Leaderboard

Not my first new (to me) bass, but first time I’ve done a NBD post. For some reason I’ve never owned a precision, but like many people (and posts I’ve read on here would seem to bear this out), I’ve been precision-curious for some time. I played one of these Squiers recently in our local music shop (Just Music in Berlin) and although I was impressed by the instrument itself, the snob in me couldn’t square the €500+ asking price with the name on the headstock. I know, I know… However, my interest was piqued enough to begin to look around. I read a couple of posts in that other bass forum about people getting good deals in Thomann’s Black Friday sale so I had a look and saw they had a B-stock for €322 (about £295), which felt like a decent price - ordered last Friday, turned up today. The only B-stockness I can detect is that the plastic film has been taken off the (very shiny!) pickguard, pickups and tuners (if they do that on Squiers). The worst I could say is that the silica sachet had broken so the box was full of little balls of silicon - I wondered why the package sounded like it had one of those rain shower things in it… Anyway, there’s not a mark on the bass, and it was more than reasonably playable out of the box, though I guess whoever had it previously might have adjusted it. Even the intonation was OK. I always imagined I’d get the archetypal 3TS with maple neck precision if I ever got one - this is clearly not that, but I like it! The blue is very deep and rich, with a nice subtle sparkle. The fretboard is a great colour for not being rosewood and the blocks are very nicely done. In fact, I’m impressed by the fit and finish overall. Yes, I can tell the materials aren’t as top drawer as some basses I’ve got, but it is extremely well put together - no gaps, no crackles, nothing misaligned, no shonky frets. My bass collection is quite eclectic (there’s a 4003 and a Höfner Club Ignition in there), so I’m not sure how to evaluate the playing experience, but the action is fine, the neck not too much of a handful, and I can get round on it OK. I’ve only played it through a little MarkBass 801 so far, but it sounds good to me. My plan is to put some Roto 88s on it for some authentic vintage thump - the supplied Fender rounds are great, but not what I bought this for. So, there we are - if you’re after this sort of thing this could be the one for you. And anticipating the usual question, and with the usual apology for the quality, here are a couple of snaps.

Some of you here may remember the lovely, and very talented, Vic Davies - store manager at BassGear until his untimely passing way too young. Vic’s personal dream Ritter was finished just before we lost him 6 years ago and he has now been commemorated by special, and unique, new instrument: A Cora bass named “The Victor”. It is an absolutely stunning instrument and with a core frosted black theme, white hardware, an amazing ‘dirty Ebony’ fingerboard and a meaty, overwound, humbucker, I just know Vic would be overjoyed with this special tribute ❤️ Full details here: https://ritter-instruments.com/instrument.php?id=2208

Thank you ped, that’s the thing it feels and plays really good, I think I just need to get on with playing it and not worrying about things, excuse the messy bass room I’m moving things around

Thanks chaps, great advice! Ive actually just pulled the trigger for my backup....2EQ Stingray! Should go well with my 3....mine is black/maple, the 2 is black/rosewood. I've become a MM convert, and really couldn't think of or want to have anything else! First time I think I've ever actually liked my overall tone, so I'll stick to that.

Hi all, on Tuesday I bought a late 71 early 72 precision I really liked the look of, nice dark rosewood fretboard, great sunburst and 41mm slim neck, only 1 owner from new, it’s been a real players bass so definitely not a case queen, it arrived with heavy flats which wasn’t for me and a high action , so I’ve spent today setting it up with old LTF’s from my other precision and it sounds and plays amazing, now I normally only like 100% original basses (and I’ve turned down lots because they wasn’t) but this has had new pots , apart from that it’s all original, so quick question, would the replaced pots bother you, do you think I’m being too fussy

So here’s my latest version: Think it covers all the main food groups: Wah > Tuner > Compessor > Octave > Drive > Phaser

Ed Friedland posted a couple of things on his Facebook recently about the realities of being a professional sideman. He had made a comment about his boss in The Mavericks having the final say on the bass tone and even the preferred look of the instruments for gigs. Loads of weekend warriors went nuts about how that was disrespectful and that they would walk from such a gig. Absolutely none of them gave any thought that Ed's gig is a job as a bass player playing the band leader's music, and that the band leader was his employer. Even when he laid it out as having the same sort of responsibilities as any other job and relationship with an employer there were still cretins suggesting that he start making demands! There's a reason he's had that gig for quite a while - he plays what he's asked to play when he's asked to play it. He's a solid and reliable employee. He admitted there were loads of "better" bassists than him, but clearly those better bassists have no idea what 99% of music jobs are - a job with terms and conditions like any other. Turn up on time, work, be pleasant company or at least not annoying company, get paid, and go home without causing problems for the boss. All that sort of thing is far more important than being able to sight read Classical Thump.

