MiltyG565

Can somebody explain to me please what a loss leader is?

[quote name='Skol303' timestamp='1358245108' post='1935296'] Personally, I wouldn't count any chickens and get spending those Christmas vouchers if you were (un)lucky enough to get any this year! [/quote] BBC reported that they have stopped honouring their vouchers. If you have any, get down there right away, and see if you can get them used up.

[quote name='Hutton' timestamp='1358243037' post='1935246'] C'mon folks. This has been a good thread enjoyed by those of us who play bass in church. Please let's keep it on track and stay away from posts which are not constructive to the discussion. [/quote] That's a good point. I'm not a christian, or even believe in religion, but i think this thread should stick to what it was intended for- Discussing being a bass player in a church. I don't think anybody should be airing views to either extreme on here (i.e. no faith or a strong faith) but rather about being a musician for a church, and what that means etc. Just trying to keep everything fair and away from any serious discussing about religion.

[quote name='Skol303' timestamp='1358212014' post='1935104'] Hehe! I know the feeling This diagram should help. The radius refers to the degree of curvature you get from a circle drawn at that size - i.e. a 20" radius fretboard means that the curve of the 'board is taken from a circle with a 20" radius, hence a large-ish circle with a shallow curve. The smaller the radius, the steeper the curve and vice-versa. [/quote] Ah, i knew i was getting the wrong end of the stick there in my hazy tiredness. If you were going for 20", you probably might as well just get a flat fretboard.

So i came across this blog post from a man who ran a marketing company that dealt with HMV for 25 years. Here's the link- http://www.philipbeeching.com/2012/08/why-companies-fail-rise-and-fall-of-hmv.html?m=1 Make of that what you will. I do think of HMV with a fondness, and probably even romanticise the experience of shopping there to and extent. But as the blog says, by the time they had twigged on to where they were loosing out, it was too late, and everything they were doing was an exercise in futility. It's sad really. It's an important lesson, that you can never underestimate technology, because it develops at such a rate that it will just pass you by if you aren't watching it. unfortunately, the MD at the turn of the digital revolution buried his head in the sand, and that was the beginning of the end for the music, games and video retailing giant. Sad times. What do you guys think? What are your memories- good and bad? I just thought after being such a big player in the market, a little post to them was the least they deserved.

[quote name='RandomBass' timestamp='1358209775' post='1935083'] Ive been using a pair of HD480's for the past 30 years or so. Still going strong, and all others just sound coloured and unnatural. [/quote] 30 years? wow, i'll be surprised if these are still going after 3!

Unless we are talking about radius in a purely practical sense and meaning the curvature, and not really the mathematical meaning of it. I'm not sure anymore, my brain is frazzled after today.

[quote name='Skol303' timestamp='1358206185' post='1935023'] Definitely! I'm veering strongly towards a through-neck made from mahogany (same material as the body) with wenge splices, which should give a great tone. I'm going to chew it over a little longer first - trying not to be hasty and enjoying reading about wood! (not something I admit to every day) - but that's looking like the winning combination. Good point. Do you play a Fender by any chance? I only ask because I used to own one that had a much smaller radius - must have been something like 10" or whatever. Played fine, but I switched to an Ibanez much later on that had a flatter board with a lower action and I much preferred it - suited my style of playing better and I just found it a bit 'faster' (but that could be the mojo talking ). But anyway, I'm happy with a flat board - I just need to compare a 20" radius to the basses I'm familiar with to make sure that's going to be right for me (can't say it's something I've ever really considered until now - I'm learning lots through this process!). PS: this is what's been decided for the fretboard - Makassar ebony. Looks bloomin' gorgeous! [/quote] As they would say in Flight Of The Conchords- "Flup". That looks great! It really highlights the grain of the timber (something you don't notice with rosewood or maple from any distance). I do play a fender, yes, but i've also played musicmans and other mass produced stuff, never a custom ordered thing though. I think the difference in a couple of inches can make all the difference. When you think about it, the radius is half of the diameter, so for every inch you increase it by, you are actually increasing the diameter by 2 inches.

