Leaderboard

Wow, that´s along story. Here we go: Passive pickups can be seen as a mixed circuit which consists of resistance, inductance and capacity, hence creating a resonant peak at a certain frequency above which the frequency response is going downwards. This resonant peak is highly important for the sound of the instrument because it sits in the presence area of our hearing range. Now if you plug such a PU into an amp then the amp´s input impedance will interfere with this resonant point, usually lowering and eventually broadening the peak as well as lowering the frequency. We´re used to that and we want to hear our passive instrument like that to a certain degree. To make things worse the cable has it´s impact, too, as it sits between amp and PU. That´s why some people like cables of a certain length. Now there comes the DI with it´s own input impedance, typically 50kOhm for a passive DI and 1MOhm for an active DI. This again will interfere with the PU resonance and alter the sound. And things get more difficult if you go through the DI unbuffered into an amp because that will increase the load on the pickup and the resonance point will go lower again. Technically spoken both input impedances are parallel to the pickup giving an even lower impedance than each single one of DI and amp. For historical reason most bassamps have an input impedance of 220kOhm (many exceptions, though) while guitar amps typically have 1MOhm. To have a proper matching between output impedance of a PU and input impedance of an amp/DI the later one should be x10 of the source impedance. Pickups of passive basses have worst-case output impedances of 17kOhm, hence there should be a load of at least 170kOhm. Passive DIs cannot deliver such high impedances. They are the wrong choice. You´re better off with an active DI. Active basses have worst case output impedances of a few hundred Ohms. Here both passive and active DIs are fine regarding impedance matching. The PU resonances are already buffered by the active electronic inside the bass in a way that both DI and amp cannot have an influence on that. For the studio nerd there´s more to check out: if we have micpres with variable input impedance then this will be the next parameter to look for in a chain of passive bass, passive DI + amp. A lower input impedance setting of the micpre (e.g. certain vintage Neve preamps have this possibility) will be reflected through the transformer of the DI. That means the DI seems to have a lower input impedance than it´s nominal value (wrt 1,2-1,5kOhm input impedance of the micpre) and will load the pickup even more down, eating the treble range even more. Historically this problem has been recognized in times when there were no active basses around. The solution were active DIs, back then made with tubes. All that is theory. You will not destroy either bass, amp or DI with the technically wrong choice. It does influence sound, but if you like it then all is good. If not, then see above.

New music by Coltrane, sounds great too. https://mobile.nytimes.com/2018/06/07/arts/music/john-coltrane-lost-album-both-directions-at-once.html

Well I was able to try the Revelation Bass VI at Hotrox today. The neck is definitely more comfortable for me than the Squier but still not really wide enough for me. What was interesting were the tonal options. Three pickups that look like P90s with what looks like Strat-type switching. The really interesting bit was the 5-position “Varitone” switch, giving a total of 25 different sounds nearly all of which could be useful. The only minus mark is that the Varitone switch isn’t easily manipulated mid-song. Aparently Hotrox also have a Burns Barracuda in their off-site stock, so I’ve arranged for them to get it in the shop for me to try next week...

Beauty is clearly in the eye of the beholder, because that does nothing for me visually. Sounds good though, which I guess is what really matters.

(Note to self: Next time I am offered a meat pie 'round at Andy's claim recent conversion to Veganism.)

Or maybe a glass of pee no?

My ‘baby’ is 36, I go as an ex-member of staff/governor volunteer, these days. Glutton for punishment, that’s me. Sorry for the derail, Andy 😊

"Knowing how and when to keep my mouth shut." It just means I don't want to be the guy that's always complaining about stuff and bringing a negative vibe to a band. Blue

