icastle

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1329825893' post='1547888'] But active EMG's won't work in passive mode, active pups can't be turned off. They are either active EMG's which need a 25k pot or something else that needs 250 or 500k pots [/quote] Having read what I wrote earlier, I'll try that again using words that actually make sense (I know what I meant but there's no way anyone else would! ) EMG make both passive and active pickups and it is possible to use both types simultaneously, [b]but[/b] (you were waiting for that 'but' weren't you? ), if you do so then EMG recommend using a 500KΩ pot. There are also known issues using dual volume controls (which I am assuming is the case here as it's a PJB) instead of a single master volume - it has been reported that some EMG users are finding the signal still bleeds through when the pot is set to 'off'...

[quote name='Doddy' timestamp='1329830903' post='1548017'] It's certainly not a requirement to double on Upright bass...there are plenty of great players who don't. But,I don't think it can hurt to double on both instruments.There are a number of gigs around that require doubling,and by doing both you open yourself up to being offered them.Of course,you may not have any interest in those gigs,so that might be a moot point. [/quote] +1 and welcome back

+1 I'm guessing that the adrenaline rush will flatten your illness anyway. The only time you should cancel a gig due to illness is if you get leprosy because you'll be dropping more than notes.

[quote name='noelk27' timestamp='1329829442' post='1547975'] One person. One opinion. And he admits he's not a forensic photography expert. Seriously, what's odd about a seller disguising a serial number? [/quote] Very true, I'm not. I only looked because I was intrigued at what had become of the serial number. It's enough to put me off buying it blind though.

I'm probably best described as an 'adequate' guitarist but it's not something that I play unless my arm is twisted. It must be at least 6 months since I last picked up a guitar, let alone done anything semi serious with it.

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1329777545' post='1547340'] I'm quite interested in why you decided that 25K's worth simply wouldn't do! [/quote] I have a high resistance to it?

I've had one of these for years now and it's become my 'go to' instrument. If it got stolen or broken then I'd replace it with exactly the same, can't fault it.

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1329776979' post='1547320'] Nothing useful to add but I just wanted to point out that this thread is now probably being investigated [/quote] Oh crikey... I've just been talking about 500K's worth of pot...

Not sure how you're using these pups, but iIf you're running them in passive mode then you should be using 500kΩ pots, the 25KΩ pots are only recommended for active mode usage.

The OfCom frequency plan shows that the current 'unregulated' spectrum (863Mhz - 865Mhz) remains available for use after the switchover. Stay between those two frequencies and you'll be fine.

[quote name='redstriper' timestamp='1329741356' post='1546513'] Fret lines make a big difference to me as someone who looks at what their playing - check out Jaco on youtube and you will see he spends most of his time peering at his lined fingerboard. If you don't look, or if you are blind it makes no difference, but if you use your eyes, why not have the lines? I disagree with the stabiliser analogy and I don't see how fret lines can be misleading or distracting, particularly if you are used to a fretted bass. I've never heard of anyone selling a lined fretless bass in favour of an unlined one because they found it distracting. I have the Tanglewood Rebel mentioned above and it's a lovely feeling and sounding instrument with TI flats, but the lack of lines is a problem for me. I drew pencil lines because the side dots are between the frets, which is not much help. Sometimes at gigs, it's hard to hear the notes clearly and fret lines are reassuring - you don't have to use them if you don't want or need to, but they don't get in the way. The Squier is by far the nicest fretless bass I have played and compares very favourably with my friend's '64 de-fretted Fender Jazz. I didn't like the Vintage one as much, but a lot of people prefer them, so it's a matter of personal taste - try before you buy. [/quote] Hey, if you like lines then you like lines. This is one of those things where there is no universally 'right' or 'wrong' answer - it's whatever works for the player. I was just pointing out that I severely limited my selection of instrument because I [u]thought[/u] I needed lines and then discovered that I didn't.

[quote name='noelk27' timestamp='1329741878' post='1546522'] You mean the thin finish, given the cost cutting at Fender? The best work was being reserved for the Elite models, and these standard models suffered by comparison. You'll see examples with a metal control plate, you'll see examples with the 3D cast tuners, it was all a case of use whatever was in stock when putting this version of the Jazz together. [/quote] No. I'm no digital forensics expert, but I'd have expected to see regular pixelation when a 3D item is captured in 2D. The logo has an edge of tighter pixels around it that looks a bit odd. Like I said though, I'm no expert.

