mcnach

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1469886395' post='3101789'] Bear in mind Fender Jazz pickups used to be different sizes, but I believe Squier and some copies no longer follow this and make both pickups the same size: [/quote] You need to check in each case. Many Squiers have different size pickups, while some indeed have both the same size as the neck one... can't generalise, so you need to measure to be sure.

[quote name='drTStingray' timestamp='1469731323' post='3100752'] That guy who tested his 2015 Stingray by leaving it permanently plugged in virtually and playing gigs one or two times a week seemed to get 5 weeks before the battery charge dropped like a stone. That's 835 hours....... Therefore if you take the simple expedient of not leaving the bass plugged in when not using it most people should get well over a year of use. He also found the battery never was at 9 volts - it was 7-8 volts - ran at six for ages but completely failed shortly after reducing to 5.5 volts. So worry about battery death in an embarrassing situation on an active bass is, with a few straightforward measures, likely to be entirely avoidable without resorting to switches and the like (unless you really feel the need). [/quote] My old Warwick Corvette $$ (2005 model) sounded like crap once the battery read between 7.6-8V on my multimeter. It did take months to get there 'though. Duracell again.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1469639164' post='3099977'] I unplug any bass on stage between sets, saves big hoofed drummers hooking the cable and dragging basses off their stands! [/quote] Same here. I unplug regardless whether it's passive or active. I don't like having a long cord around that someone can trip on attached to 'my precious'. I already make enough dings myself, I don't need help I don't have a particular routine about replacing batteries. I started writing the date I install them on the battery, but it's not like I go back to check. I change them when I think "hmm, it's been a while", especially if I have a "serious" gig coming. The few times I had battery issues the bass sound doesn't just go, it sounds degraded for quite sometime... so if I think there's something odd, I replace the battery at the next break. But I usually replace them before I hear any degradation. I probably change the battery about once a year on the Stingray, which is the bass I used for gigs/rehearsals 90% of the time. At home I tend to use others, and the Stingray stays in the case ready to go. Oh, and I never buy cheap batteries. I use Duracell and I buy them at a shop I trust, not Poundland. Cheap batteries are bad news, in my experience they are unreliable regarding their life, and may even leak. Not worth the risk for something that lasts a year!

I think that any difference might be down to different strings and set-up, amplified by the distant memory that is 3 months I really don't hear anything 'wrong' with those clips. Maybe experiment with pickup height, or try other strings... we often ignore the effect strings have. I use stainless steel DR fat Beams on my Stingray and that's a great sound. A great sound that turns into a truly monster sound on my 2003 USA SUB, also a 2EQ, but in this case the pickup is wired in series... and boy that's punchy. It's like taking the other Stingray, turning bass and mids up a bit, and turning the volume up a bit too. Fat. All that 2EQ vs 3EQ talk... I don't know. I think you can get pretty much the same sounds (within a reasonable margin) from both, but the 2EQ lends itself to a slightly fat smooth and slightly scooped sound (probably because a lot of people just turn the controls up and play it like that )... The controls are pretty interactive in the 2EQ and you can get a very strong mid-rich tight-bottom type of sound like you could do on the 3EQ... they just have different controls so you get there differently. I only got a 2EQ because that's the one I came across in the right colour I actually didn't like the preamp too much and ended up installing a John East 3EQ which has a semi-parametric mids control, and I love that. The SUB I got as a backup, and they only made them as 2EQ. This one sounded different from my Stingray (a 2002 model, so not far from each other), and then I found that the pickup was wired in series, which made sense. It seems that the early USA SUBs were wired in series, and later ones in parallel as a Stingray. I owned a 2005 SUB briefly as well, and sounded just like the 2002 Stingray before the preamp swap... Aaaanyway, sorry I wrote a lot to say not much at all Briefly: I don't think there's anything *wrong* with your bass... but it can probably be made to sound a bit punchier and closer to what you remember with the right strings and setup. Unless the Stingray you compared to was wired in series in which case that's the reason for the monster sound But as far as I know the Stingray was always parallel-wired.

