Deep Thought

[quote name='eude' post='16432' date='Jun 12 2007, 07:27 PM']If you could leave a bit of feedback, be it Buy, Sale or Trade, I'd really appreciate it. Cheers, Eude[/quote] Just bought Eude's Trace Elliot SMC 1x15 combo from him. A prince among men! Excellent friendly communication, item exactly as described, the best job of packing ever! No hestitation in recommending this man!

Always been a bass player, recently bought an Applause electro acoustic for the hell of it, to help me with musical theory and for writing, then found a Squier Showmaster with Squier amp at a car boot sale. Also play a bit of harmonica and do vocals sometimes.

Lads, I find myself the principle songwriter in my band, and it seems after many years of taking many years to get one song to my liking, I've found my niche and have struck a bit of a vein of creativity. I now need to record my basic ideas on to CD so I can hand them to the rest of the band so they can learn 'em. I am utterly useless at this, to give you an idea of my level of cluelessness I bought a Boss BR-600 and have just sold it as I couldn't get my head around it at all. Marvellous bit of kit, did far more than I needed and I couldn't get to grips with it, not aided by the IMHO fairly useless instruction manual which assumed far too much prior knowledge. Ditto Guitar Tracks Pro for the PC which I am having a similar lack of success with. I know there are little 4-track thingies which might be better for me-I want the absolute minimum of fancy stuff, just basic recording which is easy for my poor brain to get the hang of. Suggestions please! DT

Simon just bought my Boss BR-600, very pleasant and straightforward transaction. No hesitation in recommending, a fine upstanding chap! Thanks!

[quote name='bassicinstinct' post='50509' date='Aug 25 2007, 10:07 AM']I think the Trace 2x10 combo would DEFINITELY do the trick. It has the "sound" you're seeking in spades IMHO. [/quote] Sorry for the delay in reply chaps-Walman, your Trace was a bit outside my price range-I've bought the 1x15 previously mentioned-Eude's, in fact. Looking forward to getting my mitts on it. Thanks all for the advice.

[quote name='neepheid' post='51368' date='Aug 27 2007, 06:20 PM']Hi helpful basschatters Could some people out there with either a Mex or a USA Fender 4 string P Bass do some measuring for me? I'd like to know the following dimensions: 1. End of the neck to edge of pickup nearest the neck 2. Edge of pickup nearest the bridge to the end of the scratchplate 3. Bottom edge of the scratchplate to the bridge screws 4. Centre of the bridge screw treble side to the tip of the scratchplate (output jack part) Just need to check some things before ordering a scratchplate. Please tell me if it's USA or Mex you've got. Thanks Matt[/quote] OK Matt this is what I have on my 2007 USA P-bass with through body stringing, as near as I can get:- 1st Measurement 3 5/8" 9 1/2cm 2nd Measurement 3/4" 2cm 3rd Measurement 5" 13cm 4th Measurement 2 1/2" 6cm. Hope that helps!

[quote name='ped' post='50683' date='Aug 25 2007, 08:11 PM']Sehr interessant! I agree with loads of points so far. My approach has always been to first of all find a bass that you like, and then get another. Sell the one you find yourself using least, then get another. Repeat. In the end you will end up with a bass you really like and that has stood the test of time against the opposition. You have to be pretty hard lined though! Recently I suffered a bad bout of GAS and after being fully settled with my fretted/fretless pair aquired through my method mentioned previously, I decided that I could afford to do some 'exploring' and check out some exotica. It paid off - the basses were superb and gread additions to a collection, but really just that - I was happy with my 'actual' basses. Unfortunately things changed and I was forced to move them on. It was a close shave, and made me wise up to the fact that I am blody lucky to have what I have got and shouldn't forget it! With that in mind I think I will settle down for a bit and spend some time doing the more important things in life such as playing the things! ped[/quote] It's the same with most hobbies/obsessions. I've been collecting flying jackets for ten years, you get the urge for a particular one, you buy it, you're happy for a while, then the urge comes back again for something else. You're never happy with what you've got. I'll say 'when I get the so-and-so that'll be it, I won't need any more.' Cobblers! There's always another one you just have to have. Same with basses and amps. I probably don't need a new amp, doesn't stop me spending hours poring over internet forums trying to work out which one I want next, or selling anything I can think of to pay for it. One thing, I really am happy with my USA P-bass, and cannot think of another bass I have to have. A few that look nice, but nothing I can't live without....so far.

