XTC - What is this bass?

[cjj]

OK, anyone know what this bass is, looks fairly Rick-ish, but the headstock's wrong...

I love the bass line on this one.

[Lefty4001]

Agreed, good bassline. The recording is a Wal. Headstock in the picture looks like one too.

[cjj]

Ah, OK. Thanks! I'm not too familiar with Wal basses and the video doesn't really show it all that well.

I suppose that since it's not a Rick, this post should be moved out of the Rick Artists section then...

[jps]

That's no Wal headstock, that I have ever seen. I think it is just some bad looking copy bass.

[fluffy]

Makes ya wonder why someone with such talent would use a fake. By the time that record came out I'm pretty sure he could afford a genuine Rickenbacker.Maybe the bass was provided and he had no say in the matter ???

[rickboy88]

Looks like Gareth has the answer from 7 years ago:
viewtopic.php?f=11&t=377693&p=395972&hi ... ss#p395972

[bartyclue]

One of my favourite songs to play. A real test of concentration. One of the best pop songs ever written.

[Grey]

Makes ya wonder why someone with such talent would use a fake. By the time that record came out I'm pretty sure he could afford a genuine Rickenbacker.Maybe the bass was provided and he had no say in the matter ???

Probably didn't care, you'd be suprised how many people don't. Probably some bass grabbed for the video.

[blue330]

Because there are fakes out there which exceed the real version. Not with Rickenbackers, mind you.

[86kubicki]

Great tune by one of of my fave bands! It looks like Colin is playing a Kay 4001 copy. Its probably just a prop for the video - a Rickenbacker (or look-a-like) would fit the "Avengers" 60's theme better than a Wal.

[sloop_john_b]

Steve's right, that's a Kay.

[1a12]

I think there was a video somewhere of Colin jumping inside one of those blowup castle things with his Epiphone Newport/Embassy . An amazing bassist I constantly use for reference. I often associate Colin with the Epiphone....Now Dave Gregory and his Rickenbackers, thats a different story!

[rickboy88]

So much for referring to a 7 year old post! That'll teach me.

I'd remembered it, so I did a search to dig it up.

I just found a youtube demo of a Kay 4001 copy and sure enough it looks like the one in the XTC video.

BTW, a recent Mojo magazine had a nice one page article on Dave Gregory and XTC ("Senses Working Overtime" may be my favorite Ric 12 string part). He summarizes the end of the group in 1998 where he noted that Andy ended up presenting the songs essentially complete thanks to his home multi-track recorder, which removed a lot of the group thing. He also noted that Andy and Colin aren't talking any longer.

There is another thread where I posted a link to the history of the 12 string used on "Senses..." (eventually converted to a 6 string).

[rickboy88]

OK, must post "Senses..." for the umpteenth time....

The Ric is higher in the mix than on the official recording (from what I remember).

[David Watts]

One of my favourites bands.
I 've had the chance to see them live in 1980 in Frejus, France, with skafish, Ub40 and The Police.
They were not announced on the ticket (see below) but what a discovering for me.
I didn't know them back then, but soon i became a fan of their work
I remember they were playing lot of " Black sea" at the time, obviously.