Silvia Bluejay Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 (edited) Easter break - what can be better than looking at a lot of gorgeous basses while the weather outside is cold, wet and miserable? This bass was the first to get our attention, predictably. The twisty-fanned-fretty wotsity thingummy... Happy Jack goes hmmm... Machines prefers to try a gorgeous Warwick Thumb instead It's then the LaBella bass's turn for Happy Jack Mark, Matt and Jack with a D-Lakin And then the pleasure board comes into play (ooo errrr...) "Hmmm, do I like this Mike Lull Thunderbird or do I, er, like it a little less?" Sounds good, mate... Meanwhile, a lefty customer tries the board while playing his own bass. (We didn't catch your name! Hope you read this and say hi.) Edited April 7, 2015 by bluejay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]"[i]The twisty-fanned-fretty wotsity thingummy[/i]" was in fact a [b]Torzal Twist[/b] by Little Guitar Works.[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]As you'd expect with something so bizarre-looking, you can in fact play it without hesitation so long as you don't keep looking for it to be 'weird'. If you simply pick it up and play it as a bass, it works just fine.[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]The ergonomic thang is definitely there and you can feel how it reduces the twisting in your fretting hand when you play it.[/font][/color] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmo Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 Nice photos. I have only been there once, and bought an awesome bass. Recommend a visit to anyone. I really want the Clover Apeiron he has, but i haven`t got £1100 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machines Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 (edited) Great pics, I just happened to be there on the day as the others and recognised Bluejay . Edited April 7, 2015 by Machines Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 I'm gonna be pedantic and say that the Lakland is actually a D,Lakin bass. There, I feel much better now!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia Bluejay Posted April 7, 2015 Author Share Posted April 7, 2015 [quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1428410545' post='2740996'] I'm gonna be pedantic and say that the Lakland is actually a D,Lakin bass. There, I feel much better now!! [/quote] LOL I stand corrected Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 Very nice! It's as I suspected... I don't think I'd get out of there without a serious wallet-hammering (not a euphemism). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annoying Twit Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 What an amazing selection of basses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanAxe Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 So did any of you [i]buy[/i] anything? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBus Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 (edited) That's what I call evidence. Standing on the floor Jack looks unhappy. On the pleasure board? Big cheesy grin. Edited April 7, 2015 by BassBus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 [quote name='Machines' timestamp='1428410349' post='2740994'] Great pics, I just happened to be there on the day as the others and recognised Bluejay . [/quote] It's alright Matt, you're amongst friends here ... Biggest surprise for me was playing the LaBella and the Lakin back-to-back. In the photos they're both Precisions, and a Precision is a Precision, right? Not a bit of it. I mean, not even slightly . I expected to love the LaBella (I really love LaBella FL strings and have them on several basses) but I really hated it. The Lakin on the other hand just effortlessly pushed all the right buttons. Mark reckoned that my bull-in-a-china-shop approach to playing* meant that I had a complete mis-match with the Aquilar pickups on the LaBella, and I reckon he was spot on with that. * [i]Mark was slightly more polite than this. But only slightly. [/i] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Count Bassy Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 (edited) Never heard of a "Pleasure Board" before, but having looked it up I'm a little alarmed to see that it is driven by a specially designed "Pleasure Pump" Edited April 7, 2015 by Count Bassy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machines Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 (edited) Buy something !?! No, I took a bass in for commission sale. Edited April 7, 2015 by Machines Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 [quote name='Count Bassy' timestamp='1428413668' post='2741031'] Never heard of a "Pleasure Board" before, but having looked it up I'm a little alarmed to see that it is driven by a specially designed "Pleasure Pump" [/quote] Obviously it's not being used properly - everyone has their clothes on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 [quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1428413593' post='2741029'] The Lakin... just effortlessly pushed all the right buttons. [/quote] That's good to know because I like the look of 'em! Any further comments, Jack? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1428415633' post='2741061'] That's good to know because I like the look of 'em! Any further comments, Jack? [/quote] Hmmmm ... tricky. Those four photos show me playing roughly £10k-worth of basses, so we're into pretty rarified atmosphere. None of them were ever going to be less than excellent. There's no point in me banging on about build quality (all excellent) or choice of materials (all excellent) or ... etc. etc. etc. With the two Precisions, we're getting dangerously close to: "[i]So which of these two vanilla flavours did you prefer? And why?[/i]" They both felt exactly as a P should feel. The LaBella (not actually made by them, as I understand it) looks absolutely gorgeous, a brand-new and shiny version of my '66 Fender, but then I'm a sucker for CAR and I've never been that big on LPB or whatever that Lakin is. The LaBella was noticeably heavier, which of course I really don't like, but we're still talking in the region of 9-10lbs so hardly a real back-breaker. Mark tends to keep all his basses with a "medium" set-up. I prefer a high action because I like to dig in when I get excited ([i]trans. I'm a clumsy player[/i]) but since both the P's in these photos were the same that hardly makes a difference. Ultimately it came down to the sound. The LaBella was seriously in your face, sounding (to my ears) very harsh and trebly, the rounds being very raspy under the fingers, and the frets clanking at the slightest provocation; it was all just too damned bright, and bringing out a pick only made it much worse of course. The Lakin simply nailed the sound in my head. I still don't tend to like rounds on a P but the sound was more mellow, perhaps more 'vintage'. The tone pot also seemed to respond better, allowing a more nuanced roll-off. Reading that back it does sound precious verging on pretentious, but then I'm now dancing about architecture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 [quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1428417099' post='2741073'] ...The Lakin simply nailed the sound in my head. I still don't tend to like rounds on a P but the sound was more mellow, perhaps more 'vintage'. The tone pot also seemed to respond better, allowing a more nuanced roll-off... [/quote] That's what I was hoping for, thanks... I have one or two basses I need to acquire first, but a Lakin is definitely in the cludgie. Now then... what's that Orgasmatron platform thingy all about..? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leftybassman392 Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 Hi! [spoiler]Not really! [/spoiler] Point of order chaps... Is Bluejay the only one of you that's capable of using a camera? And don't give me this 'all fingers & thumbs with cameras' nonsense! It's a good job you don't say that when you're playing the basses... Seriously though, nice place innit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machines Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 The Lakin was pleasing for me too, but not a lot more than my MIM Fender already is. Disappointed with the Thumb, string spacing too tight for someone used to a Lakland. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 [quote name='Machines' timestamp='1428425251' post='2741167'] The Lakin was pleasing for me too, but not a lot more than my MIM Fender already is. Disappointed with the Thumb, string spacing too tight for someone used to a Lakland. [/quote] Hmm... so basically it's a P Bass? I don't like tight string spacing either. So I can stop having GAS for a Thumb, which is handy. Ha, ha! See what I did there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theyellowcar Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 That Lakin looks lovely Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1428411270' post='2741001'] Very nice! It's as I suspected... I don't think I'd get out of there without a serious wallet-hammering (not a euphemism). [/quote] I failed massively when I visited after xmas... came away with my Dingwall and left behind one of the two 5-string Warwicks - not sure if it was the one in the photo or not, I think not though the one in the piccy looks lighter coloured. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobthedog Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 (edited) I so want that Torzal Twist! Sadly I am all bassed up at the moment, but a visit to Bass Direct will be on the cards. If that is around for a while I can see a big spend weekend coming up. Edited April 8, 2015 by Bobthedog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poptart Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 Great picys! The Pleasureboard seem to make people happy :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 Welcome to The Pleasureboard? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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