Lfalex v1.1

[quote name='Ian2k' post='1143641' date='Feb 27 2011, 06:27 PM']Thanks to both. Statuses (or Statii ?) added to my list of possibilities.[/quote] And rightly so. Cheap? Not really, but not too grievous when compared to Vigier/Modulus/Zon/Steinberger and co. Good? Oh, yes.

An option of flats or rounds to try in the shop? I'd venture to suggest we're trying to run before we can walk! I'll settle for some [i]half-decent[/i] strings on a bass in a shop when trying it out! They're either dead from weeks of Saturday abuse or rubbish to begin with. Failing that, on second-hand instruments, they've well and truly had enough!

[quote name='dougie' post='1142753' date='Feb 26 2011, 08:02 PM']forgot to mention that,yea ive done the opper tape too,cheers all guys for the input,it was a pressie from the wife at xmas,i already had the sr800 and the Schecter and had to do an oscar winning performance xmas day tellingher it was a belter,a couple of times i got the"you dont play it much"and had to bullshit it was because it was my 1st split new bass and i wanted to keep it sweet,at first i was horrified,out of the box both pups were loose,one having a mounting screw missing,the neck was just tossed on and worse at the 1st string change the machine head started parting at the weld and another started getting so stiff i had to use pliers to turn the f***er,i replaced them with a set from ebay along with the DR,s and already after stripping it and setting it up it actually felt ok,as mentioned then the bridge and strap locks cos one stripped out the front hole when playing it,not under any illusion this is gonna be my holy grail bass but finding it good fun.[/quote] The last couple of lines detail why people should mod basses- not because an Alembic's on the cards, but because you enjoy it and learn a lot about your instrument of choice. Not to mention the fact that you might just get an instrument that is really "you" Good luck, and another +1 for pick-up change. have a look at the usual suspects; Duncan DiMarzio Wizard Armstrong etc. etc.

Not for me! I got Quasi-parametric EQ+Passive tone Blend/Pan pots S1 switches Twin EQ (1 per coil) systems 18v electrics Stereo ouputs/ stereo/mono switching Mid-cut switches Series/Parallel switches 1 Band EQ 2 Band EQ 3 Band EQ Mid frequency sweeps And a kitchen sink... But still sound like ME!! I've never got 'round to a P . Bongo's probably next on the hitlist.. Better add "4 band EQ" to that list, then! Oddly, I don't use effects, and generally leave my amp settings well alone.

Trust me, it ain't even funny. I think they issued a Fatwa(h!) on my person since I sold my 'Ray 5 and bought [i]another[/i] Warwick. In your case, they'll be issuing a Fat[i]mwah[/i]. Their banner shoulld read "The EBMM Forum. Making Facists look like Marxists since its inception"

In short: Vigier S3 Passion V- Not guilty Fender MIA Jazz- Not guilty Hohner B2A V - Not guilty Warwick Fortress Masterman V- Not guilty Status Streamline- Not even accused of anything Warwick Infinity SN TCS IV- In the balance Ovation Electro Acoustic- Jury's out OLP 'Ray 35- Jury couldn't reach a verdict Westone Raider 1- Gulity of a lesser charge of being pointy Yamaha Attitude Ltd 10th Anniversary- GUILTY AS CHARGED Warwick Streamer LX VI- Sorry.... I... Can't seem to... pick it.... up....

Recently; 3 out- Iceni Zoot chaser custom prototype Ibanez SRX700 Musicman Stingray V fretless 1 in; Warwick Fortress Masterman V (fretted) courtesy of BigJim and a half-decent surround system from remaining monies accrued from sale of 3 basses. May sell off my Ovation, too. I [i]am[/i] downsizing a bit, but am "re-focussing" my collection into instruments I will play more. I've been after a Fortress Masterman for ages, as I like the body shape and JJ/twin EQ electrics. The Stingray, Ibanez and Zoot had just been sitting in cases and bags, taking up valuable "bass space"

One of my pre-purchase tests is to hold the bass up in good light, and sight a line from the bridge to the nut. What you should see is something that resembles looking down a railway track (only with more "rails", and the frets being the sleepers). This can help identify any mis-alignments, as well as highlighting issues with warped/wonky necks, frets popping up and so on. If you're buying second-hand, get the vendor to take a photo.. I can't recall many that I've encountered that were wilfully wonky, but I doubt I'd have taken them off of their stand in the first place if I'd seen that they were bad. And then promptly discounted and forgotten them It's not too much to ask to have a well-assembled instrument. It's part of what constitutes "fit for purpose".

