the LATEST new toy....

although I don't have it yet, I just bought a 2002 Dillion BeatleBass from Ebay for ~ 150.00

the guy replaced the Dilllion tailpiece with a Hofner style one, so it may be "better" or worse than the original...

here's a couple pics:




nothing special, but the Galveston/Starfire cheapie copies are around 200 new, and I already know the quality of Dillion units since I have 3 already and this thing went for 499.95 back in the days it was sold as new.....

Nice. What are you going to use it for?

Schweet!

honestly Kugel, I dunno, more of a playtoy I guess considering all the cheapies out there that look like it arent a maple top, just basswood. if it plays good I'll noodle on it or just sell it to a deserving righthander sometime in the future.
I bought the Dillion MM copy for the same reason, ash over maple and it is just very pretty, it's a 5 string and I'll never play it so it's a wall hanger....



my Dillion Tbird+ MM copies are very nice for what they are, and this should be up there with them in playability.

one thing I have found over many years of hunting, that is if it is NOT a popular brand name then the perceived value goes WAY DOWN regardless of how good it is or not.... but as the buyer I'm glad...

meaning if it said Hofner on the headstock it would have been out of my price range

That Beatlebass would be perfect for your old timey TV show theme jams.

might even have to do some McCartney jams now huh???...lol

Yeah throw some tapewound strings on it and thump till ya dump.

good morning Martin....


flat/tape..lol not when I still have 20 sets of rounds on the inventory shelf
remember, I'm not one of those people on TB in search of the "how can I make my bass sound like xxxx's tone" and will not buy a bass that can't sound like their favorite artist...is not me...lol
as the vids show, I'll play it note correct always, but to "emulate" someone else...hell no!!!!

I don't want or need a GeddyLee jazz or a Steve Harris P bass or any other sheeple brand to get my point across...

sheeple = blindly playing follow the leader just because "so and so" uses one.

when's the last time you bought jeans from AE or A+Fitch and paid 80 bucks for torn up junk when you can have the same look from your "naturally worn out" LEVI's?

( they do a good job of RELICING clothing ), but not for 80 bucks

Good morning, Mike.

Haha I know. I could try and play like other people, but why do that when I can play like me? I play Maiden songs all the time. Do I use two fingers or flats...or a P bass? Nope. Apart from that, I couldn't pull off what Steve or Geddy do if I worked my whole life at it.

That's not to say that I wouldn't like a P bass.

And I buy Levis from Target for $25, thank you very much.

AE outfitters is Pittsburgh based, and they have one of their "outlet" stores about 5 minutes from my house. They sell all the stuff brought in that did not sell in the retail stores, and hell ya 50-60 buck jeans for 1/2 off, shirts hoods jackets...even socks and underwear WALMART prices with a name brand...that's the ticket !!!!!

and yessirree, buy a bass that works, not one that someone else said you can't use that for xxx music UNLESS you use a xxxxx bass to play xxxx music with....

amimbari wrote:

and yessirree, buy a bass that works, not one that someone else said you can't use that for xxx music UNLESS you use a xxxxx bass to play xxxx music with....

+1!

I play an Epi Viola and no one will ever say to me that I can't play maiden on it!

No it don't sound like Harris, but it can be insanely bright!

Anyway play what you want, when you want!

if it is what it is and it plays like it should I'll be the first person to toss a jackson preamp on those OEM's and just leave the bass and treble up all the way under the cover.....

I will get it to sound like my Charvel if it's the last thing I do....


not

and NOR, not only do I NOT sound like Harris, I don't play like him, but you know what, for almost 5 years the guys in the MaidenTribBand never cared either...

amimbari wrote:

if it is what it is and it plays like it should I'll be the first person to toss a jackson preamp on those OEM's and just leave the bass and treble up all the way under the cover.....

I will get it to sound like my Charvel if it's the last thing I do....


not

Hahahaha throw an X2N or an EMG35DC...play it through a cranked Mesa stack.

Chowderboots wrote:

Hahahaha throw an X2N or an EMG35DC...play it through a cranked Mesa stack.

I dunno who Dillion USA bought the pickups from just like my tbird, he always just said proprietary wound to his specs when I asked about them and my MM pup..

