EssentialTension

[quote name='AndyTravis' post='650400' date='Nov 10 2009, 09:46 AM']Also, the factory where the Cv's are made, make some of the most amazing basses.[/quote] So is the JJ signature made in China like the CVs?

[quote name='bilbo230763' post='650406' date='Nov 10 2009, 09:56 AM']I googled a list of Jamerson tunes and took out the ones I liked or hadn't heard. My point is not to dismiss a whole genre but to simply point out that, on an entirely subjective basis, great lines played by a great player won't make me 'like' material that I find a bit icky. 'My Girl' fails to move me in any way whatsoever. 'Jimmy Mack' is a load of old tosh 'Please Mr Postman'/ PLEEEEASE! It ain't rocket science. What this is is the Stock Aitken and Waterman of its day. Formulaic, repetitious, music as factory work. You like it because you are familiar with it and may have some emotional connection with it for some reason. I don't. I look at it as a part of the whole catalogue of available musics and I don't rate it that highly. I don't own any Motown material at all and don't want to. You can't avoid hearing it - its everywhere but I find most of it superficial and tedious. I play several of these Motown tunes in function bands: I Want You Back is one, a couple of Stevie Wonder tunes etc. Its ok and it goes down well but great music? I don't believe so. Before the bricks start flying, remember: my opinions don't mean squat and certainly don't mean that you can't like it just as much as you did before I wrote this [/quote] I agree [i]and[/i] I still like it.

[quote name='BigBeatNut' post='648728' date='Nov 8 2009, 01:03 PM']Can anyone compare Pyramid Golds and Labellas for me ? Andy[/quote] It's a long time since I used La Bellas - I've been stuck on TIs and Chromes for a while although I did try some Lakland Joe Osborn Flats which are actually GHS Precision Flats. I guess that the Lakland/GHS which are steel and higher tension are more like the La Bellas and I'm not keen on the high tension or the feel or bite of steel; nonetheless they did have a nice thump to them. But I did just put some Pyramid Gold Flats on my Lakland Decade - more tension than the TIs and so feel a bit meatier but still with the softer feel of nickel rather than steel. I've not gigged them yet only played at home but tone wise think McCartney. I played some McCartney lines and I've never sounded so much like him - tone wise that is, not the quality of the playing. Hard to describe but a sort of melodic blooming airiness - whatever that is, I may be talking rubbish. I would say though that despite having the advantage (for me) of being nickel the Pyramids are somewhere between the TIs and the La Bellas (based on distant experience of La Bellas and recent of the Lakland/GHS steels). I hope that's of some use, but you know you'll only know by trying them. EDIT: And I like the purple silks on the Pyramids.

[quote name='YouMa' post='649680' date='Nov 9 2009, 01:41 PM']I can play most of it but Kid Charlemane always nobbles me[/quote] Didn't Rainey say he could never play it the same again himself?

[quote name='guzzibass' post='648996' date='Nov 8 2009, 06:53 PM']Jefferson Airplane doing White Rabbit - with no strings on the bass???? [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WANNqr-vcx0&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WANNqr-vcx0...feature=related[/url][/quote] It does look like no strings but if you pause at 3 seconds you can see them. Great great bass sound. And Grace Slick ... I'll stop now.

[quote name='silddx' post='648926' date='Nov 8 2009, 05:33 PM']I feel more "spiritual" (if that's the right word) when I play unlined ebony.[/quote] Yes, Nigel, when playing unlined ebony I often turn to prayer.

[quote name='moonbass' post='649755' date='Nov 9 2009, 03:36 PM']As a lined fretless player I can just about get away with playing an EUB neck with side dots. BUT I would love to know how you unlined fretless players manage to hit note's in tune on an electric bass neck when making big jumps. For instance if you needed to hit aBb on a D string... in the dark... in a quiet bit of the song... how do you do it?! Is there some arcane secret that you're not passing on to us mere mortals? (And no, I won't accept 'practice' as an answer!) A.[/quote] Well, someone better at this than me will be along in a minute but.... 1 I'd avoid the big jump and play the Bb on the G string 2 In the dark, lines or dots won't help anyway 3 Muscle memory 4 Slide and listen 5 Vibrato and listen 6 By which time you're on the next note anyway.

