XB26354

[quote name='bassbloke' post='754160' date='Feb 22 2010, 06:17 PM']Your Warwick is mass produced by a machine. Warwick buy in huge quantities of wood, bung it through a cnc machine to produce the body blanks or wings. The economies of scale and minimal human involvement allow costs to be kept low. I can guarantee that once you step away from mass produced instruments and start choosing custom options the costs increase dramatically. You have no idea how many hours goes into a Gus guitar, how much R&D has gone into the building techniques and, most importantly, you've never picked up a Gus guitar and played it so you don't have the slightest clue of it's 'core worth'. The core worth of a Klimt or Van Gogh is what, a bit of canvas, some oil or watercolours and a bit of wood for the frame. That must be, what, £25. Like others have commented, this is an utterly futile discussion topic, so let's all piss off and practice or something. No wonder other musicians think bassists are a bit of a joke.[/quote] Er, true about the machining, but have you seen the price of most Warwicks? I'd love a Streamer Stage One 6-string in natural. Problem is they're currently a dab over £3000 street so not cheap really. Even the Pro Series made in Korea are coming in over £1K (and significantly more than the old German standards). £6300 for the Adam Clayton sig, even the nice Streamer Stage II 5 is over £3K. Suddenly Foderas don't seem quite so pricey, but at least the wait is only 8-10 weeks for a custom model down in Markneukirchen... instead of 2-3 years!

I think you'll find the sign over the door has always said The Gallery, Bass Merchant. At least it has been since I first when there in 1993.

Wood = £100, maybe £150 tops if you've got something really special. Hardware = £150 trade for the best if you buy in bulk. Electronics = £150 - if you've got hand-wired PU's and a good circuit. Time to put everything together (assuming woods are aged) = about 20 hours at, say £50 an hour (for a top luthier). The above includes finishing, or if your luthier doesn't do it in house you'll probably be looking at £100-£150 for a pro finish. Grand total = £1600. Average Fodera = £5000+ Yes, there are designs, protoypes, hunting for and drying woods. But I'm sure the maths are there for all to see. Is a Burberry bag really worth £1,250, or does exclusivity make the price acceptable? I bought a jumper today for £28. I happen to know that it was made in China and cost about $2 to manufacture. If Fodera charged £20,000 for their base model they'd soon be out of business. They're just charging what the market will bear. Warwick are charging £6300 for the Adam Clayton signature. Perhaps that destroys my theory straight away

They gouge great holes under the pickguard on most US models, even the American Deluxes. Shocking imho as one of the classic Jazz looks is minus the pickguard. It's pure cheap cost cutting and laziness, and doesn't bode well for shielding interference either on a bass with single coils. I know Fender is the classic design but some of their more expensive models leave a lot to be desired under the hood. Then again, if Fender did everything perfectly then there wouldn't be a need for super-jazz competitors! I have owned two Sadowskys - MV5 and RV5, and build quality inside and out was vastly superior.

JS Bach's works (or any "classical" composer's works) are great for improving your harmonic and melodic knowledge, and musicians have been practicing JS Bach stuff for a very long time, so he must have been doing something right! The only caveat is that don't ever record them and put them on YouTube. There's nothing worse than an electric bass player fumbling their way through yet another Prelude from Cello Suite No.1 in G It sounds crap and no matter how good your tone or dexterity, you'll never get the level of dynamics and expression that a good cellist can achieve. Better to use the music to add something to your own playing imho

... and it's worth mentioning that all that practice and woodshedding may lead you to play that one note at the right time, in the right way. Great players play simple stuff beautifully. There are musicians that just want to play fast, or complicated, but all the great musicians I've ever heard know the simple as well as the complicated. Indeed, the whole point about getting better is that you play less, but make each note count more. Practice opens your eyes to options. The more options you have, the more likely you will, over time, choose the right option for a given situation. I've heard Gary Willis say something similar in a clinic. It's fine to come out with a statement like that when you've played thousands of gigs and recorded with top players for years!

I agree with what Jennifer and Paul have said. There is no single guide as to where you should switch from 1FPF to Simandl 1, as it depends on the size and shape of your hands, the length of your fingers, how developed the tendons are in the hand, what bass you play, how wide the neck is, how low the action is etc. I can play all over the neck of a 6-string with 35" scale using 1FPF for moderate periods without much ache, however I wouldn't recommend it (and don't do it) for extended periods as it will cause hand injuries for many bass players. The general guide is that somewhere between the 5th and 7th frets (and lower) is the most relevant place to shift to Simandl. The best training guide out there is Standing in the Shadows of Motown as the bulk of Jamerson's lines use Simandl. "Darling Dear" comes to mind as a great track that uses the "box" shape. I would, however, advocate small amounts practice using 1FPF (ie not for 10 minutes continuously!) in the lower positions, just because some phrases just don't sit using Simandl. If you practice 1FPF ideas (like scale or chord tone exercises) around the cycle of fourths, with the idea always starting on the same string for each key centre, then you'll jump in and out of the lower register without unduly stressing your hand. Chord Studies for Electric Bass by Rich Appleman and Josef Viola (Berklee Press) has some killer lower-register exercises that are great for developing this area - but they will make your hands ache if you play them too much! No pain, no gain definitely does not apply when playing a musical instrument - if your hands are hurting, stop playing. Er, unless you're playing at a gig or a recording session, otherwise you might get the sack

Just to add - I sold an iPod Classic to Dave last week. He was a pleasure to deal with and I'd certainly be very happy to buy or sell with him again!

