Icarus_147

Always good to hear, congrats!

[quote name='Marvin' timestamp='1331825859' post='1579541'] I played through a Laney combo at a practice a few weeks ago, that sounded awful however much I twiddled the eq. [/quote] The modern combos sound like paper. I use a 20-something year old head and 1x15 cab by them which sounds immense though.

Haha, thanks for the offer man. I think I'm gonna go ahead and and get myself that bass I linked earlier. Gonna go somewhere and see if I can try it out first, just to see if it's salvageable at all. I got in touch with the manufacturers and apparently it's a model copy of a Fender, so sourcing parts should be a breeze. Edit: That is of course if I can find one, which I'm not sure I can. Seems to be an Argos online exclusive, so... Yeah.

Some beautiful looking guitars here guys, may I contribute? :3 I do love my baby <3

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1331641831' post='1576318'] I think I'd want some more of the clean bass in the mix. [/quote] If I recall correctly, the pedal has a blend knob, so that shouldn't be too much of an issue. It's a bit more expensive, but it looks worth the money to me. Clean can work equally as well though, that way you can be sure you'll keep any bottom end you need, plus it's cheaper and, let's face it, less stuff between you and the speakers is less stuff to go wrong if and when it eventually does.

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1331645798' post='1576448'] This line are in Argos, I have a strat by them, with a grim reaper on, the fretwork was bad with sharp edges, but may have been due to aggressive air conditioning drying out the board, filing them off an feeding it loads of oil sorted it. Other than that seems OK. [/quote] Awesome, certianly gonna consider that then. I still like the pink one though. Goddamn, I am so bad at making decisions. I nearly had a breakdown when I went into Shake-a-holic the other week, I had to get the girl to recommend something.

[quote name='Muzz' timestamp='1331647699' post='1576504'] Going upmarket, or for just a great way to kill half an hour with bass-porn, have a look at warmoth.com - more necks and bodies than you can shake a stick at, and they're far better quality than bog-stock Fender stuff. [/quote] Ah, yeah, I've seen that site before. It looks awesome. Part of what inspired me to look into this, I'd like to be able to build something pretty much from scratch one day. And thanks for the tips, I'm sure they'll come in pretty handy =)

I played a 'Ray for the first time the other week, and I kinda failed to see what all the fuss is about. I'd like to get the chance to play one in a band situation so I could give it a fair chance, but on it's own, nothing about it jumped out at me in particular. It had a pretty nicely rounded tone, I'll give it that, but... not my cup of tea really.

So we got the rest of those pictures from Friday night. £20 for 66 awesome photos, including one right in the middle of me having a rockstar moment. Awesome. I realise I've already posted but... I like this picture too much not to share it. >.>

[quote name='Muzz' timestamp='1331637607' post='1576177'] if you're not going to play around with different necks [/quote] Hmm, see, I'm not sure about that one. It's certainly something I've considered, but I'm not sure how hard they'd be to get right for a beginner. I'd like to though, I certainly imagine it'd be worth it. Are decent necks generally very expensive? Money isn't really a problem, but it'd be nice to have a couple different options without having to shell out hundreds of pounds.

[quote name='Phil Starr' timestamp='1331633010' post='1576058'] I guess the OP has to look for something well made, some of the really cheap stuff isn't well put together but some of them are surprisingly good. [/quote] Well the particular bass I saw was just that, something I saw, I didn't try it out. The idea of working on it is fairly recent though. I don't remember what it was, but I plan on going into he store and having a word with the guy, seeing what he suggests for a project like this. I'll report back when I'm in possession of whatever it is I end up getting. I'm actually interested to find out quite how much of a difference changing all the bits will make, and how much of it is purely down to wood and build quality. Edit: I found [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/200726022453?var=500050614928&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649"]this[/url] on Ebay, and I actually think it looks quite pretty. I realise it probably won't actually look like that, and the likelihood of it being any good is probably quite low, but still, I may consider it depending on how much I can afford to spend.

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1331593675' post='1575685'] Radge Against The Machine [/quote] As a Geordie, this name is frankly spectacular.

[quote name='Jerry_B' timestamp='1331593419' post='1575677'] But it sounds the same as some pickups in a plank of wood... [/quote] Well in fairness it would be neck through, so the sustain should be pretty good at least...

