Chris2112

If I have one issue with the Bongo it's knowing that the body is basswood. Still, they are well finished in a variety of attractive finishes and they sound good so it's not a massive issue!

Yeah, I really like CLaypool's 32" scale bass and the Antimatter bass but a lot of Carl's work doesn't inspire me. However, he did pretty much start a design movement that is still going strong with many luthiers today.

And I even sold an Alembic 5 string here recently for £600! You can find the bargains if you look!

Clean with a cloth and keep them tidy. If the fretboard needs a rub with oil I'll do that too.

It's fantastic to see it, but definitely not for me. As in so many of Carl's basses, the pickup is so bloody far away from the bridge it could only sound awful! It's very pricey too, and I appreciate that Carl may well be retired now but his basses don't seem to generate the same excitement they once did.

That is stunning. Terrible shame he has lost it, and I hope he gets it back!

[quote name='Musicman20' post='1008235' date='Nov 1 2010, 10:01 AM']Agreed, their Humbucker is immense, and their new single coils (well fairly recent) are very nice.[/quote] Although I should note that I'm referring to Musicman "style" humbuckers, not specifically ones made by Musicman. Predictably, I think the best pickups these days are found on ACG basses!

The chase is good, so long as the catch isn't a let down (Fender Urge Standard...!).

Their customer service really has come on leaps and bounds from when they started a few years ago. The staff are very helpful there now.

It depends, if it's not a special Rebop it's an alright price. Although you'd be better of putting that money towards something better. However, if it's one of the Rebop DLX basses with the special top woods on then it'd be a damn good deal!

Yes, I'd advise trying a mid range 5 string first. Just incase the 5 string thing doesn't really suit you, it means you're not too far out of pocket with a high end bass thats hard to shift! I traded a Kubicki Ex Factor for a Status Stealth 6 string and whilst it was a class bass, I really didn't need or get on with having 6 strings, so I ended up selling it. It just wasn't right for me. If you're serious about spending that sort of money, do yourself a favour and get a ticket to the Bass Gallery in London. Try as many 5 strings as you can from the big name brands and find out what you like. Even if you don't buy anything then, it'll give you some good pointers for your search.

This guy sounds like a real tosser! Fair enough if he wants to keep his item, but he is not being a gentleman about it. He should have been honest from the start!

Very smart!

Give him a ring then and find out whats going on!

I'd give him a ring (from a withheld number) and try and sort it out over the phone. See what the score is, see if he has dropped the ball. If he isn't forthcoming with some good answers, just leave him some bad feedback.

Oh dear! Sounds like trouble! I much prefer to buy and collect basses myself, although I appreciate that isn't always possible. I've never been mis-sold anything though,or had anything damaged in transit.

G&L are good but I do find they can lean towards being boat anchors at times. They're nice and sound great, but the designs do feel a bit old hat. I'd still own one if I were looking for an "old skool" bass but even then, aside from having some coil splitting options I don't think they improved on the Stingray design. When there are so many wonderful things to experience, I don't think bassists need to look back as much as they do. I've just discovered singlecut designs, having liked the look of them for years but never ownedone. It's a revelation!

It was interested when Hadriend Feraud appeared and he was playing his Burner everywhere - one of the top line wooden topped ones. IIRC He got a USA Ken Smith bass but then endedup playing the Burner fulltime because he preferred the feel and sound! As I've said they do sound good but I don't think they're quite up there with the big boys like Fodera and Alembic in terms of amazing tonal quality. They can sound so compressed off the bat sometimes, which can make that lovely midrange honky and silly sounding.

Andy, that does look lovely! Those wood topped Burners have always looked good! I find Smith basses very interesting because outside of Fodera and Alembic they are probably the highest profile handmade American basses. They are very acute in what they do they, I have found them all to have a very focused tone, relying heavily on the midrange. It's a very nice sound for fingerstyle playing but I've always thought if the gig calls for something other than that deep, burpy sound you'd be taking a knife to a gunfight. Still, they look nice and play well. I'd still like to own one someday, but the handful that I've played have never really "hit the spot" for me. Good, but not something I'd consider to be absolutely top line. Far more interesting than a Fender though!

Guitar Guitar are typically the best place to look for good gear on the highstreet. They usually have a couple of nice guitars in, although the bass selection can occasionally be a bit "vanilla" if they haven't got any used gear in.

[quote name='Machines' post='1006596' date='Oct 30 2010, 07:17 PM']So Holly is a white, almost grainless wood, right ?[/quote] If you get the right piece, although you can get some with grain or figuring.