Can't believe it, but I'm THERE with my gear...

[Tim Armstrong]

It's been fun working my way through gear, trying new things, buying different basses and amplifiers and pickups, etc. But I'm done. The search is over, I'm HOME!

I knew already how much I loved this neck, which I've had on two Musicmaster bodies before using it for this project, but the combination of that neck and that body, and that pickup (a cheap GFS Music Man copy that sounds way better than I had any right to expect, considering the cost!) is so much greater than the sum of the individual parts. I've never had an instrument that felt so good in my hands, and sounded so good to my ears.

I've bought and owned and loved a number of basses over the years, and almost always after a honeymoon period, I begin to chafe a little at the little things that are always not quite right. You know how it is, the new thing is the best thing, and then you get to really KNOW it after living with it for a while.

Well, I've been gigging Hoss for several months now, played a hell of a lot of gigs, and all I can say is that I've never played an instrument of any kind that was so freaking right that I couldn't hide behind it somehow. This bass is the first. There is absolutely no aspect of it that gets between my intention and my execution of playing music. There's what I want to play, and then there's my chops/ability to play it with my hands, but there's not a bit of fight involved in working the instrument. If I can think of it and my hands can move fast enough to make it happen, it happens.

...and just to make my life as a musician even sweeter, I've stumbled upon the best damn AMPLIFIER I've ever gigged, my fairly new Hartke LH500. A BF Fender-inspired all tube preamp into a 500 watt power amplifier that I'm running into my funky old Steel Sound 2x10 cab (loaded with Eminence Legend BP102 speakers), it sounds exactly like the tone I carry in my head...

And then there's the band. Mike, Bubba and I have been gigging together for almost seven years, and those two guys have dragged me up to a level I'd never have reached otherwise (some of y'all know how good Mike is on guitar, and Bubba is pretty much that good a drummer). But now we've added their old bandmate Lauren on vocals/keyboards/bass (which means I get to play guitar part of the night!), and all of a sudden we've got an even better band on our hands. She's as great a singer as Mike is a guitarist and Bubba is as a drummer and she's a damn good bandmate.

Anyway, I just had to gush a little, our last month or so of gigging has been just profoundly good...

Tim

[PaisleyIsGod]

That thing looks SO cool! Congrats on everything Tim.

[Telenator]

I was having this exact thought today!

A friend of mine asked if I wanted to go to the Phillie Guitar Show tomorrow and I said, "nah, I have just about everything I could want in my collection."

I love shopping for new gear but I just don't need any.

My glass is raised to you and others who have gotten over the obsession and know good gear when they have it!

[BritishBluesBoy]

Feels good doesn't it? Congratulations Tim!

[getbent]

That is awesome Tim.... dang, we need a bi coastal country rock band.

[Groovey Records]

Bow ba ba bow ba bow ba bow bow

now you

[Dave W]

Good for you, Tim. It's a good feeling when everything's working in your favor.

[Hiker]

That's ALL worth gushing over, good report!

[shinigami747]

it's great to finally find the gear that feels just right!

[Parma_TeleMon]

Wow!!! Way ta go, Dr. Armstrong!! I keep wondering what it'll feel like when I get there!! Congratulations!!

[rhomco]

Sounds like I need to get busy on some "inspirationally motivated gas inducing items of interest". Seriously.....congrats on your sucesses.
You Da Man,
Rob

[JohnS]

NICE! I'm pretty close to there and I can sense how good you must feel.

[Radspin]

Cool axe! Is that some kind of stock Telecaster body, modified to fit the neck?

[backalleyblues]

Very nice Tim, very nice...

Obviously, you finally found the cure for GAS-the guitar equivalent of Beano...

Franc Robert

[Tim Armstrong]

Originally Posted by Radspin

Cool axe! Is that some kind of stock Telecaster body, modified to fit the neck?

Yep, it's the body from a Fernandez Tele copy. I removed the little bit of wood between the neck pocket and the neck pickup rout, and put the pickup where the Tele bridge pickup used to be (cutting the pickup hole to fit). The neck is from a 1973 Musicmaster Bass (30 inch scale length), and the bass balances beautifully, not a hint of neck dive...

Tim

[Ed P]

Tim, a bit off-topic, but the Moodswingers sound great on your website!!!

[Chris S.]

Man, that's good news all around. "There's no place like HOME." :-) CS

P.S. Now if you can just figure out a way for the Skins to score more than 17 points... maybe you can wear your hat with pride.

[endzone]

That's a cool looking instrument Tim. You should market it.

[ibobunot]

Originally Posted by Chris S.

Now if you can just figure out a way for the Skins to score more than 17 points... maybe you can wear your hat with pride.

He's just wearin' it cause it color coordinates with the pickguard...

[Tim Armstrong]

Originally Posted by Chris S.

