Count Bassy

[quote name='Mikey D' post='552526' date='Jul 27 2009, 12:37 PM']I have a GWB35 that has been upgraded with a custom Nordstrand Dual Coil Pickup and a Bee Pre. I sold a standard GWB35 to buy this one that was already upgraded so I have used both and the difference is astounding, but I can't tell you if the preamp or the pickup has added more. I have no idea what a Bee Pre costs but the web link is here: [url="http://www.beebasses.com/html/bee_pre.html"]Bee Basses Website[/url] There are some recordings of the bass at [url="http://www.myspace.com/daniellabove"]Daniella Bove's Myspace[/url] that give you some idea of the sound, but I'm based in Milton Keynes and you are more than welcome to come and try it out sometime.[/quote] Thanks for this. I've looked at the website, but they don't give a price for the preamp, or even say that they will sell it on its own, although you've got one so they obviously do! I've also googled various combinations, but can't find any reference to them in the UK. Also of course it requires additional holes, so I might pass on that one for now. Actually I might just drop them an E-mail to get a price. I might well take you up on your offer of having a try out at some time - thanks.

[quote name='BigRedX' post='552501' date='Jul 27 2009, 12:10 PM']Considering your comment re the ACG pre-amp it looks like you got a good deal on your GW bass. Was this new (in which case where and do they have any more?) or second hand?[/quote] It's ony the GWB35 which you can now get new for about £495. I bought it second hand about 18 months ago (through basschat) for £300, at which time you could get it new for about £430. Hence my comment on paying £180 for the preamp. Note that I'm not saying that its not a reasonable price for what it is, just that I'd find it hard to justify fitting one to a £500 (new)bass (I'm only an ameteur after all).

Summarising what I've got so far then, from peoples contributions above, and looking on the web: [b]ACG EQ02 3K/S:[/b] I'm sure that this is amazing, but at £180 + I'm going to have to pass on it for now. Also it would require drilling extra holes which I'd prefer not to do at the moment. [b]EAST BTB-01[/b] £92.50 with the black knobs. I'm suer that this will also sound good, and at that price is a possibility. Does anyone know if this unit actually amplifies the signal at all in its 'Flat' setting, as I'd quite like to boost the output as well. This looks very easy to fit and vould not require additional holes. [b]EMG BTC[/b] £78, but a lot of the reviews say that it is a bit harsh and un-natural sounding. Anyone here got any experiance of these. [b]Seymour Duncans[/b] All seem to be for twin pickups [b]Bartolini NTBT 2.2 A/P[/b] On paper looks good, and one of those recomended by someone in this thread. Also I quite like what they say about how they build them. Bassed on the dollar price and the UK rip off factor, I'm [b]guessing[/b] it would be about £100 over here, but therein lies a problem: I haven't been able to find anyone selling this usnit in the UK. Anyone got any ideas? I'd say that the John East is probably the front runner at the moment, but anyone else got any further ideas before I get my credit card out? Thanks again

[quote name='lemmywinks' post='542490' date='Jul 16 2009, 06:39 PM']Think i've said before that buying a box of 9v batteries is false economy, guitarists circle round em like vultures and you end up losing half of them![/quote] And your kids!

/insert tongue in cheek/ Still not sure what a 'piccolo bass' is. Surely 'bass' derives from the range of the instrument, so isn't a piccolo bass a contradiction in terms. Have you considered of a ukelele? - available with the right number of strings and in the right register. /remove tongue from cheek/

[quote name='JanSpeeltBas' post='547196' date='Jul 22 2009, 12:17 AM']Try this [url="http://www.inspire-instruments.de/"]http://www.inspire-instruments.de/[/url] this is one bass playable on two sides / just flip from fretted to fretless... The concept in the last post with switchable fingerboards is an old idea, the so called Switchboard was introduced in the early 80s...[/quote] That is one ugly bass though

A Fender Urge perhaps? 24 ftrets, 4 string, two jazz and an a P pickup - and tonolly quite versatile. BUT: Probably a special order - I've never seen one in a shop waiting to be bought. Edited to add - They've be around a while and do come up second hand for around £600.

