gjones

That's worrying considering all the good press these basses have had recently (and because I'm planning on buying one).

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='847211' date='May 25 2010, 09:34 AM']Quite strangely, on the Strictly Tour, I've been eq-ing as I always do, making sure I can hear every frequency of the bass & sending the DI signal "pre eq" from the amp. The sound where we are on the stage is great, but all I hear is thud and boom out front. This weekend however, I sent the signal "post eq" and the engineer commented, "Wow, your bass sounds amazing this week." Hmmm... [/quote] Hmmmmmm....a very interesting comment. I've been in the same situation where the sound of my bass out front is woolly rubbish but on stage is excellent. I've always wondered why all the sound guys/girls I've ever dealt with want a pre DI signal, into a DI box, when I've spent a lot of time getting a sound I like with the EQ on my amp. Guitarists get their sound and then a sound guy puts a mic in front of it to amplify THAT sound. Time to make a stand! Bassists unite! If they want a direct signal they can take it from the amp post EQ! Get that poxy wee DI box out of my sight!

[quote name='DreadAlert' post='841397' date='May 18 2010, 09:09 PM']Well - I'm going to town on Sunday and I'm gonna check out: Squier VM Jazz Squier VM Precision Yamaha RBX374 And maybe some others. [/quote] I have a Geddy Lee and the vintage modified squier does a really good imitation. All you need to do is paint the body with some black gloss auto paint and get a white scratchplate and there you go it's a geddy! The thing about choosing a bass for the first time is to get one that looks good..... who cares about the sound!!

Well......these seem to get good reviews on basschat for the price [url="http://www.rondomusic.com/bassguitars4.html"]http://www.rondomusic.com/bassguitars4.html[/url] And as far as bass amplification is concerned I recommend ashdown EB amps which are loud and sound great and most importantly.............are cheap (especially if you buy secondhand - about £100).

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='835903' date='May 13 2010, 09:15 AM']What is the bridge attached to?[/quote] Hmmmmm, I can't remember but I'm assuming it must be the attached to the metal bass skin frame in some way. Possibly like a very, very big banjo.

[quote name='Bloodaxe' post='836264' date='May 13 2010, 03:32 PM']Ask them for their set list & go off & learn it. A few goodies to have in the bag if they're not in the list: The Thrill Is Gone - BB King (has a surprise 6th) Tore Down - Freddie King, loads of others (stop-tastic!) Crosscut Saw - Albert King (Rhumba) Let The Good Times Roll - Louis Jordan, BB King & others (II-V-I turnaround) Stormy Monday - T-Bone Walker (straight I-IV-V), and The Allman Brothers (not) - you'll be needing both. Bright Lights, Big City and Baby, What You Want Me to Do - Jimmy Reed Key To The Highway - Clapton amongst loads of others (I-V-IV) Killing Floor - Howlin' Wolf, Jimi Hendrix (aka The Lemon Song off Led Zep II) My Babe - Little Walter (Swinging I-V-IV verses, Walking II-V-I on the solo) Boom Boom - John Lee Hooker. Pete.[/quote] +1 Remember dynamics too. There's nothing duller than a blues band that without dynamics especially during a slow blues. If you bring a slow blues up to a crescendo, then down to a whisper during a solo the audience will really take notice. And check out a few minor key blues such as 'who's been talking' by howling wolf and 'long grey mare' by Fleetwood Mac.

They have one of these in the Taybank Hotel in Dunkeld in Perthshire (which holds acoustic sessions throughout the week). It's made with a precision fretted neck attached to a bassdrum skin stretched on a frame with a spike protruding from the bottom of the frame so it can be played upright. It's sounds fantastic with loads of oooomph and the volume of an upright double bass (louder than an acoustic bass guitar). And amazingly it's lighter than an average electric bass. If someone built these in decent numbers (rather than a one off novelty) they would sell like hotcakes!

They are dead purty. I love the inlay on the neck. Neck is quite chunky but not a problem unless you like ultra thin necks. Sounded fine when I played it. Decent construction too.

I tend to think that the sound you get has more to do with your speakers than with the amp. I've had dodgy cheapo amps in the past (carlsbro, peavey, solid state marshals) and most of them sounded fine at low volume. Of course at high volume the speakers started to fart and get woolly. I experimented in rehearsal rooms with putting these cheap solid state amps through decent speakers and the difference was immense! The conclusion I came to is you can economise with the amp but try and get the best speakers you can for your money because they WILL make a big difference to your sound.

Hmmmm, sound engineers do tend to put a lot of compression on bass. That's ok with the louder stuff but the last time I D.I'd and just used monitors onstage to hear myself there were no dynamics. However quietly I played all I could hear was bass guitar drowning everything else out. Of course that may have just been the sound guy being a bit heavy handed with the compressor but I do like a bit of control over my level onstage.

Yes I know exactly what you mean. One fell out of the machinehead of my Schecter about 15 yrs ago and I've never been able to find one that fits in any hardware store. The good news is that the screws from my Geddy Lee Jazz (which I believe has vintage style tuners) do fit the Schecter so they must be a standard size. I have an American friend who is an engineer (he builds simulated robot insects for Edinburgh Uni......somebody has to I suppose?) and after telling him of the problems I've had finding a replacement he has recently made it his sole object in life to find a screw that fits. After measuring them in minute detail he's now in the process of ordering them from the states. So IF they fit I will give you the correct size to ask for. Hopefully my long search will be over.

