EssentialTension

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1320570812' post='1428336'] Never in any circumstance but then I play heavy gauges. Maybe the few to break strings having been playing lighter gauges? [/quote] I don't know about anyone else but the two breakages I referred to above were: (1) Thomastik Jazz Flat A string .070 (during Betty Everett's [i]You're No Good[/i] IIRC) - the string unravelled at the bridge after about three years on the bass, which was a shame because the strings were really sounding good by then. (2) La Bella 760N Black Nylon A string .094 (during Stevie Wonder's [i]Master Blaster[/i]) - the ball end split away from the string after about eighteen months on the bass, which was fine because I replaced the 760Ns with an old set of Pyramid Gold Flats and was reminded how much I like Pyramids. I don't think gauge had anything to do with it, although it might in some cases.

Definitely doing less than I used to: 2007 = eighteen gigs with two different bands 2008 = twenty-nine gigs with three bands 2009 = eighteen gigs with three bands 2010 = nine gigs with two bands 2011 = five gigs with one band 2012= two booked with two bands so far. And this year three basses out and only one in (so far).

My son broke a string on my Decade this afternoon. I broke one at a gig about three years ago.

Looking at that thread again, it does end with a good attempt by Doddy to explain what Willis is talkin' 'bout.

[quote name='apa' timestamp='1320491857' post='1427462'] Not a how to but a how do? Just out of curiosity I was wondering how you all intonate your fretless to aline to the dots? I do mine so that if I finger just before the dot the string is actually 'fretted' on the dot if you know what I mean To my mind if you finger over the dot the note will be a little forward of the dot due to the thickness of your finger. Whats your prefered? and whats the 'correct' way? No rights or wrongs in all this unless you want to take into acount the microscopic difference in scale length and hence dot positions that these two methods make A [/quote] I just make sure that the octave is about correct at the double dot and the rest is ear. Gary Willis thinks it's more complicated than you say: [url="http://garywillis.com/pages/bass/bassmanual/setupmanual.html"]http://garywillis.co...etupmanual.html[/url] I've asked here at Basschat for an explanation of Willis' claim about the correctly intonated note not always being in the same relation to fretlines and/or side dots but I've never found a satisfactory answer or even whether Willis is right or not - most people seem to dismiss his point of view: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/62523-varying-finger-position-in-relation-to-fretlines-on-fretless-bass/page__hl__gary+willis__fromsearch__1"]http://basschat.co.u...__fromsearch__1[/url]

Nice colour.

[quote name='mercuryl' timestamp='1320350902' post='1425800'] ... it appears that the consensus is that Leo got it so spot on from the off ... [/quote] I don't think one has to believe that Leo got it exactly right, only that he did get it right enough to corner the relevant market. Once the Fender bass is in that market position it becomes THE bass - sound, looks, feel, reliability - that is the standard for most people and this is true whether it says Fender, Lakland, or Sadowsky etc on the headstock. There are Fender basses made by Fender but also Fender basses made by other companies and I don't myself see it as copying, it's just about making a standard kind of bass. If you don't like them or feel comfortable with them then, fair enough , be like BRX and buy a GUS or whatever suits you.

This one is a TSB650: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bw2o_Go4QWI

[quote name='henry norton' timestamp='1320311828' post='1425043'] [url="http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f8/club-dark-star-731040/index5.html"]http://www.talkbass....040/index5.html[/url] Posted by 'mungi' on page 12. It's a long thread, basically anything about Darkstars, so you can sort of follow the recent history. [/quote] Thank you.

[quote name='markorbit' timestamp='1320311661' post='1425040'] [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONsUPtkQlYU[/media] [/quote] Well that looks definitely like an SB.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1320308865' post='1424997'] That's the one - looks like a TSB650... Definitely not very Fendery [/quote] Yes, definitely TSB650. I used to have a TSB550, very nice 32" scale basses.

[quote name='markorbit' timestamp='1320284836' post='1424921'] ... Don't recall an Ibanez Musician bass being used much if at all - are you sure it's not an Aria SB Series?... [/quote] ... are you sure it's not an Aria TSB series?

[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1320238732' post='1424105'] If it wasn't for people replacing the sale price with the word 'SOLD' when they sell stuff. [/quote] Yes, very anti-social.

[quote name='henry norton' timestamp='1318954891' post='1408223'] In the last week or two on TalkBass someone has posted news about a Swedish organisation that has been working with some of the old Hagstrom employees to re-recreate the Bi-Sonic, including a 5 string version. [/quote] Have you got a link for that?

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1320272806' post='1424795'] I was thinking more along the lines of - work out how to build them, make a few for myself and post plans on internet.... Or get a factory in china to make a couple of 1000...... [/quote] Yeah, go for it, I'll take two.

[quote name='Doctor J' timestamp='1320270397' post='1424743'] Bass direct had a trans white 54 style, custom shop model, a while back... I'd have killed you all for it [/quote] That was nice.

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1320268964' post='1424716'] and apparently he's not making it anymore. [/quote] So, project that might not be quite fun ... buy Fred Hammon's tooling etc. and start making Dark Stars and see if you can keep up with the demand.

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1320268327' post='1424704'] project that could be quite fun..... .... could you make your own darkstar? has anyone tried? [/quote] Well, Fred Hammon made his own Hagstrom Bisonic and called it the Dark Star.

[quote name='Hutton' timestamp='1320228461' post='1423915'] Funny isn't it. I've never had a problem with them. They are on all my basses. [/quote] Same here, never had any problems with Schallers.

[quote name='AntLockyer' timestamp='1320219464' post='1423796'] I don't get any fret noise with mine at all, might be worth checking your setup. My deep talkin flats feel so nice under the fingers, so smooth. [/quote] +1

I had some Wizard 64s in my Squier CV Jazz. They did the trick nicely and relatively cheaply.

[quote name='bremen' timestamp='1320095203' post='1422366'] What? [/quote] A 'negotiable instrument' is a bit like a cheque - it is a promissory note or guarantee of payment, a bank draft.