Born 2B Mild

Don't go to Basschat ...let it come to you - via the Daily Digest. Subscribe to that and you get an email every morning with a smorgasbord of topics/replies that's enough to give you a fix but without getting you engaged.

[i]That lot was nicked out of my Cortina when I took the Mrs for a chicken-in-the-basket for her birthday. [/i]

I know nothing about [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180466886072&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT"]these[/url], but I couldn't help think that it seems a lot of bass for not much (it was on a bid of £106 at the time of posting this, with five days to go).

Stick "Tilston" in to Spotify and enjoy some gentleness. That's what I'm listening to right now.

[quote name='Fraktal' post='735770' date='Feb 5 2010, 06:57 AM']I love my 505, and I wouldnt play any other bass live because of its weight and ergonomics, my weak back approves. Lately Im wondering if it lacks some sustain though (at least compared to my other basses) and would like to hear opinions from other users out there.[/quote] Maybe new strings and a check on intonation and all points touched by the strings.

I've just got home from watching the Gods of Folk Rock ...Fairport Convention. My hero of 40 years on Fairport's low end, Dave Pegg, was playing an SR505 tonight. Had a quick word afterwards. He seems completely in awe of it. I have a beaten-up one too, and despite it being the least expensive of all my harem, I have it as one of my cherished favoured ones. I just wanted to say that whoever designed this range for Ibanez had a total 'oneness' with bass guitaring ergonomics. The 'Leo of the 90s' perhaps? Bassassin - can you perhaps shed some light on this? For those who have enjoyed this design, I don't suppose I'm saying anything you didn't already know. But for those who have never strapped on a streamlined mahogany Ibby SR ...give it a go, if you ever get the chance. See if you understand where I am coming from on the simplicity of shape, materials and feel. A Classic design?

[quote name='john_the_bass' post='733019' date='Feb 2 2010, 02:59 PM']My dad's got a Michael Kelly Dragonhttp://basschat.co.uk/style_images/basschat/folder_editor_images/rte-image-button.pngfly fretless 5 and thinks it's very nice. Although the next bass on his list is a fretless Godin A5.[/quote] Yes, that would be very nice. Hope this isn't a hijack Al, but here's an A5 fretless I spotted and 'filmed' a couple of weeks ago. Robert Godin was standing next to me admiring the playing too. [Correction: I think this is an A4 but what the heck!]

I went through a similar GAS 'need' recently. I decided I wanted an electro-acoustic 5-string that was neither too deep nor traditional looking. This pretty much boiled down to one choice ...the Godin A5. It has a Fender-like neck and can be played comfortably standing up. Eventually I tracked one down on ebay in Canada, but it still cost me a fair bit. Offsetting this is that it is now my regular bass for my Americana band AND it has worked out surprisingly well as a bass to noodle with at my desk, when I don't want to bother with amps.

[size=7]A lorra, lorra luthiers[/size]

[quote name='keefman' post='705722' date='Jan 8 2010, 04:54 PM']Hi all, Have been putting a few posts up over the last week, but have not actually introduced myself. Have been playing for 11 years, but have only really found this site after some excellent personal reviews by fellow forum members. Hopefully see you all around soon. K[/quote] Welcome Keefman. Coming to the bash on March 21?

Personally, I think I'd rather haver a Rickenchewbacca

I'd be interested in your comments about the top-end of the Midget's sound. Or, put it another way, is the tweeter really missed? This might help folks (like me!) choose wether to spend more on T'Midget or not.

My semi-originals/semi-covers band (Joez Cafe) plays mainly in the Americana/Blues vein all night, then we finish with what we originally thought to be a curved ball ...[i]Stir It Up[/i] - but I am constantly amazed about how well it goes down with a wide spectrum of audiences/venues.

A bump in working hours time.

I would like to attend the show next month but am not eligible as a trade member. Is anyone here a member and who would facilitate me getting a badge? I will cover all my own expenses, uphold your good name and will explain more in a PM to anyone who may be able to help. Thanks

Best thing of all, is when you kind of accidentally come across a bass that delights you, rather than one that you were besotted with before even touching it. This has happened to me recently. I did a trade and took a Stingray in P/X which I wasn't actually GASsing for. Turns out to be a real gig monster!!!!!

And keeping up with the balancing of good and bad vibes, I recently posted [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=70586&st=0&#entry683962"]this review of the Compact[/url]

On Saturday's gig I interchanged between 35" (Modulus Quantum) and 34" (Stringray) and didn't think about the difference. I wouldn't be surprised if the old 'muscle memory' thing kicks in. ie. you adapt through the brain and fingers working things out between them automatically. Where I do suspect that scale length plays a part is where a player's hand/fingers is sized and shaped in such a way that makes one scale length more comfortable than the other, though radius and neck shape and width come in to this as well of course. As an aside, I'm not a fan of short scale bass guitars normally, but there was something about the vintage EBO I played at the Geordie Bass Bash last month that made me question my own pre-concieved conviction.

