silverfoxnik

Hi Folks, Okay, I've been thinking about this for a while now so I thought I'd share it with you all to see what you think. Every time I see a bass for sale it always says something in the blurb like 'amazing range of tones', 'tones to die for', or the classic one: 'nails that P-Bass/J-bass/Ricky/Gibson/MM/Tobias/Smith/Miller/Jamerson/Entwhistle tone' etc, etc. I've even said things like that myself when selling a bass on Ebay. But the thing is, when I use a bass - and I've had so many different ones I've pretty much lost count - I always find myself going for two or three really basic tones because they're the ones that I find work best with the most songs/bands. Here's what I think the really true classic bass tones are:- 1) Classic P-Bass (single pick up) - can be used on almost anything 2) Classic J-Bass (2 single coils) - can be used on almost anything 3) Funky Bridge pick up (think MM, J-Bass bridge p/up) - great for funk, jazz etc The other two real contenders as classic bass tones for me are the: 4) Rickenbacker 'clang' - great for rock, new wave, indie etc 5) The flatwound sound - 60's soul, Jazz, French pop... Apart from those, the only other 'tone' that I've used for years now is the 'Wal' tone, which almost makes a fretted bass sound like a fretless. But that's it for me and I'm wondering if all others are just variations on those classic tones invented in the 50s and 60s??? Maybe it's that my playing style and taste is too unadventurous and limited, so I thought I'd throw it over to you to see if there really are endless varieties of tones that we should keep GAS-sing for? Nik

[quote name='Steve_K' post='23335' date='Jun 26 2007, 01:21 AM']:| I have no recollection of reading your post or writing that reply![/quote] Still made perfect sense though!! Is this a case of Basschat sleepwalking or too much alcohol??

[quote name='Steve_K' post='22816' date='Jun 25 2007, 12:30 AM']Always use a surge protected power rail during your gigs - atleast if the power screws up your gear should be fine. I can't see how a spike would have broken a PSU , as they just operate off an In:Out ratio - if anything, the gear itself would be banjaxed.[/quote] Thanks Steve - will get one before the next gig!

[quote name='Bassassin' post='23170' date='Jun 25 2007, 07:33 PM'][i]Gutter Cat Vs The Jets[/i] - Alice Cooper Band Jon.[/quote] Great bassline - Dennis Dunnaway's very underrated... This is a really cool thread because there's so many great basslines. I doubt you could say that about how many great 'rythym guitar' parts there are!

First to spring to mind were these: Good Times - Chic Sir Duke/I Wish - Steve Wonder but in some ways, maybe it's easier to identify amazing basslines in funk/soul etc. As something from a completely different genre, how about: Walk On The Wild Side - Lou Reed A totally sublime and brilliant bassline by Herbie Flowers...

Hi Folks, I was doing a pub gig last night and both me and the guitar player had technical problems through the gig. First, his amp and FX pedals played up all night and then, during our 2nd set, there was suddenly a noise like a 747 taking off coming through my rig!! At first, I thought it was the amp but I worked out through some quick trial & error, that it was something in my FX chain because when I plugged my bass in direct to the amp, it was fine. So, this morning I checked out my 3 pedals; Boss TU2 Tuner, Trace Elliott Dual Compressor and Zoom B2, and curiously, they all worked fine?? Except when I plugged the power supply into the Boss T2 and as soon as I did that, back came the problem. After talking it through today, we were wondering whether the power supply in the venue could have spiked during the gig causing a problem to both my equipment and our guitarists equipment? Anyone got any ideas and recommendations for ways to protect against this sort of thing? Thanks.... Nik P.S. problems aside, turned out to be a great gig - our singer even had a pair of knickers thrown at him during the 2nd set!!

[quote name='obbm' post='22154' date='Jun 22 2007, 10:09 PM']Thanks Nik and John Lets keep a high visibility on this thread so we get a good attendance on the 18th Aug.[/quote] Good point - so here's another BUMP!

