4 Strings

Our keyboard player had his combo and other covers made from blanket material over 20 years ago by an elderly lady he knew. Still got them. I know no such lady but have found Roqsolid to be expensive but very good and will hopefully last as long. Keeping my BF cabs mint.

I suppose you'd have to go and play them and see which one you like. Bet you'll find all sorts of differences in the flesh. May mean paying a touch more than the cheapest possible net price but you'll get the bass you know you prefer. Also, sk21 talks sense, seems from the pics that the Grestch is more of a luxury end bass, the Gibson being more basic. Is resale value relevant?

I got one, my bass playing lad has pinched it though, the paper jacket now not quite in the same condition! I'll not sell it so I suppose it's more important that he's enjoyed the book than how good the condition of the cover is. Maybe keep an eye out for 2nd hand one.

I've been thinking about this recently, just as water finds the easiest route I find myself settling to the most comfortable position during long playing sessions, and this tips my bass up at the neck. I find lower body end reduces the similar wrist angle hanging over the top of the body and raising the neck end straightens my wrist there too. So, imo, your bass position is fine. However at least for the moment the pic was taken, your left elbow is thrust forward unnecessarily. From the rest of your positioning it looks like your going through a particularly challenging section. I'd try to monitor yourself with this in mind and if this is regular for you, try to draw your elbow back to straighten your wrist. In the end, your body is the best sign if anything is going wrong and you'll get plenty of warning of aches and pains before you cause any damage. Doesn't sound like you have much to worry about. Yep, its a great pic!

I can't help but comment on the lack of knowledge of some of the people though! The amp owner was the worst but even the guy in the shop seemed to have the commonly held assumption that bass players only played roots and thirds inferring that only modern bass players are more mobile. Some of the bass players in the fifties (and, of course, earlier) were phenomenal, Eugene Wright, Ray Brown etc just listen to Anita O'Day for some incredible bass playing (not sure who her bass player was). Not all these bothered with the transition to electric as Jamerson did, granted.

Love this band. Regrettably never seen them live. So many ideas. Used to be some Rick interest but no more it seems, what bass is that? Madness know what they're doing don't they?

I have a Streamliner 900 and it is powerful but you'll need it if you use Barefaced cabs. That's not to say its necessarily a bad thing as I am about to recommend the Compact to you if you 'want deep gooey P-bass soul'. I've not used an S12 to be able to give you a comparison but for Motown and soul (much of my current playing) this is, to my mind, the perfect combination. Ample power for, frankly, anything without any problem. Don't need two of either. The Midget will do the trick too, here is where you'll need the power of the amp. It will go real loud but needs plenty to juice to drive it there. Will need to tweak up the bass control to get your goo. However I can recommend the Compact and Streamliner for soul, the natural sound of the combination, in my opinion, is perfect and will be all you need. >Just to add the Streamliners have a high pass filter which takes out the inaudible rumble etc like the Thumpinator does, and saves a load of unnecessary cone movement. Saves the £100 you'll spend extra for the 900!

Yep, very interesting, thanks a lot.

So sanding to the bare wood is fine, as long as its sealed afterwards. Refinishing is the subject isn't it? If the old finish is not sanded off it won't be a satisfactory job, surely? Going off the subject a bit, I must admit this movement issue is a bit of a mystery to me, my Jaydee once suffered movement when it was used in a basement over a week for recording. Had to slacken the rod a touch to make it playable again and after a couple of weeks at home was retightened to bring it back. And yet, the sealing and protection to the unlacquered MM necks must be minimal (just a rub of a tiny amount of gunstock wax and mine had been rather left to its own devices when I got it) but they seem to be stable. I wonder if temperature has more effect than moisture (not extremes here). The truss rod will expand/contract with changing temeprature, I feel, more than the wood move with slight moisture content in the air.

[quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1350594398' post='1841146'] Do you find that you're able to? Do you mean you pretend to be specific people whose reactions you can foresee? [/quote] Yes and no. Yes, specific people, no I' not sure how well I can foresee their reaction. I just can't help it as I tend to record for others and so I always want to know how they hear it.

tbh its horses for courses. "Only ever' is not really accurate, the Motown band is the exception to my rule of Stingray for everything, its the old Precision with flats, just works best. Couldn't use that for some of the other things I play. Its not part of a rotation, just the bass for the job. The Jaydee has had its day (well, 25 years of sole use!) and the Jazz, well, not sure I'll ever get on with those, sadly. The fifth is a pre-EB Stingray, comes out as a luxury for recording (or the Precision). For everyday use and my busy gospel band and anything else, its the 'Ray.

