6stringbassist

Odd question, but I was wondering how many people were like me. I like what I like basically. I hate 99.99% of popular music played on the radio, so I don't listen to the radio, in my car I play CD's, and at home I play CD's, I don't have a TV, so I tend to listen to lots of albums and read. I had a discussion last night, the same one I've actually had many times before with various people..............how can I be a musician when I don't like most types of music. I won't play covers of songs that I don't like, and most of what I do like others don't, so I don't play covers, I did a few dep gigs earlier in the year for a couple of function bands, and hated it. I play in a jazz group doing standards, that's as far as it gets for doing covers. New music that I 'discover' and like is usually via word of mouth from people who I know have similar taste to mine, Porcupine tree for example, I discovered them last year after reading about them on the Steve Lawson forum. I listen to lots of jazz, I love stuff by Michael Manring, Steve Lawson, Steve Reich, Talk Talk, Jonas Hellborg, Peter Gabriel. So am I weird ?.

[quote name='andyonbass' post='299508' date='Oct 4 2008, 06:05 PM']Hiscox all the way for me! I did find the case to be a little large for my Recurve, so i did a quick trip to tescos and got a couple of car seat belt comforters for about 3 quid, fixed them in the case with a dollop of hot glue, and now its a really snug fit Like this [attachment=14332:DSCF0001.JPG] [attachment=14333:DSCF0002.JPG][/quote] That looks great, thanks. I wasn't sure if they were shaped inside, the SKB ones look good but are shaped to fit a P bass or a jazz bass. Cheers, I'll order a Hiscox then.

I have an Ikea one, it gets a bit uncomfortable after a bit, it hasn't got any padding though. I've also got a drum stool which is great, and pretty cheap too, it came from Thomman.

I want to buy a case for my bass, I've always had gigbags in the past but really prefer something offering a bit more protection. I have a full flightcase that I had made, but it's way too heavy for carrying about, except from the house/studio/venue into the back of the car. I'm after something lighter for taking on trains and the London underground. I've seen these two, they're both more or less the same price. [url="http://www.dv247.com/invt/37308/"]http://www.dv247.com/invt/37308/[/url] [url="http://www.dv247.com/invt/25567/"]http://www.dv247.com/invt/25567/[/url] SKB do one too, but it seems to be shaped inside to fit either a jazz or precision bass, my bass is a single cut Sei. Anyone have any experience of either ?. I have a TKL case that came with my acoustic, and have to say it's really superb, well made lightweight, strong and has a very comfortable carrying handle. Is the Hiscox shaped inside ?. I've had a Hiscox before with a Status bass, and that seemed to be really good

Roundwounds are fine on fretless basses, in fact you get far more mwah with rounds than you'll ever get with flats or grounds. Flats sound too much like a upright on fretless, that's fine if you want that sound.

Why are the pickups slanted that way, it would make more sense to have them angled the other way, the E string towards the bridge rather than the G string.

I saw your front bits yesterday when I was talking to Martin, and planning my new build. They do look really nice, it's going to be a very special bass.

The Epifani UL112 is amazing and by far the best. I bought one yesterday for smaller gigs, I've also got an Epifani 2x12, and to be honest there really isn't a lot between the two. The Gallery has them in stock.

DR Sunbeams have a very low tension, or try the Hi-beams, avoid the Lo-riders they have a hex core and are stiffer to start with. Status strings are nice too, but again the round core ones have slightly less tension than the hex core. I'm currently using a hybrid DR Hellborg set, they're really nice, and designed for Jonas Hellborgs playing......hybrid because they don't do a 6 string set, so I'm using a B and C from a set of nickel Lo-riders.

Hi Lee The DR Hellborgs are excellent, they have a stronger fundamental than other DR strings, but are still bright and warm sounding.

Yes, I think all DR's will.

Most strings should fit, watch D'addario though, you'll need the extra long ones for a 35" scale bass, but DR, LaBella, Status etc all fit OK. Watch out for taper wound Elixirs too, they're too short.

I used Musicguard a few years ago and fell out with them. They're very expensive too.

