Prosebass

[quote name='L1zz1e' post='236494' date='Jul 10 2008, 01:27 PM']Hey Im Lizzie, just found out about this forum and thought id give it a go! Been playing for about 4 years ish so I guess that makes me a noob! hehe Im playing two fretted 5 strings, one Warwick Streamer Stage2 and one customised Squier Jazz with Quarter pounder pickups, one Squier Vintage Modified Jazz 4 string and my (nearly complete) custom build Precision that Im making to look mid-60s period (inc chrome covers et al!) Bartolini 8s - which is my baby at the moment! Its got a birds eye maple neck to die for!! Currently playing an Ashdown MAG 250 1x15 combo with an mxr M188 envelope and TRex Tube Squeezer! Enough about the geeky stuff but Im a totally anal about everything bass - groove, pocket, feel everything! But enough about me... =0) x[/quote] Hi Lizzie and welcome from me........ You will love it in here they are all anal except me. Would love to see Precision ......sounds nice

Forgot to mention.....the Peavey looks excellent , similar to the spirit but with digital output (the effects put me off as I would rather pay for sound quality not gimmicks) But, if your soundcard in your PC is a generic unit ,or as is common these days a Dolby 5.1 chip on the motherboard no matter what the input is the results won't be good. You need a dedicated soundcard / interface to work direct with your software.

[quote name='budget bassist' post='236161' date='Jul 9 2008, 11:04 PM']I'm currently on a music tech course at college and i'd quite like a small setup at home just to play about with and to record/mix my band with, i know all the practice and stuff, but nobody really told us what we'd need and how to do it if we were to make our own little home studio. I have a computer with cubase on it, if i bought a smallish mixer with a USB output on it, such as [url="http://www.guitarampkeyboard.com/en/peavey-pv-14-usb/70304"]this[/url] maybe, would i be able to plug that straight into my computer and have it communicate with cubase, or would i need some sort of audio interface? I'm also planning on getting a pair of cheapish active studio monitors, i'm assuming i can just plug them straight into the desk or something? I'll get some mics for it later (anybody know if the shure sm48s or PG58s and 57s are any good as a cheap alternative to the SM58s and 57s?) as at the moment i can DI my bass amp, or borrow some mics off friends, but mainly at the moment i'll concentrate on mixing. thanks in advance for any advice, and sorry if this is in the wrong place, feel free to move it.[/quote] A few years ago I had time on my hands and set up a home studio for mainly dance music using loops with guitar bass and keyboards. For plugging in all the hardware ,instruments ,mikes ,samplers , keyboards I used a small Spirit Folio 8 into 2 mixer. The stereo output from the Spirit was sent to a Creative Soundblaster PCI card. That was back then , now you have many options , I would look at the Edirol 24bit USB 2 units or M-Audio stand alone units as these can be picked up for about £50 secondhand and you can bypass the mixer if you like with direct input. I was never a fan of Cubase and used Acid which I found better for direct recording and because I used a lot of loops. I also found Cool Edit Pro to be an invaluable tool not just for making loops but for setting levels and Eq before putting them into the mix. A lot depends on what your aims are ? If you are recording live performance of guitar bass and drums then a mixer is essential with phantom power for some decent mikes. If you are adding bass to backing tracks I would still use a mixer as they are easier for monitoring (you are not reliant on using the PC to hear what you are playing as you can use a monitor output into your amp) When I was recording my bass I would go through the mixer / soundcard / Acid / Sony Amp / Speakers but also listen to what I was playing via monitor out on the mixer through my bass amp. That way you can listen to youself at high volume without having to mess up the input levels to Cubase or whatever software you are using. You also learn more as to whats actually going on using at least some analogue equipment. For monitoring I have always used the stereo out from the soundcard / interface straght into an old Sony F440E Hi-Fi amp. Sony did a range of these with no tone controls just a volume so very little colouration of the sound. I think they are one of the most underrated amps ever. (I have one on my hi-fi and 2 in the attic as spares) As for speakers I used a pair of Castle Pembrokes. They are huge but the clarity of sound is amazing and the youngest ones are about 15 years old. Good active bookshelf monitors start at about £400 !!!! much less expensive to go down the amp and speaker route. Please don't buy cheap active monitors they are designed for DJ monitoring and suck. Price for the mixer £50 usb interface £50 Sony amp and Castles £80 a couple of good Shure mikes £100 and you would have an excellent setup to use and learn with. Sorry to babble on but I just love value for money gear. Hope this gives you food for thought...

