bloke_zero

The basses I've shielded have really benefited - there is an extra silence to the background that lets them sound more clearly - even if you can't really hear it: the hum and interference is there - it's a bit like getting a new TV with a blacker black - the colours in contrast seem to pop a bit more.

I played a '58 and a '74 in a vintage p-bass shootout this morning (still swooning!) and the '74 was much slimmer but not as narrow as a jazz neck.

I've played one of their basses and immediately loved it - it was incredibly ugly but felt and sounded great - I think it was oak bodied medium scale with like a P90 style pickup. At 2.5K£ I had to put it back down but it exercised a fascination. I'd say they are built with incredible attention to detail and flare - I can't say it's exactly for me but I have to respect it. They also do a hollow body flying v bass - at least they aren't BORING!

There is a P-bass in the studio with 14 year old strings on it that regularly beats all comers head to head blind audio tests. I'm pretty sure at least 10% of the sound is the strings - they are so dead but they sound so right! If vaseline could get you there, or chicken grease I'd be willing to give it a go!

Wow - thanks! Really striking how much difference there is between the configurations. I'll be back - with notes! Right away the difference between the two neck positions is huge - I'm assuming they were all recorded at the same volume?

I've been getting some really killer sounds by using one channel as the main meat of the sound, slightly overdriven, and then dialling in the 2nd channel as really growling and toppy and then just blending a tiny bit of that in with the main sound. Like the darkglass pedals that let you blend in some of your unaffected sound, but in this case there is additional processing of both channels - best of all possible worlds!

Sweet - I really like that parallel processing thing - same as the Pearce - one for dirt and one for body - is that how you're using it or as 2 channels with footswitch?

I think if you clean it well with lighter fluid first it should be fine.

I think they base it on their 'instrument food' wax, but what that is I couldn't tell you! It's solvent free which I'd guess kiwi shoe polish isn't, but I'd be suprised if they were all that different in terms of effect.

Pearce BC-1 - so nasty! Amazing to run a synth through too. I've a home made Dimension D clone that gets some use, but not all the time!

https://www.montysguitars.com/collections/department-of-component/products/montys-montypresso-relic-wax

I knew just what you were talking about - I know tone has an association with specific frequency profiles, but I think 'open tone' is pretty understandable - that more detailed less hyped sound that seems closer to the er, natural sound of the bass. It's difficult! "Talking about music is like dancing about architecture."

Or you could put a few coats of oil finish on - crimson do one. That way you can kind of choose between mat and gloss depending on how many coats you put on and how much you rub down in between. I like an oil finish as it's not encasing the wood so much, but tastes differ!

The FAQ is pretty buried given it's such a key piece of information! I find it really valuable to think about shaping the tone as much as possible in the direction you want *before* it hits the amp/DI - I think it gives you a much better chance of getting the right sound.

I ended up (massive mission creep) getting a pair of RCF ART712A MK4 and just been fooling about with the ampeg scr-di preamp pedal as a front end for one of them and it very much sounds as I hoped, detailed and revealing of the Ampeg character full range. Thanks to all who helped me decide!

On the Frailin site FAQ they say:

Awesome! Looks HEAVY (in concept I mean not weight). Will you be exhaustively documenting your findings with high quality audio?! Pretty please? 🤞

The other thing I like is the chamfered edge of the pickup where the screw goes in - makes it comfortable to put your thumb - a tiny detail but I like it! G&L MFD very different sound from the P sound to my ears.

I have one of these in black. Really a lovely bass - sounds great, feels great and plays well! Congratulations!

Duh - sorry for my confusion!

I’ve been using this. It’s lead free but tastes like butter, I mean it melts like lead. I tried other ones and they were really hard to make work, I think it’s about the formulation. I do have some lead but I mainly use this now for pcb work.

As a one line review I completely concur!

I don't know if you've seen these: Table with pickup positions