Chris2112

I'll be honest, that does look awful.

Well, I'd do what you've done and go down the Musicman route - it is IMO the natural evolution of the J and P bass! I find myself a little bored overall with typical setups and I've turned towards basses that are a little more interesting - graphite components, headless designs, high tech preamps etc etc. However, I am not a fan of things that are frivilous in design, they have to add to incredible tone or playability. Recently I've found myself interested in basses with unique and interesting preamps and electronic settings. Things like Alembics, ACGs, Wals etc etc. I also believe that the Musicman style humbucker pickup is the way forward, it just sounds so much better than a singlecoil or a split coil or whatever!

I've always thought Behringer stuff was pretty good for the money, the morally dubious quality is another thing.

Lovely looking bass there, not sure it sounds so good through the TC Electronics head though.

That Kingbass #4 really is stunning. I was offered it for a sale a few years ago for something ridiculous like £850! That must have been on Bassworld. I'll get a Kingbass one of these days!

Thats what I love about Fodera, their simplicity and elegance. I think this is the key to their design above all other things, they look so natural and avoid the tacky and contrived look of some handmade basses such as Ritter etc etc.

They're nice basses and without looking at the Ebay auction I can't comment on the price. However, having had the chance to play Pro basses and the top line mk1 and mk2 models there is (IMO) quite some distance between them. For instance, I don't dream of owning a Pro series Wal but I've been made about the Mk2 basses for years!

[quote name='Lfalex v1.1' post='1000317' date='Oct 25 2010, 07:03 PM']Fender (Stu Hamm) Urge[/quote] Don't forget though, with Stu's basses there is something of a catch. First of all, there was the "Urge Standard", basically a pretty naff 32" scale active jazz bass. I had one briefly and whilst it was lovely and light it sounded pretty crap and felt cheap. And with Stu's "Urge II" basses, he uses ones made in the Fender Custom shop handmade by Todd Krause. They are, of course, amazing instruments!

[quote name='molan' post='1001621' date='Oct 26 2010, 07:55 PM']Shame he didn't use it when I saw him last week - left it on the side of the stage with the LED's glowing but didn't go near it once [/quote] The bass in question is an Alembic Stanley Clarke with a huge dragon inlay. I don't think it has LED's though so you must have seen a different bass! I know that the dragon bass was used to record some of "The Toys of Men" though, and what a record that is!

[quote name='jacko' post='1001524' date='Oct 26 2010, 06:46 PM']Vic also plays a five string Joe Compito fretless.[/quote] He also has a 6 string fretted Compito, an old school Graphite Steinberger, a Kubicki Ex Factor and an old long scale Alembic (either a Series I or II) which he had in the early 80's - the story being that he bought that bass when he had the money for it when he was young and used it non-stop. He was recording in NYC when a producer told him he didn't like the bass and sent him out to get another one. Vic came back with his Monarch "#1" bass and the rest is history! As for bassists getting free basses, I just don't think the small luthiers can afford it! However, Stanley Clarke did get a free Alembic Stanley Clarke bass as as gift after buying Alembic basses for 30 years!

Michael Manring is the man. I wish he'd do another record with David Cullen though, the "Equilibre" stuff is as good as it gets!

Probably around 30 mins a day or thereabouts.

I have to admit, since I got my ACG my status GAS has decreased considerably but I don't think it will ever go away - maybe I'll buy that Jonas Hellborg bass I've been thinking about for ages soon!

Thankfully I can't stand BC Rich basses or Trivium, or I might feel similarly miffed

I've recently discovered how fantastic singlecuts are. Other than that, I love headless basses!

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='999225' date='Oct 24 2010, 07:58 PM']Anyone else notice that when you get more than one bass player in a frame it starts to look like rehab for sex offenders?[/quote] You might look like a sex offender but I'm not sure about the rest of us!

I've never seen anyone who can copy Manring. There are plenty of very talented King/Wooten/Jaco clones but no-one can do what Michael does - they can't afford the basses to do it either!