mcnach

[quote name='bubinga5' timestamp='1479804430' post='3179330'] Come to think of It Jose i can't recall ever seeing a P Bass with 2 jazz pickups.? [/quote] There aren't many. Squier made a couple, I think. But it surprises me too. I guess most people are happy with a P/J and don't feel going the whole JJ is necessary.

I just emailed Adrian

[quote name='mikel' timestamp='1479591217' post='3177774'] Is this whole thread not just a "Look at me, i'm better than you" fest. We play, or I do, music cos we love it, who cares what we look like doing it, especially our peers. [/quote] what? who is passing any judgements here? I have not seen anything but friendly compliments and no sense of competition at all. I don't know where you got that from

[quote name='Jon bass' timestamp='1479692680' post='3178533'] I have a 1992 black maple 2eq 4 string. I had this issue years ago but not anymore. I slightly raise the pickup towards the D and G string and slightly lower on E and A side. Also a mistake people make is having bass and treble up full, this can make the G string sound weak and too clicky. Having both at 50% gives you the midrange and then adjust slightly as you need to. [/quote] That seems to match my experience too

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1479734778' post='3178807'] I do with the E and B on my Gus basses as they bend at almost 90° over the bridge and need a little help to bed down properly because of their girth. I don't bother at the nut because all my basses have angled headstocks and properly cut nuts, so the strings bend properly anyway. [/quote] I asked because I think part of the "going slightly flat" after tuning to pitch is the strings taking that shape. The other 2 factors I can think of are slack at tuning posts and string stretching. Slack at tuning posts can be reasonably dealt with by being careful, but pulling on the strings I guess can help too. Actual string stretching... I don't think that contributes much, based on my experience. I guess we all have our ways and I don't lose sleep on it, quite frankly.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1479727365' post='3178718'] Most strings need to be stretched out, because the material that they are made of has not been under tension before, and therefore still has some "give" in it that needs to be worked out before the tuning will stabilise. This is separate to any issues that you might have from strings bedding in around the machine head tuning posts. I don't bother stretching out my strings unless I'm going to be playing the newly strung guitar or bass with other instruments in next couple of days. Instead I just tune about a semi tone sharp and let the excess elasticity in the string work itself out. I suppose it could be possible to damage the string by excessive manual stretching, but I've never had it happen myself, and I would generally suspect that the string was faulty anyway if it occurred. [/quote] Do you press on the strings at both sides of the nut and saddles to create witness points, or you don't bother with that?

[quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1479722801' post='3178654'] With regards to MM tone - there is the fact that is MM Stingray is active and relies on the MM circuit. A MM pickup, even in the correct location, will not get you there alone. Couple this fact with a JB being passive, there's no way you can get a true MM and J in one using the same set of controls. We all know for example, that a filter system does not a Wal make. Similarly, the individual coil around each pole approach to pickups does not a Wal make. Even an aftermarket filter preamp and aftermarket pickup made in the aforementioned manner does not make a Wal! [/quote] But the thing is a Stingray with a bypass switch sounds most definitely "Stingray". You just don't get access to *other* Stingray sounds. I had such switch installed in my bass. I was very surprised to find that the sound I generally go for is very nearly the same sound as the bypassed preamp gives me. Not exactly the same, but pretty close!

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1479700522' post='3178541'] Sort of looking for attention,admittedly. Many of us 60 plus guys reference the old days. This pic showed up on Facebook today and went viral amongst all my old mates. To me the pic brings back great memories and how marvelous the last 55 years of playing ha been. Looks like I had sort of a Liverpool look thing going on, LOL I'm the guy in the upper right corner.I had already been playing for several years. I was a High School freshman in this pic. The pic paints a picture or explains why I'm somewhat stuck in the past. When you look at the me, upper right, remember I have the same enthusiasm for playing now as I did back in 1969 (the date in the pic is wrong). Me and Doug, the guy playing the Fender Mustang talk to each other on a daily basis. The Yellow MIJ Fender Tele Bass Bass pic is from 2016 Blue aka Daryl [/quote] That's really cool!

[quote name='hiram.k.hackenbacker' timestamp='1479670449' post='3178345'] When we say "stretching the strings", is that really what's happening or is it just tightening up the part of the string around the tuning peg? I would suggest that is what causes most of the initial minor tuning issues. [/quote] That's my take too.

