Gamble

Listen to the Dood, that's what I did!

People keep talking about necks rather than fretboards, which is what the question was regarding.
I'm sure that different neck materials would make a more noticable difference (depending on how different they are, of course) than the fretboard, but I'm equally sure that the fretboard will make some difference. Stands to logic, as someone has already said.

[quote name='The Burpster' post='206668' date='May 26 2008, 05:18 PM']Gamble; of your choices I'd go for the top one, as it seems in harmony with the neck.

TBH it will be complete lottery ordering a wood laminate body, as it depends on the density of each individual PIECE of each wood if you want to get completely anal about it.... eg. one piece of Walnut could be less dense than a piece of Ash or Maple cut from different parts of a tree..

Generally the darker the wood the more dense, but this is open to variables.....[/quote]

Is that the top one in my original post (the Maple top)? That's the way I'm leaning at the moment anyways, just waiting for a reply on the price differences at the mo. Not sure I'm going to get one tho, being as I followed my original email up with one going "Ooh, and prices for some of their other basses too.....". I know what some shops get like if you seem indecisive, they just lose interest in you - I'm hoping that wont be the case here.....

[quote name='BigBeefChief' post='197215' date='May 12 2008, 03:29 PM']My issue with trying new strings is that I hate the sound of all strings for the first few months. Because of this, the three basses that I own all have their original strings on them. The only thing that would make me change would be breaking a string. I might start a second hand string donation thread.[/quote]

I have masses of used stings of various gauge and brand, they're yours if you want them. I've been convinced that there would be a use for them one day, but have been getting close to binning them lately as I haven't been able to figure out what that use would be!!

[url="http://www.hk-instruments.de/epages/hk-instruments_de.sf/de_DE/?ObjectPath=/Shops/hk-instruments.de/Products/WM-GUN3B"]http://www.hk-instruments.de/epages/hk-ins...oducts/WM-GUN3B[/url]

Aww yeeeyaaah.......

That list of woods and properties on the Warmoth site is great, I should have though to look there before! The only thing is now, it tells me that mahogany (which is used for the back of all three basses I'm looking at) is quite "warm". Does that mean wooley, or just plenty of depth? Being as the model with the Ebony top only has a 7mm laminate on a 35mm Mahogany back, will it sound a bit dead, or is Ebony so bright that you only need a thin layer to brighten up a bass' sound?
I'm not all that fussed about the Walnut top model, apparently Walnut's not as bright as Maple (although I don't know if it's enough difference to worry about) and I think it just looks a bit like furniture. Although, I do quite like it....... aaaaaarggghhhhh!!!!!
Third (and looking most likely at the moment) option is the Maple top, but then that has a Rosewood fingerboard which Warmoth say is more "warm" than "bright". Is that likely to deaden the sound much? I think my Ibanez SR300 (only a cheapie, really) has a maple neck with a rosewood board and that's lovely and twangy. Also, I don't really like the idea of "Artificial Ebony", I'm sure there's nothing wrong with it but I'd rather have real wood. Anybody got any experience with the "Ebanol" fretboards that Tanglewood use(d ?)?
It seems to me like Spear have made three options that might well sound very similar to each other, or am I missing something?

[quote name='Jono' post='205425' date='May 24 2008, 10:14 AM']The best albums for hearing kahler in action would be the first two Primus records IMO...[/quote]

So that's a Khaler bridge on Les' CT is it? I had wondered.

I spent a little time looking into trem bridges but couldn't find one that matched the string spacing on the bass I wanted to fit one to. I think I had a bit more luck once I'd lost interest in the idea, but that was a hipshot which didn't look all that solid. I'll be looking into Khaler bridges then.....

16mm is great for fast finger plucking, but it's a bit tight for slapping if you're as kack-handed as me. Over 18mm gets a bit wide for my liking, but it is probably a bit easier to get to grips with if you play with different techniques. I only really use finger plucking in live settings but I slap a bit for fun, it's not impossible with narrower spacing but it's a bit easier to make mistakes. I think 17mm/18mm is a decent middle ground, but I've never really spent much time finding out what suits me best - as I said I think it depends on what style of playing you use.

