Chris2112

I don't know if anyone else here does it but the daily check-in on Bass Bros is a ritual for me now. I always want to see what new stuff they have! In this field, they have a clear edge over Bass Direct. After a large update a while ago, I found the Bass Direct site had become such a mess and such a faff to navigate that I had stopped looking at it unless I was going there for something I wanted. I like the fact that on Bass Bros, you just click the page and immediately see the new offering.

I'm guessing Maruszczyk?

The bass looks really poor, I have to say. It's not just one issue here but several, which is what tends to convince me that the overall workmanship is poor and the builder doesn't care. Letting a bass go with one flaw and hoping it wouldn't be noticed is lazy and unacceptable but to send something out with a number of flaws like this, all of which are quite obvious, just shows contempt for the customer and the £2300 spent. The binding is stained. The paint is flawed. The fret ends look ridiculous (is one of them casting a shadow in one of those photos?). The scratchplate looks like it's been hand cut with an old tin opener. The neck and bridge are out of alignment, and the OP didn't even notice that! I am guessing the OP is in the UK given that he stated what he'd paid in £. I do often wonder if UK customers now are given short shift at times because of their apparently meek nature and the additional issues and costs with shipping in and out of the country. In this case, we once again see an OP tip-toeing around the issue of naming this botch-jobber in the hope that this would give him some bargaining power to get the bass fixed, unaware that bending the knee at such an early stage just signals defeat. FWIW, I wouldn't want such a sloppy bass back; I wouldn't want an ornament of insult sat around my house reminding me of the episode. OP, you're the customer and you're supposed to get what you want when you're spending the thick end of two and half grand. Grovelling and hoping the builder will deign to fix his issues is just... not what I would do. It reminds me a bit of the Letts bass saga, or the handful of posters on Talkbass clutching at straws and hoping Joe Zon would finally build them the bass they had paid for a decade ago. We've had it here before with dodgy builders like Cristian Grosu and Grosmann basses, where builders were named for sending out subpar instruments and it saved the community plenty of headaches in the process. Not here, but on Bass Upfront and groups like that, I was able to warn a few people to read up on some of the horror stories about Grosmann including one on this very site. I'd like to think I saved a few people some cash and some disappointment. OP really should name the builder in this instance to prevent others going through what he has had to put up with.

It was probably Fender 😂 Very sad to hear this about G&L. I've always loved their instruments though the relative scarcity of them outside of America and Japan meant that I'd never ended up owning one. I do hope that Fender could buy them and keep them going as a sub-brand, out of respect for the company that Leo had built, but I don't think the shareholders will go for that. A lot of skilled workers will suffer in this.

Phwoar.

Unfortunately the prosecutor will probably see the file of evidence for the first time on the morning of the hearing and will have time to read the summary of evidence and skim the key witness statements along with whatever other cases they pick up that morning. I wish I was joking!

It's fair to say it's an absolute plodder of a song. Even if the bass tone were fantastic I doubt I'd listen to it twice.

That is absolutely magnificent. Were I feeling silly I'd probably buy that, I mean where else are you ever going to find one? I adore my L-Bow. Thankfully I know restraint these days but still... It's a one for the EU. The size of the case will result in a massive import cost, I would expect, and that's added into the taxable fee as it comes into the UK. Another downside of the bungled Brexit. I think mine was about £2200 in total with fees.

Yes, it always comes across as a soupy noise live. Or at least it seems to, YMMV. They're really just a cover band live now anyway since their most important member has effectively become a recluse. Too many years of smoking weed and reading conspiracy theory nonsense on the net has fried his brain. Interesting to see Chi Cheng mentioned again, because he always struck me as a functional player who could have been replaced by any jobber at short notice. Could anyone point me to something remarkable he has done or a moment where he really shines? I've been listening to Deftones for over twenty years and I've never been moved by what he played other than to say he played the bass part on the tracks.

From what I've heard so far, it's typical Deftones. You usually get a few bangers per album with great catchy riffs from Stephen and a few plodders/filler tracks. I haven't heard a track as good as 'when girls telephone boys' or 'CMND / CTRL' yet though. The bass work sounds absolutely fine to me, which is what I expect. The appeal of Deftones for me has always been the interplay between Abe and Stephen, particularly the way that Stephen is often happy to play in quite a 'sparse' fashion and really get his amp going. His style of riffing is like an elephant falling on your head, but even when Chi Cheng was on the bass, I always just found the bass parts to be functional but never with any particular flair. They fit alongside Stephen's parts and that was it. I'd love to hear them play with Ryan Martinie on the bass (with a Warwick Thumb rather than those weak-sounding Foderas he's playing at the moment). He wouldn't have to go full Mudvayne, rather just do enough to get some great growling bass tone and presence on the tracks.

Thank god it didn't last 😂

I've always wanted to try one of these, they look great and I presume they make all the right J-bass sounds, which are always pleasing to my ear (whereas the Precision tone really does nothing for me unless it's very bright and played with a pick, and even then...). I always thought the relic finish looked good but I've never inspected one up close to see if it looked really authentic or not. It wouldn't fuss me that much, I've always thought they looked good in pictures and when I've seen them on the racks at guitar shops etc.

Ah, it's an age old problem. The problem with keys is that they're so easy to make loud and 'big' without much effort that they can always drown out the rest of the band, never mind just the bass, and because they can be employed with such versatility, keys players who love the sound of their own playing can feel encouraged to play constantly, over everything. Years ago when I worked at a hotel, we'd regularly have bands coming in to play functions and weddings. One band always used the set up worth their guy on a Nord Lead II (a keyboard I never really liked the sound of). He was invariably devastatingly loud and piercing to the detriment of the rest of the band. I always did wonder if they knew how much of the FOH sound was occupied by that noise. In this instance, I think some diplomatic conversation would be in order. A keys player can play a bass part but they can never make it sound like a bass guitar even if they have a good patch, in the same way as a drum machine doesn't bring the music to life like an actual drummer would. If the band are happy enough with stiff-sounding keyboard basslines, your daughter might be stuffed but if they band have any sense they'll recognise and address the issue.

That is absolutely awesome! I'm going to have to get my L-Bow out this afternoon to experience the magic again.

That is awesome. I hope things are on the up for you very soon.

It's always been a load of crap, the current year is no exception.

That looks absolutely great. I adore Warwick Thumbs.

Thanks for your input, it's good to have this perspective!

Some of you here may be aware of the developing situation revealed by Phil Jones of Phil Jones Bass over the course of the day via Facebook, wherein he reports that his business partner has closed the business and is trying to erase his legacy. A couple of hours ago he posted a tribute to his wife that sounds rather like a prelude to suicide. I believe he is still living in the US but I figured someone here may know him and be able to make contact with him to ensure his safety. Sadly has turned the comments off on his posts. Here's hoping word gets through to talk some sense into him, he is a most excellent designer and always seemed like a decent bloke.

This was my thought. Rare, expensive and unique to the point of being irreplaceable. If you want a bass that feels, plays and sounds like a Basslab then it has to be a Basslab.

What was the thread title previously then, saying as it has caused such commotion?

Spector with EMG's and a Tonepump or EMG preamp. Musicman anything also a good call. Status Graphite Series II, Stealth and Modulus basses with EMG pickups can also be very bright when the strings are fresh.

I joined in June 2007, but I was a user of Bassworld beforehand. Looking on way back machine, I remember that Warwick with the curly bubinga top that was used the add flair to the pages.