Jean-Luc Pickguard

Paint it black by the stones - a stupid song with a stupid bassline

First Bass Owned: Yamato 'japcrap' jazz copy 'Go To' Bass: Epiphone Thunderbird pro-V 'Your' Bass: Fender CIJ Mustang

The sound that tends to work for me is my mustang straight into the LMII via a cheapo behringer limiter which is just there to help the overall level as it evens out the levels from my sloppy technique. At my last gig I took a different bass. I was having trouble getting a sound which sits as well as the mustang as the bass I was using was my Epi T-Bird Pro-V. My mistake was that as I had paid for a two pickup active bass, I felt that I had to make use of everything it offered. Starting with the two pickups 50-50 with the eq flat, I fiddled around trying different things to get it sounding right to no avail until I turned the pickup balance all the way around to the neck pickup 100% + bridge pickup 0%, and the eq flat. As soon as I did that the sound was there. So it seems for my classic old-school flatwound sound, less is not just more, it is everything.

I had a spare set of rotosh*te flats i put on a squier musicmaster - The E string disintegrated at the tuner after a while. I use Thomastic TI JF324 on my mustang which is so called as it is a 32" 4 string set. 30" strings are too short for the thru-body stringing. LaBella short flats are available in several guages - I've used a heavy set on a musicmaster, but the G was too short to reach the tuner, so I had to use one from a 34" set. The danelectro specific LaBella flats are also 30" but very different - perfect for my longhorn.

Trust me - I know about these things. What you need is an "aged" white pearl one. Like the white pearl, but a much better creamy colour, so it doesn't look like an Osmond's teeth. I had one of this colour made for my vintage white mustang and it looks the nuts. (as the young people say these days.) edit - pic added, please don't laugh at the Benny hat [attachment=71795:mikeystang.jpg]

As an antidote to all the usual sl@pping & w@nkery you get on these events, perhaps I should send a video of myself pumping out 8th notes. Isn't that what most people who'd buy an ampeg would use it for?

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It's ten minutes down the road from me. Shall I try to go & have a looksie? edit: Just emailed that I'd like to pop around. It looks more like a US reissue from the pics. Not saying that's what I think it is, as it *could* have been kept in time capsule condition. I've heard of basses played for a few months & put away in the past. I'm normally pretty good with knowing what's what with Fenders, but I'm definitely more knowledgeable about mustangs than jazzes and anything mid 70s onwards. Does anyone know what to look for which could help confirm is it not a doctored reissue for certain?

Some basses already come with the edge rolled or shaped from the factory (USA Precisions?), so this procedure won't improve them at all. I can't remember where I first heard about this way of doing it. If the lower edge of the fingerboard makes a sharp corner rather than having a nice soft rounded edge, I run the shaft of a screwdriver side to side between each pair of frets applying enough pressure to compress the wood and rocking it to vary the angle in relation to the surface of the fingerboard. This results in a round ed edge which in my opinion gives a comfy 'broken-in' feel and makes even cheap basses feel a bit more classy than they were when stock. It sounds a bit cack-handed, and it certainly isn't a necessary modification, I doubt it makes me play faster or better in any way. However my mustang & the other basses I've rolled do feel better to play without that sharp edge digging into my fingers. * For obvious reasons it probably would be daft to attempt this on a bass with a maple fingerboard or any other where the fingerboard is lacquered, so my '81 Precison only has 30 years of natural wear & tear on the edge. Anyone else do this or something similar?

Sounds like something a truss rod tweak would sort out. If you're wary of giving it a tweak is the a basschatter who does their own setups nearby who could give you a hand? I had my first precision over twenty years before I had the courage to tweak the rod, but now I do all my own setups on my basses. I've only had to tweak the rod on my NS-Design upright once when I first got it - which was daunting as the bass was so expensive, but if you know which way it needs to go & tweak it a little at a time, it should be straightforward.

