Dave Vader

This sort of thing has always gone on, I remember listening to two guys on a bus to a gig once arguing over Rachel Bolan vs, Jason Newstead. Extra points to anyone who remembers Rachel Bolan...

If you're in Cornwall, Matt who used to run Mojo guitars in Falmouth is a good guy with a valve amp. Not sure how to get hold of him these days, but I know a chap who would. Let me know if you need contact details.

Yep, good choice, reminds me of this pair of mine...

Glenn Cornick of Jethro Tull famously played a Jazz bass with a lefty P-neck on it. Sadly it was just because it was the only P-neck he could find, and because he didn't like Jazz width. Coolest bass ever though, I'd like one just like it.

What's wrong with you people? Bass guitar, so outdated, nobody I know under 40 likes bass guitar, it's had no substantial lasting legacy, and neither has music, kids today don't like music, just have a listen to what's out there, you old people just don't get us kids I think you'll find that post-womble-deathcore-hoedowns have little to do with music, and are where it's at. (apologies to dc, and no offence intended)

We do this, I play it on a P-bass, with flats, and a bit of a mid bump on the amp. Sounds good enough to me, though is nothing like what JT did. Mids are probably what you're going to need though, bump 'em up, like Lozz said.

Oh. and I personally love the sound that came out of Sam Phillips Sun studios back in 56, more than the polished cack you get now. Much nicer, shame I still can't get it myself, depite being more technologically advanced in my studio, hey ho...

[quote name='Marvin' post='1371544' date='Sep 13 2011, 10:33 AM']Really?! I heard her new one on the radio the other day and thought it was Shania Twain. Gaga is a gimmick, a marketing vehicle, a 'produced sound', here today gone tomorrow. I find it astonishing you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between Springfield and Franklin, their voices are their trademarks and what made them the respected artists they are.[/quote] I thought it was Madonna, but then I always think it's Madonna c.1986 whenever Gaga comes on. She was very adept at producing horribly catchy hooks (even I quite liked her when she first came out) but now it seems to be even more turgid crap than before, shame.

[quote name='paul h' post='1370648' date='Sep 12 2011, 04:15 PM']One simple post carrying more weight than all the Dingwall and Celinder owners in the world! You sir, are a legend. [/quote] :whisper: and a bit of a gear-whore, but nothing expensive.... and I know it won't help me....

[quote name='markstuk' post='1370651' date='Sep 12 2011, 04:18 PM']Is this your website? [url="http://www.plasticsquirrel.co.uk/"]Gear[/url] The one with the "Gear" tab?[/quote] yes it is, I am a whore for guitars. Have a look at the crap on that there gear tab sir. (I do own 4 basses, need backups, 2 fretted, 2 fretless) EDIT: Oh my that page is old... but there's that P copy there, got rid of the one other bass I owned at the time, cos I only needed the P copy.

[quote name='paul h' post='1370587' date='Sep 12 2011, 03:39 PM']It would be nice hear from someone who has played a £50 P copy for the last thirty years though.[/quote] It cost me £30, and it's only been 20 years, but theory applies. Gets used more than anything else, probably cos I'm used to it. And being cleverly disguised as a 70s fender, people often tell me how great it is as well, ho ho ho. (and I play it through the cheapest rig I could get my hands on as well, GK backline through a pair of old Laney PA cabs, also sounds lovely thanks)

[quote name='BurritoBass' post='1367925' date='Sep 9 2011, 06:05 PM']I read the thread title & was just checking for a gratuitous pussy shot Here it is! I like this collection. It has mojo [/quote] Thanks BB. I will tell bam-bam he has mojo, though he will probably scratch me after I tell him he has a stupid name, again.

[quote name='Doctor J' post='1367083' date='Sep 8 2011, 10:15 PM']Some character filled stuff there. Was the Roadstar body always that shape or is there some magical optical illusion going in there? Roll on with the guitars, that Ibanez looks interesting.[/quote] It came that way, it's the "bean bass" model, Sting had one once, some guy on Talkbass w***s on about them for hours, I was just pleased to know what I had (for 20 quid off the bay). It suffers from unfinished refinish syndrome. Essentially I stripped it down most of the way, had a gig to do, so hastily put it back together as it was the only one capable of such work that night, and have never got round to finishing the job. Some people like it like that, I am growing to.... though not even the worst sander hack job from ebay would claim it was a "relic" finish. Will try and get the guitar pictures up later... Oh, for the record that interesting Ibanez is an SB70, they only made 325 of them back in 83. They are not worth as much as people on ebay would have you believe, and mine has been so hacked about and beaten that it is not even worth that.

Be prepared for cheap modded, car crash looking instruments, for that is how I like them. None of the car crash looking has been faked or reliced however, it all got that way naturally through either laziness, poor storage or "it came that way guv, honest". To start with here's the basses, before I disgust you all with guitars. Left to right my beloved Sunn Mustang P-copy, had it for ever, it has a Kent Armstrong pickup in it, CTS pots, and a new paint job, oh and I replaced the tuners when one snapped once, I think they were JHS ones, only ones I could buy back then anyway. (also has a f*nder decal on it, I regret that, as I prefer it to most fenders and would like it to be known that it is a Sunn, can't get Sunn decals though) Then the legendary Dave fretless, Ibanez roadstar body, weird carboot fretless neck, seymour duncan ric pup in the bridge, and a Kay pickup in the neck. Cheap no name bridge bought for it's thin spacing more than anything else. Then the Rickenbastard, a Rockinbetter, with Hondo 2 electrics (incl. pups) Hipshot bridge and gaffa tape on the pickguard. Classy. It has it's own thread somewhere, I think they all do, but I've lost them. Lastly, my latest creation, fretless P-bass, hondo body, Wizard pickup, no name bridge, and no name ebay neck. De-fretted myself, filled with maple veneer, even filled the dots with it to make it look nicer. Worked as well. All currently toting flats, fenders on the dave fretless and the rick, and Status hotwires on the P-basses. And here's a shot of the whole flipping collection of stringed things, shout if you want to see all the guitars etc. on their own, else I'll stop with this thread, and leave it on the lowdowns. Oh, that's not my living room by the way, that's the sofa in my badly converted garage studio. it is old and very comfy, so the wife won't let me have it in the house.

