EdwardMarlowe

[quote name='BigRedX' post='598447' date='Sep 14 2009, 05:49 PM']Those criticisms could be attached to pretty much any music scene from about 1973 onwards. You do realise that you're turning into your dad?[/quote] Nah, my dad isn't into music - he likes the Carpenters. In any case, it's not when the NME stops speaking to you that you have to worry... when Mojoj *starts*, *that's* time to worry....

[quote name='Doctor J' post='599446' date='Sep 15 2009, 05:33 PM']You owe it to your audience (if you have one) to only play the best. If they've paid in to see you rock out do you really want them to think you're a band of tight-fisted wierdos, that they've given you money and you've spent it on a new conservatory or a nice cardigan instead of a fancy bass? Hell no! That's not rock 'n' roll. That's not even jazz. They want to see you rock, rock hard and would you cheat them out of that by playing some cheapo piece of crap? I should hope not. The audience comes first and that's why I buy expensive basses. Shame on you cheapo lovers, won't you consider somebody other than yourselves for a change?[/quote] :thu: 99.9% of the average audience don't know a bass from a guitar, and the only people who really give a damn anyhow will be other musicians looking to make themselves feel better by doing down your choice of gear...

[quote name='EntropicLqd' post='595923' date='Sep 11 2009, 06:32 PM']I never bothered with a left-handed bass. I just flipped the righty over and learnt to play it "upside down". I didn't even bother re-stringing it. I've got a custom built bass that has righty strings on a lefty body now, and it's great. The thought of learning to play a proper lefty or a proper righty leaves me cold. There must be better things you can do with your time.[/quote] Sometimes I wish I'd learned that way, simply as I could have lifted any right handed instrument and flipped it over and been able to hammer something out. Out of habit, I can play a fair few things on guitar and (more easily) on bass upside down, but it'd never make sense for me to do that with bass all the time as one of the big advantages I had in picking it up as a guitar player is already having a fair idea of the fretboard. Despite the frustration relating to instruments (though, oddly enough, I actually find it easier to find basses I like than guitars - maybe my bass tastes are just simpler?), I'm very glad I learned properly as a lefty - had I gone for the right handed approach I wouldn't have lasted six months.

[quote name='Crikey!' post='596281' date='Sep 12 2009, 03:34 AM']its a good look. old football shirts.[/quote] Could be, depending what they are and your audience etc.... I have a repro of an old Soviet Union one somewhere, 70s era, which is pretty cool, though it rarely gets worn as I mostly dress day to day in a vintage look that falls anywhere between 1930 and 1959. I did fancy an old Northern Ireland repro shirt, little brotehr has one and it looks great. What really puts me off is that they come with George Best's nubmer on them, and I certainly don't want to be associated with him. [quote name='MacDaddy' post='596392' date='Sep 12 2009, 10:31 AM']And my latest band. You'll never guess what kind of music we play (don't think we'll ever be in the NME either ) [/quote] Coupel of months ago I stopped buying the NME every week - really felt like the end of an era. Just got to the point whre the bands didn't speak to me any more, and nothing appealed - guess they've gotten into a phase where it's all synthesisers, asymetrical haircuts and Shoreditch w***ers. That and the small matter that there are no tunes, you can't hear the words, you can't tell the boys from the girls anymore.....

[quote name='LeftyJ' post='598132' date='Sep 14 2009, 01:10 PM']Yes, that was a no-go for me as well. I'm a sucker for maple fingerboards. They also only come in black (with a white pickguard) and sunburst (with a tortoise pickguard). Too bad! Wish they still made the Hot Rodded American Precision. The lefty version came in a mindboggling 5 (FIVE!) colours, which is fairly unique for a lefthanded Fender USA product (sunset orange transparent, black, natural, white blonde and 3-tone sunburst). But only with a rosewood board though...[/quote] Yeah, that's the thing. I honestly think Fender have gotten worse for lefties over the past ten years, though a lot of that has to do with their efforts to keep the CIJ range, with its vastly superior lefty provision, out of the UK. Grr. I passed through Wunjo on Saturday afternoon (didn't bother going into the Bass Celler, as a glance through the window confirmed a lack of lefties), and they had a beautiful burst & maple Brandoni Jazz. I'd have been very tempted to try t out but for the fact that I'm not especially into the idea of a J and not especially a big fan of bursts (a lot to do with that being all too often the only or one of the only few finishes available to us - familiarity breeds contempt, and all that). I think it would have looked a lot better with a 'guard added, though. Anyhow having seen one in a flesh and compared their direct prices (about £400 for an alder P bass, significantly cheaper than I can find a CIJ Fender for), I'm convinced that Brandoni are the way to go for me. Soon as I have a few bits and pieces sold on eBay, I'll be headed up to their showroom to look into getting one or two from them. The big bonus with them too is that eventually I'll be able to order a matching Strat too....

