EssentialTension

[quote name='chris_b' post='1145289' date='Mar 1 2011, 12:10 AM']The bass on Je T'aime was played by Russ Stableford.[/quote] Yeah we did that one in another thread only recently didn't we?

[quote name='redstriper' post='1145192' date='Feb 28 2011, 10:54 PM']Yes, I take your point - I've been silly haven't I................ and in public too [/quote] I'm with you Steve. The shocking thing really is that despite the fact that many shops don't stock flats at all or if they do it's probably a single packet of Roto Jazz, and despite the fact that you can hardly ever get to try out a bass with flats fitted in a shop, and because they don't stock flats anyway you can't get a free packet unless they are probably Roto Jazz which I don't like anyway, and despite the wonderful very limited freedom of choice offered by monopoly capitalism ... despite all this almost a quarter of respondents to your poll say they prefer flats and I presume are actually using them.

I found that slightly scary.

[quote name='Mr Fudge' post='1145142' date='Feb 28 2011, 10:19 PM']Just ordered my first set of flats to try on my "Ric". Theoretically not the obvious string choice, but I did jam with a trad rock n roll band a few months ago and loved the sound and feel of them as a punter and guest player. I figure I can always use the bridge pup on the ric and/or tweek the tweeters on my berg AE12's if I need some more zing. Looking forward to having a dabble[/quote] Even Rickenbackers had flats originally. McCartney had flats on his Rick.

[quote name='Sawtooth' post='1145140' date='Feb 28 2011, 10:18 PM']The 760 FL's are a lighter guage than the '54's then? I really play fingerstyle blues more than anything and that led me to '54's and the golds. I probably got a bit carried away on the wave of this thread! Edit: thanks for your advice![/quote] The 760FL will be very fine for fingerstyle blues.

[quote name='Sawtooth' post='1145108' date='Feb 28 2011, 10:01 PM']Cool! I must check out some more of his work. I was just debating which flatwounds to buy after reading Basschat posts most of the weekend when I spotted this topic, talk about fate. I have whittled it down to Labellas 1954 or Pyramid Golds. Or Ti's Choices, choices ... Edit :Which would work with fingerstyle and a pick best for this sort of sound? (sorry to hijack the thread)[/quote] The flatwounds being used in the 1960s are likely to have been La Bellas or Pyramids (or possibly one or two other makes but similar). I don't think TIs were available then and they are rather different to the La Bellas and the Pyramids. La Bellas (especially the 54 set) and the Pyramids are higher tension whereas the TIs are very low tension. The La Bellas and especially the Pyramids can sound dead straight out of the packet whereas the TIs are relatively bright and middy. For that 1960s with a pick sound I'd go for the La Bella 760FL (not the 54s) or the Pyramids or also worth a try are the GHS Precision flats. But that's not to say anything against the TIs which are fantastic strings.

Wikipedia, Discogs, Beat Patrol and several others all say Odgers. Beat Patrol says: [quote]Even the recording details have a strong, mysterious allure of their own (until recently, the identities of Gainsbourg’s English session musicians, now known to be Vic Flick, Brian Odgers, Big Jim Sullivan, and Dougie Wright, were uncommon knowledge).[/quote] Wikipedia says: [quote]Alan Parker - guitar; Brian Odgers - bass; Douglas Wright - drums; Alan Hawkshaw - piano; Jean-Claude Vannier - arrangements, Orchestra Director; Jane Birkin - vocal parts (and posed for front cover art)[/quote] So, who knows?

[quote name='Spoombung' post='1145047' date='Feb 28 2011, 09:30 PM']Ah, one of my favourite bass sounds of all. There's been a few threads about this. Look at this: It's a Burns Bison, palm muted and played with a pick - and likely to be Odgers not Flowers[/quote] Excellent.

[quote name='Sawtooth' post='1144955' date='Feb 28 2011, 08:52 PM']I've read this also and I believe he's mentioned somewhere in the liner notes, I'm looking now but it's all in french and rather long. Maybe both played on the sessions?[/quote] I've just been checking too since I saw your post. Wikipedia and several other sites say Odgers and so far I've not found a mention of Flowers at all. I had a vinyl of [i]L'Histoire de Melody Nelson[/i] a long time ago and Odgers was retrieved from my memory because I also knew him from John McLaughlin's [i]Extrapolation[/i] album. However my memory is often imperfect.

Sold Simon my Squier Classic Vibe Jazz. Great communication and a tidy meet at Pease Pottage services. Highly recommended.

I think the bassist will be Brian Odgers. I don't have the track to listen to though.

My Lakland Decade came with flats but only because I asked Lakland for them when I ordered.

The fretless version of the Epiphone Zenith has stock La Bella black nylon flats. I'm waiting for GAK to get one in, although I wasn't very impressed with the fretted roundwound version.

[quote name='redstriper' post='1144789' date='Feb 28 2011, 06:50 PM']And the '62 AVs are supposed to be replicas of basses that were produced before rounds were even invented - this can't be right......... can it?[/quote] No it can't be right. Not right historically, not right sonically.

[quote name='KiOgon' post='1144782' date='Feb 28 2011, 06:47 PM']Yeah OK - in a way 'nice', plays nice - but I'll never understand this 'relicing' lark - not for me, it just looks like a bass that's never been looked after - who wants to pay A LOT for that?[/quote] I agree on the relicing but I still liked how it played.

[quote name='KiOgon' post='1144764' date='Feb 28 2011, 06:36 PM']I know exactly how you feel, I went into GAK last week to try a '62 AV P-bass, of course it had rounds on so I was offered the Pino to try - £2399 I believe - yes it had TI Flats on, but it was very rusty in places & had loads of paint missing didn't fancy it [/quote] I've played that Pino, it's rather nice despite the rust.

[quote name='alhbass' post='1143407' date='Feb 27 2011, 03:24 PM']My Rotosounds are nylon flats! And but the look of the binding, possibly the same brand... I'm not sure how much it affects the sound really - I mean, I'm far from confident that I'd be able to tell the difference in a controlled experiment. But thanks to everyone for their advice so far. Think I might try out the washer idea before attacking the silk bindings...[/quote] Herbie Flowers' strings are Roto Trubass like yours and it's said they've been on the bass for thirty years or more. I doubt whether it makes much diufference at all to sound. However when I had a similar problem I did carefully cut back the silk.

[quote name='casapete' post='1143418' date='Feb 27 2011, 03:32 PM']Regarding the OP, was n't it Jamerson / Funk Brothers on the original Jackie Wilson track? (Therefore could n't be a bum note.......!!!)[/quote] Jakcie Wilson's [i]Reet Petite[/i] was recorded in 1957 so (although it was co-written by Berry Gordy) it seems too early to be the Funk Bros/Jamerson. However, they are usually credited with Jackie Wilson's [i]Higher and Higher[/i] but that was 1967.

Flat and adjust it to the room.

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='1143858' date='Feb 27 2011, 09:14 PM']I [i]really[/i] don't get this 'must have an acoustic bass' thing. It's not MTV unplugged in 1993 anymore....[/quote] .... and one way or another it will be plugged in or nobody's gonna hear it.

[quote name='redstriper' post='1142970' date='Feb 27 2011, 01:34 AM']Why are almost all new basses supplied with round wound strings when lots of players don't like them and they make the instrument sound completely different than with flats?[/quote] It used to be the other way around. I bought a new Fender Precision in 1976 and it came with flats as stock.

Herbie Flowers has the same problem (if it is a problem) on his 1959 Jazz: It didn't stop him recording with it.