Kiwi

For me, feel is about emotional emphasis, using small variations in volume, sustain and timing. Before I can add feel to something though, I need to be able to interpret the song...

[quote name='silddx' post='1090822' date='Jan 15 2011, 09:10 PM']But who's going to do that. Like the man said, you choose a few active and a few passive tones that work for you. Those are what you use.[/quote] If someone isn't going to use all the features to their fullest extent I don't see what the value is in having them. Why not just have the settings hardwired once the decision about settings has been made? If the sales pitch was more honest, it's a good demo bass. Players would get most of the value from the added flexibility after a month when they've decided for themselves which settings work best. After that, its no more useful than a regular bass...unless the live gigging situation changes genres dramatically. The number of players out there who could use this feature fully is likely to be very small compared to the number of players who are prepared to believe this feature will make them appear more professional. Even in the studio most producers won't have the patience to wait for a bass player to faff about with pickup settings, (unless the bass player is paying the bills). The bass player needs to have that stuff all locked down in their own time before turning up. I don't have an issue with anyone who wants to buy one BTW, I just think the marketing is disingenuine and based on novelty value rather than real improvements in design.

My experience agrees with the Grand Wazoo, its just ridiculous for playing live. Most soundmen would go mental if pickups were being changed every 20 seconds while mid-set...or between songs for that matter. [quote name='silddx' post='1090794' date='Jan 15 2011, 08:47 PM']Come on, man, that's nonsense [/quote] Bedroom player!

When the cottonbud meets resistance, stop pushing.

With this and the EB Gamechanger...does this mean that manufacturers are starting to run out of ideas for useful improvements that they can make to products?

[quote name='RhysP' post='1089176' date='Jan 14 2011, 12:02 PM']If you want a darker sound maybe active pickups isn't the way to go - a good passive Jazz set might be more suitable.[/quote] That would probably be the approach I'd take although if I got the pickups wrong, it could be a potentially expensive road to follow if trialling others.

Those BBNEII basses are very special indeed, gorgeous sounding and feeling. Too expensive outside Japan though.

The integrated circuit based switching system has been done by others...but its certainly never been marketed in this way before. I have my Spectors modified for 10 different coil combinations and I only use 5 at the most. I think its a gimmick, EB are clearly targeting bedroom players who don't have enough playing experience to know what they don't need to buy in order to sound good. Honestly, Steve Morse and Dave La Rue just come across as A-grade bullsh*tt*rs.

[quote name='clauster' post='1088584' date='Jan 13 2011, 08:57 PM']A good while ago, someone (Crazykiwi?) recommended Bartolinis for a graphite necked bass I think.[/quote] Yep, had a soapbar in a modulus fretless and it took the edge off the sizzle. Wouldn't otherwise normally recommend them - too woolly. Also consider an SWR head with it if you like clean (but not hi-fi) scooped jazz bass sounds.

[quote name='essexbasscat' post='1087651' date='Jan 13 2011, 11:06 AM']Do painters and musicians use the same parts of the brain for the creative process ? Just a thought. T[/quote] Depends on the creative process, I think.

John Cage is one of a number of creatives who have challenged the thinking behind art. Marcel Duchamp's infamous toilet installation kind of started the ball rolling. Some might argue that the definition of art is all about exploring what the definition of art is...which is self justifying and circular, but paradoxes themselves often hide a truth. Advertising guru Tony Kaye took a dump in an LA art gallery (with the gallery staff's permission) once and claimed it was art. The message was 'art is sh*t'.

Hang on chaps, just to be clear... ...I'm talking about restricting access to the Ebay links forum ONLY to those who have more than 50 posts. Not the rest of the site. I take the points on about discouraging new members but they won't be stopped from participating in the rest of the site, it will just restrict those whose sole intention in joining is to promote their auction.

[quote name='Tech' post='1086340' date='Jan 12 2011, 05:00 AM']I think the common factor for art is expression.[/quote] I'd go with that.

Ah, I see Essentialtension has already started the ball rolling. I always thought the institutional theory was most interesting...by Danto, I believe. John Stuart Mill's theory was called Utilitarianism. [url="http://www.utilitarianism.com/mill1.htm"]http://www.utilitarianism.com/mill1.htm[/url]

[quote name='essexbasscat' post='1086302' date='Jan 12 2011, 01:39 AM']Could you possibly shed any light on similarities of the creative processes of painting, sculpting, music etc ? Could we discuss the creative process in general ? Or possibly recommend any resources for further exploration ?[/quote] Sure but I have to finish my lunchbreak and get back to work right now, I'll put something together this evening (while you're still waking up).