I could be tempted into a semi of some sort, more Gretsch than Gibson. I'd have to be able to dissociate the general style from Hooky first - I hate that whole 'longhaired dadrocker in leather trousers' crap!

The thing with basses, as with most consumer durables, is that the law of diminishing returns kicks in hard, and early. The average Squier is a fair bit better than the very cheapest plywood no-name. A MIM Fender will be a little better, while the US equivalent will usually take it up a notch again.... after that, there are the boutique options. With each off these steps the price goes up and up, but as it does so, the level of improvement diminishes as room for improvement gets less. A US P Bass, for example, is typically twice the price of the MIM equivalent..... but it won't be twice the bass. I'm fond of saying elsewhere that a Gibson LP Standard is twice the guitar compared to my Epiphone - twice the guitar, at five times the price. Whether it is worth that extra will alays come down to the individual, not least as for most of us price will always be part of the consideration. I do get the impression also that a lot depends on individual taste. I like 4 string P basses.... not much fussed on anything else, and (as with guitars) I actively [i]loathe[/i] fancy woods, figured tops, etc. I don't care for active electronics. This all means that the kind of bass that I like tends to be cheaper than someone who liked the sort of design spec you get with, say, a Goodfellow. For me, I tend to find the best value lies usually in the mid-price point, though I typically have to pay more, being a lefty. Wanting a maple boarded P Bass means that, unless I order from Japan, I am (somewhat ironically) gonig to end up going non-Fender.... individual taste will always vary, but if I have to go expensive, I'd rather a custoom for a grand than paying well over that for one of the Fender US models that fits my requirements. Someone mentioned Danos above - like Squier, they're a range that have lost out on several sales to me over the past couple of years due to their failure to offer even a single lefty model. Squier are improving - I don't want the VM Jazz, but hoping that it heralds more lefty models, as I'd love one of the CV 50s models. [quote name='rjb' post='595439' date='Sep 11 2009, 10:02 AM']Having said that you can get a real bargain if you keep your eye out. A friend of mine got an old Fender MIM for £100 from Crack Converters and its a total peach for the money![/quote] Jinkies, that's impressive - all I ever see in those places are absolute bottom-end cheapies marked for sale at £10 under the new price.

Try being left handed, it's the ultimate GAS cure. 99.9% of basses and guitars I take a liking to are either way more than I will ever be able to afford, or not available left handed. Often both. Hell of an effective way to curb the spending!

[quote name='thunderbird13' post='595856' date='Sep 11 2009, 05:16 PM']I remember Matchetts I used to go in there a lot when I was signing on in Belfast and they would let me play anything, although I really cant remember ever buying anything there ! The worst service I got in Belfast was the music shop near the Central Library( I cant remember what they were called ) I enquired about a hard case for a double bass to which the owner replied that they dont make them. When I questioned him about this he came screaming from behind the counter repeatedly shouting " well you tell me where I can buy them ". Didnt buy anything there either[/quote] Where's that, now? I remember there was one place out on York Street, opposite the station could be funny..... worst I ever encoiuntered, though, was Session Music, back when they were on Dublin Road. I remember them refusing to quote me anything other than list price (which even back in those days was £200 over general street price) for a Strat, claiming Fender would'nt let them or somesuch nonsense..... needless to say, never bought anything in there.

