gjones

The comments about the sound being better with a higher action are very valid it is a much cleaner sound. I do like a low-ish action and I can get away with it and a bit of fret rattling when playing live but that fret rattling sound can be irritating when recording. I used to have my Geddy action set ridiculously low. So much so that many times I used to have to adjust it at the gig to ensure it didn't choke (as the neck is very temperature sensitive). I think a lot of bass players assume setting up a bass is a mystic art and are afraid they may damage their truss rod if they start tweaking it (like I did for a long time). What I was interested in was if people specifically choose to have a high action and it looks like a lot of people actually do.

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='1266156' date='Jun 12 2011, 03:11 PM']1cm at the fifth fret sounds impossible.[/quote] Yes, that's what I thought as well. That action was on a old US precision bass (complete with a rusty nail as a strap button) played by the son of the bass player in a very well known 70's classic heavy rock band (he probably inherited it from his dad who now plays alembics) . He's an excellent bassist who has been playing professionally for the last 15 years and this is (as far as I know) his main bass. I only played it for a couple of songs and the bass itself sounded great but there must be something seriously wrong with the neck to be able to get the action that high. A couple of times I've toyed with the idea of offering to set these peoples basses up for them and make them easier to play with a couple of tweaks of an allen key or a screwdriver but I'm afraid they'll take it as an insult to their 4 stringed pride and joy.

Recently I've played a few different basses belonging to other bassists. All the basses had two things in common. The first was they all belonged to experienced and very able bass players. The second was that the action on all of the basses was really very high (in one case it was more like a bow and arrow than a bass). Once I got over the fear that I was going to break something by tweaking with my trussrods I've always liked a lowish action on my basses because they're easier to play (ie my playing improves when the action is low) and it takes less physical effort to actually fret a string. But I've been wondering why all these very competent bass players have their action so high (in one case the E string was about 1 cm high at the 5th fret on a precision bass). Am I missing out on something? Personally I can't figure it out why you would want a high action when you can adjust your bass to have it much lower - maybe they just can't be bothered? Are there bass players out there who are well aware how to achieve a low action but prefer a higher action for some reason?

I did the same a couple of weeks ago. I played a 50's classic P with a maple neck, a Mex standard with a rosewood neck and a Squier CV. The best sounding was the Mex standard as it gave me that woody sounding punch I always imagine a P bass should have. The 50's classic was a bit clanky for my taste and the CV pickups sounded a bit on the cheap side. I have also recently tried the US standard and it beat the others hands down but like you I hate the idea of carting around a bass I paid £1000 for which will instantly depreciate by about £400 as soon as I take one step outside the shop. I'm seriously considering buying a 2nd hand Mex and popping a US standard pickup in it.

[quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' post='1264781' date='Jun 11 2011, 11:48 AM']are other instruments stomping on your frequencies? There are two guitarists in my band - I remember a rehearsal when the guitarist put changed from Martin electroacoustic and telecaster to Gibson 335 & les Paul and I continued with my jazz bass. The overall sound of the band turned into a mess of low end mush even though we didn't sound any louder - everyone was contributing to the low and low-mids so there was no definition in that part of the audio spectrum. It sounded so bad it was pointless carrying on with the song until they worked out how to eq their amps so that everyone had space[/quote] +1 I agree with the above. Individuals should pick a frequency range and stick to it and then everyone's happy. Otherwise you get to the stage where everybody tries to be louder than everybody else because they can't hear themselves in the general mush onstage. Also it's worthwhile getting a long lead and standing a decent distance from your amp and experimenting with different sounds while the band are playing. As someone earlier said your favorite EQ settings may sound fantastic when your bass is played on it's own but disappear in the band mix, while an EQ setting that doesn't sound so great when you're playing without the band, fits in nicely with the mix once the band start playing.

Would this help? [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001GU6FYI/ref=s9_simh_gw_p60_d6_i2?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=10XSQJ22J6EADP932BG9&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=467128533&pf_rd_i=468294"]http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001GU6...;pf_rd_i=468294[/url]

I agree with all of the above and it also looks disgusting. Unless you're getting it for a tenner don't bother, buy a nice new one made in China.

I played an old USA precision with a nail for a strap button and and action like a bow and arrow the other week at a jam I occasionally go to and it sounded great. I had the chance to listen to it while others were playing and it sounded fantastic with the band as well (incidently it had roundwounds on it). Today I put a set of La bella flats on my ancient and usually disregarded P/J to record a bluesey bassline on a track I've been working on...........with a sponge mute fitted at the bridge what an instant motown sound. I think I'm going to have to get myself a Precision. After all these years of dismissing them I've been persuaded. Anybody out there want to trade a Jazz Bass for theirs?

Mike scott, of the Waterboys, wrote out 10 rules of how to be a Rock 'N' Roll star on his web blog. Rule number 2 is....... [size=4]How to choose a musical instrument (it's the way it looks, stupid!)[/size] Is that your number one consideration when buying a bass (like 99% of Rickenbacker owners it seems) or are you deeper than that ? By the way I've included the other 9 rules below...........just in case you were curious. [size=4][font="Courier New"]1. How to dress like a proper f**ing rock'n'roll star (rule one: dress the same offstage as onstage. And I mean dress offstage like you would ON, not on like you would off) 2. How to choose a musical instrument (it's the way it looks, stupid!) 3. How to write HOOKS. (If your songs ain't got 'em, get another job) 4. How to play your instrument not with your head or fingers BUT WITH YOUR LIFE 5. How to confound your audience's expectations 6. How to creatively joust with the mysterious race of beings known as ROCK JOURNALISTS 7. The lore and evolution of rock'n'roll (and how not to GO BACKWARDS. Rolling Stone magazine take note) 8. The occult science of the killer song intro 9. The occult science of the extended outro (rule one: earn it by preceding it with a disciplined and economic song arrangement) 10. How to get people to do things for you (eg take care of the money stuff) without surrendering your power or authority to them [/font][/size]

