Pirellithecat

Help! Going round in circles with this one ........ so thought I'd see if I could tap into the Basschat collective experience. I need a nice bass for 70's classic rock (guitar/bass/drums/vocals). I have an upgraded Squire P bass special Standard which has PJ config pups and a jazz style (38.1mm) neck. It's surprisingly good, but ..... I've convinced myself that I could use something better and have tried the following few alternatives. Fender P Professional - I'm not sure that the neck will really suit me. Elite PJ and the neck on this seemed much better but I can't justify the cost and don't really need the active electrics Fender CIJ P, different to the Professional but not 100% to my liking Also tried Fender Jazz Professional which is nice but moves away from the sound I'm after (and yes I know John Paul Jones used one!) Also tried a Warwick Streamer LX, which has PJ config, (and looks devine) and I REALLY like this - but it's very expensive and will it do the "P" thing? So, anyone point me in the right direction i.e. "P" sound in terms of cut through, not modern and "zingy"/hi-fi/bright, manageable (slim) neck (for quick licks where necessary). Budget would be Fender P Professional level (or loads less if at all possible). I'm in the middle of nowhere and its a 2 hour trip to any major instrument stockist so any pointer would be much appreciated. Many many thanks

Thanks again for the information. I guess the inevitable next question, which might in retrospect seem a bit daft, is .... Where would I find a replacement neck? I could keep my eye out for a second hand "donor" bass I suppose, but there would be no guarantee that the neck would be "perfect". Or, are there good sources of new necks in the UK? I've had a quick look and there seem to be very few available here which have Rosewood fingerboards at a realistic price (i.e. cheaper than a new "similar" guitar!). Drat, as they used to say.

Thanks for the info - I'm hoping to replace the neck with a similar one i.e. jazz profile, 38mm at nut, Rosewood fingerboard, and if I was REALLY lucky, one with a black front to the headstock to match the body. In my dreams .......

Hi, Looking for a replacement neck for the above. Its the PJ version, made in indonesia form, I think, 2009. However, I don't want to take it apart for measuring as I use it every day and I'll probably damage it if I do! So, anyone know the dimensions or which replacement neck might fit?? Many Thanks Ian

Well ...... had a long overdue spring clean of the Speaker checked all the nut tightnesses but didn't remove anything. All looks fine - In fact it all looks "brand new"! So I plugged in my "Stick" and there's the "click". AND the clipping light is flashing in time with the click ....... Turned the gain down and volume up ... no click! So, I'll give it all a bit of a workout over the next couple of days, but it looks like clipping in the amp gain stage. AND although I feel a bit daft, the gain seems to clip way before the clipping light comes on! Could that be the simple explanation?? Doh! Ian

Hi, A long shot this, but I have a pair of Vanderkley 112EXT's. Might be me but I suspect that there's an unwanted click/"tap" at the beginning of the note played - sounds like the cone is hitting the end stop or something. It's only noticeable at low to moderate volumes and it could be something to do with my technique (i.e. not great!). The Speakers are pretty old and second hand but I thought I'd see if I can cure the problem with a replacement driver. Contacted Vanderkley - no response. Anyone know what I need by way of replacement before I dismantle one and have a look? Thanks Ian

Yep, the pink strings coupled with the facial expressions were brilliant!! Really good to see the band in action and the Stingray sounded really, really good - great cut-through, and nice sustain - bloody good (I guess it might have had something to do with the guy playing it though). Sadly we had to go half-way through the second set but glad we popped along. And yes, the bass was sounding damn fine when we left!

Thanks Paul.

OK ...... Bear with me for just a moment longer ........ otherwise it's going to be the tape and marker pen solution. So how exactly do you connect the basses to the amplifier and the BDI21? One bass into input on amplifier, other bass unplugged and then plugged in when needed, replacing the original one. BDI21 in Effects loop? Stomped on after new bass added? If it's that simple, then I'll give it a go. Thanks for your patience ....