[quote name='gafbass02' timestamp='1329731488' post='1546362'] For us it's the drummer disappearing down the back of his kit wiggling and tightening things every other song. [/quote] You can get yourself arrested for just watching that in some countries... Seriously though, the same thing applies to drummers as it does to guitarists, or indeed any other musician. If your gear needs constant fiddling with you either need to set it up properly, get it fixed or throw it away. There really is no excuse that I can think of that requires repeated 'adjustments' to be made during a live performance.

[quote name='LawrenceH' timestamp='1329730486' post='1546346'] One-piece pickguard, knobs, white pickup covers and that burst all look kosher early 80s to me Oh, and hasn't the serial just been photoshopped out? Looks a bit fuzzy [/quote] Actually, if you grab the headstock image and take a look at it in photoshop, not only has the serial number been taken away (the pixel pattern doesn't match the surrounding area) but the logo itself has an interesting pattern around it that I wouldn't have expected to see there.

[quote name='Jerry_B' timestamp='1329723705' post='1546270'] A lined one won't really be any easier. Unlined, you have the dots on the important frets, which is all you have to remember. If you can play a fretted bass without having to look at it all of the time when playing, you should be able to get the hang of having no lines. IMHO lines just get in the way, and - as has been pointed out - once you get to grips with the concept they'll become irrelevant. Misleading/distracting even. Then you'd have to go out and buy and unlined and have to sell off the lined one [/quote] A bit like learning to ride a bike and then discovering you can't take the stabilisers off.

Don't do it ! It always sounds exactly what it is, a cover up. If it's something that happens often then your guitarist needs to get his guitar seen to and should have a spare to grab anyway. The frontman needs to keep the audience interested whilst the guitarist does a swap.

[quote name='Jigster' timestamp='1329685457' post='1545993'] interesting advice on the lines guys - i guess it seems a little daunting to go from no frets to nothing!! Unsure about the whole intonating issue without some sort of assistance [/quote] Going to 'nothing' really isn't as big a deal as everyone thinks it is. Once you've got the hang of it then you'll be the same as the rest of us who sit there muttering 'you don't need no steeenking fret markers'. Like I said earlier, I bought into the 'got to have lines' thing as well. A good indication of whether you'd get 'usage' from the fret markers is to look at the way you currently play the fretted bass. If you peer over the front of the neck to see frets or markers at the moment then you're probably not ready to go 'line free'. If you never, or hardly ever, resort to doing that, then you're almost certainly not going to do it with a fretless for any length of time either. As I said earlier, this isn't about a dislike of fret markers, it's just about giving you a better range of instruments to choose from. Now this intonation thing. From a setup point of view, your 12th fret harmonic, your 12th position (or 12th fret) and your open string should all produce the same note - no different from a fretted bass guitar. Fiddling about with that basic rule is a recipe for disaster. From a playing perspective, getting that note 'spot on' every time is the ultimate goal and, like all ultimate goals, it doesn't always happen. You need to listen carefully to what you're playing and be prepared to make fractional adjustments as you play - even the angle of your finger pushing he string against the fingerboard can make a difference to the note you achieve. So, staying relaxed, listening to what you're playing and making any changes smoothly and (eventually) confidently is the key IMO.

Are you sure you want a lined fretless? The only reason I ask that question is because I limited myself to lined instruments only when I was looking for one and severely limited my choices for the sake of a feature that I only made use of for about 6 hours before ignoring ever since...

