LukeFRC Posted October 16, 2010 Share Posted October 16, 2010 (edited) I now own 3 basses that I don't really think I will be able to better. Pretty good. As part of stopping the mild GAS i have I was thinking of leaving basschat and never coming back, and leaving you all this love letter. As it happens I found the theory and technique section and there's lots of great stuff in there for me to read through so i think I'll stick aboot. Anyway I tried to teach myself my mums acuoustic when I was 16 it didn't work for me. A friends 6 string bass a year or so made more sense to me as you played one note at a time, he taught me 7 nation army. I really enjoyed playing it. Later another friend put a lovely 1992 5 string thumb bass in y lap and gave me a wee lesson. Well then I started saving up and the week or two before I went to UNi in edinburgh I found this Status Shark 2 bass at the back of music warehouse in colchester for £400 or so, and he accidentally gave me a status hiscox hardcase as well with it. It taught me to play, I remember tight string spacing and high tension. For the first bit i just rested the headstock agianst the plasterboard to get a bit of amplification, 6 months later I went and bought a vox t-25 amp to play through. Bass was and is something to do that was fun and creative but not the art that was more the day job at art college. During art college I started a band with my friend carla, we were called the futuristic retro champions, they are still going on their 3rd line up change but i was originally 50% of them! Well the status had a lovely warm mellow tone, but I wanted something a bit more punchy. I bought this Fender CIJ '57 P bass from far east guitars. Awesome beast of a bass, I took it round scotland with me and I still have a soft spot for it. Awesome neck on it and built like a tank. The guard on it was very very bright white so I changed it. Edited February 13, 2016 by LukeFRC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted October 16, 2010 Author Share Posted October 16, 2010 (edited) After I left the band I managed to get my rig together, A tech soundsystem 2x12 off a guy on the statii forum (and on here too I think) for not much money and the Hughes and Kettner Q600 head which is amazing and Mike Walsh at Bass merchant sold me for a good price. About this time I joined basschat and sold a pedal I had, I figured I should stick around rather than just using it to sell stuff and then disappear. About this time Warwickhunt started trying to sell this blue warwick streamer, I had wanted a warwick since trying my friends so scrimpt and saved, sold the Status (again on the Statii forum I think) and bought it off him. A great bass but with a slight naisel twang in the midranges I didn’t like at all. But I loved the Warwickness of it. The Fender I had was brill, but I hd bought it as I had fallen a it in love with the JV squiers I had read about. I felt it was cool to have an awesome guitar that said squire on the headstock. Well this came up on basschat and even though it was deffinatly at the high end of what it was worth at the time (though prices now are going silly for these) I jumped on it. Wrong name on the headstock but it’s a early JV squire ’57 RI Edited February 13, 2016 by LukeFRC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted October 16, 2010 Author Share Posted October 16, 2010 (edited) Then was thinking of selling the warwick, as I wasn’t happy and I saw someone selling a Warwick on gumtree, well someone else got their first but the guy selling it wasn’t a great salesperson and tried to bump the price up so the guy (also on basschat) decided against it. I had been emailing the seller and because I lived 5 minutes cycle away he gave me first dibs. I got there to find a well worn in awfully set up 1991 streamer stage one, with a hard case. It fitted my hand like a glove and had the tone I was lookin for. Yes. The blue warwick was sold to an idiot locally who then tried to flip it for profit and ended up making a major loss on it. He was an idiot though. http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee497/LukeFRC/DSC00010.jpg I tried making my own fretless. It sounded good, weighed a ton. Also bought an acoustic, still cant play (takamine en-10 1987) About this time I wanted to paly with effects and got a Line6 Bass Floor Pod XT thingy. Very good but it seemed to suck your tone out a bit, compress stuff too much and was too heavy for me. I only used the tuner the SVT model and a bit of chorus. Basschat then helped me make my own multifx pedal. The Pod was swapped for rasta’s fretless. I recently decided I couldn’t justify having something I couldn’t play and sold it to an amazing player from Glasgow from Basschat. After hearing him play I dropped the amount I wanted for it, because, well he could make it sing! Edited February 13, 2016 by LukeFRC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted October 16, 2010 Author Share Posted October 16, 2010 (edited) I loved the passive tone of the p bass, and also the two pickups of the warwick. I though that the next bass I would get would be a Jazz bass. To try this I bought the Valenti number 42 that has been round most of the forum. How good is this bass? Amazing. Again not keen on the active preamp not because it didn’t sound good but because of I dunno… Was ummin and arring about selling it (sorry funkyspuke) and went and played a few more basses in guitar guitar. The valenti was another league above almost everything they had. Esp way way better tone compared to the sadowsky metros (both in passive) and better built. But the ’75 RI jazz they had just had that tone, passive and amazing with a bit more bite from the 70’s pup placement. Well I decided to sell the Valenti and try to find a ‘75RI, though I hated the natural colour. When Andytravis had to sell his blue ’75 ri I jumped on it. It’s warmer sounding than the normal ones because it has the alder body, but I like that. It’s