Davo-London

Scary Photos - children look away ...

Professional luthiers can achieve light relics accurately and tastefully. Once you go medium or heavy relic that's where it all goes astray IMHO. I've had light relic nitro finish done on a vintage Fender that came to me in a non-Fender colour. That for me is as far as you should go. I love the heavy relic look but only when it's real. Peace Davo

Hmmm, I marginally prefer JD playing a Jazz. I agree that JD will sound fab whatever he plays. Do we need another signature bass? Davo

I will also say that as a drummer I play with a lot of beginner bassists (church - because anyone can play the bass right?) and that's not much fun either. Davo

I'm a drummer too and feel and the ability to mix it up depending on the song is a big factor. I played on Sunday night with the my-way-or-the-highway drummer that has their own view and will play on regardless even if their selection sounds awful - tend also to be a know-all. Otherwise, there's the I'm-just-here-for-fun drummer that just weaves in and out of the meter but manages to follow the mean groove well enough. There's the teenage drummer that only has one volume, fff, and cannot do fills without losing the beat. Then there's the semi-pro drummer that really gets it and manages to lead the song in the sense of dynamic and groove and manages fills (with purpose) and sounds drop-dead fabulous. I'm none of these. I mean I aspire to the semi-pro but I'm not there yet. I genuinely believe a drummer should not play in a gigging band until they have 10 years of play/practice under their belt. Beginner drummers are awful to play bass with. You don't know whether to follow them or show them up. Before you ask, I've been playing for 14 years. Peace Davo

By the way, a refin '65 is an excellent choice as the cost will be relatively low but you still have a bass with Brazilian Rosewood neck and decently aged alder body. Better than a '66 for sure. Peace Davo

Nah, c'mon let the fella have his preferred colour. I have used this chap: https://www.facebook.com/pg/Josephkayeguitars-The-london-workshop-142235195836790/photos/?ref=page_internal As does Andy Baxter: http://www.andybaxterbass.com/ to perform exactly what you describe on a '66 Fender Precision. I went for a light relic, which is excellent to my eyes. I have yet to find a really authentic heavy relic. I have an original '64 as well and it is a thing of beauty. It's no refin and I would challenge anyone to get this right. I'll dig up some photos and send them if you're interested - mail me. Regards Davo

Will power and I are strange bedfellows. Generally, I do enjoy the chase of deciding what I would like and anticipate how that "improve" my rig/playing/ego/status etc. It almost never does of course. So it's taken me 40 years to realise that my efforts should be in getting the right gig or musicians to play with not in new gear. I only play one bass now, which is an old Fender. Davo

Took me three readings to understand! Very droll!

That's awfully decent of you. I have always wanted to try the mouse but as I have explained my fretless's get little air-play compared to my '64 P for example ... Cheers Davo

Is this the same 3 piece that plays in Tooley street by the Shard? I'm always impressed by them. The bass player has an Ibanez I believe with the ugly large headstock.

Do I understand you have a Rob Allen mouse bass? How do you find it?

What a wonderful tale. I have the fretless version and enjoy playing it. I have needed this bass in anger possibly 3 times in 20 years - so it's more fun than anything else. Davo

Lordy, that's beauty right there. I used to dislike the headstock but when you realise it has less mass than the later headstock I began to appreciate it more and now I like it! Less neck dive etc. Regards Davo

According to: Sting also uses: http://www.uberproaudio.com/who-plays-what/66-stings-bass-gear-rig-and-equipment Sting uses '55 and '57 Fender Precision basses, Ampeg SVT-4Pro and 8 x 10 cabinets, and - DR Hi-Beam strings 40 - 100 gauge - Shure U1-UA wireless UHF transmitters - switching/muting system - Alembic F1-X preamp - Court Acoustics GE60 i-octave equalizer - Urei 7110 compressor/limiter - Electro-Voice XEQ-3 crossover - Furman power conditioners (to protect all of the gear from power surges) So actually quite a clean signal! Davo

Shitenbacker Bananaboat Gaylord II was the zenith, after that the quality went down as the grey-suits moved in. They even brought in a marketing company who wanted to change the product name! Instead, they introduced Shitenbacker Bananaboat Gaylord III, with new neck wood. Davo

We have it easy to be sure. Have you seen LH and RH drummers share a kit? It's furken hilarious. My peeve is my in-ears. One goes in easily - the other one is a constant source of angst. The swine just won't go in. Davo

High action anyone? This is my pet hate. I will not play a bass or guitar with high action. Oh well, then there's neck thickness from front to back. Don't like baseball necks. Oh, now I've started ... Davo

Surely you cannot be criticising Stewie? He kept Sting honest and in-line. When our Copeland-equivalent director left his Sting-equivalent director ran riot and effectively bankrupted the company. Strong minds need a counterpoint. Davo

effing hilarious well done - made my day

Not wishing to put a downer on these basses. I saw a fellow worshipper had one and apart from the control knobs looked a beauty. But why Jazz and Precision pickups, why that body shape, why identical dimensions on radius and nut width etc? Why not come up with an original design? I know MM is known for playing a 70's ash Jazz but that's a Fender or a Sadowski modified Fender. I know the headstock isn't a Fender shape but why not start from scratch? This is a question of philosophy. Davo

Everyone ends up with a Precision. It may take decades. But we all get there at some point. Took me about 25 years! Sorry, couldn't resist. I thought you might have been talking about the offset body on the Jazz. I prefer the Precision body shape. So much so I'm going to replicate a 1960/61 Jazz bass into a Precision body and neck ... Davo

Folks, in the nicest way possible - stay on topic! I'm always amazed that if you watch Jools Holland and spot all the basses being played you will see that the mode (average) bass is indeed the P-bass in its various forms. I did this the last three times I watched Jools and the P wins hands down. These are quite often bassists you've never heard of but are working pros. In my head I just accept it. No need to get angry or cross with Scott Devine. Though to the OP I would say that robustness, simplicity, tone, availability, modest weight and neck feel would be my reasons. PS, the transit joke was brilliant. Peace Davo

The Entwistle pickups are £10 each! Goodness me that's a bargain if they're any good. Nothing wrong with the OP's suggestion. I had a very early MIJ Jazz and the pickups were a bit so so. I also had a preamp on another Jazz for a while. I kept it for years and then one day went back to passive. I don't miss it frankly. Davo