[quote name='Soulfinger' post='21803' date='Jun 22 2007, 11:27 AM']+ 1. You can be sure it´s [i]really[/i] porn with Alan´s photos. Good thing Rays are so prohibitively expensive (to me, anyway) or else I´d have another GAS attack. P. S. Alan - don´t you ever wish you still had a P? You had some stunningly nice examples, and I for one am addicted to them...[/quote] +1 I even like the look of basses I don't really like when Alan photographs them?? :wacko: Two beautiful looking MM's to finish of with amongst a really great collection..Over how long a period is it that you've acquired/sold those basses? A mate of mine works for the Guiness Book of Records - I'll think I'll get in touch with him if you keep on going! Nik

Nice looking basses! How do you find the MTD like for sound and playability? I had the passive model and it played great but the stock p/ups weren't too good. Great neck and a fantastic B' string! Nik

[quote name='wildman' post='21863' date='Jun 22 2007, 01:06 PM']Dave, I think we might be away - trying to bag a last minute holiday deal, but if we are around I'll be there and well done for organising it ! Cheers, John[/quote] +1 on that - Cheers Dave! ^_^

Great! I'll be bringing my 1979 Wal Pro 2e, my 1984 BC Rich Eagle, what was The Beedster's mojo'd MM SUB5 and probably some FX. May bring my Hartke HA3500 but more interestingly, may bring the old Peavey Mk IV series head which still sounds great to my very dated ears! Looking forward to meeting everyone there... Nik

[quote name='Beedster' post='21192' date='Jun 21 2007, 07:52 AM']With such a distinguished roll call how could I refuse . Cheers Nick, I really hope I'll be around and able to make it. Should have the Shergold fixed up by then also (I don't imagine that my one Precision and one Jazz are exactly going to set the world alight). Looking forward to catching up with the old SUB and your Wal Chris[/quote] Great news Chris - Look forward to seeing you and the 'Beedster Babes' there, especially Kylie! Will definitely bring the Wal and the SUB5 with me... Aug 18th is now in the diary!

[quote name='Beedster' post='20530' date='Jun 20 2007, 12:08 AM']Cheers Nik How you doing mate? Hope that SUB's stil working for you Yes, I've got Kylie who's a Precision mongrel with a JPUP, I really fancy another mongrel Danni with a 2nd PPUP. We'll see... Chris PS Shergold hasn't been touched yet. Can't wait to get that finish off and see what's below! Plays and sounds great though, awesome neck [/quote] Am good thanks Chris and, yes, the SUB5 is still doing it for me. Did a gig last weekend and got a lot of comments on the sound and the look of it! Seriously, I think you'll be suprised how good the 2 x PPUP combination sounds.. Looking at recent Ebay prices for Shergold Marathons, if you do restore yours to something more 'classic' in looks, then you'll be more than doubling your money I reckon. Anyway, hope to see you if the much talked about South East Bash does finally get to happen in August.. Nik

Hi Dave, I say we go for the 18th of August, 10am-6pm, and if it's successful, then we could always run another one early next year for those who can't make it. So, by my reckoning, here's a list of those who say they can do the 18th: OBBM Silverfoxnik Sibob Nick Thomas G-77 Mickey D Mobius misrule Bloodaxe That's 9 already and The Beedster is up for this as well (aren't you Chris), so that'll be the 10! But let's see if we can get 15 or 20 and really make a day of it? Cheers Nik [quote name='obbm' post='21036' date='Jun 20 2007, 09:08 PM']It's starting to look like the 18th but what happened to all those who were so keen for this to happen? Looking at the current numbers it is either not financially viable or we just do it beween 14:00 and 18:00. If the dates don't appeal then we could move it to October, November, December or later, or just forget about it.[/quote]

[quote name='Beedster' post='20409' date='Jun 19 2007, 08:41 PM']What do you think of this folks? [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=007&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=170123626907&rd=1&rd=1"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...p;rd=1&rd=1[/url] Sound wise, what is the bridge PUP gonna be like. Any potential problems with the PUP so close to the bridge (apart from probbaly not being able to fit a BADASS). Good buy or WOM? Hi Chris[/quote] Chris My 80's BC Rich Eagle has the same pick-up configuration (with DiMarzios) and it sounds great; really punchy, bright but also capable of very mellow p-bass tones too. Very underrated I think... How's it going with the Shergold by the way? Nik

[quote name='Mobius' post='20481' date='Jun 19 2007, 11:12 PM']Both are fine to me...I hope something doesn't come up and get in the way like the last 2 times, it would be great to actually come to a bash![/quote] +1 on that! Both dates work for me, though the 18th is better..Would be great to go to so let's try and get a decision soon. Thanks Dave for checking the studio out by the way. Nik

Nice example of a fine English bass!

