4 Strings

My Musicman has a brass nut. Polishes up nice.

I've just been looking into these, ended up with Schallers. I considered two other types: Jim Dunlop, pretty thin and cheap looking for their price, Ernie-Ball, looked very neat but required drilling for a larger screw. Didn't want to drill a 30 year old bass. The final seller was the gap between the body and the strap. On both these, particularly the E-B, the strap is held a good 20mm from the body meaning a lot of leverage on the screw whereas on the Schallers the gap between the strap and the body is small. I don't intend taking the strap off very often but they're dead easy to use anyway. Comes in black too!

[quote name='Daquifsta' post='790926' date='Mar 30 2010, 06:49 PM']I think the only way you could make the look of a 2 x 8 x 10 rig any better, especially if your guitar peeps have 1 x 12's, would be if you yourself were slightly shorter than an 8 x 10, and wore a genuine German tank driver's helmet. This was the look my band's previous bass player perfected :-)[/quote] That is very, very cool, any pics?

[quote name='Bilbo' post='793116' date='Apr 1 2010, 11:27 AM']I get that, I really do, but, in reality, I almost never try anything in music shops - haven't for at least 10 years. They almost never have anything I am interested in. I tried a Markbass amp/cab in Bass Merchant in Essex recently because I wanted to know if I could get a sound that could compete with my Eden without the weight. The answer was I couldn't so I walked away. Not their fault but certainly not mine. If I couldn't have tried it, I certainly wouldn't have bought it elsewhere. But, if I could save £700 by buying it elsewhere, I would have. Not because I am disloyal but because I can't AFFORD to throw away that much money to be 'loyal' to a perfect stranger. A tenner maybe, even £20 but £700? Not a chance. To be blunt, if they closed every music shop in East Anglia, I wouldn't notice. They have closed every cd shop except HMV (who I never go to) and it had no consequence for me at all and I buy upwards of a hundred cds a year. If they didn't cater for me (no jazz) and only catered for 12 year old girls, why should I worry? Virgin et al had forced me onto the internet years before they collapsed.[/quote] I agree for £700 (as I said), who wouldn't, glad you'd do the tenner, though. My local record shop would have loved a customer of >100 cds a year, and discounted to prove it. Its a hard decision, Tescos for a penny cheaper or keep the local greengrocer/chemist/butcher/baker open? I go for the personal whereever I can.

[quote name='crez5150' post='792566' date='Mar 31 2010, 10:12 PM']uncanny - [/quote] Where's his bass? Great pic!

[quote name='neilb' post='792557' date='Mar 31 2010, 10:07 PM'] Me and Norm, best mates!![/quote] All I can see is green. I love that man so much!

"The local shops were asking £2,200. I got mine from GAK in Brighton for £1, 499" There lies much of the problem. Local shops providing free hire for trying out gear before buying on-line or for bigger discount shops to make the sale. £700 difference is a big call (might the local shop have had a go at matching?) that sounds unbeatable, but I always try to buy local as I don't mind paying to have a local music shop in which I can try things etc. We have 4 local drum shops - well, one is upstairs at PMT - didn't know drums were so popular. My lad is a drummer and we have a great relationship with Gary at Drums Inc in Hornchurch, our most local, all sorts of favours, advice and discount etc and we're very happy to let them have our money for such premium and personal service.

I'm in the 'Go-For-It' camp, it'll be a laugh. Eventually your mates will get fed up helping you in and out with it, a bit later you might too. But until that happens you play for enjoyment don't you? Improve your enjoyment by a using a bass stack the size of a small venue. We've all done it, any regrets? 'Course not! If your guitarist has a little 1x12 combo you might look at how the mountain of bass looks on the stage.

What a result too! If it was me I would be standing near the place where Norman is standing. The guy is a legend and such a great chap to boot.

Great to meet you Lo, I've also looked at many of your vids, great stuff. Looking at 'Aint no Mountain' as I have to learn this one myself. Have you ever done the other 'Aint no Mountain', the big one with Diana Ross? Jamerson is masterful and, for me anyway, almost impossible to mimic. Would greatly appreciate your expert take on it.

[quote name='Sarah5string' post='789379' date='Mar 29 2010, 01:52 PM']I'm looking at upgrading from my laney RBW300 which is an 165w combo to something more powerful that'll last me a good while. Spotted this combo on ebay going for BIN £199 which seems a bargain so wanted opinions on whether they were any good and knew of only one place to ask This head.. [url="http://www.amazon.com/Behringer-Ultrabass-BX4500H-Guitar-Amplifier/dp/B0002Z82W6"]http://www.amazon.com/Behringer-Ultrabass-...r/dp/B0002Z82W6[/url] This cab... [url="http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/BA410.aspx"]http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/BA410.aspx[/url] The cab is more powerful that I would need but for the price it seems like a decent investment either way and could always downgrade if it were too much anyway [/quote] Never used Behringer and so cannot comment, apart from being able to buy 2nd hand a proper Hartke ally cone cab for ~£100 and maybe a bit more required for a matching amp. Bought mine 2nd hand and I'm very happy indeed (paid a bit more for a 2x10 XL with the HF horn from a listee too, perfect)

[quote name='4000' post='788793' date='Mar 28 2010, 07:49 PM']+1. A "decent" bass is simply one that works for you, which could prove to be absolutely anything.[/quote] Of course, but the chap asked how much for one. Can't tell him £100 because the vast majority for sale at that price are not going to be 'decent'. As I said, there are bargains around, but if he allows for £800-1000 he should get a decent bass that he wants. If, in the meantime, he finds one he wants for less, then he's saved himself some money. Don't need to spend £3k+ for a decent bass, not likely to get one for £30, but also not to 'save' money by buying one that he doesn't really want. Only other comment would be to try and buy from a shop rather than on-line. It'll be a sad day when the last bass selling shop closes.

