mcnach

Pretty!!! I love the fingerboard

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1506760521' post='3380893'] Aside from sounding better do fancy expensive earplugs actually offer better protection than standard 5p foam plugs? I grab the foam ones from work and they are supposedly designed to be used on building sites so must offer decent protection? Or am I just kidding myself and I might as well be using nothing... [/quote] There's two issues: protection and sound quality. Protection is important for your health. Any of the ones available do work. If you want to improve how you hear the music with the earplugs on, then that's where the other types come in handy. Some do not improve things enough for my liking, and others do. My custom moulded ACS Pro offer great isolation and the sound is very clear and crisp. They cost a fair amount more than 5p. My Flare Isolate ones offer more protection than is needed, and for some reason they work very well musically for me: they let in enough treble and mids so that I can hear people talking, and guitars, and hihats and brass... but the bottom end/low mids are attenuated just right so that the bass is not muddy and I can hear myself better with those than with anything else. They only cost £25 and to me that's worth it as I get the protection AND enjoyment of the music is vastly improved over the simple foam ones. But not everybody likes them. If you are happy with your foam ones... then carry on, but if you think you'd like to hear the music a bit better... worth investigating others

[quote name='bazztard' timestamp='1506742296' post='3380812'] anything is better than the loud permanent tinnitus and hearing loss I suffer from, seriously. Your hearing is priceless, buy the very best you can afford, maybe even more than you can afford [/quote] This post should be enlarged, framed, and put on display very visibly at the entrance of BassChat. There are better and worse earplugs, some may prefer one type, others another... there's always a degree of compromise and we'll rarely find one that is preferred by everybody. But you need to protect your hearing, for when it's gone, it's gone.

[quote name='pete.young' timestamp='1506704266' post='3380584'] That mostly works: where we've come unstuck is when we've given a lot of dates to a venue, and not heard anything back from them. You end up holding a lot of dates sometimes. [/quote] You do, but the venue also knows that "these are the dates *right now*" and if something else comes up after a few days not hearing back then we update them "this date is no longer available". It works. No system is foolproof, but if you're all reasonable it works fine. And if someone is not reasonable... why is that person in the band?

[quote name='dave_bass5' timestamp='1506693036' post='3380480'] or you could ask if anything came of that date, as i didn't write anything down, because its not my job to, regarding an enquiry and i have something else come up if we arent doing it? I would expect any sensible person to at least pencil something in on a date that has been enquired about. [/quote] Pretty much.

I've used a lot of different off-the-shelf ones with mixed results. Then I went with ACS and got a pair of custom moulted ones with the 17db filters. They're nice. They were on offer too, so only £110 or so last January. HOWEVER... I then tried some earplugs that on paper I did not think they'd work but my guitarist loved... the Flare Audio ones. Around £25-30. That is all I use now. They cut a lot more sound, but I find very easy to get used to it. They're very comfortable (they come with 3 sized tips to try), and I hear everything clear, including myself. I just won't gig without them these days. I read their overhyped advertising and it put me off a lot. I criticised their published graphs which they later removed (but google and you can still find them), but whatever... they just work for me better than anything else. And before anybody says anything, my audiologist was commenting on how good my hearing was regardless of age Some say the tips fall apart for them with a few uses. I'm still using the tips that came with them and it's been around 6-7 months now of regular use. I keep them clean with a bit of water, that's all I do to them. I also have a set of 3 spare ones I bought just in case. FLARE ISOLATE just works.

[quote name='largo' timestamp='1506613621' post='3379968'] Having used Status Half-rounds for a few years, it would seem they no longer sell these on their website. Bugger! So a quick review online and thanks to mccnach (cheers Jose) I think I'm going to try the La Bella White Tapewounds. However, the 50's are marked as being light and the 60's are standard & reviews suggest the 50's are low tension. Anybody got any advice on which string size I should go for, I'm usually a 40 or 45 type of guy. Cheers. [/quote] I'm a 45-100/105 roundwounds type of guy and the Labella white nylons I got are the "750T" version (50-65-85-105). That's definitely lower tension than anything else I normally use. Noticeably. However I find that I love the feel. I need to adjust the truss rod a tiny bit, but that's all, and the lower tension just encourages a smoother softer type of playing, and string bending if you're so inclined

[quote name='tommorichards' timestamp='1505842815' post='3374714'] The extra wires won't be coming from the pickups, but a brass plate in each pickup cavity. Its the 70's version of copper tape shielding. Any standard Jazz pickup will fork fine. [/quote] what this man says

I've had a few basses when that was necessary, yes.

[quote name='40hz' timestamp='1506615706' post='3379988'] My USA SUB is 8.9lbs! It's light as a feather! [/quote] I don't call a ~9lbs bass light, myself... It's not a boat anchor, but it's not a light bass...

