mcnach

[quote name='uncle psychosis' post='1135857' date='Feb 21 2011, 05:36 PM']

If it makes you feel better, I give that bass a lot of love I've had a few other compliments on the sound of the Vintage---the very first gig we did had a bass playing soundman who raved about it. I really, really like the added switching you add to it---makes it really punchy.

To be fair, your stingray sounded damn good that night too!

Cheers[/quote]


Hey Steven!

I see there's no way I'll ever get that bass back, eh?

At least I'm very happy it's been used, gigged, and appreciated.

You know where to find me when you get tired of it (yeah, I know, I know, but i have to try )

PM-me when you have more local gigs, would love to come along.

[quote name='Bassassin' post='1135201' date='Feb 21 2011, 10:38 AM']Nah - think I'll give up on this one, it's no place for logic & rational thinking. Too much like banging your head against a brick [s]troll[/s] wall.

J.[/quote]


Would I have bought a SR P-bass [1] if this were about logic and rational thinking?

[1] Or three, for that matter... when I have often stated I don't like P-basses!

[quote name='crez5150' post='1135350' date='Feb 21 2011, 12:38 PM']What a cock! I really can't stand the guy. I really don't rate him as a bassist either....[/quote]


I don't understand, he comes across as quite likeable in my opinion. It's great to see a good bassist (even if I didn't particularly like the sound of that bass on the video) having fun with the instrument.

I didn't know about him at the time, and I didn't remember this. But my brother told me something last xmas, when I told him I was reading Guy Pratt's book. He said that we were watching a video of a Pink Floyd concert, many many years ago, with Guy Pratt on bass, and that he did a bass solo about which I said "well, this is the very first time I hear a bass solo that doesn't bore me". At the time I was not even remotely interested in playing bass.

[quote name='BurritoBass' post='1135986' date='Feb 21 2011, 07:00 PM']Perhaps the teacher did it to give her audition experience? It does sound like your time was wasted but hey, we've all been there! I'd tell her no & why BUT it's how you say it and feedback well delivered is easier to swallow[/quote]

+1

I once had a similar situation with a guitarist.
The guy could barely play a chord, he was a real beginner, but I admired his courage (or was it naivety? )
He looked a bit disheartened early one when he realised there was no way he could be the guy we were looking for. It was just me, on bass, and the singer, that day. With a rhythm machine. At my place.
Since we were there I figured we might as well have some fun. Rather than letting him go with a direct "no", I tried to be polite (but clear) and tried to compliment him on some of the stuff h was trying to do. I took one of my guitars and showed him a couple of easy things to try so we could play a little etc, and recorded the whole thing, then sent him the recording.

We stayed in touch and I encouraged him to keep at it, that yes, it sounded dire but nobody is born knowing how to play.

The guy went on to write some songs and form a band, and did a few gigs before the band broke for some of the usual reasons. He once told me that if I hadn't encouraged him after the "audition" he would have sold the guitar and amp because he felt he was useless at it.
Ok, I didn't give the world a new Gary Moore, but I feel proud of that.

It's important to tell the truth, to avoid misleading people. But *how* the truth is said is very important. It's only music, there's no need to destroy someone's ego.

edit: oh, and part of telling her the truth would include "you need to prepare the songs you were given for the audition. If I dedicate x amount of my time to you for the audition, I'd expect you to have at least tried a little". Gentle (purely because of her inexperience), yet firm.

[quote name='thebrig' post='1135821' date='Feb 21 2011, 05:20 PM']Don't know whether this has been done before.

But since joining BassChat a couple of months ago, I find myself hooked to it.

I log in every day and spend ages reading all the great posts on here.

Problem is, I should be learning new material instead of being on this site all the time.

I have to say though, I have learnt so much, and picked up some great tips from all you guys/gals out there.

[b]Anyone else neglecting their practise to be on this site?[/b]

That's it, I'm logging off now, and I'm going pick my bass up, and start on the three new songs that I [u]should have[/u] learnt at the weekend.[/quote]


Sometimes

Sometimes I've had like an hour before I have to go to rehearse and I go "ok, let's check the forum quickly and then spend a little while going over those bits that I was having trouble with"... and before I realise, I get caught buying sixteen Sue Ryder P-basses and there's no time for anything anymore.

