neepheid

[quote name='Roland Rock' timestamp='1401104058' post='2460026'] Cupboard basses are all sh*t [/quote] My cupboard doesn't have a door, it's more of a display area:

Opinions go bad and get my nose out of joint when they are paraded around as fact. I try to be really careful not to do this these days - I'm sure in the past I've jumped on the "wooly Ashdown" bandwagon based upon the experience of clapped out gear in rehearsal rooms for example. No more though. If I think it's good, then it is good - in my little bubble. I will shy away from making blanket statements about the output of a particular brand, model, factory, country of manufacture etc. because I can categorically state that I lack the statistical oversight of the entire group being discussed to make any such proclamations. I can say with 100% certainty that the 10 basses in my bass cupboard are the best 10 basses in my bass cupboard though Anything else I say can and should be taken with a pinch of salt. I don't expect everyone to agree with me and my love of Gibson basses for instance (part of the appeal for me is the championing of the underdog anyway), but I will take grave exception to anyone who has the impudence/arrogance to make blanket statements about the quality/tone/structural integrity of "all Gibson basses" just because they didn't like the microscopic sample they tried. That's just like saying all cheese is awful, just because the first cheese you ever tasted was a Danish Blue and you didn't like it. So ALL cheese is bad? Riiiiiight then.

[quote name='theyellowcar' timestamp='1401044514' post='2459508'] I haven't tried one but if I remember they're going for not much more than a MIM Fender, and come with a hard case. Seems nuts to me. Bother forum member bought one of the non-reverse T-birds (also going for silly money) and reported a few QC issues that might be being aware of before buying. [/quote] I bought one of the non-reverse Thunderbirds for silly money, and it's great. Just thought I'd mention it, for balance's sake.

I have no idea why these new developments aren't forced to take into account the use of buildings adjacent and build soundproofing into the new/refurbed buildings.

[quote name='bassman7755' timestamp='1401015454' post='2459065'] Indeed, some have become iconic recordings in their own right e.g Hendrix's version of All along the watchtower, Santana's Black Magic Woman, Elvis's Bridge Over Troubled Waters, Van Halens You Really Got Me, Deep Purples Hush. [/quote] The Stranglers take on Walk on By is one of my personal favourites

No problems with the 2 and 3 band ones with individual pots, but I had some bother with a couple of the 2 band concentric ones - bad pots which made horrible noises when you turned them or wiggled them, worse than scratchy, nasty clippy, signal drop out type noise. Not cool. It's the same board as the individual pots models though so my money was on a cheap pot gone bad. They work pretty well, especially for the price.

I have only taken a backup bass once that I can remember - I was gigging my Gibson Victory Artist for the first time in an unfamiliar place and I wasn't sure how well the creamy smooth sounds of the Victory would work live, so I took something I knew worked well along too. It never made it out of the bag. Other than that, sod it. I've never broken a string. Spare strings, spare batteries, spare lead, toolkit, all the belt and braces stuff is in my bag. I do have a DI box of sorts (it's actually a mic preamp, but it can work like a DI).

The Bass Doc has been feeling poorly recently: http://basschat.co.uk/topic/237256-bass-doc/ So don't worry if it takes a few days for him to get back to you

[quote name='iiipopes' timestamp='1400772576' post='2456859'] If after opening up the tone circuit and running the pickup open it is still dark, it may be the pickups, since T-bird pickups are notorious for being so overwound. EMG makes a variety of drop-in aftermarket replacement pickups. [url="http://www.emgpickups.com/bass/thunderbird.html"]http://www.emgpickup...hunderbird.html[/url] . The Hz, or passive version is not overwound, works well with both 250 & 500 kohm pots. For the most top end, EMG makes a DC version of the pickup if you want to change to actives. [/quote] They only drop in replace Gibson Thunderbird pickups. Unless this is an Epiphone Classic IV Pro, they won't just drop in. Something to bear in mind.

[quote name='iconic' timestamp='1399792757' post='2447583'] One mail to a company, no follow up, big deal, then you flame them publicly on here, goes beyond harsh in my books. Over 2 grand to lay on a bass is big money, why not pick the phone up and talk....I run my own company and in my experience since 1995. Well the uncomfortable truth is that [i][b]messor's mail, customers call.[/b][/i] ....I reckon you should be upfront and cut them some slack, me thinks you didn't [i]really[/i] want that bass after all [/quote] I think that's unfair and presumptuous. I prefer to email, I'm not very confident on the phone, I don't enjoy phoning people I don't know. Email is way more comfortable for me, and I'm no timewaster - if I make an enquiry about something it's because I want to buy it.

