Dingus

Lakland Decade

[quote name='yepmop' timestamp='1350855790' post='1844429'] I've been looking up the forums all over the net on these bad boys ([color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif] [/font][/color][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][color=#282828]Ultra Jazz) and I'm sold on them seems everyone loves them and the price seems quite reasonable as well.[/color][/font] [font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][color=#282828]I assume these come in 2 sizes? as the MIM pickups are slightly different sizes for the neck & bridge? or is it a case of just swapping the covers over? [/color][/font] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]I'm off to write my letter to Santa [/font][/color] [/quote] I think you shouldn't assume that these pickups will fit your bass without modification. As I mentioned earlier in the thread , the MIM pickups are indeed a slightly different size in that they are both the same size rather than one slightly wider than the other as is usual on a normal Jazz Bass set. I dont think you you can just swap the covers because the pole pieces of the Di Marzio almost cetainly won't line up with the holes in your existing pickup covers. This is why I directed the o.p towards the Aero and EMG pickups that are designed to fit an MIM Jazz Bass. I am well familiar with the Di Marzio Super Jazz and it is a fantastic sounding pickup , but the Aero Type One is just as good in it's own way, and not dissimilar in its forthright sound and the high-output that it gives out. The Di Marzio is maybe a little raunchier overall , but there is nothing to choose between them in overall quality of sound. They are both companies with a great pedigree - Di Marzio makes Sadowskys pickups ( based heavily on the Super Jazz, I believe) and Aero make a lot of the pickups for the high-end Foderas, including the prototype of the $22500 Anthony Jackson Signature model.

The first bit of advice would be that , whatever pickups you end up choosing, make sure you get someone experienced and competant to fit them for you. It's a relatively straightforward job for someone who knows what they are doing, but if you get them wired up wrong they will never sound how they should. As for which pickup to choose, the good news is that there are so many great sounding Jazz Bass pickups on the market nowadays. If you want a powerful sounding , high-output pickup try the Aero Type 1. They make a special version for the Mexican- made Fender Jazz because the pickups are apparently a different size to the U.S.A Fenders- traditional Jazz Bass pickups sets have one pickup wider than the other , whereas on Mexican -made Fenders they are both the same size. You will need to keep the pickup covers off you original Mexican pickups to put the new Aero guts in. EMG also make a set called the MJ that are a special size to fit the Mexican Jazz bass.

If he is this good on a freezing cold evening in Times Square then how good is he when he is sitting in his own living room ? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFz1UQP6aU8&feature=related

Purely anecdotal rather than based on any proper research , but to me it seems like the typical weight of EBMM Stingrays has got heavier over the last few years. I remember playing countless Stingrays in the late 80s/early 90s and was never bothered by the weight of any of them. Nowadays at least 50 percent seem to very closer to the ten pound mark or more. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with a heavy bass, but if you can't cope with the weight it is one problem you will never be able to remedy except by sitting down or getting rid. I wasn't really bothered by the weight of basses when I was younger , but it seems to be more of an issue for everybody nowadays. Also bear in mind that people have very different ideas of what constitutes heavy- some people won't go over eight and a half pounds, some folks think nine and a half pounds is a breeze to play for a two hour set.

Every time I see one of these basses I am struck by what solid and robust looking instruments they are . That six bolt neck fixing looks like it would take some shifting , and I bet that the impressive depth of the join adds to the overall sound of the bass. I've haven't managed to try one of these myself yet, but I bet they would be fantastic workhorses for just about any musical situation.

Personally, I have never been bothered by a gloss finish neck, but nowadays it's quite unusual to find a gloss finish on higher quality basses. Unfinished necks are bound to be higher maintainance, and I can't help but wonder if manufacturers have welcomed ( and fueled ) the trend for unfinished necks because it saves them the cost of spraying the necks.

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1350753946' post='1843138'] I've also found that necks with oiled or waxed finishes (not just Musicman basses) seem to need a lot more truss rod tweaking than basses with heavily laquered or painted necks. [/quote] They are probably more prone to changes in humidity: laquer will effectively seal the wood of the neck from the atmosphere.

