PaulKing

Wow I wonder who that was! Those t-shirts go back to the halcyon days of Rockabillybass.com... taught me everything I know, that community.

+1, every day of the week.

Darn it!

... and that's before we get anywhere near mic / pick up / amp, if that's what you mean by kit. Huge differences in tone to be achieved down this branch of the rabbit hole.

As a starter you could do a LOT worse than posting a few well chosen photos on here. There are plenty of very apparent visual clues to big set up issues. Full frontal, side profile of bridge (showing neck projection and break angle), side profile close up at end of fingerboard (showing string height), side profile close-up at nut, along fingerboard looking from above nut down to bridge, bridge feet close up, tailpiece/tail gut close up. String choice is huge too ... but if you're playing jazz the safest all-rounder is the Spiros you probably already have on. You might want to consider light gauge rather than medium, but only if you feel like you're struggling to get response from them. Beyond that, there'll be less visible issues like string tension, fingerboard scoop, fingerboard flat-spots (ie string buzz), sound post position etc. Only hands-on experience could reveal that. Playability issues are interesting. A bass can feel completely unplayable at first ... but you learn to adapt to it. It's very personal. Usually no bass feels right except your current bass. Just occasionally you pick one up and it almost just plays itself .. then you know you've got something. I'm in that lucky position at the moment ... and as a result I'm distraught that it means I barely play two other gorgeous instruments that I've loved for years... By which I mean stick with your current bass, there are almost certainly ways to improve its set up.

PS Jack and Silvie - Jump 66 are closing Sat night at Ealing Blues Festival (second stage) on July 27th. Be good to see you both again! A few new tunes in the set at last ...

I played in Frome a couple of years ago, at the festival. For some festivally reason the audience was full of people dressed in strange outfits like Star Wars storm troopers and stuff. Anyway, I had a bit of stage banter about the trip to Frome being a bit of a pilgrimmage for me, as one of the main reasons I took up double bass was because of a bassist from Frome who played in an 80s psychobilly band called Frenzy. (Yeah, and the Sharks, I know...). 'Anyone heard of Steve Whitehouse?' I asked the audience, to a ripple of applause from a few people in the know. Then one of the storm troopers in the front row took his helmet off ... and there was Mr Whitehouse beaming away at me. 'Shit, there he is!' I said. It was a cool moment. I had a great chat with him afterwards. Very friendly chap. Slap bass legend.

I wish I could find the picture I'm looking for. Instead I'll have to use my words: The punk rock solution to this is easy. How often do you play up in thump position eh? Really...? So just cut that pesky fingerboard off. As a bonus, it would help cut out that annoying clacking noise you get when the strings hit the fingerboard. Anyway, no chance its the neck itself that's curved, unless that bass is a piece of shit. The fingerboard is a replaceable accessory like the bridge. Bit of hide glue to steam and off it pops. Sounds like you might have a duff one. A new one is the only real answer, and perfectly achievable for a couple hundred quid by a decent luthier. I wouldn't attempt it myself though. Remember a new board will alter the tone slightly too, depending what wood you can afford. I don't think steam-bending the finger board back to shape would be an option ... too dense. But I might be wrong. A shave might be worth trying first. If it makes it playable for a couple more years it'd be worth it. But if you end up taking too much off the end it might get a bit thin - though that'd only really affect the slap sound I guess. Miniscule effect on overall tone.

Mine have all been on for similar periods I guess, not showing any signs of needing to change yet. I'd expect to get a few more years from them yet.

It's really pretty easy to make f-hole covers. I made sets for all my basses years ago, before F-its existed. I copied the design by 'Dougs Plugs' in USA (why are all these products apparently named by Finbar Saunders??) You need 2 thicknesses of hi-density foam. A thick piece for the plug (20-30mm) and a thin piece (3-5 mm) for the top (which stops it falling into the f-hole). As previously described, you just do a pencil rubbing of your f-hole (only 1 needed as they're exact mirror images). Cut it out, and draw round it onto the thick foam. Cut out with a modelling knife. Safest to be fairly loose with the cutting so the piece is a fraction oversized, then you can trim (or file) until it fits. Then do same with the thin piece of foam, but cut 3 or 4 mm bigger all round. stick that piece onto the outer surface of the plug using appropriate glue. Done. I swear by these things. Used every gig for more years than I can remember. Feedback is practically a thing of the past. I play pretty loud ... Markbass 500W into 2 12" cabs, wound up pretty hot, standing right in front. I often go wireless-walkabouts in front of festival PAs too. Not a peep of feedback.

I guess I could be labelled as a slapper, certainly in my rockabilly past. There was some definite rat-a-tat going on then. I use it very sparingly now, because in anything other than trad rockabilly it can sound pretty unpleasant, I agree. But I use the same playing technique to keep up that percussive, bouncing energy throughout all my pizz playing. It completely changes the energy and definition of the bass line when I switch from classic finger pizz to whole-arm pizz. Its a much more physical, defined sound that punches through the mix like a bass guitar ... yet is so far removed from bass guitar. As for the clicks and slaps, they become like ghost notes. I agree with Jack and co, you don't want to be clacking away constantly like a pile-driver when you've got a drummer, unless you're playing psychobilly. The EQ is crucial too, you want to tame the harsh clack (or plastic boing depending on your strings) so that you get a lovely organic woody/gut-like clunk that just gives the note presence and rhythmic attack, rather than sounding like metal plates banging together. Then those ghost notes and the percussion blend in with the bass tone, and supplement the drums rather than clashing. None of this helps the OP much ... to develop the style I'd encourage you to get your thumb off the finger board. Its not the only technique, as the more restrained video above illustrates ... but its worth cracking it. Free up your arm, think of your whole forearm producing each note, with the return of your hand landing back on the strings giving your line that fluid, swinging, bouncing percussion, avoiding robotic mechanical clatter. Done right its tasteful, appropriate, driving, percussive, but not metallic.

Aesthetically I just don’t get it, ugly frankenstein contraptions that are completely at odds with the gorgeous organic curves of the bass. All the deuce guys swear blind the tone is improved but I take that with a pinch of salt. So many variables could cause that. Adjustable pick up pressure… yep I get the appeal. But there other ways of achieving on a conventional bridge. Stability… i’m sure it is more stable than a conventional bridge, but unless your bridge is badly fitted and you have the lowest of low tension strings, there is no way it is gonna fall over. If you have that problem, try getting the bridge fitted properly before throwing it away. A dog is more stable than a person, but that don’t mean i’m rushing out to get an extra pair of metal legs fitted.

Thats perfect...

Go on, in what way? I'm still digging the slaps ... just dressed my latest bass with a set EAD gut G