But not today. Oh no. I have 2 hours. I put my timer at 30min and I'm off

[quote name='hillbilly deluxe' post='1132370' date='Feb 18 2011, 03:47 PM'][b]Buy the' 51[/b] Precision,buy Rotosounds,leave them on for a week,voila,dull lifeless flats type sound.[/quote]

There, I corrected that for you. Now it says what you really meant

[quote name='Linus27' post='1132494' date='Feb 18 2011, 05:42 PM']OK, it looks like I can't pull the wool over the eyes of you lot

Today I tried the Precision again and as suggested, rolled the tone off a little and the volume to 80%. It sounded good and to be honest would probably work fine. It still have some of that clank but it was better. However, I just can't get my head around my Olympic White Precision with black scratchplate playing this sort of music. I just think punk. I guess I could put the tort plate on which makes it look cream coloured and more retro but in my head its my punk bass that I have slung low and play with a pick

OK, so now I have confessed or shall I say, been found out, I may give it a go. However, I still like the idea of a 51 Precision for the retro look. I guess I got to get the gig first

As for flats, I just don't like the feel of them and the tone is just dull to my ears.[/quote]


You *NEED* a new bass.
There's no way, at all, your existing basses will work properly for the sound you're after. You just need that 51 P-bass, I'm afraid.

(just doing you a favour, that's what we all need to hear when we want another bass... I hope you remember it and return the favour when I'm in the same position )

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1134615' date='Feb 20 2011, 06:27 PM']The pre EB neck is very similar to the newer ones, I was expecting it to be old skool Phat and clumsy with a really high action being the best it could do as most of my vintage bass interaction has been with Fenders and mostly turned out that way but as soon as I tried it I couldnt beleive how slim the profile was! The truss rod needed tweaking to lower the releif but Nick from Nicks guitars had been using it himself for gigs with flats on and liked it that way, His own bitsa Ray was setup similar (OMG you should of heard how good it was with flat Jose!). He removed the allen bolt bit and cleaned/lubed it for me too before adjusting it to a very small amount of releif which it has retained nearly a year later no problems.

The glossy neck was exactly my next concern too (Your post above sounds almost exactly like the conversation I had with EBS freak Russ on the way up there) Im not a fan of sticky Fender glossy necks and linking that with what I though could be a horrid C shape neck profile I was worried all the searching would be for nothing, But again as soon as I tried it I loved it, Its not got that dragging feel you get with some finished necks at all.

Next time your heading over the border Jose send me a pm and we will see what we can arrange [/quote]


I will, I will

ok. Thread hijack over

[quote name='BigRedX' post='1134399' date='Feb 20 2011, 03:34 PM']Actually yes.

Some channels on my WiFi network are unusable because of interference - mainly the common ones.[/quote]

I very much doubt it's possible with the G30 et al. Only interference will be from another G30 on the same channel unless i'm grossly misunderstanding how this thing works...

[quote name='skej21' post='1134518' date='Feb 20 2011, 04:59 PM']What if I put up my Overwater Progress III Deluxe* up in the 'For Sale' thread for £60 + P&P. Does that make it sh!t because it's cheap?

*Or [insert high-end, expensive, custom bass here][/quote]


Do it, and I will buy the Overwater for £60, so I can make judgements from first hand experience

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1134540' date='Feb 20 2011, 05:19 PM']You might not like them Jose you never know? If you like or can at least put up with a Sub slab body but with a proper 2 band EQ, Mutes and the best neck profile I have ever played then I think you might like them though. Mine sounds amazing, You could probably say it would lack in some areas compared to your modded ones but its core sound is awesome! I cant really understand exactly what it is as mine is only the normal later style 79> pre amp the same as the EB's up until recent times even then its only the board type rather than the components that have changed. It must be all the little things added together, Different pup windings, Slab body, Bit more bridge mass and thumb screws, Flat frets and the Glossy neck that come together for the original Ray sound. Lets hope your funding comes good, If your ever passing through the midlands you are more than welcome to drop in and try it just dont try leaving me with one of your OLP's in its case! [/quote]


