Fionn

On 16/11/2018 at 14:43, Dad3353 said:

And are you still seeing the lass..? 

Nah ...  she’s buried under the patio now, with the others.

2 hours ago, blablas said:

NBD.

Standard model? What’s your verdict thus far? How you getting on with the shorter scale length on those?

Withdrawn for now

Aria Pro II SB900, made in 1981 at Matsumoku, Japan.

The SB900 (alongside the active, single-pickup SB1000) was at the top-end of Aria’s classic Matsumoku SB’s.

Passive, with twin MB-II pickups. Each pickup has its own stacked volume/tone pot, and a phase switch which shifts its pickup from "parallel" to "in-series" mode. There is also a 3-way pickup selector switch, so the tonal range is very broad. It's a highly versatile bass. The body is made from Canadian ash, the neck is quarter-sawn maple & walnut, and the fingerboard is rosewood. Brass nut and bridge. 

This is an unmodified lined fretless, as produced at the Matsumoku factory. Quality is written all over this bass. It’s a true player’s instrument, and an absolute joy to play, set up nice and low, with that classic fretless ‘mwah’ on tap. The tonal scope is exceptional for a passive bass. It goes from fat and smooth, to thick and punchy, to fine and bright, keeping its beautifully resonant character throughout. It really gets into the burp-zone on the bridge pickup too. Mojo by the ton.

She's a beauty, and in superb condition for her vintage. Structurally perfect, with only some very minor cosmetic/ surface marks. The fingerboard is flawless, with no buzzes nor dead spots. The neck is straight and the truss-rod does exactly what it should. No issues whatsoever. The bass is all-original with the exception of one of the phase switches (replaced with a like-for-like part). It’s currently strung with a newish set of Fender 9050CL flatwounds. A good hardcase is included in the sale.

The bass is in Fife, Scotland. I’m willing to meet within a reasonable distance, or I can courier at the buyers expense, no problem. I’ve posted a fair few basses, and know the importance of bomb-proof packaging.

I’m currently selling a matching fretted SB1000 (also 1981) on this forum. I’d do a deal if they were being bought as a pair.

Trade options: 4-string Active Fretless Warwicks.

Pictured with the matching fretted SB1000 (also for sale) ...

Sold.

Prague ... hmmm.

I’ve only been once, about a decade ago. The band I was in were playing at the Prague festival. I thought that it was the most beautiful city I’d ever seen. Too hot in the summer though. It’s random and intense. Weird stuff happens there. 

Scotland happened to be playing the Czech Republic at football when we were there, and we ended up playing a bunch of impromptu evening gigs for the Tartan Army in this big sweaty dump called ‘The Shamrock’ (avoid). Almost went blind drinking home-distilled moonshine with Slovakian farmers who were in the same digs as us, in town to see Anthrax. I befriended a herbally-inclined sound guy after a festival gig which led to being at a gigantic rave on the outskirts of the city where everyone was dressed entirely in white from head to toe (I’m not a raver). I got hit upon by an Irish transvestite. 

Some useful advice though ... Beware hot-looking Romany women who pretend to be all over you whilst going through your pockets. 

Great place! 😀

Ahhh, sorry... I didn’t read the post properly. I get you.

Nose grease is the WD40 of Bassdom 🙂

I only ever play flats (Ernie Ball Cobalts), and I find that they are sticky for the first few days of play. After that though, they are fine. I wouldn’t put anything in the strings just yet. Play them a bit more. See how you feel about it this time next week. 

I must say, the experience of being part of a choir has not only made be a better bass player, but a better musician all round.

I didn’t have any formal training in music. I started playing as a teenager, so moved and inspired by the early output of Jamiroquai/ Zender, that bass was the direction I took. 25 years later and no regrets. Bass is still my primary instrument, and the one I love above all. My musical tastes have remained very much rooted around that hemisphere of music too, but deeper, naturally.

However, a few years ago, by some bizarre accident of events, having had no previous singing experience and no involvement in traditional music, I found myself joining the local Gaelic Choir. It was a revelation, and there was no turning back.

There is something ethereal and electrifying about standing in the midst of 30 voices when you’re locked tightly into a complex arrangement of a big piece. Whether it’s sensitive and beautiful, or vigorous and bold, the emotive power of the situation is huge and unquestionable. There are strict technical requirements though, and these are what have made me the better musician. 

Firstly, I had to learn how to read music and, by default of the learning process, my sight-reading is ever improving.By absolute necessity I’ve developed a greater sense of subtlety, restraint, and discipline. A more refined sense of place and, as a result, the whole. My natural timing has improved, and the basic nature of choral singing has made me infinitely more harmonically conscious. Also, the specific process of learning, breaking down into tiny detail and reconstructing a few select pieces over many months, and the inherently complex nature of the arrangements have allowed me to understand music in a way I never would have otherwise... and it’s all transferable to bass.

Choir singing happened randomly, and out of the blue, but now that it’s part of my life I love it. I’m more of a musician than I ever was before, or ever would have been without it ... and I’m grateful for that.

Are there any other choristers here? If so, what benefits have you perceived? Tell me something of the kind of choir you’re in 🙂

My choral experience has been entirely in the (Scottish) Gaelic language, in both men’s and mixed choirs, in performance and competition, Scotland, and abroad. 

Check out the Warwick (RB) Alien. Those have a 32” scale.

Subjectivity rules, and all that, but I can’t imagine a more perfect bass than this. 

Also, I must add ... with it having a both gain and volume controls, it’s possible to get a very decent overdrive on. Pretty handy having that there at the very tail end of the chain. It gives me post-filter/ modulation dirt options (all my other distortion is in front of the filters/ modulation). 

