Chris2112

Ah, the P bass. The last resort when all inspiration has left the player.

[quote name='Darkstrike' post='1275299' date='Jun 19 2011, 09:35 PM']Always loved the look of the Chronos. The Benevente single cut ain't bad either. [/quote] Good luck ever finding a Benavente on these shores though!

It looks like a good one! I am looking forward to getting some photographs taken of my new Series II and getting a review written up.

Couple of nice older Status basses turning up here, where did you get that one from sgh?

Jaysus Chroist, now how am I supposed to chose between my Status Series II and my ACG? And what about the Kubicki?

[quote name='AttitudeCastle' post='1274966' date='Jun 19 2011, 05:18 PM'] Blame that guy if you don't like the Warwick thumb SC, he designed it with his friend Pretty good tone though, (even though i sense many won't care for what he plays haha)[/quote] Oh no, bloke sitting in his bedroom tapping on a singlecut, this isn't good for the stereotype! All the same, that Thumb singlecut...yuck. I can't believe it took two people to make that!

Ah, what a nice thread to come home to! Well, I definitely think that singlecuts are a good thing. I don't think they add a massive amount tonally, but they look fantastic and a singlecut can still be an instrument that balances very well. See below: It doesn't weight much because the body itself is relatively small, but the mass is balanced through the singlecut. I can quite happily say it's the best balancing headed bass I've ever played. It looks fantastic, it sounds fantastic and it feels fantastic. is it the way forward? For me, it's probably the best way of making a boutique bass. This was the first singlecut I've owned and I didn't really know what to expect of it when I got it but it really has surpassed all expectations. If it were normal Harlot shape it wouldn't look as good, might not balance as well either. So I'll just leave it as it is. There are a few companies who have got singlecuts very wrong, Warwick being one of them. They seem to have missed the point that in the Thumb, it's the small body and the wood choice that makes the bass. They've increased the body size and changed the wood choice to stop it weighing a tonne, and then lost the Thumb tone. So, as we've assessed, singlecuts are great. That doesn't mean they'll change the world or the way basses are made. As we've seen, Status Graphite made a headless bass with active electronics, a graphite thru neck and a headless design in the 80's. I've just picked up a 1980's Series II today and it's one of the best basses I've ever played, easily the best Status. That bass was made in 1986, perhaps earlier - and yet ever since then, companies around the world have continued producing crap, like the Fender P bass for example. The fact is, bassists in general have pretty low standards of what they want from an instrument. They just want something they can plod the root note on, and P bass is that piece of crap with strings on it that will fit the bill. To summarise, although there are better ways of doing things, there is no impetus to actually change the status quo as crap, boring basses continue to sell to ill-informed customers.

Got tosay I didn't think much of that. Perhaps a case of 'too many cooks', but it seemed like everyone was just waiting for their moment in the spotlight as opposed to acting as a cohesive unit. In that sense, I found the song a bit disjointed and the Hammond organ sounding solo near the end was awful.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1273199' date='Jun 17 2011, 09:12 PM']Do you want to lend my specs Chris ? Ha. All on the front Chris not the back.[/quote] Jesus Christ! 'chips in the finish' is a mild way of putting it!

[quote name='XB26354' post='1273232' date='Jun 17 2011, 09:30 PM']How many Thumb Singlecuts do you think they've sold starting at nearly four grand? [/quote] Probably not many, because they're ugly and probably weigh a tonne.

I'd probably buy a Smith CR 6 string if I lived in the US.

I can't seem to see the damage to the paint but it looks as though the neck's finish is covered in hairline cracks near the joint. Looks bad!

I'd go for a 4 string personally, but thats just me! I used to own one of the Rebop DLX basses, a 4 string 34" scale model with a lovely Zebrano top. I sold it long ago for very little, which is crazy considering they now cost over £1000 new! It was an absolutely stunning bass, which makes it all the more crazy that it cost me just £549 new! The EMG HZ pickups were excellent and the Tone Pump was marvellous. Don't listen to the guff spouted about 'Tone Dump', the Tone Pump preamp is very good indeed and I'd only choose Bartolini or Hazlab ahead of it in a Spector. The NT models do sound a little softer and a little more rounded but they are still what I would call bright and aggressive basses. If I was buying again I'd pay a little more and go for a NT Spector (simply because I've played and loved loads and never owned one!). If I had to have my rebop back I'd be very happy with that too. It sounded so damn good and it played brilliantly too. What a joy that bass was, sadly missed!

