Paolo85

3 minutes ago, PaulThePlug said:

Are the pickups active of just the pre?

I'd try the pickups passive...

I think thee are the Bartolini mk1 at least in current models

I'll follow the discussion with interest. I do like the shape, looks and feel of tje Cort A/B/C. Would you have the tools to measure the distance between the nut and the centre of the pickups for both the Cort and the Sire?

That would be helpful info. If they happen to be the same I would be surprised if you couldn't make the Cort sound like a jazz, although I think soapbar replacement pickups are not the cheapest and if you want an active jazz there's also the cost of the preamp

...add two picture to show that in picture 1, with the thumb at the centre, my fingers have plenty of space to move - at the expenses of my wrist. In picture 2, as the thumb slides up, there's certainly less space to move around. But it seems to reduce overall tension

40 minutes ago, Acebassmusic said:

I think pictures would help us in seeing what you are describing. Bass height and angle on the strap contribute significantly to how your hand interfaces with the neck. Scotts Bass Lessons does a couple of videos covering these areas which may give you ideas. 👍

 

Strap Height Video

Hand Position Video

 

Ha! Scott reccommends both that I don't bend my wrist and that I try to keep the tumb at the centre of the neck all the time. The problem is that I cannot do both. Not sure if it is a small hand thing or something. My strap is definitely not too low.

So, the first two pictures are what happens when I leave the thumb at the centre. 

The second set of pictures is me sliding the thumb up. Looks more natural in picture. Now, I think I remember I was thought not to do that because that reduces my reach on the neck. Chances are I was thaught that when I started on the guitar though.

It seems to me it is equally true on the bass in the sense that I feel much more "agile" with my palm not in contact with the neck [EDIT: not really the palm, the "proximal phalanges"]. Also I doubt I could play a 5-string P bass sliding the thumb up (not that I have one but you'll never know :D).

However, as I have experimented with sliding the thumb up tonight, it seems to me this reduces effort on the thumb. And I had plenty of issues there so, considering also that the wrist bends less, it is maybe the lesser of two evil?

1 minute ago, theplumber said:

Agreed. I have used Toneriders on a couple of guitars and head to head with some decent guitars held their own..in fact sounded better than the Fender stock pickups in my Vintera. Maybe better isn't the word but louder and clearer. As for Squiers...well as we all know by now some are great and some not so! I don't need a status symbol...in fact I don't need a Status!! But a decent playing and gigging guitar that doesn't cost a fortune and gets the job done!

I have at home a pickup from a Fender Classic 50s. I may be very wrong but I believe that was the "predecessor" of the Vintera. It is a great pickup but at the end of the day the Fender pickup is in a drawer and the Tonerider is in my bass (rigt now I am down to just one fretted P bass 😭 ). Like you, I would not say the Tonerider is better. Just works better for me at this moment.

7 minutes ago, theplumber said:

I recently had two Made in Mexico 50s type basses. One was a Vintera and the other the classic series. Both the same guitar,different name! I had to sell them as after a while I discovered I did not like the width of the neck. Fit and finish on both spot on. Soundwise really good! I had sold a Fender Player series p bass to fund one of the guitars. To be honest I could have kept it but have no room for many guitars! (I know,kick the lad out!!) Anyway I needed to fill the P bass gap and was just about to buy another Player series off Gumtree when I spotted a Squier Vintage Vibe 60s P bass in white! I had heard that these are really great guitars but as usual thought...beginners bass....not for me! Maybe even a bit of snobbery. Why buy a Squier when I can get a Fender! I looked at some second hand USA Fenders,then the player bass,then the Squier came up at a tad over £200 second hand in A1 condition! Decided to take a punt on it. As soon as I picked it up and played it I knew that the folk online had been right! It does feel,look,play and sound better than the Player series! Feels like my first P bass an early 70s thing long gone! Not for everyone but will know after a couple of gigs how I feel about it but for now...yes deffo worth a look at !

I did try in a shop a Fender Player and a Squier CV 60 and, while I was not sure 100%, I also was inclined to say that the Squier sounded better. I did prefer the Fender neck though. The Squier's was thicker. But that's by no mean a defect just a choice. I believe Squier CV 70s are thinner.

However, I thought than none of the two basses felt and sounded as well as my two Squier Affinity with Tonerider pickups, strings of my choice, setup to my liking and high-quality lightweight tuners. That was a great GAS-reducing experience.

Hi all. So here is my situation: when I play the tip of my thumb is always exactly in the centre of the neck, looking at it vertically. Always. To get to the E string, I bend the wrist forward. Because of that my palm never touches the bottom of the neck. Ever. Before basschat I did not know sharp fret edges were a thing. But apparently they are for most people, so this got me thinking.

I have a feeling that somebody at some point in the distant past may have thought me this technique as a good thing. But I am not sure.

Thinking about it, it's quite a big twist I give to my wrist to get to the E. That may not be a good thing.

Tonight I have tried letting the thumb slide up toward the top of the neck to play the E, so my wrist angle changes less. But that feels awkward in different ways. Maybe just because it's new.

