Lfalex v1.1

The "Bring back Graffiti Yellow" campaign starts here!

[quote name='lyonk' post='1351232' date='Aug 25 2011, 12:23 PM']Yeah, I don't have the option of trying many I'm afraid - I've only found one shop that sells Warwicks - a Thumb, a Corvette 4 and a Corvette 5 with the odd Rockbass scattered around. Is the string spacing the same on the fatter ones? Going by the size chart, the new "standard" necks are a bit thinner and the fat necks are a little thicker than my BTB, but both have narrower necks and string spacing which I think is probably more of a problem than the actual depth for me. If the older standard is the same as the new fat, it might work out fine. Broadneck is a no-go: the 18mm on the BTB is too much for me, I couldn't cope with 20mm.[/quote] String spacing is adjustable (within the limits of the width of the neck!) on all Warwicks with the two-piece bridge. Necks do vary a lot. I've a '97 Fortress Masterman 5 with a lovely neck. I've also a '97 Streamer LX 6 with as good a neck as a sixer can have. My '02 Infinity SN4 , on the other hand, is a little "deep" (front to back) fro my liking. I'm not too bothered by necks, but if I am, it's by depth, not width. Everyone's mileage varies on this one, methinks!

[quote name='stringintheshade' post='1350350' date='Aug 24 2011, 03:31 PM'] Exactly my thinking at the mo': active = more to go wrong over time And as Fender73 implies, you could easily end up with double twiddle-fiddle issues on your guitar vs what's going on at the amp (not to mention the desk). I prefer things simple, I think. But I wouldn't mind hearing some good arguments for active. Could still be convinced...[/quote] One at a time, then- My oldest active (a recently sold 1990 Musicman 'Ray 5 fretless) was 21 years old in May. Not so much as a crackly pot... Over a [i]long[/i] time, parts will inevitably fail. Probably starting with potentiometers. No reason that the rest should die any quicker than the circuitry in your TV/Microwave/Sky Box or whatever. And if/when it does die, I should imagine most will prove to be readily replaceable with either a direct replacement (such as MEC units in a Warwick) or other units such as Audere, East, ACG and so on. It's another cost, but bearable, I guess. I generally leave the amp flat(ish)- I'll use it to compensate for acoustics as much as possible, and do the dialling in of tone from the instrument. Dare I suggest that they can be used to overcome some engineers' twiddling?! Certainly, in a studio environment, a little nudge upward on the instrument's controls (particularly upper-mid or treble) can help to cut through the mix a little better if necessary. It can always be toned-down during mixing, and engineers seem happier to turn things down than to add more! Some circuits include low impedance output stages. My Vigier does. Drives super-long cables well, interacts well with effects (you'd be surprised) and you can plug it straight into a desk (1/4", not XLR) for the most direct D.I. around. My collection is split 60/40 actives to passives btw, so I'm not a "battery zealot"!

[quote name='Clarky' post='1350180' date='Aug 24 2011, 01:00 PM']People will happily buy cars which - in most cases - immediately depreciate more than the £1600 mentioned in the OP. Its all about what makes you happy. I have spent £3k on a beautiful double bass and similar on a year-of-birth (1963) Fender Precision. To me they are worth it as they make my life better [/quote] Yes. This. I'd rather spend a £1k on an instrument than on a blingy pair of 18" wheels and tyres etc. [quote name='BigRedX' post='1350198' date='Aug 24 2011, 01:15 PM']However much it costs so long as I can afford it. There is no upper or lower limit. If there's an instrument I like and want to own and I have the spare cash, then I'll buy it. I've yet to spend £3000 or more on a bass, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't at some point in the future. At the same time if I see something cheap that I like I'll buy that too. As Clarky says people spend far more money on things with massive depreciation and don't blink an eyelid.[/quote] Which is why I buy cheap(ish) s/h cars. They're always going to get battered around carrying various pieces of musical equipment, anyway. I've yet to top £1.5k on an instrument, and I've got some good ones to show for it. A grand or so well spent on the f/s section will go a [i]very[/i] long way in the current climate... If you have a grand or so right now...

[i]"I'm holding out for a Hera.... I'm holding out for a Hera... Except for that ugly head-stock"[/i] Ouch! who threw that!

Looks like they mean business; BadAss Bridges Hipshot tuners Kent Armstrong Electrics DR Strings If they're well made, they could do well. Once people get past the brand name.

[quote name='bartelby' post='1347028' date='Aug 21 2011, 11:32 AM']One of my mates, from way back, was allergic to wasp and bee stings. He found out when he got stung on his throat and it instantly swelled up and closed his windpipe down. Within about 3 mins he was struggling for breath. Fortunately he was just able to breathe enough to get to the hospital. [/quote] I've tried inhaling bumble bees before. Got stung on the tongue (Don't try that at home! It hurts!) and on the inside of the lower lip (not as bad, since I bit the venom sac out of my lip and squeezed a lot of the venom out of the wound with my teeth and spat it out) Both were extremely swollen. I think any "internal" stings react very badly, allergies/anaphylaxis notwithstanding. I was cycling on both occasions, BTW!

Someone died just 'round the corner as a result of (multiple) wasp stings... Apparently, the nest got disturbed, and that was that

[quote name='leschirons' post='1346951' date='Aug 21 2011, 10:08 AM']My third bass was a Vigier Passion. Incredible, and only sold it because it looked a bit too 80's pop. In hindsight, I should have stayed with it.[/quote] My third bass was a Vigier Passion 5 series III. Oh, hold on, it still is... Mine's not too 80's pop! It's all black... I don't think I'd change much about my bass history.