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='596388' date='Sep 12 2009, 10:23 AM']Try the new American Standard LH. I have the RH model and it's the lovliest jazz profile neck I've ever played...[/quote] Nice, but from what I can establish they only do rosewood boards on the lefty, which is a firm dealbreaker for me. I presume rosewood must be cheaper to produce (I suppose as it doesn't need the same level of finishing) as it has become such a default option. [quote name='BigRedX' post='596450' date='Sep 12 2009, 11:50 AM']You're probably only getting "stiffed" on the excess baggage because you've made the false economy of buying the cheapest flight. Although it probably still works out cheaper then the cost of having it shipped back to the UK. I've bought instruments back from Japan twice now without any problems but then I haven't flown at super discount prices.[/quote] Did you fly business class? Seems to me when I've looked around (though I've only gone as far as Beijing going East), these days, it's pretty much the same everywhere. BA seem to be always the quickest to screw ya over, but they're also far from the cheapest to begin with! Thwey were, afaik, the first to introsduce the RyanAir-style charges for an extra bag within weight allowance on international routes.

[quote name='P-T-P' post='58204' date='Sep 10 2007, 02:12 PM']I think it worked for the Spice Girls because they had a hefty amount of marketing behind them to reinforce their individual appearances. Posh, ginger, Sporty etc. weren't nicknames the fans came up with, they were created in a boardroom somewhere and the girls were sensible enough to live up to the images.[/quote] The [i]Spice Girls themselves[/i] were created in a boardroom. Keeping them in their given chracter is probably fairly easy when they're personality-free to begin with. [quote name='beerdragon' post='59538' date='Sep 12 2007, 09:17 PM']I suppose it could depend on the type of music you play. you're not going to go down to well in a metal band wearing those clothes [/quote] Heh. To a degree, you're right. I know here in London a lot of folks on the retro 50s scene would never tolerate a band that didn't have the right look, no matterf how accurate the sound. Though there you're dealing with a community where a lot of folks don't own albums by some of their favourite acts as they refuse to buy anything on any format other than vinyl.... Me, I like it when a band mixes it up a bit, maybe does something different. I appreciate an act which cleverly creates a whole package, including their look, though it can be very tedious if you feel like you've already heard a band's entire set based purely upon what they step on stage wearing - happens a lot, though. [quote name='OldGit' post='121392' date='Jan 16 2008, 12:57 PM']The other guys wear black trousers white shirts and musically related waistcoats though the drummer has a scary habit of wearing shorts on stage once spring is in the air.[/quote] Kill him. no, but really..... when I rule the world, public flogging will be reintroduced for men over the age of sixteen who appear in public in short trousers. They are the most infantalising item of clothing in existence, only the ubiquitous baseball cap comes close. [quote name='NJW' post='123154' date='Jan 18 2008, 11:04 PM']Im one of those terrible people that wears whatever the hell I put on in the morning. When on tour, changing into 'performance' clothes is the last thing on my mind. We're a music group, not a touring fashion show. Of course its completely different when working as tribute acts, theatre work, covers and functions etc.[/quote] I hate seeing bands onstage who have made no effort - irrespective of whether they dress the same offstage or no. Always looks to me like they just can't relly be bothered. IMO, a band should dress apporpriately to the venue / occasion, but they should also always strive to be just a notch above where most of their audience will be at. The very worst of all is when you go to a black tie function and the band show up and perform in ratty old jeans and washed out t shirts.

[quote name='Delberthot' post='275847' date='Sep 2 2008, 10:15 PM']The drummer in my band also teaches and he was saying that no one teaches drums left handed any more[/quote] That I can see, actually - given how often drummers end up playing gigs using house kits, or the support act playing the headliners or whatever (in smaller venues) to save switchover / set up time, it probably is a whole lot easier to work with one standard. POf course, a lefty will still approach it in a different way, with a different feel.... I'm sure I read somewhere being a lefty with a right handed kit was part of Ringo's schtick that influenced his sound....

