EssentialTension

[quote name='blackmn90' post='1276397' date='Jun 20 2011, 09:21 PM']No offence meant to you personally, but this is exactly why i hate essays/assignments.[/quote] What is it you hate? Is it that I supervise them?

[quote name='JordanRLS' post='1276248' date='Jun 20 2011, 07:39 PM']Hey all, For college, I am soon going to be doing an extended project. Which is basically an opportunity to research and present (either in an essay, a practical application, presentation or basically anything else) about anything you are interested in. So, I am thinking of conducting my project on something to do with Bass, and was wondering if any of you had any ideas to get my mind working? I was thinking that some possibilities could be 'the evolution of bass playing in funk,' or 'how bass design has changed over time,' you get the general idea... Any ideas would be very helpful! Also, any links to books, articles, websites etc which may help would also be gratefully received (I need to suggest 3 books I may use before I can begin the project.) Thanks![/quote] Hi Jordan, in my college I'm one of the supervisors of the EDEXCEL dissertation version of these projects - is that the one you will be doing? I'm not familiar with the requirements for the other exam boards. If you are doing the EDEXCEL dissertation, then, as you clarify your topic, you will want to turn it from a topic area or descriptive question into a normative question. For example, the answer to 'How has bass design changed over time?' might be merely descriptive but you'll be expected to argue a position or point of view and not merely be descriptive. So, a question like 'Was the development of the electric bass guitar the most important technological innovation in modern popular music?' enables you to describe but also requires some analysis and development of an argument which concludes whether the electric bass guitar was or was not the most important technological innovation in modern popular music. I hope that makes sense and is helpful.

[quote name='Shambo' post='1274482' date='Jun 19 2011, 10:27 AM']... Flats, and also through bridge as opposed to through body stringing, have helped tame the bags of sustain the instrument had when it first came to me wearing factory rounds. I know sustain is a sign of a well put together instrument and that if you were a les paul, face melting solo rocking guitar type, your thinking would be different but I'm of the opinion that basses, mine at least, don't want too much sustain.[/quote] Agreed, I've never come across a bass that had too little sustain.

[quote name='Roland Rock' post='1274188' date='Jun 18 2011, 10:11 PM']... or will they go out of fashion?[/quote] I didn't realise they were in fashion. After all, I've never seen one being used live on stage. Perhaps I need to get out more.

[quote name='risingson' post='1273776' date='Jun 18 2011, 02:17 PM']That looks brilliant. I don't know what Lakland are up to at the moment and when they'll get the equivalent DJ model back into their lineup but if they did more instruments like this I'd definitely buy one. I love my Darryl Jones 4.[/quote] The replacement for the DJ is the AJ series - US already and coming as a Skyline in the autumn: [url="http://www.lakland.com/44-55-AJ.htm"]http://www.lakland.com/44-55-AJ.htm[/url]

I never use Rotosound. I do use La Bellas, Thomastiks, Pyramids.

[quote name='Rubbersoul' post='1270866' date='Jun 16 2011, 12:08 AM']Are flats better for pick or fingers? Or does it make a difference?[/quote] Different sounds, you got to try them, but both ways are common. The clean crisp clear bass sound on a lot of sixties pop material is session guys, e.g. Joe Osborn, Carol Kaye, John Paul Jones, playing flats with a pick. Also, a lot of McCartney's bass on Beatles stuff is flats with a pick. The soul and R&B of the same period is more likely to be flats with fingers and so more of a thud. Someone else will bring it up to date with more recent material I'm sure.

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='1270674' date='Jun 15 2011, 08:59 PM']Have you ever had this situation?[/quote] No.

Simonon comes across very nicely there.

1 x fretted 1 x fretless 1 x acoustic 1 x EUB ... er ... and another ... 1 x fretted ... ... so that is 1x1x1x1x1=1

[quote name='skater dan0' post='1268043' date='Jun 13 2011, 10:44 PM']you mean this one [url="http://www.soundslive.co.uk/product~name~Squier-Vintage-Modified-Mustang-Bass-Guitar,-Black~ID~15697.asp"]http://www.soundslive.co.uk/product~name~S...ck~ID~15697.asp[/url][/quote] That will be the one. I heard there will be a sunburst too.

[quote name='Ancient Mariner' post='1266348' date='Jun 12 2011, 05:33 PM']Gig bags for my (maple necked) basses and guitars, hard cases for mahogany necked guitars.[/quote] If I had a Gibson I'd be using a hard case too.

[quote name='gjones' post='1266136' date='Jun 12 2011, 02:56 PM']Recently I've played a few different basses belonging to other bassists. All the basses had two things in common. The first was they all belonged to experienced and very able bass players. The second was that the action on all of the basses was really very high (in one case it was more like a bow and arrow than a bass). Once I got over the fear that I was going to break something by tweaking with my trussrods I've always liked a lowish action on my basses because they're easier to play (ie my playing improves when the action is low) and it takes less physical effort to actually fret a string. But I've been wondering why all these very competent bass players have their action so high (in one case the E string was about 1 cm high at the 5th fret on a precision bass). Am I missing out on something? Personally I can't figure it out why you would want a high action when you can adjust your bass to have it much lower - maybe they just can't be bothered? Are there bass players out there who are well aware how to achieve a low action but prefer a higher action for some reason?[/quote] 1cm at the fifth fret sounds impossible. However, I prefer some height to my action - it allows the string to vibrate more cleanly and, IMO, sounds better. There have been several threads on this already.

[quote name='urb' post='1265157' date='Jun 11 2011, 05:50 PM']Some tips from a certain Mr Gary Willis on the subject: [url="http://garywillis.com/pages/bass/bassmanual/intonation4.html"]http://garywillis.com/pages/bass/bassmanual/intonation4.html[/url] He advocates rolling your finger 'into' the note and then using vibrato to find the tuning, not to heavily but quite slowly - he also favours a lined neck as the increments to which you need to play notes across the neck changes depending where you are - i.e. low or high - hope that helps[/quote] A while ago I started a thread asking about what Willis says on that site - it led to some dispute: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=62523"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=62523[/url]