Chris2112

In the 80's there were two blokes who I think were as good as Mark King: Geddy Lee and Stuart Hamm. Plenty of great bassists around at the time but these three really knew the score.

Bubinga, no I'm not joking. When I see amateur bassists who can really play they've usually got a few King licks up their sleeve. But then I do like bassists who aren't afraid to really work the bass rather than just plod along on it!

[quote name='steve-soar' post='982647' date='Oct 9 2010, 04:04 PM']Ouch, aching forearms.[/quote] I forgot just how incredible your stamina has to be for that song! By the first chorus my arms were starting to ache! I ended up slapping with a much lighter touch from the thumb and that allowed me to rattle the song off without my arms seizing up!

In keeping with the recent Level 42 theme I went back to "Lessons in Love" and got it tight with the drums!

Mark King is of course the boy! And despite the fact he could play rings around anyone here on the forum, he remains to be a nice guy. I think his impact goes far beyond the fact he was the face of bass in Europe in the 80's, and I don't think there has been anyone since to have dominated the scene in the way he has. I think today you can spot a good bassist a mile off, usually if he has his Level 42 licks together. A little bit of "43" here, a bit of "Mr Pink" there, most of the guys who have got their chops together now did it with Level 42 records! I do think he would have been great in other musical situations but he enjoyed so much success with Level 42 that he didn't need to branch out. When I think of this, I always go back to the Princes Trust video with Mark playing bass on Midge Ure's "If I Was". Mark forms a huge groove with Big Country's mark brzezicki on drums, incredible stuff.

I loved having my Thumb. It was one of those basses I had always wanted to own and it was very useable. Would I want to own another Warwick? I could be tempted by a Streamer, but as it stands I'm not really wanting to rush back to them. I'd rush back to Spector though!

Very nice basses to play and quite a nice aggressive sound too. Definitely a "studio" bass though, unless you play in a disco or cabaret band!

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=105372"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=105372[/url] I've written up a few notes on my time with an S2 here, a quick review of a 1986 S2 through my Ashdown MK500.

The first time I saw Level 42 live was at the Sage on the Retroglide tour! Good show too!

As much as I love Wals, they can lean towards being "boat anchors". The MKII and III were suitably trimmed down and look much more stylish though. They play well (IMO) but the curious V shaped neck profile can be disconcerting to some. Watching Jonas Hellborg playing his Wal double neck can sometimes make [i]me[/i] feel exhausted!

You'll lose a bit of cash value in the trade, but if you can sit down and try it first and like it then I don't think it's that bad a deal.

Trends are of course trends, no matter how long they last. I think one day Wal basses will be uncool. Remember the Warwick boom at the turn of the millenium? People realised the old ones were the ones to have and their values rose, people bought the new ones by the shedload and they commanded good prices used. Now they're doing extremely badly on the used market. A good Thumb NT will struggle to make £800, Streamer Stage 1's seem to do pretty badly too. Wal were once in this position themselves!

I can remember when Wals were considered old hat and sold for next to nothing! They were like the ultimate pub bassists instrument, naffer than naff! Of course, I do not subscribe to this school of thought. They are amazing, utterly unique basses. However, in terms of just how good they are, I do feel their prices have been vastly over-inflated and this has had a knock on effect to the new build ones.

[quote name='Grand Wazoo' post='977913' date='Oct 5 2010, 01:14 AM']and in the rest of the world they are pronounced war-wick[/quote] I always that was such a clumsy sounding name next to the elegance of "worrick"!

Looks nice but I didn't really find the sound to be anything special, pretty dull sounding to me.

