Lfalex v1.1

I've been toying with the idea of getting one of these, so this thread is a boon! Interesting to see what Mike Watt has had done to his. I'd be concerned if the Pick-ups are [i]that[/i] mismatched. It could be more readily altered by having 2v 2t and a blend instead of the 4-way. A good point from Rich, here; [quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='314881' date='Oct 26 2008, 08:30 AM']I have a pupil who has an EB0 & the build quality is lovely. The sound is pretty clear, but bear in mind that these basses only do "that 60's sound." I've played the EB3 in a couple of stores & it's a nice enough thing, but I ask the same question as I do of Hofners... Why would you limit yourself to only one sound like that? Rich.[/quote] However, it's a criticism that could just as readily be aimed at the good old Fender "P"! One-sound wonders! Also, If you already have something of a collection, a bass of this type wouldn't be too much of a hinderance on the inflexibility front... Still thinking about one, but I've got to try one first. And then buy that very one if I do like it...

Conversely, I wonder how much cash Grant, Nick, Chris and Alex squeezed out of us at the (RIP) Wapping Bass Centre. Odd that we were all on first name terms... I still feel that I got excellent value and service there, and used to love every visit! I also still own everything I bought there, so I must've goy something right! I've yet to make it to the Gallery, but I feel sure that it'd be more the ticket.

[quote name='The Burpster' post='314895' date='Oct 26 2008, 08:54 AM']........ My advice FWIW is steer clear of the place, or go in and look around but certainly dont engage them in conversation, they are cretins.[/quote] Amen. That's my experience of the place, too.

I have 2 Korgs; A GT-3 (pocket type affair) which is very small, light and accurate enough. Only thing is, it won't mute whatever's going through it, so no silent tuning like a TU-2 would give. A DTR 1000 ltd rack-mount. Wicked.... you can run a footswitch to it for muting, but I can do that at my head or pre-amp anyway. Best £150 I ever spent. Everyone tunes through it at gigs. The snags? Price and the need for a rack, size. The TU-2 is serviceable enough, but obviously a Strobostomp or summat will be better (and more expensive!)

I like that for the most part. Love the black pole-pieces A black phenolic fretboard (or Ebony) would look better than (what looks like) a Rosewood one

I own the Hartke VXL and MXR M-80. Both sound good in their own way DI'ed into my practice desk at home. If you could but switch the EQ on and off independently of the drive on these two units, they'd be truly excellent. I'd save up and buy the EBS unit as it offers far more flexibility due to the better channel switching options.

Looks like I forced all the Entombed fans out into the open, then! (And yes, I own Wolverine Blues plus a couple of other albums)

Tony Levin Tony Butler - Big Country Colin Moulding - XtC

Highway 1. Last one I played [i]annihilated[/i] the MIA P hanging next to it. Oh, and the Tokai Hardpuncher... 'cept it's not a Fender (!)

Wolverine's early attempts at fingerstyle were less than successful, though he found cutting cables to be less of a problem...

[quote name='alexclaber' post='308527' date='Oct 17 2008, 12:43 PM']Yes, they do. If they are then they're probably worth more than you paid for the bass! Alex[/quote] I concur with both Ped and AC on both counts; Lane Poor, and (if so) worth more than the whole thing...

My Ultimate set-up would be a collection of 3 pre-amps and a tuner in a 6u case and a power amp in a 2u case. Plus a switching system to shunt between them noiselessly. Something like; Ampeg SVP Pro for drive Trace SMX pre for clean SWR Interstellar overdrive or Warwick Quadruplet for seriously dirty into A big QSC, Crown, US Peavey etc.etc.etc.

Thanks for all the ideas (and PMs) I don't have the funds just yet, simply seeking motivation so I can work towards something. Whilst amps hate me (which they do) I'm covered by my venerable (it's only broken once!) Trace SMX and cabs. Not the pinnacle of modern ampage, but TBH, I can't [i]really[/i] tell the difference at high SPLs in a band/stage environment- I'd be wearing earplugs, and the PA does FOH... There's a Dingwall in "for sale" that's a bit too rich for me, and the good Doctor's tickled my fancy with a Steinberger. If a nice Kubicki Ex-Factor comes up, I could be tempted...

[quote name='BigRedX' post='306446' date='Oct 14 2008, 05:43 PM']Might be better to buy a UK 4-way socket strip and put a Euro plug on the lead.[/quote] (Mr Punch) That's the way to do it! My Parent's house in France is full of them!

If it's just a plating issue, try taking off the plate and sending it to a company (preferably local to you) to have it stripped and re-chromed. That'd keep the Serial# intact and they could plate it thicker for you... Shouldn't cost too much. Electroplating and anodising companies are relatively common. How do you think old MGs, Healeys and E types get their brightwork re-done after 40-odd years? BTW, from when was the serial on the neck-plate? My 1990 SR5 has it stamped into the bridge...

Thanks Bob! A "P" of some sort ought to be a consideration. The Attitude doesn't really [i]do[/i] that sound. I like the look of Clovers, or maybe a Sandberg with the P/MM combination...

