mcnach

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1340129694' post='1699697'] I'd love to, but I have a gig on Saturday afternoon at still to be decided time. Have a good one! [/quote] pah, excuses! thank you, you too! We also have a gig on saturday, back in Edinburgh [1]... still unclear when. All I know is at a forest near Bilston, site of a famous protest against a proposed road project... 10 years ago! It seems there's people still there today, living in tree houses and the lot. After a recent gig someone approached us asking whether we'd be willing to join their 10th anniversary party in the forest. They are providing all equipment etc, so we figured it could be fun. [1] this will be with another band, Sea bass Kid... but 75% of RATM are in SBK, so it's really all the same people, we just change jackets

[quote name='Chrismanbass' timestamp='1340130731' post='1699727'] i think the point is that emails are good for information i.e dates and times indeed its the email from the singer which means i can prove it was bad comunication that led to me not being able to do the gig and not my mistake however i do agree that it is a lot easier to ascertain exactly what someone means when you are talking to them over the phone or face to face but yeh maybe an online calender is a good solution to this situation would you care to suggest a free/relatively cheap one? [/quote] google calendars! I've been using it for about 3 years now with several bands. It took a bit to get people to use it, but eventually they saw the advantages and it's working very well. I still need to call people up if someone contacts me wanting us to do a particular gig, but at least i can now say immediately that a certain date is busy. Seeing various people's calendars at a glance, with various colours... very helpful, for me. However, it only works f people do really use it. Being online, everybody can access it from their computers, phones...

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1340094685' post='1698866'] Heh, Mad Hatters is ace, really enjoyed it when we played there back in April. Just mind out for that curfew - I got shut out of the place when I nipped outside to phone my wife after the gig and had to ask very nicely to be allowed back in to get my stuff [/quote] Thanks for the tip I have never been there, but I hear good things about it. Pretty much everyone who knows it thinks it should be a good gig to play. We decided we don't want to drive back after the gig, so we can drink and relax, so we are staying at a nearby hostel, one room for teh four of us (well, we don't want to spend all our fee in petrol and accommodation, eh? ) Looking forward to it! I hope the weather helps a bit. So, not fancy a trip from Aberdeen?

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1340124952' post='1699539'] Two biggest problem in bands. Big Egos and Bad Communication. I can live with the first. Avoid emails and Texts unless it's for information - like "The gig is 22nd July" not like "We're using a dep, how do you feel?" Face to face and phone is always better. [/quote] Although emails and txts can be recalled later at will, while people often fail to make notes and "misremember"... Online calendars are also a very very good thing.

[quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1340099162' post='1698938'] You make some good points about practicality but with respect you are quite new to BC and it hasn't had time to corrupt you yet. I had about 2 decades of GAS free playing where I felt exactly as you do before joining BC... now I have multiple guitars in every single room of the house. I only perhaps gig with a couple of them... the rest are for my pleasure. [/quote] Oh, indeed!!!! BC has contributed extensively to my GAS. I was oh so happy with my OLP too

[quote name='pendingrequests' timestamp='1340098287' post='1698927'] To be honest, I have never seen the need to own any more basses than 2 or 3. Certainly a lot of players on here can justify owning so many. I have been pretty much using my USA Jazz bass for all live and recorded work for 4 years. In this time I have played in a ton of venues and recorded various styles of music. At any point, in rehearsals or the recording studio has someone said "Eugh, I don't like that bass tone, do you have another bass?" There has never been a time where I've felt I needed to buy another bass 1. I don't really need to. 2. What's the point if the Jazz is working? I think people get caught up on changing the bass, rather than concentrating on what they are doing with their fingers. Again I don't want to offend anyone, I really do not see the point in have over 3 basses. A local session bass player in Belfast I know, who is a extremely busy guy, usually has one bass strapped around him for everything he does and uses it from funk, cover gigs (pop, rock, indie), soul and Motown work. [/quote] See my sig below. And that does not list everything But I am not offended. In fact, I probably use two basses for 99%, and one for 90%. I could easily just use my MM SUB. Easily. But the reason I have so many basses is not "necessity". I just... like them. What can I do? If I think "need" I could then justify the SUB or Stingray, the fretless Jazz (or P if I add a jazz pickup to it but that's another thread ), and either another Jazz or P-bass with flats of soem description. Those three basses would cover anything. The thing is only at home I play and mix basses... live is nearly always the same one.

If so... come along to Mad Hatters, where Radge Against The Machine will be playing. It's the first time we play there, and I wonder if there are any other BCers in the area who might be coming. If you are, and you do, make yourselves known... it's always good to meet other forum inhabitants while out of town

[quote name='chrismuzz' timestamp='1340075648' post='1698741'] But then I might want more! [/quote] and the problem with that is...?