When it comes to music shops, I am still 13 years old, and i like to go in and look at all the shiny things that I STILL can't afford. Sometimes I like to play them (as the old git I actually am) and realise that I prefer my old crappy gear. It makes me feel better. Don't go in much cos I live in the middle of nowhere, so unless I'm on a shopping trip with the missus and need to do something while she's in the clothes shops, I don't get the chance. Shame, cos I used to love it when I actually was 13 years old, and could talk gear all day with the old blokes in there. (Who would have been considerably younger than I am now, doh!) Narks me off that the 2nd hand sections are now no cheaper than the new stuff (and thanks to "vintage"ness sometimes more, boo)

[quote name='Fat Rich' post='1362184' date='Sep 4 2011, 08:41 PM']Reading music is a useful skill so I'd say give it a go and see how you get on, it will really force you to learn your note names on the bass. You might get some tips from this thread: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=111038&hl=Bass+clef+yts"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...l=Bass+clef+yts[/url][/quote] Unless you are a lazy git like myself, and just look at the first note on the stave, and move relative to that in semitones/tones (best not to, it encourages mistakes)

Lot of those old soul tunes are in Eb so he might have done, yeah. *random accusation not based in fact*

[quote name='BottomE' post='1351446' date='Aug 25 2011, 03:53 PM']The Badass III on my jazz is great. I like it a lot. My favourite bridge is the 2 Tek bridge which i have on a Hamer bass. One that i'd really like though is one that can offer 3 way adjustment - up down for action, forwards and back for intonation and also i'd like one to alter the string spacing left or right. In addition i'd like it to do that without having to drill new holes in the body of a P Bass.[/quote] Hipshot do a direct fender replacement that will do all that for you. It is not cheap.

[quote name='dc2009' post='1350905' date='Aug 25 2011, 12:01 AM']A. Why should I bother when I have a bunch of basses I like the neck profiles on? B. Why not then get a jazz aerodyne or something, which has the better looking jazz body too?[/quote] Because it isn't a P. In all seriousness, I have played a few 70s Ps with the "a" profile neck, like a Jazz, and they are very nice indeed.

[quote name='DaveB' post='1350107' date='Aug 24 2011, 11:50 AM']very true but the only thing I would say in their defence is that I know my Mesa guitar amp sounds better when driven.[/quote] Which is why my guitar rig is an old 15w Vox V15 which I can drive the bejesus out of without deafening people, and stick a mike in front of it at big venues. As opposed to the guitarist in my 80s tribute band, who runs a 100w Diesel into a Marshall 4 x 12. He doesn't like it when I make him turn it down, but he wants to be in the PA, so he has to ****ing turn that amp down and stop deafening us, or listen to my suggestion of smaller backline in smaller venues (which is right for guitars that need driving, and not for clean bassy noises).

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1345403' date='Aug 19 2011, 01:18 PM']Just come back from playing Q in the park which is a gig in Stafford park's band stand for the queing folk waiting to get the coaches to the V Festival at Weston park, First slot 10am, 30 minute slots until 4pm today.[/quote] What a brilliant idea, we need more Q festivals. Those of us who can no longer afford to go to real festivals can pop along and watch for nowt. Local knowledge only, I quite fancy something like this.

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='1345401' date='Aug 19 2011, 01:16 PM'][url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-arrival-4003-fireglo-maple-bass-guitar-/220836940164?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item336ae84984"]Modern effort[/url] Slightly weird in a few small ways.[/quote] I don't fancy getting my hand round that neck join!

[quote name='Marvin' post='1345454' date='Aug 19 2011, 02:02 PM']I'm going to print this thread off and pass it to my band. Both times with this new band, in excess of 4 hours. Although saying that, myself and the drummer refused to turn up too early last time and were set up in half an hour, another 15mins and we were sound checked. It's a bit of a bone of contention in our little collective at the moment, the amount of gear used for what are small venues IMO. Vocal PA and backline would probably do us really, and a bit of monitoring.[/quote] 4HOURS!?!?!?!? In the Pig?!?!?! Are you bringing the gear in one lead at a time, on foot, from bideford? I still think turning up 2 and a half hours early to allow time for our 45 minute set up and soundcheck to go horribly wrong is too much. But it makes us more relaxed when everything does go wrong as *I* have time to fix it. Yes vocal PA and backline will do, maybe stick the bass drum in the PA as well, that should do it for most pub gigs round here. (and don't let my drummer and guitar player tell you otherwise, their channels are often muted, and only plugged in to make them feel better)

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='1345166' date='Aug 19 2011, 10:10 AM']Every time I see the title of this topic, I think [attachment=87394:49_rusty_honda_1.jpg][/quote]

[quote name='bremen' post='1345147' date='Aug 19 2011, 09:52 AM']Nonsense. You should use the method endorsed by professionals: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vToepYWmOq4"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vToepYWmOq4[/url][/quote] Well, I have been using that method, but mainly by mistake. (Can't see vid, at work, but read description, sounds good advice) One was in a terrible state after I had that cold, had lovely green bits hanging off it from mistimed coughs and sneezes.