miles'tone

If you can, start with Labella Deep Talkin Flats as they seem to be the holy grail for a P-bass (not tried them yet myself but I've researched this one to death - gonna try them finally when my fretless is finished)
In my personal experience I have used Roto 77's, TI's, Chromes, Elites and Fender CL's. I have tried the Lakland JO flats on someone else's bass once and they were lovely. Made by GHS for Lakland I believe. Not tried the GHS Precision flats but they are very well thought of too for a P-bass from all the reviews I've read.
All the flats I've tried have been great but very different from each other.

My favourites are the Fender CL's. Nice and growly when new and beautiful sounding when super played in. They don't really die as some flats do and I like that. Suitable for any style of music. Great for my music, but for you?
There is no definitive answer. You're just going to have to have fun experimenting!

Best of luck,

Si.

Cool, I'm interested to hear the difference myself.
Bet you'll give your Jazz some serious balls and output if you do hardwire those 84's in series!

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1373364078' post='2136624']
Is it a boxset if there's no box?
[/quote]

No, it's a mindset.

Bollocks, they've cottoned on.
£84.99 now. I snoozed, I lost!

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1373294704' post='2135764']
Concepts for Bass Soloing by Marc Johnson and Chuck Sher
[/quote]

Wow, that book looks amazing! (I love the Bill Evans connection )
Thank you Bilbo, I've never heard of that one before.
Essential, it seems.

Not that I'm an expert by any strech of the imagination about this kind of thing AT All, I am interested in getting better at soloing myself. Alot of the advice I have read on the subject suggests starting by learning the melody for the tune. At least this way it gives the listeners a reference point that makes sense to them, and by at least hinting at it, then
you can start altering the phrasing of the melody before you take complete liberties with the tune!

Makes sense I hope, and I can't wait to get into this idea myself! (It's an "in" at least).

Yeehaw! Cool track man, band's got a good sound there. Congrats.

It's a USA Highway One Jazz. You way well find a Badass II bridge under that cover.
Don't worry, you haven't been diddled!

Papa was a rolling stone - The Temptations. James Jamerson grooving with not much at all.
Lock in with him there, get in the pocket as it'll help anyone's feel that one!

Maybe a series/parallel switch? Cheap mod and in series mode it will beef things up nicely, getting into P territory.

Otherwise, SD Basslines Antiquity II are fantastic pickups. The bridge pickup in isolation has alot of warmth and output. Very usable.

This stuff rocks, stronger than wood so your neck won't bow horribly when you string it up (the frets did alot to keep the neck flat) and you can sand it too.
Just make sure your neck is flat before you put it in the cleaned out fret slots. (tighten the truss rod, but don't overtighten it.)
There are good youtube vids out there on this topic
Good luck and have fun!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/ol/B003ZUXQQC/ref=mw_dp_olp?qid=1372824247&sr=1-1

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1372937316' post='2131804']



Youth is wasted on the young
[/quote]
[quote name='bob_pickard' timestamp='1373010623' post='2132663']
and money is wasted on the old
[/quote]

Well now I'm old, I have no money to waste as I wasted it all when I was young getting wasted in my youth.......and another thing, erm, what was I saying? And why did I walk into this room in the first place?

Erm, 42?

Well, I'm still on my quest and I've come across this corker called "Legs" by a band called Massacre - Bill Laswell on bass.
It's rather nutty. I love it.
I do think the comedic capabilities of a fretless bass often gets a bit lost with 'serious' musicianship. A bit like the trombone. Parp!
I fear this is more the path I'll be walking when I eventually get one sorted.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETxtSbfpjHE

For me personally I used my kickback combo pointing up at our drummer as our monitor just so me and him could lock in (7 piece band with fiddles and flute and a trumpet plus the usual used to get pretty noisy up there).
I have gigged with just my Sansamp before ok with a three-piece.

[quote name='Dave Vader' timestamp='1372841110' post='2130467']


Mine was a maple neck with maple inlays (I also filled the position dots with maple veneer to try and get an unlined look.



As you can see, it didn't really work. But it is perfectly playable, and looks just fine.