What do you think is the "healthiest" option?

I am really not an expert but to be honest, if tone wood was a thing, then I would think that a thick bit of plastic that covers half of the body placed in between the wood and the strings and all around the pickup would also matter. And they would not all be the same

This really is a bargain!

1 hour ago, itu said:

I have ran after so many basses during the years. Big things happen after trying them. 

This absolutely. The feel of the neck especially, which I think is big big deal for a bass. None of this is matter of life and that. One can just buy a "sensible" and well reccommended bass that looks nice and everything will be alright. But seeing something in picture or holding it in your hand is different.

On that note, while the reccomendation of getting a skinny Ibanez neck as it is more "similar" to a guitar is sensible, I would not worry too much about it because things may play out in ways that are surprising. I switched from guitar to bass when I was a teenager because I bought a P bass (relatively big neck) just for an occasional noodle. But then I had so much fun with that big neck and those big strings that I could not stop playing it

The Trooper is the first song I learned in bass. Not because I am naturally fasr, but because I cheat. Try plucking with three fingers - ring, medium, index. The order is very important, I can't explain why but you'll see when you try. So make sure you start with the ring finger. It is basically a single movement, as if you were to close your fist, with the fingers "falling" on the string but staggered. Try it a little bit and see if you can get a good sound. That's not how Harris does that and maybe in time you'll build the stamina to do it with two fingers. But using three is perfectly legitimate

7 hours ago, PaulThePlug said:

Lots of moan on the Mk1 Barts...

But remember these are a Reverse P in a soapbar housing... bound to sound different and/or underwelming when swapped for another soapbar that is a full width twin coil std humbucker...

Me?.. I'd Remove the pickups and pre for a rainy day.. or sell 'em and the magic bridge...

Go for a nice pair of J pups and go passive... with Artec QTP? - All Organic and Natural, but a little wider reaching.

Was a pair of J Toneriders in the FS, now Sold... A pair of Entwistle ceramics?... or contact Maida Vale Pickups (I've one of his P pups in my SR300) he does a Jazz Stack, twin coil, 4 wire so you can series or parallel the individual coils in each pickup... alnico IV for string balance... got fretless all over it!

I love my Passive P SR300. It's like taking of the Active Plastic Wrapping.

Love the SR Worn Pebble Body and Super Sleek necks... although my latest project is a Squier P.

I must say, I am happy with the piezo. A bit strange to my ears on its own (maybe it's a bit too much with tapes) but it adds some very nice thump to the neck pickup. To be jonest I am a bit wary of modding this one. It's not my usual £150 bass and it's hard to know if it is a keeper given how bad I am at playing fretless! Maybe somethinf discreet and easily reversible at some point!

As @Woodinblack says, @PaulThePlug 

... and yes, neck through! I am never going to play anywhere near there but I am loving it as a ramp for the plucking hand.

As I expected from an Ibanez, the ergonomics is amazing and the manufscturing is spotless! A joy to hold in your hand and play. I am not over the moon with the pickups and/or preamp. Saying I don't like them would be too much, I have found a good pairing with LaBella tapes and it sounds great. But maybe at that price point (new at least) I was expecting more. Or maybe I just want every bass to sound like a P I don't know

Back to the club!

13 minutes ago, ezbass said:

It appears that the answer to OP's topic lies herein: 

 

I would slightly disagree with that. Sires do not have a reputation for being light. They have a reputation for being either "normal" or on the havy side - depending who you ask - with significant variation among units. I had a V5 2gen (admittedly not a P) at 4.6kg! I would not extrapolate much from a single unit. I remember a youtuber BassAdvisor once having a lightweight HBJB75, which normally go at 5kg or over.

And as for balance, I understand that their tuners are certainly not lightweight. For what I have seen from LowendLobster reviews, it would appear that the consequences normally are the obvious ones for a P: neck heavy. That would obviously be more or less bad depending on the unit, with lighter basses being more likely to have bad balance.

Obviously, there is the possibility that recently Sire has started a process of strict selection of wood for weight (with particular focus on lighter necks). But I would find it unlikely at this price point

Well I'd say a good Sire P5 at 3.75kg and with good balance is a keeper for sure! 

On 16/06/2023 at 03:58, Marty Forrer said:

Further to my last post, I just did a fresh setup on it for my gig tonight. I got the E string down to 1/16" at the 12th fret and the G to 3/64". No fret buzz and I can dig in a bit if I want to. In the past I have owned high end Yamahas, Fenders, a Pedulla and a Wal, and I have never been able to get an action that low while still being able to dig in. It might be Chinese, but I am totally impressed. It's definitely a keeper. As a point of interest, the Wal was a beautiful bass, but too heavy and I struggled with getting a sound I liked, so swapped it for a vintage Jazz.

That's great but in my opinion, this may say more about your fret levelling job, which must have been excellent, than about the bass. Not to say that it isn't a very good bass. I guess the neck must be a quite stable piece if wood to support such low action (assuming relief is also quite low).