Slab body is not a problem. My SUB5 has a slab body and it's just fine. I've been using it a lot too lately, no issues for me. I'd love the mutes (one of the attractive features). Neck profile... we'll see. I love the modern Stingray profile, it's like it was made with my taste in mind or something. Is it very different on the preEB? How so? thinner, thicker, deeper, shallower?
Not ultra keen on the glossy neck. I feel this could be the deal breaker for me. But until I try one or five I reserve further judgement, as one does when hasn't got direct experience. Well most do

The only mod I did to my SR4 was the John East preamp. The SUB5 is unmodified.

I'm looking for excuses to travel near where you are to have a chance to meet you and share some Stingray love (no sleazy overtones intended! )
I could even bring my fave OLP. Just for fun, I suspect you'd notice it very quickly if I left it in your '79 Ray's place

[quote name='BigRedX' post='1134380' date='Feb 20 2011, 03:09 PM']Probably worth reading through [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=121484"]this thread[/url].

Having read through this and done a bit more research I'm still not convinced by the current digital systems, the Line 6 one in particular uses the same frequency as WiFi and several wireless systems that you may come across if you're playing larger stages...[/quote]


It uses the same frequency, of course.
Do you, however, encounter problems when using a wifi signal for your PC at home, even 'though you may detect signals from 20 other neighbours?
Of course not. You may use the same frequency, but the data are coded/decoded and you only pick what you are supposed to pick. Same here.

In other words: that's a non-issue. It's not the same as with radio signals, where you could easily get interference. That's one of the beauties of the new digital systems.

+1 to the above.

I use a G30. Fantastic.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1133923' date='Feb 20 2011, 12:27 AM']It's a shame I'm in the middle of you two, Jose needs to try a pre EB and the OP needs to gig a fretted 4 and 5.
Evil, Me, Nah [/quote]


Because of you, oh evil one I have in my mind that I need to try some preEB ones to satisfy my curiosity.
The problem is if I find a cream, black, or natural one that feels and sounds even 1% better than my 2002... I will buy it. I'm in the middle of finding out whether we get funding for another 5 years, and if I do... there'll be no stopping me

Did I say already that I love your avatar?

(well, it's prettier than mine, that's for sure!)

When I tried one (active, 4-string), tagged at £199 I thought "not for me".
There was nothing particularly wrong with it. It just lacked a Stingray feel/sound. It simply was shaped like one. But it was decent. At £50 it's still not a Stingray sound-alike, but it is an ok bass. Even better value than the Sue Ryder... oh, God, I mention the unmentionable!

Best thing is if you don't like it, you'll get your £50 back. Or a bit more. So nothing to lose really.

[quote name='JTUK' post='1133873' date='Feb 19 2011, 11:15 PM']I thought I wouldn't be able to check into this thread until tomorrow.

[b]Bassassin[/b]
I don't have any Fenders, sorry.

[b]mcnach[/b]
It may have helped if I hadn't trashed people's new toys but there is no new science here.
But if it makes you feel better that I go and find one and then come back to tell you it has confirmed my posts, that will be ok?

Deal..!![/quote]



you don't seem to get it...

I think in the future I'll just look at your avatar rather than the contents of your post on this thread

Get a Sue Ryder P-bass and a John East P-retro... may be just within budget.

I just found this video and... well... just enjoy!

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b__q3oGx898"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b__q3oGx898[/url]

[quote name='Gunsfreddy2003' post='1133661' date='Feb 19 2011, 06:17 PM']Very kind thought/offer and much appreciated if I was only near enough.[/quote]

nah, don't say that, he only really does it to make you suffer knowing you're probably too far. He's evil that way

regarding the Stingray sound, and as JTUK said more or less: some basses just seem to sound good in any situation.
The Stingray is, in my experience, one of them.

