Wolverinebass

[quote name='far0n' timestamp='1354298864' post='1884652'] Wasn't the SD1200 discontinued a while back ? He must have bought them second hand [/quote] It still appears to be on their website as being under "special heads." So, not discontinued.

None of this makes any sense. Did the Vietnamese gardeners sell you the fake bass? Did you get any "herb of Zarg" to try as recompense? Was there free wireless broadband in the shop you tried it in? It's all getting a bit far fetched for me.

Maybe it was just my imagination. I could have played one with a rubbish amp or cab, but I didn't like the sound. I generally find passive basses a bit wooly for me and there isn't enough cut without stupid eq curves. Each to their own. Certainly they have low mids in abundance, but for that sort of attack noise 1.5 - 2.5k, I didn't get what I wanted out of it without a rather hefty bout of eq boosting. I'm not saying they're rubbish (far from it), just that they don't work for me. If I'm mistaken, then fair enough, it was only my own experience (ducks head).

They were fantastic at Hyde Park. I loved it.

I don't know. I saw Soundgarden at Hyde Park a few months ago. I felt that Ben Shephard was using too much low end and added to the fact that P basses have a natural mid scoop he wasn't that clear for quite a lot of it. Nothing in that had changed on Jools, plus like all bass players everywhere he was undermixed. I happen to quite like him as a player. I don't think he's innovative in any way, but for some reason I just think he's really good.

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1351708263' post='1854495'] [/quote] Am I not right in thinking that's one of the fakers that you bought off ebay the other day Mr F?

I play every day rotating between basses. I love playing too much to not do it every day.

[quote name='Big_Stu' timestamp='1348948299' post='1820109'] Wasn't it there that John trashed his bass afterwards because it wouldn't hold tune? [/quote] No. He sold it to the Hard Rock Cafe afterwards. He'd been fiddling with it and crossed some wires and it went dead. He then raced for the backup and it wasn't tuned. There wasn't a transformer (5 pin canon jack familiar to those Alembic users out there) so he couldn't tune it and just muddled through. To quote the man himself - "Right before we were to play, my main bass went dead because I’d accidentally crossed some wires while changing the battery. I ran for the backup bass but couldn’t tune it because there were no transformers backstage. At that point we were introduced, and I barely managed to get back onstage in time to start ‘[url="http://www.thewho.net/whotabs/tablature/mygenbass.txt"]My Generation[/url].’ If you listen closely to the video, you can hear me tuning the [i]D[/i] string as we go. I just about got it in tune in time for the bass solo. I sold the main bass to the [url="http://www.thewho.net/whotabs/gear/misc/museumpieces.html"]Hard Rock Cafe[/url] — that was its punishment.” He smashed his bass at the Houston Astrodome in 1975 when Daltrey told him (not very politely) to turn down. His response of "You play the f###ing thing then!!" then smashing his bass, jumping off a 12 foot high stage and locking himself in the dressing room is pretty much exactly what I would have done barring smashing an Alembic. Ouch.....

It's a very nice bass. The mid shift is taken from something like the EMG circuit I have in my 8 string (although that has stacked knobs). It was always a source of slight frustration that even on a bass like the buzzard the mids were only either "flat" or "boosted." If it were a complete graphite mould rather than just facings (which I consider cheating), I'd probably be a bit more interested. The simple fact of it is that Status don't have that many endorsees that are stupidly high profile. Whilst there can be no argument (love them or hate them) that Muse are one of the biggest bands in the world, does anyone like Chris Wolstenholme enough to shell out £2300 on a bass when it's very unlikely to make you sound like him? It's like people that buy a Wal to sound like Justin Chancellor. It just doesn't happen as he's using so much processing. However, that's a whole other argument. I would like to think that this is finally Status stopping rolling out Kingbasses every year or 2. However, I doubt it. Do we really need 9 different Kingbass variants? Really? Really?!!! Do us (or more importantly me!!) a favour and build a bass to replace the buzzard. Preferably one which your forearm can rest on and is availble as an 8 string which would be a one piece graphite mould.

This in many ways is totally unsurprising. If anything, it reinforces my opinon that a bass that doesn't cost at least £800 isn't worth playing. I've never found one under that price range I'd wish to own even if I got it for free. I used to think that Fodera were kind of having a laugh with their pricing, but on the other hand it's not like their making P bass clones for £6k a pop. They're making top quality gear. I wonder what Alembic or Wal are getting give or take. I would assume about the same. It's a travesty that in some cases people who put such beautiful instruments into our hands can't get enough to break much more than even for the ludicrous amount of work that has been put in.