Nice Bass/ piece of wood. Slightly perturbed by the juxtaposition of the "garden waste" receptacle in some shots, though...

[quote name='MoonBassAlpha' post='1132448' date='Feb 18 2011, 05:01 PM']Thanks for that! TBH, I was never keen on zebrano until I got this, but close-up it is quite something. SEI often seem to have a lovely flame on their necks too. Oh, and it has blue side l.e.d.s too, but I didn't want to show off...[/quote] Have you ever played anything hewn from Zebrano? [i]Don't knock it 'til you've tried it.[/i] Makes lots of tonewoods sound a bit.. Flat.

Once upon a time, a really "healthy" (read: hot) output may have been desirable, but with the vast array of modern pre-amp stages out there, is there any need to resort to thunderous outputs anymore? Sure, select a pick-up for tone, but output is of much less significance. In that tonal caveat, I would include the choice between single coil and Humbuckers....It's personal preference, but do bear in mind that a correctly wired humbucker can be coil-tapped for single-coil operation.

Bienvenue a BassChat. And if you think we've got it bad with GAS, the French have it worse; Syndrome Acquisitive (de) Gear or SAG, if you prefer. So while you're gassing, spare a thought for our sagging neighbours...

Err.. No Endless PMs? Sorry, the concept of the forum is displayed for all to see on the header. It says "BassChat", not "FlogBass" If someone is interested enough to PM me a question (period, not necessarily just about for sale items), then I will respond to it. I thought that was the idea behind the site. No?

Tried one a while back in PMT. Dull as ditchwater. No life to it at all. £600 was what they wanted for it.

[quote name='AttitudeCastle' post='1131705' date='Feb 17 2011, 11:36 PM']I think with the tone rolled all the way off volume at 80% or less bass up on amp, and play near the neckish/"infront" of the split coil and your P could do it! I find the 51 P very mellow if played in the way above, more so than a split coil P but will be bright and "punkish" if you play it that way! A Precision is a Precision! I'd give it a go with your P at the moment[/quote] Absolutely, plus wear in a set of Nickel rounds and don't change them for a (long) while, and it'll do the trick.. Definitely play up by the neck. Hell, my Status sounds like a fretted EUB if I do that carefully enough!

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='1130672' date='Feb 17 2011, 10:05 AM']Doh I'm always getting them 2 mixed up. Yep plus one, I don't glue them in on my homemade basses. But I have seen basses where the slot is so rubbish that you can actually move the nut side to side while still under full tension.[/quote] That's the new Just-a-nut IV. Allows lateral adjustment as well as vertical adjustment for optimum string alignment and action. They'd have made them compensated, too, but EBMM threatened legal action

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='1130223' date='Feb 16 2011, 08:40 PM']A tiny tiny spot of superglue would do (but not so much that you'll never get it out again) ..... some experts will be along soon to poo-poo that idea and tell you to squeeze [b]three-day-old [i]Savoy[/i][/b] cabbage juice over it.[/quote] [b]Fixed[/b] Some people. Soooo vague.

[quote name='silddx' post='1127696' date='Feb 14 2011, 09:53 PM']Really? I find that amazing. Personally, I think it's all bollocks and the nut should be made of a material similar to the frets. Brass is probably best. I find it hard to understand why most basses don't have zero frets. it makes perfect sense, Patrice Vigier has the right idea. He also believes through necks are a bit stupid. He's right I think.[/quote] Yes, zero frets are excellent, and are also fitted to the vast majority of headless instruments... However, I don't think us owners of s1, s2 and s3 Vigiers are going to burn them and buy s4s. I'd wager that the transition to bolt-on was driven by economic / production factors. Allegedly, bolt-ons are "better" for slap. Warwick said it, so that must be true, too.