That's part of the reason why I don't fully understand very expensive basses, at least for Ps and Js where there is plenty of parts available

I don't do 5 strings. I have just bought a bass. I already have a Cort MM style bass and for what I play that's more than enough. But still I am tempted!

Why isn't anyone buying?

For what I understand, all you get with fake books is the melody of the intro of a jazz standard, and a chord sequence. The RealBook I had once was like that.

So if that is something that, at your level, helps, then go for it. I imagine nowdays some may have audio files as well.

They are not something that teach you how to walk per se. But if you know how to already at least to a certain level they help with practice.

Ed Friedland's book instead is a manual. It teaches how to walk, from zero to walking. I tried, it did not work for me. Too succint.

I am painfully slowly going through TalkinBass' course on walking which I think is great. It's a bit frustrating because, unlike Friedland, TalkingBass goes: "here is this little bit of new information now do in all keys and all over the fretboard and btw do learn your fretboard". That makes it slow but I don't get lost as much as with faster paced approaches

Right, my Squier P is back for sale as part of an effort to fund most of the purchase of a new fretless through sales. I put it for sale in April, then decided to keep it. But now it may have to go.

In the link below you find plenty of detail and comments from two previous owners

Here is the original advert:

"

This is a great bass for the price for somebody who, like me, could not care less about scratches, dings and marks. Of these, this bass has plenty. Everything else is great. This bass has outlived a modern Squier Affinity PJ, an old Squier Affinity made in Indonesia and even a Squier Classic Vibe. I am selling it now after I have put together a bitsa with similar characteristics and Fender neck with Hipshot ultralight tuners. To be clear, the reason the bitsa wins is just that it's lighter.

This bass is a Squier Crafted In China in 2008. I am not sure they went by the name Affinity. I bough it here last year and has been owned by Basschatters since at least 2017.

Based on the research I have made, these would actally have rosewood fretboard and alder body, which apparently at the time was cheap to source locally in China. It certainly feels sturdier than my poplar basses, but don't hang your purchase to this info.
It weighs 4.2kg according to my bathroom scale. Feels much lighter than a 4.2kg Classic Vibe I had due to its great balance.This is helped by the tuners, which, believe me or not, weigh one gram less than Hipshot Licensed Ultralight. That's not the only good thing about the tuners. I can play this bass, leave it overnight, pick it up the next evening and it's still in tune, or mostly in tune. It had never happened to me with basses in this price range. This is also helped by a stable neck. Originally lacquered, I have sanded it a bit but I would not say all the way down to a satin. Let's say thin and non-sticky lacquer.
The tuners have one downside: two of them rattled. The problem is mostly solved (with masking tape inside the casing on the back, you don't see it), although very occasionally I can still hear a rattle, which does not get amplified though. (EDIT: be aware that this may depend on your strings and your touch)
The neck shape is in between a J and a P. 40mm nut width. Not skinny back to front but not as chunky as say a Harley Benton JB75 either. Feels extremely nice. Frets are small, which to me gives it a bit of a fretless feeling and help not overdoing it with the fretting. Fretwork is good and allows for low action. In fact, for what cheap basses are concerned I only had an Ibanez once with equivalent fretwork. All others were not as good.
I have replaced the pickup it came with (a Wilkinson ceramic) with a Wilkinson alnico which sounds great. I have installed it with a KiOgon loom. For people not too familiar with it, it means that
- you can replace the pickup with just a screwdriver, no need to solder
- the quality of the electronics is extremely high and well above the price point here
The bridge, a bit battered, comes from a Squier Affinity PJ. Not really an upgrade but saddles in the stock one had become hard to move.
It has a mirror pickguard which I understand that, much like the knobs, it was not stock.

(EDIT Strings are old D'Addario nickels.)

Pickup from Bromley (20min train from Victoria, with Oyster). I could meet in central London although I am not there regularly. "

I bought this one not long ago from a gentleman here. Absolutely a stunning bass. Unfortunately, GAS being GAS, I have just committed to buy a fairly expensive (for my standards) fretless and I have to sell something.

By the way, I am selling this for £190 because this is what I paid for it. I don't feel like flipping for profit here. But the price is too low.

The neck is superfast. Just perfect. The Duncan Designed pickups sound great. Looks beautiful. According to my bathroom scale, this is 3.8kg.

As I write this I wonder if I should really be selling. But the fact is that, quite frankly, among my basses this is probably the one that can raise the most money and the one with the least personal attachment (all my other basses are cheap, modded, and have quirks that do not bother me but would bother others).

It's pickup only from Bromley. EDIT: I could also meet in London although I am not there very often. Note that Bromley is 20min train from Victoria with Oyster.

No gigbag

Same as those in an old Squier Affinity from 2000 I had. The seller believed they were stock. I asked him because I thought they sounded better than a modern Squier Affinity PJ

Ha! I am the least visual person in the world! I did not notice it was not Fender!

Yes, we all know how they look like. But we still need more pictures

20 minutes ago, hooky_lowdown said:

Westone Thunder or Concord, 2+2 headstock with lightweight tuners, and great pickups.

Interesting! I think I had heard that Westone Thunders are heavy. If that's not the case, I quite fancy the look of them!