Lfalex v1.1

No worries. I like P deluxes. The last one I played was very nice indeed! There's only one of my instruments I rarely gig. The rest share duties according to my mood! I keep them in the case until we go on, put it on, play and it goes straight back in its case afterwards. The only damage I've sustained is miniscule headstock dings from guitarist collisions. Hope the practice, gigs and screwdriver twiddling goes well. One other thought! Measure how far the strings are from the pick-ups at the moment (before you start) so you've got a rough idea what the factory set-up is. That said, the only issues you'll get from extremes of pick-up height are; [u]Too high (close)[/u] Loss of natural sustain with pick ups with beefy magnets Intonation issues (ditto) Strange, unnatural overtones, harmonics or wolftones Strings hitting polepieces - Not good! [u]Too low (far away)[/u] Weak output Poor signal / Noise in noisy environments Weedy tone!

I can't comment on the eliminators, but I cure the dimmer switch issue by turning the lights up full and moving away from the light switch! Failing that, I turn the main lights off and put a lamp on! I assume that this is a domestic/practice issue. Not wany people have dimmer switches in their live pedalboards. Although I've heard that they can be converted to make a good Wah.... Edit- Are any basses or settings worse than others? I find Single Coils are (naturally) most susceptible. Humbuckers seem fairly immune.

Precision Deluxe, Sir? Lovely. Just a couple of thoughts; Are all the strings okay? Does a re-string improve matters? Otherwise... Adjust one pick-up at a time- Blend out one completely and ascertain which of the pickups is causing the issue. From the pics, it looks like the bottom half of the "P" is tilted downwards quite a bit. Flattening it out will restore any imbalance between the G and D strings. Once you've done this (so that G and D produce equal volumes) try raising the half such that G/D give a similar output to A/E The bridge HB can only be tilted as a single unit One good tip: Keep a pencil and paper handy so you can jot down how many turns/ half turns you take on and off of each screw. That way, you can "reset" the instrument to its current state (should you wish to do so!) Take plenty of time and experiment. If your pick ups can be pushed down into the body, do so gently (with one hand) and strike the relevant string/s. This can at least demonstrate the changes that lowering the pick ups can give. Do remember that the relative height of the neck / bridge pick ups can play a part in the overall tone of the instrument. I've a rip-snorting Squier VM Jazz which has its bridge pick up very high and the neck considerably lower...

Isn't the Musicman Silhouette a Baritone, too?

[quote name='nash' post='125458' date='Jan 22 2008, 02:20 PM']only one truss rod on the bongo 6er. dont 6ers normally have 2?[/quote] My Streamer LX VI only has one 'rod. It does, however have two non-adjustable reinforcing rods (one either side of the truss-rod) IIRC! That said, it's got a Wenge neck, and they aren't apt to being unduly troubled by humidity/temperature variations. I guess it's also a function of inherent neck stability- If the neck's stable/ adjustable enough with one rod, why complicate it with two? More slender necks may well need two rods. You're right, it's not uncommon. I'm fairly sure I've seen twin rods on Conklin and Yamaha 6-ers, and a lot of customs seem to have them.

[quote name='gafbass02' post='124786' date='Jan 21 2008, 05:06 PM']cooooooooool porsche[/quote] See, the 70's weren't a total wash-out!!

Yep. Liking the Bongo. Already got an SR5, so the Sterling's only really an aesthetic alteration to me. Still nice, though. I don't like gold hardware. No matter how well I care for it, Gold and Brass suffer dreadfully from my sweaty paws.

It's a pity that both the blue label designs use the same p/up configuration. I'd have preferred more variety. The Green label designs are far better, but twice the price! The Europa isn't uncompetetive (price-wise) with a new T-Bird, but £1100 for a P-J and £1200 for a Jazz is steep unless they're [i]really[/i] special to play and sound amazing. Then someone will turn up with a modded hot-rod Squier or a CIJ/MIJ Fender. And possibly make you want to cry...

At last! One I can make it to! Ummm... Dunno what I'll bring, bit it'll be [i]interesting[/i] Will probably eschew a stack in favour of my headphone set-up for anyone who wants a quiet try-out of anything. Yes, Ped, I will bring the Vigier!

