mcnach

[quote name='Fat Rich' timestamp='1343552801' post='1751891'] Good luck trying to sound like Marcus Miller! [/quote] My liking maple/natural/black has nothing to do with Mr. Miller, who is a great bass player although I'm not a big fan (and I don't like his beer either ) Just check out my Stingray (see the avatar), G&L L2000, Cort GB74, Squier CV50, Fender Precision fretless, Squier VMJ... you may notice a recurrent theme there

[quote name='rogerstodge' timestamp='1343527876' post='1751777'] Don't spose they do a lefty? [/quote] there's always that mirror idea...

[quote name='markorbit' timestamp='1343524005' post='1751766'] I certainly think that the ability to adjust the neck angle is often overlooked but it can be crucial to a perfect dream setup. It'is something that cannot be rectified correctly with adjustments of string action or bridge. I've just had a quality parts bass put together and the neck is sublime with SUPER low action at the moment except... it gets progressively tighter the further up the neck you go. But as the action is so low - it matters. Otherwise the neck seems so true that I don't want to alter the truss away from it. I know what I have to do... right now I wish there was a good mechanism at the back. IIRC the general dislike of the micro-tilt was down to some issues introduced with the concept? [/quote] what are those "issues introduced with the concept"?

Our next Sea Bass Kid gig is going to be one of the best ever, I am sure. So if you are in Edinburgh... make sure you come along! This is an originals band. Our style is... hard to describe. We seem to get invited to ska festivals... despite the fact that we only have a couple of songs with a ska section, and maybe another with a slight reggaeish hue... We play a bit of funk/reggae/ska/pop/blues/rock fused with techno-polka, when we feel like it Anyway, it's a band playing energetic upbeat rhythms and people seem to dance a lot to it. The thing is that we rarely get slots beyond 45min, when playing original material. We recently changed drummer (3 months ago) so we focused on getting enough material for 1h down, and very slowly we work on new stuff and help the drummer get up to speed with the older stuff. Slowly. Now, 2 weeks ago we were asked whether we could play a 2x45' minute slot on Friday night, a couple of days later. I said "of course!". It was one of our best gigs ever. We added a cover ("Bad Boys", it's always fun, and not exactly a cover, it's more a jam based on that song), and various short jams based around "work in progress", as well as a couple of older songs that the drummer managed to memorise. Oh, and we repeated the second song of our first set near the end of the second set It went down really well, and we were very nearly mobbed to continue playing. We had already unplugged, sound guy was playing music over the speakers... but a large enough group yelled for more... so we obliged and played yet another song We were happy it worked, and decided we needed to switch gears and get another hour's worth of material ready to be sure in the future. So one rehearsal later... we get asked whether we can do a 3x45' slot. I said 'of course, no problem!' Now that we start getting longer slots without even having to look for them, playing originals, I am reluctant to say no! So now we are looking at eachother with a huge grin thinking "this is going to be interesting!" We managed to rescue 3 more of our older songs, plus a cover we used to do (Reel Big Fish's "Beer"), and we have yet more "work-in-progress" jams. We will have to write the setlist strategically, to make it flow nicely, but it's doable. We are a band that jams a lot. When I joined, one of the guitarists broke strings often, and I hated being there in silence, so whenever there is a "technical issue" I start playing and get the drummer to play with me, and then whoever else wants to join is welcome... we do this often, at rehearsals, live... so it comes naturally and people often tell us that they like seeing us because it shows that we are having fun when we play. Six people on stage, with a trumpet player that is an expert in silly dances... yeah, we have fun. And we noticed that people seem to respond to a band having fun, even if they are playing songs that are unknown to the audience, and even if they are instrumental jams. Last time, one such jam was meant to be a very short thing, a couple of minutes or so... turned into maybe 6 minutes, as there was a crazy man doing some amazing dance moves and he got other to join him... so we could not break their mood, could we? Very convenient for us too Have you been in situations where you need to come up with an extra 40min of material on the spot or something? What do you do? You play very slowly? Talk a lot between songs? Play the same song twice with different vocal lines?

[quote name='Lenny B' timestamp='1343504960' post='1751587'] I recently took the guard off mine and haven't put another on - I think it looks great (natural, maple, white blocks) - will stick a photo up [/quote] Indeed! Mine does not have the prettiest grain, I have to admit, and one of the pieces the body is made off is clearly darker than the others. With the pickguard on most people would not pay attention. Without it it is very noticeable (actually the grain on the back is much nicer... I think mine was meant to be a lefty, I'm convinced ). The one 'bubinga5' has for trade has a wonderful grain. But after I examined the pictures on what later became my bass, I decided that there was something cool about it... more of a "plank of wood with strings" vibe to it that I liked. In any case... yes, natural ash body and maple fingerboard, what's not to like? I'm not exactly a fan of neck binding or blocks, but I think it looks great on this bass. I should put some pictures of mine too.

