Winter NAMM 2018 (ultra Pic-heavy)

[Jeff Scott]

And now it's time for some more highbrow art. Please prepare your wine and cheese.

Prepared!

Random bass player at the overcrowded MarkBass booth that I could never get into.

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You already know who that is by now. Far form some random dude, for sure! Here is a photo I made of him at the 2010 NAMM Show.

Photograph Copyright Jeffrey P. Scott 2010 All rights reserved.

Photograph Copyright Jeffrey P. Scott 2010 All rights reserved.

Top class bassist, he is,

 

[PraiseBassing]

Random bass player at the overcrowded MarkBass booth that I could never get into.

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Interesting Markbass line array speakers.

 

[KohanMike]

I got a late start to the NAMM convention, but did meet the leader of my uke group Cali Rose at the Magic Fluke booth. She was anxious for me to see their bass uke, which I already knew about. As it happened, Bartt Warburton was there, who took a few minutes to play while I tested out the bass uke. How impressive is that, here I am, a lowly mediocre bass uke player jamming with the likes of Ukulele Bartt. Cali shot a video, but I don't know where she uploaded it. As soon as I find out, I'll post it.

The Fluke bass uses round wound nylon core strings, don't know if they're from Pyramid, or from the manufacturer that makes the Kala round wound. In my past experience with them, I don't like the noise they make, from the round wound and from hitting the frets. I prefer the LaBella all metal flatwound they make for Gold Tone.

I just looked at the price of the Fluke bass, whew, $600 fretted, plus changing the strings, another $40. For that I can buy three of the Rondos I modify. To be perfectly honest, I don't see anything that makes the Fluke worth $600. I did see a new Kala acoustic U-bass, the Journeyman, for $300 that will be out later this quarter, which I actually like much better than the Fluke.

BTW, I didn't take any photos, I was on my new electric scooter and wanted to cruise the entire show, which I was able to do from about 10:30 to about 4:30. Stopped a couple times to eat and at a few booths other than ukulele, like Pat Wilkins.

 

[Schlyder]

Prepared!
You already know who that is by now. Far form some random dude, for sure! Here is a photo I made of him at the 2010 NAMM Show.

View attachment 2894525
Photograph Copyright Jeffrey P. Scott 2010 All rights reserved.
View attachment 2894526
Photograph Copyright Jeffrey P. Scott 2010 All rights reserved.

Top class bassist, he is,

Good pics there. When I saw his group play at the Saskatoon Jazzfest in 2000. His purple fretted Fbass did a faceplant in between sets. A little later in the break, I was getting him to sign a "Play" tour poster for me, and I asked him if it was OK. He said it was good to go for the second set. LOL I can see a bunch of scars all over the headstock, so it likely wasn't the first or last time.

 

[kumimajava]

Thanks for the excellent coverage to @wintremute .

Not wanting to hijack the thread - but since I just saw this pop up on my Facebook feed (via Freedom CGR):

... I thought if some of you might want to find out a little bit more about FCGR, here's a link to a short write-up I did after my visit to Fukano-san's workshop (which a few miles down the road from where I live):

Freedom Custom Guitar Research - A visit (pics and some comments)

Apparently they had a new bass out at the show, and I'll be very much looking forward to giving it a try, once they return

 

[DirkP]

View attachment 2892256 View attachment 2892258 View attachment 2892259 Tokai is here. I still have mine from 86’. Love these guitars.

And how in the world could we live all these years without an SEB, "Sound Effect Body"...

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[Wisebass]

And how in the world could we live all these years without an SEB, "Sound Effect Body"...

Yes!!! Plywood bodies on cheap asian Fender copies are indeed "new" and "groundbreaking"

which means the old 80s Tokais were better than the new ones they build today

this is not so

Wise

 

[aproud1]

Yes!!! Plywood bodies on cheap asian Fender copies are indeed "new" and "groundbreaking"

which means the old 80s Tokais were better than the new ones they build today

this is not so

Wise

Well, they said they did 2 decades of research.

 

[two fingers]

And that's it for pics for Saturday. I'll try to get the videos uploaded, and get to work on the Sunday stuff. Good night.

Cyber high five. Another job well done. Glad you made it home. Tell your wife thanks for loaning you to us for a few days.

 

[nixdad]

Cyber high five. Another job well done. Glad you made it home. Tell your wife thanks for loaning you to us for a few days.

+1

 

[Joshua Pickenpaugh]

Cyber high five. Another job well done. Glad you made it home. Tell your wife thanks for loaning you to us for a few days.

+1

 

[JDLowEnd]

I wish I had more hands to provide more high five's! I have a buddy down there working for On-Stage and I got nothin! This has been great and helps us average folk get a first hand view!

 

[bdplaid]

And now it's time for some more highbrow art. Please prepare your wine and cheese. The caviar is next to the champagne fountain.

Zemaitis.

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This is the Made In Japan version.

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This is the Made In Korea version.

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I'm a total sucker for stainless and aluminum with wood, especially if there's some engraving involved. These are a knockout. But I wonder about the weight, and if they are any good as basses.

 

[bdplaid]

PRS

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This bass is a one-time special make for Bruce Springsteen's bassist, Gary Tallent.

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The regulars...

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As beautiful as these look, there is something guitar-like about PRS basses that turns me off. I haven't played the new ones, but I recall in the 90's their first foray into basses left me rather cold. Good luck to them now.

 

[bdplaid]

Back to Level 2.

ESP

LTD

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Definitely digging the carved bodies!

 

[bdplaid]

Oh, we're not done with LTD.

They definitely are a contender for having the most basses. I don't hear much talk about them here on TB. What's your take on the LTD?

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I was digging this Spalted Maple.

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I like them, and think the quality is there, but I never saw an LTD that checked all the boxes for me.

 

[bdplaid]

+1000!

 

[GregC]

I'm a total sucker for stainless and aluminum with wood, especially if there's some engraving involved. These are a knockout. But I wonder about the weight, and if they are any good as basses.

I saw a couple of their basses in a store several years ago. I picked up two of them and put them back immediately---way too heavy for me. They certainly looked cool, though.

 

[Joshua Pickenpaugh]

That EBMM Stingray 5 HH in baby blue with a roasted neck sure is sharp. Dangit.

 

[DirkP]

MarkBass. That booth was NEVER empty. Every time I went by there was a crowd. No chance to get a picture of anything. Here's the best I could do for now:

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They have a PDF with all the new Namm Stuff:
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The Markus Miller Signature Amps are available.
The 500 and 250 Little Marcus are not much different if at all from the ordinary Little Mark amps. They just relabeled the VLE "Old School" and the VPE "Millerizer"... and added a mute buton.
Lots of Miller cabs and combo amps.

The Casa is a LM with a bit of different EQ and classic looks, for those who can't live with the yellow...
Didn't check the other stuff. The line arry speakers seem to be a one shot.