Cosmo Valdemar

The latest copy of Bass Guitar mag arrived on my mat this morning. A lovely surprise as my subscription ran out about 5 issues ago. Just wish I hadn't gone out and bought it yesterday!

I cancelled my subscription to BP a couple of years ago when it lost about 30 pages, decreased in size and upped the ad content. Plus, I would flick through it in about 5 minutes and be done. I do buy Bass Guitar magazine and enjoy reading it, although it does have it's faults. I think it's commendable that the editor should become a member on here and welcome comments and criticism.

Well in a nutshell - success! We played two 40 minute sets, and pretty much had them by the middle of the first. As expected, we laid on extra cheese and they went down a storm, with lots of singalongs and crowd participation. I even got two bass solos! One expected, one off the cuff. I took the Blazer in the end, it's my workhorse. Amp-wise, I borrowed a friend's Ashdown half stack as my GK is being repaired. THe venue was 'interesting', to say the least - a medieval banquet hall with comically high ceiling, suits of armour and wall-mounted deer heads. Sound check was less than promising, and the DB meter set to 97 was a worry but once the place was full we sounded much better. We also craftily turned up a bit and nobody complained. I'm still buzzing, can't wait for the next one!

[quote name='Johngh' timestamp='1345822643' post='1782059'] When it get's to the stage where you would rather stay at home than go out to play a gig, it's time to pack it up. [/quote] Precisely.

... And I'm really looking forward to it. It's actually a wedding, so we've got some extra pressure to be good, but it's the guitarist's friend so they shouldn't be too hostile a crowd. The setlist isn't too shoddy, there's a couple of stinkers on there that are painful to play but I know they get the crowd moving so they stay. We have dropped Brown Eyed Girl though. After playing in semi-pro originals bands for over a decade, it feels good to be able to get up and play songs that people wnat to hear for a change! The only question now is which bass to take. Wish me luck!

[quote name='bobbass4k' timestamp='1345658029' post='1780175'] Love my thru-neck NS2000. [/quote] I've owned many Spectors over the years, and the NS2000 is by far my favourite. I sold my first one and always regretted it. Luckily a friend of mine put his up for sale a few months back and now it's mine! In virtually perfect condition too. I will NOT let myself sell this one.

[quote name='cocco' timestamp='1345574274' post='1779065'] I like the look of the rebop, I'm a bolt on sort of guy, but I don't understand why it has Hz pickups when the neck thru version has proper EMGs. For the price I'd expect the tidy pickups. [/quote] Nowt wrong with HZs!

As I reule I'm not really into active basses, but Spectors are the exception to the rule - they have a lot of character and their own distinctive tone. I've owned 7 over the past few years but have always had to get rid for various reasons. I have a Rex up for sale at the moment, I bought it to use for a particular project that is now over. I've owned Euros and the MIK professional series, and strangely I prefer the MIK lot. My fave Spector to date is my old NS2000, it just nails that classic Pantera sound. In fact I sold my last Euro as I preferred this one. Serious grunt and growl, and very addictive.

[quote name='rogerstodge' timestamp='1345468945' post='1777781'] Anyone remember Colin Hodgekinson? [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gX09gTaWhtY&feature=youtube_gdata_player[/media] [/quote] I'm not really into virtuoso solo bass players, but Colin is just incredible - and very musical.

[quote name='LemonCello' timestamp='1345393068' post='1777005'] [url="http://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/Alembic_Orion_4.html"]http://www.bassdirec...ic_Orion_4.html[/url] It's a lovely thing! [/quote] Lovely doesn't do it justice... If money were no object I would be placing my custom order with Alemnic as we speak. Even though it's one of the lower models, I think the Orion is one of their most attractive designs.

[quote name='noelk27' timestamp='1345420480' post='1777409'] But that just goes to show how the market views the "value" of Alembic, after you remove the "custom" aspect of the buyer equation. It's a good trick when it can convince the original buyer that "pretty" woods and 30-year-old technology are "worth" the prices it charges. And, that's all the Alembic USP these days seems to be how "pretty" the woods are. The shaping and styling is often a touch Marmite. Sure, when it first arrived on the scene it was doing some interesting, even unique, things with electronics, but nothing that run-of-the-mill manufacturers aren't also doing these days. All a bit Emperor's new clothes. [/quote] So there. And which run-of-the-mill manufacturers offer anything like Alembic's Series electronics?

Badly Drawn Boy once shot a video around some flats up the road from where I grew up...

The Vegas Job DVD is pretty dire, it should never have been released.

[quote name='Nicodemus17' timestamp='1345225814' post='1775301'] A neck through bass for less than what im looking at now is EXTREMELY tempting. [/quote] Don't fall into the trap of thinking a through-neck is better than a bolt-on. It's just a different method of construction.

I don't know why they didn't upload the whole track, his solo carries on after the vocal. In fact his playing is excellent throughout. I agree about his regular Status sound though, an over-processed, fizzy, artificial tone. And I'm a HUGE Entwistle nut.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1345123957' post='1773858'] IMO Thunderbirds don't look right unless they have chrome pickups and hardware. [/quote] They don't sound right either!