6v6

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1386231096' post='2297375']
I've been thinking about this post for a while, and while in some ways it seems that TI flats should be for me, I'm really not aiming for just lazy plodding bass lines. I wish there was a place I could go and try them out. The only way I get to try out quality strings is to try out expensive basses in shops, and find out what strings they come with stock. (Note mention of Fender strings earlier up). I've also seen comments elsewhere on this forum that the low B string for TI flats is just a bit too floppy, and I wouldn't enjoy that I think. That leaves my four string, which at the moment I've made the decision not to £&$% with.

I need to go somewhere where I can try out some more quality strings.
[/quote]

I've got TI flats on two basses, and they are great, sound and feel awesome, but they are quite bendy.

I found the trick is to raise the action a little, have a bit more relief on the neck than you would with less compliant strings, and play with a fairly light touch.

If you like playing with a super low action, or you play hard fingerstyle you might find them frustrating, but otherwise they are very good.

[quote name='Prime_BASS' timestamp='1386154630' post='2296388']
As long as the bridge works and the truss rod works any bass can be setup "perfect". Depending in your personal tastes.
[/quote]

This just isn't true, it depends on much more, primarily accuracy and integrity of the the neck construction, how level the fingerboard and fretwork is, neck angle and if you can shim it, etc etc.

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1386162678' post='2296550']
I think the post -2012 Fender Am St Jazz is a great bass too , and I wouldn't be in any rush to replace the pickups either. Those Fender Custom Shop Vintage 60's that come as standard in that bass now are slightly overwound and sound very fat and beefy, but still have all the delicate nuances of a single coil pickup. I think they are just as good as the Aguilar 4J-HC , or anything else on the market, for that matter. I really don't see any need to change them , or at least give them a bit of a chance before you do so !
[/quote]

+1, I have a 2012 US standard Precision and I can't see any reason to change the pickups at all, the stock pickups are very good and anything else will just be different, not necessarily better IMO.

[quote name='thebassist' timestamp='1385995134' post='2294390']
Isn't import duty and VAT the same thing?
[/quote]

Nope, two different taxes and you have to pay both

[url="http://www.dutycalculator.com/new-import-duty-and-tax-calculation/saved_calculations/view_details/186623765/"]http://www.dutycalculator.com/new-import-duty-and-tax-calculation/saved_calculations/view_details/186623765/[/url]

[quote name='thebassist' timestamp='1385991698' post='2294357']
I've played a four Fodera's before and I've loved all of them but I’ve never actually owned one. Brilliantly bassgear.co.uk have the example I want available in stock so I'll be getting down there to have a test this weekend. It is however priced £4190 whereas the same bass will cost about £2895 directly from Fodera. Even considering import duty, £1295 is a considerable mark up. I suppose I could wait for a used one to crop up but I’ve not found one of these become available second hand yet.
[/quote]

Having a quick play with one of the online duty calculators yields a cost of at least £3750 including shipping, insurance, import duty and VAT, so ~£400 markup which isn't too bad IMO, and is probably in the ballpark of haggling-room on a £4k bass anyway. Also there is obviously value associated with being able to try the instrument in a shop rather than buy unseen.

[quote name='thebassist' timestamp='1385976091' post='2294138']
I don't want or intend this thread to get into any kind of debate about whether a Fodera is value for money, etc. but I'd appreciate some opinions from people.

My budget will enable me to purchase either:

1. A Fodera Monarch 4 Standard
...or...
2. A combination of these:
Fender American Deluxe Precision
Fender American Standard Jazz
Fender American Standard Precision
Music Man Stingray
Music Man Sterling
Suggestions?

I've never bought a bass without playing it first and unfortunately I wouldn't be able to try the Fodera before actually buying it so it's a bit of a gamble if I went that route. That is my biggest concern with the Fodera - A LOT of cash on a bass I can't play before buying.
[/quote]

Spending that sort of money without trying first (or having the option to return for a full refund) is certifiably nuts IMHO, regardless of the reputation of the manufacturer.

Also your alternatives are kind of odd, you're comparing a very modern boutique bass with a faint whiff of coffee-table to a bunch of classic traditional basses.