I'm paying for it tomorrow so it will be here next week sometime so I'll report in on what it sounds like

You Guys all made so many points that I totally agree with, I hardly know where to start!

I, like you Mike, have NEVER been one of those I-have-to-play-this-bass-because-my-hero-does kind of players. My love of Yamaha basses started several years before I had even heard of Billy Sheehan. And yes, I did borrow/steal the stereo pickup idea from him, but ONLY because it was a functioning way to use distortion on bass without killing the low end.

I also do not believe that you have to go broke to get a quality bass. My SX might be cheap, but it plays and sounds exactly as I want it to.

So yes, to support what NBOB said, play what you want to play the way that YOU want to play it!

EricHaven wrote:

So yes, to support what NBOB said, play what you want to play the way that YOU want to play it!

Addendum: as long as you've got a fro and sunglasses!

EricHaven wrote:

You Guys all made so many points that I totally agree with, I hardly know where to start!

I, like you Mike, have NEVER been one of those I-have-to-play-this-bass-because-my-hero-does kind of players. My love of Yamaha basses started several years before I had even heard of Billy Sheehan. And yes, I did borrow/steal the stereo pickup idea from him, but ONLY because it was a functioning way to use distortion on bass without killing the low end.

I also do not believe that you have to go broke to get a quality bass. My SX might be cheap, but it plays and sounds exactly as I want it to.

So yes, to support what NBOB said, play what you want to play the way that YOU want to play it!

I feel the same way. I've never understood a lot of company's signature models. They just take an existing model, change a couple things, then sell it at an inflated price. The only reason I'd get one is if there was something REALLY special about it (like the John Gallagher sig). I don't even see the point in trying to replicate a tone with the gear I already have. Obviously, I wouldn't do Motown using my Kramer with the bridge pickup soloed, but I might use it with the Neck pickup soloed and the tone knob turned down a bit. Even if I used flats with it (and I wouldn't), it still wouldn't sound much like Jamerson's tone. But you know what? I don't care. Of course, hearing certain players tones has made me want to get certain pedals, like Cliff Burton with the Morley PWB, but thats because I liked the tone, not because I liked the player.

Come on....you know you're a diehard Cliff Burton fanboy. Fess up.

^ I already admitted to that! OK, I confess. I will probably get one of those BYOC ram's head muff clones one of these days, but still, thats because I'm so in love with his tone. You don't see me trying to copy my other favorite bassists. I'm not interested in getting a Billy Sheehan sig, or getting a fender P strung with Roto flats like Steve Harris (let alone one of his signature models)



I overreacted to that didn't I?

I'd think you over reacted if you bought one of these fugly signature basses because all the "fans" told you it was specifically designed to make you a better slap player:


and I'd be the first one playing one of these in a church if it sounded like a Fender Pbass:

.

What is that second one?

Kugelspot wrote:

^ I already admitted to that! OK, I confess. I will probably get one of those BYOC ram's head muff clones one of these days, but still, thats because I'm so in love with his tone. You don't see me trying to copy my other favorite bassists. I'm not interested in getting a Billy Sheehan sig, or getting a fender P strung with Roto flats like Steve Harris (let alone one of his signature models)



I overreacted to that didn't I?

I just like being an ***hole. Honestly, man--I don't care. He's an incredible bassist. Everyone has a different way of expressing their gratitude and admiration.


That second bass looks like a reproduction of a bass built for John Entwistle by Peter Cook.

http://www.thewho.net/whotabs/images/equipment/bass/petercook_lightningboltbass.jpg



And Mike--it very well might. Apparently John used that bass an awful lot in the studio.

ya the repro is a Ed Roman monstrosity...

http://www.edroman.com/guitars/IS_ABGuitars.htm

That's one pointy bass!

It is true that I will probably end up with the new Sheehan sig model Yamaha BB bass, but only because the routings are already in the right spots, and NOT because he designed the thing.

Yeah yeah yeah...

Diehard Sheehan fanboy on the loose.

Oh, PFFFFTTTT!!!!

Chowderboots wrote:

Yeah yeah yeah...

