Mykesbass

I was an ESP stockist for a couple of years and must say I was very impressed with the cheaper and the upper end of the LTD range but thought the mid range stuff was neither one thing or the other. The handful of actual ESP's I had through the shop were very much in a different class - had the chance to A/B the top LTD Surveyor with the ESP version, and although subtle, there was enough feel in your hands to warrant the extra £400 for the ESP version. The only strange thing about this is that most people tend to associate ESP witth the EMG pick-ups and this has Seymour Duncans which could detract from the overall ESP-ness of it.

Stone The Crows Guitarist was probably the most famous casualty: [url="http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2106/is-playing-the-electric-guitar-dangerous"]http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2106/is-playing-the-electric-guitar-dangerous[/url] I had been under the impression that equipment was manufactured to safer standards and it wasn't an issue these days but obviously not!

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1329383900' post='1541449'] Nope..don't get this at all. Sometimes I can't wait to get into a warm bed. [/quote] [quote name='pietruszka' timestamp='1329385982' post='1541498'] For me that's the wonder of it. You've finished a gig, it's late, you're lucky enough to not have to drive anyone home, low or no music to cool you're ears down, empty roads and then bed! I love the bit of getting home to my bed, it's almost like a reward for a long, late night. "Here you are sire! Come and rest your music invincibility!" Dan [/quote] Really envious - I usually have about 30/40 minutes drive as most of the gigs are local to the rest of the band. I find that I need at least an hour, sometimes two before I can go to sleep - I think it may be the drive more than anything else making sure I'm fully awake.

[quote name='Prunesquallor' timestamp='1329295492' post='1540058'] Ah, but take a listen to their first release, Spiral Scratch. Punk. With knobs on. [/quote] I thought their first release was the German album with Tony Sheridan! Seriously though, yes, Punk was a huge influence, but I still maintain that there was a lot less of it in the public conciousness at the time than people like to remember. Which really adds to the movement's importance, how something relatively small gave birth to the whole independent record business and a huge mass of great post-Punk music.

No idea if it is unreleased material! Always amazes me how little care is sometimes taken with recordings, I guess it may be because people never thought about any longevity to their music. [url="http://www.nme.com/news/joy-division/62037"]http://www.nme.com/news/joy-division/62037[/url]

[quote name='Prunesquallor' timestamp='1329290979' post='1540003'] Don't you think their opinion counts? The Buzzcocks saw the Pistols play at the 100 Club and promptly formed a band; Siouxie and the Banshees were part of the original Bromley Contingent that hung around with the Sex Pistols at Malcolm McLaren's shop, etc. They all considered themselves punk. Just take a listen to all their early stuff. It's just that the bands that survived developed their own styles and later got pigeon-holed as goth, power pop, new wave, etc. I agree that the important legacy of punk was the 'can-do' attitude. It kickstarted the 80s, when all you needed was style, and can be seen in all kinds of genres, such as techno and hip-hop, where lack of [i]technical[/i] ability doesn't matter one jot. [/quote] Of course their opinions count. I just don't happen to agree with them!! The Buzzcocks seeing the Sex Pistols play at the 100 Club is as relevant as the influence Lonnie Donegan and the Skiffle movement had on the Beatles - it may have inspired them but it didn't make them a Skiffle group.

[quote name='Prunesquallor' timestamp='1329241736' post='1539471'] The Buzzcocks, the Undertones, the Clash, and Siouxie and the Banshees were all considered first-generation punk bands - along with the Sex Pistols - [/quote] [quote name='Prosebass' timestamp='1329244434' post='1539544'] Elvis Costello, [/quote] See, again, it all comes down to opinion - I really wouldn't include any of the above in the Punk category - I remember reading a review of an Elvis Costello gig at the time when the audience apparently all left the venue chanting "kill the punks" (sorry, paraphrasing, it was a long time ago, but the gist of the review was that, in no way was the Costello fanbase Punks. Punk was a very important attitude changer and was needed at the time, but in retrospect, the music was all prettyy tame and IMO only two or three acts really worked their way into the public's conciousness and most of them were better musically than they would like to have admitted!