I always prefer to be on the hi-hat side of the drummer because usually thats the direction the drummer is facing most of the time and you can catch their eye easier for stops, starts, dynamics etc. Which means I mostly listen to the snare and hi-hat more than the bass drum. With most drummers I've noticed that they tend to sync their bass drum pattern to the bass line anyhow - except for the dodgy drummers I've played with over the years who tend to go off on their own tangent. By the way, I was just reading some previous comments and my idea of hell is to play with a drummer like Keith Moon who just wants to solo his way through a song. I don't know how John Entwistle didn't end up just thumping him. When Kenney Jones joined he must have thought he'd died and gone to heaven (no offence intended to Mr Moon......but his drumming sometimes sounded like a drumkit being thrown down a flight of stairs).

For the discerning bassist looking for that Road Worn look.

I always thought of Jazz basses as having a thin middy tone, more suited to soloing or snapping and popping than driving a rhythm section. Although I loved the look of them, I would never have actually bought one as they just weren't suitable for my style of bass playing. Then one day I went to audition for a band and the singer had his Squier Jazz Bass at the rehearsal room (one of the early 90's ones made in Japan) so instead of using my own bass I used his and to my surprise the sound was deep and punchy and clear and not at all the weak and nasal sound I was expecting (despite having 100 year old rotosounds on it). Next thing I knew I was on Ebay and bidding for a 2006 Geddy Lee some guy in California was selling for £320 (that was in the good old days when you could get $2 for £1). The only thing I think that could improve a jazz bass is if they had a knob that would allow you to blend the the input from the two pickups together rather than two volume knobs which would make it easier to adjust your sound onstage. Maybe there is an upgrade available already? If there is let me know, it would make a Jazz the perfect bass.

Looks like there's a brand new lifeform evolving under that bridge cover.

If you want something.........weird? This lot will probably do it for you [url="http://www.greasygroove.com/jbasspickguards.php"]http://www.greasygroove.com/jbasspickguards.php[/url] Pimp up your bass!

[quote name='LawrenceH' post='812025' date='Apr 19 2010, 10:41 PM']Thanks, that's a really kind offer! Unfortunately I'm in Edinburgh but one day in desperation I may well take you up on that, I do have family in Lincoln/Louth which looks like it's not too far from you. I have Black Beauties on mine at the moment which are probably not the best choice for what I'm after. I believe he used Rotosounds (which I hate the feel of but would be prepared to suffer for that tone!). Even left on for months and months his strings still had a phenomenal amount of snap and grind which makes me think there was something inherent to that bass (and the similar active one that I mentioned). On my previous basses Rotosounds would sound dead within about 2 weeks, though I've not tried them on this one.[/quote] Well I don't like the feel of Rotosound Swing Bass strings either when new but they make a huge difference to the sound when I put them on my Jazz Bass. I originally bought it strung with Ernie balls and they give it a smoother sound but when I string it with Rotosounds it really comes to life. Strange thing is I can only really get that growly aggressive sound when the strings have been played for a while. When they're new they're all bass and treble (and as you say feel horrible). So before you go out and buy new pickups try it with a set of Rotosounds. You may get the sound you're after.

[quote name='El Bajo' post='812266' date='Apr 20 2010, 09:43 AM']I find if I EQ my Markbass CMD 121H to how I like my bass to sound it just doesn't cut through, yet if I adjust it while the band is playing during sound check to get the levels right its sounds really good. However when I play the adjusted EQ without the band it sounds terrible on its own. Strange.[/quote] +1 I know the feeling It's weird, when I tell other musicians that a good bass sound on stage, when the band is playing at a decent volume, is a VERY difficult thing to achieve.......they look at me as if I'm an idiot. But sound engineers know exactly what I mean. It depends as much on the acoustics of the room as it does on the sound coming from the speakers.

I'm waiting until they bring them out in sunburst. They've brought out the Fiesta Red Precision so I reckon it's a sunburst Jazz next.

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='811964' date='Apr 19 2010, 09:53 PM']Ooh, I see you've got the TV 15 listed in your gear. What's it like? I don't need one, but they are uber-cool! [/quote] Well, I've only recently had it delivered and have only been able to play it live at a decent volume a couple of times with a band. The EQ is very different to what I've been used to and I'm still learning which settings work and which don't - the Ed Freidland video explains that quite well [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A93b2V7ymf8"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A93b2V7ymf8[/url] . It has a very vintage, rootsy, bluesy, Motown-ish sound which personally I really like but which may not appeal to others who may like a more versatile type of amp. I'll post a review at some point when I get to know it a bit better. The downside is, it's VERY heavy.......with just one handle. But the upside is..........IT'S COVERED IN TWEED!!!!!! (and makes a very nice bedside table).

Ooooh.... Y'know, I know I shouldn't. I've got a very nice Jazz Bass already. And anyway I've always hated all that fake relic business. And I've already set my mind on buying a Ray 34 next month. But....... It would look awfully nice sitting next to my Bassman. Get behind me satan.

I have a Geddy Lee and It has a very in your face funky 70's sound. I've tried the Road worn as well and it has a much warmer 60's sound. Both are very nice basses but I agree with the Prev post that the necks on Geddy Lees are a bit sensitive to temperature, which, if you like a low action, can result in the notes choking (which can be a pain in the butt if you're in the middle of a gig).

I've had two guitars stolen from me in the past and both of them turned up for sale at my local pawnbrokers 12mths later. I wouldn't have a problem buying stuff from places like cash converters but I'd be afraid that one day the guy it probably got nicked from would see me up on stage with his guitar and want it back.