Personally I'd get to a shop by whatever means and try enough stuff to figure out whether you actually want a fodera, precision, jazz or musicman, then track down the most awesome example of the one you settle on. With your budget you could, for example, get one great vintage Fender rather than a several new ones.

[quote name='Twigman' timestamp='1385651700' post='2290708']
Why in that case

Why in that case would this pot [url="http://www.allparts.uk.com/collections/guitar-pots-fender/products/250k-split-shaft-no-load-potentiometer"]http://www.allparts....d-potentiometer[/url] be described as a 'No Load Pot' and how might it differ from this pot [url="http://www.allparts.uk.com/collections/guitar-pots-fender/products/250k-split-shaft"]http://www.allparts....50k-split-shaft[/url] ?? It is my understanding that ONLY the 'no load pots' completely bypass the resistor when the wiper is fully wound round.
[/quote]

Aha! This is a different thing from "true bypass", or my understanding of it anyway.

True bypass is normally used to refer to a switch which fully bypasses an effect without any buffering (so you get a pure unmodified signal with multiple effects in series), wheras this could be described as the opposite of true bypass, in that it's open circuit when at maximum resistance.

[quote name='Twigman' timestamp='1385492679' post='2288962']
I have a CTS 250k long shaft log pot (3/4") but it doesn't claim to be 'true bypass' when the knob is wound to max.....does it make much, if any, difference?
[/quote]

What is a "true bypass" pot?

I thought all pots went from zero ohms to whatever their rating is (e.g 250k ohms), every pot should be zero ohms when in it's fully "on" position, otherwise it's faulty, ergo all pots are "true bypass"?

If you need to check, use a multimeter on ohms between the middle and outer connections, zero ohms means they are connected directly together with no resistance.

[quote name='Scrubnut' timestamp='1385569155' post='2289769']
Like this?

[url="http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-1960-Pre-CBS-Fender-Precision-Bass-Telecaster-Pots-Potentiometers-Jack-/170768181236"]http://www.ebay.com/...k-/170768181236[/url]

I've seen a few at specialists online but they are horribly expensive. Trouble is with replacement on an old Fender is that any changes mean it's not 'original' which may affect the value to some buyers even if the original part is included. If it can be repaired, preferably without touching the solder, that would be best.
[/quote]

It's nuts really isn't it, $500 for two pots and a jack, which will work and sound exactly the same as two decent CTS pots and a switchcraft socket, which would probably cost less than $10 in total.

I buy the old instrument mojo, really I do, but IMO it's the old wood/pickups and possibly finish which has the mojo, not the solder joints, wire or pots.

If you have a vintage instrument, you end up faced with keeping it original, or keeping it working and actually using it, I know which I choose..

It's interesting you'd say Marshall JCM or Fender Twin, they are pretty different amps IMO.

If budget is limited, I'd suggest looking at a Laney VC30, they are excellent for the money, I'd get the 1x12 and swap out the speaker for something better like a Celestion G12H30 when budget allows.

Linux actually works OK, provided you're either prepared to spend time learning the (sometime more complex than mac/windows) configuration process, or your requirements are simple.

I've had good success recording from Presonus Firepods into a Fedora system, using ffado drivers via Jack, which can also be routed via pulseaudio for using non-jack aware applications.

Overall the stability and latency (with a realtime kernel from Planet CCRMA) is better than running the same interfaces under Windows, but it did take some faffing to get it all working.

See:
[url="http://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/Fedora/15/html/Musicians_Guide/"]http://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/Fedora/15/html/Musicians_Guide/[/url]

[url="http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/linux"]Audacity[/url] is a good starting point for most recording and editing requirements, with [url="http://ardour.org/"]Ardour[/url] providing more full-featured DAW capabilities.

