Green Monster

Really sad news. Created some truly iconic lines for such an iconic band. Thoughts and condolences to all of his friends and family, may he rest in peace.

Most recently, was at the Smashing Pumpkins & Janes Addiction gig at the Hordern when was back visiting Sydney, Australia about a month ago. Pumpkins were solid, with Jimmy Chamberlain drumming always a highlight and once again he blew me away. The guy is an absolute beast! Different class! Have caught them a few times over the years, including at this same venue 25years ago (and at the neighbouring showgrounds when the Big Day Out was hosted there a few years before that as well). Different story for Janes, who were on before hand. Perry was in full Perry mode and Dave Navarro was his usual awesome self, but having Eric Avery back on bass was the standout here. The guy stole the show imo. Hadn't caught them live in probably 30 years. Phenom!

I have always been a big Warwick fan. From the first time I picked one up in a random music store in the mid 90's, it was like an instant love affair! Am sure as many of us can attest, being LH, wasn't like there was always a whole heap of choice way back when was starting out. As mentioned in another thread, my first was a Fender P-Bass, and in 12yo me's hand's it felt like trying to wrestle a battleship. For one reason or another, I've really never liked Fenders ever since (maybe because of that early experience/stigma), and then had a relatively cheap 2nd hand Ibanez, which did the trick for what I was needing but never really felt it was ~ mine ~, but when came across the Warwicks, it was like everything just felt right, even if it were upside down for me. The feel, the tone, the look, everything. Just upside down, lol. After many repeated visits to a store closer to home that stocked Warwicks (and wishing I were RH, as they only ever had RH models in the store) ended up ordering a LH Corvette Std 4 and it took about 4-5 months to finally arrive and it really was my weapon of choice for years. Eventually around mid-2005 she ended up getting damaged in a housefire while i was travelling overseas. Devastated. Currently I have two basses - both Warwicks. A 2010 LH Thumb BO4. A 2017 LH RB Starbass 4. Life happens and it took a while to get back into playing again and after another string of basses that had gathered but never really felt that attachment (and have subsequently dispensed with), eventually got this Thumb BO4, more from being right place at the right time and baby, I was in love again. In the last few years have started putting flats on her and that's given me yet another resurgence and lease on life. Slap was never really my strong suite anyhow and no longer in a punk band, lol, so don't mind sacrifcing some of the punch to get the warmer tone am getting now. I got the Starbass as was wanting something that could give more of the vintage type of feel and tone. Initially I got a little frustrated with that one, partly because being med scale (32in) rather than the full scale and seemed to take a while of not quite getting it right, but the more and more I've played her, increasingly she has become my go-to. I've not gigged in a long, long time (and no plans to), and haven't recorded anything with anyone else while playing this one, so I don't know about that, but maybe just I'm at that stage in life she just feels and produces the tones that I have been wanting for what I'm playing more of nowadays. Have bought some LaBella flats to put on the Starbass when time comes to replace the strings on there (still plenty of life in the ones on atm), but am looking forward to seeing how this alters also, out of curiousity as much as anything. Anyhow, have pics of them on my iphone. Have no idea how to get them off of there though from the options I can find (yes, i know am an old bastard, lol). If I can figure it out, I will add these.

My first was more out of lack of options than because of choice. Being LH and not exactly growing up near a big city did kind of limit what was available. This is going back 35+ years ago now. So my first was a Japanese made Fender sunburst P-Bass, which in the hands of 13yo me at the time, felt like I was wrestling a battleship. To this day I've never really liked Fender basses, probably from the memories and stigma attached because of that.

Interesting read. Thanks for sharing @Agent 00Soul

That's cool and def agree about showing off the woodgrain. 👍 There have been more than a few times would've liked the convenience of a hipshot to do that quick downtune, but as both of my basses are Warwick, they've the angled tuners so there really isn't enough room (or at least for the extenders i've come across and measured etc).

As far as I know the only official Lee Sklar signature series are his Dingwall 5 string & his signature Warwick Starbass, but his Frankenstein is unique and as far as I know has only been done in replica via custom shop. Did find on Reverb this Carruthers custom one... https://reverb.com/item/13955454-john-carruthers-custom-built-lee-sklar-frankenstein-bass-w-1967-fender-precision-body Am guessing one or two others have likewise tried to replicate it in custom also. Taking a leaf out of Sklar's book though, have been thinking about getting one of my basses refretted with mandolin frets but what with the way the world is at the moment kind of been on a wishful backburner. Have been thinking about it for a while but wonder if anyone else has taken this step? What did they think?

Cool cool. Have to continue posting pics as the progress is made. 👍 Don't think you mentioned what is the body/neck/fingerboard woods you're going with?

Anyone interested or been looking for Rickenbacker 4003, have noticed that PMT currently have left handed ones advertized on sale for under £1900 on their website. Still a lot of dough, but compared to the usual prices of RIC's, is decent and tempting. https://www.pmtonline.co.uk/rickenbacker-4003-left-handed-electric-bass-mapleglo Know that for lot of people, having one of these is a bucketlist bass, so thought would mention it. TBH, if I had the means at the moment I'd be seriously tempted (and kinda still am), but after doing some serious soul searching, personally I really can't justify it with everything else going on atm.

My first was a Japanese Fender sunburst Precision Bass. Being LH, it was the only one that my local music shop where I grew up had and it took me a good couple of months (1987/88?) to save up for it, during which time tried it out a few times in store and tbh it never really felt that comfortable to me, but between being about 14 and thinking as i continued to grow that would change/get used to it and being LH, back then, beggars couldn't be choosers. Had always loved the sound of the bass in songs so it was the only instrument wanted to play. I did try out and enquire about some of the RH models that they had if they were available to be ordered in LH (always would be told no... c'est la vie. That ended up being stolen some years later when I was at uni. Was coming home on a Sunday night after a weekend away and as would often do, looked in the various windows of pawnbrokers etc. Anyhow walked past this one storefront and remember thinking that it looked a lot like mine, because LH, not exactly that common a sight for starters, but couldn't get a proper look at it. Low and behold when get home, and find the bass gone, the amp gone and pretty much all my CDs, CD player, video player, TV, you name it - pretty much anything that wasn't nailed down, so to speak - along with the guy who had been boarding out a room from my gf at the time and I. He had scarpered, pretty much cleaning us out. Did go to the pawnbroker and confirmed it was indeed my bass, but there wasn't much I could do about it. Visited other pawnbrokers and apart from some of the CD's never tracked down anything else. By the time I had the wherewithall to get that bass back it had been sold on, so yeah. Blessing in disguise though, as have never really liked the Fenders, as they've always felt like carting around a battleship, and same with the playability, always felt awkward. Got a 2nd hand Ibanez that did the trick for a while (and actually preferred the neck on that to the Fender), just to have something to play, but not long after that, around 1996, I walked into a random music shop and first laid eyes on an assortment of Warwick basses - had never seen anything as beautiful in all my (musical) life, and the rest, as they say, is history.