Far too many EBMM basses are so heavy nowadays as to render them useless to all but Olympic weightlifters. If you get a light one keep it, because if a bass is too heavy, it will always be too heavy. You will never "get used to it" or indeed, be able to do anything about the fact that it is crippling you . Regarding neck finish, I have really noticed how the oil/wax finish on the maple board of my Reflex sounds very different to a laquered board- much warmer and closer to rosewood. I think if the Classics had a oil/wax finish that they would never sound like the original Musicman Stingrays that all had heavily- laquered maple boards

What can you say about the Dan that hasn't been said already? Brilliant writers, great producers, fantastic arrangers using the best players to realise their vision. Unashamedly complex and challenging but in a refreshingly relaxed and unpretentious way. I have been fascinated by them since I was 15 years old, and that's a long time ago now. They are one of those bands that you can listen to the records over and over again and keep getting something new from them. Superb and superlative.

[quote name='brensabre79' timestamp='1350665585' post='1842076'] Its funny, I never really got Rush, never listened to much by them, but one day after a gig I was talking to a quite well informed audience member. He said to me: I'm diggin your sound, you sound like Geddy Lee! Thanks, I said. Not really knowing what he meant because, like i said I've never really listened to that 'sound' despite it being mentioned countless times on here and seemingly everywhere in bass circles. SO I did a bit of research, and I listened, and in a way the guy was right, but to me he sounds a bit like Chris Squire, which is who i was trying to sound a bit like, and always have. The opening bars of Yours is No Disgrace inspired me to pick up my dads bass and give it a whirl. I've still not found a covers band prepared to take i on though... [/quote] Geddy Lee would claim that his style was far more directly influenced by Jack Bruce and John Entwistle than it was by Chris Squier- I suppose he would have already begun to formulate his style and approach by the time that Yes became prominent- but interestingly enough, Chris Squier cites watching John Entwistle performing with the Who at the Marquee as his major influence on the bass and his adoption of a trebly, up-front sound. It would seem that they shared the same inspiration independently of each other to create a similar sound .

[quote name='visog' timestamp='1350584576' post='1840945'] [i]au contraire - here's the brilliant Miguel keeping it real and Squire with brilliant covers of old and new CS songs:[/i] [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSW0vO6-N6Q&feature=plcp[/media] [/quote] I've seen this chap before and he's great , but he looks well into his thirties ( at least ) to me. In my book , that's quite old. Also bear in mind that he's in Portugal , and that good weather and healthy Mediterranean diet probably keeps him looking younger than he really is. This guy could actually be well into his fifties , for all we know.

Love Chris Squier- great sound, unique approach, instantly recognisable. It's regrettable that maybe nowadays he doesn't quite get the level of recognition he deserves as a important figure in the development of the bass guitar as an instrument. In the 1970s he was a hugely influential figure whose name was synonymous with up-front , imaginative and agressive bass playing. Unfortunately, whereas bands like Led Zeppelin and Rush have found new and younger audiences who have discovered their music on c.d , I think Yes have been somewhat overlooked as a band by the same young audience and so Chris Squier's direct influence has diminished. If you look on Youtube ther's loads of teenagers doing bass covers of John Paul Jones' and Geddy Lee's lines , but Chris Squier covers tend to be by men of a certain age. It's a shame , because despite what critics say and people who listen with prejudice might presume about them, Yes were a ingenious and innovative band whose music is still very relevant today. Listen to this and tell me that if some new "cred" indie band with the right haircuts made this track today that it wouldn't be heralded as a masterpiece: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6z8_45duq6A[/media] In terms of overall creative vision and the massive scope of their sound, forty years ago Yes were doing in large part what bands like Muse and Tool are feted for doing in the present day, except Yes invented it and they did it better. If you love the bass and you don't get excited by Chris Squiers too-loud-in the-mix trebly twang then there's probably something wrong with you. I'm off to listen to Close To The Edge with my headphones on.

Check out "The Man With The Horn " and "We Want Miles" albums by Miles Davis for Marcus Miller at his very best. All the more amazing when you think how young Marcus was when he made these records.

My vote would also be for the Eden. They have a hefty sound when you want them to , and have some really nice classic valve overtones in the sound. I have never liked the sound of any Genz Benz amp I have ever heard- despite the claims that some people make for them , to my ears they are just too clean and clinical and lacking in any kind of charm.