[quote name='essexbasscat' post='1086285' date='Jan 12 2011, 01:17 AM']There must be a book on this topic out there somewhere ......[/quote] On Art Theory? Thousands, literally. Almost every well known philosopher had views on what art is including Plato, Socrates, Tolstoy, Bell, Hume, Stuart-Mill, yada yada. All I know is...discussions about what art is and discussions about what GOOD art is, should be kept separate. Art is just an experience created by someone for appreciation at a later point in time. An unmade bed can be a piece of art, as can a pickled shark. What is good art, is where it REALLY gets subjective.

[quote name='noelk27' post='1086167' date='Jan 11 2011, 11:16 PM']Depends how you define "Art". If you use the "provokes an emotional response" yardstick, then sure. But a dentists also provokes an emotional response when pulling a tooth. Personally, don't doubt that creating music is artistic, or that making music involves artistry, but to my mind it's not per se art.[/quote] I could go on at length about what art is, drawing on university lectures in Art Theory. However I can't be arsed, its not that important. Its all subjective and you can each make your own minds up about what art is. For me, music shares many aspects with visual art, but its a relatively constrained, linear experience. You can't choose which bits to listen to without affecting the quality of the experience...of course, having said that its perfectly possible for someone to create a musical experience which allowed you to choose how to listen...just like you choose which parts of a visual piece of art to look at in more detail...

Owing to the number of people just joining the forum and posting their ebay auctions in the Ebay links section, we're thinking about installing a 50 post minimum there. The original intention behind the creation of this forum was that it was a place to discuss Ebay auctions, not to offer free advertising to Ebayers. We'll do it in a couple of days but before we go ahead, is anyone going to be adversely affected by this measure?

You don't even need to refinish it, just rub the neck down with 1200 grade wet and dry. I've done it on my sunburst spector and it works well. Its always possible to spray clear coat gloss back over it if you want to sell.

[quote name='Circle_of_Fifths' post='1081460' date='Jan 7 2011, 08:46 PM']I sense just the tiniest bit of negativity in that statement.[/quote] Cynicism, Sir! [quote name='Circle_of_Fifths' post='1081460' date='Jan 7 2011, 08:46 PM']A neck's a neck at 9.5 or 7.5 or any different rather - and it's all for the masses anyway. Not every bassist can afford nor might even might want a boutique bass and this marketing skill satisfies several levels of desires, wants and needs.[/quote] When there are master built Fender Jazzes available for the same price as a boutique bass, all segments of the market have been covered. Best way to smother any competition. Warwick did the same thing. [quote name='Circle_of_Fifths' post='1081460' date='Jan 7 2011, 08:46 PM']If not for the consumers, then for the factories that need to keep their talent employed and the building that need to be occupied during these days of rather Apocalyptic slides into broke-ness and destitution-ness.[/quote] All those talented CNC machines?! [quote name='Circle_of_Fifths' post='1081460' date='Jan 7 2011, 08:46 PM']I say 'good on 'em' for the sheer variety and marketing elan.[/quote] Fair enough. But that marketing elan includes a pricing structure based on ever diminishing returns. The more a customer pays, the less the customer gets for each extra quid spent. Also known as up-selling. Some credit could be given based on their ability to maintain interest in the product despite the product not changing significantly. Hence the largely superficial changes and lack of innovation. Innovation is not what the Fender market wants though, is it? [quote name='Circle_of_Fifths' post='1081460' date='Jan 7 2011, 08:46 PM']You can be banned from Squier-Land by The Lord Of Squiers if you nay-say. You're already in Upsidedown Land! You [u]can[/u] be further banished to (shudder!) Australia![/quote] Brr, give me a remote island in the sub antarctic instead.

[quote name='SisterAbdullahX' post='1082124' date='Jan 8 2011, 03:24 PM']Broadmindedness not known here......[/quote] Steady on chum. I don't have anything to prove either.

[quote name='bubinga5' post='1081476' date='Jan 7 2011, 09:01 PM']Well, she is a solo artist... isnt that the point... Would you say that of Victor Wooten?[/quote] Yes I would. I don't think bass works as a solo instrument, it has other strengths. If a recipe was prepared in the same way, it would be like a pizza with a gnocci, pasta, tofu and potato topping.

[quote name='witterth' post='1081711' date='Jan 8 2011, 01:43 AM']a JD does (nearly) what an Alembic does[/quote] I'll have to disagree. I've owned both and they share very little in common apart from a basic similarity in the body shape.

Still no lightweight kickback? Ufff.

I'm amazed alright. Amazed at the different ways they can repackage the same basic specification.