These are Mike Scott, from the Waterboys, 10 rules of how to be a ROCK 'N' ROLL STAR. Please pay close attention to rule number 2. [font="Courier New"]I've been looking at the website of one of these rock schools where you take courses in how to be a performer. Maybe it works for some people but that kinda thing wouldn't have drawn me at the age 16. Rock + school just don't mix. So I think I'll start my own ALTERNATIVE ROCK'N'ROLL SKOOL. Courses to include: 1. How to dress like a proper f***ing rock'n'roll star (rule one: dress the same offstage as onstage. And I mean dress offstage like you would ON, not on like you would off) [size=5]2. How to choose a musical instrument (it's the way it looks, stupid!)[/size] 3. How to write HOOKS. (If your songs ain't got 'em, get another job) 4. How to play your instrument not with your head or fingers BUT WITH YOUR LIFE 5. How to confound your audience's expectations 6. How to creatively joust with the mysterious race of beings known as ROCK JOURNALISTS 7. The lore and evolution of rock'n'roll (and how not to GO BACKWARDS. Rolling Stone magazine take note) 8. The occult science of the killer song intro 9. The occult science of the extended outro (rule one: earn it by preceding it with a disciplined and economic song arrangement) 10. How to get people to do things for you (eg take care of the money stuff) without surrendering your power or authority to them[/font]

All I can find in my Fender book is an active Precision Bass Plus which looks similiar to yours has the same font on the headstock and was manufactured in the early 90's along with a Jazz Bass Plus. Sorry I can't help you more.

[quote name='gjones' post='1255861' date='Jun 3 2011, 07:40 PM']Old vintage US and MIJ jazzers have this hole. US jazzes no longer have them, the MIJ jazzes still do. If you have a vintage reissue Jazz or MIJ it will have a wee screw in that hole. If you ever need any more random useless info about Jazzers, I'm your man![/quote] Ha, Ha, as I said above, there's no mystery! The original Jazz Basses had this screw because Mr Fender obviously though it was needed to keep the scratchplate down. In the eighties they realised it was unnecessry and from then on the scratchplates had no screw in the middle. In Japan they continued to fit the screw in the middle of the scratchplate and if you buy a reissue US Jazz, for that authentic look, they have a screw in the middle of the scratchplate too. Right! Now that that's settled, let's all go back to arguing whether Musicmans are better than Fenders (it's been a while).

Old vintage US and MIJ jazzers have this hole. US jazzes no longer have them, the MIJ jazzes still do. If you have a vintage reissue Jazz or MIJ it will have a wee screw in that hole. If you ever need any more random useless info about Jazzers, I'm your man!

You can only really go onstage wearing this thing around your neck if you are - [size=3]1- A multimillion selling rock god[/size] [size=5]OR [/size] [size=3]2- Playing northern workingman clubs every night[/size]

Love it!

There was a drummer I used to play with who I would have to watch and wait to see when he hit his snare as he came out of (hopelessly out of time) fills so that we didn't go out of synch when we came back into the song. Another who was so busy hitting his cymbals on weird off beats that he forgot that he was a part of the rhythm section and expected to keep the beat. A good drummer can make or break a band and having to put up with a bad one can make an otherwise good band (and the bass player) sound like amateurs.

[quote name='JimBobTTD' post='1253049' date='Jun 1 2011, 07:28 PM']Scratchplate has a mighty big gap by the control plate. I'll contact Warmoth and see if they will still honour its return.[/quote] Remember there's usually room to move the control plate around a bit to fit the scratchplate. Try that before going to the bother of returning it. I've fitted many scratchplates and they're never a 100% fit.

At the break Him 'hey you're pretty good!'. Me 'Thanks'. Him 'I play bass'. Me 'mmmmm?'. Him 'Can I get up an play a couple of tunes on your bass?' Me 'No'. Him 'Oh go on...' Me 'No' Him 'why not?' Me 'because this is a professional gig and we're being paid and I've never met you before and I never loan my bass out to peope who I've known for 30 seconds and tell me they're a bass player and then ask if the can borrow my bass and play a few tunes with the band'. Him 'So will you let me have a go?'. Me 'No' Him '..........actually I take it back you're not that good' Me 'Thanks'

With my old band I printed up a sign and stuck it on the monitor which said 'Please do not request Mustang Sally as refusal often offends'.

I played another precision the other day at a jam night. An old US one with an action like a bow and arrow and a nail as a strap button. What a sound though none of that fancy hi fi stuff just lots of bottom end. I thought I'd got over my Precision fixation, seems I haven't...............hmmmm.

Y' know after seeing this thread I might just take my Geddy out to tonight's gig and give it a good thrashing. It hasn't had a good 'seeing to' in a while.

When I thought about this question I realised I don't clock the bass on a large % of the records I listen to. A lot of the basslines in the songs I like are pretty basic and could be played in most bass players sleep. You could substitute it with a keyboard or an organ and nobody would notice. There are exceptions of course such as James Jamerson with his sublime groove and Paul McCartney with his melodic playing where the bass is way up in the mix. Tom Waits early stuff comes to mind too with Jim Hughart on double bass (and sometimes no other instrument except possibly a saxaphone). These songs wouldn't be half as good without a bass player playing a real live bass guitar/DB. So the answer is..........maybe?

Image is a powerful thing. I love the look of those slab sided 51 reissues but I bet they sound like pants with that little single coil pickup.When bassists go on Jools show they know it just wouldn't look cool with a blue metallic 5 string Ibanez around their neck (even though they may have recorded the album with it). So they get the old Fender from under the bed to satisfy their stylist.