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solo4652

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Posts posted by solo4652

    Harley Benton MV-4M Mustang-like bass. £198. Opinions?

    in Bass Guitars

    Posted · Edited by solo4652

    Finally dragged myself out of bed. First impressions of the HB MV-4M in Daphne blue:

     

    Build quality seems excellent. Tight neck pocket with no gaps. Lovely satin-feel dark maple neck with skunk stripe. Feels fairly flat front-to-back compared to my G&L Fallout. Headstock is a little smaller than my G&L and my Lakland HB30. Gotoh tuners feel surprisingly small in the hand. String hole in middle may possibly restrict string gauge choice. That said, I fitted 45-65-85-105 halfwounds without problems. Body finish is almost flawless - no odd colour patches or orange-peel finish anywhere. Daphne blue is pretty bright, and I think I would have preferred not to have a matching headstock. The overall look is a bit, errrm, "pretty". Not sure why a tug-bar is fitted as stock - does anybody actually need such a thing? For me, it doesn't get in the way, so I'll leave it where it is. No discernible neck-dive on a wide, rough-finish leather strap. Hands off, and bass stays still - just what I was after. Factory set-up didn't suit me or my favourite strings, but 30 mins of saddle-adjusting, intonation-setting, half-turn on truss-rod sorted that out. All adjustments working smoothly. Very clear that string choice is critical. 45-65-85-105 Status black nylons just didn't work well at all. Too floppy, with intonation issues, especially on E string. Same gauge Status halfwounds are much, much better - higher string tension, lower saddles, straighter neck, clearer/less muddy tone. Big difference here. Through my 50w practice combo, overall volume seems a little low compared to my other basses, but absolutely fine through 500W rehearsal rig. Lack of pickup selection was initially a bit perplexing, but I found I quickly got used to a mid-point position on tone knob, making small final adjustments on the amp. Once set, I just got on with playing. I only play finger-style. Tone sounds more towards J than P, but pushing the bass on the amp quickly thickened things up. This was at home - of course, it will be different again with a full band in a rehearsal room, so I'll wait and see. So, initial bedroom impressions are of a well-made, nicely tuned-out bass that I found easy to pick up and play after the ususal personal set-up adjustments. I'm not immediately feeling like I need to replace pickups, or add a pickup selector.  Certainly a good back-up for my No.1 bass, the Lakland HB30. Very pleased with the purchase, after dithering about it for a week. Amazing value.

     

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    • Like 10
    • Thanks 1

    Harley Benton MV-4M Mustang-like bass. £198. Opinions?

    in Bass Guitars

    Posted · Edited by solo4652

    https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_mv_4msb_gotoh_bm.htm

     

    Interesting spec on paper; Alder body, Maple neck, Gotoh hardware, brass sadles, graphite nut. I was considering a Squier FSR Mustang - just wondering if anybody has played the HB and could offer useful comparison/review to the cheaper Mustangs? I've seen the earlier threads about these basses, and I'm asking if anybody's got their hands on one yet.

    BBC4 now for some awesome upright playing

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    On 22/11/2022 at 14:18, Beedster said:

     

     

    Nice point about the physical limitations of the instrument, there's always that risk isn't there that we're impressed by the overcoming of these as much by the music itself (although having said that, it's probably true of many instruments, certainly I suspect of slap on electric bass). What I noticed was how clear and well-articulated each and every one of his notes appeared to be; OK some of that might be the quality of the room and the audio engineering, but he seemed to achieve a clarity of tone that to my mind is rare. Despite the physical limitations of the instrument :)  

    Yes, Chris - agreed. Once again you've read my mind and neatly summarised and expressed my reasons for being very underwhelmed by the guy's playing. For me, it was a hugely impressive example of somebody playing a bass in a way that I will never, ever be able to do. However, achieving stellar levels of note articulation and clarity, for me, doesn't mean it's enjoyable music. As you say, perhaps a bit like some examples of slap on an electric bass - technically very impressive but ultimately unmelodic (?).  

    • Like 1

    Alden Mustang copy - any good?

    in Bass Guitars

    Posted

    Message from Adam at Jow guitars via Ebay:

     

    "It's made in China. The nut is 43mm like a P Bass and it weighs just short of 4KG - it feels very solid.
    The fingerboard looks like Rosewood but I can't be sure. I've contacted the supplier for more info on the woods used.
    I'll get back to you when they reply."

    • Thanks 1

    BBC4 now for some awesome upright playing

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    30 minutes ago, Beedster said:

     

    I thought exactly the opposite, I'm no great fan of upright as a lead instrument (I tried with Mingus for years), but found his playing more accessible and importantly, enjoyable. I'm looking forward to watching it again 👍

     

    Now the pianist who followed I really did not enjoy at all :( 

    Yes - I think that's helped me to understand some of my discomfort. Thinking about it, I don't regard upright bass as a lead instrument and that's why I was left befuddled by the guy's playing.

    • Like 1

    BBC4 now for some awesome upright playing

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by solo4652

    We've had comments about his equipment and his signal chain. Can I ask this question: Did you enjoy the music he was playing? I didn't. I watched for about 6 or 7 minutes and then I gave up. I found myself scratching my head and questioning whether there was much overlap with the bass-playing I do.  I just couldn't relate to the music at all - I found it uninvolving, unmemorable, and meandering. I'm struggling for an analogy. I'll try this: It was a bit like an aural version of looking out across an extensive pebble beach - lots of individual tones but no real sense of enduring structure or cohesion. Of course, all of that is my own very personal opinion, and I'd be interested to hear what others have to say about their own personal enjoyment of the music that was played. 

    • Thanks 1

    All sorted now, thank you. Mature, experienced bassist seeks covers band, North Devon.

    in Bassists Available

    Posted · Edited by solo4652
    Found a band.

    Update, 18th January 2032. I've now joined a pub covers band based in Braunton.

     

    I've just relocated from Stockport to Appledore, and I'm looking for a decent covers band that needs a bassist. Pop, soft rock, Indie, (neo) soul, motown, funk, some reggae, cheesy 80's power ballads, chillout - anything groove-driven and tasteful. Not into noisy, blokey, classic rock, punk, post-industrial swedish doom-metal or sea shanties. Duos, trios, small-footprint wine-bar crews, full-size bands - all good for me. I'm mature, reliable and punctual, and I take pride in turning up to rehearsals and gigs having learned my parts. Sadly, I don't/can't sing - I've tried, but I sound like a pig in pain. I'll concentrate on keeping the groove.  I also play cajon (more of an Improver than an expert) and am happy to switch between it and bass depending on the song being played. Here's my Bandmix profile, complete with videos of me playing in previous bands: https://www.bandmix.co.uk/solo4652/

     

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