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Precision and flats


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4 minutes ago, walshy said:

Awesome stuff man, I absolutely love em. Through the stomp, DB751 and Barefaced 610, heaven! Playing rock/grunge and sounds killer

Wow that sounds like an impressive rig. I was using the studio rig today. An EBS HD360 thru an Ampeg 810. My own rig is a Mesa Mpulse 600 via Mesa PH212 playing 70's Glam Rock covers so quite a mix from Under Moon of Love to Hellraiser and Saturday Nights Alright.

Sounded good in them all.

Dave

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On 31/10/2019 at 07:49, Sibob said:

*Headphones/decent speakers needed*

These are the 760FL on my ‘71 P:

 

Love that riff Si! I have La Bella FL's on my Bruce Thomas Profile. Gorgeous through the Noble pre.

Sean Hurley recommends wiping new flats with Vaseline to get that broken-in sound...has anyone tried that?

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2 hours ago, Kevsy71 said:

Love that riff Si! I have La Bella FL's on my Bruce Thomas Profile. Gorgeous through the Noble pre.

Sean Hurley recommends wiping new flats with Vaseline to get that broken-in sound...has anyone tried that?

Seems a bit odd,  but whatever works for him lol. I found that La Bella’s sound great and ‘played in’ out the pack, I had Chromes on my ‘71 before that, and they only really started to sound ‘right’ after about a years gigging on them.

Si

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7 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

Is that a mute of some kind just in front of the bridge ?

Yes - it's a rocker mute, from the Fender Jaguar. It firmly presses the rubber foam against the bottom of the strings when lifted. You can still find the Fender part and install it to any bass, e.g.

https://www.talkbass.com/threads/installing-a-jaguar-mute-on-a-p-bass.1021488/

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I believe he's playing his Custom Shop Sean Hurley 1961 Precision bass. Comes with the mute.

The last thing I'd buy would be a mute when a piece of foam does the job just as well.

This isn't my favourite P bass tone, but the playing has a beautiful groove.

Edited by chris_b
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39 minutes ago, hooky_lowdown said:

I use the foam part of a washing up scouring pad (remove the rough green part). Works a treat, the right height and density.

Similar for me - a square of soft foam folded in half, tucked right up to the protruding screw ends of the bridge saddles. Tried it tonight on only E and A , lwhich helps kill some unwanted rumble and lets D and G ring out. Works well to my ears with the La Bella light flats!

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 06/11/2019 at 19:55, dmccombe7 said:

Decided to put my LaBella low tension flats on my Sandberg VM4 fretted today and get a little used to them for Sun rehearsals.

First flats in about 30+yrs when i had fretless basses.

Have to say i love the feel of them as my fingers seem to glide over them. 

My only concern is they have quite a dull sound compared to my Sandberg rounds or even the nickels i use. I expected that to be fair but i'm not sure how it will come across within the band. I'm hoping it will be ok tho as i def like the feel. Its a 70's Glam Rock covers band so this could be an expensive fail altho i will just swap them onto another bass if they don't work and go back to my rounds again.

Might have a look at other types like maybe ground wound or similar if these don't work. Some investigation is required just in case.

Here's hoping all will be well at rehearsals tho

Dave 

 

Played a VM4 at a jam night recently, that bass snarled like a beast even with my modest skills, I think even with the dullest sounding flats those basses would still sound lively 

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6 minutes ago, markdavid said:

Played a VM4 at a jam night recently, that bass snarled like a beast even with my modest skills, I think even with the dullest sounding flats those basses would still sound lively 

Used them at 2 6hr rehearsals now first gig on 7th Dec. Have to say i'm finding movement on the neck a lot faster and easier on my fingers.

Tone within a band setting seems to be holding its own. I do miss that roundwound edge tho but turning the treble up on the VM4 gives an unusual click if that's the right word. Not so much a rattle on the frets as a definite click but it gives some songs that little bit more when required. For most of our set the EQ on the bass is flat on treble with some bass boost both pick ups on evenly with the amp EQ at very slight plus on bass and treble. With rounds the treble was centre and mid was slightly plus.

Doesn't seem to be a lot in it within band setting. I still need to tweak the EQ to get a little more clarity on the D & G strings but that's maybe down to the studio gear (EBS hd360 thru Ampeg 810) EBS amps are normally quite clear sounding amps tho whereas my Mesa can be more muddy tube sounding. I have the Reidmar 750 head at home so i have some comparison between the two amps.

At the moment i'm enjoying them and i'll see how they sound first gig on 7th. Only a vocal PA as its a smallish gig 100-150 people.

 Dave

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1 hour ago, dmccombe7 said:

Think i'm still trying to find that balance between foundations and a bit more clarity like this Gary Thain using his Jazz with flats. Has always had a great tone from any of his basses and from what i've been told on BC he always used flats.

 

Awesome. Said it before, I’ll say it again, I love his tone and playing. If I could get a Jazz to sound like that, it’d almost be worth the pain I’d suffer playing it (in fact it almost tempts me to get another, even though I know how much pain the body shape has historically caused me). Problem is, I’ve never managed to get a Jazz to sound like that!

Awesome band too. Love Heep in that era. Demons & Wizards and Magician’s Birthday are just epic records. 

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I've just returned to using flats again after a few years with rounds.

At the moment I only have them on my Precision but have a set ready to go onto my Jazz as well. I use Chromes and always make my own custom set which are 45, 60, 80, 110 as I like a slightly heavier E so that I can drop it to D.

After 5 or 6 gigs I have come to the conclusion that my Precision sounds garbage on it's own and not even close to how I would normally have it but in the mix it is absolutely perfect. The pops in We Are Family come alive with these strings and the tone is even all over the fretboard.

Edited by Delberthot
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36 minutes ago, 4000 said:

Awesome. Said it before, I’ll say it again, I love his tone and playing. If I could get a Jazz to sound like that, it’d almost be worth the pain I’d suffer playing it (in fact it almost tempts me to get another, even though I know how much pain the body shape has historically caused me). Problem is, I’ve never managed to get a Jazz to sound like that!

Awesome band too. Love Heep in that era. Demons & Wizards and Magician’s Birthday are just epic records. 

I've still to try a set on my Jazz. Think that will be the next bass to experiment them on. Yep agree Gary had an amazing tone with his Jazz.

 

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9 hours ago, dmccombe7 said:

I've still to try a set on my Jazz.

I have a set of 45-100 cobalts on my Jazz - really excellent and I think the Cobalts suit the Jazz native sound very well indeed - I mean they start with how a Jazz naturally sounds and make the most of that which is quite a lot. Dead good and can't see me going back to rounds in the forseeable. Also have Cobalts on my P and have a set of LaBella 760FL coming any day to go on Jazz No2. From all I have read and listened to, the Cobalts and FLs are probably the best option for me. Have Fenders on my Jazz fretless and they are quite good but I'll happily pay the extra for the other 2.

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