solo4652

I have a headache now. I'm going to bed.

Just to add further confusion, I have a USA L2000. In the past I've owned 2 Tributes and the USA model sounds darker and richer to me. It may be that settings that work on maple-boarded Tributes don't work so well on a rosewood-boarded USA model. Just a thought.

So, to summarise the discussion so far: To get my L2000 to cut through in a fairly noisy band mix, I'll need to: Use front pickup. Or bridge. Or both Select active. Or passive Series (or parrallel) pick up switching for bass boost. Or not. Start with tone knobs on zero and slowly dial up. Alternatively, have both on max. Or possibly one up and one down Use either roundwound or halfwound strings

[quote name='scalpy' timestamp='1322504900' post='1451762'] Both pickups on will cut through the mix! However I have found when I use a modern amp, GB, EA and the like, bass cut takes too much away. Best to ramp all three knobs to max, bass boost on, stick it in active and to hell with anybody who gets in your way! [/quote] Won't that set-up remove the plaster from the ceiling?! I can make the G&L loud alright, but getting it to stand out alongside two guitars is proving quite hard.

How about this: [url="http://www.wwbw.com/Mighty-Mite-MM2919-P-Bass-Replacement-Neck-with-a-Fretless-Ebonol-Fingerboard-585058-i1519590.wwbw"]http://www.wwbw.com/Mighty-Mite-MM2919-P-Bass-Replacement-Neck-with-a-Fretless-Ebonol-Fingerboard-585058-i1519590.wwbw[/url] £98 delivered, including shipping and all duties and taxes. Drop it into my Fender P and see how I get on? Black ebanol board might look pretty sexy with my black P with white pickguard.

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1322479475' post='1451183'] I bought a new Mighty Mite neck (from the USA) with an Ebanol fingerboard, and transferred the tuners from the 'donor' neck. The heel needed a shave to get it to fit the socket perfectly, which I was happy to leave to an expert, but apart from that it was a doddle. Might Mite kit isn't cheap, but it is very good. Ebanol has a very nice mwah to it, especially if you use either rounds or half-round strings. [/quote] Thanks Jack. Thinking about it, I'm not sure whether I'd really want to start messing with my Fender P. However, I do have an Ibanez Blazer that I'd happily mod. Wonder if the Mighty Mite neck would fit. Or there's this: [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fretless-Precision-bass-guitar-neck-Not-Fender-but-decent-quality-/120819245845?_trksid=p5197.m7&_trkparms=algo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D3%26po%3DLVI%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D4512306787961955899"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fretless-Precision-bass-guitar-neck-Not-Fender-but-decent-quality-/120819245845?_trksid=p5197.m7&_trkparms=algo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D3%26po%3DLVI%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D4512306787961955899[/url]

[quote name='philw' timestamp='1322477831' post='1451146'] I'd say don't worry about lines. Dots on the side on the "fret" positions will be enough to get you in the right ball-park and then it's down to how much fretless playing you do. Fretless technique is also not really about planting your finger at the right point on the fingerboard and leaving it there. The freedom to slide notes a little, add vibrato and generally shape the expression of a note means that the nominal "correct" intonation isn't always as clear cut as you might think. P [/quote] Thanks for your reply. I'm very open to the idea of an unlined neck with a full set of side dots on the fret positions. It's just occured to me that I have a lovely 2008 USA P that I'm not playing much.Perhaps I could get a fretless neck for it. Or maybe a neck for my Ibanez Blazer. Hmmmmmmm...

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1322300761' post='1448998'] This is my old Ibanez 2366: [url="http://s1128.photobucket.com/albums/m496/h4ppyjack/Ibanez%202366%20FLB%201972%20SOLD/"]http://s1128.photobu...%201972%20SOLD/[/url] The fret-ends appeared to be factory-fitted and were a God-send when I first started playing fretless. That bass would probably fall within your £200 budget if you could find one. Bloody heavy, mind. I liked it so much that, when I converted my old Lakland Duck Dunn into a fretless with a Mighty Mite neck, I asked my regular luthier to copy the fret-end idea: [url="http://s1128.photobucket.com/albums/m496/h4ppyjack/Lakland%20Skyline%20Duck%20Dunn%20FL%20conversion/"]http://s1128.photobu...L%20conversion/[/url] I honestly can't remember how much he charged, but it wasn't too outrageous. It was helpful that I showed him the Ibanez before I sold it, so he could have a really good look at how they'd done it. [/quote] That's it! That's the bass I had in mind - I searched for it on Basschat but couldn't find it. If anybody has one for sale - let me know. I've seen a Yamaha BB 400s for sale and that seems to be pretty much what I'm after. Any good?

