gjones

In 2008, when the $ to the £ exchange rate was very low, I imported my Geddy Lee from the US secondhand. The price of the bass plus postage was approx £415 and the tax when it was delivered was £95. I didn't realise the tax would be so much and that I could have bought it for the same price or cheaper in the UK. But you live and learn I suppose.

I imported a neck from the states recently but only because I couldn't get what I wanted over here.

Sending it in a gigbag was a dumb idea frankly. He's lucky there wasn't more damage done to the bass. Negative feedback should be raised to warn any other buyers that this guy is not a good person to do business with - what would be his reaction be if the bass had arrived with the neck hanging off?

I found the ABM 500 I was looking for so now my TC Electronic Classic 450 is for sale for £350. I bought it in July from Red Dog Music in Edinburgh so it is still under guarantee. It's been used half a dozen times and is in mint condition. I bought it primarily for it's lightness and portability but feel that the Ashdown sound is what I'm after.



[attachment=96202:TC 450 front.jpg]

[attachment=96203:TC 450 Back.jpg]

[attachment=96204:TC 450 top.jpg]

Had a great gig at The Powderhall Arms in Edinburgh, which is quickly turning into a real 'blues bar', with the Blue Hyenas. We'd never played together before as a band, so we just jammed the night away (it could have been a disaster) but from listening to the end result you'd have thought we'd been gigging together for years as it was one of those nights where we all just 'clicked'.
Went to bed with a smile on my face and look forward to many more Blue Hyena gigs to come.

The best advice anyone ever gave me about playing gigs where you want to get a good reaction was 'If you've only got 20 mins worth of good material don't play a 40 mins set'. Rather people said ' Wow they were great, pity they had such a short set' than 'That lot were crap and they went on and on and on.....'.

This applies to encores too............leave em wanting more (not less).

I really like my old drummer. He's a great guy and we have a laugh. I just HATE his drumming! He is too flamboyant speeds up within the song (I thought it needed more energy he'll say when I make him aware of it) and if he had a choice he'd prefer to hit a cymbal (any random cymbal on a random beat) than his snare drum or bass drum! I'd brought another drummer into the band who really kept to the groove, laid down the beat and who I really clicked musically with. But the rest of the band prefer the old drummer because he's more of a showman!!!! With the new guy I can play in front of the beat or behind and the rhythm section sounds incredibly tight. He makes me sound a better bass player while the old guy makes me sound like a plodder (somebody has to keep the beat)..

I did a gig last night and the old drummer was playing and we (I) sounded absolutely awful. I had to check to see if the bass drum skin was moving to find out if he was actually playing the bloody thing because I couldn't hear it.

Keef got it right in this video. Some rhythm sections click ..........and some don't.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvKgkrEYnlQ[/media]

I'm listening to it now, while not looking at the video, and my favorite is the bog standard Precision when played with a pick. It's got that classic sound. I'd like to hear it again with the tone turned down a bit though.

[quote name='sixdegrees' timestamp='1324402293' post='1473893']
I hate you all....
[/quote]

And so do I!

[quote name='NeilMorrell' timestamp='1324416183' post='1474090']
My last band recently split up, after 8 years, down to a guitarist being hell bent on doing agent gigs on the northern club scene.

When a 5 piece, female fronted Classic 70s/80s Rock Covers band arrives at a booking after travelling 50/60 miles, and finds themselves advertised as "5 Piece Showband" or "Caberet Rock outfit" it does NOT instill confidence. He NEVER came to see us, not even a rehearsal. He was also swapping with other agents to get us bookings at places we wouldn't have played at in a million years. Then when you are NOT as advertised, you have to deal with the committee, or at least the concert secretary.

Basically the agent does not give a monkeys if you get booked back or not, as long as he gets his commission.

And don't get me started about bloody bingo!!
[/quote]

Hmmmmmmm...........my experience too. If you decide to go with an agent prepare for crap gigs in crap venues playing to an audience who will despise you. If you do sign up make sure the money is bloody good, as it makes swallowing your pride more palatable.

And don't get me started about the bloody bingo either!

Make sure they give you a set list and make sure THEY STICK TO IT!!!!! From experience there's nothing worse than trying to scrabble through song sheets while the singer is introducing the song - so make sure you know what's coming next.