[quote name='eude' post='296780' date='Oct 1 2008, 03:55 PM']Sounds like a very cool spec dude! Is this instead of your Kingbass? Cheers, Eude[/quote] Yeah, the Kingbasses and Status basses in general have too much of a personal sound, and it isn't what I'm after. My Sei fretted is about perfect for a fretted, I have a really nice acoustic fretless, I just need an electric 6 string fretless and that will be all my needs covered.

Yeah, I do miss the Modulus, I read that they were making a 34" scale version now, so I'd like to get another at some time. Regarding the dots, it's something I need to chat to Martin about, and I have plenty of time to come to a decision, I just know I don't want a lined board, I don't really see the point in a lined board, you can't see the lines anyway when you're playing. I might just stick with dots on the 5th, 7th 9th and 12th, it works fine for my acoustic. With the pickup, again I'm hoping Martin can suggest a ''sweet spot', an ideal position that will give the sort of sound of the two combined on my fretted, the fretted has Bart P4's which are quite narrow sensing, so I'd have to go for a wider pickup.

I'm going to be talking to Martin tomorrow about this, and hopefully ordering it, to arrive in 12/14 months time, so that will be a nice Christmas present to myself next year. My basic ideas are as follows - 6 string offset flamboyant, with a 7 piece flame maple/wenge neck and graphite rod inserts. An unlined Ebony board with side dots, I'm thinking of having one dot per fret, with two dots at the 5th, 7th and 9th and three dots at the 12th fret, that's something I need to finalize with Martin. My fretless acoustic bass just has dots at the 5th, 7th, 9th and 12th etc, I don't have a problem with that, but that's a 4 string and a 6 string is a slightly different matter. Walnut body core, my fretted Sei has a walnut core and I get this fantastic deep sound from it. Front and back facings of buckeye burl, I already have this on my fretted, but no two pieces are the same, and I love the stuff. Black hardware, it just looks cool and understated. 18mm string spacing the same as my fretted. The pickups and electronics are something I need to discuss with Martin, I'm think of having a passive bass with just one pickup mounted in the centre of where two pickups would be, with a ramp either side. I have both pickups 'full on' on my fretted 99% of the time, and with the fretless I'm going for a specific sound, I don't need lots of versatility. I'm thinking of a Bartolini pickup, or possibly a Q-tuner. No tone control just a volume. Soundwise I'm thinking Anthony Jackson and Gary Willis, deep but even sounding, I love playing my fretless acoustic, and using my 'playing' to get different sounds, rather than relying on onboard electronics..

Just got a set of these, they're really good, a nice 'feel' to them, the tension is ideal for vibrato tecniques and fast fingerstyle playing, and the sound is beautiful. They feel a bit odd to start with, just the one winding which is especially noticeable on the E and A strings. They don't do a B or a C string at the moment, though seemingly they are going to introduce a B string soon, so I have a B and a C from a set of Lo-rider nickels. I got them from Thomman, ordered Monday and arrived Wednesday all for £25, that's pretty good service.

[quote name='Prosebass' post='294846' date='Sep 29 2008, 08:05 PM']One of the problems with the Q-Tuners is the 2 month wait for them seeing as they are handmade.[/quote] Two months, aren't you the lucky one, I waited almost 6 months for mine.

I know Steve Lawson uses one from time to time, and I played one a while ago at the Gallery, but does anyone else have any personal experience of these, very individual looking instruments. I'm sure that I've seen someone one here with one advertised for sale in his signature. They're very cool looking instruments, and the one I played sounded really nice, and 'different'.

I tend to make it musical when practising, coming up with riffs and musical ideas, but thinking the notes/degree of the scale to yourself when playing.

[quote name='bilbo230763' post='280216' date='Sep 9 2008, 11:11 AM']The proper study of theory would inevitably improve your ear. I particularly found this with the melodic minor scale and associated chord theory. You would be a pretty special musician if you could find your way around that sucker without proper study. C D Eb F G A B C = melodic minor = C Min/maj7, D Min7sus9, Eb Maj7sharp5, F7sharp11, G7b6, Adim, Balt (b9, Min3shap9, b11, b5/sharp11, b13, b7). Of course, you learn it, internalise it then 'just play' but the important part is to LEARN it not wait until the magic bass pixie delivers it fully formed.[/quote] Melodic minor sounds great played over an altered /super locrian scale, a semitone up from the key you're playing in, eg play Ab melodic minor over a G altered. Not rock and roll, but I like it !.