edcayton Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 So, despite what I said, I've just been and gone and bought a Gibson Les Paul studio model! I can't play the thing and will need lessons, but, hey, the deed is done. What happened is that my ancient nylon strung guitar became unplayable (mainly because I put steel strings on it many years ago-don't!). I took it to a local guy who makes and mends instruments and he said it's not really mendable, and certainly not at a sensible cost. Anyway, I trotted off to the guitar shop (almost next door to the model shop, Stevenage does have its plus points) to buy new strings, an electronic tuner and some Fast Fret to get my 12 string playable, and hopefully easier to tune. I had half an hour to spare, so looked at the stock. Of course the first one I fell in love with was a 1969 Gibson arch top-at £6000 the most expensive in the shop! There was a nice secondhand one hanging over the stairs for around the £1500 mark and something I'd not seen before, a Martin nylon strung acoustic with a cut away body for similar money. Both of these would have meant trading in my Fylde which I don't really want to do right now. But then, hiding at the back of the display I saw a lovely subtle Les Paul for £650, which is less than I thought I could get a genuine USA Gibson for. I picked it up and made some nice noises, despite the neck being narrower than I'm used to and the light action. The shop man played it and "made it scream and sing" as Mr Knopfler put it, told me he had one and loved it-they always say that don't they?-we did a deal with a Fender practice amp, lead, strap and strap locks so I don't drop it like my son did with his Les Paul copy, and he threw in my strings and stuff for free. Here we go on a new adventure Ed Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 Have Fun, Ed! I've got two Les Pauls, an Ebony Custom from 1981 and a '61 SG Les Paul Standard in White (bit of a cheat really 'cos this one is SG shaped)..... The Custom is great for getting those chewy, thick Mick Taylor tones - it's also wired for that Peter Green thing. Cheers, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alant Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 I'm sure you'll have fun Ed - good luck from a fellow muso (well a bass player anyway!) I've just picked up a second hand USA Fender Jazz Bass for £600 - it's quite a good market if you're buying at the moment but not so good for selling. Alan. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
edcayton Posted September 5, 2012 Author Share Posted September 5, 2012 Hopefully I won't be selling! I'll leave that to the kids when I'm in me box. For the moment I'm spending their inheritance. Ed Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 I'm on the look out for a Fender Precision in three colour burst, '63 look-a-like, with all the hardware they came with at the time. First decent bass I ever played (it was about the same size as me at the time). Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 Well done Ed.. but this thread needs pictures...! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Grafarman Posted September 5, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 5, 2012 I'm on the look out for a Fender Precision in three colour burst, '63 look-a-like, with all the hardware they came with at the time. First decent bass I ever played (it was about the same size as me at the time). Best, Pete. Something like this: http://www.thebassga...=2391&type=Bass Guitar or this: http://www.thebassga...=2303&type=Bass Guitar If we're talking Fenders then personally I'm a Jazz Bass man, but Precisions have their uses But from that era I always go to the old Ricki 4001... Edit: sorry, Ed, meant to say; my old guitar/music theory tutor Ed Speight had a gold top Les Paul and used it for everything from Ian Dury gigs to Cologne Symphony Orchestra; versatile axe indeed - enjoy!! David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pyewipe Jct Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 Can't beat a Les Paul! I've owned several over the years, but have whittled things down to just two now - a '92 Standard in black & a '93 Studio in Wine Red (quite ratty with an ugly-looking repair to a headstock/neck break - but plays beautifully). I think the best looking one I had was this 2001 Studio Plus, but I was always scared of marking it, so it never got played... Kevin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alant Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 I'm on the look out for a Fender Precision in three colour burst, '63 look-a-like, with all the hardware they came with at the time. First decent bass I ever played (it was about the same size as me at the time). Best, Pete. Hi Pete, The first "proper" bass I bought was a Fender Precision in black (early to mid 70's) but unfortunately sold it just after I got married and packed up playing for quite a few years. I find the necks on the Jazz a bit more manageable though for my size hands. Alan. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 I like fat necks - goes with my fathead. All my guitars are pretty well knocked around as I don't baby them at all. I do, however get them serviced by my tech regularly - the necks need a tweak about twice a year, I suppose. I use S.O.B. strings and if I cannot get those "Burnished Nickels". Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alant Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 I always picture Rory Gallaghers strat when I think about a "well-knocked" around guitar! Alan. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Barry Ten Posted September 5, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 5, 2012 When I bought my Tele in 2008 it was the spur to finally getting lessons, a decision I've never regretted - probably achieved more since then than in the 14 years of self learning before that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
