EssentialTension

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1322129554' post='1446765'] Set up is an incredibly personal thing, so why should you expect a bass to be set up to your tastes? [/quote] I think this is dead right. Even if an instrument has been, in a sense, well set up there is no guarantee that it will be how you want it. As I said above, for me, they never have the right strings on so any set up is going to be changed by me anyway.

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1322088764' post='1446508'] Well, at time of writing there's a net two users who would rather click on a down arrow than have a conversation with you. Negative rep for expressing an opinion which is neither objectionable or anti-social. Way to go, whoever you are. [/quote] Yes, it's the anonymous negging of Pete's post that is anti-social and objectionable.

[quote name='bassist_lewis' timestamp='1322081530' post='1446390'] when I was about 16/17 a vowed never to play a Fender because everyone played a Fender. However, I'm changing my mind, as with the stratocaster, the sound of Fender Ps and Js has become a trademark of genres and players, even pick-ups are sometimes referred as 'jazz style' or 'precision style' by non-Fender manufacturers.There's no escape!!! So I was playing an American Deluxe Jazz V today and felt that it was a very nice instrument but that it hadn't been well set-up out of the box, the neck pick-up was too quiet and needed to be raised, the string heights were kind of radiused like you'd find on a double bass so the A stuck up and tripped my fingers over and the relief (or general string height) could have done with being a bit lower. Is this a common thing with new fenders, that it has an off-putting set-up? And how far can it be undone? I like a super-low action but then my Clover's fingerboard is almost flat thanks in advance [/quote] In my experience it's not Fenders any more than any other manufacturer that you're likely to find in a shop. They are never set up how I would want them. For a start they always have roundwound strings. The only time I bought a new bass that was already set up to my liking was direct from Lakland in Chicago and the set up survived the trans-Atlantic trip.

[quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1322071945' post='1446229'] Haha nice one. I think we know which way it will go though. (I also think most of us know that FPTP in this particular poll will leave the real majority feeling a bit had) In years to come we'll look back with fondness to the halcyon days of yore when we once had that cool little "like" button for a while.... which was recieved well enough, so much so that the forum pixies then added a "hate" button too... which sparked off a "debate".... so then we then had to have a poll... which in turn lead to more debate and private lobying... which ultimately ended up with us getting rid of the whole darned thing altogether. [/quote] I would be happy to have kept the 'like' system that we did have and initially I voted for it. It was only when it became apparent that some people understood this as a preference for any reputation system, which it was not, that I changed my vote to deactivate.

[quote name='Machines' timestamp='1322054411' post='1445889'] FWIW - my vote is to get rid of it entirely. [/quote] +1

[quote name='BassBus' timestamp='1322047614' post='1445720'] Whatever the result I will be staying here and accept the majority outcome. [/quote] Which majority are you referring to because there's been some dispute?

I bought a Boss TU-3 tuner from Andy. Very straight forward deal and very nicely packed. Thank you.

[quote name='Bassman Sam' timestamp='1322011304' post='1445540'] I remember seeing Lindisfarne in the early '70's headlining in at the Green's Playhouse in Glasgow. I was so blown away by the sound from the bass live, I saved up and bought a S/H Rick 4001 fretless 12 months later. BTW, the support band was Genesis who were promoting the Foxtrot album. So, at a guess, it must have been around '72 - '73. [/quote] I saw Genesis supporting Lindisfarne at Birmingham Town Hall but top of the bill were Van Der Graaf Generator.

[quote name='sarah thomas' timestamp='1321611398' post='1441095'] Found one. Many thanks to Boulderbrow - I especially like being able to say 'I bought it from a man in a car park.' [/quote] That sounds cool. Was it a multi-storey?

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1321979452' post='1445078'] Natural minor with a minor sixth and natural seventh instead of a flattened seventh. [/quote] I like that scale a lot.

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1321918554' post='1444514'] I'll try to rephrase :-) 10 people like the colour red 10 people like red and yellow 10 people don't like red or yellow In this case 20 like red, 10 like yellow and 10 like neither. Make sense? [/quote] No, because your options are not analogous to the options available in this poll.