I don't play in a famous band so I have no roadies, and although I love my own gear if I can get away with using something else that will do the job and means I don't need to carry heavy cabs with me, I will do that. That means I get to play various rigs in different venues. Since I play the Stingray, soundcheck is a fairly simple procedure. Soundguy gets a good sound, I hear myself and feel the bass, all good. It wasn't that way always with other basses. The Warwick Corvette $$ was the one that worked better, before the Stingray, but I never fell in love fully with it. The Stingray just feels like "me", if that makes any sense. Recording was the same situation. The engineer commented on how easy it was to record the Stingray.

I'm sure someone can analyse it and figure what it is about the timbre or whatever that makes it work. All I know is... it works.

[quote name='Gunsfreddy2003' post='1133319' date='Feb 19 2011, 12:58 PM']Last night I played a club gig with 2 other bands and to save time and hassle I left my rig on stage for the other two bands bass players to use. Not sure what one of the bass players was using some 5 string thing which just sounded muddy and did not really do much for me but the other guy was using a Stingray and I have to say it sounded awesome!!

I guess it was a modern Stingray as it had a 3 band EQ but through my rig it just sang and was exactly the sound that I hope I omit when playing my basses through the rig.

Has this every happened to anyone else and do you think that it is human nature to always think that someone else's bass always sounds better through our rigs? Or did my ears tell me everything and a Stingray is really what I need to nail "my sound" through my rig?[/quote]


I once owned a Jazz bass copy by Vintage that I had modified with a metal scratchplate (helped screening, it was very quiet) and a series/parallel switch. It was very nice. But I sold it. Moved on.

Fast forward a couple of years, and I'm in the same situation you describe. We're the last band to play, I agreed to provide bas amplification. One of the bands was ok, the other one was overall better and as I do, I pay attention to the bass. It sounded very good. Then I realised... it was the guy I sold the bass to, that was my old bass indeed!!!
I didn't imagine that bass sounded as good as that!!!
I told him if he ever wanted to sell it, to call me. He said he doubts it'll happen any time soon.

So there i was, playing my Stingray (which I love and won't change for anything, I must add!) thinking "damn, that Vintage sounded great! And I sold it for peanuts!"

[quote name='bassmachine2112' post='1133065' date='Feb 19 2011, 08:56 AM']I,m in the wizard camp,got a thumper in mine.
If you want to go non polite what about a stealth 51.The thumper is a great pick up,loadsa presence which cuts through but throttle back the tone and it,s thump time.
Give Andy a phone and describe the sound and he,ll see you right.[/quote]


sounds like a phone call may be in order, I like the idea of buying local homegrown products where you can actually talk to the "farmer", and I hear nothing but great stuff about the company!

Problems with the bridge?
FIX IT!!!
Seriously, it's not hi-tech.

As for the Squier... I used to own that model, in sunburst... but yum, that one in metallic grey looks amazing!
It was a great bass. Very heavy 'though. If I'm correct, they're made in Indonesia, and I seem to hear that weight comment a lot from Squiers made there. It may just be coincidence, I don't know for sure. So, mine was a very nice bass... Your fender will probably feel, play and sound better. But not a huge amount better. The Squier is fine in my opinion, but it's not the same quality, although you probably don't expect that. Pickups were alright, although the Jazz one seemed a bit "meh" to me, as far as I remember.

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='1133389' date='Feb 19 2011, 02:17 PM']I stuck my head above the parapet too but got no response to my post, presumably as I have first hand experience.... and maybe a less abrasive approach.[/quote]

I think you hit it there.
You stated your opinion very clearly. To you the bass was worthless. But you actually touched one and were not condescending in your approach.

If I walk into a bar where there's a group of people celebrating the new cheap beer they have, and I talked the way JTUK has about the beer and the drinkers... what do you think the outcome would have been? And I'm not talking Glasgow, I'm talking in any bar of the world...