marc smith Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 Well done Ed, Music and trains - it's just missing the word "beer" to sound like paradise I've got too many basses (yes, you CAN have too many, according to SWMBO) and at the Cambridge folk fest last month, I ended up buying an electric double bass!!!! Now, I can't play that, but I'm giving it a damn good try....... It's so much bigger than a bass guitar, and the notes are so much further appart the strings generate way much more friction on my fingertips... ... which are now sore! but hey, the instrument was half price and I love trying to play it Good luck with your Les Paul - a classic design Persistence and practice - that's all it takes... ... oh, and time none of us seem to have Cheers Marc Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free At Last Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 My first bass was an Antoria EB3 copy until I bought a Gibson EB3 in 1973 didn't like it at all and traded it for a 1964 EB3. Was and still am not a Fender man. The EB3 was my main bass in the 70's, was modded/abused and is now in bits waiting to be put back together. It's modern day replacement is this Epiphone Elite EB3, far better IMO, than Gibsons lastest offering, the SG Bass, although I have replaced the neck pick up with an original Gibson pickup. Identical in build and feel to my old Gibson but has a more tunable bridge. My other basses in the 70's were two Les Paul Basses, not the 4 string guitar lookalikes they have now. Along with the Epiphone I now use Warwick Thumb basses. And Ampeg amplification. My band do a lot of material by FREE hence the EB3, the right/only tool for the job. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 Yeah, but do you move like Andy Fraser? He has the strangest moves on stage....almost like calisthenics. Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 Something like this: http://www.thebassga...=2391&type=Bass Guitar or this: http://www.thebassga...=2303&type=Bass Guitar But from that era I always go to the old Ricki 4001... David Ha! I have an old Cimar copy (which I think was made by Ibanez). Dunno how old it is but I've owned it since about '83. I bought it from Robbie Gladwell (Dr. Robbie). It even has Stereo outputs. Not the dual truss rods, unfortunately. Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free At Last Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 Yeah, but do you move like Andy Fraser? He has the strangest moves on stage....almost like calisthenics. Best, Pete. Ha, I had to look that up. In his Free days he seemed to move like a metronome. I can't get in to what he is doing now. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Grafarman Posted September 5, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 5, 2012 Ha! I have an old Cimar copy (which I think was made by Ibanez). Dunno how old it is but I've owned it since about '83. I bought it from Robbie Gladwell (Dr. Robbie). It even has Stereo outputs. Not the dual truss rods, unfortunately. Best, Pete. Haha! right back - my first 'real' bass was the 'original' Ibanez Ricki copy in black and white with dual humbuckers and triangle inlays complete with curly Ibanez logo on the 'stock!! They subsequently denied they ever made the beast...!! I also owned a Shaftesbury 'identi-Ricki' until I took the plunge and got the real thing...no contest after that !! David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodshaw Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 Talking about ancient nylon strung guitars...in 1975 I bought a Hokada for £87 and it's still doing me stirling service. Going by the UK RPI that equates to over £600 today. But it didn't seem anything like that much at the time, and I was unemployed! Must change those strings though... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
marc smith Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 ......... Was and still am not a Fender man...... ......It's modern day replacement is this Epiphone Elite EB3, far better IMO, than Gibsons lastest offering, the SG Bass.... My other basses in the 70's were two Les Paul Basses.... Along with the Epiphone I now use Warwick Thumb basses. And Ampeg amplification.... Hi there, I'm not a fan of Fender basses either... I used to own a musicmaster, and a maple fingerboard precision The latter was well built, but a really heavy piece of wood and not particularly playable - with its' chunky neck..... However, I now have a Squier (for one particular band I'm in) It has a jazz profile neck - which is much thinner at the bottom end and 2 pickups! - which makes it much more flexible, sound-wise It's a malaysian built bass, and is infinately better than any Fender I've ever played My favourite bass is my Ibanez Soundgear SR500 It's incredibly lightweight, and with a really ultra slim, ultra fast neck and brilliant Bartolini electronics / pickups...... I also use an Ibanez electro-acoustic bass, which is brilliant! And is the most mazing sounding bass I've heard and it's just over £200 new I also have a Rickenbacker 4003 But I never use it, and will probably sell it My amplification is a Markbass rig and I love these incredible souding lightweight amps.... I carry an Ampeg backup head One huge regret I have, is that I once owned a "Shaftesbury" Rick 4001 copy. It was great to play, and had a through-neck, and sounded just like a Rick.... honest! These are now rare as hens teeth and I wish I still had mine...... Nice collection of basses there I always liked the look of the EB3 ... played a copy years back - it was awful Cheers Marc Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Grafarman Posted September 5, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 5, 2012 I also have a Rickenbacker 4003 But I never use it, and will probably sell it One huge regret I have, is that I once owned a "Shaftesbury" Rick 4001 copy. It was great to play, and had a through-neck, and sounded just like a Rick.... honest! These are now rare as hens teeth and I wish I still had mine...... 4003; year, colour, condition? May take it off your hands ATRP B) Totally agree about the Shaftesbury; I had a bright red sunburst one and stripped it off with Nitromors to bare wood then handbrush-varnished it to look like Lemmy's (oh dear...)!! only superceded by the real thing, but still the best backup Ricki out there...if, as you say, you can find one... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alant Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 I agree Marc my Fender Jazz is quite heavy unfortunately. I also have a Markbass rig which is great for packing away at the end of the gig. Alan. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 Ha, I had to look that up. In his Free days he seemed to move like a metronome. I can't get in to what he is doing now. I saw them play at The Wake Arms, Epping 4 weeks before "Alright Now" was released. They were on a 12 foot square "stage" and I was standing so close to Paul Kossoff that I suffered a 90 minute shower of his sweat (he was a very sweaty guy). The 100 strong audience was heaving...in a good way! It's up there in my Top 5 gigs of all time. Best, pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
edcayton Posted September 5, 2012 Author Share Posted September 5, 2012 Picked up the amp this morning. Fender Mustang 1, which is only a practice amp and won't impress the players on here but, Bloody Hell I am amazed by the sounds and effects available. How on earth do you decide which settings to use for a piece? A very contented Ed Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 Dunno, what controls does that amp have? How big is the speaker? You ain't gonna get the big thump of a Marshall stack! Best, Pete Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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