Fat Rich

[quote name='Johnston' post='1095988' date='Jan 20 2011, 09:08 AM']........... Has anyone said what provisions are going to made so that none of the user uploaded set-ups are carrying viri. Or indeed carrying one not to disable the host computer but to disable your instrument at an attempt to brick them in the middle of gigs??[/quote] It's probably just a digital switching system if the signal's all analogue with some memory for the switch settings so probably not much scope for virusses. Maybe someone could come up with a virus so it'll play Mustang Sally (so we don't have to)?

[quote name='51m0n' post='1095189' date='Jan 19 2011, 02:24 PM']Well there was a post that linked to a rebuild from the bottom up of a 60's J bass by a complete lune of a luthier recently. It went into a level of detail I've never seen before (rolling your own oil filled caps!), at the end of which he put on the original felt string dampers and played it and it sounded incredibly like a double bass, far more than a P does (to my ears). [url="http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-home-depot/169606-1960-jazzbass-build.html"]Here you go[/url] [/quote] Here's a link to the build: [url="http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-home-depot/169606-1960-jazzbass-build.html"]http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-home-depot...bass-build.html[/url] Interesting stuff! Edit: to make the links work again

Maybe check out some drumming videos too so you know what you're playing along to: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUTKXTxPkVQ"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUTKXTxPkVQ[/url] [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtdcdiRWeqI&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtdcdiRWeqI...feature=related[/url]

My doctor told me I'd got asthma, but subsequent tests proved I haven't. I'm not saying your doctor is wrong but a second opinion is sometimes worth a try. Anything you can do to relax your hands before, during and after playing would be good. There's plenty of advice here on technique, thumb position on the back of the neck, etc. which may help avoid the problem but if you're in pain you need to get it checked out. Good luck!

I had a Precision bass that had an extra string stuck on for about 15 years (although it's back to being a four string again now): The neck seemed to handle it OK but an extra 2 strings might be pushing your luck a bit! I think string spacing is going to be your biggest problem, plus you'll need new bridge and probably new pickups... if you're going to be changing the neck you'll need to modify the body to take a wider one. You're pretty much changing the whole bass except for a heavily modified body with an odd neck joint that you won't be able to sell on easily. Probably best to get an inexpensive 6 string and see if you get on with it, you'll be able to sell it for close what you paid if necessary.

[quote name='dood' post='1090471' date='Jan 15 2011, 02:40 PM']Interesting! Yeah, I'd agree with what has been said above about the bass then feeling a bit top heavy? On a similar note though and a complete revelation for me is that I've moved the strap button on the bum end of the bass down to the lower part of the body. I've found that by anchoring the bass in opposite 'corners' (i.e. upper horn and the other nearer the jack socket) my bass definitely stays locked in position and far more stable against my body when I play. Also far more 'upright' because my little beer belly alien can't push it out the way! Kinda hard to describe without pictures, but hopefully you understand what I mean! I recommend it, especially if you set your strap height such that your bass is in the same place whether sitting down or stood up. I've also left the original strap button on the bum end too, so that if the bass is stood up against an amp etc, then the body doesn't touch the floor. The buttons act as little feet![/quote] Status have always had two strap buttons / feet at the bottom so I tried hooking the strap to the lower one and I see what you mean, does feel more stable! [quote name='Ou7shined' post='1090852' date='Jan 15 2011, 08:42 PM']If you find the bass tilting forward after the modification, just run the strap in front of the bass. No more problem. [/quote] Genius! This should also be in the String Muting thread.

Won't the strap stop you getting access to the top few frets of the neck? Not a huge problem for many bass players though! I'd say shorten your strap or look at your thumb position on the neck and see if pointing it more towards the headstock helps.

Become a sponge collector! The kind of muting you're after is probably unique to you so maybe keep hold of all sorts of bits of sponge and foam and try wedging them under the strings near the bridge to get a feel for what works before trying a more permanent solution? Not sure if there's anything available that you can mute / demute between songs though.

