First bass No.4 – Aria on a budget

Somewhere in the North East of England, I’m guessing near Sunderland, I’m on stage, seemingly willing my bass to levitate. This picture is notable for several things. Firstly, note Simon Kay, Tubeless Hearts’ drummer, behind his highly collectable Ludwig Vistalite kit. He bought it with money he won at the Casino, and although he admittedly sold it so he could buy Phil Collins’ actual kit from the Genesis “Duke” album and tour, he was financially too embarrassed to hang on to this classic. Note also, my doomed John Birch from an earlier entry, now relegated to being propped up against the amp as a spare bass, and if you look really closely, you can see how I let some half-assed “luthier” (I use the word loosely)  install a Fender p-bass split pick up with a brushed aluminium plate, at the expense of the original John Birch pickup. What was I thinking? Obviously not a lot, as the John Birch soon left my hands in order to bolster my ailing bank account.

In retrospect, I suppose a guy who wears a sports headband in an ill-advised Dire Straits moment, and Aladdin Sane make-up 8 years after Bowie had discarded it is always going to be accused of bad judgement. So let this be a lesson to all of you…..

The bass around my neck, (if not actually in my hands) is an Aria Pro 2. I think the model is an 800b or something. It comes with a simple single pickup configuration, and a coil tap switch. it was quite simply, the heaviest b*stard in the world, and I’m pretty sure I can trace my recent visits to a chiropractor right back to this joker.
The upside was, I found it in a second-hand shop in Leeds  for 125 of your English pounds, in pristine condition, complete with hard case, and in fairness, it produced a lovely rich tone, which was not surprising, considering the wood had a density rivalling that of a white dwarf. (the star, not a small Caucasian person).

It became my constant companion for several years…

Next time; losing my head….

First Bass No.2 – Beg, Steal, or Borrow, but NEVER sell your basses!!!

A cautionary tale in my continuing series about my bass guitars.

Around the beginning of 1979, growing ever confident in my role as a bassist and inspired by the beautiful “blueburst” guitar our guitarist Fos Foster had commissioned from now legendary guitar builder John Birch (remember Dave Hill’s superyob guitar in Slade?) – I ordered one myself. This time, a Caramel sunburst Rickenbacker lookalike, with customised Birch biflux and superflux pickups, and a daunting array of controls bristling across the front. It had the most beautiful slim maple neck and was a dream to play. It served me well through two years with the band Apollo, touring Scandinavia, whom I joined in April 1979, finally turning fully professional. ( You can see me in unforgiveable satin in the photo, playing it at the Torvetten nightclub in Gjovik, Norway in 1980.) It stayed with me into the beginnings of Tubeless Hearts, but alas, like so many stupid kids before me, I messed with the bass, putting different pick ups in it, and eventually, disillusioned with the sound I sold it to a music shop. It was to be one of many basses I regretted parting with, as in the early days, i could only afford to by a new one by getting rid of another. Show me a guy who has a collection of guitars or basses, and he’s either sting, or semi-pro! I’ve always promised myself that if I ever saw this bass again, I’d buy it. It was a beauty!

Next time: Amidst the junk, a gem…

Kev Moore