HowieBass

If you're lacking high end clarity (are we talking treble here?) I'd suggest you decrease the gap between strings and the split P pup rather than increase it. I think (correct me if this is wrong anybody) that having the pup closer to the strings increases treble response. What sort of gap have you got at the moment? With the strings fretted at the last fret aim for just under 1/8" gap and see if that helps the tone.

The 'Any Video Converter' program I've got allows you to do that during the conversion process. It's a piece of free software too, Windows only AFAIK (just be careful when installing that you don't sign up for any free bloatware or changes to your home page, preferred search engine etc).

The BBNE1/BBEAST info given by Yamaha states the mid tone control has a number of presets which can be adjusted by the user. I'm guessing these must correspond with micro dip switches or micro pots on the active EQ board. I think you'll just have to take the control plate off and have a look at what's there, make a few adjustments and see how that changes the mid control.

What's the frame size of the original video? If a clip of about 10 minutes needs a full gigabyte I'd guess it might be full HD? Thats 1920 x 1080 in 16:9 widescreen format. Try resampling/rendering it to something like 1280 x 720 or even 853 x 480 which should reduce the file size a fair bit.

Swamp ash body? Am guessing a P bass sound with plenty of mids. How come it's ended up with you?

Have you tried putting your bass guitar through it yet? When I first started playing in a band with my mate we tried putting my bass through his Yamaha CS15 synth just to see what we could do with the signal - great fun

A neck with the right amount of relief will buzz all along its length with a very low action. If you have a dead straight neck (no relief at all) it'll tend to buzz first up around the nut as you lower the action and by the time you've got fret buzz at the dusty end you've possibly got note choking near the nut.

[quote name='subrob' timestamp='1412641381' post='2570744'] Probably 80 or 90% of all musical instruments are made in China. [/quote] I can't see it being that high. Cort make a hell of a lot of instruments, both their own brand and loads for other brands like Ibanez, Squier, G&L Tribute, Epiphone. They used to build them in South Korea but I think a lot now come from their Indonesian factory (factories?). And Cort do a pretty good job of it too.

Low action needs a neck with the correct amount of relief and that's certainly not a straight neck. IMHO there's no advantage in having more or less relief than is recommended by the manufacturer for the neck in question. This obviously assumes that the frets have been installed and levelled to a decent standard in the first place of course.

With the strings at normal (standard tuning) tension are you sure the neck is completely flat? If you hold a string down at the first and last frets (or use a straight edge) is there no gap whatsoever between the string and all frets? I'd expect with normal relief you'd see a gap of a bit less than 0.5mm at around the 8th/9th frets. The reason I ask is that you usually get fret buzz at the dusty end of the neck (as you're experiencing) when there's slightly too much relief in the neck rather than too little.

I think it really is all about personal preference. Some people hate the sound of flats on anything. I've tried flats on a Jazz, didn't like them much so I prefer rounds on that type of bass but like yourself I love flats on a Precision. If they sound good on your SR600 then leave them on there.

[quote name='drivingatspeed' timestamp='1412593631' post='2570139'] I tried both Fender and Squier Precisions at the weekend. Great sound, but I just couldn't get along with the neck. Just too chunky, especially after the Ibanez. I'll try the Jazz again, and with flats 'cos I've never used them. [/quote] I don't know what models you tried but the Squier Vintage Modified Precision has a neck profile about midway between a traditional P bass and a Jazz - it's only about 2mm wider at the nut than a Jazz and as far as I can tell the same depth (front to back).

[quote name='lownote12' timestamp='1412500717' post='2569295'] I can coaxe a pretty good p bass grunt from the neck pickup (pickup selector full clockwise) but only by filtering out the treble and mids on the amp EQ [/quote] Any particular reason why you're backing off the treble and mids at the amp instead of backing off the treble with the tone control on the bass?

Welcome back to Basschat from another Manc! What's the name of your original house/garage dance music band? And yes it's always good to know what gear other BCers have

When you say you "get more treble mixing in, plus what to me is an unpleasant honk" that to me sounds like you've soloed the bridge pickup rather than the neck. I wonder if somehow the pickups have been wired incorrectly on the blend control? I'd expect fully clockwise would solo the neck and fully anticlockwise would solo the bridge. As it happens I've both a P/J and a Jazz bass and on both I often run the bridge pickup with the treble backed off a little, which is what might reduce the 'honk' on your Overwater Tanglewood.

If you're getting fret buzz with mostly one string and the others play cleanly I'd guess the action is too low for the offending string; it might only need raising slightly to cure it. As a guide, fret buzz near the nut usually indicates too little neck relief, fret buzz at the 'dusty end' usually indicates too much neck relief... since yours seems to be in the middle that to me suggests the string's too low.

I think it's more likely you need to release the string earlier after sounding the note to achieve a staccato bass line rather than precisely where your fretting finger is. I also find playing closer to the bridge helps as you'll have less compliance there - the string won't move as far when you sound a note. You'll need to learn how to mute the unplayed strings as well to get a clean sound.

GoGo Penguin - v2.0, great contemporary jazz fusion - only found out about them via their recent 'Later... with Jools Holland' appearance http://youtu.be/cjBNjeaGMkc

If only for the fact they are of Genz Benz lineage I'd say have a look at the new Fender Rumble V3 series combos.

[quote name='hamfist' timestamp='1412420403' post='2568765'] You have a magnificent bass already, which already covers the basic Jazz and Precision sounds. You have no "need" for a Jazz or a P (you may, of course, have a "want" though) The commonly found basses that might make significantly different tones to yours would be Stingray or Rick-type basses [/quote] I believe the OP's Ibanez is an active bass which will probably sound rather more modern than what's in mind for the "60s soul influenced sound" they've mentioned. I'd also wager they have roundwounds on the Ibanez which will be ideal for their post punk band but I reckon flats is the way to go for 60s soul. A Squier Vintage Modified or Classic Vibe P strung with flats is a cost-effective solution IMHO.

Nice tall saddle adjustment screws to rip the side of your hand with.

How far down have you got the Jazz pickups set? Raising the pickups will increase the volume and as a guide you should fret the string at the end of the neck and the gap between the bottom of the string to the top of each pickup ought to be about 1/8" for the E string (slightly smaller gap for the G string). If you've got a 'weak hand' then I'd expect this to affect your playing style no matter what bass you're using.

After watching that I can see why there's a lot of sense in only playing the root notes...

I'm curious to know what you've done and in what way you think your basses can be better? I tend to follow Fender's guide for advice on height settings for action and pickup heights and this affords a nicely playable instrument IMHO. http://www.fender.com/en-GB/support/articles/bass-guitar-setup-guide/

I probably won't be the only one to suggest trying a Precision...