Count Bassy

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?

[quote name='Rich44' post='513007' date='Jun 13 2009, 09:37 PM']Nope, its a passive I'm afraid.[/quote] Check at the ends, especially at the bridge end (ie between the anchor and the saddle), to see if any of the windings have unravelled and are touching the bridge. I had this once and it gave an effect very like you describe.

I have a Fender Urge Mk1 (32" scale) with the two jazz pick ups and a P pickup between them. Generally I'm very happy with it, but have always found that the sound of the P Pickup is very similar to the sound of the two Jazzes blended together, and as such it seems a bit of a waste. (perhaps Stu Hamm's ear is more sensitive than mine). For those who don't know the instrument it has a small body (smaller than a strat) and thinnish neck, with generally a bright tone - in fact I've already gone to ground wounds in order to dull the tone down a bit. Anyway, I've now decided to do something about it, to try and get a more useful range of tones. I have spoken to Andy at Wizard (who is not familiar with the instrument), and we sort of concluded that a sensible thing to try would be to try a Thumper in place of the standard P pick up and leave the jazzes as they are. He also pointed out that part of the problem could be that the P, being between the two Js, is probably closer to the bridge than it would be ideally. However, this is all conjecture, I've not a great experience of different pick ups, and have never heard a Thumper in the flesh, and would it sound the same on this small bodied bass anyway? Having said that, I suspect that what I want is for the P pickup to sound more like a precision bass, even though it is not on a precision bass body/neck. So, I'm really after opinions on what I should try, especially if anyone out there has had the same 'problem' with an Urge and has done something about it. I don't really want to change the bass as I love it in all other respects. The cost of a Thumper isn't a problem if it gives me what I want, but I don't want to buy that only to decide that really I wanted to change the Jazz pick ups! Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Easy enough to make surely?

[quote name='Stylon Pilson' post='509239' date='Jun 9 2009, 04:51 PM']Or swap the jack plate on the back of your speaker cabinet for a speakon. S.P.[/quote] +1. Despite being used as such for years Jack plugs are really not suitable for speaker connections. The have exposed contacts which means that a loose cable end can easily short out against any metal object. Speakons are far better bet since the contacts on both the plugs and sockets are finger/touch proof, they lock into place, and there is no chance of confusing them with instrument leads.

[quote name='alexclaber' post='497926' date='May 26 2009, 12:42 PM']No, it totally depends on the individual components. Some valve preamps sound amazing and valvey, some sound amazing but not in a valvey way, and some sound mediocre. Just like generalising on tone based on speaker diameter leads you to often incorrect conclusions, so does generalising based on amp topology. Alex[/quote] Ah, the thread has come back to life. Alex, When I wrote what I thought was a concluding summary (as the thread seemed to have dried up) what I said seemed to be the overriding view of the posts up to that point. I wasn't expressing my own opinion as I don't have one - hence the questions in the original post! Since my premature summary the weight of opinion seems to be going back towards yes the valve should make a difference but it depends on the valve (and other factors). I believe that the valve in the Marshall B150 is a 12AX7. Assuming that it's still the original valve can anyone suggest an alternative valve to try, something that might make the difference between the valve and the SS pre-amps a bit more noticable/useful. I get the impression from the above that the difference is most noticable when going into distortion, is this correct? Thanks again for your thoughts folks.

The problem I see is that without the weight of a bass behind it the whole thing would move when you tried to pluck it, especially when, as in the picture, trying to play it while it's swinging on a piece of string.

Just so that people don't think there's anything dodgy going on I am announcing that I have changed my user name to 'Count Bassy' Someone recently pointed out to me that anyone googling the band name and my real name name gets to the thread I started about sacking the drummer, and I don't really want anyone googling the band (as if - except perhaps the ex drummer) to stumble upon that thread. The Count - formerly known as Clive Thorne

Well, after a few delays I received the samples from Neutrik - a couple of straights and a couple of right angled. The straight one they sent has a rubber coated body (don't know if the non rubberised one is still available), but the right angle one looks identical to the older version. However the sleeve mechanism on both, despite looking the same as before, is a noticably looser fit and has a weaker spring, which will help with the reported problem (not seen it myself) of them self ejecting. More importantly, I've tried bending the plugs sidways and always, and have not been able to get a sleeve to stick, so it would seem that that particular problem has been resolved. Hooray!

[quote name='Mr.T' post='484829' date='May 11 2009, 09:30 AM'](I wouldn't even consider using wire wool).[/quote] Out of interest, why not? I've had great results with it, though admitedly I've never actually used it on a guitar.

Seems like I'll not be getting the reasoned response to my last posting on the tuner thread that I was hoping for. Ah well, probably for the best. Mods, I think you did the right thing to close the other one downs - better do the same to this one!

We want to put some snippets of our band on our website, but we currently only do covers. What is the legal sitaution with this? Are we allowed a certain length without paying anything? Do we pay the PRS or what.? What about songs that might be out of copyright - how do we find out if they are - What is the length of copyright these days? Thanks in advance