mcnach

Just bought the John East J-Retro preamp from Luke... it arrived almost before I knew he had one for sale! It was that fast!
Very pleasant guy, easy transaction. No problems whatsoever.

Thank you, Luke!

[quote name='lemmywinks' post='1014822' date='Nov 6 2010, 10:41 PM']On the neck pup! For me that's the most comfortable and versatile place - it's where my thumb mainly stays, as the OP has a Jazz he'll probably have the same issues if he plays fingerstyle.

I don't find MM basses a struggle, just that they're not as comfortable as other basses i own. The arwick fits much more snugly around my beer gut![/quote]

I got curious after reading this thread, because I really don't know what I do! I know I rest my thum on the Stingray's pickup sometimes, but not always.
I realised that generally I rest my thumb on the E string, except when I use it. Then I just move my hand upwards and just rest it on the body until the E string note(s) are done and I go back to the initial position. It sounds more complicate than it is! And I tend to use a position just right above the top of teh Stingray pickup. On any bass. The position does vary, depending on what I play, and I had noticed that I rest my thum on the Stingray's pickup, but only sometimes.

Different people, different techniques. I'm glad a proper thumb rest is not useful to me, I don't like how they look.

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='1014099' date='Nov 6 2010, 11:18 AM']Chili's and Rage you say?
There's a couple of MM4 Stingrays in the FS section that should sort you right out. [/quote]


and two beautiful MM SUB4 on eBay right now! And a Sterling SUB too.

[quote name='Bass_Guardian' post='1008919' date='Nov 1 2010, 07:44 PM']I can vouch on McNach's behalf that he is a great bloke and brilliant to deal with [/quote]


Thank you, Alex
how much did we say I was going to pay you for the feedback?

[quote name='Delberthot' post='999615' date='Oct 25 2010, 01:39 AM']its definitely worth doing your homework when it comes to buying second hand - you can get a bargain on Ebay only to find that its only a few pounds to buy it new


McNach - did you intend your avatar to look like a classic John Deacon image?[/quote]


Ha ha!

I didn't realise until now!

I was going to use a different picture because that one makes me look like a dwarf... and I'm not a big guy but I'm not as little as the picture suggests! I left second grade many years ago!
But maybe now I'll leave it

PM'd

I've been buying these for years:

[url="http://www.award-session.com/cleartone_cables.html"]http://www.award-session.com/cleartone_cables.html[/url]

very good quality and well made, lots of options. And if something is not there, just email Stewart, he'll sort you out.
I haven't bought many because... I don't have to buy many. the first ones I bought back in 2001 or 2002 are still going strong.
Mic, instrument, patch leads... whatever.

Highly recommended.

Jose, not connected to the company, just a very happy customer
(and I had the pleasure of meeting Stewart too at a ukmg meeting, great no-bull kind of guy)

[quote name='JPJ' post='1006333' date='Oct 30 2010, 01:55 PM']I've recently picked up an early nineties MM Stingray five string and have the following questions which I thought you guys might know the answer to:

1) how long does a battery last?
2) what's the best string to pickup height (to close and it sounds choked, to far and it sounds weak)?
3) is it just me or is the tone very dependent on whether you pluck over the pickup or in front/behind?
4) the output signal is not as hot as my East equipped Jazz'es, what do people think of the East MM 3-band circuit?

I'm loving playing the bass which sits lovely on the strap and the neck is to die for. Fits really well in both my bands, but I do find it a little harder to play than my East equipped Overwater J as it's just not as sensitive to the touch.

Any and all advice will be greatly appreciated [/quote]

1) forever
well, not quite, but many months of daily use. It will not suddenly die, you'll hear degradation before you get to that, so you'll have warning. I normally change it every few months without getting to that. For peace of mind.

2) Ernie Ball's website has the specs and lots of good info about loking after your oiled neck. I just adjust by ear. Tilting away from teh strings on the E side.

3) That's true on any guitar. How hard you pluck will enhance/disguise some of teh differences

4) I love mine. I installed it in a 2EQ Stingray, and it keeps teh character of teh 2EQ sound but the mid sweep gives it a bit extra when you want it. I love it. Output is similar to the original preamp. Not the hottest output the way I normally set it, but you can boost bass to saturate any external preamp. Loads of bottom on tap.

biddibiddi-bump

NOw SOLD!

another bump on me.

I have a lovely SUB5... I wouldn't hesitate getting a SUB4 if I were after a Stingray type of bass.

[quote name='andytoad' post='1010888' date='Nov 3 2010, 03:14 PM']Hi all,
Do you have recommendations for my brother in law, whom is a newly converted bassist. He has been dabbling with a cheapy, buy now wants to get a little more serious, he has £500 (now he has sold hid guitar stuff).

The bass he is after would have:

a Les Paul/SG type look
Natural wood/sunburst in colour
4 string
easy/fast neck (he is a little chap, so would struggle with big tree trunk necks)
Funky/Punchy


any ideas? I guess the look is the least improtant because a Les Paul/SG look is a Les Paul or SG![/quote]


little chap? so am I, and I prefer, and do just fine with, thicker necks.
People often overestimate how hard a bass is to play looking at this.

as others said... funky/punchy and SG/LP don't match well.

I'd look into a second hand Warwick Corvette, or even their Rockbass series.
Or a MusicMan SUB4. In fact make this first choice. Great neck, punchy, punky... no solid wood 'though, butwho cares when it sounds this good?

