Lfalex v1.1

[quote name='binky_bass' post='6603' date='May 25 2007, 04:03 PM']Good to see a decent collection of basses in essex! thought i might be the only bassist in essex who actually knows the instrument. its good to see a fellow essex player! heres a pic of whats soon to be my cherished slag![/quote] You certainly aren't alone in Essex! There's plenty of us. We just hide well. There's at least 3 or 4 on BC alone.

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='4001' date='May 21 2007, 10:01 PM']I'd agree with Machines... Active is always best for a more controllable sound. No flat spots or quiet patches! I've sold every passive bass I've ever owned, as much as I love the jazz aerodyne as well![/quote] Sacrilege! My collection's split about 40/60 (passive to active) The 3 passives are excellent; Squier MII 70's VM Jazz Fender MIA S1 Jazz Yamaha Attitude II limited 10th Anniversary BS signature And I'd never sell them! I agree that active electronics can give more sound variations, but I have a Hohner which sounds better passive and a Vigier which sounds better with the EQ set to "Flat". That said, the Warwicks and Zoot sound better active, but only because the pick-ups sound a bit feeble unaided... There's a mixture of woods in there, though. Maple, Wenge, Rosewood, Ash, Purpleheart and Zebrano. There's definitely an increased tendency to use Basswood or Agathis bodies in mid-priced instruments to keep costs down and introduce a degree of sustainable wood sourcing into instrument manufacture. As for the purchasing decision regarding MIM J Deluxe vs. MIJ Aerodyne, try this; Pin down an Aerodyne, and take your MIM Jazz with you and A/B it in a shop. What? They won't let you? Guess they don't want your business or that of your friends/relations then! Having tried both together, at least you can make a reasoned decision. Then come the options based upon your thoughts. Keep the MIM Sell the MIM and buy the Aerodyne P/X the MIM against the Aerodyne [i]Find[/i] a way to buy the Aerodyne (if you like it) AND keep the MIM J Deluxe. I must admit, that's how I do it now. Save up finances and pent-up GAS. Go out and find something genuinely new or different or better. Then buy it! Then you don't regret flogging what (in retrospect) was a really good bass to buy another one...

Run some Emery or Wet & Dry (folded) through the grooves. That'll clean out any nasty burrs. Have you a magnifying glass (no, really!) Have a close-up look. Failing that, "floss" yer grooves with an old string appropriate to the gauge that'll be sitting there As everyone else says; File the saddles - I only went half the string's diameter deep and rounded out the bottom of the groove with a tiny rat's tail file to give optimum string-to-saddle contact. Shim the neck. Depending on the thickness needed, I've heard of all sorts being used! From a piece of plastic document sleeve, via cereal packet cardboard, right up to slice/s of wood veneer.

Unbitten! Start playing young (Younger than I did!) Buy good instruments that you like. Keep on GASsing and buying. Play for 20+ years. BINGO! (Not exactly instant) High quality vintage bass collection. One that you enjoyed making along the way. I say "unbitten", but the collection of ageing basses is past double figures!

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='6834' date='May 25 2007, 09:48 PM']To be honest, I don't know that age is the factor per se. But there's definitely a difference between a heavily gigged bass and a new bass in terms of feel. I like heavily gigged basses because they feel more broken in and supple. Having said that, there are some manufacturers who do a pretty good job of getting a broken in feel on new basses, Ken Smith and Celinder to name but two.[/quote] Bear in mind also that Smiths, Celinders et al are made from high quality tonewoods that are likely to have been carefully selected and well aged before being made into anythng. I would suggest that the wooden elements are pretty settled by the time that they are subjected to manufacturing processes, and that a prolongues period of use wouldn't cause much change. That's certainly my experience with my (now decade-old) Vigier. It hasn't obviously changed. Some less exotic instruments I own, such as my Ibanez SRX700 [i]have[/i] mellowed substantially. It needed to! All bright and twangy, almost to the point of having little real character. That's improving after 5 years of ownership. A lot of the comments seem to centre on necks smoothing-in, playing in, then wearing out. Likewise pick-ups losing their "edge". Bodies, by contrast seem to improve and then settle down (unless well-aged before building). Would the best long-term prospect be one of these; Musicman Cutlass Graphite-Necked Status Modulus Vigier Passion S2 or even... A Steinberger?? Then change pick-ups, nuts, tuners and saddles as they wear out? What do violinists/cellists do? I [i]presume[/i] that they buy a solid, good sounding instrument, and do exactly this; replace the worn out "sundries" as they go along. Just as drivers of vintage cars still have to change tyres and exhausts etc. Just a thought.

