Beer of the Bass

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1418380865' post='2629667'] Thanks. BTW: Major D'oh moment. The nut height can't cause buzzing when a note is fretted. See username for explanation. [/quote] If the neck is straight or slightly back-bowed, you can get buzzes from behind the fretted note if the nut is cut low. Though that usually happens higher up the neck rather than at the first few frets, so is probably not what's going on with this bass.

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1418038462' post='2626128'] My guess is the soundman was a bass player. Who has that kind of gear lying around for backline? [/quote] It could well be that. In which case, it might have less to do with the backline and more to do with him being perceptive about the sound each band were going for.

There's a smallish festival I've been going to for a number of years; audience of maybe three thousand, fairly large main stage. The music tends to include folk-based things, some world music outfits and a fair bit of reggae but very little rock. Because it's a remote site down a long access road, most bassists use the rented gear on stage. They hire in a decent system and sound guys each year but the quality of the bass sound has been variable to say the least. Many years it's been the sort of indistinct mush complained about in this thread. One year the bass sounded better than usual, not overwhelming in the lows, plenty of mids and nice definition. As it happens, the supplied backline that year was an SVT and 8x10" with a mic in front of it. I have no idea whether that was the root of the better bass sound or just a indicator that they had a different and more sympathetic sound team than in other years! I'm prepared to accept that mic-ing cabs isn't always the solution, but I wonder if it tends to correlate with better sound simply because it's a sign that the sound guy is paying some attention to the band.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1417870071' post='2624703'] I was always taught that if you have nothing nice to say then say nothing at all, of course I took no notice and that's why I am disliked by anyone on here with a Ricky bass [/quote] Hmm, I wasn't going to mention the Ric! I like 'em myself and wouldn't say no to one, but they are a prime example of a premium priced luxury brand where prices are set according to demand and perceived prestige rather than by cost.

Which cab are you talking about? Any of the neodymium Eminences cost more than £75. Crossovers, tweeters, midrange drivers, boxes and hardware all contribute to the cost too, then there's wages, overheads, shipping and taxes. I'm not convinced anyone is getting rich selling bass cabs, and they're probably not one of the more profitable lines for the big companies either. If you'd like to tell us which is the "correct" gear to buy, I'm sure we'll be all ears...

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1417732670' post='2623657'] Perhaps it has one of the legendary Selmer refins. [/quote] Apparently the faux-burst over a solid undercoat was an occasional late 60s Fender thing. It seems like a strange idea, but it must have made sense to somebody in the factory at the time.

Aside from the weirdly placed Jazz pickup, is it one of those funny fake sunbursts with painted-on grain over a solid white undercoat? Fender did some odd things!

[quote name='monsterthompson' timestamp='1417722846' post='2623526'] (from the BF site) - so how do you mic this beast? [/quote] There's a thread about this style of crossover running on Talkbass at the moment. One speaker is running full-range, while the other is lowpassed and only carries the lows and low mids. So I think it would just be a case of micing the full-range one of the pair.

I've had one of the other patterns of the Dangleberry material and it was a print, albeit a decent quality print under a clear layer so it's not going to wear off like some printed pickguards. Apparently EY music in Hong Kong have brown celluloid tort, but it's a thin layer under a clear surface and their red tort is printed (I read this on another forum, so I can't confirm this).

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1417467020' post='2620715'] What an awesome band!!! I owned a CD of them from years ago, and somehow I forgot about them Three more CDs were purchased on Amazon in the past 24 hours. And I only realised now they were playing in Edinburgh just a week ago! [/quote] Aww, that passed me by too, otherwise I'd have thought about going. They're better experienced in a field than under a roof though! I remember having a couple of their albums in the 90s when I was a teenager. The CDs came with a leaflet inside which listed the other ones you could order from them. When you called the number it was apparently just the phone in their communal farmhouse, answered by whoever was around in whatever state of refreshment they were in at the time!

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1417205506' post='2618275'] [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/247362-1969-precisionnot/"]http://basschat.co.u...9-precisionnot/[/url] [/quote] Yes, that's the bass alright, but with different pictures and sold from a different account.