[quote name='skelf' post='548156' date='Jul 22 2009, 08:37 PM']The ACG filter pre-amp differs from a normal cut and boost EQ (all the other EQ's mentioned in this thread) in that it uses a lowpass filter and a highpass filter instead of low/mid/treble of a normal EQ. So when using a filter pre-amp you are not cutting or boosting a specific frequency you are letting that frequency through the filter. In the case of the lowpass filter think of it as a door. With the door fully closed you have only the bass frequencies present but as you open the door you start to let higher frequencies through so more low mids and as you continue to open the filter (door) you let increasing amounts of higher frequencies through. This is what the lower ring of the lowpass filter does. The upper ring of the filter allows you to add gain to the frequency set by the lower ring. Think of it as a resonance control. The good thing about a lowpass filter is that the bass is always present. The high pass filter works the other way round. If you are used to using the normal EQ it does take a slight rethink on how you use the pre-amp to get the best results. But half an hour using it and you will have found loads of usable tones. The filter pre-amp works particularly well with fretless.[/quote] Thanks for a clear explanation - the only one, and hence the best, I've seen. Does the ACG 'filter bassed' pre-amp still boost the overall signal level above that of the incoming passive pick up? Edited to add: Just looked at the amp on the ACG site. Don't take this the wrong way, but Ouch!. That's 2/3 of what I payed for the bass in the first place!

[quote name='Spartacus' post='548083' date='Jul 22 2009, 08:04 PM']When do you ever realy cut the bass on your bass? [/quote] That's fair point. I guess you get used to all the active basses allowing you to do that if you want, but as you say, when do you actually do it? I guess you might if you were into solo work well up the neck, but that's not really what I do anyway.

Thanks for the thoughts chaps Listened to the sound clips of the East one and I like them. I'm a bit puzzled though: people seem to talk about the John East ones taking some getting used to, and the fact that they are 'filter based', but no one seems to actually explain how they are different from the standard type of preamp, iether in terms of technology, or how you use them. The only obvious thing I can see from a control point of view is that the East BTB 01 doesn't let you cut the bass, only boost it which, superficially would seem to be a disadvantage (obviously it's not as people rave about them) I've looked at the Bartolini (on line), but can't find anywhere where you can buy them online (even the Bartolini site is undergoing maintenance). Do you have to order these direct, or are there established UK Stockists?. Also came across the EMG units while trawling the net - are these any good? Again, thanks for your thoughts so far chaps.

I have an Ibanez GWB35 (five string fretless) which is steadily becoming my favourite bass. Generally I love it, but I am starting to tire of the pre-amp. I actually quite like the tone shaping available, but it is very noisy, especially if you start to turn the treble up. Also, if I am going to change it then I'd ideally like something with a higher output, so that it was a closer match to that of my Fender Urge (Mk1). Anyway, has anyone upgraded the preamp in one of these? If so to what, and how well did it work?. Failing that , does anyone have any general ideas for any upgrade without specific experience of this particular model? This bass only has a single pickup, with a volume control and stacked bass and treble controls, i.e. there are two holes available for mounting the controls, and at this stage I probably wouldn't want to change that, although I don't mind what I put in those holes (eg stacked pots, or combined pot/push pull switch etc.) I am probably looking to change the actual pots anyway as they are a bit crackly, so I have no problem buying a complete kit. Finally, if people thought it would help, I would consider changing the pickup, but the main apparent problem is in the preamp. Thanks in advance for any thoughts. PS: Anyone got any ideas why Ibanez would put such a cheap preamp in what is otherwise great bass? it's a real "'apeth of tar" job. Perhaps it was deliberate decision so that it didn't take too many sales from the much more expensive GWB1000, or what ever it is.

Leaving the amp gain control aside, isn't this what the volume control on the bass is for? - turning your volume down on the bass should not compromise your sound unless you are overdriving the input to the amp, and that is the sound you like. In that case then you need to get amp/cabs that will handle that sound, or at least give you the volume you need before it starts to fart.

