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hopkinsgm

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About hopkinsgm

  • Birthday 18/04/1975

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  1. I've just recently dropped a set of custom wounds (roughly based on 84's) into my 5 string SX Jazz and the difference it's made is amazing. I've loved the way the SX felt in my hands since I bought it (via BassChat classifieds, obviously!) and acoustically, it had a lovely tone but plugged in it was a bit thin and wimpy and I had to drive the preamp pretty hard. It's now a lot fatter but not to the extent of sounding muddy, with a cheeky bit of growl and is noticeably louder. Via email discussions with Andy, it seems that whilst pickup sizes for 4 string Jazzes are pretty much standard, it's a different matter with 5 string Jazzes (as noted by someone above). I got busy with a ruler to measure up and sent through the dimensions, he custom wound a set that arrived in a couple of days. The set he's wound me are covered - he said it was all he was able to do to suit the dimensions I'd sent through. Whilst covered pickups wouldn't have been my first choice, I really couldn't care less how they look now I've heard how good they sound. I may have to investigate some of his guitar pickups... G
  2. [quote name='W1_Pro' post='489213' date='May 15 2009, 07:06 PM']...I suspected this might be the case...[/quote] I do hope that wasn't intentional... :brow:
  3. Crikey, that was quick! Thanks all! @Paul_C - very useful, I'd consulted an ancient copy of Donald Brosnac's Guitar Electronics for Musicians that dates back to extensive guitar wiring modifications many years ago, but the book makes no mention of blend pots. @BassBunny - might be interested if the price is right, tho I'm not afraid of going component shopping and experience has taught me which end of a soldering iron is the hot end. @JanSpeeltBas - thanks for heads up. It's an easily reversible mod tho and if it's not to my taste then it's only going to have cost me a blend pot, a bit of solder and some hookup wire, so not the end of the world. Cheers, G
  4. Hi Just because I'm an awkward bugger, I'd like to change my Jazz Bass from conventional wiring with seperate volume controls per pickup and a common passive tone to a master volume with a centre detented blend/mix control (and retaining the common passive tone for now). Obviously, the pickups need to be wired to the blend/mix control, with the blended/mixed output going to master volume and then to tone control before heading to the output jack. Don't suppose anyone has a wee schematic for a blend control do they? If anyone can suggest values (and a suitable supplier) for the respective pots, then that'd be handy too. Thanks in advance folks, G
  5. [quote name='northstreet' post='478813' date='May 4 2009, 10:37 AM']...The last time I talked about quavers the singer went and bought some crisps...[/quote] I'm failing to see why that would be a bad thing? G
  6. An alternative to the Grolsch bottle rubber washers (and one I've used on a few guitars over the years) is to use the round disc string retainers as found on Fender basses instead of regular strap buttons. Makes it a PITA to take the strap off, but it does make "strap popping over the strap button" type accidents less likely. Cheers, G
  7. Just a bit of an update as I've been to try a few things today and as is often the way with these things, salespersons did their best to try and push the notional budget north but I managed (for the most part, anyhoo) to keep things in check... Tried a RockBass Streamer and was generally underwhelmed - body didn't feel particularly comfortable sat on my knee and the neck was a bit of a whopper too. Had a go on a Squier Affinity Jazz 5 and was surprised at how lightweight it was compared to the MIM Fender the other week, but found it tonally dissappointing. That's tonally, not totally... :blush: Couldn't find the Ibanez model suggested above, but was persuaded to have a noodle on a budget-breaking Ibanez BTB675 - cracking instrument, seemed nicely put together, good pickups and actives, generally a lovely sound but just a bit of a shame about the neck which seemed excessively wide to me (the fact it was nearly 50% over budget helped salve my ). I managed to avoid the Lakland 55-01 that was also suggested as that was stretching the brief a little too far and from what I've read on here, there's a reasonable chance I might have been smitten. Coming back within budget (well, just about), I also had a blast on a Rockbass Corvette 5 (the one with the active EQ) which played beautifully, nicely proportioned neck, good and comfortable and a nice weight, made a pleasant noise with the EQ flat but winding the EQ up from flat a little suggests it may be a touch on the fierce side. So I came home thinking that for me, the Corvette is probably the only real competition for the BB615. And then get home, have a look on here and spotted [topic="45674"]this[/topic] MIM Jazz 5 in the classifieds that could be a go-er and is well within budget. I've generally tended to buy used instruments in the past with only a couple of exceptions which were bought new as such things came up so infrequently or 2nd hand values didn't seem too far off a well shopped around new pice. So that's where I'm at, and about to go and sleep on it. Decisions decisions... Hoping to get hooked up pretty soon and really looking forward to it. :brow: Cheers, G
  8. Might be interested - am currently on the lookout for a nice 5 string as a returning bassist (who was a big fan of Jazzes BITD). Having played a few Jazzes recently, my main concern would be weight as they seem to vary massively and my back is not all it used to be. I had a go on a MIM a week or so ago and it did my back no favours at all. Care to comment on its' weight? Is it at the lighter or heavier end of the scale? Cheers, G
