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Wylie

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Posts posted by Wylie

    Short scale basses

    in Bass Guitars

    Posted · Edited by Wylie

    [quote name='Frankieabbott' timestamp='1449100235' post='2920840']
    Could anyone recommend a short scale bass? Or at least give me some names to check out online.
    [/quote]

    Have you considered Hofner? I have a Hofner Contemporary Club ($875US) that I like quite a lot--very different from a slab bass, and should be played before buying; their action can be pretty high (I had to have mine lowered at cost of $100) and the feel of the bass, and playing it, is unique. Wonderful fat sound--needs to be heard, and played, before buying. I posted a review of it under the Reviews heading.

    Bought mine from North Coast Music, USA.

    Wylie.

    Silent practicing thingys...

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    [quote name='TKenrick' timestamp='1444208881' post='2881063']
    I've been using the Vox Amplug for a while and think it's great - has an aux input if you want to practice with a metronome/backing tracks/whale noises. Also takes up very little room in a gig bag and is perfect for warming up before a gig. The newer ones are slightly better build quality than the original ones (I broke the first one I had fairly quickly).
    [/quote]

    +1, esp. the whale noises.

    NBD Hofner Contemporary Club

    in Bass Guitars

    Posted · Edited by Wylie

    [b]An update[/b] [b]on this review from summer 2015: I've since gotten rid of the "Beatle" strap; the horse-tack aspect finally got to me. I drilled the heel for a new strap pin so that the new (regular) strap grips the neck at the proper angle. Much better. [/b]

    [b]I also have been playing with a pick for some of my trio's tunes; the bass is quite friendly to a pick and has a guitar's responsiveness to it. [/b]

    [b]Finally, just playing it more, I got used to the higher action which, although reduced, is still not quite optimal. But I believe it's as good as it can be given that a short-scale, lower-tension string moves more than a long-scale, tighter string and requires a higher action. [/b]

    [b]Still sounds great, and still weighs very little![/b]


    The Contemporary Club is Hofner's less expensive (or 'middle') model at about $875, made in China, I believe. I purchased it from North Coast Music, one of only a few Hofner dealers over here; I should say, NCM specializes in Hofner basses, Rickenbackers, and Vox guitars and equipment. They ship internationally as well. North Coast is well worth a look.

    I have a Fender Geddy Lee jazz, and as my shoulders seem to age now by the hour, I feel I am definitely losing the battle against gravity. I wanted lighter weight, and this bass did the trick; but I also wanted to try a short-scale acoustic/electric.

    The bass is nicely made; all the work seems exceptional--frets, tuners, etc. Finish is beautiful. It comes with a 'pearloid' pickguard, which I removed.

    I also bought a Hofner 'Beatle bass' strap; a regular guitar strap doesn't work well with these. The strap pin is located on the heel of the neck, and attaching a strap there makes the bass lean out when you put it on. This is okay if you want to hold the body against your chest with your lower arm as you play. I didn't. The Hofner strap resembles a piece of horse tack. Love it.

    I thought the action was too high when I received the bass; and I was disappointed to discover that it could not be lowered very much by the usual means (truss rod). However, as the intonation was off equally across the strings, I moved the bridge back about half an inch, which nicely corrected the intonation problem and lowered the strings a bit (given the slope of the top at that point). I have been told since that these kinds of basses traditionally have higher action, as the floating bridge requires more string movement. Whatever the case, it is playable; not so high as to be a problem.

    The Hofner control panel: I am still figuring this thing out. I've tried several settings, and combinations thereof, and settled on the neck pickup in the 'solo, bass on' mode, which delivers a wonderful, fat, round, lively tone that works well with the jazz trio I play with. The pickups are extremely responsive.

    Finally, the strings that came with the bass were bargain-basement roundwounds. I immediately ordered a set of La Bella flats ('designed' for Beatle bass) and what a mammoth difference.

    So far, I love it! It is a very different bass for me, not comparable at all to the jazz, and I look forward to learning whatever it can teach me.

    Wylie

    Since posting this review, I had a luthier lower the action. He took the two-part floating bridge apart and sanded down the bottom of the upper part. This lowered the action significantly and now the bass plays quite easily. A great difference.

