cheddatom

They fit in the nut fine. I've managed to put the non-tapered string on fine, it's just not heavy enough. I might have a pro look at it, I can't understand the lack of tension.

I think the lowest string is around a low G or F#. I could tune it higher, but my standard guitars are guite low at Cish so there doesn't seem much point. I'm being vague because I don't have a tuner here!

[quote name='bremen' post='237410' date='Jul 11 2008, 03:58 PM']Sorry mate! I know I'm particularly bad at that. That one was the clip from The Big Lebowski, introducing Jesus the sleazy Latino bowler. The previous one was from Jam, in which an unhappy big redheaded woman in a tree sings Loving You while being spanked with a space-hopper by Mark Heap.[/quote] No need for an apology! Do what you like! I do enjoy jesus on the big lebowski. I've not seen Jam. I shall have to check it out!

I was trying to get a 68 on but ended up using an 80 or something from a bass. I want as heavy as possible. I am about to try now. Online at home!! It is a rarity. I've just unwound the end of the 68 I had and it's gone on and sounds fine. My problem now is that there's nowhere near enough tension (I think) in the strings. The intonation is spot on, unless you press down hard on the strings, then they go sharp. I know this is normal, but this is reallly noticably, much more than any guitar or bass i've tried. Also, the strings are so easy to bend I keep moving them off the fret board!!

Fair enough, I didn't mean to create any conflict. tauzero - I don't think gettings compliments on your playing is "what counts". I think it's how the group sounds as a whole. alex - I think it's perfectly possible to get an original sound and still use nice clean bass in songs. I still find that this is enhanced more when there is a variety in the clean tone i.e a thin trebly clean tone for a verse, and a massive big bottom tone for a chorus makes the world of difference. Some will say that they can make this kind of contrast by using just their fingers, but I remain sceptical (but open minded). wot - I bet you a million quid it is! e-handshake? Did everyone witness that? I am going to be so loaded when I'm 43!!!! I think my main point is that when I go to a gig, as a musician, I am watching them play and enjoying that experience, and thinking "god I wish I was that good" or "god don't they sound good". Some gigs I go to, there will be a band that has a pretty continual sound. Now, I know that songs can sound different to each other, even if the sound is kept exactly the same, but without some contrast in sound, I feel that it all kind of merges into one, and this is where audiences get bored. I'm not saying every bassist needs to start gigging with 25 pedals, but I am saying that variety in tone is very important IM(not so)HO, and the most effective way of acheiving contrast in sounds is using pedals/footswitchable rackmount pre-amps/whatever. The contrast that YOU hear when playing a bit lighter/harder with/without a pick over the bridge/neck is pretty much negligable by the time it gets to the ears of the audience, and so I recommend effects etc to exaggerrate the contrast in sounds, therefore (hopefully) keeping the audience's attention. Obviously i'm probably wrong as always, but i'd rather you read it thinking "he may have a small bit of a point here" rather than "what a twat - he wants a keyboard player!".

Cool, thanks. My plan is: unwind some of the strings, and put them on - see how it fairs. If it fails: buy a set of Fenders, see if they fit. If that fails: buy a small round file!

On the pic it looks like it's just hanging by a thread? I just realised that this is the PSU plug thing, and the other end of that wire plugs into the DC brick. You should be able to get a cheap replacement PSU as long as it's rated the same? It looks like you may be able to hack a bit of the moulded bendy plastic bit away, and strip the wires there for re-connection and insulation.

I think that music has to keep moving on. The technology available today means that in 20 years time a rock band with a drummer, 2 guitarist, a clean bassist and a singer is going to be pretty damn boring. "The sound of the instrument (whatever it may be) is totally subservient to the sound of the music" - I totally agree with that. However, I think that bass in the context of most ensembles (whatever they may be) is an instrument that gives more to the sound of the music than most other instruments. I.E when you hear a pop song on the radio, you hear the bass, and the vocals, the drums are keeping time but you can't hear every little subtlety in their playing. The guitars are there, but often only as a percussive element. Either way, I am talking about bass tones within the context of the "sound of the music" rather than the instrument. The bass contributes to the sound of the music as a whole, fattening the texture so to speak. I think that this role can be widened with the use of effects, as well as chords etc. Maybe there's no risk of being replaced by keyboard players, but if I was an aspiring singer song writer looking to put together an original sounding band, and I had the choice between a funky keyboard player with sh*t loads of interesting sounds and soundscapes, and a bassist who has a fender jazz, an MB combo, and can play jazz improv all day long, I'm pretty sure i'd take the keyboard player.

