mcnach

[quote name='zawinul' timestamp='1441624347' post='2860289'] £43 pedal with power supply, the 'guitar' version.. [/quote] I'd want that blend control on the overdrive, any overdrive, really...

[quote name='bumnote' timestamp='1441560676' post='2859840'] the fender reissue 50s bass is really good, lovely neck. [/quote] +1 fantastic bass, that Classic 50 series Precision. That would be my choice without hesitation.

[quote name='Funky Dunky' timestamp='1441136327' post='2856404'] DB5 - that's really interesting to know about practice amps, and would go a long way to explaining things. McNach - I'm thinking you're right. I'm only too aware of the hot preamp in the SUB Ray and I do tend to have it a bit trebley as I like the tone, but rolling it back does indeed kill a lot of the problems. As for the mod - is it wrong that I think Sterling should pick up the tab for this mod? Why should anyone buy a bass and then have to shell out more to have it tamed so it's fit for purpose and doesn't fart? In addition, 95% of the volume sweep does nothing! Sterling have known about these problems since the SUB Ray hit the market in 2012 and have done nothing about it! My bass is a 2014 model and it has the same flaws. Why would they do this? It's poor IMO. I love the bass but they really need to buck up their ideas when it comes to the electronics. Bear in mind I had to send mine back for repair as I was experiencing really quick battery drain. Anyway....rant over Thanks for your advice [/quote] I agree with you... they've known about it and they should have fixed it. On the other hand, if you want quick results... sometimes you have to shrug and do it yourself. Fortunately this is a very simple/cheap operation!

[quote name='mr zed' timestamp='1441144829' post='2856512'] Fixed it for you! [/quote] nah, you merely made it slightly prettier and more expensive

[quote name='Funky Dunky' timestamp='1441018491' post='2855302'] Sterling SUB Ray 4 - active beast. The problem is with this bass. I also have a Squier VM Precision PJ, which is passive and doesn't give the same problems. [/quote] aha, so you're narrowing it down now... It sounds like it's not just the usual muting etc. Do you boost treble a lot on that bass? I hear that those basses have a particularly hot preamp, to the point that there is a thread on TalkBass where one of the main guys at SBMM posted a modification, with pictures, to tame the preamp a little. It was very simple, just adding a resistor at a particular spot... have a look. If you have issues with this bass only, I think it's likely it's because of a combination of your settings (amp gain, treble/high mids EQ) and the hot preamp.

[quote name='Funky Dunky' timestamp='1440969724' post='2855049'] I'm a bedroom player who has the odd jam. My bass playing is really coming on, and I'm keen to take the plunge and start trying out for bands. I have one problem - volume. I can control my instrument perfectly well at bedroom volume, but when I get past a certain number on the dial, I get noises I struggle to control, as if every tiny little thing produces a noise. Even muting to control the noises seems to cause noise! How do I tame 'er at high volume? I have to crank it through headphones to practice controlling it, but have you any tips you can share? Is there a pedal (noise gate etc) that can make it any easier? Thanks guys. [/quote] I think it's a matter of... practice at volume. When you turn up, you notice a lot more certain noises you would normally ignore at low volume... you'll have to adapt a bit how you play, how you mute strings, etc, when you play at higher volume, and the best way to achiev that is playing at higher volume repeatedly. The good news is... you will probably do it without realising and in much shorter time than you think. I don't remember having had to try to be "cleaner". It just happened. So don't get too worried, and keep at it. It'll sound cleaner each time you play.

[quote name='yorks5stringer' timestamp='1441060720' post='2855834'] Yes, they should be quite easy to make with a Jig or Band Saw and some ply, but how big is the market for people who have two "identical" cabs, of which they want the bottom one at an angle? [/quote] I don't think many, that;s true, but they don't need to be identical.

[quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1440786723' post='2853923'] The disadvantage, of course, is that you have to play ska. [/quote] pah! you haven't lived!