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1329658181' post='1545387'] I should add that the songs that really bothered me were ones were I think the bass line is an intrinsic part of the song. [/quote] Ah If the bass line is what makes the song then you're going to end up with a total mess if you deviate from it. [quote name='molan' timestamp='1329658181' post='1545387'] Obvious examples I can remember were: I Feel Good - just didn't play that core bass line that holds the verses together (it's not like this is hard to play either) My Girl - again, to my ears, the bass is a crucial part of this song and overplaying with lots of extra fills is just pointless Honky Tonk Woman - a great groove with dynamics brought up & down between the initial verses & choruses by simply not playing any bass. When the bass comes in it's such a simple part. Last night the bass was played all the way through the song with many more notes than old Bill W ever played. With the whole band going hell for leather through the entire song it just seemed to lose all the feel. [/quote] Dunno how many times I've seen 'less is more' quoted here on BC, but it's certainly true. The catch seems to be that 'in the heat of battle' that gets forgotten and it becomes an exercise in seeing how many notes you can squeeze into a bar. I'm no great Rolling Stones fan so my knowledge of their music is sparser than William Hagues hair, but I've always found that there's a huge tendency to play it a hell of a lot faster than the original.

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1329646615' post='1545154'] I have to admit that my knowledge of many of the covers I do in function bands is superficial to say the least. Some of them are tunes I heard years ago and have some idea of the 'feel' that I picked up by osmosis. Other tunes are things where I have never heard the original. The drummer and I often laugh when we hear the original only to realise the grooves we play are nothing like the original. The punters are dancing, the other guys are happy. I am jazz musician. I make it all up as I go along. [/quote] With the exception of the 'I am a jazz musician' part (), I tend to fall into this category. However, the proviso being that if the song has a particularly distinctive bassline that 'makes' the song, then that's what I'll play. Like Bilbo, I'm often playing covers where I've not always heard the original, and that's always assuming, of course, that the version you're covering [b]is[/b] the original and not a cover of a cover. Is it laziness? I'd argue that it takes a lot more musical 'skill' to play something 'new' that fits seamlessly, both musically and artistically, than it does to copy what has gone before. The original bassline was only one bassists 'take' on what they should play when the track was originally worked on and I've certainly changed basslines on original stuff I've played over the years when I've felt a better avenue appear. For me, removing that challenge would make playing music extremely unrewarding on many levels.

[quote name='paul_c2' timestamp='1329588469' post='1544663'] Ok how about: the neck achieves a 2 octave range and the strings being different achieves a minor 10th range in itself. 5 string and 6 string basses have a bigger range due to the strings, etc. [/quote] True, but it's a damn sight easier to just call it '24 frets'...

If you're trying to work out which speaker connection is the + and which is the minus it's dead easy to work out using a 9v battery. Push the battery contacts against the speaker terminals. If the + contact of the battery is connected to the + contact of the speaker, the cone will jump forwards. If the + contact of the battery is connected to the - contact of the speaker, the cone will pull backwards.

[quote name='Musky' timestamp='1329438957' post='1542672'] Off topic I know, but I've often wondered why Genesis seem to be completely off the radar nowadays. They must have been on a par with Yes as perhaps the biggest prog bands, but whilst other prog bands of the time get kudos today Genesis are rarely name checked. [/quote] I think it's trendy not to like them at the moment (maybe to do with Peter Gabriels resurgance over the last few years?). I find the pre Collins stuff a little hard to listen to and the post Gabriel stuff a little bland in places - but they have sold over 150M records. Personally, if I'd sold 150M records and still had royalty cheques coming in, I wouldn't give a toot whether I was considered trendy or not.

[quote name='Mr Lizard' timestamp='1329565392' post='1544279'] If it wasn't for Punk, I wouldn't be playing the bass [/quote] Same here actually. I've been thinking about this thread over the last few days and have thought back to my 'teen years'. I hated punk. I disliked both the music and it's scowling devotees. It seemed that just about everyone in my age group were into 'punk', some going further with their devotion than others. In an ironically 'punky' bit of revolution, it gave me a much needed kick in the arse to jump into traditional music and provide myself with an alternative that I felt comfortable in.

IME what generally happens is that the drummer gets carried away and starts playing louder. That prompts the guitarist to compensate and the drummer plays harder still and the loop continues whilst gathering up other musicians. My band used to fall into that loop when I first joined them and I found a very easy way to rein it in. Instead of joining in with that ever increasing loop, as soon as I couldn't hear what I was doing - I stopped playing. Just stood there with my hands behind my back and watched everything disintegrate. Four years or so down the line, we hardly ever have that problem in rehearsals any more. The band have grown to be musicians rather than players. Ego, temperament and sulks are things that are exclusively exercised outside of music and any volume problems are generally fixed with a casual 'we're getting bit loud guys' comment.