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='124205' date='Jan 20 2008, 10:11 PM']...On the other hand you could always add another £1000 and order a Status Streamliner. Played one at the factory last month & it was a stunning bass in all respects.[/quote] Don't even go there! I was already suffering mild GAS over these. AND I will soon have that sort of money. Money. Hole. Pocket. Burn. (In no particular order!)

[quote name='gafbass02' post='122352' date='Jan 17 2008, 06:14 PM']the GT40 is exactly what i had in mind[/quote] I was thinking more of... A Porsche 917. Some basses definitely echo their contemporary car counterparts. Fenders, Musicmen and G&L all often echo the looks, and engineering philosophy of the American auto industry. Didn't Broncos or Mustangs have a competition stripe option? Furthermore, witness naming policy; (various manufactuers, both instrument and auto) Corvette Stingray Bronco Mustang Jaguar (Aston) Martin?! Infinity (Infiniti) Viper Barracuda and so on. Furthermore, in addition to the iconic status of some colour combinations, I doubt (with a few notable exceptions) that sponsors would use or permit unpleasant colour combinations, or even ones that didn't "work" visually/aesthetically. Finally, it's not uncommon for (painted) instruments to be finished in precisely the same paint as cars, and I'll wager there must be a few Americans with vintage cars and matching guitars/basses! In short, a perfectly valid association IMO. Which does nothing to explain my collection being largely black or natural!! (Except I think good feel & tone are more important than finish colour!)

I have a B2A 5 stringer. It's my "traveller"... Bought new 8 years ago for £249. Pros; Fits in a guitar case Small, light, manoeuverable. Good for tiny stages! Stands on its (twin) tail strap buttons. Difficult to knock out of tune. Cons Slightly flaky EQ, quality-wise. Lack of mass seems to hinder the tone. It's woody enough, and otherwise okay, it just lacks weight in terms of tone, and th EQ can't put back what was never there! (noticable on the 5 when strung BEADG. May be okay on 4s or high 5s! String availability. Onc your get used to it, you may want a real one (Steinberger). I do

[quote name='GreeneKing' post='119496' date='Jan 13 2008, 01:42 PM']I tighten mine gently with a cycle 'cone' spanner, perfect for the job if you have one handy. Just nip them up a little more than finger tight so they don't vibrate loose.[/quote] They're also ideal for Schaller straplock nuts, too (although threadlock is a good idea if they come undone lots!)

Fortunately, very nearly. And on my third effort (and my first 5 string) A decade later, I've finally found some strings that really make it sing and allow a stupidly low action. The instrument in question is a 1996 Vigier Passion 5 (Standard, Series III), now strung with my favoured DR FatBeams (45-125) In fairness, I do have 12 other instruments to keep it company, and I'd not part with many of those, either. That said, it's definitely the best player and the best all-rounder, too.

I'm a bit confused, then! Bridge to the fore on the Squier 70s VMJ with a BadAssII strung with DR FatBeams. Neck to the fore on the 2004 MIA Jazz S-1 strung with Fender 7150s Talk about chalk and cheese. You'd barely recognise the respective sounds as coming from two instruments with the same basic design. In other words, do what sounds best to you!

[quote name='TheBigBeefChief' post='116238' date='Jan 8 2008, 02:29 PM']Because they treat the wood with a chemical that turns you into a git.[/quote] Is there a cure? I own a Fender, a Stingray 5 and 2 Warwicks. All 3 are well put together and sound good/play well. Don't rule out G&L, Ibanez, Lakland, Sandberg, Yamaha, Status, etc. though! +1 for trying before you buy. It's a must. If you can take your mate who plays, then do! He may well be able to help. Good luck with the purchasing!

