Lfalex v1.1

Erm, wasn't it Stuart Zender? Mark Ronson was on guitar, for sure. I figured some BBC Anorak meassured the decal and decided that it constituted advertising, compelling Mr. Zender to cover the "F" logo with unsightly black Gaffer tape. I note Mr. Ronson's Gibson remained unmolested. That, or it's a Squier Or some P copy that isn't licensed! Perhaps the bottom of his headstock will fall off if he untapes it?

I'd have said about £1k, depending on condition. From the S/N, it's 1989, so it's likely to have a bit of battle damage by now. Most of the Warwick Sixers escape the curse of MEC, as they don't do Pick-ups big enough. My Streamer LX has Duncans in it. The Thumb pictured hast Barts. MEC EQs seem okay, but the pick-ups sound a bit sterile. Not only will a Thumb dive, it'll jump off of your lap, too. The Sixes are probably even worse! I've only tried a five, and that was like a waxed lemming.

In spite of their near-legendary status, they deserve to go under for this. What other basses can you get for that sort of money? £1600? Well.... In terms of 4 strings, almost anything! Shuker Sei Iceni / Zoot GB RIM Warwick (Thumbs & Streamers, etc.) Fender (Deluxes and almost CS, plus NOS, vintage RI and Relics) Urges, and Roscoe Becks Yamaha Musicman (Fully loaded Bongo? Sterling with a Piezo?) Steinberger Status Sandberg Lakland G&L And that's just for starters... They'll all play as well as a Ricky, if not better, and they'll all offer greater tonal versatility, too. Edit for me & Ped; Sorry! Forgot Vigier!

I've got a piece of Duralmin 36" in length as a straightedge. Had it for years. It hasn't any markings, but it's dead, er... Straight. I use Automotive feeler gauges. Good enough for gapping 'plugs? Good enough for measuring action / relief!

Definitely seen JPJ with a 10 string, and possibly a BEADGC 12. It's true to say that harmonisers and octavers don't do the concept justice, but has anyone tried the Variax basses. I did, and whilst I didn't buy one, two of the best "models" in there were the 8 and 12 string basses (both EADG with 1 or 2 octave strings accordingly)

[quote name='ped' post='104937' date='Dec 16 2007, 03:07 PM']I was forced into some xmas shopping yesterday and have to say that it really annoyed me watching people buy all this disposable crap that won't ever be used - far better to spend it on something which will be used and loved every day - when it is something as personal as a bass guitar then price becomes irrelevant - be it expensive or cheap - it is about feel and sound. It is however unfortunate we have to pay for them at all![/quote] I agree with this wholeheartedly. For example; Do I put some 17" alloys on my beaten up car.. OR.. Buy a bass that'll give me decades of enjoyment? Bit of a no-brainer, really. Spend away. £1500, however spent, ought to get you something really nice. Even at this price, don't rule out second-hand instruments. You could get a really nice piece of exotica; Smith Sadowsky Alembic Sei and so on...

Fretboard replacements should be bread and butter stuff to most luthiers. Heavy fretless players wear out their fingerboards and need them replaced... Not to mention de-frets, re-frets, LED work and so on. As an aside, I checked the string height on my Squier 70s VMJazz. Both E and G sit about 2.5mm above the 12th, a little under at the 15th, but about 1mm at the 1st. Looks like I run a fair bit of relief on that instrument. I'm using .045, .065, .080, .100 DR Marcus Miller Fat Beams, and have fitted a BadAss II. I've never had to tweak the rod outside of its original set-up, but this does allow more movement without buzzing etc.

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='105106' date='Dec 16 2007, 11:02 PM']You could get a new fingerboard put on it. Get the luthier to install graphite stiffening rods and ask him to make sure the fingerboard is from something very dense and stiff.[/quote] +1 to graphite reinforcement. Not for nothing are many slim necks so strengthened. As for fretboards; Ebony. Or a Phenolic/ Ebanol item. Both my basses with Phenolic resin 'boards have never needed adjusting at all. And they hold tune really well. Hold on... I can't adjust the Vigier because it doesn't have a truss-rod. It's one of the reasons I bought it!

[quote name='NickThomas' post='105060' date='Dec 16 2007, 09:18 PM']I wish I felt durable .. 37 , feels like 67 lol[/quote] That may be... But you're posting on here, and therefore likely to be playing. And in spite of feeling old/ tired/ fatigued, you're [i]STILL[/i] playing! See! You [i]are[/i] durable. Hats off to you, sir!

Allow me to up the score a little. +13 giving a new total of [b][size=6]34[/size][/b]

I like the look of most of the Adamovic basses, too! He seems to know what he's doing with his tonewoods. Not that other luthiers don't, but I think I can see what he's trying to achieve with each instrument (And that he'd understand what Iwas looking for in an instrument)

Having seen pics from the recent Led Zep reunion, I was surprised to see how well John-Paul Jones was wearing for a man of 61. Then I began to think of how many other bassists seem to be lasting longer and/or better than their bandmates. Without plundering Wiki or some other source at length, I wouldn't know how old some of these are, but they're all looking quite healthy to me! Steve Swallow Chuck Rainey Carol Kaye Tony Levin Marcus Miller Stanley Clarke Bootsy Collins Those of you with encyclopaedic minds may wish to enlighten us to their exact ages... Feel free to add more to the "durable bassists" list!