Can we breed them with the Essex boys? Iceni Zoot Chaser Prototype. Trace AH300 (sort of) 2103h (nearly) 1153

I switched the Hex-cored (Rotosounds) on my Squier 70's VMJazz for DR Fat Beams of the same gauge (round-cored) without having to adjust the truss-rod or action. Intonation needed doing because of the extra mass of the strings in this instance - They pressurewind a .108 down to a .105. Round cores are a lot softer in my experience. Can't speak for flats. Never used them or looked into their physical behaviour.

The need to adjust your bass every time you change brands is limited, and only small changes need be made [i]provided[/i] that you're not changing gauge! Assuming that you're using the same bass all the time for comparison purposes, all the other variables such as break angles etc. will be fixed. Another effect of tension for you. Higher tension reduces the size of the vibration envelope of the string for a given mechanical input. This, in turn may facilitate a lower action as the vibrating string is less likely to strike the frets than one of a lower tension. When you say "less winds= more tension", am I right in thinking that winds refers to the number of turns around the machine head? If so, then, yes that is partially true. When you strike a string, it stretches along its entire length, albeit at different rates at different locations on the instrument. The string stretches between the points at which it is anchored, namely; The ball-end (at the bridge - Well, usually) The point at which the string is bent as it leaves the slot in the machine head for the first winding/turn This means that the length of string wrapped around the machine head can still exhibit some elastcity. Increasing the length of said section lengthens the string and increases the length to which the system can stretch before breaking. This also imparts a softer feel to the string. Decreasing the number of turns around the machine head gives a tauter feel and is useful in slap-orientated instruments, and those which may possess a "floppy" B string. Naturally, there's no such thing as a free lunch. You gain tension, but sacrifice tuning stability, increase the likelihood of string breakage, and there might be repercussions in terms of string life. Of course, if you cut it too fine, strings may jump off the machine heads completely! I gather the recommended minimum is [i]around [/i] two turns.

I think you'll find that they [i]should[/i] all fit each other. The basis for that answer lies in the fact that manufacturers who supply replacement necks don't seem to make specific ones for MIA, MIM, CIJ, CII etc. The only "oddity" I can forsee is with some models (The Marcus Miller springs to mind) that use 3-bolt neck fixings. Needless to say that all the pick-ups are interchangeable! From experience, replacement bridges seem to fit all the models, bearing in mind the distinction between 5 screw top-loaders and 3 screw thru-body strung items. I put a BadAss II on a Squier 70's VM Jazz with no problems.

I use Elixirs and DRs. Haven't tried the coated DRs, but I've tried Warwick EMPs, and they didn't come close to the Elixirs. I'm going with the coated/wound vs. wound/coated theory, too. IF that holds true for the coated/wound DRs, I'd expect them to "go off" like the EMPs did- too quickly. I've got some 45-100 Fat beams (uncoated) on a Squier 70's VMJazz. I know... Cheap bass, expensive strings, but... Wow! Edgy sound, and what a tone! I played it last week against a Yamaha TRB6 (II) in rehearsal, and in terms of tone, it actually matched it!! (and destroyed an RBX374!) The Elixirs sound great on my Warwick, and there are others on here who'd agree. They sound a bit "glassy" on the Yamaha Attitude, but I think that's caused by a combination of Elixirs and the phenolic fretboard. Just for reference, the EMP/Elixir comparison was on the Warwick. No durability issues with the Fat beams thus far. They're doing well for an uncoated string, even against my sweaty mitts!

I had an 1110 combo, and that had wadding. I presume it to have been made in the mid-late 80's. My 122HSMX was undamped, as are my 1048H and 1153. All of the latter three have Celestions. Can't comment on the 1110. I never dared to open it up...

These 2 are both good instruments. Squier 70's VMJ 2004 American standard S-1 But very different. Try before you buy!

Elixirs on Warwick Elixirs on Yamaha Elixirs on Ibanez DR on Squier (!) Fender on Fender Jazz

Er... Not a [i]real[/i] one. Only a Korean one. I liked it. It was thrown in "on spec" as a stalking horse when trying to purchase a Fender Jazz some years ago at the (Wapping) Bass Centre. I got through about 25 Jazzes, and didn't really like any. The Burns was better than most in terms of sound. Feel was different, due to the painted neck. I didn't like the aesthetic of the one I played; White and Gold Hardware (yuck.) Would've preferred a Black/Silver item- I might've bought one, then! Good variety of sounds from 3 pick-ups. Even the "Wild Dog" setting is useable! Edit- I am an Aries. Does that make my opinion valid in an ovine sense??