a really really good bass, which I have no pictures of as yet. I was playing with selling the Warwick, but I love the thing so think I will hang onto it. I doubt I will find many other so nice examples of early streamers without paying silly money. So there you have 3 basses, all brilliant, all reasonably rare and me happy. Now to go and learn some modes….. Edited February 13, 2016 by LukeFRC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary mac Posted October 16, 2010 Share Posted October 16, 2010 That was a good saturday afternoon read, thanks. Some decent pics too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-soar Posted October 16, 2010 Share Posted October 16, 2010 Same here. Mow the grass or look at basses? Mmmmmm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cris the man Posted October 16, 2010 Share Posted October 16, 2010 epic story telling there, i had morgan freeman in my head talking all the way through! lush pictures too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warwickhunt Posted October 16, 2010 Share Posted October 16, 2010 So you're the barsteward who got the Tech cab from under my nose! I had negotiated to buy that cab some time ago, despite my best efforts nothing came of it and my messages went unanswered... now I know why. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted October 16, 2010 Author Share Posted October 16, 2010 thanks! (except warwickhunt! ) looking back ive had some cracking basses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martthebass Posted October 26, 2010 Share Posted October 26, 2010 [quote name='LukeFRC' post='990669' date='Oct 16 2010, 09:50 PM']thanks! (except warwickhunt! ) looking back ive had some cracking basses.[/quote] I had a JV '57 reissue back in the day. I got it only a couple of weeks after they came out so like yours it was a first issue with the big Fender on the headstock. Like a fool I sold it a few years later to get a MIA Jazz (think it was a 1980 or thereabouts in sienna burst). I was a fool it wasn't a patch on the JV. The JV is probably the only bass I've ever regretted parting wuth (and there's been a few). Do not make the same mistake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbayne Posted October 26, 2010 Share Posted October 26, 2010 [quote name='martthebass' post='1001490' date='Oct 26 2010, 06:24 PM']I had a JV '57 reissue back in the day. I got it only a couple of weeks after they came out so like yours it was a first issue with the big Fender on the headstock. Like a fool I sold it a few years later to get a MIA Jazz (think it was a 1980 or thereabouts in sienna burst). I was a fool it wasn't a patch on the JV. The JV is probably the only bass I've ever regretted parting wuth (and there's been a few). Do not make the same mistake [/quote] Oh yes the Squier JV series I bought a fiesta red 57 Squire P Bass back in December 1984 Lovely maple neck as I remember. I had it resprayed in 1985 and had it fitted with a black pickguard. A couple of years later, I foolishly sold it!! My 14 month old son loved it!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted October 27, 2010 Author Share Posted October 27, 2010 [quote name='martthebass' post='1001490' date='Oct 26 2010, 06:24 PM']I had a JV '57 reissue back in the day. I got it only a couple of weeks after they came out so like yours it was a first issue with the big Fender on the headstock. Like a fool I sold it a few years later to get a MIA Jazz (think it was a 1980 or thereabouts in sienna burst). I was a fool it wasn't a patch on the JV. The JV is probably the only bass I've ever regretted parting wuth (and there's been a few). Do not make the same mistake [/quote] i wont be. I got it on here and probably if i asked then most folk would say I had overpaid, they go for stupid money now. It pretty much is the nicest feeling and playing bass I've played. Though the warwick and '75 jazz are not far behind, I am really apreciating they are good for different things. I used to think the warwick was very thin and bright, It is but also so so bassy! maybe older strings but it sounds good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7string Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 That '91 Warwick Streamer is pretty special Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted November 5, 2011 Author Share Posted November 5, 2011 (edited) so update.... a year later.... the '75 RI went to barcelona- I was scared of such a nice bass- and in a crazy year couldn't justify 3 basses. I found a Cimar ash1907 jazz bass from 1975 in a secondhand store, did it up for a friend with a new bridge and sold it to him. I regret this as it was so fun to play. New pickups and i would have been laughing. Oh well. Used the money to buy a Tecamp Puma 1000 - which is nice. My Tech Soundsystems 2x12 cab was replaced in a series of transactions for a brand new Tecamp m210 - upgrading actually made me money in a random way thanks to the amazing people at guitarguitar. I then bought a japanese 'vision' PJ bass- which ws nice but not for me, fixed it up and sold it on. *NO PHOTOS* And then this month found a nice Peavey T40- which I'm still getting used to. In other news the Warwick has grown on me, I've found strings that it likes and it probably is my number one bass now. I still have the acoustic but it doesn't get played much - plans on engaement rings soon mean something will shift some point but not yet Edited February 13, 2016 by LukeFRC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor J Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 Another recently acquired '91 Streamer lover here. Beautiful bass you have there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charic Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 Are you marrying the 'wick? