FDC484950

Probably not much like a Stingray given it has twin single coils? I always thought the classic FU was a single Humbucker in the MM position. Also a shame it’s not the big metal flake finish - still hanker after one of those

One word: shareholders.

Some history there for sure but 15 grand!!!

It’s a reasonable song (I’m not a Kate Bush fan) played at a one-off event. For whatever reason the original arrangement wasn’t copied, possibly to accommodate David Gilmour, but to my ears it sounds OK. And it is done and dusted a very long time ago (and in the late 80s for chrissakes). I’d really, really love to hear some of the people on here nail the performance on the day with their bedroom bands… dream on!

I didn’t know that. Kind of like Ibanez Soundgear, although those are bolt-on at the front (which makes even less design sense IMHO). To me the only reason to show a central block of wood like the Jaydee is precisely because it is a through neck.

Why not chop and change? I have in the last year and was also a beneficiary of your whims

You’re edging dangerously towards trolling. Probably best to chill and read a few threads before starting another thread asking whether people play wearing sunglasses

That sunburst is just awful - especially the back. However, great price for a mid 70s Fender (assuming it’s original) and it isn’t a boat anchor either.

No problem on my Dingwall ABII with 24 frets. No heel due to the fanned frets resulting in a much longer amount of wood into the body on the bass side. I must admit the B string at the 24th fret is a bit of a challenge but I don’t think I’ve ever played up there on the bass side with either neck through or bolt on. It’s also a gross oversimplification to say neck through basses have more sustain. The Zon Sonus I owned sustained so long with an open string I could pretty much make a cup of tea and come back and it is still ringing. Fretted notes were exactly the same. But theirs is actually less useful as I don’t want lots of sustain - I want punch and smoothness. That’s why I try composite necks and usually don’t get on with them - too alive and ringy with too much sustain for me (except Modulus - oh that Q6 from 1990 was like heaven!)

Sadly I can only dream of such sophistication. The most I get from clothing is somewhere to put my change and keep the rain off (bonus points for obscure quote, well more of a paraphrase)

I have to say that Dingwall gig bags (Canadian models) are great - very thick padding and formed to fit the bass very snugly but they are quite heavy on their own. On the other hand the Sadowsky (really Warwick) Portabag offered with the German Metroline series is poor - the neck is held in place (just about) but there is no form fitting around the body and it bounces around with little protection. The MM hard cases are formed to the bass and IMHO offer better protection than most gig bags (probably not the best Mono units though). However, it’s academic as that’s what they will come with from Q3 2022

I like the 35th anniversary SR5. I don’t like the enormous pickguard and never have done, so when it’s removed I think it looks so much sleeker. If it has to have a pickguard then the Sterling is much more elegant. Interesting that the 5H is being sold through dealers but the HH will be direct. The Mono bag reminds me of the semi-rigid case that came with the Japanese Sadowsky Metro cases. Light in weight it may be but it’s just as bulky, won’t afford as much protection, cannot be carried like a gig bag and will likely put an end to any used sales as no-one in their right mind would risk sending a bass via a courier in a soft case (although given there’s now a trend in the for sale section to not offer postage maybe it doesn’t matter).

Interesting spalted finish on the 35th anniversary SR5. Not sure about the block inlays but I expect it will look great in the flesh. It seems they are also moving away from hard cases to mono travel cases. Probably more practical but personally I like a hard case (probably tradition). Interesting development with heat treated pickups too. https://blog.music-man.com/news/ernie-ball-music-man-new-at-namm-2022/

I met Pete many times and also Paul when having the 2 Wals I owned built. To put things in perspective my first was a Mark 1 custom (£979 plus I think £100 for the case) and a few years later a Mark 3 5 string on a special deal (Pete was a friend of a friend) for £1500. Pete was the nicest, most considerate and friendly guy (somewhat oddly he didn’t play bass I believe). Both basses were impeccably made and reasonably quick. Even today I believe the Mark 1 4 string to be an iconic bass. The original ethos was a high quality studio bass for working professionals - but 40-odd years later that’s not really a career for 95% of people who plays bass, so it seems fitting that Paul - who spent a good amount of time at Wal before Pete passed on - should continue the brand as a no expense spared iconic brand. I wouldn’t purchase one now as my tastes have changed over time but I have total respect for them (and the entrance to the premises is on my local biking route so I’m regularly reminded of them

Lovely. Jazz with neither scratchpate nor control plate is very clean and the deep blue is lush!

MM DarkRay 5. I have no need of distortion and not a fan of Darkglass preamps but for some reason I seem to want one. Strangely the more generally available Starry Night version is more attractive to me than the limited edition white version. Fortunately the £3,300 price is enough to keep the wallet chained up

There’s a nice black black maple one on Reverb. Even at a “shop” price it’s a decent deal.

Original Japanese Metro - MV5 I had was superb, the RV5 I bought a few years later was dead sounding and got moved on quickly. Japanese Metroline - only played one - basically the same as the Metro. Japanese Metro Express - good but not worth as much as they were farmed out to another factory, built with limited solid colours, and based on the 3 I tried and 1 I owned, not perfect in quality control or fit and finish. German Metroline - fabulous, IMHO the equal of anything NYC produces, without the options or fancy finishes. German Metro Express - not had a chance to try them but seen some up close and they look OK.

Wenge for the incredible grain. I’ve swallowed my principles and picked up a German Sadowsky Metroline (astonishing - build quality is easily NYC-level or Fender custom shop) and the Pau Ferro board is incredible - very 3D. I’ve always found plain ebony boards to be incredibly dull - and I’m no fan of coffee table basses anymore, but I spend a reasonable time looking at the fretboard so it’s nice if it looks interesting

They’re listed on the Music Man site but both colours are discontinued and they’re not currently being manufactured. I bought a 5 new, one of the last ones for sale, with a build date of Jan 2020. They never sold in the quantities of the StingRay (but IMHO they’re a better looking and sounding bass). I’m still hoping they’ll do a Sterling Special with the lighter weight hardware etc. but I doubt they’ll be offered again in the near future.

Music Man basses have a compensating nut - looks to me like the buzz idea. I don’t do anything different when tuning it. It’s my understanding that the string length at the nut is moved slightly forward towards the bridge with each lower string. The open string is tuned as normal and it’s meant to make the first 3-5 frets on the lower strings (particularly the E and B) sound less sharp than they naturally would, even when the nut is at an optimum height. Can I tell the difference? No

Intonation is a compromise. It is virtually impossible to get a fretted guitar or bass in tune all over the neck because of that compromise (equal temperament). It’s more noticeable on a guitar because of the higher pitch and when playing chords. However, even on a bass it can be a bit of an issue. Try playing C on A string 15th fret then G on D string, 17th fret, followed by the same C, then G on G string, 12th fret. More often than not the 2 G notes won’t sound the same, because the same fretted note across 2 adjacent strings is quite hard to get perfect without messing up the pitch of other notes on the string. Therefore a ‘there or thereabouts” setting is plenty good enough for most basses. If you really want a headache and your bass has 24 frets, try getting the intonation spot on at 5th 12th, 17th and 24th frets… talk about a moving target

I cannot see any reference to MOTU no longer supporting Macs - either Digital Performer or any of their audio interfaces. Is this support that was dropped and reinstated?

I didn’t spot that, and you’re right. The original PDN starry night had a plain ebony board. Cleaner IMHO. I’m not so sure about the sparkle white finish. The one close up photo seems to show quite large metal flakes, which is a touch odd. Maybe it’s the lighting. I wouldn’t buy one as I’ve no use for distortion but still think it’s cool