GreeneKing

Basschat is a community and just like any other gathering of people goes through the 'forming, norming and storming' and hopefully we enjoy the experience. If someone comes along and throws a deliberately contentious issue into the 'maw' and stands back to see the impact it doesn't show much respect to the other members imo. I'm all for opinions being expressed, as opinions but there's a lot of 'I hate this....' this is crap etc that says more to me about the poster than the subject matter. Basschat has grown and is undoubtably very successful but it has long since ceased to be a place of good willed respect/pisstaking and banter for me. I visit, glean info, catch up with friends and contribute but for me the 'soul' has gone. Maybe it's me and not the forum? Who knows. Peter

Good news and fair play to Mr Volume and Uncoo.

Of course to some the body shape is good. I'ts more subtle imo than it 1st appears. Too many bleedin fender shapes around anyway I thought that John Hall put across a good point. Not many are so straight forward and responsive to critisism. Look at the MM forum Given that there's more than a fair amount of 'sucking up' going on on the Ric forum too.

Twice as much

Gulp

There's no ACG in that list, a glaring error in my opinion I don't know when Ric last put there prices up and by how much but it seems to me that they are now pretty much on a par with US Laklands. I know that Ric's are not everyone's 'cuppa' but imo they're well made with several fairly unique design aspects that must make them more expensive to build. I don't think that saying 'you hope they go under' will serve anyone's purpose. If their market dries up, which I doubt, they'll have to either adjust their prices downwards or if they can't do that redesign a cheaper product/outsource manufacture abroad.

Andy I think that you're as taken with that Birdseye as I am Peter

I'd like to add that the 'naming and shaming' that I suggested would only be appropriate I feel if all other avenues had been exhausted and the other party had clearly been dishonest. At the very least it would warn others off.

It's possible that the seller has a problem at work or home, is ill or something similar. You could ask on here if anyone knows this person and can check out the problem that way. I bought a bass off someone on BC (or a prior incarnation) and it took just over 4 weeks to arrive but it turns out that for this particular seller and their lifestyle that's about standard and once I knew that I relaxed a bit. You could just place a polite post explaning the circumstances and give the seller a chance to respond in a similarly reasonable manner. If all this fails, well it may be name and shame time? Of course what you've done so far may illicit a response

If 13 had to go this one would remain:

Maybe someone needs to tell him that life isn't always fair and that there are times that nothing can be done and you need to move on.

I know that Alan at ACG is making a neck for a customer at the moment. My ACG neck is amazingly flat and consistent.

A quick review of the MP-BT1 the MP3 player version of the Tascam CD-BT1. Basically its very good. MP3 player itself is great with more oomph than my Creative Zen. Size wise it's tiny and quite weighty. I believe it's a 1Gb device that should hold around 240 songs. The controls are more intuitive/menu driven than the CD version and the bass sounds much better (much less 'mickey mouse'). Basically plug in the bass and set up the input volume. Play the track and adjust bass/track differential rocker and output rocker. I haven't used many effects yet but so far its all positives. The battery is an internal rechargeable Li-on and no power unit is suppled (one is available) but the beast charges via the PC and USB cable. It's built to industrial strength with a thick metal case and the screen is monocolour but easy to read. Buttons feel good, a very important thing you know. Very pleased to put it mildly. Peter

There may be some with a huge number and who are still embarrassed

To follow Buzz's excellent review here's my more detailed take on the big brother, the VT999 Vintage Tube 'Monster'. [b]The case[/b] All metal construction with 6 screws holding on the thicker steel base that has the chunky rubber feet. They'd need to be removed for fitting velcro. Inside it's pretty neat and tidy and my valve was seated correctly. Inserting the EH Cryo valve was simplicity in itself. I didn't check but I suspect the pots have plastic shafts and I'm not sure how you would remove the plastic knobs. The bypass stomp button is supposedly true bypass and it lacks the usual clicky action that almost all pedals have. It always functions correctly and the 'drive' light that illuminates red when the unit is 'on' is bright and makes the click less than essential. There is a 3 band EQ being fairly obviously Bass, Mid and Treble, a gain control, a master volume and a noise gate with an input level setting control knob alongside it. It's possible to see the valve glowing gently inside the case through a grill in the top. So all in all a solid unit that is laid out logically and is easy and intuitive to use. [b] The zounds[/b] Very interestingly if the gain is kept to zero the unit simply works like a pre-amp with the EQ controls and the master volume. There's no stated specification as to cut/boost levels but the EQ is effective. Unlike Buzz's pedal I wouldn't describe this unit as a distortion effect, even with the chinese valve left in. I also notice no real difference powering it either from my chained Diago supplies or the supplied Behringer PSU. Bring the gain up to 1 and a noticeable valve 'crunch' occurs, albeit a gentle one. This increases pretty rapidly to an overdrive at levels 3 to 4 followed by a subtle increase up to lvl 10. It's being played via Ric 4003, Microbass II with unit in effects loop set to 100% and with a Unicomp on the way to my BBT500H or LM II heads through an Epiphone 2 x 10" cab. It's the best overdrive that I have used in my 'home' setting. I'd give it 8/10 because it's huge and because of the plastic knobs. If anyone knows how they come off I'd appreciate the heads up. Peter

[quote]We'll definitely hit the 1000 today..[/quote] That's scuppered that then

I can't see the difference I'm afraid. And both basses have an unseated B string which must be more than a coincidence? I agree about the 0 feedback, maybe ask seller to show pic of bass with today's newspaper? Peter

Les Evans has an amazing ability to create some really flowing curves on the body of my bass and this comes out in spades on this singlecut imo. Peter

Just to add that my Diablo power supply works fine daisy chained to the VT999. That's together with an EBS Microbass II, Unicomp and Peterson stompbox tuner. I will try it with it's own power supply tonight to see if it makes any difference. That is an excellent review by Buzz. Suitably prompted I'll update mine later.

That'll be Les Evans Robbie. He has some EBS pedals up for sale too. He builds them to last, mine has a U retro and an amazingly narrow neck too.

Well its a bass, and it's for sale and I wanted to highlight this fact, seems a good price for a 70's P if it's genuine.

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Unique-mid-70s-fretless-Fender-precision-custum-bass_W0QQitemZ330197144981QQihZ014QQcategoryZ4713QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Unique-mid-70s-fretl...1QQcmdZViewItem[/url]

I like the original finish too, more subtle/understated perhaps?

Great review Matt. Peter

For those doubters among you the VT999 certainly does have a valve in it: In fact here it is: Wondering just how good it is I popped this'n in for comparison purposes: It's a Russian made Electro Harmonix frozen 'Cryo' valve. It's made the tone crisper and cleaner but the original aint that bad anyway. I'm really pleased with this pedal that gives everything from a gentle 'burble' to real overdrive. I may just have to repaint it though