Man, that's good news all around. "There's no place like HOME." :-) CS

P.S. Now if you can just figure out a way for the Skins to score more than 17 points... maybe you can wear your hat with pride.

Hey, I wear it with pride in the pre-Snyder 'Skins...

Sigh...

Tim

[Parma_TeleMon]

It could be worse, my friend, you could live in BrownsTown!!

[BigDaveyTwinkle]

Originally Posted by Tim Armstrong

...and just to make my life as a musician even sweeter, I've stumbled upon the best damn AMPLIFIER I've ever gigged, my fairly new Hartke LH500. A BF Fender-inspired all tube preamp into a 500 watt power amplifier that I'm running into my funky old Steel Sound 2x10 cab (loaded with Eminence Legend BP102 speakers), it sounds exactly like the tone I carry in my head...Tim

I have practiced and played one gig with my Hartke LH500. It is the best head I have ever played with as well though my experience has been limited to solid state Peaveys and Ampegs. I am running through SWR 4x10 and 1x15 cabinets and the sound is huge, with headroom for days. Love that Hartke.

[Tim Armstrong]

Originally Posted by BigDaveyTwinkle

I have practiced and played one gig with my Hartke LH500. It is the best head I have ever played with as well though my experience has been limited to solid state Peaveys and Ampegs. I am running through SWR 4x10 and 1x15 cabinets and the sound is huge, with headroom for days. Love that Hartke.

That's my experience, too.

Thanks yet again to Martini and 4mal for turning me onto it!!!

Tim

[neocaster]

Congrats on your remission, but GAS is incurable. Enjoy the break.

[Lerb21]

Originally Posted by neocaster

Congrats on your remission, but GAS is incurable. Enjoy the break.

Someday Tim, you will crave another peace of gear.

Instead of having your one great sound, your mind will create another that you must acquire.

AND IT NEVER ENDS.

Or I could be wrong

[jrfrond]

Ain't it great when you FINALLY realize that you don't need anything else?

With drums as my primary instrument, I hit that wall a few years ago. Of course, one of my gigs is building custom drums, but I built a kit with fiberglass shells, and it just does everything. The drums, the cymbals, it's all there. Oh, I've got PLENTY, but I've got THE kit, and the search is over.

For bass, it is my Ibanez Roadstar with Dimarzio P/J pickups and Rotosound flats. That search is over too. Oh yes, and my secret weapon for great bass sound? I NEVER thought I'd hear myself say this. A Line 6 Pod v.2. NOT a bass Pod, just the regular guitar Pod, set to the 4 x 12 cabinet model on the Tube Preamp patch with a hint of overdrive and the Compressor effect. Done!

Tim, if that bass plays like it looks, it's hot! Glad to hear the GFS MM pickup works well, especially in the passive mode. I swear by their guitar pickups.

[Bluesbob]

I love that felling of being able to say, "This is it! This is all I need!"
Enjoy it while it lasts.
I must have had it a hundred times.

[garytelecastor]

Originally Posted by Tim Armstrong

Well, I've been gigging Hoss for several months now, played a hell of a lot of gigs, and all I can say is that I've never played an instrument of any kind that was so freaking right that I couldn't hide behind it somehow. This bass is the first. There is absolutely no aspect of it that gets between my intention and my execution of playing music. There's what I want to play, and then there's my chops/ability to play it with my hands, but there's not a bit of fight involved in working the instrument. If I can think of it and my hands can move fast enough to make it happen, it happens.

...
Tim

I am very happy for you Tim.
I think you are going to have to be nominated for a Nobel Prize next year. I think you, honestly, have defined and identified the phenomena that we refer to as G.A.S.

[sean79]

I've probably said it before, but I love that bass. Glad you're happy, Tim.

[jjh37854]

Originally Posted by getbent

That is awesome Tim.... dang, we need a bi coastal country rock band.

I WANT IN!!!!

[Paul in Colorado]

Tim,
Part of it may be that bass players are less likely to be tweakers then guitar players. I think it's easier to dial in a bass tone and be happy. But having an instrument that feels like "home" and an amp rig that delivers the goods is a good place to be no matter what you play.

After hearing your raves, I'm goning to look for an LH 500 or it's bigger brother the LH 1000 and give it a go. I'd really like to downsize my bass rig.

[fenderslaper]

Congratulations Tim. I've ownd my "there" insturments for many years. A 62 P, and a 68 Jazz. But that didn't stop my from looking for and buying many more! In the end though, those two do everything I could ever want. I'm still using the same amp I put together years ago too. It's a Carvin pre with a 600 watt power amp and speaker boxes I built (I'm a cabinet maker). I've bought other amps to, but they don't sound as good. I finally relized that what I started out with was perfect for me. It's a great feeling, eh?