Jerry_B

Tortex's are good when they're brand new as they have a 'chalky' sheen and thus are easier to grip. Even when that wears off they don't tend to get shiny. As for the scraping sound you might get, I think that's down to technique. Sometimes you can use it to add to the sound, but with a small adjustment to the pick angle you can cancel it out. You will tend to notice it more when playing near the bridge though.

From the PC game 'Interstate '76' - I've always loved this little intro

When I was in Hungary a few years ago, I saw several second-hand basses like these in a market just outside Budapest. Very interesting to look at but unfortunately the ones I saw were in terrible nick.

Yep, that's true - some form of tarnish will always be there. All you can do is maintain a nice 'seasoned' tarnish and not let it go bad and end up looking very manky indeed!

Yep, I've never heard an adequate explanation for that effect either. But once you remember it as a rule it doesn't take all that long to absorb it into your playing. I must admit that when I used a lined fretless my brain would switch back to thinking I was playing a fretted bass, so when I actually bought a fretless for the first time (and ever since then) I've always gone for an unlined fretless.

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='742461' date='Feb 11 2010, 07:55 PM']I don't mean to deny your experience and I rarely play with a pic but I would expect a thicker stiffer pick to be faster than a thinner more flexible pick.[/quote] That depends on individual factors, I reckon. How you play, what you play, and then perhaps other factors such as how strong your hands are, etc.. I started off playing with thick picks but found that they were counterproductive for faster playing. Over time I've used thinner and thinner picks, used 1.14's for ages but now use .88s. I may even go one size thinner. Perhaps this is just because I'm 'getting old', mind you

[quote name='WarPig' post='740625' date='Feb 10 2010, 08:51 AM']Unlined? [/quote] Is unlined a real word...? If so, then yes I meant 'unlined' It'd be interesting to know how many were made by Fender, or what years they were for sale. You just don't see them very often.

Making a paste of water and baking soda and then leaving the machine in that overnight will probably do the trick, once you've cleaned it all up. You're never really going to get them looking like 100% new.

One thing I'm always on the lookout for is an unmarked fretless Precision, as not many of them seem to be out there.

[quote name='Low End Bee' post='740132' date='Feb 9 2010, 04:40 PM']My current theory is thinner teardrop shaped ones probably work better for people who don't use them all the time and big thick triangles work better for agricultural players like me who don't use fingers.[/quote] Well, the big triangles were a bit of nightmare for me - and I'm an agricultural player too! Always had them slip out of my fingers when shredding during long playing sessions. I used to have really strong hands and fingers at the time because of factory work I was doing. I prefer teardrops as they're faster for me to use. That said, up until recently I did use 1.14mm Tortex picks.

They were very good when I ordered a bass from them on-line recently.

Every time I read various crap on the YouTube, I always have a mental image of Something Awful's [url="http://www.somethingawful.com/hosted/jeffk/"]Jeff K...[/url]

'WTF?! Teh G*d pwnd me! Lol XD' etc etc...

Well, you can say '1990s vintage' in the sense that it's something from a period in time before now. But if it's not very old using 'era' would've been better than 'vintage'. Then again, the seller might be in his late teens - I've had students of that age call things from the '90s 'retro'...

I replied to your other post about this [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=76501&st=0&p=738417&#entry738417"]here...[/url] A custom job is a viable option, that doesn't have to be expensive.

That sort of rest comes in quite handy on fretless basses, I've found.

I will try to come along if possible (depends on how knackered I am from teaching all day).

If it goes back on sale I might be tempted...

Yep, I agree

[quote name='geoffbyrne' post='737463' date='Feb 6 2010, 06:08 PM']On my own instruments, I sometimes give the fretboard a quick wipe with a bit of Tung oil on a cloth, then polish it straight off again. Tung oil dries hard & tends to seal the pourous wood, but can be easily removed using a light oil like lemon.[/quote] That depends on whether you mean actual pure Tung oil, or what's sometimes sold as Tung oil (but is a mixture of a few things with Tung oil). There is a difference. Pure Tung oil tends to rely on rather warm conditions in order to set. If it's left somewhere that's cool it takes forever to dry - even more so if there's a certain amount of humidity. Even then it can tend to dry unevenly.

Yes, it is very tasty.

So perhaps it's really all down to the bass+amp equation? Or can we agree that certain types of bass can sound a bit different, because of the pups (i.e. Jazz or Precision)...? I tend to agree with you that nothing really hardcore is going on, deep down. Too many variations are possible.

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKsw6xaw9n0"]'Passing Complexion' by Big Black[/url]

I do find it amusing that people buy so-called 'road worn' brand new basses. Can't figure that one out at all.