Insulate it with some tape and hope for the best IMHO.

[quote name='bremen' post='237342' date='Jul 11 2008, 02:42 PM']Wrong Jesus... [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u26nT7J7rMs"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u26nT7J7rMs[/url][/quote] Why is it that loads of BCers think a youtube link is just as acceptable as finishing a sentence? I'm at work! I can't watch videos! (no hard feelings).

[quote name='alexclaber' post='237351' date='Jul 11 2008, 02:51 PM']I think you are totally missing the point. I mean TOTALLY! Alex[/quote] In what way? What point is that?

He was doing fuzzy bass with piano and making it sound heavy before Muse!

Obviously each bassist will have their own sound, and their own idea of how to get there. I am a little worried by the sheer amount of people who like to have just one sound i.e their bass, their amp, and maybe 1 pedal or something. This - "I change my tone using my fingers/pickdynamics/left hand etc" is what the audience couldn't give a sh*t about, they'll never hear any difference. They will notice a different if you have two drastically different EQ pedals, or a monstrous fuzz tone, or an octave pedal etc etc. I think that bassists need to get more inventive with their sound or risk being replaced by keyboard players (apart from pub-covers bands obviously)

Can you turn 0s and 1s into cold beer? I'm in dire need.

[quote name='bilbo230763' post='237205' date='Jul 11 2008, 11:54 AM']I find that the perfect sound is just over the horizon.....[/quote] Well that's because of the wave-length of bass frequencies.

apparently the FX25s are better than the B equivalent.

[quote name='BigBeefChief' post='236723' date='Jul 10 2008, 05:42 PM']And I also like to justify the sh*t gear that I use.[/quote] I'm using sh*t/cheap gear, and my sound still makes a big difference to the audience's experience. It's not just for my benefit! Buy a PEs album BBC! I need celebrity endorsement.

[quote name='escholl' post='236670' date='Jul 10 2008, 04:35 PM']could you not just unwind a cm or two of the wire wrap on the strings, and just feed the core through the tuner? or have i missed something?[/quote] I thought that if I did that then the whole string might just unwind itself. Is that stupid?

For the price of a DI and a soundcard you could get an M-Audio delta 44.

[quote name='BassManKev' post='236700' date='Jul 10 2008, 05:14 PM']well as i said everyone else seems to have had no problems, so it probably was one arsehole and he probably has quit, just trying to remember the name of the guy...[/quote] You should have saved all your e-mails! (and proof of postage! )

[quote name='BigBeefChief' post='236692' date='Jul 10 2008, 05:04 PM']Only YOU really care about the subtleties of bass tone. The audience/listener couldn't really give a sh*t.[/quote] They may not give a sh*t, but they may well be able to tell subconsciously or something....... My point being, I and quite a few bassists will use effects and their "tone" to try and fill the gap in frequency content of their 3 piece band, compared to a 4 piece. Take their sound away and you have 1 clean bass, 1 guitar, and it all sounds miles thinner. Loads of music-lamens have complimented me on my bass sound over the years.

That's fair enough Kev, but look at it from their point of view. Someone asks to return a pedal, so they say OK. Then that someone rings up asking for their money back even though they haven't received the pedal (as far as hotrox know). Hotrox ask for proof of delivery thinking "this will prove if it's genuine or not", then you say "I lost it" and they think "hmmm, smells of a scam to me, we don't want to set an example else all his mates will be scamming us". To be honest, if it was me at hotrox you would have had your money back, but it all depends on the individual dealing with your case. You might have had the one arsehole who worked there and has now quit - you never know!

I doubt they would want to make £50 at the expense of a potential customer Kev. £50 is nothing. I think you've probably got the wrong impression. Lesson learned!

[quote name='artisan' post='236063' date='Jul 9 2008, 08:51 PM']he's too busy with his scout group[/quote] I bet he is! What a pervert.

All I know is, If I plug my bass straight into my amp, the sound is a bit crap. If I plug it into my pedal board (about 20 buffered pedals) then it sounds great.