The Last Bass Outpost

As for WHY people buy the High Priced Stuff:  I commissioned a run of 20 Custom Shop "John Lodge" (Moody Blues) P basses. They were all sold BEFORE they were built.....and 18 of the 20 went to....Female Fans of the band. To the best of my knowledge, NONE of the ladies could play, but several built SHRINES in which to house their basses. People with money HAVE money. The rest of us???  Not so much. 

It's been awhile so I thought I'd check in and see how that 200S is going for you.

Bass-ically Yours,
RB

growin' old ain't for sissies.

It was the references to Wild Hair that made me laugh. Not long ago I went to bed at the usual time.....around 2 am. By 4:30 a single eyebrow hair had gone rogue, grown to a length of 18 inches and was wrapped around my neck like a Boa Constrictor--trying desperately to strangle me as I slept. Fortunately I keep a chain saw under my bed and with a single pull that sucker roared to life and I was able to sever the Grey Beast as it viciously tightened its grip and let loose its own pent up frustrations on my throat.

Sissies stand NO chance in their later years....as it's a FINE line between "The Wisdom Gained ONLY by Aging"....and "Dementia".   

That's a real shame hearing about the FB page, and this is precisely the reason I rarely participate on manufacturer forums (Ric seems especially over-the-top in terms of zealotry and censorship).   I enjoy the candid discussions about ALL brands at this place, and it would be great if those Ric FB folks brought the party here.  

The "Censorship" thing is a double edged sword. I began cruising posts back when FORUMS were a dream in Al Gore's eye. Posts have ALWAYS been an interesting way to learn and also a FABULOUS way to be conned, tricked, lied to and swindled. I've always lived by a single rule: "Never Ruin Someones Dream". By that I mean, if you're "in the business" and KNOW that the folks who run ANY company are actually creeps in "Real Life", it's best to keep it to yourself. IMHO, the LESS we know about manufacturers, the better off our music-making dreams will be.

Also high on the list of Awareness is knowing that if someone is really bashing the crap out of a product--ANY product--chances are pretty good that they work for a competitor in some capacity--they have an axe to grind--they're just brain dead....or they have no life and simply enjoy reading what they write. While at Fender, I CONSTANTLY saw posts from folks who bashed everything that Fender (and everyone else) made and, as always, the guy with the biggest mouth most often turns out to be the one to watch out for. Manufacturers KNOW that, so as the internet developed SOME of the companies began to get VERY protective about what was said by "Folks with No Name".

Lastly: We humanoids tend to believe what we read. I've read numerous posts about instruments that I, personally, gave birth to....but as the "song" moved around the room, things changed. I'd follow posts from "experts" who would talk to other "experts" and soon MANY of the "facts" about the instrument were down-right WRONG. But, people will buy almost anything if they read it often enough so after awhile I simply stopped trying to make corrections and left the Forums altogether. I, personally, ADORE Ric basses and I've owned quite a few. I also understand that Ric has been around for decades and there's a reason for that.....they run a VERY tight ship.....they build a great product....and they have no Shareholders to answer to. Sweet Dreams.

Bass-ically Yours,
Rich

PS: NOWHERE have I said that Rickenbacker has ANY creepy people in its employ or management.     

I recently bought the Blue Jays CD with the partnership of John Lodge and Justin Hayward.  Lodge must be one of the most under-appreciated, fantastic bass players in the history of popular music. 

He's a VERY good player....a VERY Creative bass line THINKER and quite fast when he needs to be//..and, of course, used a Sunn rig for years....one which was held together with Duct Tape and Chicken Wire......  I'll send you a pic of him with the bass......

Muzikman......I thank you for the kind welcome...

The only Rumble-Bass I ever saw was one at the old Torp's Music in St. Paul, it was there for several years, along with a couple of matching cabs. I hadn't heard one way or the other about reliability issues but it's not surprising.

Dave......When the Rumble Bass was first introduced my wallet parted ways with my brain...and I bought TWO stacks. I've always been a sucker for Fender Amps with White/tan tolex and Oxblood Grill-cloth. I used them for a couple of years and then sold them both on the same day. Both were trouble-free and sounded KILLER. IMHO, one of the best LOOKING bass amps ever created.

Bass-ically Yours,
Rich

Very Gracious, Gents.......Pilgrim: I've tried to keep up with most of the mail that I get but that's not always possible. The "RB Classic Series" means a lot to me and many of those pieces went to Europe. If any members HERE own one or more, I'd love to hear from you....And, Contrary to what I've read, there WERE several different basses in the series. One of the most interesting was a series of twenty "John Lodge" (Moody Blues) p-basses. What I find amazing is that they sold out BEFORE even being built.......to Women....NONE of whom Played. It must be tough to be John.

Bass-ically Yours,
Rich

It's always a pleasure to find avenues of Bassdom Being Shared and I look forward to Contributing What I Can.