[quote name='lettsguitars' timestamp='1340058847' post='1698620'] Go for it. I would lightly sand first to give it a key. Nitro isn't the hardest material in the world and will easily ding up. The wet sanding is the tricky bit which is why you need a lot of coats to stop you sanding through, very easy if you aint careful. It's a lot of fun though and very therapeautical. Good luck. Your first is usually the best coz you tend to be over cautious. [/quote] Thank you! I need to get some sandpaper for this, I meant to do it at the weekend but other things got in the way. I will do some fine sanding on the existing finish then, and start applying coats of the orange nitro.

[quote name='bertbass' timestamp='1340061196' post='1698667'] Even later to this thread. Sorry but I have a totally different view point. I'm a one band guy and that band has total priority. I have played with other bands for fun but strictly on the understanding that if my band gets a gig on the same date then that's the gig I'm doing. I really can't see how you can commit to more than one band at a time. Perhaps it's me. [/quote] with multiple band situations I work on a first come first served basis. I think it would be very bad form to cancel a previous commitment just because later on I got an offer with my "preferred" band. If you do that with me, you will not be playing long with me because the number one quality I look for is reliability. If I say I will do X gig, then I will do it even if I get a better offer elsewhere. Being in multiple bands, successfully, I think depends on how busy those bands are, and whether or not deps can be used and are easily available. But you cannot back out of a previous commitment just because you found something you like better. Unless it's one of those situations where you can provide a dep without causing disruption to the other band members.

[quote name='chrismuzz' timestamp='1340064845' post='1698708'] All of the active basses I've tried sounded 'smoother' in the midrange, with a big bottom and and extremely glassy highs. Not bad sounds by any means, but didn't seem to have as much character to me. I found I was always turning the treble down, but leaving the mids where they were as they didn't sound 'right' boosted. All this is IME of course! [/quote] I see what you mean, I think that's what I call "modern sounding" and I don't particularly like that sound. But a Stingray or a Jazz with a J-Retro are quite different animals, as are many others. There really is as wide a variety as in passive basses.

[quote name='lettsguitars' timestamp='1340057514' post='1698574'] It will flake off the plastic can but not off your bass. The can lid is probably still covered in silicon from the factory. You can nitro over pretty much anything that isn't oily. As many coats as you can be bothered with. Usually One can, a week to dry, sand, and dump another can on before drying again and wet sand then buff (by hand with t-cut and swirl remover). [/quote] you give me hope! so you think it would attach reasonably well to a *very clean* poly finish, and not flake off if I cough next to it? I like the idea of showing shiny shoreline gold under the orange when it eventually gets some scratches etc.

[quote name='chrismuzz' timestamp='1339965092' post='1697018'] I only own passive basses, this is one of the reasons! Both the actives I've owned have had electronics trouble... Plus I prefer the midrange and attack of a passive! [/quote] why do you assume a passive bass has to have a significantly different midrange and attack from an active bass? These two things are unrelated to whether you have a preamp there or not (with or without EQ). Not saying passive is worse or anything, but "just sayin'"

[quote name='apa' timestamp='1340045208' post='1698261'] Way ahead of you . You like Antigua right? See 'Lucie' in my sig for a teaser!! A [/quote] Antigua, as in the island? yeah! as in what some people refer to as... "snotburst"? erm... not so much But then I have never seen an example in detail. Got any pictures yet?

[quote name='andyonbass' timestamp='1340045943' post='1698276'] Recently aquired a fretless fiver, its a very well put together bass, not too heavy and balances well. The low B isn't great but I have a new set of strings in the post and if they improve matters, I might consider an electrical upgrade, as I agree with the previous posts regarding pickups and circuit. Here's a pic (courtesy of mykesbass - hope you dont mind ) [attachment=110799:CortBass001.jpg] [/quote] Nice looking bass! I didn't know there were fretless versions.

I figured I might add a couple of pictures of my actual bass...

[quote name='apa' timestamp='1340034377' post='1697982'] I must admit Im realy coming round to this colour! Orange is by no means my favourite but this has a lovely 'not too in your face' thing going on. It reminds me of a matchbox mini I had as a child Consider my withdrawin and have a and a A [/quote] yeah, I never considered orange until recently when I saw one orange jazz and i thought... "that is warm looking and nice" It also brings me feelings of... warmth and fuzziness... maybe because it was a popular colour when i was child So, are you getting ideas for a new bass project?

[quote name='allihts' timestamp='1340041779' post='1698170'] I've got the older, cheaper version in a funky blue with a pearloid pickguard and pearl blocks on a rosewood neck. Very showy and very bright sounding but I dropped it and f***ed up the stacked bass/treble EQ knob so is now stuck at a default treble boost which makes it hard to use. [/quote] You should get it fixed, I can't imagine it'd be too hard. Is the actual pot damaged? Is it wired via cables or inserted into the PCB of the preamp?

wow, that is really nice! You did a great paintjob, at least on the pictures it looks very good.