Yes. I have FatBeams on my Vigier and Squier VMJ. They sound great on both. I put Sunbeams (they're the Nickels) on my MIA Jazz. Again, just what I wanted. Smooth, Warm goodness. I also use/used Elixirs. I've found them to be very good also. However, on phenolic fretboards, they can be a bit plasticky/quacky sounding. I use the Elixirs on my Warwick Infinity, and they sound superb on it. Life-wise, (uncoated) DRs are pretty good, but no match for the Elixirs...

When I saw the thread title, I thought; "Finally! He's seen the light and gone back to the Modulus!" Alas, no.

Had a 'Ray5 fretless. Lovely bass, but didn't get used enough. Sold it on. I have an (Electro)Acoustic Ovation. Likely to be sold on. Looks/Sounds/Feels fine, but can't match Acoustic Guitars unamplified. When using at higher levels with a drummer etc. It becomes somewhat prone to feedback...

Well, [b]I[/b] like them. So there!

[quote name='EdwardHimself' post='1341960' date='Aug 16 2011, 02:43 PM']... It just looked really weird.[/quote] Yup. Weird is good! And it would confuse everyone no end, especially (hopefully) guitarists!

[quote name='JTUK' post='1340492' date='Aug 15 2011, 11:26 AM']3 and 4 piece gtr bands are very limiting IMO. It becomes all gtr and you really need a very good player to be able to entertain. That said, I am not a fan of twin gtr bands either. But the same applies..the gtr needs to be very decent so as not to sound samey.[/quote] Complete opposite to me, though I agree about the need for the guitars to be decent. I work better with 2 guitars; G1) Lead/Melody G2) Rhythm B ) Rhythm / Harmony

Er... I just remember stuff? And I think I can tell when batteries are going out / Strings getting tired... So I'll change them as necessary. Never mind the fact that I'm allergic to Excel/Powerpoint/Word/Photoshop etc. etc.

[quote name='EdwardHimself' post='1341600' date='Aug 16 2011, 10:34 AM']how long is a piece of string?[/quote] Twice the length from the middle to one end? And in response to the OP; Anything! You could find your perfect bass in a skip or charity shop. Alternatively, you might find it in a pawn shop or covered in dust at the back of a music shop. It might cost a lot. It might not. If you're expecting a Ritter for Ryder money, it's not going to happen, but keep your eyes (and mind!) open, and you might find some pleasant surprises in store. If you see something, try it. At the very worst you'll hate it, but even then you'll have learned something about what you [i]don't[/i] like!

Personally, I'd like one of the Fender 5s from the 60's. Tuned E to C, 15 frets. That one. Definitely not your usual.

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='1340838' date='Aug 15 2011, 04:26 PM']We'll just have to stop using it for a couple of weeks each year. In truth, the 2-door design coupled with two smokers in the band just means that we'll need a fag-break every 30 minutes with both doors open and a through draft.[/quote] Open it up and run some fans!

One good tip; Remove the original covering as carefully as possible, and use that as a guide template for sizing/preparing your new covering. Getting all the old adhesive off so you get a clean start is helpful. Use woodfiller to make good any dents/chips in the cab itself. You may or may not need to remove the drivers. Many baffles are simply sprayed black. You might need to take out any rear panels with connectors/ horn attenuators to work around them, and they may need unsoldering for removal. HTH. Alex

I did "C" with a Columbus.... My "Z" was a Zoot... And I could've done "V" with a Vester. But I went for the expensive French option! Don't ask about the "W" I still have 4! (One from the Matsumoku factory, the other 3 from Eggolsheim/Mankurichen)

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='1337813' date='Aug 12 2011, 03:54 PM']I'm fairly immune to neck profiles..[/quote] Hooray! I'm not alone! From Ibanez SRX 4 string to Warwick Streamer LX6, I've never really been bothered. There was an Epiphone Les Paul that I found bothersome once, but that doesn't count, does it?

From what I've seen and played, Clover's build quality is less erratic than Fenders, and on a par with EBMM. To put that in the correct perspective, EBMM is generally very good in terms of fit & finish. Fenders are generally less comprehensively designed/built. A good exaple of this being neck attachment- Fenders generally use 4 bolt fixing. EBMM use 6. A Nice Fender is a lovely thing, but it can be a bit like Russian roulette as to whether or not any given one is "Nice". Try before you buy. If you like it, Buy the one you tried. Then you know what you're getting.

Oh dear. Now you've got me started.. A,B,D,G,K,L,N,P(!),Q,T,U&X still to go. Bizzarely, I've done V,W,Y&Z.

Four words. [b] Second Hand On Here[/b] No, really. There are some lovely, proper, German Warwicks for silly money in the For Sale section. I know they're grossly unfashionable, but they're generally solid, well-made basses. Try out; Streamers/Jazzmen/$$ Corvettes/FNAs/$$ Fortresses Thumbs Dolphins Infinities Might want to avoid; Strykers (!) Buzzards Vampyres (too pointy!) Katanas (too blobby) Dark lord/ Taranis / odd tuning variants Anything that once had frets but now hasn't Fortunately, the second category are in the minority around here. Try some out and see. I own a Streamer LX6, Fortress MM5 and Infinity SN4. All are excellent basses and wildly different from each other.