Dood

If I am honest with you, I really can't see why there's such a problem with glossy necks? Can you describe on what part of your hand you are you are finding it sticky?

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1421626550' post='2663492'] Hm yes... now where have I seen that before..? [/quote]

[quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1421621258' post='2663455'] How high are they supposed to be? [/quote] If you have an adjustable height ramp, you set it to how you like it. Mine for example is set as if I am plucking the string normally, then I bring the 'stage' up to meet my finger, thus providing a preset 'limiter' of movement. My ramp does match the radius of the fretboard and I am able to adjust the ramp for height and angle. The thing I want to say about the ramp is that it's just a tool, as is a plectrum. It's not fixing a problem nor is it some sort of magical machine that makes me play like Paul Gilbert. I find it rather amusing that people get so hung up on the tools we use for music like it's cheating or being elitist. I really don't care.

Excellent! Interesting stuff eh! Thank you

I saw this interesting piece by Damian Erskine on No Treble about ramps. Well, I guess I saw the bass at the top of the picture first. What a pleasant surprise that was. http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2013/04/03/bass-ramps-the-how-and-why/

Wasn't the Riccie version just slanted in one direction though? Not strickly a fan-fret system and the benefits that brings in terms of a longer scale length for the lower strings, but just to ease the playing angle or something? I've not seen the Fender version, but I do know that Novak has customised strats to take the full fan fret system.

if your pockets are deep, then Powersoft offer some truly amazing amplifiers with a range of truly astounding power outputs. your other alternative is to trawl the for sale ads for either a Markbass F1 or F500 or Galien Krueger MB head such as the 500 or 800 - all of which are 1u heads with rack mounting kits and you can set them reasonably flat (or in the case of the GK heads, plug straight in to the effects return. A cheap way to a 1u power amp - you also have extra tone options should you use the preamp on those heads too!

I remember sitting down and learning that outro sat on my bed when I lived at home. I think I still nick bits for my own solos even today!

Got to a gig once, unpacked and the singer asked if I had forgotten something. I sure had. The drummer. He was still sat with his bike at our agreed meeting spot.

ahh-ha! Here's an old interview but this would seem to match with what I thought in that he uses a sort of bi-amped rig for dirty sounds and clean sounds mixed together: http://www.geocities.ws/nickellady_maria/bass_player_article.html

I understand that Mike has used a guitar half stack blended in with his rig. A Triple-X I think. That to me suggests that he's adding bite with it but also the Triple-X does a pretty hefty distortion so maybe this is where he is getting the crunch from. That said, you could do the same by blending in one of the Mesa 'treadplate' type pedals with a clean (scooped) bass sound. A one pedal solution would possibly be the likes of the DarkGlass B7k being fed by a Spector bass or something with active EMG pickups for clarity.

[sharedmedia=core:attachments:180625] [sharedmedia=core:attachments:180624] Shame the pictures are round the wrong way, but here's a bass I'd like to track down! It was a 69ish (Ash?) P bass body that had been (as far as I can tell) stripped and refinished. The neck wasn't original and I suspect it was a US RI neck. The neck was dated 1982. It was an unusual P bass that had a pickup with Allen Key shaped poles, suggesting that it could have been a dimarzio. The neck IIRC was heavily figured and possibly bird's eye. Topping off the spec was a set of reverse Kluson keys, headstock strap button and black pickguard. The artwork was a window sticker, thus came straight off without residue and the thumb rest was also removed before sale but would have left two screw holes behind. I think a guy from Bury St Edmunds bought it from me, but this was well over 15 years ago!!! I'm off to find some clearer pictures, but I have to say, this was one awesome sounding bass!

Like the comments above, the fan fret system is very comfortable to play and certainly after a short while you'll forget that you are using it on single note passages. The only time I've had to work around it is with the more complex chord extension up past the 14th fret. Can feel a bit weird! Tonally there's much on offer and the fundamental of the note seems to have more punch and girth to me. That's a hard one to describe as many basses have depth and fat low end, but trying to describe note detail is actually quite difficult! ha. Anyway, string to string tension seems more balanced as does string to string volume. I'd expect that of any high end instrument though but every Dingwall I have played has had a very clear and defined voice to it that can cut through the mix. Yes you may have problems with your normal string brands however the likes of DIngwall themselves do a range of strings for their basses as does the US brand Kalium who are very good. Why doesn't everyone make basses with fan frets? Well two reasons I can think of - The first being that maybe when the 'classic three' emerged, the thought of fan frets wasn't on the cards and that's just how things went from then on. It's also more difficult to do accurately, certainly by hand, thus it would take longer and therefore cost more to produce instruments with the Novax fan fret system on?

You can indeed run two 8 ohm cabs off of each channel of the amp - 4 4.5XLs would I assure you sound earth shaking and despite the weight of them are cheap as chips second hand.assive bang for your buck and bullet proof!

I've had a closer look and the Waters P has a different radius to the 50's too. Hmmm... I do GAS for a maple P and the 50's versions have gotten some good reviews.

[quote name='Shockwave' timestamp='1420045393' post='2645160'] Basically, I really want a 50's precision classic but didn't want to play the new price. So buying this one to change into a 50's P with Anodised Gold Scratchplate, Chrome bridge, Chrome knobs and screws to save a bit of cash. Cheers. [/quote] So essentially these are the same spec as a 50's P? (Same neck profile etc?) Other than the obvious pickup difference that is...

Just posted on another Hartke thread actually - if you are up for the Hartke aluminium coned cabs then bypass both the 410XL and 115XL and grab a 4.5XL (or two!!) instead. They go lower and louder in the lows than a 115XL (I've compared the two directly) and have the 5" midrange cone in them which is a really nice way to get some top end bite too.

I've ran the following with my Kilo with superb results: 1 or 2 4.5XL cabinets (my favourite) 1 or 2 410XL cabinets 2 HX112 hydrive cabinets 2 HX410 cabinets and even a 2.5XL cabinet If you watch your volume you'd have no problem running a bridged Kilo in to a single 4.5XL - it sounds great. But boy are they heavy beasts together!

Cheers - Further testing is required but early abuse seems to suggest it will do the job I need, even if it's not strictly 'cab simulation' but more 'top end rolloff'. I'm going to try it with all manner of distortion pedals now!!!

Hey all! I'm sure Ive asked this before but I've had a senior moment. I'm looking for some Mac software to test frequency response of audio devices such as preamplifiers and pedals. I don't want to spend a fortune and of course if there are IOS apps that can do the same, they would be fine too as I have the hardware ready. So I guess if it's not in one app specifically I need to be able to inject a signal from a suitable 'generator' then receive the audio in to a spectrum analyser of sorts to read off the results. Thank you in advance for your help and suggestions,

I appreciate it won't be right for everyone but I have to say that although it isn't 'perfect' the Micro DI works a treat and I am happy to report that I will continue using it as my solution. There's a really nice low mid bump in the speaker sim and I have to say I think this little box may well suit bassists wanting to plug direct in to a PA as the rounding of the tone is very pleasing through my monitors with a P bass.

So, as I'd said above I thought I'd give the Micro DI a go and it arrived about ten minutes ago. I've done nothing but plug just my bass in and ran the pedal straight to my studio monitors. I'm actually really impressed with the clean signal coming out with the cab sim engaged! It's brilliant so far. I like the 20dB boost too as I can see running this chap as a line driver being very useful too (for boosting the output of a pedal to drive a power amplifier as an example) I'm yet to try it with distortion and I will get back to you alter with an update.