[quote name='Skol303' timestamp='1358181170' post='1934377'] - [b]Fretboard radius:[/b] 20" is the current suggestion. I'm going to check the basses I own (2 in total - very meagre by Basschat standards!) and compare. Having done some homework on the subject, 20" sounds about right to me. For anybody unfamiliar with fretboard radius, a larger radius = a flatter fretboard = a lower action, which is what I'm looking for (most basses seem to range from 17-22"). [/quote] I would actually say that is a VERY flat fretboard, and you might even struggle to notice any curve to it. I wouldn't say most range from 17" to 22" in fretboard radius, i would say most range from about 8" to 16". Basically, imagine a 40" wide cylinder, lined internally with sandpaper, then picture the neck of your bass meeting it, (i'm assuming your neck won't be particularly wide for a 5 string?) it's not going to curve the fretboard much at all. It's not what i would choose anyway, but some people like a flatish fretboard.

[quote name='Skol303' timestamp='1358181170' post='1934377'] 2) [b]Materials:[/b] the current choice is for a mahogany body, a wenge neck (spliced with either maple or mahogany) and a rosewood or ebony fretboard (either Indian ebony, solid black in colour, or Makassar ebony - slightly softer with black/brown striping). If I opt for a through-neck then it would need to made out of mahogany with wenge splices - rather than vice versa, as would be possible with a bolt-on or glue-in neck. [/quote] Ah, never mind! If the through neck HAS to be made from mahogany, i would say go for that. Mahogany has a lovely rich bassy tone, and the through neck will let the high notes resonate well through the body.

[quote name='Skol303' timestamp='1358181170' post='1934377'] [b][size=5]Ok folks, I need your opinion on some material and design choices![/size][/b] 1) [b]Neck type:[/b] should I opt for a bolt-on neck, a glue-in neck or a through-neck? I'm currently veering towards a through-neck to help give the bass the dark/warm tone with plenty of sustain that I'm looking for. It'll also make the upper frets easier to reach than with a bolt-on (especially as this bass is a 28-fretter!). That said, a bolt-on neck would maybe give it more attack, and I guess a glue-in design is somewhere between the two. What do you think? Thoughts/suggestions on any of the above would be very welcome! Cheers [/quote] The bass frequencies that run through the timber aren't stopped by bolted or glued joints, so whatever low frequency is running along the neck will run into the body too, so long as they are joined together in some form, so i wouldn't choose a through neck based on that alone. What sort of material will the neck be made from? If it's maple, that will give the body a brighter tone with a through neck design (i do believe that maple is a bright tone wood). If it was mahogany or something like wenge, it would be perfect for through neck, because of the bassiness of those woods. But it depends what you want, and there are advantages to them all. I suppose with so many frets (going well out of bass frequency) you want those high notes to resonate as good as they can through the body, so through neck would be ideal there, but again, it depends on the wood and what you want. Treble frequencies don't move across joints as well as bass frequencies do. Personally, i would prefer a bolt on or glued neck, because it just makes it a bit easier for maintenance, or if you ever did irreparable damage to the neck. But through joints have their advantages too. What timber did you choose for the neck in the end anyway?

[quote name='bigjohn' timestamp='1358190605' post='1934611'] I'm a big fan of my cheapo HD202 Sennies. They fit nice and sound great. they've also withstood some good droppings, kickings and squashings and are still fine and dandy. [/quote] They have a good reputation for durability, that is for sure! There's just certain things we expect from german companies though, and durability is one of them, so tick there. Still, they don't get everything right. They are a major player in the consumer audio market (i.e. audio products for regular folk like you and me) and yes, they have some brilliant products, but i think that some of the glory from that gets reflected on to some of their other, maybe less deserving products. Some people insist that they make the best earphones ever, and i always regale them with the misadventures of my trip into HMV (who are on the rocks btw, and need serious amounts of support!) where i spent £35 on a pair of sennheiser earphones (which is a lot for me) and was sorely disappointed at how wrong they had gotten it. A terrific company, but don't assume everything they churn out is incredible, because it won't be. I try to keep an open mind, and was actually looking to be proved wrong today when i went in to the shop, and i was quite surprised, and i have been proved wrong to a certain degree.

