The Long Journey................

atomic_punk · Post by **atomic_punk** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 7:22 pm

I think after all of that effort, I would have considered breaking in and getting it!

Surely they wouldn't have pressed charges!
Great job of storytelling, Ted, and I am glad it had a very happy ending.
Does CME REALLY have that many Ricks? Oh my!

rickinroma · Post by **rickinroma** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 10:02 pm

Great bass Peter, congrats!
Finally I am not alone in the 4005 elite club owning a Mapleglo one

ozover50 · Post by **ozover50** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 10:08 pm

That is sooooo nice, Francesco!! Hopefully I'll see one "in the flesh" one day....

jnbass · Post by **jnbass** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 10:15 pm

cheers!

lars · Post by **lars** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 11:10 pm

"Our experience this weekend is what this forum is really about."

Amen

dean712 · Post by **dean712** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 11:56 pm

Wow! What a crazy nice bass!! Love the mapleglo!

jon · Post by **jon** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 12:17 am

Great story Ted. Good to see forumites helping each other out.

I can imagine the frustration and heartache along the way. Thank goodness everything worked out.

Congratulations Peter, lovely bass...

leftyguitars · Post by **leftyguitars** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 2:46 am

Yawn, just got home. Great journey back - 747 - I got the front seat with no one next to me (no, not the pilots seat, the one with loads of leg room!). The flight left on time and arrived early. I saw the luggage handlers carefully, yes carefully transfer it by hand onto the UK bound plane (which was running early) and again carefully transfer it from the hold to the carousel in the UK. It was first out on the conveyor and didn't even have a mark on the cardboard carton that it was packed in. It is waiting to be opened now, but I'm going to leave it maybe until tomorrow as it has seen some serious climate changes over the last few hours (I have put my '75 4001 next to it to keep it company just in case it feels lonely). The saga was actually worse than Ted knows, with even more sordid twists, e.g. I paid the $750 (?) that it cost me by bank transfer - and the bank lost the money, it took two weeks for them to find it. I really was beginning to think that some one up there didn't want me to have this bass!

But seriously though, this tale would never have had a happy ending if it wasn't for this forum and its members pulling together as a family, and the generous hospitality of Ted, Mr X, Mrs Ted (Mary Anne) & Mrs Mr X (Sheri) - I hope I spelt the names correctly). What can I say but I owe you all BIG TIME!

Oh and I haven't even started on Jim Wallaces' incredible lefty collection (and his amazing hospitality too!) and Paul Boyer who drove millions of miles to photograph the bass the day that we couldn't get access to it.

And Graham, If I said that you were a pain in the *** I didn't mean it!!! I'll apologize now, Graham, I'm sorry that you are a pain in the ***! heh heh heh...

teeder · Post by **teeder** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 4:08 am

What a great story! Congrats Peter, That's a beautiful, and unique bass! So Cool!

8mileshigh · Post by **8mileshigh** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 4:19 am

Ah.....you're back then! I'd recognise those jeans and sweatshirt anywhere

It did seem for a while that it was destined never to happen - I tried to put as many obstacles in your way as I could - switching your money into different accounts, cancelling flights and arranging snow storms, but you still managed to foil my plans, but only with the help of your forum friends..............drat and double drat.

All joking aside, enjoy it and I don't expect to see it on Ebay for at least a week!!

rickaddict · Post by **rickaddict** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 4:26 am

Congrats, Peter! Nice bass. What a story. I wanted to be there, but evidently phone numbers must have been misplaced and/or schedules got too hectic. The only number I had was Ted's cell phone, and it must have run out of batteries or something. I left a message on Sunday.

Either that, or Ted, Mr. X, and Paul Boyer have decided that they just don't like me!

bob_atherton · Post by **bob_atherton** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 4:52 am

Peter, I know you wondered if a 4005 lefty was ever made.. I think you know the answer now. Stunning bass, lost for words.

"Peter Levett Trivia:
Peter was a roadie for Free and Mott The Hoople back in the 70's."

I think, though it was a long time ago, that I saw Queen support Mott The Hoople at The Colston Hall, Bristol in the early 70's. Is there any way that you can confirm that, they were quite hazy years.. (-:

leftyguitars · Post by **leftyguitars** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 5:33 am

"they were quite hazy years" They certainly were.
It is possible that they did in one guise or another but I would be lying if I said that I can definitely remember it.

rickfan60 · Post by **rickfan60** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 5:39 am

Sorry, Jeff! We did not intend to exclude you from the fun. It was a very hectic, fast paced weekend. As you could probably guess from the original message, the plan changed every hour or so.

rickfan60 · Post by **rickfan60** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 5:47 am

Peter alluded to a part of the weekend that I left out of the original message. Saturday was Mr. X's birthday. My wife and I wanted to take him, his wife, and Peter out to dinner to celebrate. We ended up sharing the evening with a very nice couple who collect left-handed guitars. They thrilled us with amazing examples of classic guitars all in left-hand. Have any of you ever seen a Gibson Super 400 or a Byrdland in left-hand? How about a Gretch Falcon? If that was not enough, they ended up paying for dinner!! We protested but they simply would not have it. We had a wonderful time with them and hope to do it again.