RhysP

[quote name='Deep Thought' post='616869' date='Oct 4 2009, 09:26 PM']Totally unconnected, I bought a book about the sound barrier in a second hand bookshop a few years ago, only later did I find it had been signed by Chuck Yeager (the bloke who broke it).[/quote] Now that's cool! Ever read Tom Wolfe's "The Right Stuff" or seen the excellent film version? Fantastic!

[quote name='lemmywinks' post='616774' date='Oct 4 2009, 07:51 PM']Pickup in Cheshire[/quote] Where's the rest of it?

Standing at the side of the stage at the Albert Hall watching David Gilmour soundcheck. Stood next to me were Nick Mason, Graham Nash, David Crosby & Nils Lofgren. Earlier on that afternoon Rick Wright went up & played the last part of "A Saucerful of Secrets" on the Albert Hall organ - that was f***ing awesome.

My favourites are: My backstage passes from the last two David Gilmour solo tours (Royal Festival hall & Albert Hall). My David Gilmour plectrum. A plectrum, some teabags & a condom given to me by Todd Rundgren. One of Billy Sheehans business cards & a Talas album that he signed "To Rhys from William"

[quote name='retroman' post='615924' date='Oct 3 2009, 06:29 PM']I've had a look at the link, and the Jazz basses that float my boat are at the bottom of the page, as you suggested, and are around the £1000 mark. I have seen the American Vintage at around £1200, so is the Japanese option a lot better??[/quote] That Lake Placid Blue one with the covers & the block markers for £999.00 is pretty gorgeous, isn't it? As far as the quality of Japanese Fenders is concerned you've only got to look at Ebay & see how few of them come up for sale - people buy them & hang onto them. I'm not a big fan of Fenders but all the Japanese ones I've played have been fantastic. The best bass Fender currently make IMO is the Geddy Lee signature Jazz bass - there are quite a few pro players using them & if you look on here you'll see dozens of glowing reports & reviews of them. Guess where they're made? (Clue - It's not the USA or Mexico.....) If you're looking for a 70s style Jazz then the Geddy Lee model is definitely worth considering. It doesn't come with covers but you could always get them put on if you can't live without them. They're also pretty easily available in the UK so trying one out before you buy shouldn't be a problem.

One option you haven't got on your list is a Japanese Fender, which is what I would have at the top of my list if I was looking for a Fender Jazz.

[quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' post='615245' date='Oct 2 2009, 09:18 PM']I'd love the have the job of answering the phone for this catering company [url="http://www.randykuntzcatering.com/"]http://www.randykuntzcatering.com/[/url][/quote]

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='614801' date='Oct 2 2009, 01:45 PM']What strange logic...[/quote] Why is it strange logic? They're both Huge American Guitar producers who charge ridiculous prices for instruments that are wildly inconsistant because they know they can put out any old piece of crap & a it'll sell purely because of what it says on the headstock. If one company is happy to treat a sizeable percentage of it's customers with contempt & basically say "f*** Europe, we'll send 'em the stuff our shops turn down" ( I was told this by a Gibson employee at the Frankfurt music fair about 25 years ago) I have no trouble at all believing the other wouldn't do exactly the same.

And let's not forget the Trace Elliot "Dirt Box" distortion pedal.

[quote name='jonthebass' post='614507' date='Oct 2 2009, 08:56 AM']I often wonder if it's a case that the not-so-good Custom Shop guitars and basses are exported and the cream of the crop kept in the States?[/quote] That definitely happens with Gibsons so I can't see why it wouldn't with Fender.

The fuzz bass part on "Think for yourself" was one of the first things I ever learnt. I'm not a big fan of the Beatles, but "Rubber Soul" is a great album.

I always have to suppress a giggle whenever somebody on here mentions RIM basses.