[quote name='Len_derby' timestamp='1322298644' post='1448970'] If budget is a deciding factor have you considered getting an un-lined example and try some way of putting the marks on yourself? Or with the help of a luthier. [/quote] Yes - that's a thought. Wonder how much a luthier would charge...

[quote name='ikay' timestamp='1322218266' post='1448016'] There's a good example here - [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/159670-fs-fbass-ac5-alain-caron-signature-fretless"]http://basschat.co.u...nature-fretless[/url] [/quote] Aha! - that's the sort of thing. I'd be looking for 4 strings, passive, P-width neck and less than £200 though... Steve

Folks, I'm interested in going fretless. I know there are necks that have a full set of fretlines along the top edge that don't extend fully across the touchboard, but I'm struggling to find any such examples. Googling hasn't thrown up anything helpful. Can somebody point me in the right direction, please? Cheers, Steve

Folks, I just need some help with a small section of the bassline of Can you dig it - it's the guitar solo just after the middle 8. Look up "Guitar tab" on the net, and you get this: [color=#000080]"[/color] [color=#000080]Solo, plenty of reverb and work that wah baby![/color] [color=#000080] e--15--------------------------------------------- B----------12----10----12----14--10------------------ G------------------------------------9----7---------- D-------------------------------------------9-7-9----[/color] [color=#000080]Played twice over B, twice over A, then twice over D"[/color] Look up the bass tab on the net for the guitar solo and you get: [color=#000080]"...the bass hits either D or E on the A string and slides to 12th fret and back repeatedly. Best to experiment with what sounds best for you."[/color] Jamming along to YouTube, sliding between E and A (frets 7 and 12) on the A string sounds just fine to me, but my band's guitarist insists that's wrong and that I should play B A D roots under the rhthym guitarist's B A D chords, and I'm not convinced this works well for the bass. Any advice, please? Steve

[quote name='clarkpegasus4001' timestamp='1321887760' post='1444057'] Talking of Pino, this track has got to be my fave fretless sound i've heard on record right here......... I've always loved this mega bass line...... [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTWt_pKiMl4[/media] [/quote] That's lush. Smooth, controlled elegance. I'm so envious.

[quote name='Count Bassy' timestamp='1321490519' post='1439939'] Especially the box that says 'You've probably got enough' Replace it with 'what the hell' and an arrow pointing to 'buy more guitars' [/quote] Alternatively, you could replace "You've probably got enough" with "OK - perhaps it's time to consider a double bass" and an arrow pointing to "buy more basses".

Whole section missing: "Are you bored with your playing?" if Yes, Have you: changed your strings? tried to learn new songs? bought a new strap? If Yes to any, go to "Buy more basses" If No to "Are you bored with your playing?" , go to "Hiding any basses at a friend's place?"

Some more DIY ideas here: [url="http://www.keithstead.com/and_more/know-how/diy_speaker_pads.html"]http://www.keithstead.com/and_more/know-how/diy_speaker_pads.html[/url]

Would these do as good a job as a gramma pad? [url="http://www.studiospares.com/sound-insulation/acoustistop-rubber-floor-tile/invt/465130/"]http://www.studiospa...le/invt/465130/[/url] [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-30743-Vibration-Absorber-Mat/dp/B000UQ7CZK/ref=pd_cp_computers_2"]http://www.amazon.co..._cp_computers_2[/url] [url="http://www.soundsolutionconsultants.co.uk/acoustic-product/sound-mat.aspx"]http://www.soundsolu.../sound-mat.aspx[/url] [url="http://www.keepitquiet.co.uk/quietfloor_plus.htm"]http://www.keepitquiet.co.uk/quietfloor_plus.htm[/url] [url="http://www.keepitquiet.co.uk/vibration_pad.html"]http://www.keepitquiet.co.uk/vibration_pad.html[/url] [url="http://www.polymax.co.uk/acatalog/Rubber_Anti-Vibration_Pads.html"]http://www.polymax.co.uk/acatalog/Rubber_Anti-Vibration_Pads.html[/url]

