Cat

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1395352160' post='2401589'] 'Idiots' or just bad drivers? I'd doubt a true 'idiot' could afford such an expensive car in the first place. [/quote] [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1395401011' post='2402009'] Hang out in Chelsea for an hour. You would not believe the cash OR the stupidity. [/quote] Absolutely! The mind boggles at the sheer amount of idiots with cash and very little regard for the normal niceties of life - like staying alive on the roads...

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1394628493' post='2393441'] Sod what anyone else thinks, buy and play whatever bass you think works for you as a player [/quote] Absolutely! When you find the bass that feels just right in your hands, is the most responsive and comfortable to play, that's your bass. If you ever feel like you need pickups which have a different sound, you can upgrade those easily enough. But to find THAT bass which fits you is the biggest challenge. Find it, don't ever let it go - even if you succumb to the "expensive obviously means I'll play better" syndrome, keep that one bass. Don't ever sell it, because when you realise that perhaps your latest expensive toy, while lovely, just doesn't suit you as well, you'll want that previous bass, however cheap and "nooby" it may appear to others. For me, my eyes were opened by the Ibanez Soundgears. As a woman with not very big hands and lamentably short fingers, speed is my friend so the wonderfully thin Soundgear necks are SO for me! I'm playing an Ibanez SR300 and I honestly can't see me changing in the forseeable future - if I do, it'll probably be for another Soundgear - but it won't be any time soon. It's not just the neck - the body is razor thin and comfortable for one who stands 5' 4" in her stocking soles, the pickups do pretty much what I want them to - especially through my modelling amp. I've owned more expensive basses, played many more in music shops, but none of them felt as "right" for me as this relatively inexpensive Ibby. I'm playing so much better on this bass than I ever have on more pricey instruments. And this Indonesian made lovely is flawless - perfectly dressed frets, action seriously low (as I like it), no problems with the electronics or pots. Why would I want another bass? I did have more but sold them - I still have one but it's utterly neglected since I got this one. Find your true love and hold onto it for all you're worth - and to hell with what it costs you and doubly to hell with what other people think of it or you! Just make your music and show them what you and your beloved can do together. [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1394632139' post='2393510'] Absolutely. Look at the number of very expensive cars on the road driven by idiots. [/quote] ^ This is the star quote of the thread so far. Dripping with truth!

Oooooooooh! That looks gorgeous! Are we allowed to drool here? Ahhh, too late.

[quote name='Marc S' timestamp='1378888863' post='2205952'] Hi Cat, of course it gives you an "in" but you'll still have to pay the extortionate Severn Bridge Toll when you visit! lol Marc [/quote] I lived in South Wales for a while and I remember those trips well. Extortionate isn't the word! Daylight robbery, more like.

Bonjour. Your English is [b]so[/b] much better than my French! In fact, it seems pretty excellent to me. Besides, here we speak the language of bass.

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1378738878' post='2203967'] I understand most of this is tongue-in-cheek, I've had a good chuckle reading through these, but seriously, do people actually hide stuff like this from their partners?[/quote] Not if they want to stay with them for very long! As I'm sure we all know, the key to any relationship is openness and honesty. And now, back to the fun with my favourite bass joke: Kid starts getting bass lessons and after his first day, his dad asks: "What did you learn today, son?" His son replies: "I learnt all the notes on the E string." Second day, his dad asks: "Did you learn anything good today, son?" Kid replies: "Yea, I learnt all the notes on the A string." Day three, father asks: "So, how are the bass lessons going?" Kid replies: "Ah, I didn't go today, dad. I've got a gig tonight."

Ach, just tell her and hope she doesn't start playing it herself. Well, that's how it happened in [b]this [/b]household... the resident manthing was the bassist and he got me hooked. [quote name='Jonnyboy Rotten' timestamp='1378736981' post='2203929'] I thought this thread was hilarious and so I read a few of the choice posts to my wife who also thought they were very funny! Would I dream of deceiving her about buying a new bass? NO! And BTW it is our 7th wedding anniversary today! [/quote] Congrats to you and your missus, Jonnyboy.

Hiya, Phill. I'm one of the few here [b]not [/b]from South Wales! Although my grandmother was, so I suppose that gives me an in.

Hiya, new people. This is a good forum with lots of interesting people - like me, f'rinstance. Oh, did I mention modest too?

Hello, Pat. I've recently discovered an interest in playing jazz on the bass myself. Have fun.