I gigged my Compact for the first time last night, with [i]Chainsaw[/i], a six-piece rock covers band that has been going for 30 years. Drums, bass, two guitars, lead singer and backing singer. The venue was the Three Horse Shoes, Otley near Leeds; one of my favourite pub venues because bands play on a raised floor and the audience likes a good gig. I like to think we delivered on that front, but best ask the opinion of someone who was there. I turned up with some trepidation. I 'just' had a Shuttle 6.0 and a Barefaced Compact, and with this band, the decibel levels are high. This year, I've often used an Eden stack with the Shuttle, and also sometimes a pair of GS112s, but all cabs have now gone to new homes and all I've got left is the tweeter-less Compact. For most of the night, I used my Stingray 5, but I also used the Modulus Quantum SPX5 for a few numbers. Well, my anxiety about not having enough air-shifting presence was soon a thing of the past. I had a clear, loud sound on stage which kept up with the rest of the band, no problem. But that's not all. The bass end of things was immense. I could have boosted the bass much more than I allowed but that would have felt like being at an earthquake movie at a Suroundsound cinema. What became apparent was that I could hit each of the first five frets on the low B string and actually hear them as separate and distinct notes. Yes, that's not difficult in a quiet band with a couple of Bergo's or Agui's, but in a full-on rock gig, I've found that takes some doing. Admittedly, these are all 12" speakers, so perhaps it's unfair to compare them with a 15". I've always thought that "cutting through the mix" meant being able to hear the mid and top end of things amidst the melee, but the Compact has made me realise that this can also relate to hearing the low bass and being heard amongst all other instruments as discernible notes rather than just a harmonious rumble. But what about my other worry concerning the lack of higher frequencies? Again, I was placated. I had the Shuttle on maximum treble boost, and this with the power of the SR5, gave me the bite I needed (e.g. for my occasional faux slapping moments). I'm not one to boost the mids, so I can't really give an opinion on the Compact 's ability in that part of the spectrum yet. A true appraisal of the cab's ability to be heard at different angles requires more venues, but I certainly felt that it had a wide radius of projection last night. The rest of the band were very impressed with the Compact. One of our guitarists, who rarely speaks with more than three words in a sentence (he's not stupid, and he has a first class university degree, but he's a genuine Tyke) said "that cab seriously kicks arse ...is it an 18 inch?" I also got some respectful comments about my playing after the gig from folk I've never met before. Believe me, this isn't a common occurrence. Maybe my brilliance just hasn't been as detectable before . I can only criticize the cab on one thing and that's it's appearance/finish. Alex has rightly focussed on delivering a 'Tardis' job in sound and weight but Barefaced cabs in my opinion have yet to have an exterior that matches their price tag. But that aside, we should be grateful for Mr Claber's genius contribution to the world of Bass. Furthermore, his pioneering 'Barefaced On Tour' trials have been a great initiative. I am so pleased that I have found a solution to lugging and to sound quality. I really could have come on the bus with my rig. One day I may well add another cab to sit on top of the Compact , but only to draw a better impedance load and to increase ear-height monitoring, but that would be a [i]want [/i]and not a [i]need[/i].

Should you ever need them to survive a complete cycle in the washing machine, I recommend Sennheiser PX100. :blush:

Excellent! I'm a bit anxious about gigging my compact tomorrow. It's my first gig with it but I've just got the one cab now, and am hoping it will be up to the job. [i]Chainsaw [/i]can be pretty loud.

Click [url="http://www.shukerguitars.co.uk/"]here [/url]and try and resist

Back in February, Keith 'Yorks5stringer' and I organised the Yorkshire Bassbash at the Manhattan Club in Harrogate. It was a successful day by all accounts and the venue worked for us in that there was a bar, food and room upstairs for a guest speaker (which on that occasion was luthier Jim Fleeting). There were no stairs for rigs to be humped up and the free parking wasn't bad. The venue is also 5 minutes walk from Hornbeam Park rail station on the York to Leeds line and is also two minutes walk from the #36 bus that constantly shuttles between Leeds and Ripon. Here's a link to [url="http://www.themanhattanclub.co.uk/"]the Manhattan Club[/url] and here's a link to some great pictures [url="http://picasaweb.google.com/kithdotus/YorkshireBassBash2009?feat=directlink#"]taken on the day by TK4108[/url] So, we're going to go back there again. The date is [b]Sunday 21st March[/b] (noon to 5pm) and we are delighted to have as our special guest speaker (no pun intended) Alex Claber of lightweight [b]Barefaced cabs[/b]. [Edit 29/1/10 ...unfortunately, Alex can no longer join us on this occaision] There's no charge for entrance, and there will no doubt be a raffle worth going in for. Harrogate is a popular weekend stay destination, with plenty to do for families, though the retail therapy option is usually the most popular. Otherwise, there's the Turkish Baths and live music at places such as the Blues Bar. Please post here if you are intending to come. Nearer the time we'll have a roll call for badges.