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1358189296' post='1934578'] I got told I look like a down- and -out recently . Does that count ? [/quote] Nope, that's daily life for me

[quote name='mentalextra' timestamp='1358184642' post='1934478'] [sub]Well done for buying the Sennheiser's. My 14yr old daugher has been banging on about JB's for over a year now! I walked into curries and told her to plug her blackberry into both and tell me what one was better! Suffice to say she isnt so keen on the JB's any more! [/sub] [/quote] What the heck are JB's? I am just not down with the kids at all. and here's how we know- Currently listening to ABBA. Apparently i'm not down with anybody!

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1358184156' post='1934464'] Don't judge the Sennheisers too soon Milton , they need a good amount of use to break in . The diaphragm in the earpieces of most headphones slacken off with use , usually allowing the bass to get a bit more generous and the overall sound to get better all round . I have used some Sennheiser HD485 phones as my main headphone for about three years now and they are superb , especially considering that they only cost about £45 when I bought them . I prefer them to my much more expensive AKGs . [/quote] Oh really? i have a pair of £35 Sennheiser in ear earphones which are t'rrbull. All cloudy and muddy, no really sound to them, not even very loud. Don't know what model they are though.

[quote name='longtimefred' timestamp='1358183871' post='1934454'] the thing i have found with the differences between "listener" headphones and potential "studio" headphones is a lot of this eq spectrum you talk of. Every pair of cans i have listened through in various recording studios have a totally different sound to what people listen to on their ipods etc. I would imagine the Sennheisers are aimed more at studios so you can hear an even range across the spectrum so you can tell what you have recorded and mixed. I love a decent pair of headphones but all these trendy ones that are coming out with their own signature eq's make me cringe a little. I have a pair of Beats which sound great but its like someone just pressed the "loud" button on a car stereo. still not sure if its a good thing or not [/quote] Oh, they definitely sound like they should be used in the studio. They are actually aimed at DJ's, so the EQ can't be anything that will distort the true sound that is being produced.

You can read a bit more, and see the frequency response charts at this site- http://www.headphone.com/headphones/sennheiser-hd-205-ii.php