Hi Andy, Cheers - it's getting there! As soon as I get a neck blank made I can cut the neck pocket and get the edges rounded which always makes it look like progress. All the routing on this is just with a basic Black and Decker router with 1/4" collet. I think I used a Trend template cutter about 25mm long and about 18mm diameter. I would have gone round in three passes I'd like to get one of those four flute cutters @Christine recently bought - they look really useful, but not cheap!! The control cavity and cover recesses were also cut using Trend cutters both 12mm diameter, one 25mm long the other 12mm long. I did try some cheap cutters from Amazon but they are a waste of money!! I recently found the Tewkesbury Saw Company - didn't realise I had a supplier of quality tools right on my doorstep. Only trouble is they have loads of good stuff, routers, planers, bandsaws for which I have neither the money or space!! Cheers Jez

Advertisement: Bass Player Needed Looking for a fun band? We rehearse on Tuesdays (except when we don't because of unexpected spousal emergencies, short-term amnesia or just because). We play the same two songs in different arrangements every time, the extent of the variations depending on whether the guitarist has taken his meds or not. The drummer can't keep time and hits his kit like an angry butcher hacking out pork chops. The keyboards occupy precisely the space where the bass would normally be so you'll have to play everything up beyond the 15th fret. The singer has his own music stand and a jokey hat bearing the embroidered motto: 'I'm The Star'. We might have another guitarist joining but no one's really sure because he's the drummer's mate and we haven't heard from the drummer for six months. We've been rehearsing for four years and have a charity gig possibly booked for July 2027 which will be great exposure. We don't play for money, just for sh!ts and giggles and artistic self-expression, so no bread-heads, ha ha! If you're interested, give us a call but only if you own a van, a PA, a lighting rig, have website building skills and are sufficiently incompetent that we can slag you off behind your back then fire you by email two weeks after you've joined. Ciao!

I've always had a soft spot for fretless, thin-line style mag/piezo instruments and I've owned quite a few over the years (Status, Manne, Veillette, Fender, Yamaha), and now I've gone and spotted this from Cort and I'm a bit smitten: http://www.cortguitars.com/en/product/product_view.asp?qCate=00003&qSeries=130&qProdTag=&qPack=&qNew=&qKey=all&qWord=&idx=1291 I need help. P

After many years of not even wanting one and somewhat disliking its sound, lately I have decied that I'm getting old enough to own a P bass (ok, I know, I know 🙂 ) So this FGN Neo Classic P came around and I bought it without hesitation. FGN is the house brand of the Japaneese Fujigen factory that produced many Fender MIJ /CIJ basses and also do the MIJ Prestige line for Ibanez amogst others. I've had 2 FGN jazzes before and they left a very good impression in terms of build quality and overall feel and this one did not disappoint either. FGN basses are of great value, if they had a decent European distribution they'd be a lot more known I think. I bought it used from Denmark and the courier company actually lost this within their system for a week. Fortunately it was found and delivered in the end. Shipping cost was paid back as a reimbursement though, so it was all good in the end 🙂 The bass: nothing extraordinary to write home about, 'just' a great P bass with great attention to detail, flawless finish, nice feel and in a very cool color (would love to have a white pearl pickguard though) Alder/rosewood, the sound is surprisingly strong and lively (D'Addario Chromes are on it) Neck is somewhere between a jazz and a P, very comfortable for me. The bass has a circle fret system with slightly curved frets (see last pic) Its not really noticeable but it's there FWIW. As I use exclusively 5 string Spector basses for the gigs I do I bought this bass primarily for having a good P for noodling on and the occasional need to play a P with flats on it 🙂 So this is covered now and I'm more than happy as this bass sounds a lot more than I've expected and handles really well. Now the pics:

Thank you this was reported and the user banned a few days ago.

Quality Sonic pest control , or at least R&D in to test the potential. Perfectly legit and all tax deductible capital expenditures , written off after 3 years and can be sold on for pennies 🤔 . You can take it home then 😂😂 A superb solution, respect 👍

I've taken the offcuts from a couple of other builds and made the neck blanks for these basses. One is maple with dark and light veneer stripes, the other is birds eye maple with strips of Sapele and maple. Next task is to route these for truss rods.

