Guitars, guitars, guitars!

My main two basses - both 6-string from a fine Polish luthier called Mayones.

The top one: active EMG pickups and electronics (3-band active preamp), 18V for extra headroom.
The bottom one: passive Nordstrand single-coil pickups and active 3-band Aguilar pre-amp, 18V for extra headroom.

First up, the main rack.

Here we have a Fender J S1. Nothing special and bought on a whim off ebay. This is my Motown bass complete with foam insert at the bridge and tapewound strings. I do have flatwounds as a spare.

Then the real funk machine MM Stingray, 3 Eq. Lovely instrument. Play anything on this.

Ricky 4001 from 1981. Bought in London as a rare peice. Memories as I got my first lessons on one at Uni in 1979. Heavy and needs some repair, only the bridge pickup currently working.

Then we have the most recent addition as I hankered after a P-bass. Great Lakland craftsmanship and great tone. Passive with block inlay. Oh yes and the head and cab. Ashdown ABM 500.

Seems we have quite a few sidemen on here.

Dave

Winky - tell me more about your external p/u on your Fender acoustic.

Main rig: Mesa Boogie Carbine M6 + MesaBoogie 1 x 15" and 2x10', TC Electronic G-System (modulation effects, relay switching and loop effects switching) and some assorted pedals. One note: compressor is from Demeter (the yellow pedal on the left) - probably the best compressor I've ever used. 

My USA Strat & Fender 12-string, now sadly sold after rheumatoid arthritis put a stop to guitar playing. I've still kept my Sigma 6 string acoustic, just because.

DrMark posted:

Winky - tell me more about your external p/u on your Fender acoustic.

It's a late 70 Barcus Berry "Bug". I'm pretty sure the technology has moved on from there.

Adam Zielinski posted:

Main rig: Mesa Boogie Carbine M6 + MesaBoogie 1 x 15" and 2x10', TC Electronic G-System (modulation effects, relay switching and loop effects switching) and some assorted pedals. One note: compressor is from Demeter (the yellow pedal on the left) - probably the best compressor I've ever used. 

 

Wow.  Very nice.  Respect...

I've gone lightweight as I'm not as young as I used to be...  The cab is a Super Compact and the sound is brilliant for something that just weights 10kg.  and with the Aguilar the overall tone is still pretty good, though no doubt a Demeter compressor would add to the impact...

Dave The Bass posted:

I've gone lightweight as I'm not as young as I used to be...  The cab is a Super Compact and the sound is brilliant for something that just weights 10kg.  and with the Aguilar the overall tone is still pretty good, though no doubt a Demeter compressor would add to the impact...

 

I like that amp! Played it once and it sounded very right to my ears.

Demeter - yes. Highly recommended - one pedal effect I could not live without. Ok - the other one is my trusted Boss Bass Overdrive which I bought new in 1992 in Denmark St (London). It's still with me and still sounds perfect.

tonym posted:

My USA Strat & Fender 12-string, now sadly sold after rheumatoid arthritis put a stop to guitar playing. I've still kept my Sigma 6 string acoustic, just because.

 

A rare sight - left-handed guitars. Nice, very nice!

Yes, I'm left-handed, just like Jimi Hendrix! And there, any similarity ends...

Ah 

Had a few beers - can't post photos on this phone!!!

stuart posted:

Ah 

Had a few beers - can't post photos on this phone!!!

Cheers!

 https://www.dropbox.com/s/9xq4...0113_195719.JPG?dl=0

stuart posted:

 https://www.dropbox.com/s/9xq4...0113_195719.JPG?dl=0

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Is the Strat anything special? Pre CBS or some-such? What about the LP?

Adam Zielinski posted:

 

 

.....which I bought new in 1992 in Denmark St (London)......

Denmark St hosts a lot of guitar porn. I still regret not going into hock for the 1961 Stratocaster I saw there a few years back.

winkyincanada posted:

Adam Zielinski posted:

 

 

.....which I bought new in 1992 in Denmark St (London)......

Denmark St hosts a lot of guitar porn. I still regret not going into hock for the 1961 Stratocaster I saw there a few years back.

Once I walked into a store there. Suddey three scruffy-looking guys walk in and start testing some gear. We looked at each other with the shop owner and said: Is it really THEM????

THEM was: more or less the early 90's The Cure line-up: Robert Smith, Simon Gallup and another chap whos name escapes me now.

winkyincanada posted:

stuart posted:

 https://www.dropbox.com/s/9xq4...0113_195719.JPG?dl=0

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Is the Strat anything special? Pre CBS or some-such? What about the LP?

The strat is a 1998 American Standard 

The 'les Paul' is actually a Japanese Tokai loves rock which is to my mind better than any LP I have tried. It plays like a dream with a great tone. I use it for 75% of our set list. 

My latest addition, not in any "group photo" posted to date:

Took a flyer on this Agile LP knock off - removed the cream colored pick guard.

Solid mahogany body, spalted cap top (not just a veneer), ebony board, Graph-Tec nut & saddle, coil tapping. FIt and finish are very good. Weighs in at about 9.5 lbs like a real LP. Alnico magnet humbuckers. Grover 18:1 tuners - built in S. Korea.

Might still change the pickups for some DiMarzios, but the stock ones are quite good so I am in no hurry, if ever. Sounds pretty comparable to my Gibson SG.

I would rate it at about 80% of a Gibson. Neck feels great and very comfortable. And best of all, it was $399 (plus $65 for a case) instead of $2,500-$3,000. So very comparable performance for about 15% of the outlay.

VERY happy with this purchase. Ignore the ugly reflection in the bridge pickup.

DrMark posted:

My latest addition, not in any "group photo" posted to date:

Took a flyer on this Agile LP knock off - removed the cream colored pick guard.

Solid mahogany body, spalted cap top (not just a veneer), ebony board, Graph-Tec nut & saddle, coil tapping. FIt and finish are very good. Weighs in at about 9.5 lbs like a real LP. Alnico magnet humbuckers. Grover 18:1 tuners - built in S. Korea.

Might still change the pickups for some DiMarzios, but the stock ones are quite good so I am in no hurry, if ever. Sounds pretty comparable to my Gibson SG.

I would rate it at about 80% of a Gibson. Neck feels great and very comfortable. And best of all, it was $399 (plus $65 for a case) instead of $2,500-$3,000. So very comparable performance for about 15% of the outlay.

VERY happy with this purchase. Ignore the ugly reflection in the bridge pickup.

 

Yeah, some good value "off-brand". These guys are doing business in my neighbourhood. The guitars look very nice indeed. Asian made, but a Canadian company and Canadian-sourced woods.

http://www.prestigeguitars.com/

Those are really nice Winky - fortunately they are priced just high enough to keep me from temptation!

My first guitar build - based fairly approximately on a Taylor. Spruce top, rosewood back and sides, mahogany neck with ebony fretboard and bridge. The stool is walnut and sycamore and it took a lot longer to make!

DrMark posted:

Those are really nice Winky - fortunately they are priced just high enough to keep me from temptation!

This is what's tempting me right now....

tjbnz posted:

My first guitar build - based fairly approximately on a Taylor. Spruce top, rosewood back and sides, mahogany neck with ebony fretboard and bridge. The stool is walnut and sycamore and it took a lot longer to make!

 

Very nice indeed.