I'm in a bit of a quandary here boys-playing for over 20 years but never really looked closely into the ins and outs of amplification, just bought whatever came up cheap. Having got back in a band after 15 years out I am still fairly clueless about the subject and could do with a spot of advice. I have an Ashdown Mag 300 4x10 combo which I bought in a hurry-gig coming up, had to have an amp quick, best I could find for the money at the time, but it was always my intention to upgrade later-it wasn't really the amp I wanted. For a while I've been wanting an Ashdown ABM 500 head and probably 4x10 cab, but I've gone off the idea lately and started looking at others, fancying both Gallien Kreuger 1001RBII's and various Ampegs and Markbasses. Always intended to go head and cab as opposed to another combo, and also to up the wattage somewhat-the Ashdown is OK but a bit more headroom is always nice. However funds are as usual somewhat limited and I'm running out of things to sell! I'm eyeing up a used 300 watt Trace Elliot 1x15 combo, which is more within my price range. I suspect that this might be louder than the Ashdown despite the same wattage-it's a pre-Gibson designed Trace. I like a fairly trebly sound with not too much bottom end-is this feasible with a 1x15? And if I add a 2x10 cab is this going to lose me a lot of volume? I suspect I should be hanging on until I can afford the GK, which is top of the list at the moment, but that's a long way off and I will then have to find a cab to go with it, so the Trace is looking like a tempting upgrade without having to shell out too much. Opinions?

Beautiful day today in exotic Cornwall. Watched the Red Arrows this evening over Fowey. Very pleasant.

[quote name='TheRev' post='48931' date='Aug 22 2007, 01:21 PM']This is about the only way an originals band can get any gigs - you try a few of your own songs in a set of covers and see how they go down. If people like 'em you chuck in a few more and then a few more til your whole set is original material and you bestride the planet like a rock Colossus. It worked for the Beatles, The Stones and Muse....[/quote] This is my current masterplan-we play covers at the moment but I'm gradually slipping in stuff I've written (I appear to be the principal songwriter), but I don't want to ditch the covers entirely-I like playing them! Only thing is, the snail-like pace at which I produce songs will mean it will take us another 15 years to achieve this goal!

+1 for estates. I've had two Astra estates which I was very pleased with and would quite cheerfully buy another. I was in a similar situation, trying to find a decent car for not much money, earlier in the year, and down this way I had a hell of a job tracking one down. Would have liked an estate but none to be had. Eventually ended up with a Toyota Corolla hatch, not what I was after but works well. Mondeo estates are enormous and can be got sub-1000 now if you're lucky, as are Peugeot 405's.

[quote name='dlloyd' post='48187' date='Aug 21 2007, 10:11 AM']I just sent my amp to its buyer and was pleasantly surprised by the cost. The courier company was APC Overnight, and I sent it overnight delivery. 40 kg, overnight delivery for £30 including VAT. Despite their name, they offer other services including same day (which I didn't get a price for) and economy, which would have been £26. Nice guys as well, carried the amp out of the car for me.[/quote] That's worth knowing, I'm hoping to be buying a new rig soon, almost certainly second hand, and I've found getting amps shipped a problem in the past (living in Cornwall, pick from most of the Country is impractical!) Thanks for the heads-up!

[quote name='leonshelley01' post='48161' date='Aug 21 2007, 09:10 AM']I use one myself. Very fast, fluid neck with versatile electronics. In my opinion, the best sub £200 bass on the market. Always remember though that it is a cheap bass, so don't expect it to sound like a Jazz, Precision etc., it has a good "generic" tone.[/quote] I've got a GSR200 which I use as a backup. Great bass, I bought mine as a backup to my Aerodyne J-bass, but I liked the Ibanez so much I sold the J and bought an Ibanez GS500. I paid £120 for mine in a shop, which was probably a bit on the steep side, but I don't regret it. The GS500 is gone, replaced by my P-bass, but I still have the GSR. They're fairly cheap new, so don't pay a fortune second hand.

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='47298' date='Aug 19 2007, 10:32 AM']You all know the routine - Leave your Fender plugged in & without touching it, the bad earth demons hit until you touch the strings & it all goes quiet! My MIM Jazz V was pretty quiet, but the vintage pups on my Geddy Lee Jazz are noisy as hell in this respect - Is there any known cure? It's particularly bad in my case, as I use a lot of treble, so it's very noticable.[/quote] This is a handy site, if you are any good at this sort of thing:- [url="http://www.guitarnuts.com/index.php"]http://www.guitarnuts.com/index.php[/url]

[quote name='andy67' post='45673' date='Aug 15 2007, 11:16 AM']changed days now though! all nicey nicey with ronnie corbett these days huh?[/quote] Yep, all golf and Rupert bear trousers.

Following on from the C*cks-ups thread, most of the time I have to drive and remain stone cold sober when gigging. On the rare occasions where I've been able to get away with having a few, I'm sure I play better-less cock-ups and the fingers move more easily. I don't believe this is just the booze making me [i]think [/i] I'm playing better. No doubt there is a limit after which it all goes to Hell in a handcart, but I've found a pint or two certainly greases the wheels as it were. Are you a strict teetotal player or does a drink or two improve your playing?