Well, with the final screws for the neck coming in, I think I have everything for it. Actually no, I have some machineheads coming from china, but I can use ones I have at the moment and swap later. I have had so little time since going back to work after my holiday and having a busy gigging weekend - I could do with being independently rich really, but that doesn't seem to be happening. Anyway, managed to get some time last night and this morning, and now I have power in the shed (but not light yet), I spent some quality time sanding stuff. Thats it, just sanding the edges to 320 grit, it is really smooth now. I think that is about done. Just need to make holes for the neck and that is it. I have the controls all upstairs on a piece of wood ready for wiring. And I started with the red. I did the neck, so now I have a redneck. I also while I was waiting for my wife to be ready played around with the veneers again and put a veneer on the front of the headstock, and it worked really well, the wood was less brittle than last time. Only trouble is, I am not sure I like the colour. Still, I think it is staying there now! I have also glued two other random bits of tulipwood (what the body is made of), which I will sand flat and then stain to see if there is a problem with the stain going over a glue line. So at least I feel I have done something! Got to get more done this week, next weekend is another 3 gig weekend

Best learn all 11 songs; you'll probably have to show the other guys in the band which chords to play and the order they go in

Yeah that's the idea there's a little local charity to me that is very diserving it's called 'help for James's' it's basically a charity set up to help people called James try and finish some of their outstanding projects because they are skint because their missus and kids spend all their hard owned money 😜

And thank you!

Updated board, now with added whammy I've always hated using bigger pedaltrain boards, having to use pedals on the back row. But the PT booster really does the job, makes such a big difference:

Ah - OK. I'd remembered that your original spec was through neck but I think you're right to leave that to a bit further down the line - they bring a whole mountain range of new learning curves! I've double checked but, as I had suspected, all the necks I've got in my box of bits are 6-string electrics. While the thoughts to pass on the bass as-is is admirable, just a few musings: Many, if not most, modern low cost basses are perfectly playable and so there is always the opportunity for finding another one of equal value for the club You need a decent, playable neck to be happy with the extra time, cost and effort of building a custom body to fit it. If this feels good to play, use this one for your build and sell the body on ebay. If the neck is 'well, OK I suppose', then find another one and, if it's better, use that and donate the bass to the club. Well - that's what I'd do, anyway. I work on the basis that most budget bolt-on basses and guitars are essentially 'bitsa' builds using standard components anyway so the fact that that neck and that body happen to be assembled in this particular bass is just happen-chance. Which is why I've got a load of random necks and bodies hanging around

I've always suspected that all the slides and ping pong and table football and such at whizzy tech companies like Google are actually a trap. Anyone who gets caught playing with any of that stuff in work time gets instantly sacked for gross misconduct.

Ooooo....that looks nice

All my gear goes out at one time or another. Everything has a ding or two on it, even my Shuker. But it's a consequence of being used, and they're meant to be used not just hung on a wall. A jazz guitarist mate of mine has a vintage Gibson Super 400 worth in the region of 15 thousand quid... yup, it gets gigged. All his vintage gear does. Although his gigs are rather more sedate affairs than yours or mine

If funk had a face, it'd be Bernie's. From about 7,20 on this vid... (ps, I've never seen a bass player lick his fingers to play either... his own fingers I mean, cos licking Bernie's would be a whole new chapter).

Sell both the P and the J. Then buy a sunburst P with a rosewood fretboard.

Maybe Pinot? 🙂

This is the first time that I have seen an arch topped guitar being made. I know it's not strictly an arch top because it's not hollow but the only other real example I could point to is @owen's recent acquisition. My last two basses have had tops and backs with a convex profile. I like them better than belly-cut forearm-carved bodies. Can it still be called an arch top if it's not hollow? I also found that I like a volute. Did that come into consideration with your necks? Thank you for sharing with such detail. Much appreciated.

I play bass fingerstyle. I always assumed that I can play bass with a pick because I play guitar with a pick. This thread inspired me to actually try playing bass with a pick for the first time in about a decade. Turns out I'm really bad at it.

Probably a warehouse picker thought they just had a new colour pack. it works the other way too - I ordered one cymbal stand online, but what arrived was one... box of six cymbal stands!