I recently sold a lovely one exactly as you describe. It weighed less than 8lbs, fit and finish was the best I've seen on any Fender, new or old, and it sounded fabulous (shame I just can't get on with 4-stringers!). I've played a few others at the Gallery, all with maple boards. They were all very high quality too. I've tried the odd CIJ and whilst the build quality was excellent they were much heavier. Only point to bear in mind is that due to the steep camber of the board you can't really bend strings - they choke pretty quickly. Not a big deal (and not a fault - it is correct for the period), but worth mentioning.

The only thing I'd like to add is that some Warwicks suffer from quite bad ergonomics imho. I've owned plenty over the years and moved all of them on because 1 - Most 5- and 6-strings are heavy, especially neck heavy. The Corvette Ash is particularly bad as a 5 or 6 - light ash body, heavy thick ovangkol/wenge neck plus tuners = big neck dive! I'd avoid the Thumb like the plague because of that horribly long neck and really short top horn too. 2 - Forget reaching the top 4 frets on any bolt-ons because the bottom cutaway isn't deep enough. No problem on the neck thru models. 3 - The electronics on a lot of the models leave quite a bit to be desired (maybe I just don't like MEC?) - one feature I always used was pull volume to bypass the circuit. 4 - You get the Warwick "tone" (which I love, but have found something similar elsewhere on more versatile basses), but it is hard to alter the sound much. 5 - Most Warwicks I've played sound nice and rich on the neck PU but too thin on the bridge PU (not a PU height issue, just a thin tone) On the plus side 1 - Without exception every Warwick had a terrific low B, with or without a tapered string (and without an obnoxious scale length). In fact only the Dingwall I've just bought has a better tone (and that's 37"!). 2 - They record very well, especially models with wenge necks - very tight and fat for funk, rock, metal, blues etc., especially when the circuit is bypassed (see 3 above). 3 - The fit and finish, even on the cheapest models, is superb. 4 - They're mostly very cheap second hand compared to new. I've found that mid-90's ones are excellent basses for little money (esp wenge necked models). 5 - Even though they're mostly machine made they still have that wow factor that a handmade bass inspires. I've also owned 2 SR5's - one average and one older exceptional one. Get an ash-bodied one if you can as the tone seems richer. Funnily enough I thought the spacing was tighter on the SR5 than the Corvette $$ I had (maybe they've changed spacing?). If you think you're going to sell it on at some point get a second hand one anyway, and for minimal loss I'd suggest a Stingray. However, I still prefer a good neck thru 'wick

TRB-6's were the first Japanese incarnation back in the 1990's They were replaced by the TRB1006 made in Korea - it was discontinued near the end of 2008. Yamaha only makes the mega-expensive TRB-6P and the Patitucci signature now so it's second hand only. Highly recommended basses nonetheless.

[quote name='funkygreega' post='741203' date='Feb 10 2010, 05:02 PM']You may want to try The Bass Gallery in Camden. They have a fair bit amount of basses in stock like these ones: [url="http://www.thebassgallery.com/Product_list.cfm?Cat_ID=1&type=Bass%20Guitar&Strings=6"]http://www.thebassgallery.com/Product_list...r&Strings=6[/url] Futhermore if you would like to go instore, here is the map: [url="http://www.thebassgallery.com/contactUsLocation.cfm"]http://www.thebassgallery.com/contactUsLocation.cfm[/url] Personally, I am not a fan of 6's but if I was I would probably go for a Yamaha. Spector models arent too bad either but the best you can do for yourself is get hold of the ones you think you might like and have a go at them. All the best.[/quote] In fact they have a pair of Peavey TL-6's at the moment which are well below the OP's target. Thru neck, fantastic thin neck, flamed maple body and macassar ebony fingerboard. Carbon fibre rods in the neck and headstock overlay. I've tried them and they're both awesome super-P-bass tonally (plus active/passive).

[quote name='Steve Amadeo' post='735710' date='Feb 5 2010, 12:49 AM']I disagree. In my opinion his sound with Weather Report on 'A Remark You Made' and 'Canonball' among others is soft and beautiful, his phrasing melodic and serving the music. Joni Mitchell employed him for what he brought to the music, his characterful playing and his tone. Listen to the other bass player who plays in a more standard manner on an album like Hejira. Meat and potatoes and nothing wrong with that. But Jaco's playing stands out head and shoulders above that because of the (at the time) uniqueness of his sound and the personality and character in his playing. Nobody could match Jaco in those days as far as expression goes. You can't get that level of expression without paying attention, in great detail, to your personal sound.[/quote] That is a beautiful way of expressing what I couldn't.

This is an interesting thread let down by what is imho a dumbass comment. How, in any way, shape or form did Jaco have a "sh*t" tone? What is a "sh*t" tone anyway? He last recorded around 1985 so what was "sh*t" then and has it become "sh*t" now due to the passage of time and imitators?

Just bought a Yamaha BB414 from Jon - posted it immediately with a tracking number, bulletproof packaging, turned up the next day in perfect condition. Highly recommended!

Sold a Yamaha TRB-6II to Kongo - he paid immediately and was a pleasure to deal with - and patient whilst waiting for me to sort out a box!

Ash Corvettes have a very light body and a heavy ovangkol neck/wenge board/tuners. Not a problem on a 4 as the neck is so skinny, but fives (and especially sixes) are definitely neck heavy. Bubinga models suffer less from this because the body is quite a bit heavier. Ever played a Thumb 6 NT?? my chiropractor was so pleased to see me...

The Bach of bass. Happy Birthday James. I'm with Anthony Jackson - a true 20th Century genius.

[quote name='The Bass Doc' post='723681' date='Jan 24 2010, 11:00 PM']OK Chris, that's the winner - not sure what the prize will be.[/quote] Surely, an all-expenses-paid trip to Tyneside to see [i]you[/i] (well, the economy has gone down a bit so we can't stretch to California). Do you feel in a position to "re-create" the photo? Great photo and an irreplaceable piece of bass history.