EssentialTension

Excellent stuff, not seen either of those before.

These do look nice but I think I'd probably go for the cheaper semi-hollow Casady over the chambered Midtown.

I used to have an Aria with a brass nut. I don't think it made any difference and I can't see how it could make a difference once you are fretting a note. What matters with a nut is that it is cut well.

Putting a string on shouldn't be breaking the tuning peg. I don't know much about Ibanezes but BTBs are 35" five or six string aren't they? Did the bottom B string wind OK without breaking?

[quote name='cloudburst' timestamp='1348328307' post='1812403'] ...I'd sell my granny to get this... [/quote] Forum rules say you need to state a price.

[quote name='Doddy' timestamp='1348273569' post='1811892'] I keep mine at pretty much the same height standing as when I'm sitting ... [/quote] That's it.

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1348173285' post='1810516'] It really is amazing how many people simply don`t regard the bass as being a vital part of the band. At a gig I played, I was chatting to a mate, and her friend asked if I was in the band. When I said yes, she asked what I played, I told her I played the bass, and her reply was "Oh that`s not as important as the others, is it?" I could have tried to advise her of how important the bass is, but it`s difficult enough with other musicians who don`t play bass, so where was the point? I just feel content in the knowledge she obviously thought I was in the band for my looks. [/quote] I was at a party chatting to some woman. I happened to mention that I was a bassist. She said 'Oh, you don't look tall enough to be a bassist'. (I'm 5' 10", not that it's of any relevance.)

What is the body wood going to be? Bass Doc, IIRC, reckons the originals were tulip wood.

[quote name='Themrperson' timestamp='1348171557' post='1810478'] ... I don't like with people saying "You play bass because you couldn't play guitar" or "Anyone can play the bass" ... [/quote] Not anyone can play bass, I'm still struggling to play it myself.

[quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1348173068' post='1810512'] ... As for people who think that bass is easy....when I hear that ... [/quote] I offer them a go on the unlined fretless.

[quote name='steve-bbb' timestamp='1348153649' post='1810108'] actually that just made me ponder..... we often hear of peeps putting P necks on the J body but ive never seen a J neck on a P body unless of course anybody knows different .... [/quote]

[quote name='BassBod' timestamp='1332171352' post='1584220'] There was also a huge manufacturer called Mapes (or similar) who made them for lots of companies, but never had their own brand. Not sure if they still exist, but I'm sure Google will tell us..... [/quote] According to their website Mapes make piano strings but also supply specialist wire for the manufacture of guitar strings to Gibson, Fender, D'Addario, SIT, DR, Ernie Ball, GHS, and several others - [url="http://www.mapeswire.com/specialtywire.html"]http://www.mapeswire.com/specialtywire.html[/url]

There's either a lot of people pretending to have string factories or, much more likely, there are a lot of string factories. I've also seen pictures from the Thomastik, the Pyramid and the Martin factories.

Fender factory, Mexico:

A day at the GHS factory: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoEKdH7qR74

... and Rotosound factory:

Rotosound factory:

[quote name='BurritoBass' timestamp='1348005536' post='1808144'] Cheers. I think I'm looking at medium length according to other sites. Yep, the 60s vibe is what I was after and I knew a bit about string history - just not the lengths! Hofner strings are ridiculously expensive so probably just one of the usual (cheaper) manufacturers like Rotosound is fine [/quote] Medium 32" scale is probably going to work. I believe Hofner strings are really Pyramid strings - which won't make them any cheaper.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1346049999' post='1784377'] The original meaning is to kill one in ten (hence the "deci" part) which in my book isn't a large percentage at all. [/quote] [quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1346087653' post='1785107'] Nowt, but a few of us, me included, are so old that we both remember the original meaning of the word, and rode on dinosaurs in our youth. best, bert [/quote] 'Decimation' was used by the Roman armies as a punishment for mutiny or cowardice. The mutineers or cowards were put into groups of ten. Lots were drawn to see which one of the ten soldiers would be 'decimated'. The unfortunate chosen one was then killed by the other nine.

This is Jim D'Addario (I'm presuming it really is him) from 2008: [quote] XL120 10-31-2008, 05:11 AM This is Jim D'Addario here. . . .I find these threads very interesting. Unfortunatley there is a lot of myth and fantasy in some of them. I can share with you that D'Addario is the largest manufacturer of strings in the world right here on Long Island. We have 800 employees in NY making strings and Evans drumheads. We produce 550,000 strings per day and devote ourselves to maintaining high quality standards. We have never purchased a string from anyone. Yes there are only a handful of major string manufacturers and many of them including D'Addario make strings for other brands that you may play and love. Many brands that out-source their strings from other manufactuers do have their own specifications so all strings are NOT THE SAME. It is true that prior to marketing D'Addario as a brand our family business was known as Darco Music Strings. We sold the company to Martin Guitars in 1969. All D'Addario strings are made in the USA. Some major brands import strings. You should check your country of origin when buying. D'Addario is also the only company that makes its own wire. We have two wire mills, one in Conn. and one in Mass. that make super high quality, specialized wires just for string making. One makes our core and plain steel wire and the other coated EXP wire. FYI. JD [url="http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=456584&page=2"]http://www.thegearpa...t=456584&page=2[/url] [/quote]

La Bella factory:

Here's the D'Addario factory:

[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1347918667' post='1806763'] The problem is, if I went to the trouble of cutting and pasting loads of info, pics and vids of Scott Thunes, it would take me two hours and the thread would get 4 hits. Everything is out there already, if people are interested they'll find it (and that's half the fun). And who is going to trust that dAVE_tHE_bOLLOCKS from Lowestoft who lists his interests as 'saving the Marsh Harrier, blogging the history of melamine, and sitting firmly on heritage potatoes.' has got the definitive reference collection on Robert Palmer from No Quarter? [/quote] I would consult your Scott Thunes thread, so you only need three more.

That would be bad, in a bad sense.

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1347901732' post='1806416'] ... got to talking about the type of basslines he likes to listen to ... [/quote] I don't really listen to basslines as such, I listen to music. However, a good bassline can occur in any genre of music. I think the only genre I never listen to is that metally kind of stuff.