[quote name='Musky' timestamp='1384350264' post='2275539']
Unfortunately it's not possible to wire an 8 ohm cab with two speakers to 4 ohms.
[/quote]

Huh? Didn't the OP say "[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]pair of 8 ohm cabs", in which case two in parallel is 4ohms?[/font][/color]

IME it really comes down to who you're playing with and their experience level - if you can all play intuitively and improvise a bit then playing stuff with no rehearsal is fine, but some folks freak out when things go a bit off-piste live which results in embarrassing train-wrecks rather than a fun jam around a new song...

[quote name='JamesBass' timestamp='1384124797' post='2273137']
I'm very creative and produce songs like clockwork, which is exactly what I want to be doing, expect with a band who are as serious as myself, as determined to make the most of a good thing and really push it on and try to make it our major source of income.
[/quote]

So you want to be a pro musician...

[quote name='JamesBass' timestamp='1384210806' post='2274167']
It is what I want, I'm currently studying for a degree in music performance and management but I'll also do a PGCE so I can teach if I want to, especially if I move abroad! If I can, I'd like to do one, largish tour, UK would suffice plenty, but I want to be in a band that do tour and gig, even if we have brief success I'll be pleased and happy for life, I'd then more than happily take up full time teaching.
[/quote]

...only you don't, you actually want to do one UK tour then take up teaching full time.

FWIW the pro guys I know will play anything so long as it pays, from original recording sessions, to covers in pubs/clubs/functions, musicals, whatever it takes to make a living.

[quote name='Hobbayne' timestamp='1384254290' post='2274412']
I was at a mates wedding a few weeks back. The band was reasonable but not mind blowing.
One thing stuck in my mind though, the number of songs which I thought weren terrible a few years ago, now seem to be standards in this day and age.
Billy Idol - White Wedding
Mavericks - Dance The Night Away etc.
Or am I a miserable git?
[/quote]

You are a miserable git (or maybe you just weren't drunk enough?)

Seriously though, isn't the whole point of a wedding band that you play widely-known-but-somewhat-naff pop covers which everyone can do dodgy drunken dad-dancing to?

[quote name='cameltoe' timestamp='1384213854' post='2274206']
On paper (to make it easier), my design would look something like this:

Extremely Lightweight body, with slim profile- (like my roadworn). Possibly ash.
SD SPB1 pickup
Vintage Bridge with threaded saddles.
Gotoh GBR640's
1.625, possibly even smaller nut width. (1.615, similar to my Jazz bass)
Soft V profile, from 1st-7th/9th fret, rounding out to slim C shape.
Vintage fret wire, dressed down to flat top profile
7.25" fretboard radius
Maple neck
Nitro paint
Colour not really important, but the AV '57 in White blond transparent has always floated my boat.
Mild relic'ing on body, slightly heavier on neck- not really for looks, but so it feels more played in and comfortable, and so I'm not afraid to take it out and use it.
[/quote]

If you haven't already, try a Fender Nate Mendel sig precision - it has most of what you're specifying other than the V profile (it is narrower than a US standard precision). I tried one recently and they are excellent. I ended up preferring the more vintage sound of the US standard in the end, but the NM was very good.

[quote name='lowdown' timestamp='1383992987' post='2271586']
There does seem to be a lot of fascination with cover version posts at the moment.
I had this one sent to me the other day.
Warning - The Bassist ain't got a pair of jugs on show.
[/quote]

This one is infinitely more impressive IMO, great playing throughout the whole band, really tight and pro sounding, great vocals.

[quote name='dan670844' timestamp='1383245510' post='2262136']
These won't fit in any of my amps, as all my amp have valve cans for the preamp tubes.
[/quote]

I'm sure 10 seconds with a scalpel would solve that, but then you'd lose the bit of shrink-sleeve, uh, I mean "acoustic dampening technology"

I think you need to go to a shop and try some.

I went out thinking I wanted a vintage style 1.75 width neck, but it was just too much and I ended up going for a US standard instead (which is 1.625 I think, halfway between a jazz 1.5" width and the vintage-style precisions). IMHO the modern P necks are a good compromise, and they definitely aren't pretty much a jazz neck in feel or dimensions.

Their relic jobs are pretty funny!

Hi All,

Edit: Wow it was nearly a year ago I posted this, and I didn't bump as the SR is so nice I'm tempted to keep it, but it's been very rarely used thus time to have another go at swapping it for something I'll maybe use more frequently.