[quote name='benwhiteuk' post='438426' date='Mar 18 2009, 05:31 PM']Good luck with this. Sounds like a whole lot a hassle for not a lot of point though...[/quote] Agreed. I've also heard of the righty 'Pauls' in tribute acts switching to playing lefty - that makes some sort of sense to me as it's part of completing the illusion that you're watching the Beatles. Otherwise, it's a pointless exercise. I do often wonder how many lefty kids never get beyond trying to start because some idiot in a guitar shop has told them that they really should play the "proper" right handed way - the very worst of this being the old bullshit lie "but it's better for you, you'll have your dominant hand doing all the hard work on the fretboard." (Right, Einstein - they why don't [i]you[/i] play the other way round? Ignoramus.) [quote name='Golchen' post='438447' date='Mar 18 2009, 05:45 PM']I always thought that the human race had it the wrong way around??? Right handed musicians have their left hand doing all the hard work fretting etc???? Where's the logic in that?[/quote] IMO, it makes a lot of sense to have the dominant hand doing the plucking - of course that way must "work" better, or surely the right handed majority would have evolved towards playing what we now think of as lefty, not the other way round. [quote name='whynot' post='438627' date='Mar 18 2009, 09:21 PM']Thus depriving many left handed bassists (and guitarists) a career as a pro/semi pro musician or simply enjoying the instrument. I would guess the % of left handed Violin players are a lot lower to left handed bassists, simply because the lefty option was not readily available. Piano and sax are very different by nature of the instrument layout. I can play a little piano no problem. Ask me to pluck strings with my right hand and it simply does not come naturally, and I know I would never have been as good as I am now if the headstock was to my left.[/quote] Exactly - it's another strawman argument that doesn't work. Usually coming from guitar shops that want to sell you a right handed instrument. Funnily enough, thy seem to 'see the light' if they have a left handed version in stock..... which just happens to be 15% more expensive, as lefties cost more to build, you know..... Ultimately, they "left handed instruments shouldn't exist" is simply an attitudinal handover from the old days when many folks didn't think being left handed was acceptable at all. I had a preschool teacher in 1979 who thought she was being terribly clever rapping me over the knuckles anytime I lifted a crayon or whatever with my left hand. Granda had it much worse at school in the 20s, of course - he had it thrashed into him to write with his right hand. It's simply a pointless prejudice, a hangover from the days when we 'sinister' types were regarded as witches. Oh, don't even get me started on this sh*t.....

Lefty insturments at an all-time high? Well, maybe..... YMMV, but to me that's like saying being kicked in the teeth is better than between the legs. It's not as if I'm into anything [i]especially[/i] outlandish. I'm a retro kinda guy (most days I dress as if it's anywhere between 1930 and 1959). I like P Basses. My ideal bass is a maple boarded P-Bass, the closer to a 57 model, the better. Do Fender make this easy? Do they fornication. Let's start with Squier, what do they offer? A P Bass Special, P-J setup, rosewood board (I can live with a J neck otherwise). Close, but no cigar. so I look to MIM Fender - seems they believe we lefties are only interested in a J bass. (This is reflected in guitarworld too - both MIM Fender and Squier are piss-poor when it comes to availability of left handed models - to the extent wher they have, quite literally, lost out on at least six instruments they would have otherwise sold me in the past two years). Anyhow. On we go to US Fenders. American Standard P Bass? Certainly Sir.... oh, you want a maple board? Sorry, no can do. So in order to get something as simple as a maple boarded P Bass, I would either have to spend a considerable chunk of cash on a US 57RI model - which frankly ain't gonna be realistic any time soon - or go elsewhere than Fender. Hang on, Fender Japan are pretty good at offering just what I want.... but oh yeah, Fender are determined to stop them from being available in the UK, cause they want to sell us the Mexi range. Which is crap for left handers. Hey ho, and away we go.... And that's for something very basic. Every month, I buy two guitar mags ([i]Guitar Buyer[/i] and [i]Guitar and Bass UK[/i]). More often than not when one looks at the specs given for the guitars and basses on review, if it's less than £2,000, you can forget about it being available left handed. Traditionally, the big companies have said that lefties cost more to produce, or even 'too much'. Many of them will never get my money, as - like Gretsch, for instance - they're happy to cater for lefties who can afford to spend in excess of two grand, but can't be bothered to offer even a single lefty option in their budget range. Economies of scale, blah blah blah, they bleat. Then I look at Tokai, who will produce, to order and at no extra charge, any model in their entire range left handed, in any colour in their range. I look at the guitars I like that I can realistically hope to afford, and it seems that few of them are from the 'original' companies. Let them bleat about intellectual property and copyists - if they aren't prepared to offer a lefty option with the spec I want, I'll go elsewhere and they can lose my busiess. Simples. Grrr. Lefty threads with information about alternative options, and particularly the aforementioned maple necked, lefty P type bass, are always welcome in my book!