Afternoon all, Just thought I would report back with some thoughts about a a lovely Status Graphite S2 that I've had the pleasure borrowing over the weekend. It belongs to Basschat's own "Conan" aka Geoff, who kindly lent me the bass in exchange for my Alembic Epic fretless. Without further ado, here are a couple of naff iphone photos I took of the 1986 S2 #263: and it was being played through this amp...my inexpertly photographed Ashdown MK500! [b]sounds[/b]: The sound is perhaps the biggest talking point for me. I've long heard the talk of these old skool S2's with the thru neck and no truss rod, and how overtly aggressive they sound. I can confirm this to be true, it positively growls. The sound was very snappy, very bright and very articulate. 16th note runs could sound like a piano! I left the EQ set flat and didn't touch it and I also bypassed the Ashdown's EQ. Naturally, it has to most incredible even tone across the board. Every note rings true and is truely useable, unlike on some basses where things can sound a bit mushy past the 12th fret! I was intrigued to see it has a passive switch, although I didn't use the passive setting. It sounded good enough, but the bass was clearly made to be played active, with all that characteristic pop and sizzle coming through. However, the passive mode is a nice backup incase things go pear shaped at a gig! Coupled with the Ashdown MK500, it was very close to the sound Mark King is getting live these days. Plenty of top end and a powerful, solid low end with a characteristic delivery that is akin to being hit over the head with a shovel. Of course, Mark's tone these days is a bit fuller sounding and this replicated it perfectly (although this was generally with both pickups engaged). Switch the bridge pickup and you're instantly back with the sound Mark had from his Statii in the 80's. Almost thin, but still useable and very burpy. It had so much burp it didn't do a bad job of an album playalong to Rush's masterpiece [i]Hold Your Fire[/i]. I was especially impressed with the dynamics of the bass; particularly when you pluck harder you get more bite and burp from it. This makes for an entertaining bass. I will say that it is not particularly versatile in a sense: it makes the Status sound and that is it. However, it is a sound so unique and so useable that it needs little else. It could fit in anywhere and sound great and be instantly recognisable. [b]Playability[/b]: It plays very well, as is to be expected. Even after 24 years, the neck has not moved at all I'm told! I can quite imagine, it feels as stiff as a board and the tuning is as stable as you'll find! Geoff tells me he has the action set relatively high. It worked well for me, though I did find it wore on the popping finger as you went on. I'd perhaps have it lower but it is a matter of choice; and even in the state it was in it felt effortless to play. Chords were a doddle and rang true with no mushiness, slap felt clean and precise and fingerstyle was also great fun. It has the famed "square" shaped neck seen on these 1980's Status basses. Despite sounding strange on paper, it comes off as being very easy to play and feels very natural. It is a thick neck compared to a jazz bass, but given the effortlessness of the action it doesn't tire the hand. The bass is very light thanks to the materials used and the headless construction and balances well. It was clearly made to be worn high on the chest like Mark King does and I get the impression a standing gig with it would be easy! [b]Construction[/b]: The construction is as excellent as one would expect. The quality of the woods and the woodworking is top notch, and the graphite thru neck is a joy. I can't say anymore than has already been said about graphite necks but I can't imagine how "space age" this must have appeared in the 80's! Little aesthetic touches like brass side dots appear throughout, adding to the "boutique" quality. The heel is superbly playable meaning upper register work is always comfortable. The hardware is excellent and there was very little crackle in the pots, showing that the electrics are well made and in good order. The flightcase it comes with is well made, but it's as heavy as boat anchor! If I were gigging it I think I'd keep it in a hardcase to spare my back! Still, that appears to have survived over 20 years of gigging too so one can't criticise the build quality of the case! [b]What did the amp have to do with it?[/b]: Well, being Mark's signature combo one would expect it to get on well with this bass. It most certainly did and sounded fantastic run flat in my bedroom. It has a "harmonic emphasis" control, a system that allegedly generates new harmonic content and adds "sparkle" to a sound without it being flat or fake sounding. It really works too, but I left it switched off here. Coupled with the S2, it was jus too bright and could shear your ears off! I found a similar issue with my Status Stealth bass through my old Trace Elliot rig; the bright switch on it was just too much and never really got used. However, the switch certainly livens up basses that aren't already generating 80's sparkle and sizzle! Generally, I found the amp to go brilliantly with the bass. It really put it's best foot forward and gave me the classic Mark King tones alongside his modern tones, proving if anything that the Status sound is timeless. [b]Closing thoughts[/b]: I've greatly enjoyed having this bass over the weekend and giving it a bit of a spin when I had the time. I consider the 80's S2 to be a "holy grail" type bass, and I think something has been lost along the way with these basses. The S2 Classic I'd say is more useable and appealing to the average bassist. The mid control is a useful tool, as is the truss rod for easy home adjustment. However, I don't find the construction as appealing now. I'm sure there are many who will say they now look more elegant with the straight monorail bridge and the bookmatched rear wood facings. However, I find the graphite thru neck distinctly flash and appealing in way that is missing now. The modern S2's are amazing but they are a different bass in my eyes. They don't have the relentless, ferocious growl of the 80's S2. It's like putting an elegant Mercedes Benz next to it's snarling, race ready AMG cousin. Both are amazing, but thrill the soul in different ways. It has also made me look closely at my own basses. I've decided that I really won't find anything better than a Kubicki. Rob Green is a master of his art and Status basses are incredible, however I just feel they are in some strange way pipped to the post by Kubicki basses as my favourites. Both are high tech, over engineered 80's slap machines, but the Kubicki feels at once more simple and yet more complex. It sounds a bit different, it feels a bit different, it's a bit more flexible given the 6 position preamp. If anything, it has strengthened my resolve that I won't let my Kubicki go again. However, it has hit me over the head as being the Status bass I love. Something that my Matrix and Stealth didn't quite do. The Matrix was fun and very useable in a band, the Stealth was beautiful but I just didn't want a 6 string. I've already been on the phone to Dawn at Status about ordering a MK1 Kingbass Artist if I can't find one for sale in the next few months. I figure that the MK1 Kingbass is the closest thing to the aggressive old S2 and Dawn reckons Rob can accomodate a few of my aesthetic requests. It's also made me look closely at Status basses. I can see why some people would find them too unique, too aggressive, too bright, too flash and dare I say, too 80's. However, the S2 is a timeless shape and still looks fresh. It still sounds fresh. And unless you're playing a bass made in California by a guy named Philip Kubicki, you won't find anything that plays better either. This brief foray has driven me on with my Status adventure and once again kickstarted my search for a Kingbass. It's been a pleasure! Chris

Just had the pleasure of a weekend bass trade with Geoff, my Alembic Epic for his Status S2. Fantastic to deal with, great to stand and chat with! An honest bloke who I would have no reservations about doing business with!