    NBD - USA Fender Geddy Lee.

    in Bass Guitars

    Posted

    [quote name='Iain' timestamp='1432567474' post='2782737']
    haven't played the MIJ one but the price difference is significant. The MIJ doesn't look as good either to me - the black inlays and binding overpower the maple to my eyes. Still supposed to be a great player though.
    [/quote]

    I love my MIJ--great in every way, and bought it from a bloke who'd paid full freight but reduced the price to sell it--new. Great all around.

    Disrespect

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    [quote name='blue' timestamp='1432443044' post='2781468']
    Some of you over 60 guys remember the good old days when we were respected where ever we showed up to play.

    Well, we all know for most of us that play pubs and bars, those days went bye bye decades ago. Now I think things are getting really bad for some of us.

    Have any of you played places where some are so clueless to live music, people playing instruments that they're disrespectful and seem to be making a mockery of what we bar/pub players do.? You know, the drunk guy that gets up in a band members face while performing acting like an idiot.

    If you have experienced this let's hear about it.

    Blue
    [/quote]

    My favorite is the lady who comes up to the band and begins talking to one or more of the musicians, as if we were a radio with ears. On a recent gig, several times supposedly intelligent people (well, it was in a Congregational church hall in a college town) came up and attempted long conversations with our piano player. Of course, he didn't discourage them. But WTF are people thinking?

    W.

    Recommend me a new stack!

    in Amps and Cabs

    Posted

    [quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1431789087' post='2775035']
    Bad back and ton of headroom, I`d be looking at Orange Terror (tho not too versatile) GK Mb Fusion 800, or Aguilar Tonehammer 500. Cabwise, well again looking lightweight, Barefaced, Schroeder, TKS would all get a look in.
    [/quote]

    Definitely Schroeder . . . But I don't know how available Schroeder cabs are in the UK. I love my Schroeder 2x10.

    Stand for bass, any suggestions?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    [quote name='blue' timestamp='1431566151' post='2772704']
    I have 2 Hercules stands on stage with me every weekend and have never seen or had black sticky glue on my hands or any where else?

    Blue
    [/quote]

    The older ones (ten years back?) had those parts in hard plastic; subsequently those parts were switched to rubber. Maybe this only happened in the U.S.-marketed stands? At any rate (and to answer the other poster) it does happen with mine, and I haven't used any kind of cleaner or solvent on the stand.

    W.

    Stand for bass, any suggestions?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    [quote name='FinnDave' timestamp='1431245003' post='2769049']
    I have always simply leant my bass against my speakers between sets, etc, but these days usually DI into the PA so don't have a handy speaker to lean it on. There have also been a few occasions on a crowded stage where my bass has been knocked over, no damage so far but it is only a matter of time before something serious happens.

    I would like to buy a stand, can anyone recommend one which is sturdy enough for bass and won't damage my cellulose finished Jazz bass?
    [/quote]

    Take at look at the On-Stage A-frame (with neck), product no. GS7465. About $25 over here (USA) from Musician's Friend, very well built and very sturdy.

    About Hercules: I loved mine till the soft rubber they've begun using on the tripod adjustment screw and around the neck adjustment handle turned gradually to black glue--it deteriorates, and you can't use the stand without getting this black, sticky glue on your hands. (I'm not overly fastidious; I mean, you have to scrub it off.) The On-Stage works well for me.

    Wylie.

    Fanned Fret Fretless

    in Bass Guitars

    Posted

    [quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1431019305' post='2767007']
    My mind boggles at the thought of playing one of these. Wouldn't intonation be much more difficult than a standard fretless with the fanned lack of frets?


    [/quote]

    The mind boggles just looking at it.

    Which new bass to go for? (Choice of 3)

    in Bass Guitars

    Posted

    [quote name='Storky' timestamp='1427904286' post='2735726']
    Thanks for the replies so far.

    Any more suggestions or which of the three would others go for?

    All opinions appreciated.
    [/quote]

    The Casady, just because I want to hear what a player thinks of it. (So, weirdly, you'd be doing me a favor.)

    W.

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