[quote name='mathewsanchez' post='264461' date='Aug 18 2008, 12:20 PM']However on the same day I visited about 20 other music shops in London (...I know) and generally people were really nice. In one shop, I think it was Wunjo Guitars, as soon as I looked at an old 60s jazz bass, the guy asked me if I wanted to try it out and what I wanted to plug it into. I ended up playing that bass for about 20 minutes and then I moved onto playing a old ric (they didn't stock EBMM). The weird thing is, a few minutes later a guy came in and bought both basses while I was still playing them. Each bass was priced around £2000 so can't have been short of cash to buy £4000 worth of basses without even trying them. Anyway i'd recommend Wunjo Guitars.[/quote] A couple of years ago, I dropped into Wunjo guitars, looking at the time for one of the new Burns basses. The guy I spoke to was extremely helpful, even took my number and called me back on the Monday. I was interested at the time in a particular model which, it turns out, they don't do left handed. I would certainly drop into Wunjo any time I'm passed to see what they have, as itg was great that somebody bothered to come back to be even though it was only to say 'sorry, they don't do lefties'. [quote name='Happy Jack' post='265492' date='Aug 19 2008, 01:37 PM']It won't be a huge surprise to you that The Bass Cellar is owned by Music Ground, as is half of Denmark Street. The independents are Wunjo's, Chris Bryant, Rose Morris, and Vintage & Rare. Also, don't forget Macari's around the corner on Charing Cross Road. V&R are just as capable of being surly and unhelpful (NOT always) but they're selling a very different product to a very different market. The other independents are very friendly, helpful places. IME, of course.[/quote] Interesting, the indies are obviously the ones I saw the more interesting stuff in. In general, I find Denmark Street prone to being pricey, though I'd expect that in central London. What I do find disappointing is that for the most part they don't seem to carry much other than a few very high end items (especially the vintage place, which to be honest I've never gone into as I'm just not into [i]real[/i] vintage stuff, and in any case it is well out of my price range), with the most of the stock being multiple low-end things. The high level of cheap stuff does mean they often have good deals (at least, if you're not left handed). Still, this sort of business model which seems to concentrate on the lower end, stocking mlutiples of the same instruments in bulk, doesn't interest me so much. Even were I not left handed, I find the palce in general seems to lack choice and be very far from 'the home of music' it seems to be marketed as being. Handy to buy accessories and things, as nowadays with House of Music (what was the Bass Centre when it moved from Wapping to Brune Street) gone it's the closest spot for guitar bits nearest home for me. The best service I've received has come from a range of places: some pretty good places in Belfast, especially Matchetts. Thy put up with me bothering them about info on lefty Strats and things for years before I finally could afford my US Std new in there, back in 94.... after that, I bought pretty much everything in there - still do pick up bits from them when I'm in town. good folks. House of Music / Bass Centre were superb - I bought a few small bits in there, including a hard case for my Tanglewood acoustic. They did a repair on that for me after the top developed a split. I remember opening the case to show them it when I took it in, surrounded by all this high end stuff and expecting the normal snootiness you get in shops about what they perceive as 'low end', and was pleasantly surprised by how positive, even complimentary, they were about the brand. That makes a difference. I'm disappointed they're gone - only discovered that a couple months back when I wanted to start looking at P basses. Holiday Music - superb expriences in there, best lefty stock I've ever seen. Shame is now they've moved from Leytonstone out of London to some place that, judging from the website, ain't easy to get to if you don't drive, so I've probably lost that as a source. Sham,e as I'm looking for a local place, preferably independent and good with lefties, that I can develop a relationship with. Guitar works in Reading I can highly recommend - really good letting me try out a CIJ Tele and Strat - ended up buying the Tele a couple of months later. Great attitude from the salesfolks, good deal. Recommended. The big new place in Reading near the B&Q is also good, friendly helpful staff, though a tiny bit pricier than GW.