Isn't this the same bass there was a thread about a couple of weeks ago, just with a new description? Edit; Here it is the first time round. Disgruntled buyer trying to pass on a lemon, or the same seller under a different account? [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1969-USA-FENDER-PRECISION-BASS-COMPLETE-WITH-HARD-CASE-/111485049623?_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D24932%26meid%3D5c7cecd71af0486e84003c249bd5d048%26pid%3D100009%26prg%3D10513%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D10%26sd%3D281469825444&_trksid=p2047675.l2557&nma=true&si=m8BC2WIi1c%252FoY9WpklZzLKOW7Eg%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1969-USA-FENDER-PRECISION-BASS-COMPLETE-WITH-HARD-CASE-/111485049623?_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D24932%26meid%3D5c7cecd71af0486e84003c249bd5d048%26pid%3D100009%26prg%3D10513%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D10%26sd%3D281469825444&_trksid=p2047675.l2557&nma=true&si=m8BC2WIi1c%252FoY9WpklZzLKOW7Eg%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc[/url]

Can I suggest not using the very cheapest generic brand routers for this purpose? I had one and it worked, but the plunge mechanism, depth stop and guides weren't made to very close tolerances and everything had a little play in it. It'd be fine for general joinery, but less than ideal for the clean, accurate routs needed for luthiery.

[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1417013604' post='2616091'] # No, of course you don't. Thats why records don't have any artwork on them and why nobody has ever made a music video. Every single major musical movement of the last 60-odd years has had an image. Music intersects with art, fashion, photography and becomes part of something wider, it does not and it will not exist in isolation. The people who think "image isn't important" when it comes to making music are quite frankly kidding themselves on. [/quote] Agreed. Wearing ordinary, functional clothing and playing under plain lighting is as much of a calculated visual statement as wearing sequins and bringing a massive lighting rig.

The whizzer cone idea can be an effective one for double bass. I have an EA Wizzy 10 which uses one and it does seem to make the orientation of the cab a little less critical, rather than only sounding right when it's pointed straight at you. It's a shame that their neo magnet 10" is an OEM unit and not available elsewhere, as I can imagine it might be useful.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1416940017' post='2615317'] For all of these fancy cabs and class d fancy heads my two favourites for tone were most Peavey TNT combos or those Genz contour combos that were sold off cheap at the end. A black box that makes a noise suits me really, still I don't want to spoil a good argument [/quote] If you find the Black Widow version of the Peavey and it's not knackered, then they're a pretty useful pub gig amp. Though anyone living in an upstairs flat will soon be cursing the single strap handle on the older ones, to keep it on topic!

I particularly like some of Haden's work alongside Carla Bley in the 70s, like the Liberation Music Orchestra album or some of the material on Escalator Over the Hill. The lyrical solos are still there but the material has a real sense of adventure to it, plus I'm a big fan of Bley's arrangement style.

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1416906211' post='2614797'] There is a lot of "wow" surrounding certain newish outfit... and soon I'll be part of the "club" too, so we'll see. It does seem to compete more directly with BF than other makers, on paper. I have not yet had the chance to hear their products "live", so I can't talk of that. Regarding design, features and finish... they do seem to have the edge. Hopefully that will make BF become even better, rather than being outcompeted, and we all win. [/quote] I am curious to see how the the thread might play out the first time somebody has a criticism of this outfit or their products. Given the special status they have on this forum, it could be interesting. I don't think that will happen any time soon, as their stuff looks well thought out and well executed, but there's always one! It strikes me that they and Barefaced have slightly different approaches, as Barefaced have poured money into having new drivers developed for the Gen 3 cabs, while TKS are using off-the shelf components but offer sharper cosmetics, more options and seem to be a little more on the ball with customer relations.

[quote name='TheRev' timestamp='1416836062' post='2614027'] Anyway, this all sounds a bit familiar.... does the event name sound like a breakfast preserve made from cows? [/quote] I've played those and had the same thought! I imagine it would be a bit like sugary Bovril...