Up for sale or trade, my trusty SR500, brown mahogany model - not sure of the year exactly (can probably dig out the receipt if needed), but it's one of the slightly earlier models without the switchable mid-boost. I bought it new from Guitar Village in Farnham, but for the first few years it was very little used (until recently I was mainly a guitarist..!), hence it's in very good condition.

The only dings are a tiny chip on the top of the headstock, a small mark on the top bout of the body, and some very minor marks on the front and back (from belt and my thumb respectively), minor stuff though, overall it's in great condition.

See my [url="https://www.dropbox.com/sh/p15wssq5xp3fnei/zKmkiEAyR3"]dropbox album[/url] for photos, I've tried to show all of the minor marks, but dodgy phone camera so apologies the quality is not great, I'll try to take some more later in better light.

As most of you will know, these are fantastic instruments, mellow p-bass tones on the neck pickup, and plenty of bite from the bridge pickup or any blend between the two.

It's got Bartaloni MK1 pickups, with active electronics, 3-band EQ, volume and pickup blend control. It sounds really good, and the playability is better than almost any other bass I've tried, really slim, comfortable neck, super low action, and very light.

I'm only selling because I've got a P-bass which covers my 4-string gigging needs better at the moment (doesn't play as well as the SR though!).

It's currently strung with TI flats, which sound great and very mellow, or I can put some rounds on it if you prefer.

Asking £220 for straight sale, or possible trades are as follows (plus/minus a little cash depending on the deal, open to other trade ideas so just PM me with offers):

- Something with 5 strings (5 string SR, Jazz, Yammaha BB or open to other 5 string offers)
- Something fretless (probably 4 strings, but open to offers)
- An entry level EUB
- A tube preamp (either pedal or rack but must be capable of driving a power-amp directly)
- Interesting 6 string guitars (electric or acoustic) or (tube) amps

I'll provide a Guitar Village branded gigbag for it, and I'd prefer collection/meetup (Hampshire/Surrey/London), although shipping could be possible if the buyer covers the cost and I can find a suitable box/case for it.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1382963506' post='2258441']
Unfortunately there are two different types of Hondo II. A few are very nice indeed, but most are the worst kind of cheap far-eastern firewood.
[/quote]

This, my first guitar was a Hondo Les Paul copy and it was terrible.

My money would go on a Gordon Smith, I have a GS2 and it's great.

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1382560080' post='2253777']
Looks like an interesting build. What are your plans for the preamp - keeping it simple or including some bells and whistles?
[/quote]

I'm going to start simple, then add some bells & whistles

My plan is to start with a simple Fender-style preamp, two 12ax7's probably, gain stage, passive tone stack, gain recovery, cathode follower driver stage -> power amp

I generally play with a bit of compression, so when I've got the basic sounds dialled in, I'd like to add a tube compressor, and a tube driven transformer-coupled DI out.

Initially I was planning to model it all in gEDA, but I started and it's just too time-consuming. So instead I'll do what I've done on all my previous amp builds, cobble it together by nicking bits of existing amp designs, then tweaking until it sounds good

[quote name='Bill Fitzmaurice' timestamp='1382633217' post='2254779']
As they can, and for that matter should be, with wood. OTOH I've seen many a phenolic board that cracked, and the traces along with it, but I've never seen a wood base crack. Much ado about nothing you are making.
[/quote]

Fair enough. Lets just call it a personal preference then.

[quote name='Magic Matt' timestamp='1382625088' post='2254596']
I can't quite see how it would be less durable than the weight of the components hanging by their leads from a fibreglass board... I'll just have to take your word for it.
[/quote]

The components aren't hanging, and they don't have 6" bits of speaker wire waggling on the end of their legs anymore.

Something like [url="http://www.turretboards.com/images/PRODUCT/boards/marshall_18watt_lite_v2.jpg"]this[/url] - the component can be attached to the board with tie-wraps or silicone, then the component leg is much shorter and goes right into the turret. Tube amps have been made like this for years.