[quote name='RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE' timestamp='1346705925' post='1792285'] Graham Noden in Denmark Street . [/quote] Well, I'd never use anyone on Denmark Street again, especially those tools. When I took my 8 string for a setup I asked them to lower the action and the guy just filed down the nut until the first fret was being fretted by playing an open string. I was seriously not amused when a couple of days later I couldn't figure out why it was going out of tune. I then took it to Graham Parker who made me a very reasonably priced bone nut. I got that bloke Tim Hardin to build it for me (I'm not the most handy of people) and he broke the nut. Filed off the bit on the side of the fundamental G string. Then tried to deny that he'd bodged it not realising that since the nut was made of corian it showed up the superglue he'd tried to fix it with very, very well. Not impressed.

Graham Parker in Lewisham is really good if south London is where you want to go. I got him to make my 8 string a new nut and set up my 12 which has now got the most insane low action ever. I'd recommend him and probably wouldn't go to anyone else unless I move.

That is awful. Everyone has a story like that. Here's mine. About 6 years ago I got slung out of a signed band in the middle of a recording session. My "crime" was that after the guitarist/singer drilled the drummer for 6 solid hours to do 2 songs when there was honestly nothing wrong with anything he did after the 2nd take, I got 15 minutes to do the bass. I didn't get to play at the same time as the drummer and there was no guitar track to play to. I can't play a song as binary data unless I'm literally playing root notes. It's a skill I just don't have. Although I did okay, I wasn't happy and wanted to get a better crack at it. The next day before we went into the studio he phoned me and said that "my style no longer fitted the band." I'm surprised he hadn't noticed that 6 months before when I joined the band. About a year later I did a project with the drummer who had quit over money issues and he'd been told that "Andy didn't want to do it anymore." At the time although none of the material was mine, I was a bit upset. I didn't touch a bass for 10 months after that. People will stop at nothing to get what they want sometimes. Selling out your friends is bad enough but over something so petty as image is just crap. They'll wither and die after the album. Go on to better things.

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1344938776' post='1771268'] This is cheeky a hell but... do you have a tab for it? Would be great to be able to sit and learn it [/quote] You know, I was going to ask that for a laugh, but since Charic has done it for me I can now say it seriously. Really, really nice playing.

[quote name='pietruszka' timestamp='1345907462' post='1783002'] in all fairness the tweeter isn't at all that loud, I can hear it when there is no other sound other wise it's absolutely fine. [/quote] Try playing with the tweeter on playing a 12 or 8 string bass. It sure isn't quiet then. It's hideous. After loads of evenings which involved unumberable head/brick wall interfaces trying to EQ it out without losing all cut and bite, I just turned the damned things off.

The shock value is pretty much gone from smashing instruments. After The Who and Hendrix is there anything else left in this regard? Er, no. What killed me about that video was that I didn't understand why he didn't swing the bass so that the string side went into the stage first. Surely that would have got the neck joint to break with one swing?

I can understand that totally Alan. Your preamps are more flexible that my Alembic easily. They're more like the Series II Alembic electronics on steroids. At least in my opinion. Plus, considering the price point of your basses, one cannot feel that your features to cost ratio is very, very high indeed. A lot is being got for the cash. At least that's what I think. I mean, how much is a series II Alembic? £15K? Ouch.... Why copy something when you can make something original that's better? You and John East clearly have. I can see what you mean about interest translating into actual sales though. If you ever make something in a more outlandish shape I'll be on it!!

[quote name='skelf' timestamp='1345927217' post='1783336'] Hi Just to let you know the original dual filter pre-amp the EQ01 is now available out with my basses. This has a lowpass filter per pickup instead of the one global lowpass filter of the 02 version. The mufti-coil pickup I am working o will only be available in my own basses with the EQ03 pre-amp, Alan [/quote] Hi Alan, sorry about the confusion. I actually meant your newer preamp the 03 version as I presumed that would be closest to a Wal type preamp with it's seemingly limitless control over the mids (not to mention the rest of the signal) that seems possible with it. In all likelihood, I'd imagine yours would be much more flexible and dare I say it - better than Wal's. I was just lamenting that it was a pity that such things would only be available in your own basses as I'd imagine you'd have people biting most of your arm off for that combination. But on the other hand if you sell a bass or a truckload as the case may be because of the combination, that can only be a good thing. I think that your basses are spectacular to look at and sound great from the samples I've heard, but it's just a pity that the body shapes aren't ones that I'd dig on. If you flogged the pickups and circuit seperately, I'd have that. Naturally I can understand the reasons why that won't happen.