[quote name='BigRedX' post='316996' date='Oct 28 2008, 08:14 PM']Go to Japan. Have yourself a holiday in one of the most amazing countries in the world and while your at it buy a nice CIJ bass. You know it makes sense![/quote] This is something I've thought of, only thing is I don't want to be royally stiffed by the airline for excess baggage on the way home. Some of them now charge sixxty odd quid for having a second bag, and that's before you even go over your weight alowance!

[quote name='Soloshchenko' post='594905' date='Sep 10 2009, 05:06 PM']Well got the duty invoice today for £16.80! I'm made up, this bass has cost me £130 stock! That's brilliant.[/quote] Score! That's a superb price, makes it even more tempting.... It's the maple board that really does it for me, as I don't remember the last time I saw a bass at that entry-price-point that had anything other than rosewood...

[quote name='Buzz' post='556122' date='Jul 30 2009, 01:16 PM']God, they look ugly.[/quote] Horses for courses, eh? It's the look of them that really attracts me! [quote]Although, it does make me wonder if we're going to see a 50's revivial soon, it's about the only time period recently that hasn't been revisited in general fashion.[/quote] Always seemed kinda strange to me that the serious retro boom in guitar gear hasn't been reflected in the bass arena.... I guess bass players in general aren't so backward looking as guitarists can be? Certainly seems to me that bassists are always much more open minded when it comes to choices of woods, electronics, new amp types, or, hell, anything which isn't how Leo and Les thought it out back in the early fifties.... Me, I love the old fifties aesthetics, so I'd really jump on an amp like this. Shame is, though, that it's so pricey..... maybe a trend towards fifties style in bassworld would mean a much wider range of more affordable amps of this aesthetic. Say, for example, Peavy doing a bass version of their Classic series, a range of guitar amps that provide the 50s tweedy look and great quality tube sounds significantly cheaper than Fenders were when released - I think that competition was really good for Fender. [quote name='Musicman20' post='556149' date='Jul 30 2009, 01:42 PM']The sound samples of the precision through the 1x15 and 1x12 models are quite nice. No idea how true to source they are though. Nice to see Fender doing a new bass amp, but c'mon, make it all tube.[/quote] I've seen the tubes vs non-tubes argument a million times with guitarists... personally, I don't care much, it's all about price and sound for me. With bass, given that I tend to play clean all the time and the real value of tubes for me is in their semi-dirty sound, Solid State is just fine by me. These do seem relatively pricey, though, for a SS amp with a tube in the pre-amp. I would expect to be able to buy a guitar equivalent for maybe £350? Maybe if there are a few other companies catch on to the tweed look for bass amps, they'll have to rethink the pricing structure.

They [i]do[/i] seem on the expensive side by comparison to a wide range of offering I've seen from Ashdown et al. That said, hopefully they'll come down. A big attraction for me, as a fan of all things retro, is the look: Outside of the uber-expensive, all tube 59 Bassman reissue (which is really built with guitarists in mind, these days), I can't think of any other bass amp that has that late fifties look I like to it. I [i]do[/i] have an original, early 70s Bassman 100 which, rather than invest in speaker cabs to use with a bas, I have been planning on selling (also to fund a new bass). I don't really need another amp - for my home-playing purposes, my Vox T-25 does just fine for now - but I do really fancy this Fender. The fact that it is a hybrid attracts me - I generally play bass pretty clean (don't we all, for the most part?), and so a nice solid state does what I need just fine. It [i]does[/i] seem a touch on the expensive side for a mostly-tranny amp, but then my experience is predominantly with guitar amps, not bass amps, so I may be totally off-bass there.

Hi, thanks, guys - SD, I'll definitely check out the for sale section.

Have to admit, I dismissed them as 'yet another budget line' when I first saw them, but that was before I encountered a Vintage SG copy that a friend had.... fantastic guitar, very much on a par with the Epiphone G400 (which I rate highly), but at a fraction of the price. I'm actually very tempted by one of those, even though I don't have any real call for an SG type.... Overall, I think they're hard to be for the money and certainly you need to spend a fair bit more to better them. Really solid, working instruments. I did look to them for a P Bass project recently, but unfortunately they don't seem to do a maple board as an option (at least, not left handed anyhow) - a deal breaker for me.

