Beedster

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1464817690' post='3062944'] Heavy Equipment Flapping Trousers. [/quote] Ha ha, everything summed up perfectly

[quote name='Kiwi' timestamp='1465208872' post='3066057'] Well done Alex, I remember you first starting out with just an idea and messing about at home with designs and a theory. You've come a very long way from humble beginnings. It's a shame back then your enthusiasm and passion on here were misinterpreted. I hope you feel very proud of what you've accomplished and the best is probably yet to come! [/quote] +1

[quote name='skej21' timestamp='1465235468' post='3066394'] From the other side of the fence I just view that as 'easy option first' customer service. Can't be bothered to actually provide you with what you ordered (ie an item that isn't damaged and is the spec you asked for) so they offer to give money as it's quicker/easier for them to deal with. Decent customer service would have been to arrange the return for you at zero cost and ensure the correct product arrived with you (in perfect condition) as swiftly and as pain-free as possible IMO. It's easy to throw money at a problem and hope it goes away. Which is fine it that's the outcome you want :-) [/quote] Yep, exactly my thoughts also

[quote name='The-Ox' timestamp='1465158106' post='3065742'] thank you both! Beedster, can you expand? [/quote] I spent a LOT of money of a custom fretless neck from Warmoth and not only was it not built to specification, their customer service department was characterised by "We know what we are doing, if you don't think the neck is fit for purpose, both you and the very well know UK bass builder who inspected it and wrote a report can take a hike". I sent the neck back to them - at my own expense - and they returned it to me saying they couldn't see any problem other than that I was too fussy. For a total of £600 for a neck I think I'm allowed to be fussy. I don't judge a manufacturer only by what they produce 95% of the time, but by how they deal with the 5% that goes wrong. In this respect Warmoth are THE worst bass-related company I have dealt with, demonstrating both lack of respect for their customers as well as a complete lack of knowledge about bass necks generally.

I had a VERY bad experience with a custom order from Warmoth. Simms for top end, Allparts for good. Don't trust Warmoth

[quote name='silverfoxnik' timestamp='1465112870' post='3065289'] No problem, Chris... A week in the Alps sounds very nice indeed. Mind you, since I haven't seen you at any Basschat Bash since the national one in 2007, I'm wondering if you're still in a state of shock and post traumatic stress disorder because of that guy who played non-stop slap bass for about 4 hours!? [/quote] Yes I am, and it was more than one guy IIRC

[URL=http://s80.photobucket.com/user/Beedster/media/IMG_1194_zpsilbtlwmf.jpg.html][IMG]http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j199/Beedster/IMG_1194_zpsilbtlwmf.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[quote name='silverfoxnik' timestamp='1464361044' post='3058857'] Are you joining us Chris? [/quote] I wish I were Nik but I'm going to be up a mountain in the Alps that week. I don;t have much luck with the SE Bashes do I!

[quote name='project_c' timestamp='1465023367' post='3064663'] This thread makes no sense. 1. This guy posts expensive thing to random person without getting paid, believing some nonsense about a card reader. (?) 2. Other guy can't be bothered to pay him, but he is right there on Facebook and at the address where the bass got posted to. (??) 3. so instead of just chasing it up, guy makes a Facebook page and posts on forums about it. In the 'introductions' section. (???) No idea what to make of any of that. [/quote] There's nowt stranger than folk

[quote name='Chiliwailer' timestamp='1409074485' post='2536077'] Absolute pleasure to deal with Warren again, and boy does he have some lovely basses and good taste.... Top man [/quote] Can't say more than that! There I was trying to reduce GAS and he turns up at my place with possibly the nicest bass I've ever seen! Top guy, great person to deal with, and 100% recommended Chris

[quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1383501557' post='2265135'] I've recently invested in a decent bow. I played violin, then viola then cello as a kid, so have some experience. The first time I played the DB with a bow it felt extremely natural. The same couldn't be said for the sound. Whilst my bow control seemed pretty good (e.g., coordination between left and right hands on scales, arpeggios), the quality of the note varied hugely, even with relatively little change in pressure. The main problem I'm finding is that of hitting 8ve harmonics all over the place, , especially on the start of notes. It's actually quite a pleasing tone which would be quite lot more pleasing were I actually trying to do it! I'm not sure whether as it's a new bow I might have underdone (or overdone) the rosin, whether I need sticker or less sticky Rosin (Pirstro Evah/Oliv, not DB specific AFAIK), whether the strings aren't especially bow friendly (E/A Spiro Weich, D/G Obligato), whether I simply need to work on my technique, or whether it's something else. Any thoughts welcome Chris [/quote] Funny old thing, I sold my Chadwick this week, and courtesy of new member Muz, I have a stopgap Stentor (plus bow) whilst I find a 4/4 that hits the mark. Anyway, out of sheer curiosity I thought I'd check out the bow and....... perfect, just like it used to be when I played cello. In fact it sounded great andI was even able to get stuck into a couple of old solo cello pieces (of course the different tuning didn't help). I'm guessing in the situation described above that either the bow or the bass was the problem, I tried numerous times then and I'm using similar strings now. The moral of the story? It's not always the player I'm really looking forward to practicing scales etc with the clarity of pitch that the bow provides, especially as I've had some right hand tendinitis recently that has limited my pizz playing a lot.

Passive instruments always sounds best in the living room, I find time and time again that it's when I'm on stage and need to make tiny adjustments of tone that an active circuit become indispensable, and there are few better for Jazz (or in my case Precision because I've done some fiddling about) than the J-Retro. I liked the Audere which had some nice on-off switches, but again, whilst these were great in the living room, they're too much/all or nothing for live work. But if you're happy with you sound live with a passive bass, there's no need for an active circuit