Bit of fun. My brother's just sent me this. It mainly relates to guitars but it's mostly true for basses too, I reckon.

[quote name='Bobby K' timestamp='1320592923' post='1428679'] Andy (Rourke) played his bass a tone up (F#) back in the day. So the opening F# note is on the 2nd fret of the D string, if that makes sense? I play with a Smiths tribute and take two basses out with me, one tuned a tone up, for this and most of the other older songs and one tuned in standard tuning. "miserable" is one hell of a bassline! The double stop chords towards the end of each verse are awesome. (the "why do I give valuable time" section etc) [/quote] Aha! It's all falling into place now. Knowing that the bass is retuned a tone up solves the riddle. Thanks for putting me out of my misery. I have a week to learn this bassline. It'll be a bit of a change from the pub-rock stuff I've been playing - it's even got chords in it! Blimey. Wish me luck.

Folks, I think I've unknotted my knickers and finally understood what's happening. I've just played the full bassline in F# and it's fine - just as Monckyman said. Re-reading my guitarist friend's email, perhaps he meant "play the [i]shape[/i] of E major (with capo on 2nd fret)" - which then means you're actually playing F#. Flaming guitarists and capos - I thought I'd taught myself this lesson a long time ago. Obviously not. [url="http://www.free-emoticons.co.uk/getcode.php?dir=Embarrassed/&image=embarrassed016.gif"][/url] Apologies for the confusion, Steve

[quote name='Monckyman' timestamp='1320361225' post='1426014'] Lo Steve. Tis F#. with the main loop starting on F#>Eflat>G#>F#>B>C# [/quote] Oh dear - I've lost the plot here. Please bear with me if I'm missing something obvious here, which I'm sure I am. Just sticking with roots for now, I've tried the F# progression and it just doesn't sound right to me. Transposing down 2 semi-tones to E gives E C# F# A B and this sounds OK. It also links-in with what the guitarist is saying to me: [color="#000000"]"Miserable is very scalic, if you know E major then you'll have it. Actually its F#, cos the guitar uses a capo... anyway it's a satisfying bassline, very melodic."[/color] [color="#000000"]I'm confused. Please will somebody put me out of my misery. [/color] Steve

Folks, I need to learn "Heaven knows I'm miserable" by The Smiths and I'm very confused. Looking it up on the web, the guitar chords start with F# but with capo on 2nd fret. This suggests that the "true" key is E, doesn't it? However, when I play the roots for the song in key of Emaj, it all sounds wrong, whereas key of F sounds fine. A very careful look at the YouTube video sugegsts to me that the bassist is playing in F, but who knows how his bass is tuned. Can somebody please tell me what key this song is actually in, please? Steve

[quote name='Bassnut62' timestamp='1320325366' post='1425307'] i know it's not exactly what you're asking, but seeing as we're on the subject of these awesome basses........ if you want to remove a bit of the growl and get an all-round Fender-ish tone: try both pick ups on, no bass boost, passive with max on each knob. very nice tone there that seems to work in all settings. I actually prefer these basses in passive mode, generally. for more cut through, you might want to try bridge pup only, bass boost and active (but no treble boost); i've found that gives quite a crisp and well defined tone. my main thought is don't give up on these great basses; it does take a while to get to grip swith so many tonal options, but once you've got them at your finger tips, you'll find this is a bass that can step up to the plate in just about any musical situation. Oh and, as you say, they are SOOOOO nice to play. PS - Hello Dub Junkie - that Asat Special guitar is still getting plenty of love in these parts! [/quote] OK - I'll get my rig out and have an experiment - thanks for your suggestions.