I never use 'em and would rather do without, but my OCD won't allow the screw holes...

As promised in my last post, here's a link to my Tom Petty tribute band's FB page, where we have just uploaded the results of our recent recording session. https://www.facebook.com/heartfakersband/?hc_ref=ARRcWgx8vn_Kwfj-SPRAeZ7M_TrGAx5qVpTM6faIZWYKgSkoyj5RmceQawTn36EwhVA&fref=nf

I feel it's my duty to strongly encourage you to take this path.

Well MacDaddy, I stand corrected ! 😏 As far as I can understand after a bit of browsing, it seems: For all classical instruments, legato still has it's traditional meaning - i.e the opposite of staccato playing. For rock guitar (and bass) it has come to have a rather different meaning, referring to hammer ons and pull offs. Always pleased to extend my knowledge. Thanks. 🙂

At work there’s 3 acoustics, acoustic bass, an electric, a trumpet, a keyboard, Marshall half stack and hartke bass rig- plus I get to play whatever music I like loudly at whoever’s in the room. But I’m a music teacher, perk of the job.

Great thread and I rarely if ever read every post of any thread. This last audition whilst not hellish was I have to admit bloody nerve wracking . The practise room is a little annex off the BL open plan kitchen. Everything's setup, tiny muffled kit, keys, couple of amps all crammed into this very small space and I'm starting to think...blimey this is cosy. We sit down and are literally rubbing shoulders with each other, not an inch of room between us. BL asks me what I want to do and I say well lets go from the top of No 1 set list. ( their a 60's tribute outfit, and they do three sets of twenty each!) First tune is the Beatles "I'm A Looser" with that fab two part opening harmony. I haven't played for quite a while and was almost knocked off my stool by the power and tightness of that opening vocal.....christ these guys are good I think. Then the BL wife who's on keys starts warbling and the whole thing goes stratospheric. Not bad for a bunch of 70 yr olds. I'm 58.... To be sat in the middle of a four part harmony reaching for the sky in a room you couldn't swing a mouse in left me feeling emotionally drained....quite an experience. I've subsequently learned they've been doing this for 40 yrs and the front guy had a No1 record in South Africa.....no reason to doubt it really. Our first gig is this weekend ( a mini festival apparently)...can't wait if a little apprehensive. They give the bass loads of frequency space, its all very jangly and trebly as would be expected, so no room at all for any mistakes.....yikes!

Use it. That's what it was designed/built for. It's not an ornament.

Oh yes. I work in a large university Computer Science department and at least six of us have instruments in our offices - I can think of three guitars and two keyboards, there may well be others. I have the only bass afaIk. I bought a cheap old Encore P to keep in the office just so I could noodle around a bit during lunch breaks, or after working hours waiting for the rush hour to calm down before going home. Turned out a few peeps I've known for many years were getting together after work on occasional Fridays for a jam best described as drinking session with a music problem 🙂 That was actually the first time I'd played with anyone else, and I still love those crazy evenings. And my students think I'm cool 🙂

Jesus wept, 7 paragraphs consisting of one sentence each?

Just to confirm, user banned. It’s a Nigerian user who has done this a few times before so I’m talking to @charic about banning Nigerian IP. Thanks!

Just saw this going for a bargain and couldn't resist! https://www.thomann.de/gb/digitech_ventura_vibe.htm

Couple of weeks ago I received an email asking about a magic booking... This is it. I have not edited it. At all. "Ayo wagwan b holla at me with you bbm pin eint I looking for a sick magical party with the mandem like playing pin the shank on the donkey and real life pinata" I have no clue.

My first DB, a Thomann Europe 2TN, its as exciting as when I bought my first car.

I asked Mark which kind of necks he can offer. In terms of Jazzbass there is only one he can apply. It is standard Jazzbass width of 1.5" (38.1mm) on the nut. The profile of mine is much closer to an oval C-Shape than tp an U- or a modern C-Shape. I really like thin and slim necks like the Geddy Lee or the Squier Classic Vibe 60s ones.