gjones

I bought a Silver Series Squier made in Japan in 94. It sounds a bit like yours with a slightly wider neck than a normal Jazz. It also has the grounding plates. The pickups on it are the best Jazz pickups I've ever heard and have a much deeper sound than was on my Geddy Lee Jazz or 62 reissue. You've got a bargain there and if you do buy new pickups for it remember to keep the old ones as you may end up re-installing them.

The link is no longer on soundcloud but I'll comment anyway. Up until recently owned a couple of MM stingray SUBs and presently have a Jazz and Precision. In all honesty I preferred the sound of the SUBs but had to move them on as I have a touch of carpal tunnel and the edge of the body has no cutaway and was pressing on my wrist making it uncomfortable to play. I agree, the MM is much more than a one trick pony when you take that sizzly top end off using the EQ it has a fantastic thump just like a kick drum. I may in future buy myself another Stingray because I loved that sound. The Jazz is a really versatile bass too. The Precision does what it says on the tin. It's a no nonsense bass.

[quote name='Simon.' timestamp='1340201225' post='1700936'] Hi there, Over the years, I've enjoyed listening to a fair amount of blues, but rarely dabbled in playing it. However, in my continuous quest to educate myself, it's an area I fancy looking at, but feel at a bit of a loss as to where to start! The kind of stuff I'm listening to at the moment is SRV, the new Walter Trout album, Joe Bonamassa, but so much stuff comes across as a poor excuse for a guitarist to masturbate himself in public. So, who would you recommend listening too, and more importantly, who are the blues bass players out there, doing interesting work? Cheers, Simon. [/quote] Ahhh......didn't realise you lived in Edinburgh. Come along to the Ghillie Dhu at the West End on Thurs 28th and you can get up and play the real thing. Sandy Tweeddale will be holding a jam there and anyone can get up and play. Sandy's a great blues guitarist and singer who has played with everybody in Edinburgh and beyond. He's playing the Jazz Fest this year with Maggie Bell and Blues 'N' Trouble and also plays with The River Devils and The Blue Hyenas (you may have met him if you have worked at the Jazz fest in the past). There's be some great blues bassists (and me too) getting up to play on thurs and all you have to do is put your name on the list and get up on stage and plug in. The night starts at 9pm.

Yes I've heard it's been tried a few times. My philosophy is if it'stoo good to be true, it probably is...............so keep your guard up.

I had the same problem when I installed mine. I ended up shielding all the cavities with tonetech shielding paint which helped a lot [url="http://www.tonetechluthiersupplies.co.uk/guitar-paint-and-lacquer/conductive-paint.html"]http://www.tonetechl...tive-paint.html[/url]

I've been playing blues for a long time and the players I like are the ones who can keep a groove and hold back at the same time. One of my favourite blues bassists is Henry Oden who has played with Joe Louise walker. This is him making it sound effortless - Oh and remember the passing notes lots of passing notes. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7CIJZtn150&feature=related[/media] and here he is with a slow blues [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXWzRPaxxFU&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXWzRPaxxFU&feature=related[/url]

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1340292357' post='1702427'] You didn't find the mid sweep useful? Not many amps offer something like it. My gripe with the J-Retro is that it colours the sound even when you set it "flat". Flat does not really exist with that preamp (but it does with others), and I really like a passive Jazz sound. But even then, I love the oomph and versatility it gives me. But I could use just the mid sweep module and be happy, to be perfectly honest. I use that a lot. [/quote] Interestingly I recently bought an Ashdown MiBass which has the same feature (I think they call it semi parametric), where the knob picks the frequency you want and the slider boosts or cuts it, just like the j retro mid control but for all frequencies not just mid. It's a brilliant little amp and allows to get just about any sound you want.

I have a J-retro and it doesn't make my bass sound any better than if I just tweaked the controls on my amp. I bought it to make it easier to alter the sound of my bass between songs and to be able to adjust my sound while I was standing out front at soundcheck. If you have a problem with the sound of your bass I think upgrading your pickups would be the better option.

[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1340140014' post='1699934'] If anything, the internet is forcing a return to the pre-recording days when the "value" in music was in live performance. A concert is something that can't be duplicated or downloaded. The live experience cannot be replicated. We should all embrace that and do as much as possible to ensure that everytime we do a gig we make it as good as possible so that people see the "value" in what we do and make them want to come back again and again. [/quote] It's the reason why bands are continually touring these days (and reforming in order to tour). They can't make any money from selling their music. It's a reversal of previous behavior when bands toured in order to promote their records, now they release records to promote their live act. I've been to so many live gigs in recent years because all my favorite bands are back on the road again.