I've thought about putting together a short scale t-bird for ages - something like a CIJ mustang bass neck with a warmoth firebird body might have worked. Doubt I'd get one though as I've now got an epi pro-v. Glad there's no pics of this one as I don't think I'd be able to contain the GAS (if you pardon the expression)

[url="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280625155361&ru=http%3A%2F%2Fshop.ebay.com%3A80%2F%3F_from%3DR40%26_trksid%3Dp5197.m570.l1313%26_nkw%3D280625155361%26_sacat%3DSee-All-Categories%26_fvi%3D1&_rdc=1"]Sad[/url]

I'm a hoarder Definite keepers: [list] [*]'81 Cherry sunburst Precision. My first fender which I've owned from new for almost 30 years. Had to suffer working through the summer at Bejams to save up for it [*]CIJ mustang. I know these are very easy to find, but after getting the frets dressed at the gallery this is the most comfy bass I have & it feels like home and just has 'my sound' [*]Sunburst fretless Precison with unlined ebony fingerboard - a Fender inspired bitzer I made from brandoni bits, fender hardware & really cool hipshot lollypops inc xtender. [/list] Some I doubt I'll part with [list] [*]NS CR5M - I don't play it much but when I do its unlike anything else I have [*]Natural Epi thunderbird pro-v - Probably too soon to say its a keeper, as I only got it in December, but its great fun to gig with. [/list]

OUT Peavey Millennium AC BXP 5 string Bass Quilted Purple epiphone alpine white thunderbird IV IN epiphone natural thunderbird pro V So two basses very effectively replaced by one! Also OUT Black Fender Ashbory Bass Squier mini strat, but of course that's not a bass

Are the 'f' holes (snick snick) painted on?

I'm on my second 5 string - I had a peavey millennium, but now an epi t-bird pro-v. I dipped into the Peavey only occasionally so didn't really give myself the chance to get into it, but since getting the t-bird I've made an effort to play it as much as possible. The first couple of gigs I did with it I felt that I needed to look at my hands as it felt a bit strange and I felt there was a risk of hitting the wrong string, but I noticed yesterday that now I can happily play it without looking at either hand (much).

[quote name='BigRedX' post='1113658' date='Feb 3 2011, 11:31 AM']For replacement parts try [url="http://www.brandoniguitars.co.uk/"]Brandoni[/url][/quote] I was just scrolling down to say post the same thing

[quote]Is it a copy of the original or not i do not know.[/quote] I do I have a Stradivarius & a Rembrandt in my loft. Unfortunately Rembrandt made awful violins and Stradivarius was a crap painter.

Nope never heard of 'em

Wow - nice sound. I bet they won't sound as good on my bass with my crappy playing though The red faced man with the banjo is a bit scary

I'd endorse Thomastik strings if I meant I could get some to fit all my basses. Getting free strings would save me about £30 a decade on each bass I use them on. Amp & cab - I'd endorse anything I could get for free that was no bigger or heavier than my current rig, but still sounded as good. Basses - It'd have to be something I really liked. It would be pointless to have free stuff I didn't like but had to use. I'd probably give up playing before I go back to using rotosounds. I'm not under any illusions that anyone takes any notice of what gear I use, so I'm not holding my breath waiting for the offers of free gear to come in.

[quote name='daz' post='1109862' date='Jan 31 2011, 07:01 PM']ah, but Perspex is not plastic[/quote] I beg to differ.

musicmans

I got some very nice picato double ball flats from strings direct for my '86 B2A which is pretty much a jack without the sticky-outy bits

[quote name='Linus27' post='1108565' date='Jan 30 2011, 07:52 PM']OK, thats my point. The beaten up genuine 53 must had travelled the world and played to millions of people over the years to get that sort of wear and tear. Its not been sitting around doing nothing all this time. He also spent the early days playing Ibanez Musician fretless. I wonder if he still has it.[/quote] Not quite it was pretty much beaten up like that when he got it. The story I recall reading was that he was about to do a video in New York & sent someone out to buy the most beaten up bass they could get and that's what they came back with.