Skybone

Manic Frustration - Trouble

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Bravado - Yorkshire

Moving Pictures - Scotland

Thunderbirds Are Go! - Busted

My son was always interested in playing drums, so much so, we got him one of those "toy" drum kits one year. Not only did he "play" the heck out of it, he kept dismantling it (and losing bits as he went on!). Then he kind of lost interest.

He got to about 10/11, and started taking a bit more interest in playing again. started playing bass, but was still hankering after a drum kit.

When he was about 13, I managed to find an Alesis Nitro Mesh kit second hand, and not too far away. As it was near Christmas, I discussed it with him, and he decided to pool his Christmas money and get the kit. He's played it every day since then, and loves it (though he does really want a full acoustic kit!). He's started a college Music course, and is currently in 3 bands, and loves playing drums.

A drum tutor would be good. Maybe scour Facebook marketplace/eBay/Gumtree/etc. for a cheap-ish second hand mesh kit (the Alesis Nitro Mesh is great). The mesh is a bit more responsive than the rubber pads. They aren't "silent", but they are a damn sight quieter than a full acoustic kit. 

You can get some smaller "desktop" pad units, with hi-hat & bass drum pedals that are inexpensive (IIRC, Yamaha did one). We managed to get one from either Aldi or Lidl one year when he was about 8 or so, but he quickly lost interest in that. 

Sorted for E's & Wizz - Pulp

1 hour ago, steviedee said:

I actually find the Rick very comfortable to play now and relatively versatile, not just full on aggressive tones ( but mostly 😜).

But the full on aggressive tones are just so satisfying.  

But yes, a very versatile beast indeed.

1 hour ago, geofio said:

Yes, specific for the player, that is what it is all about , get it right for that player on a particular bass.

Totally agree. You may find it'll just be very minor tweaks here and there, and getting the string balance right is pretty important too.

RIP

One thing that's not mentioned in the original post is your current set up.

What sort of EQ do you have on the amp? Scooped or Boosted Mids? Low(ish)/High(ish) Gain?

What sort of bass do you have, and what pickup height(s) do you have? Pick or Finger player?

I've always found that if you have a sound with more boosted mids, it not only helps to cut through the guitar heavy mix, but can also add a bit of growl. Nudging the gain a touch can help (though not too much!), as well as having the pickups that little bit higher as well (though not to the detriment of the string balance).

If you're a pick player, have you tried slightly heavier plectrums? If you're a finger player, have you tried moving your playing hand around? Maybe watch a few videos of your favourite players, and see how they approach things.

If you are looking at pedals, then one to definitely look at would be the Behringer BDI 21 (SansAmp clone), as it's good value. Thankfully, there are tons more bass specific dirt pedals knocking about, depending on your budget. Though I'd recommend you play around with your current setup to try and get your sound "into the right ball park" first before adding pedals.

Got to say though, playing a Ric with a heavy hand does sound thoroughly great.

IMO o'course.  

Stunning piece of work.

If you want "bargain" strings, look at Warwick Red Label.

The Vintage Circuit push/pull pot was from 2006.

1 hour ago, PaulThePlug said:

It's that shape... but i like a rear route so would like to own a Cheyenne or Laredo and also gets a little contouring... I likes the Ibby SR body.

A 4003s then...

IIRC, there's only been 2 Ric bass variations that weren't maple through necks, the 4000 (set neck) and the 4080 (bolt neck).

Though it would be interesting to see (hear) if there are any variations in sound between the standard 4003 and the 4003W.

Lovely bass Simon, the Walnut is a fabulous finish.

I'd love to have a Midnight Blue/Azureglo one sometime. Nice selection 12string.

On 29/12/2023 at 18:37, MoonBassAlpha said:

Anyone have strong thoughts on the Seymour Duncan replacement pickups?

I've just acquired one with these fitted, but no point of reference.

They're both humbuckers,  so  at least it is quiet. The neck one seems to have quite strong string pull.

Never tried the SD's in a 4003, I was tempted by them for a while when I had my first one, but I held off because it sounded so good. Same with the current one.

If you like them, great.

Certainly one thing that I've found out, is that they are very sensitive about strings. If the bass is sounding dull or "not quite right", then try some different strings, be it a different brand or a different material (NPS/SS/etc.).

IMO, D'Addario Pro Steels work really well on a 4003, but others find other brands work for them.

Bought some bits'n'bobs from them. No issues.

Just had to do my first return with them, so we'll just have to wait & see.

You don't mention what string gauge you're currently using, I would make an assumption and say 45-105's.

For D Standard, I don't think you'd need to go too much heavier. You could use the 45-105's but they may be a bit too loose for you. 

IIRC, Rotosound do a drop tune set, Dropzone 66 RS66LH 65-130, or there's the RS66LE 50-110 set.

Or there's the DR DDT 45-105, designed for Drop Tuning, and should keep the tension. Not cheap though.

https://www.kemper-amps.com/products/uk/profiler-player.html

12 hours ago, paul_5 said:

“Can I borrow your amp? Do you have a spare lead?”

 

 this way madness lies. And not n a good way.

"Mind if I use your bass"

Did the keyboard player say this to just the OP, or was it in front of any other band members?

Is it worth discussing at the next rehearsal session?

Peace Sells... But Who's Buying - MeagreDearth

2 hours ago, casapete said:

IIRC the VL-503 was a 1x12 combo? Had a hefty speaker, maybe a Celestion or something I think. 
 

Maybe it's my mind playing tricks on me. I think the speaker was an Electro Voice/EV or something like that, but definitely had a HUGE magnet, and more preamp valves than it had any right to have. Built in Attenuator as well.