Made in China set up in Italy. They look georgeous but I've never seen a review. They remind me of the Retrovibe basses.

I would have no problem downloading Elton John's whole back catalogue (if I could be arsed) without a twinge of conscience. He has enough cash to fill the Albert Hall from floor to ceiling with used fivers. But I wouldn't download a new or non mainstream band's music as the amount of units they sell/don't sell is the difference between being kept on or dumped by their record company. I've seen myself download an album then, because I was racked with guilt, go out and buy the CD.

Allparts are excellent but up to £300 new. Mighty mite necks are excellent and only £100 on the bay. CH necks are cheap as chips and passable (mine had a wonky fretboard sanded more on one side than the other) but be prepared to cut the nut yourself because they don't come pre cut (at least not properly). I've bought all 3 and the best for value is the Mighty Mite. This is the guy I bought my MM neck from [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/bluebass320/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p3686"]http://www.ebay.co.u...=&_trksid=p3686[/url]

Will you not have to finish it with clear lacquer to stop it all rubbing off within the week? I've used this with good results [url="http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_203865_langId_-1_categoryId_165495"]http://www.halfords....tegoryId_165495[/url] You can use the nitro stuff if you're after authenticity [url="http://www.manchesterguitartech.co.uk/shop/category/nitrocellulose-lacquer/clearcoats/"]http://www.manchesterguitartech.co.uk/shop/category/nitrocellulose-lacquer/clearcoats/[/url]

Aha..... I shall be watching you very closely because that's my plan as well with a can of surf green.

I'm always amazed that relatively intelligent people,when asked to pick out instruments on a recording, sometimes can't tell a bass guitar, from a banjo, or a saxophone from a piano . They just know it's music and have no idea where it comes from and have very little understanding that human beings are responsible for the end product coming out of their hi fi or radio. Try it...... ask a non musician friend or relative to name the instruments they can hear on a tune on the radio you'll be amazed at the answers you get. They also don't understand the time, money, blood, sweat and tears it takes to learn to play an instrument well either, so no wonder they don't value music makers as much as they should.

[quote name='Lfalex v1.1' timestamp='1339796796' post='1694735'] Technique in any genre > choice of instrument. [/quote] Yes, buy a versatile bass then the rest is down to technique.

I just sold my strat on gumtree for £50 more than I asked for it. No fees and I had people fighting for it by the end. Gumtree is national and I live in Edinburgh but I ended up selling it to a dude down in Brighton. In a recession like this, there will be a lot of people wanting to sell stuff on ebay. They're just cynically cashing in on the demand like the corporate vultures they are.

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1339764201' post='1693940'] Unfortunately some of the stuff he has to play is just straight finger style & doesn't require strings to be muted for everything He's even got one of those basses (I can't remember which make) that has an adjustable muting option but apparently it really screws with intonation when it's used. [/quote] Two basses?

You know what I miss with the john east preamps? An old fashioned tone control. Turning down the treble on the preamp just isn't the same somehow? By the way nice bass.

This may sound like a stupid question but has he tried muting with foam at the bridge for a more consistent sound across the full range of notes. I know some pros hate it because they have the skill to palm mute but that was how they got that original sound in the 60s and it sounds fantastic (and consistant). I'm sure his MD would love it.

[quote name='4000' timestamp='1339746156' post='1693532'] I'd have loved to have played with Mitch Mitchell, he's my kind of drummer! [/quote] You'd better be prepared to go plonk, plonk, plonk all night because somebody would have to keep the beat and it would't be him. I play with a drummer like that. He's a great guy and I like him a lot but put a cymbal anywhere near him and he can't help himself he has to hit it (and usually on an offbeat). Other drummers marvel at his flashiness but in my opinion I think he should hit his bass drum now and again......after all he dragged it to the gig he might as well use it occasionally.

Noel Redding. He wasn't a bass player he was a guitarist drafted in at the last moment by Chas Chandler. In his defence though playing with Mitch Mitchell couldn't have been easy since he was the inventor of the drum style called 'drum kit being thrown down a flight of stairs'.