First bass - Westone Raider One Go to bass - Status Streamline My Bass - Vigier (series III) Passion V

[quote name='neepheid' post='1126607' date='Feb 14 2011, 01:01 AM']Nothing on the go at the moment and 5 basses. I don't care - I do intend to get something together this year, but I just like basses, both as instruments and as works of art, so I won't be getting rid of any that I wouldn't get rid of through natural wastage or curiosity.[/quote] Way to go. I'm back in a band again, and have sold a couple, so down to 11, with one more on here/ Ebay and one incoming shortly.. There's at least er....7 that I couldn't sell on for various reasons (mainly due to them being superb) and I am very glad that I've never hastily sold any due to not being in a band. I'd still play at home, so it's not as though they'd not get used.

Excellent that you've got a home made bass you like. I have a slightly left-field suggestion, which comes from my experience. My experience with amps is (essentially) this, and I include it so that you can see where I'm coming from... No amp.. for 2 years! 80w 1x12 combo Trace 1110 150w 4x10 combo (heavy) Trace H122SMX 2x10 combo + 1048h 4x10 extension cab The H122SMX wouldn't fit in my car's boot, so I made an amp sleeve and turned the combo into a head/cab. Added a 1153 1x15. Bought an Ampeg SVP Pro pre-amp for OD. [b]Bought a second-hand QSC power amp[/b] Decided to get A Peavey pre-amp (Bassmax) I've never used it. Really must sell it. Around this point, I'd started using a small multi-track mixing desk (4+4 channels) for practising using headphones. It had enough gain to amplify everything I have enough to make the PEAK light illuminate. LIGHTBULB MOMENT Why not use the mixer into the power amp? BINGO. So- Bass>>> Mixer>>> Poweramp>>> 2x10, 1x15, 4x10 or any pair thereof. Gives 700w into 8ohms (bridged mono) or 1200w into 4ohms Cost? £80 for the mixer (!) £200 for the power amp second-hand £100 for the 1153 (1x15) second-hand the other two cabs I already had, but you'd get a 2x10 for about £150, and a 4x10 for about £250 max. Or £780 for 700-1200wrms, 4+ input channels, each with gain, EQ, level matching etc. and 3 cabs... Whilst I firmly believe that basses should be loved and cased, I can't see thepoint in going mad over trying to keep amps/cabs pristine. They're going to get bashed, no matter what. Sure, keep the electronics dry and safe, but still buy second-hand. If you do go this way, try to get a quality PA power amp - Crown, Crest, QSC, Peavey, Mackie... that sort of thing - they're well made, durable, and will shut down rather than catch fire/melt your gear. Everyone that's used my set-up has been utterly shocked at the power, clarity and flexibility that my rig has offered. Naturally, you can add your own choice of cabinets to suit. They'll actually be the greatest determining factor in your sound (after you, your strings, and the bass...) as the pre-amp/mixer and power amps will all aspire to be relatively neutral, unlike many bass heads which are tailored/voiced to give a brand sound. Weird, but thats my 1.98pence worth...

I guess most people get the Precision Deluxe 5er? Or trade their P5 in and get one. +1 to something other than a single "J" at the bridge. I liked the old P Deluxe with the Big Block HB in it. Better still (also as suggested) get some sort of double-coil with a tap, or even a Series/Parallel/Single coil switch..

[quote name='Paul S' post='1125977' date='Feb 13 2011, 02:25 PM']Just realised this clashes with a gig - Rock for Haven's Sake is on the same day. Although my lot aren't playing until later in the afternoon I am planning on going all day with some family. Bugger.[/quote] I was going to say "I'm in" - but we're playing RFHS, too... Dr Feelgood are opening.. That's about all I know re: Running order. I'll drop in if I can, but won't be able to bring everything I would have. sh*te.

If in doubt, and especially if it's big money, walk away! If you get a chance to play it and it's awesome, go for it- but only becuse it's good. Not because it's '80s...