I'm still in. Anywhere within 30 mins of the M25 seems okay- outside it, though. I don't [i]do[/i] London...

Uh-oh. Counterpoint time. I've owned ONE fully tube device, an Ampeg SVP-Pro. It can work fine, and when it does, it sounds lovely. It has never made it through a whole gig, no matter how short. It just cuts out, and won't come back. It's been looked at 3 times, and no-one can fix it. YES! Of course it's out of warranty. And it always brings its buddy, captain 50hz hum to the party. It has had a second full set of valves, supposedly "good" ones, yet still it happens. Conversely, my Trace Elliot is now 10 years old, and has suffered nought but a microphonic pre-amp valve (!) and a loose connection that I found and hardwired. My "little" 80w 1x12 practice amp is now over 20 years old and just keeps on delivering excellent tone against a silent background. It's Solid State I'm afraid. I'd love a quiet, modern sounding, all-valve front-end, but I really can't be convinced to part with the money based on my experiences of poor reliability. All of my problems have been pre-amps using 12AX7s (the Ampeg uses an AU7 for its OD circuit), so I daren't ever use anything that uses valves for power amplification!

My Zoot simply "ignores" most FX units. They don't really have as much "effect", even (some) distortion units. It only distorts well through a (Russian) Big Muff and my Ampeg SVP-Pro. It's got an Alnico pole-pieced Seymour Duncan MM Humbucker through an E-Pro at 18v. The dreaded [color="#FF00FF"]Yamaha Attitude[/color] is hard on amps. In spite of being passive, the Di Marzios run VERY hot, and the neck humbucker produces enough LF output to upset some smaller amps (and cabs!) when you turn them up. Lastly, the Vigier [i]can[/i] produce big peaks in response to your playing dynamics. 18v electrics again, though. It can upset amps that are already working hard. Much as I dislike compression (as an effect rather than a valve-induced artefact), it would probably solve most of the problems that "funny" bass outputs can cause.

I'm using a friend's SWR workingman's 1x12 whilst round at his- saves time etc. I'm becoming quite fond of it. I can get some good noises out of it with little effort. I dialled up a rough EQ, gave the instrument a bit of stick, and he nearly fell over... He was somewhat surprised. It hasn't got bags of power and isn't exactly pretty, but it sounds good, provided you can tolerate the mid-scoopy SWR sound.

[quote name='s_u_y_*' post='2201' date='May 19 2007, 01:15 PM']I feel bad when I neglect some of my bass guitars, hence why I'm moving on a few. I'm not sure how many is too many. I'd say anything over 5 is just a little, because I think 5 would allow sufficient cover for any situation.[/quote] Conversely, I like renewing my acquaintance with "neglected" instruments. Helps prevent GAS!

[quote name='JPJ' post='350' date='May 17 2007, 02:21 PM']Thanks for the help guy's, the 27k option is probably the one I'll go for as fitting a variable is probably a bit beyond my electrical abilities![/quote] What about a dinky lil' trim pot instead? that'd be tweakble for exactly what you want. Install it so that you can adjust it with a screwdriver through a small hole in the control cavity cover... Just an idea. My Hohner has one, to match the active level to the passive level so you can go from active to passive or vice-versa without huge volume gains or drops. Works a treat. Slightly different application here, but the idea seems good.

Alex. Buyer of arcane instruments that nobody loves. Player of music that nobody likes... [attachment=64:Alex_P_yam.jpg]

Yes, I too have made the jump to the Chimaera that is Bass[i]Chat[/i]. Half fish, half Gallic Feline... I registered once, but because AOL suck seven flavours of you--know-what, they've closed my E-mail account without telling me. I couldn't access my confirmation E-mail, and I've taken my own user name. Lfalex has metamorphosed into Lfalex v1.1. Hello one and all! (again) How long until the local council send in the bailiffs this time?

[quote name='The Burpster' post='1004' date='May 17 2007, 11:50 PM']I'm here now, 3 sites in 3 months.......! Hopefully we'll all setlle down here and be all warm and cosy! No political battles, no finite shelf life...... Just lie back and think of......... Hang on a minute this is a webby not a marraige! [/quote] It feels like living through half a series of "Quantum Leap". I just know Dean Stockwell is going to show up and annoy me at any minute...

[quote name='nash' post='206' date='May 17 2007, 09:55 AM']black perliod?[/quote] Yes. Black Pearl would look nice. Ideally, BPearl/white/black 3ply...