When I used to buy and sell antiques and collectibles I once bought a pair of Tannoy triangular shaped hi-fi speakers with Tannoy 12" dual concentric speakers in them.The cabs were huge more like items of furniture. I plugged them into my HH100 head and they sounded absolutely divine, and I have not heard anything as good since.They actually made my bass sound so much more lively and clear. They would be no use for gigging as they were only 30 watt each. It shows the quality of the speakers as I sold them to a guy for £300 in 1993.... class..... Maybe we all go down the wrong route with basses, should we be spending a higher proportion on our speakers for a better sound ? Here we go just found 2 x 15" ones on ebay...[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/15-Tannoy-Monitor-Gold-Duel-Concentric-Speakers_W0QQitemZ380044702851QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item380044702851&_trksid=p3286.m14.l1318"]Tannoy[/url] mind you only for a practice amp

My brother who is a classical pianist calls Jazz "musical w******g" can't say I agree , but he has a point with some stuff, I think thats what the Fast Show picked up on. I've listened to plenty Miles Davis and thought "what the f*** is that about" and some Jaco live solos come to that. What pigeon hole do we put George Melly in ? he once kissed my hand at a gig.... To my mind Brand X are the epitome of modern Jazz ..........I'll get me coat.........

[quote name='6stringbassist' post='235403' date='Jul 9 2008, 12:07 AM']Yeah, totally agree, Bass player is far better than BGM.[/quote] I think some of the articles / interviews are good in Bass Player but don't like it's "Americaness" compared with the very British attitude of BGM Maybe I just have an anti USA attitude......to most things.....except Jaco and the Fender Jazz, V8 engines, Saturn 5 ...... no must be the mag...

Pm'd

Paid on the nose as agreed for my Artec Vintage Precision Pups.....cheers Wayne. plenty more for sale if anyone is interested

[quote name='BigRedX' post='232647' date='Jul 4 2008, 01:06 PM']IMO on an unlined fretless the dots should correspond with where the fretlines would be. Anything different is wrong and is laziness on the part of the manufacturer or luthier. I've only ever come across one other unlined fretless bass with the dots like this, and if I'd known the situation in advance I might have waited until Lace had sorted the problem out. Alternatively I do have fretless bass serial number 2![/quote] I disagree with you on this one for the reasons I cited earlier. Its just as easy to argue the point the other way in respect of a fretted or fretless having the same side markings so as not to confuse. I am sure laziness does not come into it at all its just a different interpretation. Anyway who needs any markings on a fretless at all if you can play it properly ? Ok then , I struggle with complex basslines on an unlined fretless... we can't all be Jaco

[quote name='david_l_perry' post='232707' date='Jul 4 2008, 02:27 PM']Sounds like its going to be a quality Bass I find the bass acoustics come alive if you fill the plastic box with a couple of sandwiches, the choice of filling is all important. Better yet is to add a chocy biscuit or two and a bag of cheesy Watsits (not the cheap Tesco branded variant, real Watsits....) Luthiers should take note of this thread....[/quote] I must disagree with you on this point. Bread dough tends to muffle the sound and sandwiches, chocy biscuit and Cheesy Wotsits is a bit too much filling. Maybe oatcakes (Stockens obviously) or a cheaper option would be Morrison's own brand tortilla chips ,lightly salted are best and should bring out the "highs" better and give it a crisper sound