[quote name='apa' timestamp='1343503035' post='1751551'] Cut the heads off the screws, super glue them into the black pickguard holes (Or get the bassdoc to make one with no holes at all) then use that double sided tape you have.You wont be making the holes loose when you do take the guard on and off all the time either. A [/quote] but then I'd be removing adhesive residue everytime I remove the pickguard That double-sided tape is really very good. It held the thumbrest really firmly on the bass. Some of the best inventions are the most simple ones! I have to admit, that I liked the idea of a no-holes pickguard.

I can't say I have much experience with 3-bolt neck instruments, but I heard over the years people talk about 3-bolt neck fixing as a TTT (truly terrible thing). Probably a bit hyperbolic... lots of Fender and G&L basses still around with 3-bolt necks. My only close experience is my brother's Stratocaster, which works just fine, and my new Jazz, which seems solid too. Over the past couple of days I have been doing small adjustments to the Jazz, to get the action just right for me. Today I decided I needed to alter the neck angle a tiny fraction to help me get that very low action I was after. Not a big deal, but on this bass... it was even less of a deal Loosen strings a bit, three bolts to partially undo, turn the micro-tilt screw a fraction, redo bolts and retune. Trial and error... repeat a couple more times, and now it plays beautifully. And I think the combination of the microtilt and 3-bolt neck is actually pretty cool, making the neck adjustment very easy and quick. I'm a fan. So I say genius. What do you say?

[quote name='bubinga5' timestamp='1343404109' post='1750316'] dark red tortoise shell is the way to go i reckon... [/quote] I have one already (on another bass, but it fits!), however... black/natural is slightly more delicious, so I am getting our good Bass Doc to copy the white one I have in glorious dark menacing black.

[quote name='Looper' timestamp='1343478080' post='1751273'] Recently got a jazz after having a p-copy for years. Really like the slimmer neck, still find myself twiddling with the knobs looking for the best sound though. All down to what feels right to your hands and your ears. In an ideal world I'd go for a jazz neck and a p body. [/quote] Funny, I'm the opposite: Jazz body and Precision neck.

[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1343479423' post='1751282'] *Ahem* [/quote] I have not forgotten you!!! You will have a PM this weekend. Just need to make a decision

[quote name='squire' timestamp='1342522461' post='1736433'] I'm not sure if it has the same circuit as the Singray 2EQ. The only thing i got to got from the Ernie Ball forums is; [color=#333333][font=Verdana, Arial, Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif][size=3]I found this video, but sounds quiet rubbish(probably due to the recording). When I tried it in the store it sounded awesome.[/size][/font][/color] [/quote] Despite the limitations of the sound recording... it sounds pretty good! I may be tempted after all!

[quote name='brensabre79' timestamp='1343462166' post='1751037'] Do you mean the black fluted ones? I got some for the EMG pre on my 70s Jazz, it took a while to find them but they are a genuine Fender part. I had to order them from the US in the end as I couldn't find them over here, and they were expensive! The only problem is, the shafts on the pots are not the same size as the J-Retro, in the end I left the J-Retro ones alone on my fretless as I couldn't find anything to fit them. [/quote] Yes, those ones! Ah, so they won't fit the J-Retro shafts What a shame. Thank you for the disappointing but useful nevertheless news.

[quote name='gary mac' timestamp='1343461959' post='1751032'] Fear not, there's always another bout of GAS, it just hasn't got to you yet. Be patient, give it time and you will be rewarded [/quote] I hope you are right... I feel... empty! Then I remembered my car is due for service and MOT next month and I am sure my lovely mechanics will find something I can spend my money on.

[quote name='thodrik' timestamp='1343084107' post='1745169'] Both basses work for pretty much any type of music. [/quote] yes, as long as it can go "boom" in the background nobody in the audience will care

[quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1334314805' post='1614280'] I reckon it's the other way around - a 'P' bass has a noticeable hump in the midrange, so it is more apparent in most mixes, the Jazz has an inbuilt 'mid-scoop' due to the phasing of the pickups. All of this can be altered/changed outboard with amps, effects, wang, EQ etc... The big difference as a player is that the neck on a 'P' bass is a bit fatter, with the Jazz necks traditionally having a slimmer profile. [/quote] yes and no. The Jazz only sounds scooped if you use both pickups together. Many people -like yours truly- tend to use either one or the other. The neck pickup is in the ballpark of the P-bass sound (not exactly, a bit tamer), and the bridge pickup has a lot more midrange and cuts through clearly.