Personally, it doesn't affect me what anybody thinks. My teenage days are well over.
There was a time when I had to have great gear, big names, expensive stuff. And oh yes, I enjoyed it. But after a while you learn to judge stuff by its function and what it gives you. Because owning all these big headstocks didn't really make me play any better...
I once sold a Fender Stratocaster (a Highway1, not a Custom Shop, ok) because the Vintage brand strat copy I had found actually had a nicer neck and sounded better. Oh, and the Wilkinson trem bar was truly adjustable and worked great instead of the screw-type one on the Fender. Some thought I must have been crazy. It worked for me, so what do I care? But if after a gig someone approached me belittling me for my choice, he'd have probably eaten maple neck for dinner, you know what I mean?
My approach when I moved to bass was similar. I've owned Behringer and TC Electronic, a couple of Warwicks alongside a Jazz bass copy by Vintage... I loved the OLPs as well, as you know. At a time when I thought they were ugly but the look of a band asked for it, I found OLP to be perfectly nice basses and gigged a couple regularly. I found real Stingrays just not so much better that they deserved the extra expense. Until one day I found a 2EQ Stingray that changed my opinion for good. You saw me change my chat very rapidly. I'm not precious about these things.
We can argue and question instruments and bits of instruments till the cows come home. Good.
Talk to me like I'm a moron and I'm not going to appreciate that very much.
Think of the pub analogy...

I don't have a personal investment in SR!

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='1133389' date='Feb 19 2011, 02:17 PM']The fact of the matter is that the Sue Ryder bass has become a bit of a phenomenon and if it weren't for the fact that they were on sale for £60 no one would have batted an eye at them. I don't think anyone who has admitted to owning one (my wee joke ) hasn't found at least one bad point about them then followed up with "but for £60 it ain't bad". Who among us will not defend our newly purchased bass to the death? Apart from a few crazy claims most people seem to know what they have and where it sits in the grand scheme of things.
The scale of "playability" is not black and white - we all know that the punters at a gig haven't a scooby doo about basses. Is it not then reasonable to presume that even some of us players have cloth-ears too. [/quote]

True... even when they first came into my radar I dismissed them as utter sh*te. I look at eBay sometimes too, it's nothing unusual to find cheap crap there disguised as real instruments.
But eventually, for my own reasons (in some other post somewhere) I got one, that's when I don't even like P-basses!!! Just a bit of fun.
It turned out I was happy with what I saw once I received it. All the issues about set-up don't faze me as it's something I personally enjoy doing, and I do regardless of what I buy. And one way I have fun, personally, is customising and modifying instruments. Anyway, this is not about my reasons.

But when I set up a guitar or a bass and I think "hey, this works well", if someone tells me "nah, mate, it's all wrong" I just hope they have the courtesy to try it first.

"I don't know what your job is, but you suck at it"
see what I mean?
JTUK does not.


[quote name='Ou7shined' post='1133389' date='Feb 19 2011, 02:17 PM']From what we've seen at this end of the thread there is little point upsetting the apple cart during the honeymoon period and until critical mass has evened out and normality has resumed it's probably best to just stfu or follow the flock and go out and buy one..... or four. [/quote]

Oh, totally!

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='1133389' date='Feb 19 2011, 02:17 PM']I've set a reminder in my phone to resurrect this thread in a years time.[/quote]


It'll be interesting.

I predict most of them won't receive a lot of attention after a few months. But that's not something particular of these cheap basses. It happens with most instruments and eefcts etc people buy here, from what I can tell!

I think I will still have one or two, with one moving to sunny Spain so I can play it when I'm there and another possibly being sold on for next to nothing, to make space on my guitar rack for some other project once I've had my fun with it... maybe a 5-string fretless OLP? heh...
Will I gig them much? Unlikely. The Stingray is King and Queen in Chez Jose and there's a good reason I didn't own a P-bass. Well, I do have an old Ibanez SR400, when they were P/J, with teh 3-band EQ... but I don't play it and will go probably sooner than a Ryder. The P-bass sound is not something I need in any of the bands I'm with. But if that changes during this year and there's a need for a P... I'll bring along the Ryder. Or the G&L

We'll see in a year

[quote name='JTUK' post='1133248' date='Feb 19 2011, 12:02 PM']Well, there is no point trying to convince they are any good...they may just about be playable for some people.[/quote]


why do you insist on your condescending tone?

it went from mildly annoying to amusing, now it's just boring