Stupidly overpriced IMO. I've never really got the "Masterbuilt" thing with Fender, as they're basically wooden Meccano kits. OK, so you'd (supposedly) be getting better woods than a standard USA Fender, but there's not that much BUILDING goes into a Fender - certainly not in the same league of craftsmanship as an archtop hollowbody instrument or whatever. At the end of the day it's just two lumps of wood screwed together. The neck & body will still be cut by a machine, it's just having a bit more time taken over it in the finish & set-up.

[quote name='TheBlueFalcon' post='612560' date='Sep 29 2009, 10:24 PM']Now that I am looking at basses again, I was wondering what people thought about the 35" scale compared to 34"?[/quote] It's 1 more.......

Why did you buy a five string in the first place? If it's because the sort of music you like & want to play requires the use of one then stick with it.

IMO they are the best bass pickup you can get.

[quote name='KevB' post='610958' date='Sep 28 2009, 04:22 PM']If there's anyone in the know I'd be interested in Deep Purple's 'Made In Japan' album. It's pretty much a classic of its genre and I don't think much of it was fixed in the studio. It took them until a rematser years later to fix the fact that Blackmore was put onto the 'wrong' side of the stereo mix so I doubt they tinkered too much with it at the time. Some of the tracks on that album are for me the definitive versions (Smoke, Strange Kind Of Woman) over the studio versions.[/quote] The main thing that has been revealed about "Made in Japan" is that it wasn't recorded in Japan.

[quote name='Lorne' post='611052' date='Sep 28 2009, 05:37 PM']I'm very interested as to what the electrics on this bass do,as it loks similarly made to a B.C.Rich,Grover Titans,Badass,twin P's,lots of switches etc[/quote] Lorne, The Atilla guitars & basses had a volume & tone knob for each pickup, a coil tap for each pickup & an out-of-phase switch which works when both pickups are selected. It's basically the same set up as a BC rich circuit minus the preamp & the Varitone. My old Odyssey bass (the one at the start of this thread) sounded quite similar to the late 70s rich basses I've played. The build quality was comparable too.

[quote name='v8bass' post='607578' date='Sep 24 2009, 12:13 PM']As im taking pics of all my bits bobs odds n ends Thought i should get a pic of my Voyager up Headless and aluminium allmost fit for Dusty Hill ! Enormous player capable of very low action Meaty tappable schaller double J pickup and phenolic fingerboard and oh chunky profile neck too Had this since the Romans came my way and its only ever been transported in a bin bag ( doh ) Currently strung as a tenor bass but normally with 30 -90 [attachment=33413:PICT0131.JPG] [attachment=33414:PICT0158.JPG] Gary v8 Kramer lover[/quote] Did you buy that from "Livewire" in Cardiff by any chance?

[quote name='FlatEric' post='609807' date='Sep 27 2009, 08:33 AM'] Odyssey Bass Pics. At last I have managed to get some shots. I think this is about 30 years old. One of my favourites! Sound great!! Also shown with a couple of friends! Flat Eric [attachment=33577:Od1.jpg][attachment=33578:Od2.jpg][attachment=33579:OdElite.jpg][/quote] That's a nice one - looks like it's in superb condition. They're great basses.

Buy a polish impregnated jewellers cloth & buff 'em up with that - they'll clean up a treat & with no mess. A more labour intensive method (if your frets are REALLY sh*tty) is to use fine wire wool, but you'll have to mask off the fingerboard between the frets & be careful that no bits of wire wool get into you pickup magnets.

[quote name='OldGit' post='609343' date='Sep 26 2009, 04:19 PM']I think an un-improved live album would be pants. You just can't record atmosphere.[/quote] I completely agree. Would you REALLY want an album to sound like it was recorded at the back of Wembley Arena or the NEC? An unimproved live album would just sound like 99% of bootlegs - absolute sh*te.

[quote name='Bassassin' post='609321' date='Sep 26 2009, 03:50 PM']Or Rush's Exit Stage left, which the band refer to as "live-ish". Jon.[/quote] I'm surprised at that, mainly because the sound quality of that album is bloody awful. Alex Lifeson's guitar is so deeply buried in the mix he may as well not be on there.