Hmmm... I don't know, but the clips sound alright to me However, both rows of polepieces should feel the same. I'm surprised there's a difference because those are alnico pickups, meaning each polepiece is a magnet. If there was a magnet under each row I could understand maybe one magnet detached... but that can't happen here. I listened to the clips with FLAT and FLAT + BASS/TREBLE, and that sounds pretty much like I'd expect mine to sound like (mine is a 2EQ but the differences are not huge). I don't find that boomy at all. In fact, if you were going to remove low end I'd think it would sound tinny. Were the other Stingrays tested through the same amp/settings *at the same time* in the same location and also using similar strings? Or at different times? edit: I listened again, to all 4 clips now. I can't hear anything obviously wrong I'm afraid

Cost doesn't mean anything when I choose which bass to gig. At the same time, the most expensive instrument I own is the Stingray, so we're not exactly talking retirement money amounts here. My favourite is the Stingray, and that's what I end up playing most of the time, because it's the one that feels best to me and generally sounds best. I say generally because when I was more active with several bands, I might choose other basses for other situations, but always based on the combination feel/sound. I have occasionally used a bass because it had a certain look, but that's very rare. I have no problem gigging cheap basses... I have played a few gigs with a Squier VM Jazz, and even a Westfield Jazz that I bought for £40. It had a decent sound, felt good and it was a very pretty shade of green, so I used it as my main bass for a short period. I've played OLPs, and even the infamous Sue Ryder Precision (with a pickup change)... and I certainly didn't feel "less" for playing them. I only keep a bass if it's ok to play, otherwise what's the point?

[quote name='MoonBassAlpha' timestamp='1469812063' post='3101293'] A 3A fuse is not right for an amp that could draw over 900W. 240V * 3A =730W. I'd go for a 10A fuse as stated above. What is the rating of the internal fuse? My shuttle 6 has a T-5A internally and the max [i]average[/i] power is stated as 400W on the back of the amp. [/quote] The Streamliner 900 has a stated max average power of 650W, and has an internal 3A fuse, according to the blurb on the back of the amp. I get confused with those "max average" measurements...

That's a beauty. I met Chris last week and saw some of his work up close... fantastic.

[quote name='MacDaddy' timestamp='1469787836' post='3101024'] what about people who have never tried Barefaced before, but gig regularly in a band with a bassist who has been using Barefaced for a number of years, thereby having some experience of Barefaced sound (on stage and FOH) at various gigging levels (indoor and out), and with different amps (ss and valve)? Should they be allowed to comment? [/quote] only after you submit your application and it has been reviewed, then if it accepted you'll receive a certificate that shows you're entitled to comment.

oh no! I'm out of popcorn!

[quote name='Sambrook' timestamp='1469720693' post='3100646'] Here's the sofa shot for mine. Just waiting for payment to clear... [/quote] Uf... that is very classy. Love it!

[quote name='4stringslow' timestamp='1469718727' post='3100621'] Zip drives were something of a revolution given that they stored 100MB when launched compared to the 3.5 inch 1.44MB 'floppy' disks of the day. They connected to the PC parallel port as well (pre-usb days!). I used to back up PCs onto Zip disks in the early 90s. They were later updated to 250MB but died a natural death when external hard drives and memory sticks became available with higher capacities. A 100MB Zip disk would only store about 10 pictures from a decent DSLR these days! [/quote] Back in 1998 my '95 Olivetti laptop had a 500Mb hard drive. I was looking to buy an external drive, thinking about the Zip drive. Instead I ended up with a SyQuest drive that used 1Gb cartridges! I still have the laptop, and the Syquest drive with 4 cartridges. Parallel port... not the fastest way to backup even 100Mb.

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1469633989' post='3099933'] Not sure unfortunately. My American Standard has the normal USA Standard pickups from before 2012. The 64's just seem very 'organic' and 'full' to me. [/quote] I may go to Guitar Guitar to try one of those pink wonders... but I'll leave my credit card at home, just in case!