I've just been to my local music shop, and decided to put their selection of headphones to the test. They had 3 different Sennheiser headphones, One ultra-budget option at £20 (i believe, not 100%), another at £35, and then the HD205's at £45. I got the £45 ones (i just sold my car, and the cash was burning a hole in my pocket ). Got them home, and i am currently putting them through their paces. Listening to a range of things (Currently LostProphets), and so far, they are quite good. They don't do that fakey bass thing, which i kind of missed (i.e. they haven't bumped the EQ in the lower frequency to make it appear bassy). Ok, so in a bit more detail, They are pretty clear and even across the entire spectrum. The higher register is clean and clear, and not fuzzy, and the lower frequencies are clear, and not muddied up by a bad EQ. The mid range is the same story, not adversely affected by the low or high frequencies or EQing. So there we are, even-ness, mmm One bad point though, and this is probably just a bit oh my chintziness showing through, but they don't have a great punch from the bass on them. My Marley headphones were great for that, you could really feel the bass, it moved the air inside [my] head. The Sennheisers seem altogether too dignified for something like that, a bit like the difference between a fiesta and a merc on a rough road, one will be right, and one will be either hilarious, or copious amounts of fun. (i think we know which is which.) Ok, so i have covered how they perform musically.... kind of.... well, never mind, on to the aesthetics and comfort of them. Looking at them, they are more your kind of typical looking headphones now, although the cups aren't round, they are more the oval shape of an ear, which is good. I'm wearing them right now, and i can say that they are 10 times more comfortable than the Marleys. The padding around the ear and head is really good and spongy, so for a while, you kind of forget you are even wearing them, because they foam just hugs you so nice (like a-momma a-used to!). When i first put them on, i was worried about breaking the frame, which is plastic, because it was quite tight, (steady on) and hard to separate, but i can completely see why now, the springyness of the frame provides excellent attenuation, so even wearing them now, not listening to my music at any great level, all the external sounds (there are a lot around here) are perfectly well kept at arms length, and the music stays good at a low volume, and your ears stay good . The cups rotate left and right too, for some reason, don't know the exact function of that yet though. Probably just a bit of a gimmick. So, in essence- -Very clear and even response across the range (as far as i can tell) -Good EQ which hasn't adversely affected other frequency ranges -It's not a 'bass boost' kind of set of headphones, so if that is what you want, don't get them. -They are styled to be appealing to the trendy ones... whoever they are... not me anyway. -Very comfortable wearing, with a certain floatiness to them. -Great external noise attenuation, which is due to the very springy frame. All in all, a great set of headphones. Being far from an expert, i would give them a provisional 8/10, which i might revise when i'm a bit better at reviewing headphones. I would recommend these if i was asked, for the price, they are a great bit of kit. Hope you enjoyed reading my review, and that it has helped you make a choice about your next set of headphones. Thanks. Milton.

[quote name='Skol303' timestamp='1358167281' post='1934019'] Cheers Milty, I couldn't agree more! I think Paul's love of his craft speaks for itself. First time I saw his website I was blown away by his handiwork - very impressive and a great diversity of designs. Anyway thanks for the comments mate and feel free to post suggestions here whenever you like - I appreciate your input [/quote] I must take a look at the website later on. I could give you some input, but it wouldn't do any justice to the bass.

[quote name='Skol303' timestamp='1358118778' post='1933568'] Paul has explained that the wood needs some time to aclimatise to his workshop, so once it's on order there'll be chance to start thinking about the rest of it [/quote] That's how i know it will be a great bass. He obviously takes time to make sure it's right!

What if i saw a bunch of cats bench press Robert De Niro though? That's more impressive, because cats don't bench. Welcomes anyways

Welcome Tom! You have some nice gear! I don't know what sort of amps would sound good with a stingray, but flea has used GK amps since RHCP formed, and i really admire his tone. Although it seems quite bright and trebly, even a bit cold to a degree i think. I have an ashdown head, and it's just full of bass and warmth. I'm sure there are 100 people who could direct you to a decent amp here if you told them what sort of sound you were going for. When i was 16, i was still pretending i could play instruments. Now i'm 20, and i'm still pretending (although i have actually bought a real bass since then). My advice would be to avoid the really cheap basses, they aren't normally worth it i have found (i have tried to prove myself wrong about 15 times now, and i'm only playing 2 years ) Keep rocking, Tom! By the time you are my age, you will be an awesome bassist!

[quote name='fumps' timestamp='1357573294' post='1924675'] Blimey [size=2].......sorry this had to be done lol [/size] [/quote] It would not be the first time i have heard that...

[quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1357921017' post='1930686'] Dont make it a 5 track EP, just make it "lets see if we can record a bass part" to begin with. Start with your first idea Play to click in a DAW, because you will rely on the DAW for time keeping any vsti's Build it an instrument/idea at a time, if it goes of on a different angle pursue it until you think its no good then go back, before you know it you will be there. It will be a very steep learning curve, so dont put a time frame on it so much. Its possible to programm human sounding drums with a mouse, but it takes ages.... [/quote] Sorry, i didn't get any notification of this. Thanks! I very often think i have a good idea and muck about with it until it's no good