[quote name='drTStingray' timestamp='1506615001' post='3379984'] Not so - my USA Sub 5 is positively feather weight - so much so that whilst playing it seated, the neck over-balances causing neck dive - however it's fine on a strap. They have poplar bodies (which 90s era solid colours often have also). Similarly with Stingrays - for the 4 string, generally about 9.5 lbs but there is variation both upwards and downwards - Sterlings may be lighter than this. Stingray 5s are bigger basses, and may be 10.5 lbs - however some are lighter. The Cutlass and Caprice seem to be around 8.5 lbs - great if you want an ultra playable P or PJ. [/quote] Ok, I haven't weighed ALL of them , so some might be lighter, but every one I tried, and certainly the three I have owned were heavy. The SUB5 was particularly chunky... Right now I only have one, a 4 string white one... beautiful sound, great to play... but the heaviest bass in my collection.

[quote name='Cuzzie' timestamp='1506610396' post='3379932'] Wrong use of classic on my behalf! [/quote] oh, I see. I got it on a few posts later... The MM4.2 is a nice pickup, but I still prefer the original. I had a MM4.2 on a Stingray copy and was pretty cool but lacked some 'aggression' the originals seem to have... this was using an original 2-band EBMM preamp, but there are so many other factors in the sound of a bass that i could never be sure teh sound i didn't like was the pickup or a combination of other things

[quote name='dave_bass5' timestamp='1506526612' post='3379362'] I tried to set up a Google calendar a few times, but one guy only used an old Nokia and had no computer so that didnt work. I would also get excuses that they couldn't log on etc. I found the best way was to text each one and [s]expect[/s] hope they would make a note of them. On the whole i felt they needed to take responsibility for themselves. [/quote] much like we did... but I have my own google calendar. Drummer did the same, and we share them. We have a band gmail address and used that too. Eventually everyody else realised how useful it was and they all use it now. It's easy, if you want to keep your own personal diary separate, then add stuff to the band one and not the personal one. Up to each person. In the end everyone must be responsible for their own diary. I don't care how you keep track of your own commitments, use a calendar on your wall, or your memory, or use a personal assistant to remind you. Whatever. Just make sure you know what dates you have a gig. We don't need to all use the same calendar online (even if it can make life so much simpler, you just can't make some people change their ways).

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1506458473' post='3378952'] So he quits at the drop of a hat? Didn't offer to try and rearrange whatever it was he'd double booked. Can't keep a diary. Doesn't call you to try and apologise when he's upset you. His heart's not in it and your email was just the straw that broke the camel's back. [/quote] Exactly my thoughts.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1506440731' post='3378767'] Tbh I think I'm with the drummer, "you mentioned" the gig in April, nothing else since and it's not on the band's website. I've got an issue with the "dates you can't do" thing too, our guitarist wanted us to give him all the dates we can't do rather than him check for each gig but he's not my dad, if I've got no gig next weekend and I book a weekend away that's my lookout, I'm not going to update my personal free time diary with him on a daily basis as things come up, booked holidays of course no problem and times you already know are out to save checking every time but not my personal free dates for him to book what he likes. [/quote] The 'dates you cannot do' carries a date: those dates are subject to change later, and it's only accurate at the time I give it to you. So you still need to confirm availabilities... but it saves a LOT of time for the person booking if they can have at a glance a list of dates that for one reason or another should not even be considered. It's not too much to ask, really.

[quote name='Stylon Pilson' timestamp='1506439202' post='3378743'] Word of warning - the drummer may forget that he quit the band, if he hasn't put it in his diary. He might show up at the Railway Bell after all. S.P. [/quote] !!!

[quote name='hiram.k.hackenbacker' timestamp='1506435516' post='3378705'] I would contact him and exchange apologies. [/quote] Nah. A very important responsibility of anybody in a band is to ensure THEY manage their calendar and note THEIR own gigs etc. Someone who needs reminders to work is just not worth the hassle, and as this example shows, a mistake on somebody else's part to write something somewhere becomes THEIR excuse to feel offended. Seriously: f**k him.

