BigRedX

What's the deal with the designs of the Harley Benton interments? I can understand the copies of the classics from the big names, but this Baritone looks like an extract copy of the Eastwood Sidejack Baritone apart from the shape of the top of the headstock, so I wouldn't be surprised if they both came from the same far-eastern factory. Even though the Eastwood isn't by any means original being based on the Moserite shape, it's sufficiently different enough, especially in its baritone incarnation, that I would have though Eastwood can't be at all happy with the fact that the Harley benton version exists.

[quote name='bubinga5' timestamp='1428603197' post='2742977'] oh ok, thanks for the snotty response . not quite sure why i have to be in the "Target Market" to know about bass, but I'm pretty sure i do know the difference.. but go ahead, you obviously are in the target market for both, so maybe you could explain the difference with your wealthy, wealth of knowledge. [/quote] OK ;-) TBH I'm not really in the target market for either a Sadowsky or a Fodera Bass as they are way too conventional in the looks department for me to use one on stage, which is where most of my playing is done. However… I did spend a morning trying out most of the 5-string Sadowskys in their NYC showroom. They are nice instruments very well made, enjoyable to play sitting down and good sounding (although I have to say I was very unimpressed with the legendary Sadowsky pre-amp as all the basses I tried sounded far better to me through the excellent rig provided when in passive mode). However overall not for me as I don't really get on with the Fender-style design and like something a bit more exciting looking. My experience of Foderas has been limited to a few minutes playing the Yin-Yang bass that used to be at the Bass Gallery. Again very well made and extremely playable, but otherwise nothing like any of the Sadowskys that I tried. And that's the crux of the matter - they are completely different instruments and have little in common other than they are well made electric basses. This why I am constantly surprised that musicians who own or have owned custom or high-end basses can't see that one bass is not any kind of substitute for another at anything other than the very cheap end of the Fender copy market (and perhaps not even then). In the high-end and custom instrument market there is no "best bass". There might be basses that are more suitable for you and basses that offer better value for money to you, but ultimately it's all subjective and dependent upon how much disposable cash a particular person has available to buy musical instruments.

[quote name='ead' timestamp='1428581851' post='2742635'] You could probably buy 3 or 4 very special custom basses for that kind of money. [/quote] But none of them would be a Fodera built to that specification. With instruments - and custom instruments in particular - one is not any kind of substitute for another. And I am especially surprised that even owners of custom instruments fail to see that. When I chose the luthiers to make my custom basses and guitars I picked ones whose ideas how to design and build an instrument corresponded with what I wanted from the PoV of looks sounds and playability. Each of my custom instruments that were made especially for me came from a different luthier because I wanted different things from each. There is no "one size fits all". If there was we'd all be playing Squiers.

Where's the new stuff? All I can see is a bunch of J and P basses...

Over 40 years of playing at an average of 1 hour a day, I'm well over the 10,000 hour mark, but I'm still well below average as a player. But you know what? I've never had any problem finding bands to play in, and even after 40 years I'm still finding playing exciting. I'll leave "mastering my instrument(s)" to those who find such things important and get on with having fun writing and playing music. I couldn't really ask for much more.

Music is highly subjective and I'm not a big fan of festivals, but unfortunately there's not a lot on there that I'd want to see. So I'd suggest The Faint, Mates Of State and possibly A Day To Remember, but IMO except ADTR they would be best experienced in a smallish-sized venue rather than a festival setting. Edit: Of course being a diverse bunch here on Basschat don't be surprised if you've been recommended every single band on the list before this thread has run its course!

[quote name='yorks5stringer' timestamp='1428524145' post='2742191'] The W Bass is £166 from Japan, to get it on special offer from Warwick direct is £216! [/quote] But shipping from Japan will cost you between £100 and £150, and then there's VAT on top of that.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1428501242' post='2741856'] That's good, because in my experience nothing improves your playing quicker than being in a band, especially if everyone else is better than you - you tend to play up to their level pretty damn quick, in a way you just don't do by noodling at home. [/quote] Joining a band opens you up to music, techniques and ideas that you might never ever consider if all you do is play at home. I joined my first band pretty much as soon as I could string a couple of chords together on the guitar, my second less than a year after buying my first bass and my third band saw me swapping stringed instruments for synthesisers - something I'd only ever dabbled with before in terms of both keyboard playing technique and sound creation. Every time I play with new musicians I learn more in a couple of rehearsals than I did in months of playing by myself.

Why don't you just join a band and get on with it?

[quote name='Machines' timestamp='1428475276' post='2741529'] Ed Friedland is the best reviewer out there by far. The reviews are always clear and not showing off. [/quote] But when he plays the same bass as one I own it sounds nothing like mine, so ultimately like all bass reviews useless.

[quote name='spacey' timestamp='1428336430' post='2740354'] Beats the normal one, shutting the case with the strap over the pots and bang, the pot snaps the wood underneath and falls in. Loverly basses but almost made out of glass. [/quote] Wh puts a bass away in its case without taking the strap off first?

