uncle psychosis

Haven't really listened to the new record. Any good? This was always my favourite QOTSA tune, basswise. Such a cool groove. Keep meaning to work it out. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SuuPZ-Ht9M[/media]

[quote name='Wil' timestamp='1376494415' post='2174869'] I actually think it doesnt look bad at all, although I think it'd look way better with the headstock the right way up. It's a bit thunderbirdy. [/quote] My thoughts too. Turn the headstock the right way up and I'd really like it.

On the vast majority of bass effects (including the RAT) I like to use a Boss LS2 to blend in some clean signal. Using an EQ can work as well but I personally prefer clean blend.

It's clear from reading this thread that a majority of bassists don't know what "irrational" means ;-)

[quote name='martin8708' timestamp='1376518866' post='2175543'] I can't help but thinking those doing the most slagging off are people who have never owned or played an A-C bass and never have any intention of owning one . [/quote] The quality (or lack thereof) of his work has literally nothing to do with his utterly piss-poor public handling of the situation. I can't help but wonder if those giving it the "two sides to every story" spiel have actually bothered to read his public response on TB. Its completely embarrassing.

[quote name='steve-bbb' timestamp='1375427143' post='2160987'] but consider the cost of a monthly issue of BGM or any other glossy monthlies and i dont think its a bad buy if you have a fiver to spare - certainly some useful bathtime reading in there about all the early history if you werent already familiar [/quote] True. I had just booked a holiday so was watching my pennies

I think increasing numbers of people are using ebay as a shop window. Put high price on it so that it doesn't actually sell via ebay and hope that someone local sees it and contacts you. You sell it to them for a more reasonable price outside ebay and avoid fees. you see it here as well in the classifieds "its on ebay but contact me via basschat and we can do a deal..."

[quote name='Si600' timestamp='1376485512' post='2174626'] or any bit of kit that I can plug the output from the Walkman, or laptop, into so that I can play along and hear it at the same time? [/quote] Cheap mixer. Plug your bass into it, plug your audio source into it. Use headphones to hear both. Thats what I do for home practice.

[quote name='Jellyfish' timestamp='1376488750' post='2174743'] If you go custom, there's 0% chance of you getting something you didn't want. [/quote] To be pedantic, going custom means there's 100% chance of getting [i]what you asked for[/i], which may or may not be the same as getting exactly what you [i]wanted. [/i]Personally speaking, I have absolutely no idea what the spec of my ideal bass would be. I'd have no idea where to start. Going custom is brilliant, so long as you really know what you want. In this specific case the OPs requirements seem to be "jazz bass, four strings". Not really specific enough for custom!

Impressive chops. I wish I'd picked up bass younger (I played wind instruments at school and picked up the bass as an adult). Children are hard wired for learning, lucky little buggers

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1376427620' post='2173956'] He has been tried and found guilty by a jury of idiots on Talkbass and now it has passed into legend that he is a conman who produces shoddy work and t[b]hen abuses his disgruntled customers[/b] . I expect that is actually some way from the truth of what actually happened here . . [/quote] The bit in bold is verifiably true, though. I can completely forgive the condition of that bass. Maybe there was a genuine miscommunication about the condition. Maybe the postal guys opened it up and abused it. Maybe JC sent the wrong one by mistake. Maybe its just a really sh*t bass. I don't care---sh*t happens, and its forgivable. Personally speaking I'd never spend that kind of cash without trying an instrument anyway, so it really doesn't affect me one bit. What is completely and utterly unforgivable, in my eyes, is to respond with such obvious bullshit and abuse of a customer. Photoshop? The buyer doesn't deserve a bass like this? Really? Really??? The fact that JC came out with such nonsense actually makes me question even more what went wrong in the first place. A simple "There's been a misunderstanding, its being put right, we take QC very seriously..." and everyone with any sense would have just said "oh well, something weird happened, we probably won't find out what, but its all sorted now". But responding with such aggression and nonsense about photoshop makes it even easier for people to see JC as a bad guy. He's brought it upon himself. You cannot---cannot---run a business in 2013 without understanding how to market yourself online. You just can't. Yes its a shame if JC's reputation has been hurt because of this but if his reputation has, indeed, been damaged then he has to shoulder a lot of the blame for that. Nobody forced him to respond like that. He chose to.