Hope that's some help!

I used to play in a pub covers band and we'd make £200 between 4 of us for a night in a pub, although by the hour it's not much of a paycheck it's a decent night out most of the time, and as said above it's a payed rehearsal at worst. I was quite lucky that our guit*rist owned a PA and the singer owned some lights so we had everything we needed to fill an empty room, then the singer went mental and decided he hated me but never actually said so, and I'm still not sure why! Interesting one, that. Anyways, we would then get parties and wedding receptions from that which would be anything from £300 to £800 for the night depending on what we though we could squeeze out of them! It's not a great leap to get more regular gigs with a commited band, so that's more the kind of direction I was thinking provided it didn't clash with the originals bands too much. If I wanted to go on tour for a couple of weeks at a time it'd be letting the covers band down, but I guess if they knew that was a possibilty from the start.....
Depping has been mentioned to me by a couple of people now, but I think not being able to read music at all would be a major obstacle. Like I said before, I'm willing to train/learn/practice if that's the way I decide to go but there's just not enough hours in the day for me at the moment unless I jack my job in. I think I might get back onto Royal Mail for a job as a postie, I'd be up early but done by lunch time leaving me the afternoon to practice my *rse off!

Keep it coming guys, this is great reading!!

Cheers!

This is awesome, cheers for all the advice guys! There's some great stuff in here so hopefully it'll do some others (< no apostrophe, right? ) on here some good too!
I'm thinking that being a hardcore session player isn't really the way for me to go, as being realistic I don't think I'm talented enough. A friend of mine who's getting by playing drums by tutoring workshops, jazz gigs and so on has said that I'm easy to work with and enthusiastic which goes a long way (I played on a couple of his music degree recital pieces), but I don't think it'd go far enough to get me in over a really good player. It takes me a couple of goes to learn something usually, although I guess that might change if I practiced harder!

Basically, my situation is this:

I'm not married, no kids (that I've been told about) and no mortgage. I'm currently working nine/ten hour days to bring home £300ish a week and I'm pretty comfortable on that, apart from being sick of the job, not having much spare time to see my girlfriend (who I live with) or energy to get excited about practicing bass etc. It's a bit of a juggling act, and a hell of a frustrating situation. Oh yeah, and come August they're forcing me to work rotating shifts - 7 til 3 / 3 til 11. Screw that.
I currently play in 2 originals bands which I'm pretty commited to, one a little more than the other, but shhhhh..... don't tell them I said so. That's 2 nights a week out to rehearsals, and obviously keeping the weekends free is a plus for gigs. If I could convince those guys to quit their jobs so we could rehearse during the day I would, but most of them are getting a bit more family inclined than myself and they need the stability. We're going for the "plug away at it, get an indie deal, go from there" route to super-stardom.
What I want is a fairly stable job I enjoy, which involves music, or at least leaves me plenty of time for music. I know I'm asking quite a lot, and that's why music isn't the only thing I'm considering right now, but I really want to explore the possibility of it before dis-counting it. You guys have been great so far, and I really appreciate it!

I'm really interested to hear from anyone who's tutoring and playing pub/club circuits, but not so much of the sessions for their cash too, can it be stable enough to count on? Another very talented guitarist i used to work with got a job at a high school as a tutor as well as teaching privately (and playing in 2 pub bands) but still works a couple of days a week at his old 9-to-5 to make up his paycheck. I could handle working a short week somewhere and suplimenting that with music, as long as the regular job didn't make me want to kill myself!!

Cheers!

Right, I do believe that it makes a difference, I'm just not sure how much as I've never got to sit down with an array of identical basses made from different woods to compare them.

So, I'm going to ask a shop to get me a bass in to try but I don't know which body wood to have them get in as I don't know what kind of difference it'll make.