[quote name='BigRedX' post='232278' date='Jul 3 2008, 08:47 PM']If you've been reading the bass reviews you'll know that I recently bought a Lace Helix 5-string fretless which is a fine bass except that the side dots are where they would be on a fretted bass rather than on the 'fretlines'. If this was my only fretless it wouldn't bother me too much, but all my others have the dots in the 'correct' place so I want to move them to match. My plan is to drill out the existing dots (1mm or so) and drill new holes for the dots in the correct place and hopefully use the sawdust generated by this, mixed with glue, to fill where the old dots were. Then using either [url="http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bindings,_trim/Trim:_Side_dots/Plastic_Side_Dot_Materials.html"]this[/url] or [url="http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Inlay,_pearl/Pre-cut_inlays/Pre-cut_Side_Dots.html"]this[/url] for my new side dots. What I need to know is what sort of glue I should use to mix with the sawdust and how do I finish of the edge to blend it in with the existing glossy finish? Alternatively is there a better way to achieve what I want to do?[/quote] The best method is to use a piece of the original wood. Try to contact Lace and ask them for some then cut inserts. If this is not feasible then I would use a clear epoxy to mix with the sawdust.If the neck is a bolt on I would "rob" a minute amount of wood / sawdust from the rear of the neck joint and practice / test your method first. On the subject in general I have a lined fretless and the ones I make have just side dots in the same position as a fretted. I find no problem with either as I play fretted also and as I glance at the side dots on the fretless I automatically adjust my fingering forward of the dots as you would with a fretted....hope that made sense.

Nice bass and a lovely restoration, love the speed knobs, my Hofner S7B has them fitted. I remember lusting after a Kramer many years ago. Basses from that era had a certain look. A zeitgeist thing I suppose, along with early Wals , Guilds and Shergolds they all look from that era, where as Fenders have always looked modern ! Now theres an idea , I wonder how a modern interpretation of a Shergold would go down ?

Thanks for the input everyone, quality as usual means cost. Come to think of it I have an old Technics class AA hi-fi amp in the attic. Maybe I'll give it a try and see how it does , volume isn't an issue and it ain't being used for gigs so could be interesting. I remember in the 70's converting all my friends record players into guitar amps.....simpler days...

I am suprised nobody has put a shout in for Glen Matlock and he is still playing either with the Pistols on their "silly" tours...( I am a huge Pistols Fan but come on guys give it a rest) or Slinky Vagabond. Sid Vicious ruined the Pistols and I remember hating the guy in my teens. And then theres always Bruce Foxton one of my earliest influences. Punk is alive and well in Sunny Chorley and my "local" The Railway has its summer music festival on Saturday the 5th July with a mix of cover, rock and punk bands ,I can recommend it for anyone in the area as a good afternoon / night out. My mates lad is a bassist / vocalist with (don't quote me on this) Three Blind Dwarfs I think ???? and his main influence is Paul Simonon.

EBS gear would indeed be nice as would a few other top end suppliers. Unfortunately all my cash has been put into my new venture so the solution needs to be a little bit cheaper than EBS There must be some good less expensive heads / combos about that will do what I need it to do. As its staying at home it doesn't even need to look good or be robust. Somebody must have some ideas for a clean ,neutral / transparent amp ?

Over the last few years I did a lot of "dance music" with a friend and my basses always went straight through my mixer into the PC. I have had no need for an amp head since I sold my Orange and HH100 and stopped playing live many moons ago. I recently bought the Deltabass 160 to use when testing and setting up the basses I am making. At first it seemed ok as most things do if they are different to what you have been used to, but now after a few months it just seems very muddy ! As I am using it to assess my bass builds its nigh on useless because I cannot get a true tone from the basses, which sound wonderful when DI'd into my computer .I'm sure the amp will be fine for small gigs at high volume as it is very loud. Has anyone any experience with this amp ? any suggestions as to a replacement ? It needs to be transparent to the bass , power output is immaterial as its never gonna move out of my conservatory. My cab is a Hartke Transporter 2 x 10" 160 watt jobbie. Maybe a swap for an HH100 would be nice. cheers Paul

It looks like a Generic Chinese made bass as I imported a few very similar to check on the quality. There is nothing wrong with the bodies and necks as these need to be made to a minimum standard so the thing is playable. What you will probably find is a bad set-up, cheap and nasty pots with no shielding,crappy wiring, low output pups and probably not much variation in tones. You will also find the bridge and tuners won't be brilliant.I even came across some that looked as though they had a substantial bridge only for it to be a plastic cover over a bent piece of tin. They are almost as well made as a shall we say "more recognizable" brand.....but as a bass to get started they are fine and with a few pounds spent on better tone controls , a better bridge and decent tuners you will have the basis of a good bass. You will get what you pay for , its just these days its a hell of a lot more than it was say 10 years ago. £75-£80 is hardly a fortune to pay for a new usable bass so give it a go.....