How would you describe the difference in sound (unplugged or neck pickup only) between a stock Jazz vs stock Precision bass? And what causes this difference given that they're both made from the same type of woods, bolt on construction and passive single coils? I think that my P basses have always had a slightly clankier and less focussed sound but with a bit more bottom end, whereas any Jazzes I've had have sounded slightly more refined particularly in the mids. Having had a P bass with a Jazz neck that sounded more like a Jazz I've always assumed the neck plays an important part. Also having a Precision bass (with a P neck) but with Jazz pickups still sounding like a P bass reinforced my view but probably best not to judge on just two examples.... So, anyone else had Jazz / Precision hybrids and what's your view? Is it neck, is it pickups, is it body size and shape? What's the most important factor in giving them their sound? (By the way this all started in the Fender Factory Tour thread, in the video (3 mins in) it was stated that the choice of wood has more effect on the sound than the pickups and electronics: Doctor J asked "How come P basses and J basses made from the same wood sound different then?" Silddx asked "So what is NOT a Precision Bass sound, and likewise for a Jazz Bass?" I thought I knew the answers but the more I thought about it the less sure I was!) [i]Edit: Still none the wiser but at least I now know where to use their and they're.[/i]

[quote name='silddx' post='1089822' date='Jan 14 2011, 08:41 PM']So what is NOT a Precision Bass sound, and likewise for a Jazz Bass?[/quote] Difficult to put in words and likely to derail this Factory Tour thread more than it has already! I'll start a new topic in Bass Guitars.

Never let a drummer arrange anything.

[quote name='Doctor J' post='1089462' date='Jan 14 2011, 03:43 PM']So the P pickup on this yoke will sound like a J, given there's a J neck on it?[/quote] Not completely, but it'll probably not sound like a P bass either. I had J pickups in my P bass for a while and it still sounded more like a Precision than a Jazz.... I used to have a P bass with a Jazz neck and it sounded almost like a Jazz until I put J pickups in and it sounded almost completely like a Jazz. Not exactly conclusive research but it's the feeling I got with those basses!

[quote name='Doctor J' post='1088956' date='Jan 14 2011, 09:24 AM']How come P basses and J basses made from the same wood sound different then?[/quote] Much thicker and slightly stiffer neck on the P bass probably makes most of the sound difference since the theory with graphite necks is that they make the biggest variable in the guitars tone consistent. Great to see the old Fender factory and seeing the truck parked outside made me realise how futuristic Fenders must have looked in the 50s compared with other products at the time.

Hmmm, half of me wants to explore all 8 million sounds.... Half of me just wants to think modern or vintage sound? And then just pick up a Status or a Fender and adjust the tone with my fingers. I like the way Tony Levin only uses settings that could be achieved with a regular switching system (video part 3), and how come if these instruments do every coil combination imaginable they have a 2 humbucker version and a 1 humbucker 2 single coil version? (although maybe they're prototypes) Also it looks like the preset memory doesn't store the 4 band EQ settings which seems like an oversight. Interesting idea nonetheless, will be trying one when they come out. Edit: Reading jimmyb625's post maybe the EQ can be saved after all.

[quote name='dood' post='1084787' date='Jan 10 2011, 08:25 PM']I think it's worth noting that Rotosound have upped their game since the 'facelift', where they invested in new machines and added new strings to the line. I think they themselves would admit that they had some QC issues in the past - but I can't remember the last time I had a dodgy string from them. If you do have a problem with their strings - then get a replacement from the retailer and if that doesn't work for you, give Rotosound themselves a bell! I've spoken to Jason about Rotosound products and he's always happy to listen and chat.[/quote] Good to hear, will give them a try again. (edited to make some sense)

I really like "The Complete Electric Bassist Volume One" by William Perry and Leon White. It starts off pretty simple teaching you the notes and gradually introducing more complex rhythms, nothing ground breaking but it seems to work for me. It's out of print now (and never made it to volume two) but I had no problem picking one up on Amazon. It's got some really funky 70s photos and a few odd bits of advice that seem a bit out of date but it's recommended by several people on Basschat. In conjunction with the J des Pres book you'll probably have all the resources you need.

