Big_Stu

It must be rigged, it doesn't have the solo by Gene Simmons repeatedly banging his out of tune E, spewing up fake blood then "flying" up to the gantry. I demand a recount!

John Birch SG Bass. Two days after he phoned me to say it was nearly finished he was found dead in his kitchen, he was 80 years old. This is the last guitar that John Birch personally worked on.

Thanks! Always good to know of personal recommendations in the area. Did I REALLY see an action of 1cm on one of his repairs in progress?

[quote name='chris_b' post='1150556' date='Mar 5 2011, 01:43 PM']Always use SKB.[/quote] I have the SKB on the right in my avatar for the head that's also in the pic. SKB are excellent! Thomann do the full range at great prices ........... or you can support your local dealer folks!

[quote name='razze06' post='1148112' date='Mar 3 2011, 10:28 AM']- Maybe i'll phone up Dennis Marshall, or some other tech. Big_stu, what's you real name, so that I can say hi on your behalf? [/quote] Strangely enough it's Stu If you mention my ex-Noddy Holder Hiwatt that he serviced for me he'll remember. He's a guru of valve amps, he's worked for some major league acts & while it was in he was getting offers from visitors for it. Great guy!

[quote name='razze06' post='1147378' date='Mar 2 2011, 05:22 PM']It does! I'm just hesitant to take it for an expensive rebias and service, when it may not be worth the effort in the end.[/quote] Phone Dennis Marshall, he's listed in the recommended amp techs pages for Edinburgh. NB. he's not in Bo'ness anymore so keep going till you get his Dunf address. He's an absolute master of valve heads, it's his life and hobby. He won't rip you off & he's a nice guy to deal with. Tell him I said hiya.

[quote name='MB1' post='1103371' date='Jan 26 2011, 11:31 AM']MB1. Never had any Problems with these guys! had several covers made! A1 Excellent covers and Top Notch customer Service! ROQSOLID www.roqsolid.co.uk ............ Contact Bryn on 07748155864 Contact Lee on 07929253434 Roqsolid Unit 8f Carr Mills Business Centre 919 Bradford road Birstall West Yorkshire WF17 9JX. And before you ask ! i dont work for them no![/quote] I have a cover from these guys; I dealt with Bryn throughout, emails were slow to reply - he blamed a computer crash which could happen, but it's such a common excuse off dodgy companies that I was left wondering. However, all turned out well in the end, I was his first Hiwatt 4123 cab that he made a cover for, so it's my measurements that's on the one on Ebay now. Fits like a glove (it was right first time too), fantastic quality & an excellent price. I'm considering having covers made for a couple of combos and wouldn't go to anyone else but Roqsolid.

One song I never ever ever get tired of hearing the bass on is "Town called malice"

[quote name='skankdelvar' post='1140214' date='Feb 24 2011, 06:08 PM']About 30 years ago, my mate Ken had a job driving a van. His helper was Gary Numan. One day young Gary handed him a bedroom tape he'd done, which was a sort of re-written cop of Ziggy Stardust. IIRC, Ken - no mean guitarist - reckoned it was OK-ish but told Gary would get more work if he did a covers band.[/quote] As I remember Mr Bowie was non too complimentary when Gary hit the big time. By coincidence I was watching TA's "Are Friends Electric?" on the Whistle Test DVD yesterday. It was quite different to the released version, but the mix was crap too.

Apologies for posting a link that I've posted before but when I first heard [i]this [/i]bass making [i]this [/i]noise I had to have one, FF to 2:55 if you can't stand Nod's voice. When he had it whining on the bent notes in the dusty end & the chord intro to Spirit In The Sky it gets me every time.

My first bass was a Gibson EB3, s/n 907469; I'll never forget that. My current (custom) has no number, trying telling the insurers that, "does not compute" they say. But there's only 3 like it in the world & I know where the other two are. Mine is the one with the ding in the top horn!

I'm luckly that my local depot is just across town for me, it must be a right pain in the pisser if you have to travel to yours. In the past two years I've been in & overheard at different times drivers bragging that they can do what they please with deliveries because the manager is too scared to confront them in case a strike kicks off - and one driver saying another one had gone out & he must have been still over the limit from what he saw him drink the night before.

[quote name='Hobbayne' post='1138866' date='Feb 23 2011, 05:22 PM']Steer clear of this shower of sh*t guys!! [/quote] As I've said a few times on here, I wouldn't use PF if they were free. I'm only surprised that their men don't drive off into the sunset shouting "yee-ha!". I ordered an SKB case that wasn't distributed in the UK at the time, excellent service from Thomann, perfect in every way; but you do get hammered with spam & junk-mail from them afterwards.