[quote name='LITTLEWING' timestamp='1479656912' post='3178165'] I've just been reading on Talkbass five pages on stretching or not stretching new strings. There's a bit about not doing it as it can detach the windings from the core and instantly 'kill' the string, some people just go ahead and fit them and tune up all evening during a gig and some completely laugh at the idea. Personally I give them a few little tugs about a couple of inches off the fretboard while tuning to pitch then quickly check the intonation and lastly apply a little pressure just after each saddle to create the 'witness' point and to date have never broken a string and have had a great tone for ages. What do other good people here on BC in the UK think and apply? [/quote] Talking about using fresh strings just before a gig, years ago, with a live guitar tech who would put fresh strings on his guitarist's strings every night... he told me all you had to do was wind the strings carefully to avoid any slack, not use more turns around the post than necessary (a couple are plenty, except when you need them purely to ensure the strings leave from a low point to give enough angle at the nut...), and just tune up and push the strings down at both sides of the nut/saddles to create the witness points fast. I have used his advice ever since and the tuning has always been stable. I never stretch the strings. But I suppose that's a way to remove possible slack at the tuning posts... however that's not necessary if you do just a couple of turns and/or are careful.

[quote name='MoJo' timestamp='1479666510' post='3178290'] Did you mod it or did you buy it like that? I'm only asking because that's exactly what I fitted to my blue OLP [/quote] all of mine were stock when I bought them and I modified them myself. Except the second one that I bought which was "meh" and sold it after just one gig with it.

[quote name='MoJo' timestamp='1479639311' post='3177966'] I was going to say, isn't a considerable part of the 'stingray tone' down to it's electronics? I had a passive OLP some years ago. It had the pickup in the correct position but sounded nothing like a stingray [/quote] A major factor is the position. If you don't get the position right, forget about it. Electronics will fine tune the sound. First and most important the pickup. A jazz pickup in the correct spot reminds you of a Stingray but it's not quite that, presumably largely because they're so narrow compared to a MM. A precision pickup in the right spot is MUCH closer... but still not quite there, although when you hear it the Stingray signature sound is there (all this comes from some experimentation I did a while ago using an old OLP body). The preamp then allows you to get the range of tones that a Stingray can get... but does not *make it* a Stingray. My Stingray has a bypass switch. In passive mode it is unmistakeably a Stingray. I owned 4 OLPs in total... and they varied, but the Stingray "flavour" was there, without doubt. The stock pickups were not great and were ceramic, but they largely sounded like something that belonged to the Stingray family (if you used both coils on, in the OLPs that were wired with each coil individually, if you only used one of them then it loses it). I sold one of the OLPs fast as it was not very good, but kept three for years. They all had replacement pickups and put preamps on them. I was a big fan One of them had a Seymour Duncan SMB4A (alnico, parallel, as a Stingray) and the partner Duncan 3-band preamp. It did not sound like a classic Ray but it was a Stingray sound nevertheless... just a bit... punchier and 'modern', more refined. It was awesome, but I preferred my Stingray. Another had a Nordstrand MM4.2, which is supposed to be a close copy of the original, and a 2EQ preamp taken from my Stingray (I have a MMSR John East, as it's a similar 2EQ based on a 76 Ray + a delicious semiparametric mids module)... that one was most definitely a Stingray sound. I defretted it and later sold it... I wish I had kept it. The third one has the SMB4A pickup again and a copy of the original 2EQ preamp... and it was very much a Stingray in sound too, althought that pickup is like a Stingray pickup that went to the gym a bit So, there are a number of things that contribute... of which I think the position is the most important one and you can't compensate for it by electronics. If you get the right kind of pickup in the right place... the sound you get is definitely "Stingray family" and very recognisable, even if it's not quite a Stingray. Sometimes it could even be NICER than a Stingray, depending on your taste, I suppose. The preamp is the thing that matters the least, but if you consider the versatility of the Stingray and how different people have recorded with one to produce very different tones... you're probably going to want a similar preamp to reproduce all those tones, but it'll sound like a Stingray regardless... that's why both 2EQ and 3EQ Stingrays still sound like a Stingray regardless.

[quote name='Skinnyman' timestamp='1479655423' post='3178149'] Basically, yes. Order online via their website choosing the options you want (I got corded and had my name lasered on to them. Although, in hindsight, that may not have been necessary. I mean, who else's ears would they fit, right?).They send you a voucher which you print. Make an appointment with a local audiologist (I used Boots) - ACS have a list on their website. Give them the voucher, they squirt stuff in your ears, let it set and then they remove it to send to ACS. Wait a few weeks (I think I waited about a fortnight). Enjoy [/quote] Very useful, thank you!!! corded sounds like a good option, I know I'd have lost my cheap ones many times if it weren't for the cord that joins them.

My 2002 2EQ Stingray did have that to some extent... sometimes. My 2003 EBMM SUB with the same pickup and preamp, but wired in series has never felt like that. The Stingray now has a MMSR 3-band preamp. The pickup is very angled towards the G string. It's largely fine. But sometimes it does feel a bit less 'there'. Because it happens sometimes and not always, because it's rare compared to when I was using the stock preamp, and because the series-wired pickup did not have that... I am convinced that the preamp settings have a LOT to do with it. The Stingray can produce a very wide range of sounds, and it can certainly scoop mids like a champ if you want it to, or if you don't realise how the very interactive controls work. So I think that people who have a more scooped tone may experience this "weak G string" more than others who don't. I could be wrong, of course... but I've never liked anything that sounded remotely "scooped" in the mids, and I'm not struggling with weak G strings. When I did have some 'issues', from time to time, I was often amplification provided for me. I almost always use my own gear now, tired of too much inconsistency.