Back on topic with the handle positioning, I think the tall and narrow form factor is just an awkward one to fit handles to. I have a Claber-built cab which was the S12T prototype (I don't refer to it as a Barefaced cab as it wasn't a retail model and I don't have the same drivers in it). The handles are in the usual position and while I've got used to it, I lent it to another bass player a couple of weeks ago and was quite amused watching him figure out the best way to move it around. He whacked himself in the shins at least once! Putting the side handles in a central position was an odd decision as there's a temptation to pick it up with just one rather than both, at which point you're holding a very long object that's easy to swing around and bang on things. The construction style and design of the cab wouldn't lend itself to recessed handles, but I do sometimes wonder if a pair of external sprung handles mounted a little higher might be useful. That said, it's still a breeze to move around compared to the 30Kg Peavey cab it replaced!

[quote name='StringPing.com' timestamp='1416836277' post='2614030'] I'm guessing you mean the John Pearse set? E, A, D, all round wound on a nylon core. G, B, E, all flat wound nylon on a rope core. Supposedly they sound brighter than standard nylon strings. RRP £18.95 per set. Still pretty expensive, but nylon strings last a good while. [/quote] There's the KR116 set too; same G,B and E but the E,A, and D are low tension flatwounds.

[quote name='StringPing.com' timestamp='1416834567' post='2613998'] Probably, and there's probably also no demand for it, since they already offer bendy strings I'm tempted by some of their guitar strings, though. Still expensive at around £15 RRP for their acoustic sets. Their Plectrum range makes some fairly large claims about extending the life of fine, old guitars. Quite an odd set of strings, the Plectrums, it seems - Roundwound bass E, flat wound A, D, and G, and plain steel B and treble E. All brass plated. I'm intrigued! [/quote] True, strings built with a single steel core work very well on bass guitar, while all double bass strings made this way have major issues with sound and feel. Because they're so stiff, the pitch rises during the attack of hard played notes then droops as the note decays. That's why double bassists always take off the cheap factory strings on new basses. I've been eyeing up some of the Thomastik acoustic guitar strings too, after this post on Joe Gore's blog; [url="http://tonefiend.com/guitar/quiet-guitar/"]http://tonefiend.com/guitar/quiet-guitar/[/url] They make some sets which are supposed to play like a steel/nylon hybrid and I think they may suit a small, lightly built parlour guitar which I have.

[quote name='Kirky' timestamp='1416833380' post='2613976'] Years ago I got a very shirty response from a band who wanted me to play cello on a recording. Despite me telling them I didn't own a cello and had never played one, they seemed to take it as a personal slight. [/quote] Weird! Had they seen you with a double bass and got confused?

There's a guy locally who has asked me a number of times to play with his projects. He seems a nice guy and his music is very accomplished but just not really up my street. After the third time, it's started to get awkward when I bump into him at other peoples gigs, and with Edinburgh being quite a small scene this happens regularly. There have been times I've told him that I'm too busy, but I'm not that busy at the moment!

On the TI/Labella comparison, Sadowsky flatwounds could be worth a look too. They're made by LaBella and are intended to be a little softer feeling, less thumpy and more articulate than the standard LaBellas. I haven't had a set of the standard LaBellas to compare, but they're very satisfying strings to play and certainly less stiff feeling than something like D'Addario Chromes. [quote name='StringPing.com' timestamp='1416830992' post='2613933'] I've strung violins with TI strings before. It's hard to tell with such small strings how it relates to bass strings, but I always did get the impression that they were kind of floppy for flat wound strings. As for the tone - there's probably no chance of a comparison between a violin and a bass, but they do sound good on the violin. [/quote] I'm not sure that the Jazz Flatwounds use the same construction as the violin family strings. The TI double bass, cello and violin strings use cores made from several fine strands of wire braided or twisted together (except the budget Precision set), making them more flexible than a solid-core string. I don't know of any bass guitar strings made this way. It could be interesting, but I suspect they'd cost even more.