Twincam

String quality really does matter, cheap strings only cut it in an emergency.

I'm self taught. I started playing over 2 years ago as a bit of a laugh after getting a cheap bass in some sort of deal/trade with a mate. And I've strived to learn things myself apart from the very basics, which has made waste a lot of time I feel, if I had lessons I could be much better. I am happy to carry on this way and see where the journey takes me I've (almost) learnt to accept my limitations and I do really love the feeling after I've learnt something or felt some progress.

Fantastic bass, I nearly bought one recently without the extra string however. Love the feel of the necks of these very fast.

Bought this absolutely mint condition abg200. The pics don't do it justice. Very nicely made and such a lovely tone. [URL=http://s330.photobucket.com/user/Twincam2008/media/image.jpg1_zpsq7wop7mm.jpg.html][IMG]http://i330.photobucket.com/albums/l415/Twincam2008/image.jpg1_zpsq7wop7mm.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://s330.photobucket.com/user/Twincam2008/media/image.jpg3_zpsnuu4n0q5.jpg.html][IMG]http://i330.photobucket.com/albums/l415/Twincam2008/image.jpg3_zpsnuu4n0q5.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://s330.photobucket.com/user/Twincam2008/media/image.jpg2_zpsa6uqwjyn.jpg.html][IMG]http://i330.photobucket.com/albums/l415/Twincam2008/image.jpg2_zpsa6uqwjyn.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

Anyone else have just one favoured string type?. And why? After much searching of rounds, flats and tapes. I'm definitely just a flatwound guy and really enjoy the fender flats of the lighter gauges. They have great tension although the mediums start to become a little too high. Good balance of brightness and classic flatwound tone. Great feel too. I do like rounds for tone but I cant get past all the string noise. I really admire players who can play clean with rounds. Maybe as I evolve and get better as a player I might come back to them. I know part of the problem is me dragging my fingers. Tapewounds sound great, though not for some styles of music. And never have the right amount of tension I like. And they can have a very distracting plastic sound on the frets.

[quote name='Bikenbass' timestamp='1436555531' post='2819206'] I agree with him regarding George Martin. [/quote] I'm not a huge Beatles fan. But I think there was enough talent in the band that they would have been fairly successful whatever.

I caught this while on my hols in Whitby. Was slightly shocked but not surprised by his attitude. I mean there's plenty of miserable gits about in life anyhow.

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1434898089' post='2803670'] Playing music is not only about 'playing out', gigging, or before a public. First and foremost, it's for the fun of doing it at all. It's true that instruments such as the bass (and maybe even more so, drums...) are not usually associated with solo playing, but there are thousands, perhaps even several million folks happily playing instruments solely for their own pleasure, or with their families. Not quite the same vision for the professional musician, but as hobbyists, I find it perfectly reasonable to aspire to having excellent instruments and equipment, but never play before a public, nor want to. Since the advent of affordable, quality home studio gear, I'd say there are more and more folks creating simply for their own amusement, or for very limited diffusion. Not saying that there's anything wrong with gigging, either as an activity or as an ambition (I do it myself, from time to time..!), but, to me, it's never been the ultimate motivation. I'd be playing my stuff even if I'd never gigged in my life. Just my tuppence-worth. [/quote] Great reply.

Yes very probably the narrow necks i play rather than radius.

Now i know that radius can effect string bending, but how else does it effect playing. Iv'e been playing very flat radius basses but im thinking a smaller radius might make some techniques easier, say because of the greater radius other strings not catching on fingers when not intentionally muting them. Does that make sense?.

Ive always found j basses to be rather versatile. Not as much as a good active bass. What may i ask do you find lacking in them?.

Been playing tapewounds nearly exclusively this year. Decided to have a change and fit some rounds and yuk!. I don't mind the tension, feel or even the tone In fact I really like the sound of rounds. Just all that other finger and fret noise is horrible, especially with new strings. Think I shall stick to flats or tapes. Anyone tried the new ernie ball cobalt power slinkie flatwounds?. Supposed to sound more like rounds.

Does the bass play ok?. It is odd for buzzing from just too low a nut, although you do need a nice break angle on fender etc style necks. The nut being too wide would cause the buzzing. Could you not try a 105 E string if you have one laying about?, if this helps its because the slot was too wide. Either way unless you like playing with thicker gauge strings, sounds like you need a new nut. Nut replacement can go easy or there a right pain often overly glued in.