I'm considering adding the J-Retro01 I have in my drawer to my new Jazz. I'd really like to keep it looking like a Jazz, 'though. I have seen somewhere stacked concentric knobs that look much like the original Jazz knobs but I can't find them now. Anybody knows where I could get them?

There was one bass I really wanted... and I got it this week. I did sell a lovely fretless to get it, but I was not using it so much, so it was not terribly painful. Today, I had an interesting situation at work. Without getting into details... I helped out someone in another department, and now her boss is giving me a cheque to say thanks for my help. It's a very generous cheque, considering the time it took me (after years of training, alright ). Unexpected income! And I can't think of anything that I really want/need. Am I ill? Ok, I guess my Stingray needs a new set of strings

[quote name='clashcityrocker' timestamp='1343199575' post='1746760'] So I don't wanna keep going on about it but I really,really rate my EBMM sterling. Iv had her since January and I can't actually fault a single thing. Now this is a good thing but also has its negatives, I want a bass I can use in a punk band I'm in without worrying about light damage so I'm on the hunt, spent hours in the music shop playing loads of different 'cheap' basses,but everything I played was just so 'nothingy' compared to my sterling,even the much loved CV jazz bored me. The sound was nothing to write home about and the weight (compared to the sterling) was heavy,I don't even play my old beastly p bass cuz the neck is massive! I news to open my mind,help me! Has anyone else suffered from this?! I guess I'm lucky really and I should shut up! Si [/quote] The first scratch hurts the most, that's one thing I like about buying used Get over it, shed a little tear from the corner of your eye the first time you mark the bass... and continue playing it. A bit of wear is not a problem... we rarely play gigs in warzones after all

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1343420428' post='1750652'] I got into them after massive Warwick disappointment so there is your opposite view [/quote] Really??? I had a couple of Warwicks (Corvette $$ being the closest with the pair of MM type pickups) before I considered anything remotely close to MusicMan, and... you know the process, it's well documented

[quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1343416635' post='1750522'] Buy a 4 string, then take your other half out for a meal and a show on the change... then break the news to her. [/quote] sounds like a good plan. Maybe factor in a pair of shoes as well (loook at my avatar, loook at my avataaar... your fingers want to feel a stiiiingray neck... your ears want to hear a Stiiiiiingraaaay) however, I have to admit I play my MusicMan SUB (4 string) a lot more than my Stingray these days. Mine is white, it sounds killer and I think it also looks it. I can always get a great fat well defined tone with a minimum of fuss. Just to throw in another idea.

Fender Flats. They are more roundwound sounding than Chromes, and lower tension, but very "meaty" sounding. Of all the flats I have tried, they are the more versatile to me. If you roll down the volume you get into more "typical" flatwound territory, but if you leave the tone full (on passive instruments) they don't sound out of place in any modern rock/metal, and have a lot of punch. Very nice slap sound too.

[quote name='Fat Rich' timestamp='1343378171' post='1749680'] I kept looking at the white pickguard on my 74, then I decided I don't really want to look like another Marcus Miller clone. You might find the white one grows on you [/quote] NO, no, far too white. A cream one I can see, but white... sends the "urgh" to the deepest recesses of my body Right now, it's pickguardless, I dislike the white one so much. I have a cream one that nearly fits, but not quite (it fit the Squier VM Jazz). A mint white one that does not fit at all (and I would not like there) and a tortoiseshell one that fits exactly (currently on a Squier Jazz) but I don't particularly like the natura/tortoiseshell, and I'd rather keep it on the squier anyway. I hear you about the MM clone thingy... but what can I do, I really like the natural (or butterscotch) with maple fingerboard and black pickguard theme (see my avatar for another example )

[quote name='rogerstodge' timestamp='1343343562' post='1749423'] Course they would... n't They'd work if you screwed em on upside down?? [/quote] right, I need a mirror that reverses the pickguard, but not me or the bass... Off I go to write a new research grant. You may laugh now, but the future of TV is here! Or maybe I should just get some sleep

[quote name='umcoo' timestamp='1343063403' post='1744628'] Any progress on this? [/quote] oh, you shame me in public!!! No, no progress. I bought a bunch of wet&dry sheets, I have paint... but I keep getting distracted so I have not done anything at all about it yet. But I will!

[quote name='rogerstodge' timestamp='1343342643' post='1749404'] Makes sense matey unless anyone else can tell you the exact one to get, but i doubt it.. Ive got 2 spare black ones here but they're both left handed. [/quote] Hmmm, would they work if I play in front of the mirror?