Oasis. Got all their albums when they came out. OMG are they dull!!

Playing in prisons now, eh..? ...

The 2x8 ohm will be 6dB louder than 1x8 ohm. That's from the combination of 3dB additional sensitivity from the halving of impedance and 3dB additional sensitivity from the doubling of cone area. It will also have 6dB more maximum output, as the Vd (displacement) is doubled. That makes it 3dB louder at the same volume setting as the 1x4 ohm, and 6dB higher maximum output than the 1x4 ohm. There's a saying in automobile circles that there's no replacement for displacement. It applies to speakers as well, because loudspeaker cones are pistons.

Overly hot WB-100 DI sorted. Total cost: about a fiver.

Back at the regular Weds Jam Night we host, and it was a busy one, so I got to play about five songs and spend the rest of the time watching other people play my gear. That thing where you're in the crowd and you get to hear your setup (and bass) from out front? It sounded fantastic...mostly, when people just left it all wide open: there were a couple of people who wound the tone right back, which isn't my speed, but it was still there. And that's just my Small Rig (Stomp -> Modded Rumble 100* plus DI into house desk/wall-mounted speakers), too... Curiously GAS-killing moment; I sat there thinking 'I can't really improve on any of that'... 🙂 * I've put a 'proper' Eminence 12 in it, to get every last db out of it...works very well...

Pots are like tyres. Sooner or later they’ll need to be replaced. Don’t worry about those.

No more than new tyres on a second-hand car. Not the same (maybe...) for a curator of a museum, but I'm not such, soooooo...

Agreed, I think I'm introverted most of the time. However, at gigs I get to be a different person for a few hours. Even during breaks when I'm chatting with people I'm charming and witty. When the gig is over and I'm back to normal life I'm very shy snd quiet. Blue

Cluck/ Be A Laydy ～ Frank Sinatra

Little napkin holder for alfresco dining. Cherry with beech dowels.

Whilst in my last band we weren`t professional it didn`t stop us behaving professionally. I`m convinced a lot of the work that we got owed much to the fact that we were easy to work with and behaved in this manner. A certain type of irony given we were a punk band I suppose.

New arrival - 2014 NS5H2 spalted maple with walnut (I think) body. Been looking for another since I foolishly sold my Buckeye Burl one!!

The fundamental skill/attribute required is dedication. When we were teenagers back in Glasgow, my mate used to spend 2 hours a day on upright, 2 hours a day on electric and an hour a day on piano. And he'd "properly" practice - doing all the tedious things that everyone else hates doing. Subdivision exercise with a metronome, arpeggios, scales, boring exercises. I, on the other hand, used to spend twenty minutes a day running through a basic warmup, whatever pieces I was working on, and then mucking around a bit. My approach got me a lot of fun gigs and some great times. My friend's approach got him a career as a professional bass player out in New York. I used to know a lot of pro musicians - had a few "ins" with that crowd when I was younger. The one thing they all had in common was an actual dedication to getting better. You can't fake that bit.

My dealer had them for $200 off, and Epiphone is no longer listing lefties. Discontinued or a new model coming? Epiphone and the Chinese factory they’re using have their shitz together. Superb workmanship, sound, and feel. Slightly important to me, they have the correct pots on it for lefties. It’s beautiful too. Sound-wise, it’s closer to my Explorer bass than to a hollow body like my Höfner. The pickup is powerful , and the varitone switch is incredibly useful for a range of tones. For now, I don’t know why I’d mod it in any way. Too, I already have flats on my Ric, fretless Jazz, and Höfner, so for now, I’m going to play it with the excellent sounding round wounds. I also have the Epiphone Korina (solid, not laminate) Explorer bass and a Casino, surprisingly excellent Chinese guitars. I owned three Epiphones before that had so much poly on them, the bodies looked like they had thick glass encasing them and the pickups sucked butt. Now, Epiphone has redeemed itself. I’d put them slightly above the quality of Epiphones in the golden years of their Korean builds.

As others have said, new pots have most likely been fitted because the old ones were knackered. Things wear out on basses: strings, pots, frets, even nuts can just split and break. Repair or chuck out? You know the answer to that. Another thought, if things have worn out, it means it’s been played - a lot, which means it’s a good one, otherwise it would be a case queen. Enjoy your new acquisition and don’t let the little things bother you.

