Misdee
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Show us the small cosmetic flaws on your high end bass!
Misdee replied to thodrik's topic in Bass Guitars
That last "flaw" looks to me very much like a genuine piece of abalone, rather than a defect of any kind. That pinkish vein is the natural patina of genuine mother of pearl, so a mark of quality not a defect. -
Opus - Live Is Life. The lyrics of this stunningly gauche Euro hit from the summer of 1985 still haunt me. Every word is complete and utter nonsense .
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I think John Diggins' son makes them now. I seem to remember that at some point in more recent times( i.e after their 1980's heyday) that they changed the laminations in the neck from walnut with maple stingers to maple with walnut stringers, with the aim of making the neck a bit stiffer and more stable. They also introduced a new truss rod system some time in the 1990s with the same aim. Maybe a Jaydee buff could shed some light on my dim recollections. I personally would be inclined to get a new one , especially in light of the very reasonable asking prices, but that is not to say that there aren't plenty of great old ones.
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Sold Warren a Lakland case. Superb buyer and all-round good guy. An absolute pleasure to deal with.
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One set of Lakland Stainless Steel strings, made in the USA, gauged 45/65/85/105 , cut for strings-thru-body and a traditional Fender -style headstock . Brand new except for literally 15 minutes playing time (at the most). These are superb strings, the ones that come on new USA Lakland basses, but I have had to move exclusively to a lighter gauge nowadays due to a problem with my right thumb. Too much slapping back in the '80's. 🙁 £15 + shipping at cost. -
Has there ever been a funkier-sounding location than Bad Bentheim? I wouldn't be surprised if Bootsy Collins lived there! Lovely bass, by the way. -
I've got the exact same bass but in black rather than OW and it is a superb instrument, probably the best passive Fender - style PJ you will find. I hope Lozz won't mind me giving a little bit of additional info. Going by the relatively early serial no, this bass would have come from the factory with Lindy Fralin pickups as standard. Conventional wisdom is that the Fralins sound a bit more vintage than the Lakland pickups that are on my bass. Also, the neck on these basses is not the same profile as the USA Joe Osborn model. I know because until recently I had both. The Jazz Bass- style profile on the BG PJ basses is a little bit slimmer and faster than the JO, which is an precise replica of Joe's 1960 Fender prototype. The BG Jazz necks are modelled on a 63/64 Jazz profile, the classic slim pre-CBS design. It's also worth mentioning that the necks on these USA Laklands are quartersawn and graphite -reinforced. When you look at the current price of standard new USA Fenders, this bass is a bargain. Especially when you consider the quality of these Laklands is equal to, if not better than, Fender Custom Shop. -
I have a Musicman Reflex HH which has a humbucker in the Stingray position that can be switched to passive (and which also features a passive tone control when used in that mode). From memory, I don't really notice that much difference in tone between the two with the EQ set flat. I certainly wouldn't rush to modify the stock electronics on a regular Stingray myself. To me a Stingray is an active bass, even if I usually set the EQ flat. Just my own personal prejudice though, obviously Stingray owners can do as they see fit. I always felt with the Joe Dart Sig that it was just him being contrary in asking for a passive bass with no finish and one knob. 😄
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Bands with two drummers immediately puts me in mind of the American "jam bands" , a genre that fills me with almost as much dread as " blues-rock trio".
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In purely sonic terms, this seems a bit of an odd choice for a preamp, to be honest with you. I am a big fan of Yamaha basses, but they have never really been renown for their preamps. The notable exception would be the Nathan East preamp which Yamaha marketed themselves as a standalone unit in the early 2000's. The selling point for this product is the Peter Hook association. If that inspires peoples' imagination then great, but it might not translate to much in terms of tone. I quite like Peter Hook as a bass player but I'm sceptical his preamp has ever had much to do with his overall tone. It's more his effects and his overall approach. If a boutique electronics company wanted to make a vintage Yamaha- inspired product, a reissue of the PB1 rackmount bass preamp from the early 1980s would be a great choice. It was a superb bit of kit, almost as good as the Alembic preamp that inspired it. .
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Top quality bass with a beautifully tight and articulate tone. And some very tasty playing, if I may say so. I've been trying to work out some of your licks!
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I suppose whether it is worth the extra money depends on what premium you place on having the real thing. If you just want a tool to use the Euro will probably do a very satisfactory job for you. If, however, you have always wanted to own and play a nice example of the iconic American bass guitar brand that is Spector then only the USA- made bass will do. And there is nothing wrong with that point of view, however irrational it may seem to some, . I love Spector basses , wish I owned one, but I wouldn't want a Euro version , no matter how good they are.
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I take your point entirely, but I think that some of Chris Squire's parts are pretty difficult to recreate by most standards. What he played on some bits of Relayer immediately springs to mind. Also , if you are primarily a fingerstyle player like me , his picking technique is pretty formidable and was a major part of his style and sound . I agree that Chris had his limitations, but he was still a very tricky customer. I think it would be pretty difficult to play his parts and make them sound like he did. And yes, I know there are some chaps on YT that manage to imitate him pretty well but they are doing an obsessively detailed job.