Thanks for your thoughts chaps, and apologies for the delay in acknowledging your replies - I've been away for work for a few days. Obviously 32" 5 strings are a minority intersest and I need to try before I buy. Unfortunately the people who do them are all respected small scale luthiers, and are thus quite expensive. The Kingbass sound interesteing as it also has a narrow sring spacing, but the cost might rule it out. Having said that , the fact that these people do make them suggests that they can produce a good sound, and possibly their rarity is due to the general uncommoness of the 32" scale. I need to think this one through a bit! Apologies for the typos - been drinking

[quote name='bartelby' post='533014' date='Jul 5 2009, 02:01 PM']Here's some: [url="http://www.jeanbaudin.com/bassgear.html"]http://www.jeanbaudin.com/bassgear.html[/url] Conklin made them.[/quote] Those 11 strings are some ugly instruments though

Originally for historic reasons I have always been a 32" 4 string player, but about a year ago bought an Ibanez GWB35 ie a 34" five string fretless. I love the fretless bit and the 5 string bit, and get on OK with the 34" scale, but there are things I can't do the 34" scale that I can do on a 32" scale (Mostly when playing two notes at once. Obviously the stretch problem is helped on a 5 string as you can often play based around the fifth fret, but not always. Anyway, I am starting to gas for a five string fretted and while I might end up with a 34" I'd like to invetsigate 5 string 32 inchers first. I know that they are pretty rare (which might be for a good reason), the only ones that spring to mind being the Birdsong and the Landing. However before making enguiries along those lines (they are both quite expensive), has anyone here actually got, or had experience of a 32" fiver. I know that the general opinion is that the B string will be crap, but is this actually the case, or just a preconception? IF they were really that bad why would the like of Birdsong and Landing make them?

If you're going to use effects set up the basic sound/eq with the all the effects off, then set up your effects to work with that.

[quote name='mcgraham' post='528681' date='Jun 30 2009, 03:08 PM']Also, second hand instruments have been vetted by someone already. Thus, the bad ones get weeded out, and the good ones survive (or don't get sold).[/quote] But then why is it being sold? someone has vetted it and rejected it! Having said that I agree with everything else you say, and 4 out of 5 of my basses were second hand, and the fifth I built myself.

[quote name='Rich' post='526046' date='Jun 27 2009, 04:21 PM']Yes, I've heard him come up with that before. He seems to be arguing that there's no point in learning something unless you're going to get paid for it. Now call me a radical, but what's so wrong with playing or learning stuff for the [i]enjoyment[/i] of it? If getting paid was the be all and end all, I'd never get to play a note.[/quote] That's not how I read what he said. I read it to mean that, impressive as the 'advanced techniques' are, they are not a very big part of what people want a bass player to do.

Small petrol generators are pretty cheap and very quite these days. Having said that you still wouldn't want it in the garage with you, kicking out all that CO!

[quote name='Josh' post='519243' date='Jun 20 2009, 12:58 PM']You are seriously limiting your technique by not utilizing the advantage of using all 4 fingers when playing, you may find it a hindrance but it is almost etiquette to use all four fingers on the fretting hand.[/quote] Does that also go for plucking hand ?. Seems to me that most people use just two fingers on the plucking hand, but that doesn't get derided. Peronally I used all five digits on the plucking hand and the 4 fingers on the fretting hand ( may hand is not big enough for the thumb to come round teh top, even if I wanted it to).

Mine, That I've had a bass since I was 18 and have only really started playing it in the last 3 years (I'm now 52). Had I taken it seriously then then I would undoubtedly be a better player than I am, and would have done far more with it (not saying that I'd ever have made money out of it). Having said that I have been playing melodeon for 35 years as well (again not pro), but it's certainly made life interseting.

WD40 will loosen a lot of grime, and is prtty benign (ie unlikely to affect any laquer/varnish). Or try IPA (Iso Propyl Alcohol) Or try the orange oil based label remover stuff. You could try lemon oil, as sold for fret boards, as this will also lift a lot of grime, but its expensive compared to the above three. But as they always say - 'test on an unobtrusive area first'

[quote name='Rich44' post='513226' date='Jun 14 2009, 12:02 PM']Well low and behold, just check it and the E string windings are coming off at the nut end and a little bit at the bridge! You psychic much?! Should I just try to trim these now? Can't afford new strings at the mo.[/quote] I was lucky as I had it on a brand new string so got it replaced free of charge. You'd have nothing to loose by trimming off the loose ends (as long as they haven't reached the playing length) Possibly a touch of super glue on it to stop it unravelling further? I really don't know if this will work, but you've probably got nothing to lose in trying. Let us know how you get on.

To go against the grain of the thread - I've had a GWB35 for about a year and, after dithering for along time, have just taken the ramp off (hardly dramatic - it's only 4 screws). Wish I'd done it ages ago - suits my style far better without !!

Thanks MD. Anyone else got anything to suggest?