Honestly I really don't care about originality in vintage basses (depending on the price of course). If the price it's right, it's a good bass, get it. Especially if the pickups are still original. Pots don't bother me in the slightest.

Beak Cos the Night - Springsteen/ Patti Smith

This is the first lay-up of the 32" scale hollow body bass Tom Ribbecke is making for Bobby Vega. It's the first bass like this he's done and it'll look something like this Testadura model guitar.

I think at some point that becomes essential. That applies to all walks of life where someone is customer facing. People will put up with a fair amount of nonsense if the job is getting done, but if the nonsense starts getting to them they'll look around. Word of mouth is about reliable workers who are easy to work with. The world of music, is of course, littered with exceptions to this, but they are exceptional musicians.

Good decision i reckon. Dave

A professional offered someone I know ssome mentoring. The main message was don't wait to 'hone your skills' or 'write better songs'. Get out there and do what you are good at now. The other advice I'd give from ehat I've seen of pros and ex pros - take it seriously, be lucky but be prepared to make your own luck. And get on with people.

Well here's mine! A dance of compressors and distortion pedals, but I've decided to run the Darkglass B7k into the ThorpyFX Fat General compressor clone which is working great as I'm always into evening out my clean and distorted signals... 5 outputs from my Harley Benton power supply, 5 pedals, all snug and tidy with flat patch cables from EBS... I should be (and am) a happy boy, but ah, I could squeeze in an octaver or something with the Nano Plus, couldn't I? Ander.

I guess it's taken as read we've all got a place in our hearts for a lot of the music that takes us back to happier times when we wuz young. And that we still enjoy listening to much of it. However, what about stuff you've done a 180 turn on i.e. +180 for bands and singers you'd give no room to back then but nowadays might count among your faves. And -180- for the stuff that formed part of your go-to listening but nowadays which has you running for the off button when it comes on the radio. +180 - as a teen in the 80s/early 90s I had no time for the soul/r n b music e.g. Luther Vandross, The Whispers, Shalamar etc. I thought that was music for girlies. I really only liked guitar music which featured loads of flashy techniques. Nowadays not only do a lot of 80s soul tunes remind me of great times, I actually enjoy a lot of the music in its own right. Loads of tasty basslines to be found too. -180 -back then I was a guitar obsessive and was into NWOBHM, the shred scene, Guns n' Roses and indie guitar bands like The Smiths. As a middle aged man I find all this unlistenable and consider The Smiths and G n R among the two most critically overrated bands ever. As for shred, while I used to worship at the shrines of Joe Satriani and Steve Vai I now consider that scene as an abomination and everything playing the guitar shouldn't be about.

The thought police always rock up mate ! .. 👮‍♂️

What @BassAgent said. It it plays and sounds right and you like it, who cares

Forgot to take pics of the boring bit. Sanding, pore filling with Z Poxy, more sanding, sealing, spraying, wet sanding... Over with now! Buffed with Meguiars ultimate compound, I think it's come out alright!

Fine choice of bass . Mine has hipshots and a supertone bridge along with Roto tapes on it . Absolutely no real need to modify it though . Its a keeper for the rest of my natural life . Enjoy .

It's part of our job in my band. During breaks we're required to go out and chat with people and thank them for coming out and supporting us. After all there are plenty of other places those folks could have been. Going off and hiding in a corner by yourself during a break would not work with us. Blue

How Soon Is Now - The Smiths

Basic electrical engineering absolutely links voltage to power. Since (solid state) amps are generally considered an ideal voltage source, it’s also an ideal power source. While a speaker has a reactive component, when the capacitive and inductive regions are averaged out with the DCR of the speaker, the net result is an average or nominal impedance. The amp must provide voltage x current to drive this load which is power. In the inductive regions the current lags voltage and in the capacitive regions the current leads voltage. Regardless of phase angle, the amp must be able to deliver both voltage and current, this is something an experienced power amplifier designer has to deal with. A 500 watt, 4 ohm single driver compared to a 300 watt 8 ohm driver is likely to have a lower sensitivity, quite possibility 3dB lower, which would make the 8 ohm speaker (slightly) louder at 300 watts than the 4 ohm speaker at 500 watts.

Even worse? Wouldn't 250W go into the dummy load leaving a reduced 250W for the speaker!

If you ever need any other friends, drop me a PM.