[quote name='LITTLEWING' post='1009876' date='Nov 2 2010, 06:22 PM']By the way, may I be the first to wish all low-enders a Merry Xmas and Happy New Year ![/quote]


erm... thank you but... it's the 2nd of November!!!!!!

coated strings can also get dirty. They won't rust, but get dirty.
Ethanol / Isopropanol (aka rubbing alcohol) / methylated spirits all will dissolve "finger cheese" and help clean strings without damaging the coating. You just need to wipe the strings gently after a long session/gig and they'll keep pretty clean.

In addition... I like to wash my hands *before* I pee (afterwards too) and before I play. That also helps somewhat.

[quote name='fender73' post='1009664' date='Nov 2 2010, 03:10 PM']I know i guess i have to try one, but any owners with Double Buck pickups...do they get in the way for slapping/popping duties?

Hand on heart i don;t do too much slapping during a gig, but interested if they hinder due to their placement/size on the bass?

Thanks

Graeme[/quote]


I prefer the Stingray in that respect, with a single pickup. But I do a fair bit of slap on the Corvette $$ and I don't find it the second pickup gets in the way. The slap tones you can get out of that bass are amazing.

You are right, you should try it yourself to be sure that the way *you* do it works on that bass, but I have no problems. And it sounds HUGE, whether fingerstyle or slap or whatever. Just look at it, don't touch it... can't you hear it???

Fantastic bass.

Me & desert island:
1) Stingray
2) Jazz bass
3) Warwick Corvette $$
(maybe a 5-string version of 2 or 3).

Nice 3+2, I like that.

But not much else, especially colour, pickguard design, and gold hardware...
An SR5 looks to me much more desirable...

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='1009167' date='Nov 1 2010, 11:37 PM']Yeah, huge superstore out in Germany. Very good service and they offer a 30 day money back guarantee. They even pay for the return.

Ive had to send a 3 basses back to them. one because it was marked and the other two because i just didnt like them. Its not something i ever intended to do but i feel pretty safe buying from them.

They used to be really cheap but these days not im not so sure.

[url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/electric_basses.html"]Thomanns[/url][/quote]


They used to be quite cheap, but with the pound suffering more than the euro did, it seems there aren't so many good deals in the rest of Europe. However I'd vouch for their service. I've bought numerous times from them and always very happy, including the one time I wanted to return an amplifier.

[quote name='Lozz196' post='1008167' date='Nov 1 2010, 09:08 AM']Fairly self-explanatory really. I always take a backup bass to gigs, and to date, have never needed it.

I`m trying to reduce the amount of gear I take to gigs, in an effort to stop aching so much the next day (aging is not a good thing). Have bought an Orange Bass Terror on the amp front, so the next thing to maybe cut down on is the backup bass. I don`t have different sounds/tones, it stays in its case, and like I said, to date have never needed it. For info, my basses are Fender Precisions, so no actives that can go wrong/batteries die etc.

Opinions would be gratefully received.[/quote]

Never ever had a problem. Sometimes I take two basses, either because of the different sound or simply as backup... but never needed them. Always have spare batteries, strings, basic tools etc. I figure that any problem I may have I could fix quickly enough while the band does their thing to entertain without me. If it's an important gig then I'd probably still take a second bass, and a second amp head, and a second DI box and spare cables and... But the truth is until now, one bass has been enough.

[quote name='lanark' post='1008449' date='Nov 1 2010, 12:57 PM']Not just the Glasgow branch, the entire UK chain went to the wall about this time last year.[/quote]


I had no idea!

but now I remember that I thought it was odd the Borders at a centre here in Edinburgh was shut on a Saturday...

[quote name='Bass_Guardian' post='1006734' date='Oct 30 2010, 08:47 PM']Just met up with Jose in Glasgow and easy bass deal and also played it the same night without trying it prior to it. Great wee bass and great bloke and his pals not to bad either [/quote]

thanks! but... you were too shy to practice your Spanish with her, eh?

bumping...

I met Alex on Saturday and we exchanged my Jim Deacon P/J for his Squier Bronco Batdtz Maru bass.
Very nice to meet you and chat for a while despite the lack of caffeine-dealing establishments open for business at merely 6pm. But... what am I thinking, that was Glasgow! If there's no alcohol in a beverage, then they're not interested!
Just kidding, I love Glasgow.

Very pleased with the deal, and happy to meet Alex in person.

Now sold - payment pending

[quote name='Bass_Guardian' post='1005898' date='Oct 29 2010, 11:15 PM']Yeh Borders died a while ago

U seem to love ur coffee u always seem to associate yourself in Glasgow with a coffee shop.[/quote]



True! The very first time I went to Glasgow I went straight to a place in Byres Rd called Little Italy or something like that, to wait for a guy working close by at the uni who had a tasty Fender Vibrochamp for sale. That place became my default place to meet people in town.

I'm definitely more of a coffee type than alcohol. I love my ice cold beers, but that's a summer thing for me and let's face it, it's never summer in Scotland!
Although last night after our gig I managed to drink my weekly intake in justa few hours

Shame about Borders... when the girls went to the n-th shop looking at shoes and clothes, I could escape there for a while to check various books.

Your nick, Musicman20... is that a reference as to how many MM basses you're aiming to own?



(jealous? nah, not me )

I find the Big Al extremely ugly... but I hear good things about them. And... there was a day when I thought the Stingray was hideous

[quote name='lanark' post='1005763' date='Oct 29 2010, 08:57 PM']we had the launch at Borders (RIP) in Glasgow.)[/quote]


ehhh??? Is Borders no longer there???
It was a routine stop for me every month or so (I stay in Edinburgh), everytime I was going to Glasgow.
I even bought a Fender Stratocaster at the Starbucks inside!