Well, I've had a look at some of the options mentioned above, and I think I've narrowed it down to 4 options. 1) Get over it and fiddle with the tone settings when playing "live" - bit of a faff but saves lots of £££ 2) Buy a 2 Channel Amp to replace mine - simple option but not too many 2 input/2 channel amps I can find - any suggestions sub £500?? (second hand OK). 3) Get a Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver Deluxe (or a VT version of same) - solves 2 channel issue and is a one stop solution. Probably not much difference between this and Option 2 in terms of £££ as I'd trade in my current amp. 4) Get a Radial Tonebone Bassbone OD 2-Channel Bass Preamp - ditto Option 3 but with a few more bells and whistles (esp if I pursue Double Bass in future). All these options keep all the "fiddling" in one place, but are expensive. Anyone experience of the above preamps - I'd welcome a steer!! Thanks P

Thanks. How is the BDI21 connected? Is it via the effects loop? Same for Zoom B3? I'll check out the Glockenklang Soul too. Ta

Thanks for the helpful comments. As you might have gathered I'm a little "tech averse"!! I'll check out the suggestions so far, and also see what I can find by way of 2 channel Bass amps. Can anyone suggest any to check out? I'm fine with plugging the relevant bass in when needed, it's just the faffing about with the EQ that I want to avoid. Might a 2 channel pre-amp also work for this, and if so are there any?? As to the LS-2, I guess this sits in the Effects Send/Receive loop?

Thanks all, So, using something like the Behringer BDI21, one bass goes into the normal input on the amp and the other goes into the BDI21 which in turn is plugged into ??the effects return? Or do you just replace swap the leads over into the normal input when making the change. If one uses a pre-amp pedal, can one place it in the return input of the effects send/return loop and then just use the foot switch to bypass it/use it? As you might detect I have no idea about pedals etc!! Hey Ho.

This is probably one of those really stupid questions with, for the experienced bass player, a bleeding obvious answer! My preferred EQ settings for my two basses are very different and I'm not bright enough/quick enough/don't have sufficient memory, to easily adjust the EQ between numbers and don't want to faff around whilst in front of an audience. What's the best way to achieve a seemless transition? Many Thanks I

How about a LTD (ESP) , mine was £100 second hand. It's a PJ configuration with a lovely thin neck (@38mm, 24 fretmarkers), the playability of which is on a par with my Squier PJ and Ibanez. It's great to play, and it has a much better finish/quality than the Squier Fair bit of MWAAH (or whatever that fretless sound is) using flat wounds and well worth the money.

Thanks everyone. The info on the coated strings seems true and I think they are improving a bit with use - shan't get another set though. I use flatwounds on my fretless and recently got a set of Rotosound 77 Jazz Bass and they are HORRIBLE - like playing fencing wire. They replaced a set of Thomastic Infeld Jazz flatwounds which were great but costly. On the fretful bass, the unwanted sound is transmitted to the amp and I will lower the pick up height later today - this sounds like a promising course of action, as does using headphones. I have played around with my muting efforts and part of the problem might be technique as I tend to damp the D and G strings with my right hand fingers as well as my left and this seems to generate a "tap" using the Black Beauties. So, if I play lightly, and don't damp the strings I can reduce the unwanted noises - however this is difficult in faster more aggressive pieces. I'll let you know!! Thanks for the help though - I'll persevere a little longer. Ian

Thanks, I'll have a practice later and see whether the strings ring or need me to mute them more. However, it's the mechanical noises which bother me, and apart from open strings ringing more than I'd like, ringing isn't the main issue at the moment. But I am starting to realise that muting is something I need to get my head round more. The particular noise I don't like is the click of the string on the fret as a note is fretted, could be the adjacent fret either up or down the neck, but it's a clear "tap". The action is a little higher than recommended but I suspect if I lower it the problem will be worse. Maybe it is an action/ relief thing. However it has always been an issue with this guitar despite having several different brands of string on it and being set up in the shop and by an independent luthier. I'm starting to also wonder whether there's something not right with the amp/combo. Hey Ho, maybe I'll take up mandolin instead. Cheers Ian

Hi, Not sure where to post this as it might well be a technique issue, or it might be a set up issue or a string choice issue - or is it just my bass? I have 3 basses, one is fretless, two are fretful. The issue affects my Ibanez GSR750, When playing I seem to get a lot of extraneous string noise in the form of unwanted clicks, rattles and buzzes. I've had a luthier give it the once over, and the action adjusted and I've also further adjusted the neck relief which has sorted most of the buzzes out. However, there's still too much mechanical noise for my liking. I recently changed the strings to Black Beauties, but this, if anything has made the issue worse. I play finger style and can reduce the noise by playing lightly, but that's not always desirable. I don't get the same issue on my back up Warwick Rockbass Streamer, and, I guess obviously, the fretless is fine. So is this an Ibanez issue, or a me issue. There's much to like about the tone of the Ibanez, and the neck profile makes it easy to play, but it is noisey in terms of pickups (bridge pickup) and I'd be interested in other players experience. Cheers Ian