Confucious say, beware of offers that seem too good to be true.................because they usually are.

Hold on a minute didn't you have one of these not too long ago? A surf green one if I recall.....

Not sure if this guy is still operating? Some nice basses but not cheap [url="http://www.guitaremporium.co.uk/index.php?f=data_fender_japan_new_guitars&a=3"]http://www.guitaremporium.co.uk/index.php?f=data_fender_japan_new_guitars&a=3[/url]

It took me 25 years to pick up a Jazz Bass for exactly the same reason. I've had 3 over the last 4 years.

You live and learn.

Send [b]Thornybank [/b]a message he seems to have an huge store of the things at reasonable prices [url="http://basschat.co.uk/user/309-thornybank/"]http://basschat.co.uk/user/309-thornybank/[/url]

The classic players (which came out in 2006) have all custom shop parts, including a US custom shop bridge even though they're made in Mexico. Very good guitars but as you can see from the picture they don't have the 70s headstock. The body of the one on ebay looks very similiar, possibly there's been a neck and pickup swap at some time. Best just to ask the seller.

[url="http://www.fender.com/en-GB/products/search.php?partno=0141100300"]http://www.fender.co...rtno=0141100300[/url]

The body looks like my sonic blue 60's classic player but the headstock is definitely 70's.

For years I was a bit dismissive of them but one night I heard an excellent bassist play one through a Gallien Kruger amp at a local venue. He was playing a knackered old USA Precision with a deep, round, defined sound, a stupidly high action and a rusty screw for a strap button and it fitted in perfectly for what the band were doing - which was a blend of classic covers, blues and a bit of funk.
I liked what I heard so much that I swapped my Musicman SUB for a MIJ 57 reissue with a fellow basschatter and have never looked back. It's strangely versatile for a bass with just one pickup, one volume and one tone control.

[size=4][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Welcome Lord Thrapston Flagellator. What took you so long? [/font][/size]

I think somebody should carry out a shootout between one of these and a beercrate.

[quote name='razze06' timestamp='1324047152' post='1470244']
Played the late, late shift at whistlebinkies in edinburgh. Load in at 11.45 pm, start at 12.30, play til closing time at 2.45

Really good crowd reaction, loads of dancing going on. Loads of foreign studenty types realy enjoying their reggae and rocksteady, joined by some quality selection of locals! Who knew so many people are out so late on a school night, awesome. Going to work this morning wasn't very rock n roll though, i tell you

Played the aerodyne P which is still the easiest bass to play i've ever used! Sound from the amp was a bit pants, more midrangy than I like midrangy and quite distorted, but it's the house amp (ashdown mag 300 + mag 410) so can't complain too much. I actually think it was the foldbacks that were distorting on the low notes, but hey ho, I could hear myself ok. I presume it was a lot better off stage, as a couple of fellow bass players in the audience didn't particularly comment on it.
[/quote]

My band did the same shift last week and I really enjoyed it. I don't think it's the amp, I think it's the cab, as even at pretty low volumes the sound is naff and even when I used my TC Electronic amp the sound didn't improve. I suspect if the cab was on the ground instead of on beer crates the sound would improve but of course that might make it difficult for the engineer to get a good bass sound out front due to bass frequencies travelling through the stage. Paul the usual engineer tends to put a lot of bass through the PA which is what I tend to listen to and I keep the amp volume very low on stage.

Freak Power's first album drive-thru booty has what you want in bucketfulls. Curtis mayfield is another one with Superfly, Pusherman and Freddie's dead, great tracks.

Bargain price. It has the badass bridge and the rear pickup is in the 70's position in line with the tone control. Best nab it before I do!!!!

Very true. Strings with lower tension (but the same gauge) can make a bass feel so much more playable too.

Turn up or stay within 3 feet of your amp.

Going to college to study music is like studying art. It's not a vocational course like an HND electronic engineering or an apprenticship in plumbing. You don't study music because you want to be able to afford a Ferrari in 10 years time you do it because you love music. I don't know of any professional musicians in my own circle of friends who own Ferraris but I do know they are happy they picked the career path that they did.