[quote name='goonieman' timestamp='1440787307' post='2853930'] This is largely true, although its likely that the chose bodies and necks with knots and disfigurements (hence the paintjobs on back of neck etc.). The USA SUB I had also did not have quite so good rosewood fretboard quality... subtle, but the difference was there. Apart from that, it's a dead-ringer [/quote] I believe the SUBs were made of poplar, which doesn't have a very pretty grain, compared to ash for instance. It makes sense to not worry about pretty grain if you want to save money by using a simple solid finish that requires no polishing etc afterwards. I wasn't talking cosmetics, but about what really matters... they are Music Man, and the ways they chose to save money to produce a cheaper line were not, in my opinion, anything that affected the way they sounded. Besides finish, and slab body vs contoured... they are full fat MM Stingrays, with the same pickup and preamp, coming from the same factory. I've owned 3x 4-string and 1x 5-string (I have just one now) and I can't say the rosewood was of inferior quality than their "posher" brother... but there is, obviously, variation in the grain between instruments.

[quote name='JJJack' timestamp='1440765380' post='2853645'] The only way is to try a few out. I would personally go for a Musicman if I had the cash. However, I've never tried the subs or olps. [/quote] The 2003-2006 SUB *is* a MusicMan.

[quote name='gapiro' timestamp='1440765589' post='2853648'] Weve had this discussion with a LL recently, did a gig a month ago, went down fab, did another last friday. He's booked us 3rd friday of every month until xmas. We're concerned that each time its going to get less busy, but we shall see! Personally every 2 months works. [/quote] Do people go to that bar on that Friday to see your band specifically, or do they go because they like the pub and it has good bands on? I suspect it's mostly the latter, so I don't think you have much to worry about. My originals band plays once a month in a well known music bar in town. Our sets can vary a bit as we have more material than the required 2x45' slots, but we only add songs slowly so the difference between the songs we play this month and the songs we will play in three months time will be mostly the order, and a handful of changes between old material and some new stuff. It makes no difference in the end. We have some people who are unrelated to the band who come to see us. Some wear our T-Shirts which fills our hearts with joy but most people in the bar just go there because they know there'll be decent bands playing. We just try not to disappoint and have people dancing, having a good time, and drinking more beer (although we play our own songs, we generally do one cover: "Beer", by Reel Big Fish )

I don't see a problem... if you don't take it another band will (possibly playing mostly the same songs? ) Do it. Just keep working on expanding your repertoire as much as you can. A lot of what makes a cover band "good" is not the setlist, but how they play and their attitude and interaction with the audience. Some bands are great at getting a (positive) reaction while others don't. The former get called back. Maybe that's why you got called back. I'd not be worried about playing 95% the same songs.

[quote name='Minty' timestamp='1440703981' post='2853181'] I've never really been a fan of Precisions, but after installing a P pickup in my Jazz bass and then borrowing an old Japanese Ibanez Precision copy for a month long tour...I developed a taste for them! Hence my newest purchase, this 1988 MIJ Fender 57RI (in my favourite colour). [/quote] what a beauty!

[quote name='Marvin' timestamp='1440697181' post='2853107'] Despite having been in cover bands, as a punter I'd never, ever, pay to go and see one. There's couple of venues near me that charge £3 to see cover bands, not for me. I only paid £20 to see Richie Kotzen, Billy Sheehan and Mike Portnoy play last year [/quote] These days I rarely go to bars with cover bands playing, but I used to, and I happily paid to have a few beers in a bar with live music. I wasn't paying to see a particular band (maybe when it was a Thin Lizzy tribute or something), I was paying to have a few drinks in a particular environment with live music. It seems ok to me.

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1438761994' post='2836922'] ...and a more sensible answer. A preamp would help but IMO the stingray sound comes from that humbucker in the sweet spot. I've come to believe that pickup type and placement is more important to the fundamental tone of a bass than anything else. If you want a P sound, you'll need a P pickup, if you want a J sound, you'll need a J pickup at the bridge and if you want a stingray sound.... well, you'll need that pickup [/quote] exactly. The right pickup and the right placement. The preamp helps you get the range of tones, but even without the preamp a Stingray sounds unmistakeably Stingray, and no preamp will "Stingrayfy" a Jazz