[quote name='Big_Stu' post='787935' date='Mar 27 2010, 04:38 PM']Unfortunately for the past few years he's had a constant 18 month waiting list I was in Edinburgh a few weeks ago & a junk shop there had a few basses including a MusicMan at £400, I don't think he knew what he had. There was also an unpriced mid 70's EB3, but they only look good in cherry IMHO.[/quote] Wow, whats the name of the shop?

Just had a look and mine are slightly different. I've seen an old pic advertising a Precision and the position of the silk varied with the string to be longer as it goes from E to G to match the Fender type headstock. With the silk as shown in your picture the strings are generic and would fit any 34" bass. I was hoping mine would be the Fender specific type, hinting they may be original but the silk doesn't start until a few rounds of the capstan. I think it'll take a while to get used to playing with flats, its a sound I have been careful to avoid for >30 years hence countless sets of Swing Bass!

Ok so lots of people got wonderful bargains, unfortunately these seem to turn up just before and after you really need to buy. For your original question, you should allow £800- 1000 for a decent bass. You can get them for less but if you have that much you will be able to buy yourself a decent bass that you want. For this Jaydee will make one for you and it will be uniquely yours, you can get a Musicman Stingray (as opposed to the cheaper versions, fairly decent but not a Stingray) which will satisfy your spec. From each of these you should get change from your sum (esp if the Stingray is 2nd-hand). You should also afford most of the other suggestions too. Keep hold of what you want (even if that changes) and look out for the bargains and you might be able to get what you want before saving £800. However, don't buy what you don't really want, regardless of price.

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='787185' date='Mar 26 2010, 04:50 PM']In 1976 I bought a new Precision and it came with factory fitted flats with green silks.[/quote] Really? Thanks for that, the old Precision I have is '78 and was fitted with flats with green silk and I wondered what make they were. From what you say, perhaps they are the original strings. I put them back on yesterday. Seems like Precisions came with different strings, perhaps they could be specified. Back to the original question from what I could find they were flats, possibly Squier or La Bellas.

Wonder if she's using flats!

Off - yes, the Canyon, very nice. I didn't know Tanglewood made the synthetic version either. On - hmm, nice, look forward to the pics.

A pic would help. From memory the bridge on a 600 was brass (coloured). I had a 600 in the early '80s. Loved it, played well, looked amazing and cheaper than those with higher model numbers (enough for me to afford it).

The lad has a 4 string version. Not sure if its a licence thing but its all wood (as opposed to the all synthetic Curbow). Highly unfashionable, I'm sure, but he's not into relic/vintage etc. Its a really nice bass, get used the small body and it plays very well indeed with a big sound and lots of variance with the active. They go ridiculously cheap and he's extremely proud (protective!) of it.

[quote name='The Bass Doc' post='786864' date='Mar 26 2010, 12:47 PM']I'd like to point out I play the Original '54 set and don't find it any effort at all - check out The Stax Brothers on Youtube. You'll find I'm not exactly going through the pain barrier. BTW we had no idea that we were being recorded at the time, otherwise I'd have uttered the immortal phrase 'I can usually do much better than that'. As it happens, the same words I used to Elle McPherson as I slipped quite effortlessly back into my Y-fronts.[/quote] How do like them? I'm drifting into the Flat road myself at the moment to play some Motown in a few months. I've put back the old Rotosound flats on my Precision for the purpose. I have nothing to which to compare them. By the way, where did you get your wonderful signature pic?

If he can hear the instruments as he wants already, albeit too loud for his ears, how about him just wearing ear-plugs?

[quote name='Low End Bee' post='672989' date='Dec 3 2009, 11:25 AM']I really like 'em. Never had a problem. Tried a few others including Elites, D'addario and Ernie Ball and was underwhelmed in comparison. Maybe they suit some basses better than others? Great on a precision for me.[/quote] Same here. Used them for >30 years, always ok, most get boiled a good few times. Used to snap Gs (always 35s or, if I can get them, 30s) but that was down to my playing, not snapped a string for many years now. Swing bass every time for me (although I'm recently discovering flats on an old Precision!)

Found some more, this time from the La Bella catalogue: "“ORIGINAL 1954” FENDER® STYLE (Registered trademark of Fender Musical Instruments, Inc.) Flat Wound The 0760M set was used on virtually every Motown gold record in the 1960s. Donald “Duck“ Dunn used the same strings on countless recordings with Otis Redding and Booker T. & the MG’s. They are the fullest and deepest sounding bass strings ever. Set 0760M Medium .052 - G ¡ .073 - D ™ .095 - A£ .110 - E ¢ 760M-B Low “B“ .128 - single" The reference to Motown is surely Jamerson, but the claim of "Original '54 Fender Style" is interesting. Have we found the root? .052 for the G - goodness, no wonder noone could play Jamerson's bass! Right, no more now, I've got work to do!