bnt

I have no idea whether I'm really a bass snob or not, because budget has always been a major factor. I suppose [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=18385"]my Tune[/url] is an "aspirational" instrument, since it's a cheaper copy of an expensive Japanese instrument, and I only jumped on it because it was going for half RRP (about £300). There seems to be a whole "guitar ladder" thing associated with Fenders, from Squier, through Korea, Mexico, Japan, to the USA. (I can't remember whether Japan is rated higher than Mexico these days - is it?)

Beautiful bass, and I wouldn't mind trying one out some time. Those knobs would bug me, though, my Tune had similar collet knobs, and I couldn't wait to replace them.

[quote name='mgauction' post='191994' date='May 5 2008, 02:11 AM']Damn! How do I get one of those?[/quote] Nothing on t'Bay at the mo, you could set up a watchdog. I can't help since I played the BX-5 in a shop in 1990... in Johannesburg.

I saw them here in Dublin back in 2000, an amazing gig, with Tim climbing up the walls of the Olympia Theatre. They didn't play Lullaby, though, and now I know they're doing it again, I'm doubly gutted I didn't get to see them recently:

I've been wondering about one of these too, so the [url="http://www.markbass.it/press.php?lingua=en&leggi=108"]review[/url] in Bass Guitar magazine looks encouraging. I like the idea of the basic controls, and I don't need 3-band EQ on the amp, when I have it on my bass already.

I'm reminded of an American joke I heard a while ago, which goes something like this: "This is George Washington's axe. The handle has been replaced five times, and the head has been replaced twice, but it's the real deal!"

Yep - Jim Glennie is one of my unsung bass heroes. I thoroughly recommend James' [i]Seven[/i], [i]Laid[/i], [i]Whiplash[/i] and [i]Millionaires[/i] to anyone who'll listen. Is he still playing that EBMM Sterling? edit: yes he is.

Can I undo my vote? I thought this was about [i]pickups[/i], so I voted both. If it's the whole bass you mean, I vote neither - I am a Fender-free zone.

[quote name='geilerbass' post='189600' date='May 1 2008, 11:37 AM']+1 to all this. Simone (I assume it's the same person I'm thinking of) was actually very friendly and helpful[/quote] Ah - that clears up some of the mystery for me. I've only been there a couple of times this decade, and barely recognised the shop you're all describing. Last time I was allowed to browse and try out a Peavey Cirrus without any annoyances.

[quote name='ashgeezer' post='189313' date='Apr 30 2008, 10:28 PM']Anyone know where to get a wiring diagram for a p/j pickup configuration as i"m doing a project and i fancy having a bash myself.[/quote] The pickup manufacturer is usually the first stop, otherwise: [url="http://www.guitarelectronics.com/"]http://www.guitarelectronics.com/[/url] has pretty much every type.

[quote name='BigRedX' post='188657' date='Apr 30 2008, 09:57 AM']On the other hand I keep thinking it might be a Yamaha - why?[/quote] The BX-1 is why: Those inlays are non-standard, of course. There was also a BX-5 (5-string). I wanted one when they came out.

[quote name='bremen' post='188886' date='Apr 30 2008, 03:19 PM']Did you get the Hohners because they're easy to carry on a bike? That's why I got mine :-)[/quote] I got the first partly because I couldn't afford an genuine Steinberger, partly because I wanted a 5-string. When I got the second, the one I restored to fretless (after someone fretted it), I was living in London, so public transport was my way around, . Both fit in the rifle case I used then.

For years I got by with the two Hohner headless basses, the fretless and the 5-string, which both date from the 80s. The Stick purchase in 2000 was a clear-cut case of biting off more than I could chew, and I finally sold it last month. Last year I felt that there was a good chance I would be gigging again, and could use something more modern-yet-normal, hence the Tune. Now all I need is an amp, and a car to transport it and 3 basses in, and a license that would allow me to drive a car, and lessons on how to drive...

[quote name='Phaedrus' post='188520' date='Apr 29 2008, 11:06 PM']Isn't it interesting that the ony Tune users on BC (AFAIK) are both in Dublin?[/quote] What's weird is that the only place I've actually seen them on sale is here: Walton's, a.k.a. the SX Emporium... and I bought mine from Germany. Walton's want(ed) over €800 for a TWB43, while mine was €420 + shipping.

I think there's a bit of confusion about what is meant by "overrated". To me it means a bassist that is rated, [b]by others[/b], more highly than [b]I think[/b] is justified. It doesn't mean that the bassist is bad, or that other people are delusional in rating him/her as they do, it's a difference of opinion. To use the Jaco example: I rate him very highly indeed. Just nowhere near as highly as e.g the editorial staff of Bass Player magazine, as evidenced by the way they treated the finding of his lost "Bass of Doom". He's a big name that sells magazines, after all. A counter-example is Geddy Lee, who I rate very highly for his bass playing, which is [i]broadly[/i] in line with the consensus here. However, I think he's underrated for other skills: singing, and his melody and arrangement skills, without which Rush would sound like just another Rock band. If that wasn't clear before, his solo album [i]My Favorite Headache[/i] cleared that mystery up. Now, if someone here turns it around and says "he's overrated"... it don't change a thing.