I'm considering purchasing another bass. The budget would be around £1000, but could s-t-r-e-t-c-h to about £1250 for the "right" instrument! [u]I currently own[/u]; MM Ray 5 fretless. Warwick Streamer LX 6 Warwick Infinity SN4 MIA Jazz Squier VMJ (modded) Zoot Chaser Ibanez SRX700 Yamaha Attitude BS Sig Vigier Passion S3 5 string OLP MM3 Hohner B2A 5 string [u]Specs for the proposed addition[/u]- 4 string. Fretted. Active or passive (don't mind which) Must be [i]different[/i] to the existing line-up I don't mind good condition S/H instruments. Looking for versatility. Slightly averse to shorter scale lengths and off-balance Gibsons. Thoughts so far; Fender Roscoe Beck IV Vigier Arpege S2 or Passion S2 Status Streamline Musicman Bongo H/S or H/H Warwick Corvette $$ G&L ASAT But these seem to be (with the exception of the Status and perhaps the Bongo) some sort of re-hash of other basses I already own... Admittedly, if I had more cash, I'd be looking at a BassLab L-bow or some other mental contraption, but the funds just won't do it! I'm sure you all have plenty of ideas that I haven't even considered... Please share them!

Doesn't anyone offer a service to retro-fit new internals into old pick-up housings? Can't go wrong with that - at least they'd definitely fit whatever they came out of...

Shiny spots... A sort of "Reverse mojo", then?

I have two. Mainly to leave one laying around in case I can't remember which bass I left the other one on... They do have an effect. In terms of ironing out dead spots, they work quite well. They can, however, deaden the sound of a punchy, vibrant instrument. This, in itself, is useful if you have an unruly sounding bass which needs taming a bit! Here's what I've found them to do to various instruments; OLP MM3- Ugh! Kills it dead and robs the sound of life. Yamaha Attitude - Gives even more fundamental focus to the low notes. Generally good. Squier 70's VMJ - Excellent on this (with BadAss and DRs) Warwick Infinity- Excellent here, too with Elixirs on it. Just the right blend of energy and focus. Take it off and it sounds too 'thin'. Warwick Streamer LX 6 - No obvious difference on a stiff Wenge neck of that size! Ovation Celebrity Electroacoustic- Don't EVER put a FatFinger on an acoustic! All the top end disappears! Stingray V fretless- Kills the mwah a bit. Vigier Passion III V - Not much difference except it loses a bit of sparkle. MIA Fender Jazz - Works a treat on this. Thickens up the sound nicely, especially if you use a lot of bridge p/u Try before you buy if you can - It's a horses for courses job!

[quote name='OldGit' post='305848' date='Oct 13 2008, 10:48 PM']Ha ha I was thinking exactly that when I saw it ...[/quote] And me...

[quote name='budget bassist' post='299070' date='Oct 4 2008, 02:14 AM']Pau ferro FYI. Good to see you back by the way.[/quote] Yes, 'tis Pau Ferro ([i]iron wood[/i]) and +1 on Beedster's return. Welcome back.

Thanks for the extra information! It does look like a choice between the Nordstrand NJ5S and Delano JMCV 5FE if the darker hum-cancelling sound is what you want. Do you think you will ever use the active EQ? If the pick-ups are powerful enough, you could convert it to a passive instrument, and use the 4 holes for; Volume Blend Neck tone (passive) Bridge tone (passive) That might be good, and not so expensive! If not, you could consider replacing the EQ...

2 quick questions / assumptions; * Your LX5 has 2 Jazz-style pick-ups. Aren't they single coils? Are you suffering from noise issues at the moment? * It currently has MEC pick-ups AND electrics I own an LX6, and due to the fact that (in 1997) there weren't any Js long enough to cover 6 strings-worth of spacing, it came with Seymour Duncan Soapbars as standard, yet retained the MEC 2 band EQ. It sounds better than MEC equipped LXs as a result, but it's only half way there.. My main complaint would be the lack of obvious headroom in the EQ. As a secondary issue, I don't like the EQ frequency set points much either. If your LX5 is Maple bodied (weren't they all?) and Wenge necked, there's a killer tone in there somewhere, believe me! My 2pence; Yes, change the pick-ups. I love the aesthetic of the JMCV 5FE, but don't rule out the single coil JC 5AL. (The Nordy link won't work) Do have a look at EMG, Bartolini and DiMarzio. Older High-spec Warwicks came with Barts and EMGs in the past. EMGs may be a bit sterile, though. However, I'd be inclined to ditch the MEC EQ. They just sound too "squashed" in some applications. Warwicks have plenty of space in the control cavity for EQ upgrades. Maybe get a 3-band EQ with a sweepable mid frequency. Even better if you can get something with trim pots to adjust the Bass and Treble frequencies as well... Check out Aguilar, East, Sadowsky, Duncan, Bartolini and so on. See what options are available. MECs aren't all bad. The ones in my Infinity work really well with that bass and Elixir strings. There's some real synergy going on there. But string choice is another matter altogether. Have you tried Warwick Yellow Labels? They're Nickels and less Hifi sounding than Blacks or EMPs.

[quote name='Waldo' post='300696' date='Oct 6 2008, 06:01 PM']Whilst we're here, we might as well tackle the question of how long a peice of string is.[/quote] I think that you will find that it is twice the length from the middle to one end The other answer being somewhere between 30 and 36 inches (for the most part) Sarcasm aside, it is a good idea to spend as much as is necessary to achieve the tone and features that you desire/require, with the sole caveat being that you intend to keep the bass indefinitely. No bass is "too good" for any player. A good instrument will encourage you to play more, get better, and grow into it. No point splashing out and then moving it on at a huge loss. Furthermore, allow your "collection" to grow, and it's lovely when you come back to an instrument that you haven't played in a while only to discover that your technique or ability has moved on sufficiently for you to be able to wring even more out of it. That really is satisfying.