Additional - Thomann seem to still have some: http://www.thomann.de/gb/ritter_rcg700_9_tbb_bst_classic.htm

I have one, and it fits in a Thunderbird gig bag. I have a Ritter one like this: http://www.gak.co.uk/en/ritter-rcg700-9-tbb-thunderbird-bass-bag/43029 But it appears to be discontinued

I think it's important - I have just put together something logo-ish for The Inevitable Teaspoons, tried so many fonts but nothing quite looked right. I'm not yet convinced that what I've picked is right, but it's the least wrong so far. Trying to get more gigs and I think it's important, if only so the promoter has something to put on the posters

[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1400512540' post='2454496'] I also really want one (hence my bumping this old thread). Sadly the number of places to try them seems fairly small [/quote] Edinburgh? I'm playing a gig at Henry's Cellar Bar on Saturday - I'll take my Tribute M-2000 if you fancy checking it out. https://www.facebook.com/events/749866385058529

My main tip when packing a bass would be to pack it in such a way that nothing shakes or moves inside the box when you wiggle/shake it. Pack it tight enough so this is achieved, but don't stuff it to the point where there's a risk the box might burst. As for couriers, my favourite has been UPS via Interparcel. Never had a problem, and have sent more than a few basses in my time.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1400411756' post='2453537'] This is what I went with in the end. Not even twin humbuckers! May drop in some twin-coil J pups at some point. Having fun with it, though. Thanks very much for all the [b]futile[/b] suggestions. [/quote] You're welcome, you timewasting pest

[quote name='uk_lefty' timestamp='1400408005' post='2453495'] I purchased some bartolini pickups as an upgrade to my MIM fender jazz... Problem is the wiring diagram doesn't really help much. The barts have two wires coming out, one copper coloured with a clear plastic wrap, one just bear silver wire... So the question is, which goes where when soldering on to the pots? The original pickups have one yellow wire going on to the side of the pot (near te capacitor?) and a black wire soldered to the bottom of the pot... I don't want to solder my new barts in the wrong place but could really do with some help! Apologies if this is a dumb question but electronics really aren't my thing [/quote] It doesn't really matter although I would guess that the bare one is the ground/earth. Pick a way and wire both the same way. If the bass sounds wimpy with both pickups turned up but fine if they're soloed, then they're out of phase and you should swap one of the pickup's wiring round the other way.

[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1400279409' post='2452674'] It's the same with any market that sees consumers spending lots of their disposable cash. I'm sure there are golf-related products that are entirely unnecessary and insanely expensive which some consumers will swear by. The irony with the bass guitar, of course, is that on a recording it's usually mixed so low as to be relatively indistinct, tonally at least, and a lot of live sound engineers will turn it into so much wolfy boom and nothing else. So any sonic difference between two given models is hugely diminished. Someone above mentioned classical instruments and the money that double bass players spend on their instruments. I play double bass too and actually that particular market has a more obvious value proposition. Acoustic instruments do sound vastly different, and the attention to detail in the construction of an acoustic instrument is considerably more sonically obvious than the same effort put into an electric bass guitar. But yeah, generally: If you're of the "I made a lot of money and it's none of your business what I do with it" brigade (like Gary Barlow for instance), then fair enough, you're probably aware that your returns are diminishing very steeply but you've already justified it to yourself satisfactorily in some way and you'll be content with that so long as nobody ever suggests you fell for some hype and got burned. [/quote] I take exception to your judgemental tone. Who's "getting burned" here (in your oh so humble opinion)? You? No, so away you go and be happy with your own choices and leave others to theirs. Live and let live, they're only basses after all. Not really a big deal when you compare them to vehicles and houses.

[quote name='GrammeFriday' timestamp='1400268828' post='2452543'] I mean, between the Ripper and the Grabber? [/quote] Grabber - bolt on neck, Ripper - set neck Grabber - Flying V-esque headstock usually clearcoated, Ripper - traditional "Open book" headstock, always black Grabber - 1 single coil sliding pickup, Ripper - 2x Bill Lawrence designed sidewinder humbuckers Grabber - 1 volume, 1 tone, Ripper - 4 way "transfer switch" (pickup/series/parallel/phase selector), volume, mid cut, tone Grabber - Fender-esque bridge with side walls, Ripper - Gibson 3 point bridge Or go visit [url="http://www.flyguitars.com/gibson/bass/"]http://www.flyguitars.com/gibson/bass/[/url] for all your Gibson bass information needs up to the early 80s And don't forget the other "cousin" - the Gibson G-3...

[quote name='david_l_perry' timestamp='1400257065' post='2452395'] To be precise its just two night...but hey...its a tour Its with the Genesis Tribute band I work with First night is Friday 23rd at 'The Ferry' in Glasgow Sat 24th at Kinross - great little venue and a nice hotel stay over Details on the tinterweb [url="http://www.mama-genesis.co.uk/"]http://www.mama-genesis.co.uk/[/url] For anybody into Genesis (Collins [i]and [/i]Gabriel era) its a must see show Dave [/quote] Dash and bother it Dave. I would have gladly come down and see you guys in Kinross but I'm gigging in Edinburgh that night. I will catch you one of these days!

For a simple overlay of a bass track on top of a pre-existing wav/mp3, I find Audacity more than capable enough for that. No need to get a fully featured DAW - and thank God for that - I cannot wrap my head around the angry fruit salad that is most DAWs I've encountered. BUTTON AND WIDGET OVERLOAD.

Does that mean that ParcelForce DO insure musical instruments for corporate clients?