[/quote]

Yes that's a very nice job! Dave's looking very sexy there
The cream pup covers look ace with the black. Dimarzio's?

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1372894374' posts='2131478']
Learning as much as you can about what you love does not suck. Don't f***ing waste it.
[/quote]

Absobloodylutely!! Awesome post there Nige but this last bit resonates with me.
I studied at the M.I. in Wapping when I was in my early 20's, 1995.
I was too young (within myself at that time) to fully absorb what was being taught to me, to look around and see the opportunities available. I knew that this is what I wanted to do but to be honest I only gave it a half-arsed go (passed the course, just). I left there with alot of holes in my knowledge and no real idea of how to utilise what little I had learned. I did alot of dicking about to be fair with an opportunity that not many get. Got all the time in the world right?
Fast forward to today and I have such a hunger to be the greatest musician I can be. I have all of Carol Kaye's educational books and C.D's, a tasty bundle of lessons and backing tracks downloaded from Scott Devine's website (scottsbasslessons.com) and..... I have absolutely no time to get stuck into them as I work my day job, I'm married and we have two lovely little lads. Life is good, amazing, don't get me wrong but musically I feel I've diddled myself to be honest.
I will get into my educational material again one day but I can't see it happening for a couple of years at least.
All the time in the world? Forget it! If you've found what you love, don't sit around wasting your time while you have time. You never know how busy life may get for you, how full your hands may be one day, and those days just fly by.
Yes there's a heavy dollop of 'If I knew then what I know now' to my sentiments but to be honest, I DID know then too! I was just an ignorant smart arse though looking back.

So yes, Do what you love and don't fu**ing waste your time. It may not be yours to waste for very long.

[quote name='Wil' timestamp='1372867012' post='2130941']
Headless Status and high wasteband
Warwick Thumb and carpel tunnel
Rickenbacker and a deep sense of regret
[/quote]

Splutter! Just inhaled some coffee reading that. Funny! :-D

[quote name='Myke' timestamp='1372800720' post='2130264']



+1 Works fantastic (except I used rosewood veneer)
[/quote]

Been thinking about doing this myself. Can you still see the lines when you play? (Assuming your fingerboard is rosewood too that is. I fancy the unlined look but it would be handy to see a bit of line close up methinks)

[quote name='Fat Rich' timestamp='1372786573' post='2130004']



The frets were approx 1 or 2 mm high, once they're gone the strings will feel too high in the nut. So you need to open out the slots a bit to get the strings closer to the finger board.
[/quote]

Or you could take off the nut and sand down the flat bottom of it to the depth required. Saves fannying around getting the nut slots right.

Cheers for that
Always used to listen to his show on the way to band practice. Great for getting in the mood.

[quote name='Skol303' timestamp='1372758865' post='2129483']


Gotta love Basschat for the new music that gets signposted on here
[/quote]

Damn straight!

Crap link above.

Here 'tis.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/s/ref=is_box_?k=rotosound+77le

Edit:
Forgot about the Roto 77LE's (.50 - .110)!
I remember them being great in D natural (all 4 strings down a whole tone) , you can really hammer them hard and they cut through fantastically. Only 25 quid-ish here!..
://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0002GNYA0/ref=redir_mdp_mobile?camp=1634&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&redirect=true&tag=shopwiki-uk-


Ernie Ball Group 1 flats are a bit cheaper (.55 - .110 gauge).
They work very well tuned to D natural.

No offence taken
Good thread though, there's a few suggestions here by artists I've never even heard of before so there's lots to check out.
Cheers!

[quote name='SlapbassSteve' timestamp='1372677871' post='2128361']
I think the Stratosphere shop's a little different, as from what I can see they operate by buying complete guitars and parting them out... at the kind of prices Fender are charging I can see them having to stop doing this pretty soon as it'll be cheaper to buy the bits separately then together, which makes sense I guess, saves you paying for labour costs if you're the one putting the bits together and not someone in Mexico or California.
[/quote]

I think Fender are probably offering these bodies and necks now because they see the killing The STRATosphere are making and they can't stop them. They just want their piece of the pie.