Is this possibly what i call back clank which normally effects frets 12 to 24. You fret a note and you get a weird zing/clank noise, this is the string hitting a lower fret which is not level or the neck has too little relief combined with a very low cut nut. You here the noise unamped but amped you wont hear it as the pickups only pick up the vibration from fretted note to bridge. Recently i seen this on a hofner with a high 2nd fret and a low cut nut. so i leveled the frets, crowned and polished. You can check 2 ways. 1st with a fret rocker. Or by fretting the notes where the noise is, leave the note fretted and look if the string is hitting any frets behind it can be any fret so check very carefully.

Shim the neck even if it does not require it. With a super thin shim. Try a hard material and a soft material. I have cured dead spots with a shim, however the basses actually needed one anyhow. Also actually just taking the neck fully off cleaning out any left over wood shavings etc can help. Also try adjusting the truss rod slacken off then re tension. Some dead spots are inherent to the wood no matter what you do.

[quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1429695659' post='2753964'] It is a good question as for many years I wouldn't actually try a bass in a shop as I didn't want to play anything publicly. So I got all my basses online. Now I don't have that problem, but I still find that it is easier to buy online! I do however always play the things I am interested acoustically before i plug it in, as if they don't work acoustically, then there is not much you can do electrically to improve it, and if it is bad electrically then you can fix that. Thats why I have the squier CV precision rather than the Mex Precision, acoustically there was no contest. [/quote] I don't get this electric basses aren't acoustic instruments, and electrics is a major factor in sound. Lots of basses sound not great acoustically, say for instance a small body headless, but will sound huge when plugged in. If a bass sounds good acoustically but has crap electrics then its going to sound bad unless you replace the entire electrics and even then the pickup placement choice might be not well thought out so your stuffed, unless you fill and re route new cavities. You might as well buy a different bass. Electric bass in my view electrics first, acoustics are a factor but a secondary one.

A large 360 degree cab. 1x18 facing upwards and some sort of radiator at the top and maybe even a down ward facing one at the floor. Or multi speakers in various directions. I'm not entirely sure of its use but suppose you could put it in the middle of the audience.

Im not sure ive heard plenty of good video's. I think the main problem for that video was it was the actual slapping noise in that kitchen made it probably harder to hear the difference, if he was just plucking away there would of been a more audible difference. Everyone sounds slightly different in playing anyhow so in a comparison i like to also hear there spoken opinions.

[quote name='Matt P' timestamp='1429272686' post='2749900'] Bill is talking real sense here, designing Bass cabs is a science (or possibly a black art), this is the reason that I till have a celestion neo 10 sitting in it's original box on a shelf, I bought it about 7 years ago thinking that i could save some cash and build my own little lightweight cab, after reading around a bit and playing with winisd for many hours I realised that even with my engineering degree I was in over my head, hence the pair of barefaced cabs in my signature. Matt [/quote] Yes indeed very much an art form with lots of science. Having said that having in the past built my own hifi cabs you can go pretty far with a good basic knowledge a little maths and well planned execution.

No one has mention construction. Many all maple necks are one piece some are two piece separate fret board on top. Im willing to bet thats where any sound difference comes from since most rosewood etc fret boards are glued on, where as said maple necks come in two types.

The Roland 15x (guitar amp) is mains only. If your talking about the Roland micro cube rx (for bass) you can put rechargeable batteries in it i suppose they won't recommend it however.

[quote name='sirmuppet' timestamp='1429110494' post='2748132'] Thanks. Kinda thought that would be the case. So would going up to say 100's on the Bass VI help? Also changing the pickups in the Bass VI? I mean would Duncan QP jags work or would you suggest anything else? What about hot rails? [/quote] I think most people do replace the stock string for a gauge up so 100 might help, the slight higher tension will also allow a little more force to be used before getting fret buzz etc. And i would of thought the quarter pounder seymour duncans to be much higher output than the standard squier Jag ones. Try just the larger gauge strings first though.

[quote name='Number6' timestamp='1429050575' post='2747572'] I sometimes find when i (haven't ) consume halucinogenic substances that my hands appear to me in all sorts of shapes. [/quote][quote name='goingdownslow' timestamp='1429091934' post='2747821'] Is it only the single bassists that get this. Are you sure it is not from doing something else? [/quote] Hahaha

Yes i think its pretty normal that everyone has one to some degree.