[quote name='Soloshchenko' post='592543' date='Sep 7 2009, 11:06 PM']$187 delivered so just under £115 but I'm fairly sure that is without tax or duty or whatever so I'll probabaly get invoiced for that soon. I'll let you know.[/quote] Tax works like this: they'll charge you VAT on the total price (including the shipping, which annoys me), then on top of that total you'll pay 4.5% import tax. You also have to watch out for the fact that often they take the dollar figure - in this case the 187 - and treat that as if it was [i]pounds[/i] in calculating the tax. Worth challenging, I think, if they do that. You could just be lucky, though - I've seen it happen. Any time I've had to pay duty before, Parcelforce have paid it all upfront, and then they won't hand over to me before I pay out for the cost (including, of course, some rip-off "handling fee" of about £15). That they haven't charged you this and you have it to hand means you may have been lucky - customs don't pick up just everything. Maybe the folks at Rondo er, wrote something on the package which, you know, led customs to think it was a gift orf commercial sample or other non taxable? not that I'd ever suggest an upstanding company would do anything naughty like that. Happens occasionally, though! Looks like a really nice bass.... have to admit, I'd bed tempted if they do a lefty. I really love the look of the Squier CV P Bass, but no dice on the left handed front, alas.

If it has to be one bass and one bass only, then make it a P Bass for me. Specifically, a 57 style with the maple board. I'm [i]so[/i] over rosewood on F-style anything.... partly my own preference for 50s aesthetics, and partly that it's all you ever see below a certain price point nowadays, esepcially if you're a lefty like me. Eventually, I'd like to have a couple of fairly whacky, retro things. I [i]love[/i] the bass version Eastwood do of the Jack White Airplane guitar, but three or four P bass types are on the list first!

Hi.... new London member here. Discovered this forum via something someone posted on HarmonyCentral.com, and it seemed like a useful thing, being UK based. I'm a rather poor guitar play, and have been playing guitar rather poorly since December 1991. Following the odd foray with a borrowed bass, I bought my own first bass in 2001, a Squier P Bass Special. Bought my own in large part, in the end, because being left handed borrowing one here and there is rarely an option. I've been considering taking lessons for the first time, on both guitar and bass, for a while.... I'd be grand in a punk setting (I have the DeeDee Ramone approach on bass especially nailed ), but being rather too old and fat now for bondage trousers, I'm on the rockabilly-retirement plan, and I'd love to be a lot more competent in that genre. I'm also interested in taking my bass playing somewhat more seriously than simply as a get-by 'second instrument'. In terms of basses, I currently have the aforementioned Squier, and an early, Mk I (82/83) Westone Thunder IA. My tastes these days are very different in bass, though - really, all I want is a 57 style maple boarded P Bass or three.... one each in black, CAR, LPB, Surf Green, and an as yet to be finalised custom design. I don't ask for much, eh? Heh. The Westone will be being sold soon to fund something P bassish (possibly from Brandoni; my choice is limited being left handed and wanting a maple board - were they available I'd be all over the Squier CV series P bass like a rash), while the Squier I plan to part out and part canibalise as a donor guitar.... I'm on the lookout for a decent, used P bass body (Squier upwards...), and a maple boarded neck, with the plan to use the pup and other bits from the Squier to build my own Pbass project. Toyed with the idea of just fitting a maple neck in the Squier, and that might also be realistic... would certainly save on the need for a body... hmmn. There's just something about the simplicity of a regular P Bass design, though, as opposed to having that extra pup in there. My bass amp du jour is a Vox T-25, which sounds superb with a P-Bass pup pluggedc into it. I also have my eye on one of the new, tweedy Fender Bassman TV range.... potentially the 150W model. Doubt I could plug the 350W in in my flat, though it does have the attractive options of either a 1x15 or 2x10, where the 150w is 1x10 or 1x12 only.... mmn. So, uh, yeah.... interesting forum...