[quote name='seashell' timestamp='1376321038' post='2172089'] Wise words and thanks UB. But I literally think it would take years to get profficient with it. [/quote] Honestly, I think you do yourself a disservice. 5 minutes practice every day for a month or so and you'll be rocking away. If you can play bass with your fingers you can play bass with a pick. Its genuinely not hard.

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1376394148' post='2173198'] I don't think his reply did him a lot of favours but he is the kind of guy who shoots from the hip. He was obviously upset and felt aggrieved about all the people taking a pop at him and decided to fight back. [/quote] "fight back"? He accused the guy of photoshopping the flaws in the bass for goodness sake. Being passionate about your instruments is not an excuse for spouting utter crap. You cannot conduct yourself like that in a public forum and expect anything other than a hiding. All he had to do was say "sorry, there was a miscommunication about the condition of the bass" and most people (trolls and hotheads aside) would have been satisfied. Instead he decided to come up with some poorly written unjustifiable nonsense which has just made matters worse. The lynch mob on TB isn't responsible for what JC decides to say in public. I don't think that this incident means that all of his instruments are bad, but that doesn't excuse the fact that in this particular situation his business skills were found sorely lacking.

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1376352113' post='2172806'] I'm loving the stuff from people saying things like this thread has been posted for x number of days and Jimmy hasn't bothered to reply so that means I'll never buy one of his basses. Meanwhile the thread was posted on a Friday and, I'm guessing like a lot of working folk, Jimmy won't even have seen it until today. This is on of the hardest working luthiers I've ever met and I know for a fact that he doesn't spend his days aimlessly poring over web forums because, you know, he's like, making basses for a living. . . Talkbass loves nothing more than a good slagging off session and, in recent times, it feels like BC is heading the same way [/quote] I would be just about able to forgive the absolutely shoddy quality of that bass---just about, at a push---because I don't know the full story. I also didn't think it was unreasonable that he hadn't posted in that thread. However, once he did decide to participate JC's public response is completely and utterly unforgivable. He may well create fantastic basses (I've never seen one in the flesh, never mind played one) but he doesn't seem to have a clue about PR. There's more to running a good business than making good gear.

To my ears the all time best Flanger sound is the EHX Electric Mistress. Downside is that its huge and needs its own PSU. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qC7KEXo9XRo[/media] There's a few clones out there like the Mooer Electric Lady. I've also heard good things about the Boss BF-2.

Interesting video. Being absolutely honest, I didn't rate the tone of any of them. Too clanky on all of them. The fretless sounded most appealing to my ears. And Bongos must be one of the most ugly "mainstream" basses ever. Ugh. Great video though and some really nice playing. Just put some flats on and tweak the EQ to my tastes...

Looks good Although blocks on a Jazz are just wrong

[quote name='6v6' timestamp='1376308653' post='2171889'] Why would anyone spend this sort of money on a bass and not look at it first? [/quote] I also thought that. Especially given that he sold two basses of sentimental value in order to buy this one. Personally speaking, if I were dropping that kind of money on an instrument I'd want to try it first. However, that really doesn't excuse the shoddy quality of the one he got. Buying unseen at $5000 doesn't guarantee a bass you like, but it should guarantee a bass in tip-top condition and function.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1376269186' post='2171609'] But surely a 3mm pick doesn't flex? Or does it? What I like about .50mm picks is the flexibility. [/quote] They don't feel like they flex, which is one of the things I like. You get a very well defined note with none of that crappy scratchy wimpy (TM) attack that thin picks give you.

What a horrible situation. It also strikes me that people in the USA seem to have very few consumer rights. Thank god for DSR in the UK!

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1376259368' post='2171543'] Wow, those are thick picks! [/quote] [quote name='WalMan' timestamp='1376260744' post='2171557'] They just have better grip & a fuller sound for me. And I'm a thick pick (might have missed a letter there ) [/quote] I also use 3mm stubbies and find that anything thinner just feels "wrong" on bass. Thick strings, thick picks! I'm not a great bass player but I've regularly been told my bass sounds "awesome" at gigs---I think the thick picks have a lot to do with it. Personally I find playing with a pick much easier, but thats just because I've practiced it a lot more. For anything even slightly on the heavy side I find it just suits the music more. I also play fingerstyle and eventually I suppose I'll learn to slap---there's no point limiting your playing options.

I had a girlfriend who was obsessed with them. I liked the first album and still listen to it now but their other stuff was dire.