[quote name='queenofthedepths' post='101143' date='Dec 7 2007, 09:53 PM']I was tempted to get one a while ago, but I tried one out and the strings didn't appear to be very sensitive to it - is there some sort of technique I missed? I had thought it was just not appropriate for thick bass strings...[/quote] And on a [i]fretless[/i] 5 it just gets worse...

I have a printed sheet of A4 that can be tucked into a cabinet grille that states; "This amplifier/cabinets are not for hire or loan. Nor are they a table for beverages to be placed upon" It resides in my gigbag. As you may be able to tell, I've had issues with amp sharing and abuse before...

[quote name='alexclaber' post='101642' date='Dec 9 2007, 11:35 AM']Bass Rack Cabs x2 Bag of random things Alex[/quote] Minimalism must be an "Alex" thing... Bass (x1) Head Cab/s x1 or x2 as required by size of gig Bag- (actually it's a laptop case) containing cables, Korg GT3, Spare battery, limited tools, spare cable and patch leads for guitarists and a strap. With the castors on my 1x15 in play, I stack it all up, strap it together, and can move it all at once. I've gone half a mile from car to venue before (Camden) with it like that. Only problem is if it rains!

Methinks 'tis foam. Warwicks and Vigiers definitely use springs (they feel springy when the pick-ups are depressed) Edit - I think my 'Ray5 has springs, too.

Ped, I'm not going on stage in these! I'll look like a Cyberman! Guess I'll settle for my Trace SMX for the live work...

[quote name='SJA' post='100399' date='Dec 6 2007, 05:46 PM']I think I'm in the same boat as you. I practice and record at home through DI into a mixer and headphones. I'm happy with the DI tone of my basses, sometimes with effects and eq as needed. I've got tired of lugging a 4X10 cab & head around to gigs, and since I'm no longer in a "volume battle" with the guitarists I play with, I don't need the power anymore...[/quote] We do indeed occupy the same boat! I use headphones from a small desk, with a choice of preamps (!) The (proper) headphone approach has it all; Flat frequency response (well, flatter than a cab, anyhow) No crossovers Amazing speed and linearity STEREO SPLs to die for (if that's what you want) The only thing they can't do is throw you across the room with a visceral bottom end... Otherwise, they're tonally perfect, and a revealing window onto how well you play and how good your bass really sounds. Every time I go back to combos or cabs, I just think about how poor they sound by comparison! The stack is just a necessary gigging/rehearsing evil!

[quote name='Sibob' post='100474' date='Dec 6 2007, 07:48 PM']I do hope he's joking just to rub it in your face! if he's not, just clench your teeth, and tell yourself its his money he's wasted Si[/quote] Yeah, but like, you're subsidising his proposed insanity by paying him your money in return for his teaching services. Kill him. Now. Tell the authorities that; "BASSCHAT made me do it." Really. They'll believe you...

My SMX used to blow a fuse every time I turned it on. Trace said it was because they'd changed the power supply to a stiffer one, and it was drawing more current at start-up than the specified fuse would permit without blowing. The tech suggested using a slow-blow fuse of the same rating (3.15A in my case) I tracked some down at a HiFi shop and bought 10 for £2. That was over a decade ago, and I still have 9 left... The Tenth is still in it! Worth a try, but mail or phone them first.

Potentially controversial, I know, but I just don't have any empathy towards amplification at all. I have a lovely collection of instruments. And I have some things I plug them into. They're made by people who know what they're doing (Trace/Hartke/Ampeg/QSC/Peavey) but the things fill me with no joy at all, to the extent that I'd consider amp buying a chore and would be more likely to buy another bass whilst trying amps out. Do I need help? What type of GAS do you specialise in? Basses or Amps? Or are you one of those well-rounded individuals who likes BOTH?! Please relate your experiences!

Try lots of basses! Try them all. Even if they cost four times your budget. Even if you've no intention of purchasing there and then (music shops hate me!!) You'll soon build up a set of preferences. Buy with your hands and your ears before your head or your heart and keep an open mind. Have you a friend who plays? Take them! A second opinion can be helpful, especially if they're experienced. They do need to remember that the bass is for you, though! If a bass feels and sounds good in a shop environment, a good set-up (Learn to do it yourself, so you can tailor your instrument to you) and your favoured strings will only make it better. With regard to amplification, a degree of familiarity can be beneficial, but if you can't get something you know, try your shortlisted instruments through several amps/ combos. (I hate buying amps!) Hope this helps!

I've been told I'd get £800 max for my rather nice LX6. Not that it's for sale.

Not a million miles removed from a MIA Deluxe "P" They've got a "P" and the Double "J" style HB at the bridge - Same sort of Pick-up as the one used in the "Big Block" model. Nothing wrong with an P/MM It's like a back to front Attitude, too. They're HB/P...