[quote name='noelk27' timestamp='1350257148' post='1836597'] Alan Spenner and Neil Jason were the main bassists with Roxy Mk II (Manifesto, Flesh + Blood, and Avalon). Gary Tibbs played on either two or three studio tracks featured on Mk II albums. (Two versions of the Manifesto album exist, featuring different recordings of two tracks, so whether it's two or three depends on which version of that album you've been listening to all these years.) When you take into account Ferry played bass on one Mk II track, it's hard to argue Tibbs studio input was anything other than minimal. Tibbs main role was live performance. As for the tracks "Manifesto" and "Same Old Scene", both lines were played by Spenner. [/quote] Alan Spenner was always Brian Ferry's preferred bass player . Gary Tibbs played on Jealous Guy which was a number one single in the U.K , as well as the tracks you mention . He may also have played on some of the alternative versions and extended versions and remixed tracks from Maifesto as he was present at the NYC sessions for the album . To me, that is not an insignificant contribution.

I came across this clip a while ago and have been enjoying it ever since. What a great bassline by Gary Tibbs- a superb and often underrated player. Contrary to what some people think , it's not the case that Alan Spenner played on all the records and Gary Tibbs just played the live shows ; after he joined the band Gary played on a good proportion of the recorded work . It's not Gary's fault that he was a good-looking man and people ( wrongly) assumed that he was just there to look photogenic. I like to think the same problem has dogged me throughout my bass playing career. He's a top-class bassist and this line shows his ability at it's best. It's hard to find out if it was Gary or Alan Spenner on the original track , but he handles it with aplom , eitherways: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OfRZ63gLgI ReceIved wisdom about Roxy Music is that the early stuff was best , but I like them much better during this kind of polyester trousers - disco phase in the late 70s/early 80s. I'm a big fan of Alan Spenner's playing too , and part of what I find so interesting about these records is the way that Alan Spenner ( and Gary Tibbs for that matter) tries to absorb something of Bernard Edwards pervasive influence into his busy lines , using muting and syncopation ect. on tracks like Angel Eyes and Same Old Scene. I'm sure the huge success of Chic around this time was a major influence on the way that Bryan Ferry wanted the band to sound and the bass parts were created accordingly.

What I play now is a flatter , more modern radius , but I was wondering what it would be like to go to a bass with a vintage- spec radius in the 7 1/2 inch region. I have played and owned many basses with that kind of a radius but don't have one like that to hand nowadays to compare and was wondering if it would be a big difference in feel and playability if I were to risk buying one with a more curved fingerboard radius.

Can anybody explain to me the various merits and drawbacks of flatter versus more rounded fingerboard radius ? Most modern bass designs have a flatter ( often between 9-11 inch ) radius , whereas vintage Fender basses have a 7 1/2 inch radius. If anybody has first- hand experience or knowledge of how different radius affects the feel and playability of a bass I would be interested to hear any opinions , experiences and observations.

My point of reference is what function bands typically get. In 1985 I could have got £80 for a Sunday lunchtime/afternoon gig in a hotel ballroom , so £50 in 2012 seems a bit thin to me. Playing covers in pubs is a different thing altogether , so I take your point. I suppose it's worth considering that if it was playing original material then £50 for a pub gig would be good money , in my experience.

[quote name='bremen' timestamp='1350053502' post='1834102'] Same here but if I was local, unemployed and between bands I'd probably consider it. Beats watching TV in my pants. [/quote] Fair enough, me too. But if they are a working band and someone is needing to hire someone to do a job then you should expect to have to offer reasonable remuneration. If they are all making no money then that's one thing , but if the permanent members are getting a proper fee and want to exploit the dep. by offering £50 then that is another matter entirely. All speculation of course, I have no idea what the rest of the band are getting paid, but I find it hard to believe that anyone would turn out regulaly for that kind of money for so much work . You could make better money giving lessons or working at Poundstretcher , and sitting at home watching t.v in your pants would soon look very appealing again .

£50? Is this some kind of a joke? I know there's a recession on , but that's an insult. Unless the band are are genuinely inexperienced and nieve and being very poorly paid themselves that would seem to me to be an unreasonable level of remuneration for several hours work. Think about what minimum wage is and then divide £50 by the number of hours you would have to put into this job in total and you might as well be working in an illegal sweatshop. Four rehearsals and a gig ? For £50 they could buy approximately one rehearsal from me and I would expect Potnoodle and Wagon Wheels to be provided free of charge.

Very cool.

Nick Beggs is a fantastic bass player who sometimes doesn't get the respect he deserves because he was once in a band with a silly name ( Kajagoogoo).