I was checking other reviews etc, and found this: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/139724-sold-upgraded-cort-gb74/"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/139724-sold-upgraded-cort-gb74/[/url] kinda pretty in blue too Not as good a price as mine was, but still very reasonable I think. Funny that the preamp was gutted and the pickups changed on that one. Not surprised. I think this bass has a lot of potential. It's fine as it is, but it can be much better with little hassle I think.

[quote name='Roland Rock' timestamp='1340010267' post='1697407'] I refinished my Precision in Capri Orange. Love it! Looking forward to seeing how this turns out. [/quote] pictures, pictures!!!

[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1339952276' post='1696691'] I sanded down my old Vox many yonks ago, gave it a couple of coats of purple celly & never got round to putting a top coat on it. That was 20 odd years ago & it still hasn't flaked off (though I did start partially sanding it off a few months back). As long as you sand the thing so it keys, it should be fine (unless it has an adverse reaction to the current finish, but then you already do ). Mind & post pics. [/quote] thanks for that, very interesting info, thanks! I will be posting pictures, for sure. Watch this space

[quote name='bertbass' timestamp='1339937729' post='1696449'] Use a couple of coats of primer first and it shouldn't flake off. [/quote] so... 2 coats primer + several orange + buff ok? without clearcoat? I do like the idea of the finish not being ultradurable... but I don't want it all to flake off in my gig bag within a couple of days

Hi Balcro, I think I agree with you in most of what you said. Putting new strings on really transformed it. I was rather enjoying the very deep dub/reggae tone I could get with the old strings... but NOW it sounds like a bass I would play more regularly, and after adjusting the action, it's really nice to play. I still get a weird feeling everytime I pick it up.. because it's so light. Is yours also very light? The mid-boost switch is a bit strange. When I bypass the preamp, it sounds very much like it does with the "mids boosted"... so I see it more as a bass/treble boost. But I have to be honest, I have not been playing much with it, I leave it down all the time. I downloaded the schematics and other info I could find, but I have not checked it yet. I will do. I have also now played a bit more with the preamp. Leaning towards keeping it. I don't see as being a bass that will become my main one. The Stingray and SUB are still my go-to basses and I don't think that's likely to change. So I don't feel like spending much money in it, if I don't have to. And I don't think I have to. The politeness of the pickups when passive can be helped just enough with the preamp. It's funny because the setting I ended up favouring matches your description: I find that if I just add a touch of bass boost and leave the treble flat, it makes me smile I think the treble frequency center is a bit higher than I'd like, if it were a little lower, it would be great to turn it down and get a very dark, mellow round sound. But it's alright. It'll work for me. So I don't think I'd bother replacing it. Still unsure about the single coil/ full humbucker selector. The thing is I really like the one coil option (either of them, I find one works better solo, the other one works better for both-pickups-on), and it's well balanced with the neck pickup. Full humbucker is clearly louder. I think having a single coil/parallel/series would me more useful for me. Nice bass. But not a substitute for a Jazz. The neck pickup is Jazzy... and it's very nice for slap lines like "Forget me nots", but the bridge and both-on sounds are not exactly Jazz. The bridge is nice, passable for a Jazz. Both pickups on is not very much like a Jazz. IIN a way it's better, since it cuts through a lot better... but if you want "that" sound, it's just not there. Still, that's not a negative point. This is not a Jazz, but something that in some ways resembles one and to describe it it helps to compare it to a Jazz. But it's what it is, and it's nice. I love that type of bridge, because it makes life very easy when you need to work on the bass... just loosen up strings a bit, strings unhook... and you don't need to remove them. Since it's so easy, I want to try my Seymour Duncan SMB4A on this bass, and see what it does to it. I was going to get rid off this pickup, but it may just find a new life here. However I want to become more familiar with the bass as it is, so that I can judge it better and not just replace it for the sake of it, but only if it makes a substantial difference (for the better). Still, the final proof is using it with the band. So many basses sound great at home, but then at higher volumes in a band mix are difficult to make it sound right. I have a gig on Thursday and I might just try it then. I don't need effects for that one, so I don't have to worry about how they interact with a different bass etc, just worry about the basic sound.

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1339930174' post='1696320'] I bought a Fender Precision Lyte unseen, fell for a sob story, and when it finally arrived it was a dog. Bad drippy and uneven re-finish in a colour I hated (I was told it was red, it was day-glow deep pink) with majorly faulty electrics. Rather than lose money pointlessly I decided to use it as a teaching aid - I stripped and refinished the body, stripped the painted headstock and stuck a new decal on it, put in completely new electrics. The finish didn't look bad but I used the wrong paint under a clear enamel coat which has now cracked! Do I care? Not particularly. It isn't sellable without making a loss, but I don't intend to sell it. I found out so much about how the bass was put together and now fearlessly tackle most jobs on my basses. One day I will take it to bits again and do a better job on the body. [/quote] that's the idea...