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1321888803' post='1444070'] That doesn't make much sense to me to be honest. Given the poll options the example doesn't work instead it would be: Red Party = 50 Red And Yellow Party to share the rule = 50 Yellow Party = 4 Green Party = 51 So in the above the Red Party has been voted for 100 times and only 51 + 4 are against the red party [/quote]

If you haven't already, try the Rickenbacker forum e.g. this thread [url="http://www.rickenbacker.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=14716"]http://www.rickenbac...php?f=5&t=14716[/url]

[quote name='skinzz' timestamp='1321895710' post='1444170'] thanks for all the replies, how do you know which are light medium or heavy tension ... [/quote] Very few string manufacturers publish tension figures so we mostly know from our own experience. [quote name='skinzz' timestamp='1321895710' post='1444170'] ... i bought a hofner cos i love the beatles, i ordered the rick about a year after i bought the hofner and it only arrived 2 months ago after waiting 2 years and a bit for it, im taking it to a bloke who was recommended on here to set it up properly for me martin from sims guitar works, he's so highly regarded that people send him their ricks from abroad to setup he's gonna charge me £45 which i though was dead reasonable, heres my baby [/quote] Someone with more expertise might put me right on this but I would guess that McCartney was using Pyramids on his Hofners and that the Ricky came with Ricky flats.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1321872577' post='1443809'] You can still do that: Click 'Delete My Vote' then vote again. I did. [/quote] So did I.

I know nothing about Warwicks but the Road Worn Fender Jazz I played in GAK was excellent, IMHO.

[quote name='skinzz' timestamp='1321814146' post='1443397'] great and how about the [b][color=#ff9900]daddario chromes ?[/color][/b] [/quote] You'll have to decide but on a Ricky I'd probably try the light gauge: 45-65-80-100

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1321813927' post='1443390'] There are several musical threads in Off-Topic that are interesting and which I'd like to contribute to. However no matter how hard I try it's difficult not to get sucked in to the non-musical w***ery that also gets posted. Personally I'd like Off Topic to be split into separate musical and non-musical forums but for some reason the Mods are reluctant to entertain this suggestion. [/quote] I'd very much support this. Especially the word w***ery.

[quote name='skinzz' timestamp='1321812373' post='1443353'] Great thanks everyone so which set of thomastiks and which daddarios would be good gauge for a rick, i'm going to buy either of the two Regards chris [/quote] Thomastik Jazz Flats only come in one gauge: 43-56-70-100

[quote name='skinzz' timestamp='1321810977' post='1443321'] low tension ? im a newbie to bass really can you please explain more , and which daddario chromes do you use gauge etc regards chris [/quote] To keep it untechnical, the tension is how stiff the string is when you pluck it. It's partly dependent on the construction of the string such that some strings, e.g. Thomastiks, are rather low tension (i.e. softer/gentler to pluck) and others e.g. Jamerson gauge La Bellas, are higher tension (i.e. take a lot more effort to pluck). Chromes are higher tension, Pyramids are lower tension but not as low as Thomastiks.

[quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1321810524' post='1443308'] What sounds great to one person will sound bad to another. That is the trouble with strings. They are such a personal taste. The Thomastiks are known for their highs. They are bright, as flats go, but have very low tension, which your Ric's neck will love, but you may not. [/quote] I'd call the Thomastiks middy rather than bright but as you suggest it's all quite subjective. I do think Thomastiks could well sound very good on a Ricky.

[quote name='skinzz' timestamp='1321809284' post='1443286'] hi i know this topic has comne up before but i really want to know what are the best sounding flatwound strings for a rick 4003, i currently have pyramid gold flats on mine, they sound ok i.e very muted smooth low and warm, but the overall tone and highs are not great at all, unlike my hofner where the same strings are better sounding and sound more bright up the neck, ive been looking at la bella deep talking bass 43.60.82.104 are these gauges ok ? for the rick they are £51, same as the pyramids, i dont want to spend this much money on strings and not be happy with them, ive heard people using thomastik, rotosound , daddario flats, but which really are the best sounding ?? im a bit confused lol regards Chris [/quote] 'Best sounding' will depend on what you're looking for (or rather listening for) and there's not much telling whether you'll like a particular brand without trying them on the particular bass. With flats, it's an expensive business. I've heard it said the Ricky flats sound particularly good on a Ricky but never having played a Ricky with flats I couldn't be sure. The La Bellas you mention sound like the 760FL light gauge set which I think are the most commonly used - I don't know where they are £51 but at Stringbusters they are £29. Compared to the Pyramids to they are slightly more tense and slightly less dull.

As well as changing the EQ, you can have a big effect on tone by moving your right-hand nearer bridge or nearer the neck. Imagine a P or J bass with the covers on. Playing at the bridge cover is very different from playing at the pickup cover. Different strings can make a big difference too. Flats with a pick can have a very clear bottom end. With EQ, try more low-mids.

[quote name='LawrenceH' timestamp='1321800213' post='1443123'] I agree with this and would change my vote to 'likes only' if it was disconnected from a running 'reputation' tally and de-anonymised. That last is also important for it to function as intended I think. [/quote] [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1321800793' post='1443137'] Absolutely. Like it was before this unnecessary change was implemented. [/quote] So, with or without the reputation tally because we had that before?