I modified my Hohner B2V for dual outputs, years ago: I wired up each pickup (EMG 35P and -J) to an output, with only a volume control. The second output was a switching socket, so if it wasn't used, the second signal went straight to the first output. (Mixing two EMG pickup signals is achieved by simply ganging them together, they are already buffered to allow that without problems.) However, the main reason for the change was for studio use: record both pickups, separately and as cleanly as possible, and mix them down later, adding effects if required. These days it still makes sense, computer recording tracks are 2-a-penny, and even if you mix them to mono later, you can still e.g. compress each pickup separately and control the balance.

There might not have been that many weird basses in the 90s, but when they were weird... boy, were they weird. Anyone remember this [url="http://www.ctbasses.com/"]Carl Thompson[/url] monstrosity?

[quote name='LukeFRC' post='186958' date='Apr 28 2008, 06:52 AM']well i dont know much about stingrays and sterlings and the like but that site has told me nothing.[/quote] So far, Sterling Ball's [url="http://www.music-man.com/bsj"]blog[/url] is fun, with a few interesting stories about his dad, Ernie. I didn't know that the company really got going with Slinky strings, which were basically re-packaged Fender strings, while Ernie was also teaching. He did so much sheet music piracy that he endorsed Xerox copiers.

[quote name='NJE' post='187469' date='Apr 28 2008, 06:57 PM']Who wants a STERLING 5?[/quote] I want a BONGO 6, against my better judgement, but I think the price will quell the GAS for the foreseeable future. I see that Sterling Ball is now [url="http://www.music-man.com/bsj"]blogging[/url], and so far it seems to be a bit of a biography, about him and his Dad Ernie.

[quote name='budget bassist' post='187439' date='Apr 28 2008, 06:17 PM']That's really nice, the gold hardware looks really nice makes me think about putting gold hardware on my tobias (also bubinga), it's currently black and looks a little tacky.[/quote] It came with the gold bridge and tuners, but the knobs were black, the kind of cheapo Maplin collet knobs I detest. From the brochure I see that those are on all the basses, which is a strange omission, I thought. I think the 5- and 6-string versions of this look even better, and I may do that some day, but I did want a 4-string...

Since I finally got some decent gold knobs for the Tune TWB43-BB I bought last year, I thought it was time to take some "adult" pictures of it. I took it down to my photographic studio*, dug out my old Pentax and tripod, and snapped away. The good shots are in [url="http://picasaweb.google.com/stereoroid/TunePorn"]the gallery[/url] at full size, but here are a few choice selections: Those knobs were $25 for 5 from the USA via eBay, solid brass. Strings are Elite Stadium 40-100 (nickel), not new, so a bit dull. If I ever make it big, I'll be on to the [url="http://www.cc.rim.or.jp/~tune/"]Bass Maniacs[/url] in Japan, but until then, I'll make do with the [url="http://www.tuneguitars.com/"]Korean Tune[/url]. * a blanket on my living room floor

[quote name='BigRedX' post='187064' date='Apr 28 2008, 11:12 AM']As CK says too many concepts copied directly from the guitar without seemingly thinking if they'll work on a bass.[/quote] The thing is... the bass came first, a 5-string made for Steve Swallow, the one on his 1991 solo album cover: The guitar was scaled down from that and simplified, and was so successful that Parker didn't follow up on the basses until much later, and (if the Wikipedia article is accurate) because it was in their contract with Korg. Steve, with this bass, was the one who clued me in to the benefits of High C on the 5-string.

[quote name='peteb' post='186045' date='Apr 26 2008, 05:45 PM']To anyone who isn’t a massive soul fan, Jamerson was just a decent session player who played on a string of hits![/quote] Not as many hits as Carol Kaye, however... Nah - while Jaco does very little for me, I'm of the "if you can't say anything nice about someone, don't say anything" school of thought.

[quote name='Clive Thorne' post='184029' date='Apr 23 2008, 07:14 PM']My understanding was that you'd normally put a much shallower shim in, but only at one end of the pocket, thereby altering the angle of the neck rather than moving the whole thing forward.[/quote] That's what I've done with the Tune, using Gaffa tape layers to build up a wedge. It's about 1mm at the thickest, but has a dramatic effect on the neck angle. For a permanent fix. however, I'd prefer a 5mm block, or (even better) to recess the bridge.

You could try [url="http://www.thomann.de/ie/"]Thomann[/url], they have various 6-ers on sale. They have a Harley Benton for €169, or Peavey Grind for €398.