[quote name='Sound&Fury' timestamp='1469629640' post='3099882'] Mine arrived yesterday. Was a bit frightened at first as Guitar Guitar had packaged it in a box that was a bit too small. One of the sides of the box had a clear hump where the headstock was located, albeit in the gig bag and with some extra bubble wrap outside the gig bag... After tuning and having a first inspection and test there seems to be no harm done. The pick guard is less aged than what I've seen from other owners, though. Did anybody else already see this? Somebody in Germany took the relicing a step further... [url="https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anzeige/fender-flea-signature-roadworn-jazzbass-fsp-heavy-aged-/499438020-74-4761"]https://www.ebay-kle...9438020-74-4761[/url] [/quote] urgh!

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1469623908' post='3099804'] Fender Pure Vintage 64 Jazz Pickups [url="http://intl.fender.com/en-GB/guitar-bass-parts/pickups-and-preamps/pure-vintage-64-jazz-bass-pickup-set-black-2/"]http://intl.fender.c...up-set-black-2/[/url] [/quote] ah, thanks! any idea how they compared to the Custom Shop 60s? I was thinking of those for my bass...

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1469611927' post='3099670'] They really are. I have a 2009/10 American Standard Jazz which is lovely and well built bass, but I'd rather play this Flea bass...the pickups just seem to be the perfect Jazz tone I've always wanted. [/quote] what are the pickups on this bass? I have a 75RI Jazz to reassemble and needs pickups (it came with Nordstrands which I am using elsewhere now)... I might try these and see.

[quote name='Machines' timestamp='1469615727' post='3099702'] It's generally not worth upgrading the pickups on a cheap bass unless you REALLY plan on keeping it, £150 of pickups in a £150 bass won't get you much of a price increase if you sell it, maybe £50 if you are lucky. [/quote] True, 'upgrades' rarely add much value to teh bass when selling. Worth keeping the original pickups and putting them back before selling the bass.

[quote name='wishface' timestamp='1469546480' post='3099258'] Thanks, but I'm not sure 5 strings are for me (mainly because of the cost of a set of strings - they're already dear enough for 4). [/quote] But strings last a LONG time, especially if you don't require that they sound ultra bright all the time. I keep mine on months at a time.

[quote name='Roger2611' timestamp='1469558046' post='3099381'] I still have a box full of cassettes under the stairs, not played any of them in twenty years, I think I still have a really nice Marantz twin cassette deck wrapped and boxed in the loft, I know I have a few songs I really ought to transfer to computer but I can't be bothered to dig it all out and see if it still works. My mate still has the first imported Tascam 8 track cassette recorder, I doubt it has ever had more than 5 hours use since he brought it, from memory you had to use top range chrome c90 cassettes and it ran at 4 times the speed of a normal cassette player so you didn't get many songs on an expensive (at the time) tape [/quote] That's another thing: speed. I had a tape Tascam recorder with multiple speed settings, and the sound was noticeable better when running it 2x faster than normal... The whole consumer tape technology was riddled with compromises. It could have sounded a lot better than it did.

I found the pictures on some thread on Talkbass about "the flawed pickup orientation of the Precision"... let me find it... Ah, it's here on page 1, but unfortunately the link is just to the picture and it does not give any clues as to the origin: [url="https://www.talkbass.com/threads/leos-one-significant-design-flaw-imho.1234566/"]https://www.talkbass.com/threads/leos-one-significant-design-flaw-imho.1234566/[/url]

[quote name='leschirons' timestamp='1469474810' post='3098643'] I guess it'll be the "it's not a Jazz and it's not a Precision and certainly not a Stingray" line of thought that will kill off this bass commercially. However, I was impressed by the design and Fender having a go at something that ISN'T a Jazz or Precision. [/quote] Well, the Ibanez ATK, the G&L L2000 and the PJ basses are alive and well, so hopefully the Dimension will have a long life too! It was refreshing seeing Fender producing something that it's not a rehashed version of another old model of theirs. I've been resisting trying them because if they're half decent I'll buy one: I already love their look!

[quote name='bonzodog' timestamp='1469558737' post='3099385'] Lol apologies if i confused things. As the cab says they are both inputs i didnt know you can send the signal out of an input. [/quote] yeah, when you have cabs with two sockets, regardless whether they're both identical or not, they're linked. So you can just daisy-chain the two cabs.

[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1469461505' post='3098491'] I like the fat one's OBBM does. Feels good in my hand. [/quote] I can't believe discreet didn't comment...