pants! It took so long to find the pic you'd already corrected it. [/quote] I got it.........also as played by Robbie Shakespeare

[quote name='silddx' post='1156619' date='Mar 10 2011, 01:59 PM'][/quote] Seriously cool - I used to have the guitar version of the white one, with 3 p/ups and the on-board active boost/FX