[quote name='NJE' post='230862' date='Jul 1 2008, 08:22 PM']I am sure I cant be the first person to post this up so please excuse me if someone has already posted (i did do a search before hand), but i just saw this new Squier and I have to say it looks tasty and I may just get one. I was going to sell my Musicman and get a jazz but why bother, this looks great, imagine badass, pickup cover and maybe a new preamp from the states on the cheap, and you got a snazzy looking jazz and a hell of a lot of fun. [attachment=10297:0303075505_xl.jpg][/quote] Be wary....be very wary and play one first. I have yet to find a recent Squier Jazz that sounds like a Fender Jazz and I have just sold one I had for 2 years with a J-Retro East pre-amp on it and a good bridge. It wasn't a bad bass but it wasn't a Jazz.

Hello Doug good to have a Yes fan on board ,I was in Steve Howe's house a couple of years ago as my niece was friends with his daughter but he wasn't home although I met his lovely wife Jan, pity about the moonshine I am partial to the Irish version

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='226476' date='Jun 25 2008, 09:39 AM']Just ordered an old (80's) US P-Bass body and it's the start of my project. The plan is to strip the black paint off then respray it bright yellow, then put a Bad Ass bridge on the mofo then put a checkerboard scratchplate on (like my Jazz in my sig) finish it off with a Fender Maple neck with block inlays. Haven't decided on electrics yet. This is my first project so i expect it to end up on eBay in 2 weeks for £20 in a total mess. Pics to follow.[/quote] I'll keep my eye on ebay as I am on the lookout for an old p-bass body £20 sounds very reasonable does that include postage....

[quote name='ahpook' post='224659' date='Jun 23 2008, 12:41 AM']developing control, feel and volume control with a plectrum is just a matter of practise, as much as acquiring the same skills with fingers is.[/quote] is it ? I thought it was just "clank clank clank clank" with a plectrum ? I jest ......mind you I've never seen Jaco play with a plectrum, that would of been interesting.

[quote name='The Legoheads' post='224504' date='Jun 22 2008, 09:59 PM']I have an embarrassing confession... Probably due to me playing 6 string for 20 years, when I took up bass around 5 years ago I carried on using a pick. There are occassions when I need to be more flexible in which case I use a thumb and forefinger to pluck the strings at a faster rate or to produce a softer sound. All my muting is done with my fretting hand. Obviously, I see the traditional fingers style used predominantly when I'm watching other bands and bass players and would really like to know what it is I'm missing out on. I have tried a few simple tunes using finger style but it doesn't seem to suit.... What am I missing and should I make an effort to learn to play proper...? [/quote] I play both and as other people have said it depends on what music you like to play, what sound you like , and what you are comfortable with, however if you do not play "fingerstyle" you will be missing out on control, feel, the ability to slap and pop, easy volume control with your fingers alone, right hand damping, double harmonics, finger tapping.....and on and on.... When I play with a pick I never feel really connected with my bass, but a pick has its uses and I like a lot of pick wielding bassists but I would advise you learn to use your right fingers as it will open up so many new ways of approaching your music.

[quote name='Bassassin' post='223763' date='Jun 21 2008, 07:04 PM']Anything like this? Best pic I could find - it's from here: [url="http://www.sixties-ibanez.com/"]http://www.sixties-ibanez.com/[/url] You could try asking on the 60s board at [url="http://www.ibanezcollectors.com/forum"]http://www.ibanezcollectors.com/forum[/url] - quite likely someone will recognise it from your pic - it's pretty distinctive. Jon.[/quote] Nice one ...a 5902 from 1964 ! I did not realize it was so old, it was 12 when I got it in 1976. I can honestly say it was an excellent bass, I used to get a very convincing Rickenbacker sound from those lovely chrome humbuckers, pity the neck snapped (twice) and my attentions were averted to my Hofner S7B, I have no idea what happened to it ? would love to find one...... thanks again...Paul