neepheid

Most recently, Gary Numan's "Cars". I can't get it out of my head now

Yes, I do have to like the look of the bass. They are as much [i]objets d'art[/i] as they are instruments. There are styles I will not buy even if they're the nicest sounding/playing basses in the world. Colour is not so much a consideration for me. I'm not quite as shallow as a puddle, but I'm definitely the shallow end of the swimming pool.

[quote name='Gust0o' timestamp='1329082598' post='1537034'] What? You wouldn't let someone have a noodle if they were admiring backstage? A 45 minute set would be a different question, but am happy to let people look - and I'm sure we've seen your Grabber doing the rounds at a bass bash. Same thing, no? As sod's law would have it, the Gibson shipped a string this afternoon, mid-studio. Topical question, as I had the moment of panic wondering if I'd f***ed it. You might all be right about just living with it, as I think I knew the answer before I started. Good to hear commentary on the Epis, as gives a route to look down. Thanks chaps. [/quote] In my opinion the bass bash is a controlled (read "sober") environment in which bassists (most of whom I know personally or at least on here/Finnbass) get to have a shottie of my basses while I get to have a shottie of theirs whereas at a gig it's a random, possibly intoxicated Tom, Dick, Harry or Harriet asking for a shottie of my bass. Not the same thing at all to me. It's different if I know AND trust them, but otherwise the answer is no. I suppose that makes me a meanie.

I should add that there's no way in Hell any other bands are getting their mitts on my basses. Not sure why this requirement is stated when you're so careful of your bass and self critical after the potential consequences.

Far Eastern Grabber copies exist, if you could score a genuine Grabber pickup from somewhere then maybe that's an avenue to explore? Or you could try to live with the fact that instruments are like any tool, it is possible they might get damaged in use. I own 4 Gibsons and I practice and gig with them all, including my beautifully refinished Victory. There's no doubt that I'll be a bit annoyed when it picks up its first ding, but the music goes on regardless.

I own heavy basses, I own light basses. They all sound good (to me) because of the pickups, electronics and strings and while I'm not completely closed minded to the idea that wood type/density will have some influence on tone, I'd be surprised if it was more than 10% influence - if anyone could ever put a figure on it. I don't think weight/density makes one bass better than another, just different. I sympathise with people who have physical difficulties with heavy basses and I feel lucky that I am physically able to play any bass I choose. The right strap makes all the difference. My two heaviest basses (>12lbs) have Neotech Mega straps and it makes them comfy for the whole set.

No regrets here. My first bass was an Epiphone EB-3 and while it turned out to be just about everything I didn't want in a bass, at least it started me out in a Gibson-y frame of mind rather than a Fender one so I suppose I should be thankful for that

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1328980544' post='1535653'] Well since I've never driven an NSX or a Ferrari I'd probably jump at the chance to drive either of them...............even if it was just to Tescos and back frankly. By the way we may have a mutual friend - Angus McCurrach (he's played with The Oxbow Lake Band) and now plays on a set of Flintstones drums with 'The Trybe' up your way. [/quote] Heh, yes I know Angus. He left the Oxbow Lake Band before I joined but I have bumped into him a couple of times - in fact we played with The Trybe at a gig last year Oops, thread hijack

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1328978160' post='1535585'] Don't ask me? I think it's probably because it's a classic design. There's probably a thousand other basses out there made by other manufacturers which are better in many ways but you don't fantasise about driving through the Swiss Alps in a Honda NSX you fantasise about driving through the Swiss Alps in a Ferrari. [/quote] I'd rather have a go in the NSX to be perfectly honest. I also dislike Jazz basses. Everyone's different

[quote name='mart' timestamp='1328891380' post='1534480'] Yes, technically, you're right: if those were the only two ground wires connected to the plug then it wouldn't matter which way round they went. But .... in my experience the case of the socket is usually in contact with the cavity shielding (either by touching, or by some other ground wire). And this is, by far, the most common cause of "the battery on my active bass drains really fast" syndrome. [/quote] Cool - sounds like a "best practice" thing that a bodger like me tends to forget/never know in the first place

[quote name='mart' timestamp='1328885791' post='1534370'] NO! NO! NO! The battery ground is wired to the jack socket like this to ensure the battery is disconnected when your cable is unplugged, and for this to work, you need the two ground connections round the right way. (Otherwise the earth wires on your bass will complete the circuit, and your battery will be drained before you've finished reading this post). So you need to connect the battery black wire to the barrel tag on the jack socket. [/quote] Even if the only two wires in question are the ground from the preamp and the -ve to the battery? I'm happy to be wrong (in fact that might clear up something that's been puzzling me for a while) but the two (ring/sleeve) terminals are not connected when there's no plug inserted and a gap's a gap, isn't it?

[quote name='V4lve' timestamp='1328872410' post='1533989'] Unbodged! [/quote] I hope the screws are long enough - I put one of those retainers on an OLP MM3 - it pinged out on one side under the stress.