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Amazing work doing the transcription, by the way. I'm in awe. I feel a bit ungrateful that I can hardly read music at all , despite several attempts at trying to learn.🙁
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I suppose it depends what you mean by chops. I have difficulty with the idea that Chris Squire was deficient in terms of technical ability to express himself on the bass. He had very distinct and individual style that he adapted to different musical contexts, so in that sense he was limited. But then again, you could say the same about Jaco Pastorius, Stanley Clarke, or most other influential bass players who have a discernible personality on the instrument. Musicians who can be all things to all men, so to speak, tend to end up being fairly anonymous. I see lots of tremendously capable bass players who are dull as dishwater. I could name names, but I don't want to offend anybody , including the individuals concerned. Chris Squire was a bass guitar icon , and he was never dull. He used too much treble for that. 😄
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I like aggressive -sounding basses. None of this wishy-washy mellow tone for me. If I am paying a lot of money for a bass I want it to give me a good kicking. All the basses mention in the o.p can sound aggressive, but each one in a different way. The Stingray because of its' treble/upper mid emphasis, the Thumb because of its' inherent low-mids and extended treble ( largely due to the woods used to build them ) and the flexibility of the electronics means the Wal can sound very aggressive indeed. Try activating pick attack and the filters on 10 . Instant Geddy Lee.
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What have you got against slap bass?
Misdee replied to Barking Spiders's topic in General Discussion
I am much too diplomatic to be drawn on exactly who, but suffice to say there are some very high profile bass players who seem to spend their lives going to trade shows , doing endorsements and appearing on Youtube. Where are the albums ? What is their body of work ?😉 Jaco Pastorius, by comparison, played with Weather Report and Joni Mitchell. Stanley Clarke played with Return To Forever and then made some very accomplished solo albums , as well as doing sessions for major artists. Alphonso Johnson similarly showed his skills in any number of musical settings , from jazz to top 40 pop music. I could go on . Could I just point out that I certainly would not count Marcus Miller as a trade show bass player, not in a million years. Marcus is as good as it gets in my opinion. He has it all, taste, feel, chops, and the nous to know how to use it all to great effect. And when it comes to slap, he is the best in the business. And he has played with too many great artists to list. -
What have you got against slap bass?
Misdee replied to Barking Spiders's topic in General Discussion
The point is that it's all about context. Slap bass can sound great in a song , even when it is very prominent : Without mentioning any names, , it is no coincidence that a lot of high-profile virtuoso players have very limited careers because they can play like demons but they lack the wit and imagination to contextualise their skills effectively in a wider musical context i.e on other peoples songs. -
A wonderful example of a beautiful bass . This will get snapped up. And the current owner is a very nice man with impeccably good taste in gear. Oh the hours I spent dreaming about these basses when I was a youngster! I would buy this myself except that I already bought a Status Streamline as a surrogate Steinberger. These sound different to a Streamline, though, more wiry and aggressive but in a good way . GLWTS. -
What have you got against slap bass?
Misdee replied to Barking Spiders's topic in General Discussion
Exactly this. Slap exhibitions are almost always tedious and largely irrelevant. But done well in a musical context it can sound great . There are more examples than you can shake a stick at . As Ubit points out, Freddie Washington's line on Forget Me Nots is a great bass line, and is indeed the hook for the whole track. Here is another more recent slap groove that really works, in my opinion.Nothing fancy but the slap line sounds great and really propels the song : -
John Taylor with a Wal Pro on TOTP: Although I remember reading that JT had only borrowed the bass and was not at all keen on it.
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What have you got against slap bass?
Misdee replied to Barking Spiders's topic in General Discussion
I distinctly remember seeing Derek Forbes playing his Wal bass with Propaganda live in concert , but what bass he used on the recordings I have no idea. Anyhow, I think slap bass can sound great. I love a nice bit of slap and I love to do a bit of slapping myself, but I am a bit distraught at how much I have let my own slap chops go to seed a bit in recent years . I have been trying to practice a bit more slapping lately, but quite frankly, it is making me knackered ! I had forgotten ( or never realised) how physically demanding a technique slap can be. I was never Mark King, but by the same token , I was never ready for a cup of tea and a lie down after two songs either. I can feel it in my water that a 1980's revival is just around the corner and if I am right then any self-respecting bass player is going to need to be able to pummel and twang those strings or else get left by the wayside. 🙁 There is good slap and bad slap. In the 70's and 80'S there was a lot of good slap, nowadays less so. -
Maybe the BBC should put on an Old Musician Of The Year contest. The winner should be some poor chap in late middle age playing Sultans Of Swing 95% correct on his Fender Strat via video link from his sheltered accommodation . Or someone playing a Jethro Tull medley on a flute whilst balancing on one leg like Ian Anderson and then having a nasty fall and having to use an inhaler.
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I use the Diamond BC1 and it is a fabulous bit of kit. I use it on the 9v setting and it copes just fine Makes my bass sound like the ones on my favourite recordings, if that makes sense. I will say that the Diamond is maybe a fairly subtle compressor more for overall tone shaping than aggressive limiting of your signal compared to some other pedals. It all depends what you are after. The Cali 76 and EBS Multicomp are also great choices in terms of tone. Can't go too far wrong with any of those. The opposite end of the spectrum would be something like the MXR M87 , a bit sterile for my taste but lots of control over the actual compression / limiting.
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If it helps, the 5 string version has a profile that is fairly un-chunky for a 5 string , if you see what I mean.