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1329134141' post='1537505'] Check out my recently-published book on bass refinishing, [i]Polishing The Lower Horn[/i] (Harper Collins, £12.99). [/quote] Plenty of experience with relic no doubt?

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1329131374' post='1537446'] Nice to see at least three people voting who are good with colours! [/quote] And euphemisms

[quote name='apa' timestamp='1329132767' post='1537476'] Thats not put me off I prefer the smoother finish of the GHS's to the almost still round Rotos A [/quote] Wasn't meant to - I was looking for a bit more "grunt" and didn't want the totally smooth, classic fretless tone - the "mwah" as it seems to be described in every fretless for sale thread! If you are looking for smoother, then yes, the Status are great, excellent value and great customer service - wouldn't knock them in any way!

Proud to be the third "flamboyant" voter! Keep up the good work Dave.

I tried the Status ones but found them too flat-wound. Great flats and great price but I was looking for a little more of a flat/round compromise. Now have Rotosound Pressure Wound and am really happy with them although I can see some slight markings on my ebony fretless board after about a year's use.

I put a compilation together that got a brilliant review in Q - words to the effect "if you only buy one Blues compilation make sure it's this one". It's years out of print now but drop me a PM and I'll dig it out and send a copy over to you. Mike

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1328823701' post='1533421'] I tend to find some of the cheaeper plastic cases warp a tad... not enough to be unusable...just that they aren't that great a product, IMO. Cheap Chinese tat that does a job...just..!! [/quote] Yep, regret buying a Citronic - already slightly out of shape, but more annoying (as I don't play at loud enough volume to drown it out), the thing rattles like mad!

I've played 5 almost since taking bass back up again after many years as a rhytm guitarist. I tried 4 string to start with but was immediately struck by the lack of bottom end playing in D. I'm also a lot happier playing at the 5th for E rather than open. Had always thought I should have gone the BEAD route as I found I hardly ever venture too high up the register until this week's rehearsal where for the first time to my ears the bass line needed to be up an octave. Was glad to find a rarely used G waiting for me!!

[quote name='Ghost_Bass' timestamp='1328702057' post='1531292'] The main reason is that it's very dificult to find a 4Ohm 12" neo driver on the market. I've had that same question a while back and i couldn't find one on the web... do manufacturers actualy do them?!! [/quote] http://www.lean-business.co.uk/eshop/celestion-bn12300s-4ohm-neo-bass-guitar-speaker-12-offer-p-344.html Had one of these when I was running a Yamaha BB500H which went down to 2 Ohms. Not many about but not as rare as you might think - pretty sure Eminence do one as well.

[quote name='Linus27' timestamp='1328632356' post='1530379'] OK, it seems I can search the database for the album. However, my PRS membership has expired as it was so long ago and I have to pay £30 to sign up to be able to search for it ... Bugger [/quote] PM'd

MCPS

Current band I'm really lucky and don't have one but from last band, "Summer of 69" is the one I never want to do again.

Another OBBM fan here - just checked online and the first site I found - Studiospares charges £1.77 per metre for Klotz cable - 3p a metre less than OBBM and the only obvious matching Neutrik connector was the silent right angle which they were charging £8.66 for compared to OBBM's £10.50. This to me makes Dave's prices (combined with exceptional service) even better value for money than I had previously thought.

Wow, surely should be posted in Funk & Groove! Anyone know where I can get a drummer like that one?

Been racking my brain as to where I knew of this band - just worked it out, I used to work with a couple of them in a record promotions/telesales company in the 80's after the band folded. Pretty sure it was Andy who was one of the reps, and it looks like the other guy isn't with them anymore - Knocker. The company was Impulse/Prime-Time. Hope it goes well for all of you - it was a long time ago but I remember them as really nice guys. Just seen on the website, Keith Knowles is mentioned as a founder member - that was Knocker, also seem to remember someone with the nickname of Moss - from a TV appearance when he wore Moss Bross emblazoned braces. He later appeared on TOTP with Gary Numan.

I'm sitting on the fence - the traditionalist part of me wants to say Fender but the only bass I've ever seen that stopped me in my tracks was a fretless five string Fodera that was in the Gallery some 18 months ago.

Sold some strings to Tony - fast payment, good communication. Thanks Tony!