[quote name='john_the_bass' post='42826' date='Aug 8 2007, 11:44 AM']The S1 on the jazz is useful and probably worth having. The S1 on the precision is cobblers and doesn't do anything much except make the bass seem a bit thinner and weaker sounding. Well it does on mine anyway.[/quote] Couldn't agree more!!

Bah, my wife makes me do things like that-pain in the bum, eh? Lovely bass. I'm interested in your comments on the S-1 switching. I have it on my new P-bass, and on mine it changes the sound from a nice rich, full sound to a thin and weedy one with a noticeable drop in volume. I never use it. Love the bass otherwise, although the case it came with, as far as I can see the same asymmetrical job that you have, is a load of rubbish. Poorly put together, and one of the clasps isn't even put on straight. It's a pain to do up, and the shop I bought it from is currently chasing the Fender rep for a replacement. On the subject of the scratchplate, Fender seem awfully fond of the white ones at the moment. I wanted a black one, and although it's theoretically possible to get one from Fender with a black scratchplate, I was told that even if you order your bass with a black scratchplate, there's no guarantee it won't arrive with a white one! I had to get the bass with a white one and buy a black one separately! Enjoy, unexpected purchases like that are often the best ones.

[quote name='beerdragon' post='40953' date='Aug 3 2007, 03:55 PM']In the late sixties early seventies i was into prog rock but there was always the odd song with a nice little bass line that used to catch my attention, one was Disco inferno by... bugger cant remember, but i still like to warm up with it now.[/quote] Disco Inferno was by the Trammps. Great song. It's on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack which I swear to God I do not own.

[quote name='steve-soar' post='39293' date='Jul 30 2007, 11:21 PM']On the bloody bass, Jean Jacques Burnel.[/quote] Whoeheartedly agree, with the addition of Norman Watt-Roy and the bloke who was playing bass for Omar and the Howlers from Austin ,Texas when I saw them in Plymouth years ago. No idea what his name is, but he was like no bass player I've ever seen before or since. A master of minimalism, never played two notes when one would do, frequently fretting over the top of the neck, looked as if he was playing in slow motion even on the fastest songs. Amazing.

I'm interested in how many, if any, of you chaps feel that they have reached a state of bass Nirvana and never make cock-ups on stage? Every gig I play I manage to do something wrong somewhere, fumbles, playing in the wrong key, wrong bit at wrong time etc. I tend to judge how well a gig has gone by how many or few bungles I make. Am I alone or does everybody else foul up as well? Is it possible to achieve a state where you can play a perfect, cock-up free set? What are your best/worst onstage disasters?

Don't let's forget the rest of the World is nowhere near as interested in basses and bass guitarists as we folks on here are. The vast majority of the World's population aren't the slightest bit bothered whether the bassist is playing a p-bass or a banjo. In fact a hell of a lot of them don't even know what a bass is. I wish I had a quid for every person (usually female, it has to be said) who having asked what I play and been told, proceeds to ask 'and what's the difference between a guitar and a bass?'. Several times I've made a comment regarding a band on TV, regarding the number of guitarists, and if I say they've got two guitarists my wife will say 'no they haven't they've got three!'.

[quote name='Bald Eagle' post='36138' date='Jul 23 2007, 09:36 PM']Ibanez GSR 200 is great for a beginner nice thin neck, nice & light, great pick up arrangement for all types of styles great quality & value so highly recommended. Beauty of this bass is it does similar to what a precision type and jazz type can do but in one bass so you get used to the sound position & pick up set ups found in most common basses. That's just what I think anyway.[/quote] Quite agree-I bought one as a backup for my Aerodyne J-bass, was so impressed I sold the J and got a GS500. Still got the GSR, even though the GS500 is now history!

[quote name='obbm' post='36086' date='Jul 23 2007, 07:53 PM']Welcome. I'm an expat Cornishman. Brought up in Newquay for my first 9 years, then lived in Polkerris before moving away. I've got friends and relations in St Austell. I often hanker after returning but, like most places, it's not the same as it was.[/quote] You're not wrong there-thankfully the surrounding area is still great, but I avoid the Town Centre like the plague unless absolutely necessary. Polkerris is fabulous on a Summer's evening (remember those?). Best sunset on the South Coast! Phil Lynott, what a man, was fortunate enough to see him live at the Cornwall Coliseum, now sadly a condemned, grass-filled shell. I always try to catch Lime House Lizzy when they come down this way, nearly as good as the real thing.

[quote name='Chop' post='35940' date='Jul 23 2007, 02:53 PM']Thank You (Falletin me be Mice Elf Agen) the Magazine version off the Correct Use of Soap. Barry Andrews I think it was... Chop[/quote] I really like the bass line on 'Song from under the floorboards' too. Other faves of mine are Norman Watt-Roy on Ian Dury's 'Hit me with your rhythm stick', Jean-Jacques Burnel on the Stranglers' 'Walk on By' and the bass line to Bill Withers 'Lovely day'-simple but effective.