[quote name='kodiakblair' timestamp='1438763951' post='2836943'] Buy a Retrovibe Super-P with the mini toggle switch mod and use a preamp pedal. Best of 3 worlds [attachment=197980:Super P (3).jpg] [/quote] Except the MM pickup is at the wrong place, much closer to the bridge, and as a result it does not sound like a Stingray. Not even close. It's a nice sound, closer to a Jazz bridge but fatter, and nothing like a Stingray. The pickup position is even a little more important than the pickup type. A Jazz single coil can get you a definite "Stingray-like vibe" if you play with its position (I experimented a bit with an old OLP bass and enlarged routing). My Cort GB74 can't do Stingray (MM/J), my old Lakland 5502 (MM/J) could get a general vibe when using the top single coil only and choosing the mids-control centre frequency at 600Hz... but it was still pretty far.

[quote name='sykilz' timestamp='1440599301' post='2852285'] It was a BB2024 MX, top of the range, got the picture with the black background from bass directs archive. Very pricey, but looks lovely. [/quote] Pricey indeed! That helps, thanks!

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1440604260' post='2852343'] I say take the free beer... then get the Wives and GFs to sell it to the punters in the bar at £2 a pint. The landlord would soon want to change the payment situation. [/quote] ha ha nice!

[quote name='dannybuoy' timestamp='1440450324' post='2850929'] You were saying? (edit - looks like I was beaten to it!) [/quote] what model is that? I can't seem to find it...

[quote name='sykilz' timestamp='1440450295' post='2850928'] Bad news......😉 [/quote] you're a bad man! hmmm...

[quote name='Maude' timestamp='1440522317' post='2851561'] There should be a fire extinguisher nearby that you can use to hold open the fire door. [/quote] yes, so you can hit people who stand in the way in the head with it... it's a general pet peeve of mine: doors are to go through from one side to the other... don't stand in front of them!

I'm just happy they don't make a maple fingerboard version, so my GAS is safe phew

[quote name='TrevorR' timestamp='1440446223' post='2850858'] Ok, I've officially lost it... I saw the title of this post and thought "What? Fender are doing a budget range of Hobbit themed basses?" Nurse, can you get me my pills. I think I need to go for a little lie down... [/quote] brilliant!!!

[quote name='mikeycrikey' timestamp='1440416511' post='2850418'] I haven't tried that, I just assumed the J pick had a. Lot more output. Will give it try as soon as I get a chance. [/quote] You might be pleasantly surprised. It's usually the P that is stronger, so I imagine you'll find a way to balance them more to your liking. Let us know how you get on! On Jazz basses (or my PJ), you can affect quite a lot how the "two pickups on" position sounds like just by altering a bit the height of the pickups. Sometimes it can mean the difference between indistinct mush and smile-inducing tone. It's worth experimenting a bit, even if it can get a little tedious: the results are worth it

[quote name='vaesto' timestamp='1440401740' post='2850276'] Hello, I'm happy and 3-y experienced owner of the Matt Freeman's sig bass. Pros: Price/performance ratio: Is just great. US made comparable bass for the 1/3 of price. And even cheaper for the secondhand. Electronics/Pickup: electronics are fine. Cavities are shielded with graphite paint. Nor hum or whatsoever. Pickup has a vintage kind of a sound and moderate output. Vary solid. I've swapped it with EMG Geezer Butler P just to find out they sound almost the same. Cons: Body is basswood so finish tends to collect dings and dents very easily. Expect quick MoJo if you use your MF any harder Bridge is 20mm string-to-string spacing and is NOT retrofit with standard 19 mm bridges, neither by holes pattern nor saddles could be swapped. It is a great bass for the money. I'd compare it to US, Mex and Japan made brothers rather that other Squier series. It feels and looks as much more expensive guitar. Although, it needs a pro setup to shine perfectly. P.S. After 2 years of ownership I had to go through this: [url="http://www.talkbass.com/threads/squier-matt-freeman-p-bass-neck-rattle-removal.1156159/"]http://www.talkbass....emoval.1156159/[/url] [/quote] you're a brave man! (and very skilled!) I'd have never even thought of attempting anything like what you did. Very interesting 'though! Stiffening rods, eh? Curious.