Chris2112

I still think about the Classic Vive jazz I used to have. The quality of that bass was incredible; it was put together with such care and quality that it could have easily passed for an American Fender in a blind test. I still think about buying another one and putting some Bartolini pickups in it.

[quote name='Muzz' post='1071753' date='Dec 29 2010, 02:16 PM']Like a 50-year old Fender VI then? These ground-breaking musicians... [/quote] Well, no because it was a 34" scale instrument.

[quote name='ThomBassmonkey' post='1071785' date='Dec 29 2010, 02:39 PM']I've only had bad experiences with the cheaper end of acoustic bass guitars. Even the few ok ones I've played, I just found myself thinking "it's like an electric, but it doesn't play or sound as good." so I want to avoid them really.[/quote] If you look around you can find Fender Victor Bailey acoustic basses for good prices. They're pretty rare used but they'd be an even better buy there. Very highly spoken of, and despite the fact I'm not a huge fan of acoustic basses I have to say they are pretty good. IIRC Stanley Clarke used one on his 'The Toys of Men' album.

[quote name='EBS_freak' post='1071749' date='Dec 29 2010, 02:11 PM']Not inferior. Different.[/quote] In my opinion, inferior. As stated above.

I'll be sitting down this afternoon to give 'The Obligatory Boogie' by Stuart Hamm a shot this afternoon. It sounds like it could be a tricky one!

I remember someone on Talkbass once talking about how he played Jeff Berlin's bass at a clinic or something and he couldn't get a note out of it because the action was so low and set up for Jeff's light touch. When you watch him play you can see how low the action is on his basses, it's crazy!

[quote name='Muzz' post='1071747' date='Dec 29 2010, 02:07 PM']I'd like a 6-string tuned an octave up, E to E...oh, wait... [/quote] Jonas Hellborg used to have a Status Energy bass which was tuned E-E, like a guitar but an octave down. He could do some cool stuff with that!

Furthermore, you see loads of EUB's for sale when someone buys one thinking they'll be able to take to it fairly easily before discovering it's a completely different (and IMO, inferior) instrument. I'd only go for an EUB if you're serious about dedicating time to learning it properly and most likely getting tuition as well.

If you're after getting the Hotwire defretted, make sure you go to a professional and maybe even get a new board fitted as that will always look better than a defret. If you do it yourself you'll absolutely ruin the value of the bass.

Like the action on my ACG. I can't be more precise than that, other than to say the bass is set up just how I like it.

I would just take a look at what Kai Eckhardt used to play when he was in the John McLaughlin Trio in the late 80's, something headless with a carbon fibre neck like a Schack would be ideal. It gives that fantastic burpy electric sound which is amazing with nylon string guitars or even steel string acoustics.

I had a chance to A/B the basses with a friend who owned both when the HH was a relatively new thing (he's since converted to Warwick). I didn't find that playability was compromised by the new pickup but it did offer more tones and the classic single humbucker tone was on tap too. The issue really was that the bridge pickup is already in the "sweet spot" and produced such a good sound that I'd have struggled to find a use for the neck pickup! Horses for courses though, as they were both good basses (and admittedly, not quite as good as the Streamers he has now!).

[quote name='sub6' post='712092' date='Jan 13 2010, 11:33 PM']here's my rig, love it, had the head[attachment=40182:P2206_03_11_09.JPG] since march 09 and got the cab in the recent guitar guitar frenzy.[/quote] Nice bass too!

Wow, I never knew Marcus Miller was there.

So, it sounds like the Bass Cellar is still crap then!

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='1070602' date='Dec 27 2010, 10:34 PM']His solo on the extended version of I'm Your Man is brilliant (and I don't generally like solos)[/quote] Sounds like a Status bass he was using there!

He needs to take that hideous pickup cover off! I think people can also forget what a huge talent George is. People have gotten so obssessed with the tabloid excesses of his life, but he is such a fantastic singer.

Whilst I do love a good tone hunt, and I feel that these things should be documented and recorded for future generations to marvel at, I was always able to get a good Cliff Burton sound just by using a distortion pedal and playing with a hard touch in the right hand. Hardly scientific though...

Nice colour!

He also played bass for George Michael too, after Wham split. He had good taste in basses too; playing Status Graphite and Kubicki basses amoung others iirc...

I have no problem with them being 'production line'. It wasn't until the prices sky rocketed that I looked at Wal as a 'boutique' company. Before that, when they could be had for reasonable prices (being sold used in good condition at the gallery for around £1200!), I just looked at them as good, honest workmen's basses. Some of my friends can even remember when Wal were considered naff, when the music scene was wanting to forget the 80's. They had been the studio darlings of that decade and worked their way into the hands of many players, to the point where I recall someone calling them "the ultimate pub bass". And from there, they were out of fashion. Of course, for a number of reasons they're back in; not least of all people remembering that they're great basses and also that they wern't being made anymore. The fact that they're "production line" and pretty simply made should be a good thing, it should mean they can be turned out in larger numbers for lower prices without compromising on quality. That really would be the dream. Were the prices more reasonable, I'd consider collecting a couple over the years, maybe even ordering a Jonas Hellborg style double neck. Like I say, Wal are doing nothing to make themselves superstar basses at the moment and the fact they're being sold for extremely high prices in very small quantities is a great shame and not what I had hoped for when we all dreamt of Wal returning.

Well, those basses will appeal to a very select customer as the signature range from Warwick always comes with a massive mark up on the price. That said, the TM Stevens Streamer will appeal to no-one as it's so bloody awful! I always really liked the look of the P-Nut basses, it's just a shame they don't do a 4 string.

MTD are pretty easy to get hold of in this country, which is good because they're fairly good basses. They don't quite have the magic of the older Tobias basses though, or the quality of sound. Thats a shame, as Gibson still appear to be knocking out their interpretation of Tobias basses. I recall the Nashville era basses from Gibson being fairly well praised but there were concerns about later Gibson instruments. I guess with the state of play being the way it is, Mike will never be able to make the old classics again. Just another great company swallowed up and watered down by Gibson!