darkandrew

I had an SB1000 reissue, the John Taylor signature version that I regret letting go. I had ordered it from Aria through my local music shop and when it arrived we just couldn't believe how good it was. I've never had anything before or since with the same sound - bright attack and tight bottom end with a rather special punch just below it.

Being a bit of a tech geek, I was wondering why you specifically wanted a passive bass? Is it active pickups, active preamp or just all things active that you want to avoid? Active pickups can divide opinion but there's not a lot wrong with an active preamp - if you want to have it flat, then even though it may not be shaping the tone it will still be providing a buffer between the pickup and the outside world, helping to get a better signal to your amp or mixer. For a lot of players, passive pickups with an active preamp (as used in a Stingray or Sterling, for example) offers the best of both worlds.

[quote name='dyerseve' timestamp='1480684388' post='3186389'] Actually there are German built Warwick Streamer Basses that have neck thru construction and not labelled Stage 1 or Stage 2. I have 2 of them so they cant be that uncommon. [/quote] And just when I thought I was getting a grip on the Streamer, Stage 1, Stage 2, Music Man Sterling, Sterling by Music Man, etc, thing!

There's an arpeggiated keyboard bit in Blondie's "Atomic" where I am sure the chord changes half a bar too early.

But just as importantly, do you have a "bass face"? https://youtu.be/9m3g-uWaZg0

[quote name='Twigman' timestamp='1480547938' post='3185412'] I tend to just walk about [/quote] Sounds like me - I also used to do the "goth 2-step" (basically 1 step forward followed by 1 step back and repeat ad-infinitum) even when I was in my BritPop band.

[quote name='DangerDan' timestamp='1480546734' post='3185403'] That's odd, i really like mine. What headphones have you come from using previously? [/quote] I mainly use a pair of AE Aegis Evo 3 floor standing HiFi speakers or a pair of Yamaha HS5 monitors to listen to music but I also use a pair of Phonak IEMs or an old pair of Technics headphones I bought about 15 years ago when I don't want to be too noisy.

I've just borrowed my brother's Audio Technica m50x monitor headphones and I don't like them; I found the top end to be unnaturally sibilant, harsh and fatiguing. Is it just me or has anybody else tried them and had a similar experience?

No one's mentioned a hand-towel yet - I always used to put one in my gig bag pocket.

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1480286060' post='3183148'] According to Wikipedia they do. The only exception is the bass ukulele that uses re-entrant tuning with the bottom string tuned up an octave to avoid the problems you get with a low G while still maintaining the ability to play close harmony chords. . [/quote] I'd always thought, maybe wrongly in that case, that ukele tuning was non incremental. I guess that's why I don't play a ukele!

If it's a convention that the strings go sequentially low to high, then why don't ukuleles follow the same rules?

I've got three basses; a Spector Euro, a Warwick SS1 and an EBMM Sterling. Both the Spector and the Warwick have glossy necks, where as the Sterling has an oil and wax neck. To be honest, of all the necks, I prefer the two glossy ones - they just feel more "finished". It all comes down to personal taste I suppose.

I know there are one or two Gary Numan fans on here (including myself), so just a heads up; the recent Gary Numan documentary film "An Android in La La Land" is on BBC 4 tonight (11pm).

I have a Streamer Stage 1 (aka SS1) which means that it is of neck-through construction (that's the "Stage" bit) and has a PJ pickup configuration (that's the "1"). The standard Streamer (ie. NOT the Streamer Stage) has a bolt-on neck and the SS2 has a JJ pickup configuration (and different body wood?). I think that's right, no doubt someone will correct me if I've got anything wrong. Anyway, here are some pics of my SS1, it's a great bass - very comfortable and easy to play:

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1479589988' post='3177759'] Yes the 5s dont appear to get the issue. [/quote] Do you reckon that's to do with the more compressed and slightly more aggresive nature of the 5 string's ceramic pickup as opposed to the 4 string's alnico one? If so, would a 4 string EBMM Sterling pickup (also ceramic) fix the issue?