Right! I'm done with my "christmas tree" plugs that reduce the sound but sound pretty naff, so much so that I find myself not using plugs when I think the onstage sound is low enough... but the thing is I'm still closer to the drummer than I should if I'm going to spend so much time exposed to that . I want a set of ACS Pro17... their graphs seem just right. What's the process? You contact them, sort through them an appointment with a local audiologist to get the moulds made... and wait a couple of weeks, or something along those lines, right?

[quote name='Fisheth' timestamp='1479640958' post='3177991'] Same, getting rid of some stuff to fund a new one... [/quote] Ha! I've been slowly getting rid of dead weight... but I wasn't thinking of buying one, really. However... these things happen. "Hello, my name is Jose and I am a bass addict" No, but it's a very sensible proposition (I tell myself). I like the Jazz sound just not the Jazz body or thin neck which has led me to sell most of my Jazz basses until now. I'll just keep the Squier because it's very nice and so cheap that it seems a waste to sell it for the peanuts I'd get. I had momentarily satisfied my Jazz needs by transforming a surplus -yet lovely player- Precision into a Jazz. It went from: to: and finally to: And it's in its last incarnation that I've been using this bass a lot lately, and enjoying it immensely. However, a chance encounter with Hammersmith basses led me to their oh-so-pretty Precision body style with twin J pickups... Like this: and an innocent comment led to my chatting to the guy behind those basses. And the idea of ordering one was born. Their range of options is nowhere near as comprehensive as Maruszczyk... but they pretty much fit my preferences and they were quite flexible when it came to things that mattered... plus the bass could be with me very soon if I ordered now and there was a very good discount applied. However, the communication dried up a bit and I already asked twice for some details that I absolutely need before I push the button. So, with the idea of getting a new bass already firmly planted and funds sorted... it was obvious to think of Maruszczyk again. It is a known quantity and I know they'll do a great job... and there was my plan for a Jazz-like bass that I put aside due to temporary cash flow issues (which led to the creamy beauty above)... so I think I'll probably just move away from Hammersmith, as they can't be bothered, and go with Maruszczyk again. One think I *love* about Hammersmith is the truss rod adjustment: a wheel like on MusicMan basses. And they had a few other things I like a lot... but at the end of the day I have never tried one of their basses, it involves importing from Canada, etc... Maruszczyk seems the safer bet and they do respond. And what about the Precision - Jazz conversion above? Oh, it's being further converted to something I had in mind for ages: I'm moving the neck pickup south, almost to the bottom of the pickguard. It won't sound like a Jazz anymore but that position is pretty cool and unique. So the new bass will be the "Jazz". But... let's wait and see.

They don't appear to have "black periods", which is refreshing. My own 2002 is lovely, and if I haven't liked one I tried it was because it was badly mistreated and poorly setup, no fault of the bass.

[quote name='spencer.b' timestamp='1479638927' post='3177963'] I'm not to picky, I'd take my 66 p bass to any old dive , no stand just leant up against the amp My basses are there to be played [/quote] Mine too... but I want to continue playing them so simply leaning them against an amp is a no-no for me (one of the few times I ignored my own rule, my Stingray fell and got two very annoying dents on the back of the neck idiot ... the dents are no longer there as I eventually took the neck to be lacquered as I prefer the feel and the guy removed the dents first with the old damp/heat swelling method)... I use a Fusion F1 gig bag. It's a very hefty thing, gig bag is not appropriate, it's really a case. I always leave it behind the amps or somewhere else, you can put it upright and unzip one half to take the bass out and put it back... so when I'm not playing it, if it's not on a stand, it is in its case. Small dings etc happen, I'm not terribly worried... but I'll still treat it with care.

The 5-string Squier Jazz DeLuxe V (2-band active, ebanol fingerboard) was a curious animal. Wide fingerboard and string spacing at the bridge, with a bridge pickup mounted pretty much at the MM sweet spot. The electronics and pickups weren't amazing but they weren't bad at all and I think I paid £200 for mine, so a little upgrading would not hurt much. The bridge pickup did not sound like a Stingray, but it definitely had a certain air, purely because of the position. With the right pickup you could get a cool compromise, I bet. And there's always the option to route it for a MM type pickup as it'd cover the existing pickup route.

[quote name='yorks5stringer' timestamp='1479508106' post='3177208'] They cost more because of that subject that is taboo...... [/quote] Ricken...???

[quote name='addictedtobass' timestamp='1479641814' post='3178000'] it worked ! wow what a difference. thank you guys [/quote] glad you sorted it! it's amazing what a difference a humble and thin shim can make!

I feel a third Maruszczyk order forming...