Diehard Sheehan fanboy on the loose.

You and your diehard fanboy accusations

Oh damn...that's not nearly as funny now. I thought these fish oil pills were supposed to help my memory, not make it worse!

I will say one thing about all of us "amateurs"

we all have our signature sound, we all have our signature basses ( customized to our specifications ), and we all enjoy playing them..

so what else is there? Buy someone elses signature bass and "try" to get it to sound the way you want, or just "go with the flow", and be like everyone else who has the same thing and let it sound like it sounds so you can pretend your B.S or G. L or whats his name wolfenhausen?? from MUSE with that crappy distortion??????

hahaha-- not me !

100% agreed, there are certain basses that do things that others cannot, but I never saw/played any sig bass that could not be bought cheaper and stil produce the same tone, or neck feel ( minus all the HYPE of owning one )

HEY GUYS I JUST bought a MarcusMiller Fender...does that make me more valuable to the musical community now?... lolololol

the Ad in guitarCenter says:

buy a FLEABASS, and within 3 hours you will be a pro slapper --- ( the damn bass COMES WITH A FLEA demo DVD ) p.l.e.a.s.e. help me lord, I'm tripping again......

Ohyeah...I'd rather play my own twisted vision of a bass than anything you can buy right off a shelf...

amimbari wrote:

The Ad in guitarCenter says:

Buy a FLEABASS, and within 3 hours you will be a pro slapper.

You have GOT to be kidding, Mike! Does it really say that??? What a load of crap!!!

That reminds me of when kids would run out and buy Kramers with Floyds, go home and plug them into their Marshalls....and then wonder why they all-of-a-sudden did NOT sound like Eddie Van Halen.

amimbari wrote:

I will say one thing about all of us "amateurs"

we all have our signature sound, we all have our signature basses ( customized to our specifications ), and we all enjoy playing them..

so what else is there? Buy someone elses signature bass and "try" to get it to sound the way you want, or just "go with the flow", and be like everyone else who has the same thing and let it sound like it sounds so you can pretend your B.S or G. L or whats his name wolfenhausen?? from MUSE with that crappy distortion??????

hahaha-- not me !

100% agreed, there are certain basses that do things that others cannot, but I never saw/played any sig bass that could not be bought cheaper and stil produce the same tone, or neck feel ( minus all the HYPE of owning one )

HEY GUYS I JUST bought a MarcusMiller Fender...does that make me more valuable to the musical community now?... lolololol

the Ad in guitarCenter says:

buy a FLEABASS, and within 3 hours you will be a pro slapper --- ( the damn bass COMES WITH A FLEA demo DVD ) p.l.e.a.s.e. help me lord, I'm tripping again......

Just thought I'd add the obvious to your statement: there's nothing wrong with having the tone that Pros get influence your gear decisions. However, to think that buying signature basses or amps or whatever will get you there would be naïve at best. Actually, funny story about that. My boss went to his amp tech's house a few weeks ago to pick up his Marshall JCM900 or whatever it is he uses. He had the guy install some extra switches on the back side that added mids or gain or something fancy, whatever. Anyway, while he's talking to the guy he was sort of casually leaning against this box without paying any attention to what it was. Eventually he looks down and sees that there's a bunch of these rack-sized boxes and each of them has the name of a Van Halen song on it. Naturally he was curious, so he asked the tech about it; turns out it was a bunch of Eddie's effects that he was mounting into separate racks so that all Eddie had to do was step on one switch to get all his effects for each different song. Also at the amp tech's house being modified were Van Halen's signature Peavey amps! So much for being exactly what Eddie uses.

Also, that Guitar Center ad for the Fleabass is pathetic.

EricHaven wrote:

amimbari wrote:

The Ad in guitarCenter says:

Buy a FLEABASS, and within 3 hours you will be a pro slapper.

You have GOT to be kidding, Mike! Does it really say that??? What a load of crap!!!

Tell ya what, 3 hours, that bass, I *would* be a pro slapper.

Flea'd get it right across the mouth......