I'd like to announce that Andy sent to me (free of all charge) his slightly used set of Roto Trubass black nylons so that I could try them out. Very generous.

[quote name='longtimefred' post='649586' date='Nov 9 2009, 12:19 PM']I dont have a second amp but i remember plaing a gig with my old Marshall VBA400 with my old Trace 8x10, a trace 4x10 and a trace 1x18 all rigged up together. MY LORD!!! It crushed all the people in the first 5 rows![/quote] A while ago I played through Ashdown ABM900 feeding Ampeg 8x10 and Ampeg 8x8 and slaved up to Markbass LMII feeding Ampeg 4x10 and also DI through 2.5kW PA. This in a pub in Hastings called [i]The Carlisle[/i] - some of you may know it - there were no complaints about volume.

Unlined but side dots.

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='647718' date='Nov 6 2009, 10:09 PM']... and a Walkabout Scout ... I thought about selling it recently, but that was a stupid idea.[/quote] Correct.

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='645604' date='Nov 4 2009, 07:28 PM']I'd just like to add, the Classic Vibe instruments are up there with the original Squiers of yesteryear in terms of quality and sound.[/quote] +1 on that. My Classic Vibe Jazz is fantastic anyway but also only cost £260.

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='645602' date='Nov 4 2009, 07:26 PM']You would not believe this is an Indonesian-made Squier.[/quote] There are some very good instruments being made in Indonesia. [quote name='bh2' post='645656' date='Nov 4 2009, 08:20 PM']As far as I know, they are the CV Jazzers with a repaint and price hike.[/quote] The CV Jazz is made in China - where there are also now some very good instruments being made.

I like to have a second rig or at least some kind of back up. My main thing at the moment is my Mesa Boogie Walkabout Scout combo but I take a Little Mark II with me to gigs as a back up. I'm without any other cabs for the LMII at the moment but a pair of 1x12 or 1x15 will be coming in to fill out the second rig. Meanwhile I always have access through friends to other cabs if I need them - usually an Ampeg 4x10.

Well, the used Roto Trubass from Soopercrip (Andy) didn't work out because they were cut for a 3+2 headstock so they didn't fit my Squier Jazz (or any other of my basses). So I've ordered some Pyramid black tapes from StringStar. I'll report on them later.

I don't know who played bass but I love that song.

Very nice, Lee.

[quote name='skankdelvar' post='644416' date='Nov 3 2009, 02:43 PM']I recall the outrage when it transpired that the 1968 "I'm Backing Britain" promotional carrier bags were of Nipponese manufacture.[/quote] Around World Cup time I'm always struck by the number of probably Chinese made St. George's crosses flying from cars that were built almost anywhere except England. Strange.

[quote name='silddx' post='644400' date='Nov 3 2009, 02:21 PM']When I was a nipper people used to, in a completely racist fashion, say stuff from Japan was sh*te, cheeky slopes copying our inventions and all that rubbish.[/quote] When I was a nipper people used to say they wouldn't buy anything Japanese because of the war - but they didn't seem to say the same thing as often about the Germans.

[quote name='BassBod' post='643170' date='Nov 2 2009, 09:49 AM']The LaBella set is really good - a very funky flatwoundbutwithabitoftwang sort of sound. Heavy gauge, but they will last a long long time, so I think they're worth the cost and a bit of set up. The Roto tru-bass is similar but doesn't sound or feel as good - a bit more wobbly sounding and the intonation can be strange. The Status version is good, but with a regular gauge they are very low tension - I foound I had to move the string height up a lot to get a good feel (like Thomastik flats). Pyramid gold - the best trad flatwound. Sound 20 years old out the packet, and feel old and solid (but not very high tension like most flats). If you only want to buy one set of flats (and your bass is very regular Fender type dimensions) these ae the ones - Thomman were the cheapest last time I looked. Hope that helps[/quote] Thanks BB. I've got some Rotos coming by the kind courtesy of Andy (Soopercrip). We'll see if I like them and if not I might try the Pyramids.

No distortion here.