mcnach

[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1413546748' post='2579366'] Oh and be aware, the neck is fairly massive. But brilliant. [/quote] It's one of the things I think I will like. I'm hoping to try this bass soon! Ha! Baby sick colour... I like that colour a lot, with a white/mint pickguard probably. But I'm at a red period in my life, so...

You are... not... helping...

I feel this very strong urge to get one of those, in fiesta red, of course... And I thought I was free of GAS... [color=#ff0000][b]EDIT 23/10/14: got one... and it's AWESOME![/b][/color]

[quote name='icastle' timestamp='1413497295' post='2579041'] Neutrik plugs and Klotz or Van Damme cable for me every time. I've always made my own up but I seem to have a vague recollection that there might be someone here called OBBM who could do that for you if needed... [/quote] :thumbsup: OBBM and Award-Session Cleartone range use Neutrik and Klotz/Van Damme cable, so for those who don't want to make their own, those two suppliers seem to be the ones to go to.

[quote name='jassbass' timestamp='1413383124' post='2577740'] So are these j&d jazz's good enough to gig? I do love the green one [/quote] yup! Used mine a few times completely stock.

[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1413383917' post='2577749'] Doing a gig next week, the promoter assures us that the backline is being provided by one of the other bands. Lets hope he's OK'd it with them first [/quote] Where?

[quote name='Protium' timestamp='1413367331' post='2577503'] Bad experiences with amps in particular always means a no, except in the rare circumstance it is a friend. Top tip, I am still going to say no even if your fat guitarist squares up to me shouting "why the f*** not, how are we supposed to perform?" [/quote] ESpecially if your fat guitarist... etc. Really? That happened?

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1413186844' post='2575506'] There could still be a correlation between basswood and basses that aren't wonderful. Simply because basswood is cheap and therefore gets used for cheap instruments, and also high end instrument buyers don't like it, so high end bass makers may avoid it for marketing purposes. But, correlation does not imply causation. [/quote] this

[quote name='hamfist' timestamp='1413180593' post='2575463'] I'm sure basswood construction can be done right. I am aware that Bongo's are made from Basswood for example. But the whole instrument will have been designed from the ground up with that in mind I expect, and a lot of care gone into the whole construction. Cheaper basses just seem to use standard designs and yet make the bodies from basswood. Doesn't work IMO. [/quote] I very much doubt that they designed the Bongo thinking of the properties of basswood. I think it's more likely that basswood may be cheap(er) in some places, so it's used on cheap(er) instruments, and the lack of "inspiration" is merely a reflection of an instrument made cheaply, cutting corners. Leo Fender didn't choose alder or ash because of their "tonewood" qualities exactly. Plenty of decent guitars are made of basswood and got nothing to be ashamed of. The whole classic "metal" Ibanez RG550 guitars were fantastic (once you removed the meh V7/V8 pickups), and made of basswood. Incidentally I had an RG548, which was the same design but with a natural finish, and the body being ash (for prettiness)... it didn't sound any better than a miriad of basswood RG550s I came across. But... I know, we'll just have to agree to disagree

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1413022096' post='2574202'] Where do you draw the line when you're trying to polish a turd? If the exercise is to mess about modding a bass then fine, but i didn't get that impression from the OP, so IMO there comes a time when a better instrument is what you need. If the OP changes the neck, pickups etc he's going in the direction of Triggers broom . Just sayin. [/quote] If he likes how the bass feels but it's a matter of the sound, we're talking well under <£100 (possibly more around £50, if going second hand) for a simple experiment with a different pickup. That doesn't seem crazy to me. In fact, if I liked how a bass feels but I wasn't entirely happy with the sound, I'd probably buy 2-3 different pickups that on paper look promising, and test them all to see whether one of them do the trick, then sell the rest.

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1412812470' post='2572429'] From what you've said, it sounds like you've reached the limitations of this instrument. You should be looking for a better quality bass. [/quote] I'm not sure that the problem described has anything to do with the general quality of the instrument in this case. I think the pickup the OP is using is probably not the best suited for the sound he's after. I would try a Wizard Thumper if you find one, or anything that's more "traditional", and don't forget the strings. I have a cheapest of the cheap Sue Ryder P-bass with a Thumper and Rotosound rounds, and it's got the loveliest Precision sound, well balanced and punchy.

[quote name='leschirons' timestamp='1412712937' post='2571327'] Not sure this applies to just bassists and guitarists. Any highly technical performance that is brought into the spotlight will have its critics. Look at the recent Dirty loops thread. Obviously Henrik Linder's musical performance is highly technical but I seem to remember both he and the keyboard / vocalist came under fire along with the arrangements. People just like to moan about stuff they can't do themselves. How many times have we heard that Marcus Miller can "only slap in E" or that Victor Wooten is "good I guess, but not very melodic with his phrasing" Maybe they're right, maybe they're wrong, the thing is, the critics can't usually do it any better or don't understand what's going on. [/quote] There's often a bit of that, I am sure!

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1412511295' post='2569433'] Why is it that highly technical bassists largely seem to be loved on Basschat, but highly technical guitarists seem to be denigrated? [/quote] really? I haven't noticed such division, myself...

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1412633977' post='2570718'] The even cheaper Harley Benton Jazzes seem to stay put with their owners a bit more. It must be the coloured finishes of the J&D basses that are triggering the more magpie-like instincts of basses. [/quote] based on a sample of n=?

[quote name='steve-bbb' timestamp='1412500602' post='2569292'] looks about as useful as tits on a kipper why is there no video demonstration? are they embarrassed or something? [/quote] seems like a totally pointless and tedious to use contraption... If you're not away from a bass for months, you won't lose dexterity. If you are away from a bass for months... get a new bass!