I got a Gibson RD Artist (not in a hard case) delivered from the Netherlands for €40 back in September if that helps. While sussing that out I'm also a bit peeved to find out that the value of the Euro vs. £ has decreased since then and it would have cost me £100 less if I had bought it today. Damn it!

This of course relies upon people being able to put things in the right place. But fundamentally, as someone with zero interest in basses with more than 4 strings, I would also welcome it.

I tried D'Addario XL half rounds once - I really didn't like them. I found them sticky when sliding. Has probably put me off wasting any money on this avenue in the future, so the only way I'll do any further experimenting is if I play a bass which already has them fitted.

top tip - top == tip. It doesn't matter which way round the two earth connections are as long as they are between ring and sleeve. So the blue wire that goes to the socket should go to what looks like the shortest terminal on the socket. The other two can go on the remaining terminals in either order.

[quote name='ikay' timestamp='1328790507' post='1532630'] Thanks Pete, I like the idea of the short scale Woody as well. I'm not sure whether this and the JC have been discontinued but I can't find either of them in stock anywhere. Be a shame if they have been dropped [/quote] I don't think the JC has been discontinued - word around the campfire is that they're about to bring it out in silver burst: Excuse the disgustingly large photo, but that's lifted off the Epiphone website.

[quote name='bkman42' timestamp='1328731115' post='1531914'] Hi, Thinking of getting one of these basses in vintage white ;-) Quick question.......Is the radius of the neck flat or curved? I'm more of a p-bass than a jazz neck person so just wondering if it's somewhere in between. [/quote] Well, I can't comment on that exact model, but I have a BB614 and the neck does indeed feel like something between a P and a J. I also prefer a chunkier neck but I've found it very comfortable. The BB424X has a fingerboard radius of 10" according to Yamaha's website.

and little old me: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uHrZZFkF4c"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uHrZZFkF4c[/url]

Ok, done: Rich and Ewan: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayxkgMdb2rI[/media] Gary: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeQ57KOz2bw[/media]

I don't suppose a lot of this makes much sense as we're predominantly an originals band, with a few covers sprinkled in, but hey ho. Neanderthal Blues Economic Migrant Blues North All The Same Day Dreamin' Now That You're Gone Boy Angus Is A Dreamer A Credit To This World The Lang Reel O' Collieston The Fisherman Sings (Oh And He Sings) Driven To Dance Desert Covers: Bring Down The Birds - Herbie Hancock Goo Goo Barabajagal - Donovan I Feel Like A Child - Devendra Banhart Louie Louie - The Kingsmen 007 (Shanty Town) - Desmond Dekker We often like to end with Louie Louie, getting progressively faster until the drummer decides he's had enough

I have found a way to rip the video out of Google+, any objections to me reposting it up on YouTube?

To all the people who are complaining about the price of things: how happy would you be if I said - with no knowledge of what you do and what it entails - that I didn't think the work you do isn't worth the salary you receive? I'd wager you wouldn't be terribly happy with me.

[quote name='Al Heeley' timestamp='1328622881' post='1530126'] Can I ask: 2 batteries better than one? I have a apir of SB basslines pickups powered by a 9V pp3, it has pasive controls (JB wiring). I'm taking the passive pots pout and adding a 3-band eq pre-amp, also 9v. Do i use a separate battery for pickups and pre-amp, single 9V to power both, or 18V in series to power both? Can't seem to find any recommendation in the literature about this. [/quote] Unless it is documented that either of these components will take 18V then I don't think you should feed it to them. Also if you stick at 9V then I would just take the feed off one battery, otherwise when it stops working how will you know which battery is dead? It is unlikely that the pickups and the preamp drain power at exactly the same rate...

[quote name='kerley' timestamp='1328617613' post='1529981'] No, I am not trying to tell you where to buy your goods and buying from the west is clearly not racist. What I am saying is that some people value a product on the country in which it is made rather than on quality/workmanship alone and seem to think it will be better made solely because it is made in the US for example. That is the racist aspect. And yes, buying on price and quality does not equal capitalism. Quality takes more time so costs more in any way you look at it. [/quote] I don't think it's as personally directed as racism. For me, it is based upon historical evidence of quality. I remember when I was growing up that every silly toy that you found in a Christmas cracker had "Made in Hong Kong" stamped on it, along with poor plastic mouldings which had leaked at the edges and it generally was 1) not very good at what it was supposed to do (leaping frogs for example) and 2) fell apart by the end of Christmas Day. You carry those experiences with you, and it informs your opinion on things. It's got nothing to do with the people, or the place, just the perceived quality of the products which happen to bear the country name. It's all nonsense now, the quality of products coming from the Far East now are vastly superior than they were and I'm open-minded enough to embrace that as an inevitability. Not everyone is, but I'm willing to bet that most of the time the negative opinion expressed of Far Eastern goods is based upon the historical experience of product quality, rather than someone objecting to it on grounds such as "some dirty, yellow skinned, slitty eyed, commie Chinese slimeball had his greasy, dirty, commie Chinese hands all over that bass so I won't touch it.". I'm not so naive that I think it doesn't happen, but I'll wager it's the minority.