The choices are:

22mm Maple top, 0.5mm Walnut and 20mm Mahogany back - [url="http://www.spearguitar.com/product/pro_2/S-p/s-2.asp"]http://www.spearguitar.com/product/pro_2/S-p/s-2.asp[/url]

7mm Ebony top, 0.5 Walnut and 35 Mahogany back - [url="http://www.spearguitar.com/product/pro_2/S-p/s-2e.asp"]http://www.spearguitar.com/product/pro_2/S-p/s-2e.asp[/url]

22mm Walnut top and Mahogany back (I assume that's 35mm too) - [url="http://www.spearguitar.com/product/pro_2/S-p/s-2w.asp"]http://www.spearguitar.com/product/pro_2/S-p/s-2w.asp[/url]

The Ebony top and Walnut topped ones have an "artificial ebony" (hmmmmm) fingerboard where the maple top has an Indian Rosewood board, so obviously that'll make a difference too, but the rest of the neck is the same on them all.


What I'm asking you guys is, what kind of flavour would each of these body woods give the bass? Any real wood-o-philes on here care to enlighten me?

Cheers guys!

Matt

One of Les Claypool's fretted 4 string Carl Thompson's has a trem fitted, and Jens Ritter makes his own trmolo bridges which look lush but only come on Ritter basses.

I'm looking for a career change, and amongst other ideas I'm having, playing bass (tutoring/sessions/gigs/etc) might actually be an option. I'm not a really great player so I'm expecting to spend some time learning and practicing hard before any money can be made, but in the mean time I was just wondering if anyone on here has much experience with paying the bills via their instrument (oo-er!).

Any hints, advice, cautionary tales are all welcome, I'm well aware that if it was easy then everyone on here would be doing it but I'm keen to hear from people who have actually played bass for a living before.

Cheers guys!

Matt

There was already a thread about these that got me a bit hot under the collar, I really like that single cut design. I'm now very tempted to go and tap up my local dealer for a go on one now I know they're only £400 too!
Definately let us know what you think if you try it out.
Iain 1985, what was it about the electronics that let it down?

Cheers!

It's still lush.


I'm still skint.


Arses.

I've got a clear one of these, they're well alright for the money!

PM me if you have trouble selling it!

I went well over my budget to get my Thumb 5, I did all the shopping around but my mind was pretty much made up before I started. That's not to say that you shouldn't do all the shopping around though, I now want to find something that isn't a Warwick to get excited about so if you do come across something tasty LET US KNOW!!

I've got to agree with everyone who's saying that none are better than any other, and that doesn't just apply to Warwicks either. If it does the job (plays right/sounds right/looks right) then it's the best bass.
It's always nice to have the flashy expensive one, but sometimes it might not be the one for the job. Gotta try them to find out what's right for you, so find a shop with a good stock in and take a day off work!!

It was sweaty. Very sweaty. And everyone left after the support band finished so we played to thirteen people.


Still enjoyed it though!

[url="http://www.jhs.co.uk/danoamps.html"]http://www.jhs.co.uk/danoamps.html[/url]

[url="http://www.voxamps.co.uk/amplug/"]http://www.voxamps.co.uk/amplug/[/url]

I don't know if either of these are appropriate, but might be food for though!

I used to have a "fly-spec" headphone amp, it was a little bigger than a match box and took a 9v battery (I think). Pretty sure they were dirt cheap, so if you can still get them that might be an option.

Good luck!

My Thumb 5 custom is actually [i]the best [/i]Warwick ever, but you can't have it.


It's a thru neck, but made of Ovangkol like the bolt-on's, with an ebony fretboard. Never even touch the EQ 'cos there's no need.
I love her.

Yeah, I was thinking an EQ pedal might be an idea. Just wondered if anyone had tried using one of these in that way.

I think you have to define what someone is rated highly for doing before you can say they're "over-rated".

Personally think Les Claypool has a very inventive approach to playing (at least he did on Seas Of Cheese and Pork Soda), but then again he might have just picked that up from someone I've not heard of. His playing can be really sloppy at times but that's part of the charm of his style to me. If you're into super-slick, flawless accuracy, hi-fi kinda playing then you'll think he's over-rated.

It's all relative.

Ok, I don't think it's footswitchable now, but that's not the end of the world.