I’ve found it to be a surprisingly versatile little piece of kit. It has added breadth to my palette, sure ... and I only set out for a clean boost 

I use the eq on my boost, sure. It’s good for coming in fat and loud when it’s time to get dubby. 

I use the Mooer true bypass clean boost. It’s as clear as a whistle. Got an eq section too. Cheap as chips and perfectly up to task.

This one ... https://www.richtonemusic.co.uk/product/mooer_pure_boost_fx_pedal/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5OO0s5zN3gIV1eR3Ch1bbwzHEAkYASABEgITdvD_BwE

There are a few on the market now.

What are folks experiences with the various models?

Any particular pro’s or con’s associated with whichever pedal?

Any tone-suckers to avoid?

Everyone knows that Stuart Zender played on the first three Jamiroquai albums, with Nick Fyffe replacing him on the fourth album ‘Synkronized’.

However, nine tracks were written and recorded for that album with Zender as bassist and co-writer, before he and the band parted ways.

To avoid any legal entanglements all of those tunes were dropped by the band, completely removing Zender from that album ... although it is said that the recordings are around.

Does anyone know where to find this stuff? I’d love to hear it.

Very classy 🏆

Folks ...

What size of bubblewrap roll to buy, assuming I want to pack a bass (in a gigbag) inside a standard bass box? (think of the bubblewrap as being rolled up into tightish balls).

Would this do it? (50cm X 100m) ... https://www.amazon.co.uk/500mm-Quality-Bubble-Small-Bubbles/dp/B07BRCSVLM/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1541260938&sr=8-5&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=bubble+wrap+large+bubbles+100m&dpPl=1&dpID=31MYWEfpP8L&ref=plSrch

Ta’

Aye! I made the advert 4 years ago, then changed my mind, so it has been on hold for a while 🙂. 

However, I’m after another Warwick, and don’t have the money to pay for it, so the Aria has to go. The bass is in Fife, Scotland.  

38 minutes ago, MB1 said:

MB1.

Old ad?....This still available????

....Location Location Location?

 

On 20/10/2018 at 16:55, Jimothey said:

@Fionn If you regret buying it or don't want to pay to get it repaired I'd be interested in buying it off you for a reasonable price......... 😀 

Sorry man. I sold it about a year ago

Westfield Thumb Bass Copy.

Passive, Vol/Vol/Tone.

I paid £60 for this, with a cheapo 20w practice amp, decent padded gig bag, lead, and strap thrown in.

Good points: Decent tone of mid-pronounced character, Lovely Ash Body, nice dark rosewood on the fretboard, real abalone dot markers. Looks amazing.

Bad points: Totally unbalanced with severe neck-dive, Horrible neck finish, terrible fretwork- uneven frets with rough edges, buzzing all over the place, didn’t stay in tune, needed frequent truss-rod adjustments, low output.

Would I recommend? ... No 

Letting this go after a long painful period of uncertainty and indecision (urgh) ...

Anyway ... Tis for sale again, or trade for a suitable fretless Warwick.

No buying or selling, but i thoughtvthis was worthy of positive feedback ...

Ian responded to a question I had in the forum, and sent me a couple of screws for the bridge of my bass. Never asked for money, really community-positive. Good guy! 🙂

Folks 

Does anyone know where to buy intonation screws for a basic Fender-type bridge?

I just had one shear on me. It’s one of the longer (1 3/4”) ones, from the D string.

The thread is 6-32. I’ve had a look on Google, but can’t find any in the required length 😕

20 minutes ago, thebassist said:

What is your budget and would you consider second hand?

I’ll be buying a used bass, sure. Budget isn’t so important, but if the Squier VM’s are generally as good as the one I played, that’s what I’ll be going for, given that they can be had for less than £200.

With the exception of my first ‘proper’ bass back in the early 90’s (P-Bass Lyte) I’ve never been a Fender player. I don’t have anything against them, per se. It’s just that my bass journey has lead me in a different direction (Warwicks mainly). That said, I recently had the opportunity to play and compare three different Jazz basses, and it got me gassing.

One was a Mexican Standard Jazz, one was American (basic Jazz, not sure if there was an exact model name), and the other was an Indonesian Squier VM Jazz. All were made this side of the millennium, all were nicely set up, and with decent strings.

Comparing the three basses, they didn’t sound as different as I had expected. In terms of sound quality,  I felt that there wasn’t much between them (but what is down to subjective preference) really. All three sounded like true Jazz basses, albeit with slightly different tonal characteristics. The Mexican bass perhaps lacked the guts of the other two, a bit less ‘thickness’ in the tone. Only slightly though. There really wasn’t much in it.

The American model felt most solid to play, although again, I didn’t perceive that much of a leap in quality between it and the cheapo Squier model. The Mexican bass was poorest in the hands. It wasn’t finished so well either. The Indonesian Squier had a rattle coming from a tuning peg, but overall I couldn’t fault it. Far-Eastern budget basses seem to have come a LONG way since I was a beginner in the 90’s!

My query is this ... I’ve now got serious Jazz gas, and I intend to get myself one. On the basis of my experience, and considering the price, I’m thinking of going for a Squier VM. I was very surprised by the quality of the instrument, especially when directly compared to more expensive models.

Is this normal with these basses, or might I just have played a particularly good one? Generally speaking, has anyone else perceived little difference across the price-scale like this? I can’t see any reason to pay more for the Mexican Jazz when the budget bass clearly bossed it. Not so sure if this was an anomaly, and my location doesn’t allow me to play lots of different basses whenever I like, so I wouldn’t mind some advice from ye who are in the know. What are other folks experiences with these basses? How do you feel that the Squier VM compares with the Mexican standard? And are there any other cheaper models that stand out?

I’ll be buying a used bass when the time comes.

Thanks.