[quote name='BigRedX' post='12731' date='Jun 5 2007, 10:54 PM']THat Gibson Triumph Bass is tasty... What scale length is it? Got any sound clips?[/quote] +1 on that. The two black MMs look great too!

Paul Herman at Charlie Chandler's Guitar Experience is your man, though he's a long way from Scotland. Here's the web page: [url="http://www.guitarexperience.co.uk/html/index.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=5"]http://www.guitarexperience.co.uk/html/ind...wpage&pid=5[/url] Paul worked for Wal for some time and knows the instruments really well as the website tells you. Contact details are: 21 High St, Hampton Wick, Middlesex, KT1 4DA Tel: 020 8973 1441 Cheers Nik

[quote name='Beedster' post='8536' date='May 29 2007, 11:41 AM']Cheers Nik I'm gonna try and make it look like a Wal Yes the sound is great, but I think it's the neck that really does it for me, it's like a cross between a good Precision and a Stingray, really solid but fast and a real plasure to play. The sound is pretty tight for a 30 year old bass with original electrics also, and it weighs pretty much nothing so it's potentially a good bass to gig. I'm going to have a word with John East at some stage to see what jiggery pokery we might get up to regarding the electrics, especially the stereo output. Hope to see you at the planned SE bash Nik. Any luck I'll have a nice Wal-alike with me! Chris[/quote] Looking forward to the SE Bash too Chris - if it ever comes together? The Marathon really does look like a Wal (or vice-versa) doesn't it..Again, hope to see it and you at the bash, Nik

Dennis Dunnaway - Alice Cooper, early 70s Leigh Gorman - BowWowWow Two very talented musicians and both very unusual in their approach to bass playing. Really rate Barry Adamson, John Gustafson and George Murray too and whilst on a Bowie tip, Trevor Bolder from The Spiders played some great melodic basslines on the early Bowie albums. Not sure he's underated but I'd add Roger Waters from Pink Floyd as a really intelligent bass player. Funny enough, I can't think of any underrated bass players from the soul/funk/jazz genres but maybe that's because bass is more to the fore in those musical areas? Nik

[quote name='The Burpster' post='8366' date='May 28 2007, 10:38 PM']I'm fairly sure Allparts have nuts in that size, and various others..... Oh the smut potential with that comment is huge n'est pas? [/quote] Cheers - will check it out. Definitely - That is a 100% 'ooh, err, Matron' kind of comment! It's too late right now, but I'm sure I should have replied in a pseudo- French 'Allo, Allo' kind of way...

Hi, That's not good to see on a quality bass like a Lakland - my first instinct would be to contact them straight away! Have you any close ups of the bridge, the neck pocket and of the nut to see what's happening there? The D and G strings look seriously out of line across the pick ups as you say so I wonder whether you're also getting a problem with less output from those two strings as they're not sitting in between the pole pieces as they should? Good luck with getting it sorted, must be a real worry... Nik

Hi Folks, Any advice as to where best to get a replacment nut for my old Hondo Ricky copy that I'm renovating, and some switch cleaner for the sorting out the dusty and noisy electrics that haven't been used for ages? The nut is 4cm x 1cm x 0.5cm. Thanks, Nik

[quote name='Beedster' post='7995' date='May 28 2007, 11:05 AM']+1, although the point above about power supply etc is worth considering before we commit to a venue, especially if it's a school. No point having 30 rigs if there's only two power sockets, and schools these days are nightmares re health and safety so multiple extension cables might be out A well placed rehearsal studio (near a pub) certainly sounds like the best bet to me? Cheers Chris[/quote] So...back to The Water Rats - hire 2 rooms..It's near trains and a pub?