[quote name='poptart' timestamp='1428444574' post='2741417'] The platform contains transducers that vibrate the platform and gives you the feeling of (massive) bass with virtually no noise. Ideal for players who use "in-ears" or those who have to play at low volumes and miss that "feeling of bass" also great for studio work and home rehearsing. This is the small pleasureboard, there is a medium and large ;-) [/quote] Do people actually buy these? Just looked at the Tecamp web site for specs and sizes and even the large one is only 4' x 2.5' (twice the area of the small one shown in the photos) and weighs in at just under 20kg. So for bass players who never move about on stage but still have their own road crew...

IME the reason most people don't get on with a 5-string bass is that they simply don't get the right one for them, and therefore don't give it enough of a chance. A 5-string bass is not a 4-stringer with a wider neck, one extra machine head, bridge saddle and pickup pole piece. It needs a far higher standard of construction to get the best out of the low B string, and a tweaking of all the measurements to accommodate the extra string without feeling either clumsy or cramped. If you buy a cheap 5-stringer to "see how you get on with it" unless you are very lucky you are inevitably going to be disappointed. It's a bit like buying a cheap Chinese bass and wondering why it isn't as good as your CiJ or MiA Fender. IME you need to spend 25-50% more on a 5-string than you would on a 4-string to get one of the same standard. My first 5-string bass was very average, but I could see that I liked the concept enough to make it worth while trying lots more until I found one that suited me. I had zero problems "adapting" to the extra string, whether that's because I'm extremely versatile or simply so average a player I don't get the nuances between different basses, I don't know. As for more strings… IMO low B is about as low as you can go on a stringed instrument without requiring ridiculous scale lengths, and TBH I wouldn't even use a synth for lower notes unless the sound had a lot of high harmonic content. Going higher and you are into guitar territory but without any of the advantages of either tone or playability that the guitar with its shorter scale length brings.

[quote name='juliusmonk' timestamp='1428347705' post='2740483'] Very true. That said, sometimes that's all you've got... [/quote] But TBH unless I buy something that is very cheap and poorly made it will appeal to someone even if that someone is not me. It's simple enough for me to buy instruments solely on looks and move them on if the sounds and playability don't do it for me.

How about having a new neck made that looks like the original Marathon neck, but to your specifications?

I really can't see the point of on-line demos. They tell me nothing about how the bass will sound in my hands through my rig playing with my band.

[quote name='bubinga5' timestamp='1428237491' post='2739415'] i wonder why the other bass makers in New York don't price there basses in the same way.? I'm sorry but Fodera price there basses very high, because they have very cleverly developed a name for themselves, and a reputation. There is no way Vinnie and his team make an instrument so superior to Roger Sadowsky or NewYork Bass Works, that they need to charge so much more, its just nonsense. they charge that much because they know they can get away with it. [/quote] If you don't get the difference between a Fodera and Sadowsky bass then you're probably not in the target market for either.

Yes you can control your Minitaur from the GR-55 simply connect the MIDI out of the GR-55 to the MIDI in to the MIDI in of the Minitaur. However the conversion to MIDI may add extra latency to the sounds so you might find yourself having to play slightly ahead of the beat in order for the Minitaur sounds to be in time. Which sounds do you want to control from the Arturia? Those of the GR-55 or those of the Minitaur? If it's the GR-55 then simply connect the Arturia to the MIDI in of the GR-55. If it's the Minitaur then what you do will depend on what the GR-55 does with the MIDI in data. If the MIDI out also works as a MIDI thru, then simply connect the Minitaur and it should work provided that you have all your MIDI channels set up correctly. This method will also let you control the GR-55 sounds. If the MIDI out doesn't also work as a MIDI thru, then you'll need to get a MIDI merge box that will allow you to take two MIDI outputs and send them to a single MIDI in.

Power soaks and dummy loads normally top out at 100-200W maximum (they are mostly designed for use with guitar amps) so running a high power bass amp into one isn't really a good idea.

Lamest April fools ever!

[quote name='ahpook' timestamp='1428058169' post='2737539'] Sex. [/quote] Thank you. It's all matt back except the part of the logo, frets strings and bridge saddles. The metal parts are all anodised.

[IMG]http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n249/BigRedX/DSC01114.jpg[/IMG]

AFAICS the tablet version needs to be Windows because of the pen interface. However there appears to be a desktop computer version either available or at least in development using the Wacom interface. This means that a MacOS version should be possible even if iOS isn't.

A recording of a gig is not the same as the gig itself. For a start one of the most important elements is missing - the visuals. As Bilbo says don't rely on a recording of a single gig. If you record the next 5-10 gigs and they all show the same"problems" then maybe you should do something about them. But the audio from a single gig in isolation is not necessarily a concern.

If it's the real thing and not a copy then TBH eBay is your best bet. Even after eBay and PayPal fees you'll still be paying out less then the commission most musical instrument shops will want to sell it for you. The bass remains in possession until it is sold and therefore you don't have to risk it getting accidentally damaged while it's on display in the shop. And probably most important of all you reach a far larger audience of potential buyers than anywhere else (and more so if you are prepared to ship abroad) including this forum.