The Last Bass Outpost

I saw Magma earlier this year. It is basically a revolving cast of musicians with the drummer (of mad starey eyes) being the only constant member.

I saw them in 2004 and going to see them again in October. A truly original band who created a whole new genre (Zeuhl). Bassist Philippe Bussonet has been with the band for almost 20 years and uses the same cello tuning (octave lower of course) that Jannik Top brought to Magma when he joined in 1973.
Their latest albums like "K.A.", "Ementeht-Re" and "Slag Tanz" are outstanding and could be even better than their seventies material.

I wasn't sure that Klaus was the same guy who wrote the Fender book so hanks for clearing that up. Are there any Magma -related pics in it?

Looks really great and I'm sure it sounds great too. Have you checked how the pickup locations measure with a 60's T-Bird locations?

Mudbucker (or substitute) butted up against the end of the neck is the best defense against slapping and popping.   

"Oh? Never bothered me."

Cool! 

Is that a mirror pickguard? Was that aftermarket or came that way? Don't see those much...

Mirror and aftermarket custom job. Because of...


It did turn out a bit more of a P-bass shape (On Philip's bass it spreads out more to the side) but looks fine so I left it like that.

I was shocked to see the news. A truly unique player who really was one of a kind as he never sounded like anyone  but himself. Ollie Halsall maybe and vice versa but even that comparison is stretching it and I mean that as a compliment to both. For some real early seventies guitar hero stuff try Tempest's BBC Live from 1973 with both men playing out of this world

I love his work with Tony Williams ("Believe It" is a great and raw fusion album), Nucleus, Gong, Soft Machine, Bruford and especially UK. His solo in "In The Dead Of Night" is the one that made my jaw drop when I heard it for the first time. Still has the same effect.

I have lately been using my Lab Series L2 and L4 heads and they work great with my Thunderbirds (or any other basses too). Usually with small EBS Classic Line cabs (112 or 210) or and old Hartke with an EV 15". But Lab Series is basically a Gibson amp so that must be it right?

I love their EQ and an ability to dial in good sounding distortion without having to crank them up.

DI too, combined with the mic'ed amp sound.

This one was recorded with the L4, Hartke/EV and non-reverse copy (mahogany). No DI -signal.
https://soundcloud.com/user-40848998/stratus

I guess he wanted to hear what he was playing, no?

Pekka, congrats for digging out another PROG curio even I hadn't heard of. Towards the end, they sound like Mike Oldfield - in 1971, before Tubular Bells went viral!

I used to own the album. It was OK, the playing is better than the songs but there were a few nice ones in that department too. Andy McCulloch is already the master of his perfect landslide fills he used on a good effect on Greenslade albums which were a similar keyboard -only (most of the time) band with two keyboard players, not unlike the original Rare Bird.

I believe Barry played a P-bass on the album, at least it sounds like one.

One of the finest reissue labels nowadays Esoteric reissued the album and also released their second that was originally left in the can. Barry had departed and was replaced with Frank Farrell who apparently inherited the doubleneck. Reminds me of Family where John Wetton and his successor Jim Cregan used a same Gibson 6/4.

Jerome Rimson played with Phil Lynott in the early eighties and mainly used this modified Ric:




Or is it Ric at all? Lemmy had a similar bass too or more likely used the very same instrument.


Looks like it has a third pickup at the bridge end.