Was I ever this young ?

gareth · Post by **gareth** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 8:30 am

I just found this picture of me taking my 1977 4001 for a flight in 1979 on The Shapes's European tour. Not a great picture, but it's probably just as well.

How I wish I still had that guitar (paid $400 for it)

Come to think of it, how I wish I still had that hair.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 12:11 pm

How about the Marshall?

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 2:09 pm

I was once this young ...

and now I am this old ...

aceonbass · Post by **aceonbass** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 2:17 pm

I didn't know they made 5-string Hofners?

nattiep · Post by **nattiep** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 2:27 pm

WOW! What a big difference Rath. Good pics though. Gotta love the '68 Fireglo.

Hehe. 5 string Hofner. Good one Dane. Lol.

gareth · Post by **gareth** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 2:36 pm

Oh yeah, my Marshalls. I had two 100w bass heads running two slant top 4x12s then. They were loud and that's about it. I was constantly frustrated by the lack of equalization available from them. The 4001 would get really muddy when I pushed them.

Then we did a tour with The Photos in 1980 and I used their bass player's SVT head and 8x10 cab. That was a turning point for me. As soon as that tour was finished, I went to get an SVT rig, but they were out of business and you couldn't get them for love nor money in the UK at the time. There was however, a new company starting up in a little back end shop in Romford, East London who I was put in touch with. I went to see them, and that's the short version of how I became the second person ever to buy a Trace Elliot. It was called the 1010, and was a 250w amp with 11 band grahpic, and an 8x10 cabinet, all built into one flightcase. That amp lasted me up to the time I emigrated to the US. I'll see if I can't dig up some photos of it somewhere.

First thing I did when I got here was but a new Trace Elliot stack.

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 4:06 am

actually I did consider converting a hofner to a 5 string ...

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 5:23 am

Gareth go back to the SVT's, there's plenty around here. I've got three of them.
Jeff, I still think that's your kid in that picture.

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 7:20 am

nope ... just me 30 some years ago ...

jnbass · Post by **jnbass** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 10:19 am

will a Jazz bass SD 1/4'er fit in the bridge of a Hofner?

henny · Post by **henny** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 10:35 am

Me a couple of years ago, a mere 18.

Then I got into TV!

rickaddict · Post by **rickaddict** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 10:46 am

Jeff-
Who's the chick-a-dee on the side of the stage in the photo with the Hofner? Some groupie from the free-love flower power days? I think if you grew your hair out you'd look much the same. You're lucky. This is more evidence to support my theory: Playing Rick basses = fountain of youth!

Gareth-
Who ever said white men can't jump? Is that the camera angle or are you over a foot higher than that Marshall half stack? All you need is a basketball in your right hand!

gareth · Post by **gareth** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 10:51 am

Hmmm, I'd love to get SVT's again, but I've got to admit that after 20 odd years of Trace Elliot, I'm kinda dialed in on them. I love SVT's though. One day, one day.....

Here's a picture of my setup now.

gareth · Post by **gareth** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 10:55 am

I think Jeff has extra hair that should rightly belong to me. Give it back.

As for jumping. That picture is real and untouched. I am genuinely that friggin' high. The look on my face has a very "this is going to worse before it gets better" feel to it I think. I remember that leap well. I started the thing off a 5 foot drum riser. A picture taken right after the landing wouldn't look anywhere near as cool. I was probably whining knowing me.

rickaddict · Post by **rickaddict** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 11:30 am

That's a really cool photo to have in your archives.
If I attempted a jump like that today, I think springs, screws and rivets would shoot out of my knees and injure some audience members!