[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1345908759' post='1783016'] Also, get a bolt on, neck throughs apparently lack an area of mid range that may contribute to your 'growly' sound. [/quote] Really? I never knew that. I suppose that might explain why my Warmoth 8 string is very mid ranged. I always thought it was the status pickups and EMG circuit. [quote name='rubis' timestamp='1345915795' post='1783134'] If you are interested in aftermarket pickups and electronics cloned on the Wal innards, try a search on Talkbass in the "pickups and electronics" section for a thread called "I won the Wal pickup on e-bay" At the end of the thread an American pickup maker called SGD Lutherie is making quad coil pickups and filter pre's emulating the Wal design [/quote] I've read that. Quite interesting, but I wonder if it'll ever be realised. The thread has been going on for almost 4 years and people are starting to get impatient. I'm waiting to see if it ever comes to anything especially as let's face it Wals are ruinously expensive. If SGD come up with something that's similar, he's got a licence to print money. I for one would happily get stuff from Warmoth and bung some cloned pickups and circuit if in effect it'd save me the better part of £2.5K on getting a Wal. However, it's not like I haven't started saving for one on the off chance, so whatever happens, I'll be getting something as one can never have enough basses surely?!! The only other things which seem like they're similar are the ACG developments. Of course Alan is only going to put that particular circuit and pickups in his own basses. As they're gorgeous to look at (in terms of wood) and very reasonably priced you'd think that'd be a winner, but sadly none of the shapes really appeal to me for reasons which I can't as yet fathom other than I think singlecuts look stupid and none of the others appeal to me. Such a pity really.

I did do a bit of experimentation in trying to get a sort of similar sound to Justin Chancellor. I could get reasonably close with an Alembic, but it just didn't have that sort of "ring" in the mids like you hear on that guy's sound playing Vicarious above. I would think that there isn't the slightest chance you could get a sound like that with a Thunderbird which to me is one of the most dull, thumpy basses ever made with absolutely no cut whatsoever. Having never played a Stingray, I could only say that stuff Chancellor plays a stingray on such as 46+2 doesn't sound like Tool's later stuff where he plays a Wal, so there would be the difference. I doubt very much if Chancellor would sound exactly the same playing a Precision through his rig. He'd still sound like himself, but just not exactly so in terms of sound.

That review got me thinking about something reasonably unpleasant. If my buzzard ever got stolen or wrecked what would I get with the almost stupid amounts of insurance cash I'd get for it. It would be absolutely mental what I could replace it with. That Fodera is a fantastic bass I'd bet, but on a certain level, 7 grand is brutal expensive. Would it be any better than a bass that cost 4 grand? I wonder. Us mere mortals I doubt will never get to play something that expensive.....

I learned on a Fenix. I've still got it. It's a ludicrously short scale 28 inch with 24 frets. It has a soapbar in the MM position and insanely enough is white. The Scottish shop you mention is probably Biggars which is on Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow. That's where I got mine from. £179 in 1999. It's the only passive bass I own and sounds fantastic. I wonder what it's worth now? £50?

[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1344971112' post='1771889'] Did you like The Who after 1978? Why would you feel that the continued creativity of a band should be curtailed after the death of one of its members? [/quote] Their studio albums without Moon are in my opinion rubbish as due to Kenney Jones's style the rythym section customary rampage is curtailed. Zak Starkey is a brilliant drummer and a much better fit stylistcally. Surely you don't think Entwistle's playing isn't missed on Endless Wire? The album and the band are worse for his absence. Or at least his style of playing being absent.

[quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1344958721' post='1771642'] I went to see The 'Oo at the NIA a couple of years ago and they were bloody great. [/quote] I saw them in 2000 and I'll never see a better gig. Ever. Every time I've seen them on TV with Pino playing I want to be sick. Whilst he's great at what he does in the fretless/fusion type playing style, plus his extensive career as a session musician, he just isn't right for the Who. It's ironic in that one of his biggest ever gigs is arguably his biggest turkey or fish out of water scenario. His tone has virtually no treble cut in it at all and his disciplined approach is on a par with how different Kenney Jones and Keith Moon were stylistically. Such is the parallels in my viewpoint of this (in my opinion at least) erroneous replacement. Both Palladino and Jones are good or even great players in their own right, but for The Who, they just didn't/don't work. Just as truthfully you can say that Entwistle and Moon's style doesn't work with other people as well. Fair's fair. As with Jones' eventual sacking/non-invitation back post 1988, I hope they come to their senses and give Pino the boot and get someone who actually plays something like Entwistle. I am presently awaiting a call back from Pete Townshend.....

Who gives a toss who was on bass. If it's not Entwistle, I don't want or care to see The Who. I see that they're off touring Quadrophenia, how is that going to work without the bass playing? Errr... it's not. It's quite simple. As capable as Pino or whomever is, unless you get someone who has a similar stylistic bent to Entwistle and there aren't that many people who do play anything like that, the Who will continue to be crap and I won't be interested.