FWIW, I have two basses with 18v electrics. My Vigier Passion V (S3) Has two single coils and a Pan pot. If run "flat out", its output is too spiky, and can upset preamp stages. As a result, I turn its volume down to about 75%. This smooths out the output, and softens the tone a bit. My Iceni Zoot Chaser has a (naturally hot) SD Basslines MM humbucker and just a volume (and three tone controls + series/parallel + active passive While it's hotter (on "average") it's less peaky output doesn't upset input stages as easily (primarily because it doesn't tend to surprise you with monster peaks if you dig in) Finally, I have a Yamaha Attitude (passive, of course) with the 2 DiMarzio Willpower humbuckers. This has 2 vol, 1 tone. I have to watch the gain on my input stage with this. In spite of the fact that it's a passive instrument, it's as hot as the Zoot! It's not just a problem for active instruments! It's perfectly acceptable to calm down hot instruments by easing off the volume on the bass itself. It can affect the tone, but not necessarily in a negative way. Use the clip indicators on your input stages to help set the input gain, and [i]listen[/i] to what's coming out of your stack/monitors/headphones/in-ear systems for the onset of distortion and back off the gain. Then there's the matter of compressors and how they [i]may[/i] help... But that's another thread!

[quote name='stewblack' post='113785' date='Jan 4 2008, 10:00 PM']Here's what they used to think the future would have looked like in the past. Um. (note "The bass you can take on a bus" !) Picture from [url="http://www.junkguitars.com/stories/czech.html"]here[/url][/quote] OMG! So that's what it is! I bought one of these from a Secondhand shop. For £80 It's kind of tatty, but sounds really good. 41" Scale That Humbucker is HUGE (no piezos here!) Bass of the future? Er. No.

[quote name='chris_b' post='112716' date='Jan 3 2008, 09:05 AM']In my opinion there is more to a 5 string than a low B. I hardly ever go below D but I can play across the neck... ...If you lean towards playing high or soloing then a 5 doesn't do much for you, but if you want to rearrange internal organs (as I do) then a 5 is the only bass for you.[/quote] Unless you tune your CGDAE or (quite usefully) down a tone from that to BbFCGD. The latter really is quite a useful Jack-of-all-trades.

Could also be mechanical noise of the knackered bearing variety, in which case, a replacement fan is needed.

I wouldn't rule out transluscent finishes... At least you can see what wood was used, how good it is, and how many pieces of timber it's made from. If that sort of thing is important to you! I bought this because it sounds good and is very light/plays really well... Transluscent sunset over Ash (MIA S1)

I think a 3+2 tuner arrangement would look stylistically "wrong" on a MM bass, if only because the SR5 and Bongo 5 are both 4+1. Aesthetically, I reckon they'll keep it in the family, as it were. Furthermore, they'll probably be wanting to distance themselves from the 3+2 arrangement as one of their most similar competitors (G&L) use it. Generally, I'd agree with the SR5 scratchplate criticism voiced by Russ, especially in its lighter-coloured variants; White, White Pearl Tortoiseshell But the darker ones that contrast less with (a darker) body colour look ok to me; Black Black Pearl Carbon I guess I would say that. I do own (arguably) the least offensive variant... Ultimately, unless the Sterling 5 brings something new to the party, such as; A different EQ A different Neck Profile A different selection of Body/Neck/Fretboard Materials A significantly smoother, more accesible and/or smaller body shape Then I don't see it as being much more than a design exercise as it otherwise seems to parallel the features offered by the SR5 But, if [i]different[/i] is what you crave, there's always the BONGO!

I use a Marcus Miller signature product. DR FatBeams. They are superb strings. I like his tone and how he plays. I'm no slapper, but I thought I'd give them a go. I don't like the Fender MM signature Jazz, but I don't think it ships with DR strings on it somehow. I have a Squier 70's VM Jazz with a BadAss II and the FatBeams on it, plus a "Fatfinger". It sounds just how I'd want it to; A smoother, passive version of the MM signature Jazz. The key is (mainly) in his hands, ably supported by the strings and his particular bass. The strings are round-cored, making them MUCH more compliant than Hex-cored designs, hence his very light slap technique. They also fret very swiftly and easily. They're really good for Hammering on an off also. They'll be replacing Elixirs across my collection of Instruments in due course.

In all honesty, I generally avoid "off topic" threads. I look in on it from time to time, but seldom read anything that is less than factual or news related. I saw the Jazz and Jamiroquai threads and duly ignored them. This place is still fine, and will remain so as long as people take the name of the site literally.

Actually, he may still be contractually bound to Warwick, whose products he used to endorse.