The Ad in guitarCenter says:
Buy a FLEABASS, and within 3 hours you will be a pro slapper.

uh, folks.....I kinda re-worded the ad for humors sake....

it actually says the bass comes with 3 hours worth of DVD of his sessions and tutorials I mean you ARE buying HIS sig model, so naturally he wants to show you what he can do with it to entice you NOT to return it within 30 days...

just like the sexy 20 something holding 2 beers on a plate with big boobs.. you gonna ask for a Miller from the cowboy bar tender, or a Heineken from the hot chick passing them out from her tray???? ( even at 2x the price ) MARKETING IS EVERYTHING IN SALES - and that is a cool Idea on GC's part on a mass produced cheap fugly bass to sell them.

No, I think you got it right, Mike. The ad might clarify, BUT, the implication is that you buy Flea's bass and you will become a master slapper. And if you're some young GASser drooling over the thing, you'll pull the trigger without thinking about it.

And Dude, you are SPOT on about how marketing is everything, and nowehere is this clearer than in those stupid-and I do mean STUPID-beer commercials. The subliminal implication is that if you buy Miller/Bud/Michelob/Coors/Heineken Ultra/Light/BlahBlahBlah, then you WILL be spending your evenings in swanky nightclubs surrounded by innumerable friends and admirers who think you're the cat's arse, and with just as many hot/nublie/willing women wanting nothing more than to take you back to their place to have you for dessert. You'll be CEO of your company, drive a hot sports car, earn six figures, have beautiful hair, perfect teeth, and immortality.

In reality, you'll drive yourself in your 2001 Geo Metro with the peeling paint to 7-11 after a long and boring day at your dead-end job where you earn about $1.50 more than minimum wage, buy a 12er of the junk in question, and spend the first part of the evening sitting on the couch with one hand holding the remote looking for Seinfeld re-runs, and the other shoved in the waist of your pants (assuming you're even wearing any), to be followed by an evening of either cruising the web looking for free porn, or running up your credit card calling those stupid, stupid, STUPID adult chat/party lines. You know the ones. "Hi. I'm Misty, and I'm here waiting for your call. It's fun, and it's free to try, so what are you waiting for? We're all a bunch of beautiful, desperate, single, 22-year old, HOT girls wanting to hook up with a real party animal like you!"

A former landlord of mine once told me his theory about the manufacture of Budweiser. His comment to me was, "I wonder how they get those Clydesdale's to pee into those little bottles?"

My Dad was of the opinion that Coors was made from the clear, pristine waters of the Colorado River....after non-union truckers have pee'd in it upstream from the plant.

Ok....enough ranting for now.

I'll have you know I'm SaraLee Sexybuns from 1-900-HOT-GRLS, and I never ask anyone for money, they already have entered their credit card number BEFORE they get to talk to me

SaraLee Sexybuns??? That's you???

Did you like the tip?

each call's transaction gets a unique identifier number for the repeat call discount..

without that --- all you are is a customer number on a screen to me honey, sorry

amimbari wrote:

I'll have you know I'm SaraLee Sexybuns from 1-900-HOT-GRLS, and I never ask anyone for money, they already have entered their credit card number BEFORE they get to talk to me

But you look so manly in those videos on your YouTube...

Yeah....(sigh)....if only he would get out the spandex.

title of the thread was latest new toy, now we are talking about "other non musical toys" --oy vey!!

Hey, spandex definitely makes you...sing higher?

I told Eric they are ready to be worn, I just have to provide myself with a proper backdrop and not the wall of gear in my jamroom...lol



and remember I'm not a singer by trade, so stretchy pants won't be a problem....

Bring it, Mike!

amimbari wrote:

I told Eric they are ready to be worn, I just have to provide myself with a proper backdrop and not the wall of gear in my jamroom...lol

and remember I'm not a singer by trade, so stretchy pants won't be a problem....

What would a proper background consist of if not walls of equipment?

Perhaps swans, palm trees, and a nice sunset.

...with his sweetie's hands on his hips and a corsage around his wrist, clad in a prom dress?

Chowderboots wrote:

....clad in a prom dress?

Who? The sweetie....or Mike?

Oh amimbari, definitely. Your description made me think of a cheesy prom photo...and my mind must have wandered away from spandex.