Hiya, Steve. I'm a recent Ibanez convert myself, having recently discovered the wonder of the Ibanez SR300 with it's razor thin neck and body. You may have fat fingers but I have short ones AND small hands so my super-thin-necked new bass is simply wonderful. All hail Ibanez! You're never too old to start anything. I read recently of a bloke who took up marathon running at age 72 so by that reckoning, you're still a sprogg. Besides, I'm not all that many years behind you so you're not allowed to argue with me. Playing bass is excellent, especially if - like me - you've always been torn between rhythm and melody. This wonderful instrument combines both to perfection. And it's just plain fun.

[quote name='Evil Undead' timestamp='1378496622' post='2201256'] P.S. Cat - now I want a silver sparkle one. Thanks for that. [/quote] My pleasure.

I agree with the OP wholeheartedly. It's all about working out which cheap basses really are cheap and which are merely inexpensive. I adored my Peavey Fury when I had it and am now in absolute lust with my ibanez SR300, with a neck thin enough to satisfy even my small female hands. The fact that it sounds as great as it looks and plays merely proves the point. It's not necessary to be well-off in order to play a decent bass. [quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1370790311' post='2105531'] Isn't Daisy Rock a girls bass ? [/quote] And your point is...? When Gibson and Fender started making electric guitars and basses back in the day, I dare say they didn't imagine women playing them. So are these "boy's" instruments, then? And if so, is there anything wrong with girls playing them? The answer - of course - is no, there isn't. And what's more, nobody comments or raises a brow if they do - just as it should be. So why the other way round? Daisy Rock are indeed geared towards females insomuch as they are guitars and basses with slim, narrow necks and lighter bodies. Yes, there are a few with "fun" shapes like flowers and hearts etc. although, to be fair, those [b]are [/b]short scales and aimed primarily at kids. Most Daisy Rocks are actually full scale and of a "normal" guitar shape. Although, as we all know, plenty of adults play short scales too. You may be surprised at just how many blokes do play Daisy Rocks. They're a subsidiary of Schecter and come kitted with some serious hardware and pups. Homo sapiens of both sexes are attracted by a combination of quality, sound and a narrow, slim neck. Although, my Ibanez SR300 could kick Daisy's backside when it comes to slender necks and light bodies, it has to be said. But wait! My Ibanez is pretty and slender and sparkly. And this is my point. Blokes play sparkly, lightweight, narrow-necked guitars without raising comment so long as they're not branded as a girl's guitar. My Ibanez could easily be mistaken for a Daisy Rock if it wasn't for the name on the headstock. I know you didn't actually say there was anything wrong with a fellah playing a Daisy Rock but the comment alone suggests surprise that a bloke would play an instrument made for girls. Nobody questions a female playing other brands which don't need to be advertised as "made for men" since they mostly are anyway! Just as women have become liberated, why shouldn't blokes be liberated too and not be singled out for playing a "girls" guitar? And many men also like the colour pink without losing their masculinity. This [b]is [/b]the 21st century. Surely we can leave stereotypes behind. No offence or anything. Just sayin'. [quote name='TRBboy' timestamp='1371140166' post='2110433'] Personally, I wouldn't even bother with the can! Any cheap basses I've had in the last few years that suffer shiny/sticky neck syndrome get a light but even rub down with 1200 grit paper. Goodbye stickiness, hello silky smooth! [/quote] Agreed absolutely! I always touch up my plain wood necks - I've even de-varnished one as it was definitely on the sticky side. But I never use anything beyond 600 grit myself. Gives that glassy-smooth finish in no time, especially when buffed with a little beeswax. I like my unvarnished wood necks to be an almost frictionless surface and it only takes me a few minutes to effect this miraculous transformation.

Yea, that's the colour which caught my eye when I first started looking. Pretty amazing. But that's when I thought I had no chance at a sparkle finish. If I were going for a solid colour, it'd be between white, red and that purple. [u][b]EDIT:[/b][/u] Oh wait, starlight blue. Forgot that one. Lovely colour. I was just looking at a few non-stock pics of that violet (from different sources) and it doesn't look quite as nice with "real" lighting. Not so metallic and even the colour looks a bit different. That's the problem with lightboxes, you never really know what you're getting until you see it in proper light.

I only got this beauty earlier this week and I've managed to wipe enough drool off it to take a picture. Apologies for the rubbish camera. Doesn't do the Silver Sparkle finish any favours, but you get the idea. This was old/new stock - new bass, 2010 stock - which I picked up, with a pro set up, for £180. The razor thin neck and body, the impossibly low action and the frankly gorgeous sound from the stock pups has now spoiled me for other basses. I am an Ibanez convert.