I personally use the Boss ODB-3. I've used it far more with my V than my Ibanez, and they both sound pretty good, but my V sounds enormous, especially with a good deal of low boost. Cuts through pretty well too, as far as I can tell. We haven't recorded any of our songs that I use it on yet. The songs I use it on are mostly drop D, and it doesn't really muddy them up too much, it keeps pretty decent definition with the right settings, and that's even with some pretty fast riffs. I'd also have to agree with Chrismuzz, Sansamp drives sound brutal. I've never used one, but I really want one. This particular one is the rack version of the Bass Driver DI, so the tones are probably pretty similar, and it gives a pretty good demo of the kind of sound you can get out of it. Dial in some more bass and you may have what you're looking for! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmEkulaQNNc&list=FLWGcIzc-67pIn5tk41pFasw&index=7&feature=plpp_video

So I've been having a think, and I might actually go for it. It seems like a pretty worthwhile thing to learn, even if the bass itself comes out sounding like someone jammed their dick in the pickups rather than using magnets.

[quote name='Bobo_Grimmer' timestamp='1331483058' post='1573477'] Here's some more recent ones of me. Makes me giggle to look at. seems like i'm some kind of goth hippy cripple... ^_^ [attachment=102201:sow case thingy.jpg] [attachment=102206:before the tat.jpg] ok this is an old one.... [attachment=102205:chrimbo.jpg] [attachment=102204:funny hat.jpg] ok this is also an old one but it made me giggle [attachment=102203:kent.jpg] doh! this is last year too... [attachment=102202:sound gay 1.jpg] [/quote] It would seem people have a thing for photographing your back.

Here's a picture as recent as Friday! [attachment=102199:!cid_70F0B145-E89D-4F2B-AF1E-E82FED4404D7.jpg] It's the best we have for now, the photographer is still working on the other pictures, this was just one of the few samples. And then here's one where we aren't doing a music. By the same guy! Steve Christie. He's awesome, and has very reasonable prices. Anyone in Newcastle wanting stuff done should totally get in contact with him. [attachment=102200:IMG_7373_HDR.jpg]

[quote name='Jerry_B' timestamp='1331466560' post='1573120'] At the end of the day, if a cheap bass is very playable as some bits of wood and the hardware doesn't break, the most important thing is the pickups and some decent wiring backing it up. Everything else in terms of 'quality' is entirely in the mind of the owner. [/quote] Partly true, I'd say. I think if you need something that has tone, you really do have to shell out, to get better woods and such. Plus the more expensive basses tend to look far prettier, and you can be fairly safe in the knowledge that you'll be getting a well made product, whereas cheaper things can be entirely hit and miss. I'm looking at you Squier. But on the other hand, if you aren't that fussy, or you don't mind your guitar being more restricted in what it can do, but it works for what you play, then maybe yeah, cheap stuff is the way to go. But let's face it, who doesn't want nice, expensive things?

[quote name='icastle' timestamp='1331451089' post='1572883'] [u][b]But[/b][/u], as a way of experimenting in a quest to gain understanding of what makes things work 'under the bonnet', it's hard to beat. Others will insist that the 'final product' is a fully giggable instrument, possibly in an attempt to justify the time they have spent on it to themselves in some way. If that was the reality of course then manufacturers would never be able to sell an instrument costing over £170. [/quote] Yeah, that was part of the reason I wanted to do it. I have no experience with these things, and I'd like to have a go. At least I won't have to worry about wrecking something I care about that way. And that second part is a good point too. I certainly wouldn't expect it to suddenly become a fully blown Fender or anything of course, but y'know, I would hope it'll still sound somewhat better. Good enough to gig? Maybe not, but as long as I can sit at home and have some fun with it I'd be happy. [size=1]And I also just really want an excuse to buy a sparkly pink bass.[/size]

[quote name='icastle' timestamp='1331447083' post='1572873'] You numpty!, hypothetically... [/quote] Yeah, I thought as much. =P

So let's say it's four in the morning, you're tired and more than likely not thinking straight, and that sparkly pink P bass you saw in the music store a week ago seems like a good idea. I mean after all, it's a P bass for only £78! This is all hypothetical, of course. >.> <.< If you were to pretty much refit the bass, new pickups and strings and such, what would be the likelihood of ever getting a decent sound out of it? I have a Korg Pandora, so I have plenty of effects to cover up rough edges. I'm mostly just thinking about those Hello Kitty Strats that people started putting EMG-81s in and shredding the f*** out of them. Seems like it could be a fun little project, and it'd be a laugh I guess. Hypothetically.

I like to think of my Flying V as a Spyker C8. Unweildy bloody thing, but it makes a great noise, you don't see many about and it's a hell of a lot of fun.

I am so confused right now.

Is it counted as "getting the feeling" you suck if you do actually just suck? Because yeah, that happens all the time. ._.

[quote name='LiamPodmore' timestamp='1331425965' post='1572811'] not the best gigs ever, but they were good to me. [/quote] Well, yeah, but let's face it, who else matters? =P