How about ESP and LTD? Often LTDs are listed as ESP LTD or even just ESP. I once drove for an hour or so to see an "ESP" guitar that a second hand shop had in its stock, I had even spoken to them on the phone before I went to have a look at it, and when I got there it was an LTD!

[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1479073905' post='3173768'] We had a nice chat in the gents at the LBGS a few years back. [/quote] It probably wouldn't have been the right time or place to ask him whether he preferred 34 or 35 inches ...

[quote name='lurksalot' timestamp='1479034644' post='3173390'] I have a similar thing with my Spectors I have a legend 4 that I bought ages ago and love it , I then ordered a Euro4LX , a beautiful guitar with a fantastic usable tone range ,but, the neck being through , is a tiny bit thicker , hard to measure and slightly fatter than the bolt on legend neck. To me the difference is chalk and cheese and the legend is my go to. I suppose I should have played a few Euros before I ordered a new one!! [/quote] I was kind of going to say the same thing in reverse - I pretty much gave up playing bass after buying a Yamaha 5 string that I couldn't get along with, but that was until about 8 or 9 years ago when I bought a second-hand Spector Euro 5lx and rediscovered the joy of bass. I honestly can't imagine how the more expensive, USA made version could be any better than its cheaper European cousin. I truly love it, even its Tone pump preamp.

How would it compare to a Stingray HH? Would you be able to get a half-decent Stingray tone out of the bridge pickup? I already have a PJ configured Streamer Stage 1 and was recently looking for a Stingray style bass to compliment it, and was considering a Streamer $$ but ended up going for an EBMM Sterling. The Sterling is great but I never got a chance to try a Streamer $$ and so still wonder how it compares.

[quote name='fleabag' timestamp='1478280056' post='3168179'] KAJAGOOGOO - TOO SHY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsjzcT1QKYs [/quote] They had quite a good bass player if I recall. Shame no-one ever mentions him

[quote name='thebrig' timestamp='1477989165' post='3165681'] Testicles! [/quote]

Back before the days of the internet, you'd go into a music shop that might have a dozen or so basses on the wall for anyone off the street to play. If, having played the bass (or guitar, etc) you liked it, you would buy it (most music shops only carried one item of any particilar model, so invariably all the guitars and basses you bought were ex-demo to some extent). It's a tough one; music shops may only be able to carry a limited stock, and most of that is displayed on the shop floor, and the margins are cut so fine that they can't always afford to offer a substantial discount for ex-demo equipment but as customers we want to be able to try them out and when it comes to parting with our cash, get a shiny brand new one straight out of its box.

We used to do Daydream Believer into Teen Spirit.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1477420199' post='3162133'] I'd agree that the short comings of the Squier Bass VI are down to the design of the instrument and not anything that is lacking because it's made to a tighter budget than a "real" Fender. [/quote] Sorry - I'd jumped to the conclusion, maybe incorrectly then, that the non-locking trem on the Squier version was causing the intonation issues (apparently the Fender version has a locking trem). If the Squire VM models are pretty much the same as the full Fender then I think I'll definitely be looking out for one. What do you think of this? It appears to be a Bass VI by another name, with a fixed bridge and Jazz Master pickups: http://www.richtonemusic.co.uk/products/fender_vintage_mod_baritone_jazzmaster_antigua.asp?gclid=CMqRmZTY9s8CFcRAGwodsH4Ejw By the way, are any Squiers still made in Korea or are they all made elsewhere now and how do they compare with, say, a MIM Fender? Thanks again for your thoughts.

Thanks for your thoughts. We bought a couple of Squiers (a Strat and a "P" bass) at work a few years ago and I was really unimpressed with the quality of them to be honest - looks like I'd be similarly unimpressed with a Squier Bass VI. The strange thing is that I have a couple of Korean made Fenders (a Tele and a Showmaster) of my own and they are great guitars - very well made. I guess that if I want a Bass VI, I'll have to look out for a "real" Fender one, although having a quick look around, they seem to be very rare and very expensive.