hubrad

My take on it all is this: I use a Trace Elliot head, which I know quite a few folks don't like tonally; I can get 'my' sound(s) on it nicely. Hence that works for me. While I prefer the analogue idea in general, if I can get 'my' sound(s) on a digital setup - and, let's face it, nearly all of us will be recorded on digital gear these days - then I don't care either whether it's analogue or digital or even what the name on the front says. Having said that, if you need a specific amp and cab combination for 'your' sound then that's fine by me.

[quote name='urb' post='874686' date='Jun 22 2010, 06:32 PM']Liane is amazing and highly recommended live - her husband Roger Carey is a mean electric bass jazzer and really tears it up in her trio - a really underrated player IMO[/quote] A big fat +1 to that.. he manages to combine busy and extremely cool in the same bassline! Well worth checking out - there's some vids of them on Youtube, even better to catch LCT at a gig.

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='876695' date='Jun 24 2010, 06:20 PM']The bass playing equivalent of Vogon poetry. I managed 34 seconds before I went clinically insane and started to eat my own feet! [/quote] Possibly the best post I've seen on here so far!

I only really play fretless; at that point you notice board wear more than if it's an occasional play. Even ebony will wear down eventually with rounds. I sort of agree with all the above.. basically it's personal preference(!) I only liked rounds for a long time, but prob my favourite is halfround - very much a hybrid both in tone and feel, between flat and round. I now have 3 fretlesses, one with rounds, one halfround and one now with black nylon tapewound. If you're heading up to Bradford area at any time you're welcome to compare and contrast!

Being more into singers than instrumentals, how about Tina May - doesn't play an instrument, but you can actually hear her smile! Liane Carroll - plays amazing piano while singing a totally different (or totally same!) line. Used to smoke like a chimney during piano solos.. she's had to stop that, but it hasn't harmed her voice at all.

[quote name='yorks5stringer' post='873876' date='Jun 21 2010, 08:58 PM']What it really needs is the frets taking out and the fretboard epoxied.....![/quote] And the timimg sorting out

I think if tilting a bass cab I would be leaving the head on the floor or a table. OP - Can you really not get enough from a 2x10 on the floor? I've never had a prob there; head is 250W Trace Elliot powering a custom build cab loaded with Eminence (400W handling).

Good post Bilbo, can't be too careful! I'm known as the nut who takes his DB into the curry house after the gig.

[quote name='voxpop' post='869421' date='Jun 16 2010, 08:41 PM']Will the' Long scale' sets fit a 35" neck??? They seen to be very cheap compared to the other more 'well known' brands.[/quote] Yup, the normal sets work on 35", certainly with bridge stringing. A chap I know who has a 36" Overwater had to get the Extra Long Scale. I just put the Picato black nylon tapewounds on one of mine on Sat before the gig.. I'll be leaving those on there for a while, methinks! [quote name='Monz' post='870521' date='Jun 18 2010, 09:37 AM']Unless I am mistaken you might find a lot of similarities between Picato and Overwater strings... In fact I might go as far as to suggest you may struggle to find any differences [/quote]

Another one well worthy of consideration IMHO is the Stentor 1950.. solid top, 'wood' fingerboard (ebony available for a bit extra), full list £755 with bag and bow. This is my base level bass for selling in the shop as it's reliably good sounding and generally needs no more than a minor tweak to the setup straight out of the box (as others have said, once the bridge and soundpost are in place). I've sold these to friends, so I know I would hear very quickly about any problems. Shop around London area and you'll probably find some heavily competitive pricing or even a decent used one; I wouldn't particularly recommend mail ordering a DB, although some do. I'd play it first.

Nice one Johnston, will have a look for those. Great post by the way!

The Little Book Of Lies comes of age! Is it my imagination, or do the modern ones contain significantly less information than 'the old days'?

[quote name='fender73' post='869263' date='Jun 16 2010, 05:26 PM']If you like it and it feels right...get it!![/quote] Absolutely!

I use Picato myself.. was into flats for a fair while, but at the mo I'm really enjoying the halfrounds. I prefer stainless, but alot go for nickel roundwound, possibly less stress for your frets! As I don't have a fretted bass on the go, I can't really comment on 'normal' slap tone, but I'm well happy with them on fretless ebony board. Extra bonus - being British made (Treorchy) they're remarkably cheap!

Wow.. how does one practice that? Any out-takes? Mesmerising!

Hi Chris, My experience of these things is that most of them are solid body hence you get a solid body kind of sound. A bit more lively by means of a piezo pickup, but still solid body with all the sustain etc. I had a hollowbody EUB for a while, with a solid spruce top, which had a much more DB-like sound. I think that's the way to go.. at the mo I'm experimenting with a neck and some chunks of wood - aiming to introduce some element of hollowness. Strings-wise, most EUBs I've seen come with steel core strings; changing to synthetic core - Innovation are nice and inexpensive - generally gives a bit more mellow richness rather than bright punchy sustain. Also sometimes the stock pickups can be quite hard.. I use a Realist which is really rather natural sounding. Dunno what they do but I like it! Also amplification - electric bass gear will sound more, well, electric. Using a full range cab (a mate in Leeds uses a JBL PA cab) will give a bit more acoustic-ish tone.

Well, without wishing to sound obvious, a fretless would help! Seriously though, get on the fretless and just play it loads and your tone should come.. you'll probably end up sounding not quite like your original aim but coming out with your own voice. Flats or halfrounds will give you a fatter tone, less sparkle, if that's what you're after. You can always experiment with amps as well. Personally I use a 17 year old Trace head and various 10 or 12 speakers. I prefer the tone of ebony board, but many find rosewood (less expensive too!) suits them better. Love it! p.s. If you get down to my neck of the woods you're welcome to a go on my stuff. pps.. Nice vid.. Marcus Miller - what a starting point!

Nice one, Rev! DT is The Man and is an inspiration, both in tone and lines. Well worth getting hold of his VHS video 'Bassically Speaking' which, rather than a how to play vid, is more of an essay on being a bass player. Catch DT in concert and he may well have them for sale.

[quote name='garethox' post='858662' date='Jun 6 2010, 09:34 AM']We're bass players... we don't warrant a shortlist![/quote] The best Bass Player joke I heard so far - 'How many bass players does it take to change a light bulb? None, because we're not afraid of the dark.' [quote name='thisnameistaken' post='858734' date='Jun 6 2010, 11:26 AM']You lot are always getting angry at the telly. Just don't watch the telly![/quote] We dropped Sky TV when the box started malfunctioning. Got a Freeview box.. it's amazing how much less telly we watch now!

Self-employed, deffo.. I do this as well as employed work, and fill in the dreaded Tax Return each year. I sometimes pay extra tax, sometimes not. Against: A bit more hassle, and you may have to shell out some extra money in tax assuming you already earn more than your personal tax allowance. For: You're now legal, and you may be able to reclaim some of that tax you've already paid from the employed work. You can claim various expenses incurred in the self-employed work against your overall taxable income. Best thing is to talk to your local tax office - they are there to make everything work properly and will furnish you with all the relevant information. [url="http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/selfemployed/"]http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/selfemployed/[/url]

I took the caps off the tone pots on mine (many moons ago) so they just acted as a gradual coil tap. I also got a few replacement pots as they were a custom taper for the T-40.. might still have them in a deep recess of the Projects Box. Great bass, mine was natural and maple neck. Only sold it as I only played fretless.. maybe should have done the conversion!