Although I now have 5 basses (rather to my shame) I only ever use one for everything. For some reason I can't be doing the rotation thing, I love to have 'my' bass with which I'm very familiar. Its the 'Ray. Sadly, this means the others languish in their cases.

The 'advert' I always remember was the one on The Who Sell Out (1:43 on this) http://youtu.be/TorwkR_cYZU

Would like to see that. Having never knowingly funded a Murdoch I'll not be seeing it, unless its get put on Youtube or something. Any links gratefully received.

I must admit, while I'm proud of much of my recordings (either playing, arranging or both) if I ever do listen to them its always pretending I'm someone else to see what their reaction would be. I will have heard it so much in the making that seeing wood for trees becomes an issue.

I don't think they are seen to be 'sticky' as such, just has a higher friction than a sanded and oiled neck. Just drag your thumb across the glossy body and then down the oiled neck to feel the difference. Not much! Frankly, as I've mentioned, I find the freshly oiled neck on my MM to be very slippy such that I have to 'pinch' the neck harder between my thumb and fingers and it actually makes my thumb ache after a while. I quite like the anchoring of my thumb on a glossy neck better than it being so slippy. The main advantage, as far as I can see, is that is gives an opportunity for you to apply some tlc on your bass every now and then, which can be a pleasure! When I got my bass the previous user hadn't really looked after the neck surface and so it wasn't sealed and became ingrained with dirt. I have the back of it clean but I think removal of the frets and sanding will be required on the front. Probably won't bother with that. If it was lacquered some soapy water would have done!

Loads of these. Wedding, half way through the set, after a really cockney fella had got up and insisting on singing his way through something or other with us, up pops a bridesmaid, sings exactly the same but an octave higher. Then up pops the bride, and wham, over goes the bridesmaid to the sound of bride screaming, 'Stop f.....g trying to f....g upstage me on my day!'

My Gospel band - have to get over the long intro though.. http://youtu.be/GYy8DpTdNj8

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1350249518' post='1836440'] Got my (used) Compact last Friday - very pleased indeed. Decided to amend my BF order to a Midget on the grounds of maximum flexibility, and the extreme unlikelihood of me ever needing to fire up 2 Compacts at once! [/quote] In my opinion, the right decision, especially if you can go the extra mile for the 'T'. Perhaps may not use it all the time but just adds that option. You may also find, as I did, that you end up using the Midget as the default. Used the Compact on Saturday, again mainly due to what the Midget would look like on a large stage more than any sonic requirements, and it was a huge sound. However, having got used to the Midget so much I felt it lacked some mids. I am also trying Newtone Platinums for the first time, but wondered if I missed my Midget! Rehearsal tonight, back to the Midget and we'll see if its the Newtones. I've been brave enough before with just the Midget on a large stage and it was fine!

Thanks for the link, Rubis, he certainly went for the router, no experimental nibbling there! I have feeling that, despite the 70s Fenders having a reputation for being heavy this lightening technique will only be carried out on copies. Shame. Funny no comments on the sound.

How'd you get on? For what its worth, I have a Stingray with the unfinished neck, I use lemon-oil on the fingerboard and the gunstock wax on the back. Just need the tiniest smear on a paper towel for the wax for the whole neck. It finishes super-smooth and slippy. I had noticed the cautions but chose not to eat any. It's got beeswax but also silicon and other less natural ingredients but it does the job. I think MM recommend it as it claims to be waterproof and so the surface should survive a good number of sweaty gigs without rubbing off. Got mine from the 'bay. In fact so slippy is the finish that I found I was having to press my thumb quite hard, then started to wonder if the lacquered finish provided a better anchoring for the thumb. However, after a day or it settles and its perfect. I cleaned and oiled when I got the bass (it was pretty dirty and dry) and then again after 6 months or so when I changed the strings. Probably 6 monthly intervals is ok, no more though. For me its an interesting feature of the bass, but I'm not unhappy with lacquer so, take or leave really. It does, however, give an excuse for an occasional show of affection and nice oil and rub - the wife is genuinely not happy!

Its horses for courses, you won't get a sound like Stanley, Jaco, Miller, Entwistle etc with flats but those aren't the only great sounds. 'Nard gets one of the best sounds from a bass using flats. Sting is another.

I suppose rout a bit, see how it hangs (as it were), rout a bit more. Better still core drill plugs which can be replaced and make it adjustable.