[quote name='police squad' timestamp='1506434502' post='3378694'] 'See you all next Saturday at the Railway Bell' I said to the boys as we were about to leave our gig last Saturday. 'Our next gig is in November' says the drummer. 'No it's Saturday' I say. He gets his phone out and shows me the website. I've forgotten to put it on the website. 'Oh F&&k it, I'll cancel it, sorry boys it looks like it's my fault' I said even though I know when I booked it I had notified everybody. Anyway, I checked it all out in the morning and sure enough, on our Facebook messenger chat page, I had announced it in April and was greeted by the 'thumbs up' by the drummer. This is not the first time he has messed up his diary. He's 30, has a degree in music and is head of maths, where he teaches. I was less than polite about it, because I have better things to do than constantly change things, arrange deps . Me [color=#FFFFFF][font=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif][size=3]I[/size][/font][/color]I've just checked back thru this message board and I can see that I did mention about the gig this saturday 30th at The railway bell, dover. Ross, you even gave the thumbs up. So I missed putting it on the website, which is my fault. But I did tell people. I didn't text alex, because he sometimes checks in here and hardly ever acknowledges my texts about dates. I am utterly fed up with this. I'm going to cancel saturday because I cannot be bothered to sort it out. I have better things to do than f&&k about with people that can't write things in their diary[color=#FFFFFF][font=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif][size=3]'ve just checked back thru this message board and I can see that I did mention about the gig this saturday 30th at The railway bell, dover. Ross, you even gave the thumbs up. So I missed putting it on the website, which is my fault. But I did tell people. I didn't text alex, because he sometimes checks in here and hardly ever acknowledges my texts about dates. I am utterly fed up with this. I'm going to cancel saturday because I cannot be bothered to sort it out. I have better things to do than f*** about with people that can't write things in their diary[/size][/font][/color] [color=#FFFFFF][font=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif][size=3], you even gave the thumbs up. So I missed putting it on the website, which is my fault. But I did tell people. I didn't text alex, because he sometimes checks in here and hardly ever acknowledges my texts about dates. I am utterly fed up with this. I'm going to cancel saturday because I cannot be bothered to sort it out. I have better things to do than f&&k about with people that can't write things in their diary[/size][/font][/color] Him [color=#4B4F56][font=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif][size=3]I said yes back in April however as it wasn't on the calendar didn't realise it was confirmed. Just a big misunderstanding but If that's the way you feel - find another drummer, as I will not play with someone who speaks to me that way. Cheers[/size][/font][/color] As I said, he is always messing his diary up. He never gives me dates he can't do, until I book something. Was I too harsh? Probably but my job is very demanding and running a band (as many of you know) is a thankless task. Anyone else have this kind of thing? Currently looking for a new drummer [/quote] Looks like getting a new drummer is the best result...

[quote name='Cuzzie' timestamp='1506452738' post='3378900'] +1 for a USA SUB and then put a Nordstrand MM pick up in it. It will be classic sounding [/quote] The pickup on the USA SUB *is* the classic sounding Stingray pickup already...

[quote name='bassmachine2112' timestamp='1506443667' post='3378800'] Hiho get a USA SUB it,s the real deal with a gig proof finish not a coffee table finish. [/quote] The USA SUB is a great bass... but light they ain't. Heavy monsters all of them. Beautiful feel and sound 'though

[quote name='Barking Spiders' timestamp='1506435534' post='3378706'] Not sure how you can learn from better band members unless they play the same instrument as you. [/quote] You learn to play in a band, you learn about music. It's not all about learning your instrument.

Well... if the band is rubbish then move on I prefer to play with people equal or better than myself. It feels scary at times but that's where you learn the most and ends up being most satisfying.

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1506348448' post='3378080'] I'm actually - SHOCK HORROR - considering getting it refinned Oly, but if not I'd be happy leaving it as-is. [/quote] Hmmm... or fiesta red

[quote name='Muppet' timestamp='1506340440' post='3378004'] According to Marco on Facebook all the Indonesian ones receive a final inspection in Italy before being shipped anyway. I have a Indonesian CMD121P and an Italian NY121. Absolutely no problems with either. There was an American chap on FB who had a right old rant at Marco because in his view the retailer that sold him his CMD121P should have told him that It was Indonesian not Italian. It was Marco's fault that Markbass were not instructing their retailers to inform customers of the fact and he wanted to reject the unit because of this. [/quote] I remember that rant. The fun part was that the guy was happy with the sound of the combo until one day he opened it and found it wasn't a B&C speaker, and then started a big rant about how inferior it was. Visually. Ah well...

[quote name='Baronialhall' timestamp='1506331558' post='3377876'] I have a S8 USA Precision bass, late seventies...blah blah. It has a great tone but I like Jazz bass sound too. Is it worth getting a bridge pickup fitted to increase the scope of tones available? I thought about getting a Fender Jazz but they are so expensive and it's a pain lugging two basses to gigs. [/quote] If you really like that bass, I'd say to hell with 'resale' and 'original' and add that Jazz pickup to it. I personally prefer a P/J to a Jazz. You don't get exactly the sound of a Jazz, but you get something that adds a few extra great tones. It's a simple operation, and P/J basses are not exactly hard to sell, in case one day you decided to move it on. If you buy another bass, it's another bass... I prefer to keep playing a bass I've bonded with and feel comfortable with and modify it to suit, than search for an entirely new instrument, if it's just a matter of changing electronics or adding a different pickup.