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='1129988' date='Feb 16 2011, 06:06 PM'][i]The body has been relic'd (aged) to emulate the wear and tear from many years of playing. [/i] [color="#0000FF"]I screwed up. Badly.[/color] [i]The relicing is very unique to this body and not a generic pattern. [/i] [color="#0000FF"]You won't see another one as bad as this in a hurry.[/color] [i]There a lot of chips round the sides of the body, and marks on the back, but this is all part of the relicing. [/i] [color="#0000FF"]It's supposed to look like that. No, really, honest it is.[/color] [i]The wear marks on the front of the bass are quite deep in that they go into the wood a little, and not just the laquer.[/i] [color="#0000FF"]Those Dremel grinders are right little bastards to control, aren't they?[/color][/quote] It's long hand for "I tied it to my tow-bar & drove it round the block one time too many".

[quote name='thumperbob 2002' post='1129363' date='Feb 16 2011, 11:00 AM']Welcome to my world[/quote] A cover of a Jim Reeves song, now that IS unusual!!! I'll get me coat! ....................

[quote name='Bassassin' post='454181' date='Apr 4 2009, 02:57 PM']Great to see that - not too many JBs around (despite the fact they still make 'em) and would love to add one to my hoard one of these days... [/quote] If you're still looking there's TWO on the 'Bay just now, not cheap - but both gorgeous, from his hey-day. [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Original-John-Birch-Electric-Bass-/220737118661?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item3364f521c5"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Original-John-Birch-...=item3364f521c5[/url] and [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/JOHN-BIRCH-BASS-GUITAR-/270704606761?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item3f07407e29"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/JOHN-BIRCH-BASS-GUIT...=item3f07407e29[/url]

Sounds like a mix of he hasn't a clue what he's doing and he's set it up to his preference. Take it to a real [i]guitar[/i] tech, tell him how you want it set up & pay him to do it. Then learn not to lend your bass - for whatever reason I can't guess - to the "tech" at your college.

[quote name='prestigeguitars']This really looks like a CS Relic![/quote] To a blind man running for a bus having a quick squint as he went past.

I was listening to as few tracks just last week by ELO & thinking how amazing they are; complex arrangements sometimes but often sounding deceptively simple. I only have a couple of GH CD's & the DVD of the 77 gig - or was it 78? Many years ago I drooled now only at the ability to do this - but I also HAD to have one of those basses! There's picking - and there's picking! From kid's TV show Get Fresh.

[quote name='icastle' post='1119845' date='Feb 8 2011, 10:20 AM']I've never played an 8' high rig either - how on earth do people reach the volume control?!? [/quote] Some can, some can't!

[quote name='Cygnus x-1' post='1118724' date='Feb 7 2011, 11:31 AM']Having skimmed the 4 pages of this thread, I think IMO some people are unfair on Parcel Force. Probably most couriers have horror story's and I guess most couriers will have a very similar percentages of parcels that get to their destiations undamaged.[/quote] You don't have to judge by solely this thread, there's a pinned one on the main page with many similar horror stories, asking for feedback on various couriers. I've used PF both thru work & for myself & now wouldn't use them if they were free because of; poor contact facility, piss-poor non-arrival for collection, numerous damage in transit, avoidance of responsibility when obvious it was their fault. In return, when I dumped PF I've yet to have a single problem with any other company .......... sa far. My pref for now is FedEx. Cue long list of folk who've had disasters with FedEx!

[quote name='witterth' post='1117822' date='Feb 6 2011, 04:32 PM']I dont like Jeff Berlin. his opinions are as dull as his music that I've heard.... and I like Stu Hamm, so thats going some. self opinonated/ self agrandising/theory obsessed bore/dull dull dull dull but thats only what I think classical music? write sommat thysen you geyt!! did I mention I dont like him? sorry chaps, Ive gone too far havent I? feel better for saying it though[/quote] Stop beating about the bush & say what you really feel !! I guess you mellowed in your edit to make it kinder?

I've shipped a couple of valve heads internationally, one to Australia, one to USA. The one to the USA - a Hiwatt 200 - was double boxed, firstly in a box bought from HiwattMG (£26 for a cardboard box ) with poly corner protectors & the gaps filled with Quavers. Gaffa'd to hell, then put into a specially made to size cardboard box with a 4" gap on all six sides that was filled with polystyrene wall tiles. It was the size of a medium sized coffin when it was done. When it arrived in the USA it still had the mains indicator lamp smashed!

[quote name='silddx' post='1097026' date='Jan 21 2011, 12:45 AM']Thanks Adam [/quote] Bass AND Sax, multi-instrumentalist? V impressive!

[quote name='Protium' post='1116850' date='Feb 5 2011, 07:05 PM']A hard case provides more protection than a cardboard box. The bass has turned up in described condition. I can't see what you want to seek compensation for, other than to try and rip off the seller.[/quote] This! .... and yeah, me personally I would have put a sleeve of cardboard around the case, but since you've already said yourself that it was a [quote name='Dusty' post='1116783' date='Feb 5 2011, 06:09 PM']Pro Level bass .................... the case ( a covered thin chipboard variety)[/quote] then surely you weren't going to keep that level of bass in that kind of case anyway???? So ... I'd let it slide.