[quote name='Big_Stu' post='1271890' date='Jun 16 2011, 05:44 PM']He built this about 4 years ago for a guy I know in the USA. Gorgeous machine, I'd love one myself but couldn't justify the price-tag, either to myself or the other half.[/quote] I never thought I'd see it but there you are, an ugly Jaydee! In fact, that might be one of the most hideous basses I've ever seen. It looks like the kind of thing that would have been burned for firewood in the 70's!

I think it's fair to say that Warwick have been hideously unfashinable for a long time now. I remember when Talkbass was taken up in their hype and they were the 'in' bass, everyone had one and then a few months later they were being dropped in their droves as they moved onto the next trend. With bassists in this country, they've never been a massive hit but I suppose thats the dealer network's fault as much as anything. Mind you, we are behind the times in the UK, we're only just getting round to accepting handmade boutique stuff as the best and the market for hoary old rubbish like vintage Fenders is still huge!

Best get your 16th note slapped triplets nice and sharp, Pete!

The thing I always think when I see things about writing essays about musicians is, who actually reads these things?

[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' post='1270882' date='Jun 16 2011, 12:38 AM']The most impressive thing by far is that your mum is a stand up comedian.[/quote] That and you heard her complimenting his length on the phone!

I suspect that John's time is mostly spent making Mark King-alike basses so the 6 strings/Calibbas models are accordingly rare!

[quote name='dc2009' post='1270344' date='Jun 15 2011, 05:18 PM']I don't know what this nu-metal association is, I know some nu-metal bands used warwicks but ibanezes were far more prevalent in that scene.[/quote] Ibanez guitars, maybe! I don't think their basses were that prominent in nu metal. Aside from Fieldy and his K5 I don't think they had many notable players on the books. By the time Paul Gray got an Ibanez signature bass nu metal was well over the hill and Slipknot had distanced themselves from it (a progression which started with Iowa, you could argue). Mind you, their guitars have always been top notch. Whatever field you play in, be it fusion, metal, jazz or whatever an Ibanez is still the best guitar you can get and has been for years IMO.

Christ, are they still going? I remember 'Growing on Me', that was nearly a decade ago!

What this really comes down to is...who is the hottest?

Indeed, Mangini is far better than Portnoy so thats a plus.

[quote name='Wolverinebass' post='1269203' date='Jun 14 2011, 08:54 PM']That's why I like the all graphite ones. As Rich (Out To Play Jazz) suggests ones which are foam rather than wood encased in graphite. Harsh? Thank you. That's what I want. Virtually unlimited cutting brutality on tap. I don't have to use it and I frequently don't, but it has enabled me to have the requisite amount of cut when I need it in demanding situations. I've never experienced this from any other bass I've tried other than all graphite ones. When I tried a Mark King (which was the graphite skin version) it just didn't have it though it was a fantastic bass. Even when I played a normal S2, it just wasn't the same. Hey, I'm biased. I love my buzzard. Plus I thought the Stealth I tried a few years ago was great as well. I fully suspect that I'm in a minority of one with this statement, but this is what does it for me. [/quote] I'm not sure if my amplification affects my opinion. At the time I had my Stealth I was using Trace Elliot amps and even then, flicking the bright switch was like a cheesewire to your ear. With it off, the bass sounded great. I now have an Ashdown Mark King amp which really gets those high frequencies singing, so I expect it would be too much to expect a Stealth to sound palatable through that with the bright switch on! I have to say, I love a bright, up front sound but I have never been in a situation where the brightness the Stealth could deliver is needed. If you listen to the Status sound Mark gets on the 'Physical Presence' live album, thats the sort of sound and mix I like to go for. I suppose I should be thankful my bandmates love that sound and style of playing as it's kept me away from long periods pedalling the root note for years! I have the Big Country and Level 42 records spinning now, ready for the bass coming. I think I'll treat myself to one of Stuart Clayton's Level 42 books to brush up on a few tunes. I really want to learn '43' and 'Dune Tune'.