[quote name='dincz' timestamp='1412614633' post='2570417'] I'm stuck waiting for parts for my Mingray experiment (see thread in Bass Guitars). Meanwhile I'm wondering if it's worth including a series/parallel/single switch. I'd guess series/parallel would give quite different sounds but is a single coil option worth including? I'll be using a Seymour Duncan SMB-4A mounted in the Stingray spot. [/quote] I would not bother. But it may be worth trying both the parallel and the series configurations and see which one you like best. I personally don't find it that useful to switch between the various configurations in one bass (I have a couple of basses that allows that, but I didn't choose them because of it), but one configuration may be nicer than the rest, for you. One of my SUBs is wired in series (stock), and it's my favourite when using a 2-band preamp. It seems that the extra mids complement the preamp better than the parallel config, for my liking.

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1412405652' post='2568602'] These do seem to be making the rounds. People rave about them being good for not much money, but they demonstrably do not seem to be 'keepers'. [/quote] When they're so cheap, many people buy them on impulse and after a while they come to their senses and realise they really don't need it, and possibly have other basses they prefer so... away they go. Not very surprising, really. What is surprising is that they're so good for the price they go for!

[quote name='Bigwan' timestamp='1412148252' post='2566030'] True, but then why the little laughing emoticon? It's belittling... [/quote] I'm truly sorry you feel that way... I think you're taking things far too seriously

let's just

[quote name='Bigwan' timestamp='1411985434' post='2564484'] Shame on me for having an opinion... [/quote] why the hurt? you have yours, I have mine, and we're allowed to disagree

[quote name='Bigwan' timestamp='1411389231' post='2558968'] Fixed that for you there... [/quote] So the ATK sounds more Stingray-like than a "modern" Stingray? Sure thing I love the ATK (pity about the ugly headstock, but everything else is beautiful and sounds great) but... more Stingray than a Stingray? Then again, some people say the G&L L2000 can sound like a Stingray (which it doesn't, at all, ever )

[quote name='mike257' timestamp='1411837325' post='2563208'] I used to have one of the Warrior series many years ago, I can't recall the model number but it was the one with F holes. Looked lovely and played ok but electrics were terrible, a really weak output and not much tone to speak of. I only paid fifty quid for it and eventually gave it away to a friend's brother who was just starting out. Decent starter instrument but didn't really stack up against the cheap Squier P Special and Ibanez GSR I owned at the time in the sound department. [/quote] That would be a Warrior III. Poor output? Mine was a beast! I eventually drilled an extra hole for a 5th control and installed a 3-band Glockenklang preamp. But even without the preamp, it sounded pretty good - I thought. This was my Warrior, and this one was pretty sweet, except for the neckdive issues: I don't have pictures of my old Warrior II, but it was shaped like a Warwick Corvette.

[quote name='barkin' timestamp='1411404528' post='2559195'] I've gigged a Sue Ryder P too. And I've done 100's of gigs with a Westone Thunder, and more recently a Vintage V4 that I picked up from here for under a ton. If it plays OK, and makes a sound that you're happy with, what's the problem? As for those that say "it has to have the F word on the headstock" ... F 'em. As long as [i][b]I'm[/b][/i] happy playing it, I don't give a monkey's what anybody else might think. [/quote] Exactly. I used to gig with an OLP and I sometimes encountered snobs... the best one was one that didn't realise it was an OLP (it goes to show how much he knew) and after the gig he was talking to me about how great we sounded, how great the bass sounded, and how Stingrays are the best over any Fender etc (cue me smiling politely) and then he said something about people mistakenly going for cheap instruments but a Stingray is where it's at. You can guess my joy pointing out that I was playing an OLP that night Sure, it had a new pickup and I installed a preamp, and the bass had been setup to perfection by my luthier friend... but it was an OLP. Now I don't have that OLP, sadly, sold in a moment of madness... I do have a Stingray that I preferred to the OLP, but the OLP was a really good instrument in its own right. Lately I've been playing more Jazz basses. I own... 5. One is a Vintage brand, my first bass that I bought back after selling it. I have gigged with it but I do not use it that much. Then I have two Fender 75RI (60s and 70s spacing), a Squier and a J&D. All those have been gigged. In order of preference: Squier, Fender 75RI (70s), J&D, Fender 75RI (60s). So lately I have been using a red Squier Jazz that cost me £75, which has a plywood body and the most amazing neck. It's a little battered, but it adds "mojo" and it looks inexpensive enough that people don't look at it with bad intentions. The neck pickup routing is pretty neat, so I use it without a pickguard at the moment. Ok, it does have DiMarzio Area J pickups now, and a J-Retro preamp (with stacked Kazz-style plastic knobs to preserve the traditional looks). It's a monster. It feels great and sounds fantastic. And I prefer it to my two Fenders - not that they're bad basses at all, otherwise I would not have bought them! But I just prefer the Squier.

I owned one. They're solid decent basses, if a little "uninspiring" overall. I actually owned a Warrior, a Warrior II and a Warrior III. The Warrior was the nicest, but the short top horn made it suffer terribly from neckdive, so I let it go in the end. It was great 'though. The Warrior II was fine. Think Squier VM "fine": well made, it all works, yet not an instrument to fall in love with. The Warrior III had the looks, and was a pretty good bass too. If the price is attractive, and you like the looks... go for it. You may like it more than I did, but at any rate they're decent instruments.

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1411723023' post='2562220'] It's next weekend, Saturday 4th at the Blind Poet. It's a low-key gig and usually fairly early in the evening. [/quote] Ah, NEXT weekend, I missed that. I still think I'm free if it's early. I'll check it out.