Loved the sound of them when they're fresh but had so many dead strings and breakages in the 90s I couldn't risk using them. They used to go very dead very quickly too. Hopefully they're better quality now but I'm sticking with DRs and Status Hotwires.

Maybe he should stop mucking about and learn to groove. Or at least play in time a bit.

[quote name='Soliloquy' post='1081381' date='Jan 7 2011, 06:25 PM']Thanks for all of your replies . You've not experienced the strings being too close to the edge of the fretboard ? I've never come across anyone else saying this personally.[/quote] I've fallen off the edge of the board a couple times on one of my S2 Classic 5s but it didn't take long to get used to it and it hasn't happened for a while. It may be down to technique, for players who hang their thumb over the top of the board maybe it tends to pull the G off the edge? It's only that one bass, the others have never been a problem. As Vibrating G String said the frets are a bit worn on that bass whereas my newer S2 5 and 6 strings have a slightly squarer fret ends. If you go for the newer S2 the bridges allow for a small amount of lateral string adjustment to get them away from the edge a little more if you want.

I quickly tried a few Kingbasses at a recent Statii.com meet up, I got the impression they have a slightly snappier tone than my S2 Classics. I didn't get on with the Kingbass body shape either, the S2s feel a lot better on a strap. Pretty sure the neck profile is very similar although if it's a headed S2 5 string it'll have the 34 3/4" scale length, beadless have 34" and Kingbasses with bendwells have 32". The S2 Classic just seems to fit me perfectly and feels great to play, it's a very versatile bass and I think there's a good chance you'll like it.

[quote name='The Burpster' post='1079132' date='Jan 5 2011, 08:38 PM']Rich, you saying the Statii really don't move... at all?[/quote] Can't speak for OTPJ, but none of mine have ever moved at all. Rob Green describes them as "Set and forget", the only time I've adjusted one is when I bought a used S2 Classic with what felt like guitar strings on and the truss rod was fully slackened off. Put some 40-130s and tightened it up and haven't had to touch it since.

DR strings say to put a 90 degree kink where you think the string will go into the tuning post [b]before[/b] cutting it to length. This is to stop the windings unwrapping from the core wire, maybe you could try that with whatever strings you're using?

You could try "70s Funk & Disco Bass" by Josquin des Pres. (book with tab & CD) It's cheap and doesn't have any tuition, just 101 funky lines full of ghost notes.

Sounds daft but I'd say learn the names of the notes on the neck if you haven't already! And I mean really learn them so you don't have to think about any of them or have to count frets and work up or down from familiar notes. If you haven't got this down then everything else becomes a struggle and you'll be wasting precious time.

[quote name='bubinga5' post='1077978' date='Jan 4 2011, 10:00 PM']Just wondering if anyone has listened to there playing without any backing...i was playing on Garage band and was suprised how messy my playing was with nothing behind it...its not the timing but the lazy fingers thats not as clean as i would like... Something to work on i think..the Modulus seems to show this up more than my ole Fender but thats a good thing... There is really zero room for mistakes and lazyness on a Modulus I dont think it helps that i tend to improvise alot when messing around, so a certain direction is not there... and as a byproduct after time, there comes a certain amount of lazyness.. doest help im not in a band...... excuses ....yes!! Im gettin sloppy!! [/quote] Your technique has to be really good on a graphite necked bass, the older Status basses with the totally rigid neck are a real eye opener when it comes to buzzes and clatters. But you soon get used to it. It's amazing how little many musicians listen back to what they play, it's the most important part of learning. When I think I've got a groove down I play it into a loopstation with a click, and almost always realise it needs more work!