  9. [quote name='mrcrow' post='453577' date='Apr 3 2009, 06:12 PM']...if you have played before what did you thing then about using a 5...was it necessary?...[/quote] Lets just say that as a teenager, my musical focus was considerably narrower so it never seemed necessary. My tastes have matured and now take in a much greater range of musical styles. It's not all about guitar-based rock these days. It's also worth factoring in that affordability has a lot to do with it - quality vs cost of "cheap" musical instruments, particularly guitars and basses, is way better than it was 20 or so years ago. Also don't forget that 5 strings were generally considered far more exotic BITD and that was generally reflected in the prices. Also, now in my 30's and not a student any more, I've got a bit more disposable income. I'll try and have a look at a few more things tomorrow, and take it from there. Will investigate Ibanez, see if I can find a RockBass to try and will see if it was just a knee-jerk reaction to the weight of a regular Jazz. Thanks all for your contributions, has helped me sort out my own thoughts on a few things. Which was kinda the point of posting in the first place! Cheers, G
  10. Thanks for the replies folks - I guess my concern was to do with thinking in terms of positions I'm comfortable with on the guitar. Just need to break free of that guitarist mindset and start thinking as a bassist! Will take another look at the Yamaha and try to find a few more things in the price range but, as one replier noted, it's likely to be a tough act to beat. I think the only other thing that had popped up on the radar in a similar price bracket was some of the Warwick Rock Bass options - Rock Bass is Warwick's budget brand, right? Like Squier are to Fender? Thanks, G
  11. Hi there So I'm kinda new around here. I've played guitar for some years now - blimey, just done the maths and it's about 20 years now. Anyways, I've not been getting so much out of that of late, and I used to play a bit of bass back in the dim and distant past. I figure why not have a change of scene, so I'm looking to get myself a bass and add an extra string to my bow. Or lose one or two strings, as the case may be. I used to play an old Jazz copy - a Satellite which was later replaced by a Tokai - and I always got on well with Jazz Bass necks. I never really quite liked Precisions, but that may have been the stubborn anti-populist git in me. Anyhoo, I set myself a notional (i.e. fairly flexible) budget and figured that looking at Jazz Basses would probably be a reasonable starting point. I had a brief look in a local music shop the other week and tried a Fender Jazz - a Mexican one, I think - and was amazed at quite how heavy it was. I guess my previous ones must have been similarly heavy, but I don't remember them being quite as hefty. I'm not as young as I used to be and the years have not been kind on my back. I can't/won't play a Les Paul for any length of time on a strap, so the Jazz Bass was suddenly looking less appealing. So I had a wee noodle on a few other things they had in, including one thing that I really rather liked, which was a Yamaha BB615. Nice sound, balanced well, not too weighty and seemed to play pretty nicely. Now, those that know their Yamaha numbers will note that this is a 5-string. And that's where it all gets a bit tricky. I'd never really considered getting a 5 string to start with - as I say, I'm just coming back to bass after years of guitar playing, and was thinking I would get a 4 string and maybe worry about more strings sometime down the line if it seemed necessary. Given my musical tastes the low B may be no bad thing, though I know there's more to 5 strings than just being able to go low - there's the extra fingering options, etc... I guess what I'm wondering is whether having the 5th string is likely to confuse me? Would I be better getting to grips with 4 strings and then switching to 5, or am I better just taking the plunge now? Part of me suspects that if I go 4 strings now and then switch to 5, I'm unlikely to use a 5 string to its' potential because I'm basically quite a lazy person and will probably be reluctant to relearn what I already "know". Any thoughts greatly appreciated - also if there's anything else at a similar ballpark price (say around £300 to £400-ish) that I should be looking at. I'm going to be after something fairly versatile as I listen to a fairly broad range of music, so the Yamaha's EQ certainly struck me as being a useful sort of thing. Thanks in advance! G
  12. [quote name='MacDaddy' post='452876' date='Apr 3 2009, 12:05 AM']...True story I 5h1t you not...[/quote] Really? All of a sudden, I fear my questions may not be quite so dumb after all! :brow: G
  13. [quote name='fryer' post='452845' date='Apr 2 2009, 11:20 PM']You must start again - playing, not downing Kopparberg.[/quote] Thank you for clarifying. Not sure where I'd be able to find Kopparberg at this time of night and all I've got in is red wine and some cheeky honey beers... And as for starting playing, bass shopping starts properly this weekend. G
  14. Hi there I'm new around here, so figured I'd introduce myself and where better to do it? I've played guitar for knocking on for 20 years now, and used to play a bit of bass too. I've not been getting so much out of it lately, and I've found that I've been picking up on basslines a lot more, so figured, well, maybe it's time for a change. So that's kinda my story, hopefully I'll gain some useful info from the forum and in time will aim to put a little back in to it. In the meantime, don't be surprised if you see me asking dumb questions in the gear forums... :blush: Cheers, G
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