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted February 13, 2016 Author Share Posted February 13, 2016 [size=6][b]Hello Welcome to 2016![/b][/size] so I recently got a nice camera - which I was playing with and thought it would be nice to document music making machines I currently have... But first a wee delve through my photo bucket and everything that happened in the last 4 years or so.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted February 13, 2016 Author Share Posted February 13, 2016 I'm not sure what order these all happened in so hold on... Yamaha SG400 no joke found in my aunt's bin! She mistook it for a playstation controller for rock star and was chucking it. Missing it's back plate so I made one and put some switches in for the coil taps. Played great - when I realised that two guitars I couldn't play were a bit of a waste I traded the Takamine and kept this. Turned out to be a mistake as I still didn't play the thing ... so sold it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted February 13, 2016 Author Share Posted February 13, 2016 (edited) The takamine got traded for a Yamaha BB300 and a Japanese Squier Jazz from 92-93 (sans badass -this must be the seller's photo) - Yamaha was the better bass but got sold... The Squier became this.... the "tomato soup bass" according to the wife. Great bass, ended up with a different solid alder body, great Squier ceramic pups, sounded awesome - no idea what happened to it - must have sold it Edited February 13, 2016 by LukeFRC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted February 13, 2016 Author Share Posted February 13, 2016 Kramer Focus 7000 .... not an awful bass, a bit like the Vision japanese thing from earlier. The owner talked about this and how someone had stuck an original raised pole piece JV pickup in it. Owning a JV P bass with a non original pickup I messaged him offering to buy/trade the pickup... no game. A year or two later I buy the whole bass for about the same as I had offered for just the pickup, switch the pickups and sell it on for almost the same price with the SD pickup in it. Bit of an odd situation to be honest. The JV sounded awesome with the JV pickup in it - so so so vintage sounding - but to be honest I missed the more middy growl that the SD pickup had given me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted February 13, 2016 Author Share Posted February 13, 2016 amps... Teacup Puma 1000 and M210 awesome amp, hopeless cab. Had them for years. If I still had the amp I would be very happy. However the cab was the opposite of a well engineered cab... This got sold and replaced with a Roland D-bass 210 which as cheap and very very very good - alas it was about an inch too wide for our wee flats stairway and two inches too tall for the back of a saxo... Then this happened.... Warwick Hellborg preamp into Ashdown APM1000 into ACME b2 Individually great parts... amazing preamp , honestly try one some time. I used it with the EQ off much of the time and it just made me smile. Ashdown amp was cheap... and powerful and weighed a ton. It's about 88cm deep too... ACME b2 - is one of the most amazing wee cabs ever, it needs a fair bit of power but it's just so well engineered. Did some interesting head to head comparisons with the B2 and Barefaced and Fearful cabs. This sounded the best, super deep, super low and so natural sounding. The Gen 2 Barefaced Big baby did come close and i would like to hear the BB2... The problem was that especially with that poweramp it was an incredibly unportable setup.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted February 13, 2016 Author Share Posted February 13, 2016 this was a lot more portable and one of the amps I've wanted for a long time. And I got one! And hated it. Plugging my active basses into the effects return and it sounded great, I just didn't get on with the preamp at all. Probably the only bit of kit on here I didn't enjoy owning. I wanted to like it... Luckily my old friend Warwickhunt liked Thunderfunk and had sold his one stupidly so we traded for his GK rb1001 210 combo. Nice combo. Some good sounds esp if you whacked the volume up loud and used the gain to control the volume. Then we were about to move house and one less big lump to move meant it got advertised for sale - we'll get to that in a bit... We're now unto date. there might be a few things I've missed off as I didn't take photos of them - but onto the new photos! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted February 13, 2016 Author Share Posted February 13, 2016 (edited) My lovely 1991 Streamer Stage One. Lightest Warwick I've played, and sounds awesome. A fret dress by Alpher Basses transformed this into one of the most amazing basses to play. The machine gun MEC pups got swapped for some nice Bartolini, and after saving multiple times I installed a ACG EQ-01 filter preamp. After all these years It's still my first choice... Edited February 14, 2016 by LukeFRC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted February 13, 2016 Author Share Posted February 13, 2016 (edited) Remember that lovely old JV Squier? well after the pickup swap and after Alpher sorting the Streamer out it got less and less play time. To be honest I would have preferred a beat up version that played well than a near pristine collectable example... so I started thinking about what I liked and if there was anything that would make me want to trade it... It's a 1985 Warwick thumb. It would be a JD thumb except it was the closest to a custom shop they did then and ended up with the active seymore duncan pups and the solid mother of pearl trc .... and it sounds great and is fun to play. Also under 9lb which is nice. Do I miss a P bass - yeah but do I think I got a great upgrade? Edited February 14, 2016 by LukeFRC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted February 13, 2016 Author Share Posted February 13, 2016 Bitsa Stingray Handmade body and neck, hacked and bodged by me, and almost finished... shell pink all the way! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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