neepheid

Well, I took the black beast to band practice last night and zomg-can-i-has-sustain? This thing just rings on and on. There's a song we do that needs a couple of long sustained notes while the guitarist does something and I don't think I heard it start to decay in between notes (4 bars!) I do believe that the body is chambered, I was having a poke about inside and the pickup wires did not come out of a little hole, but a massive hole I could poke a screwdriver in and wiggle it around in. Mind you, it's so thick back to front that I suppose it ought to be chambered, otherwise it'd need a stand! It's wonderful to play, very comfortable, the wide neck suits me and I was able to whizz around with some ease. If I had bought this bass when I started then I might not have been so GAS afflicted in my formative bass years. Unfortunately, it also means that it does render some of my other basses somewhat redundant, so there might be a fire sale soon. BB - I hear what you're saying, and my enmity towards the 3-point bridge is well documented. However, I don't think I've got any choice in this - I suspect that the carved top means that the only viable replacement (Hipshot Supertone) won't work as it relies on a flat surface to work. Furthermore, a 2 piece bridge and a pickup selector switch does not warrant spending 4-5 times as much on a Gibson. I take comfort in the fact that this looks soooooo much better than Epiphone's current Les Paul bass offering (the "Special" - [url="http://www.epiphone.com/default.asp?ProductID=265&CollectionID=12"]http://www.epiphone.com/default.asp?Produc...CollectionID=12[/url] - so flat, plain and boring imho)

[quote name='mjpovey' post='400260' date='Feb 4 2009, 06:16 PM']Just came across this [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ELECTRO-ACOUSTIC-BASS-GUITAR-LOVELY-SOUND_W0QQitemZ110346727090QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item110346727090&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2%7C65%3A10%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ELECTRO-ACOUSTIC-BAS...A1%7C240%3A1318[/url] any thoughts? personally im worried by any listing that gives height top - bottom?? Myles[/quote] You should be worried - it means whoever is selling it knows hee-haw about guitars. Plus at this price point it's bound to be firewood. I had something similar once, it was awful, poor cosmetically, intonation all over the place, inconsistent response from the piezo, just dreadful. I ended up giving it away, I couldn't sleep at night if I took money for it. There are nice acoustic basses out there for a little bit more which are more worthy of your attention.

One of my local music shops has been trying to sell the same Gibson T-bird for over a year now - it's got dings/scratches in it and a layer of dust on the bridge etc. yet they still want £900 for it. Yeah, right.

[quote name='Born 2B Mild' post='399820' date='Feb 4 2009, 11:44 AM']It's crying out for a Gotham City theme a la [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=40119"]this thread[/url][/quote] No, no, no, crown inlays will be just fine

[quote name='yorks5stringer' post='399970' date='Feb 4 2009, 01:46 PM']You will notice Gift Aid is added to your donation so the Charity "Live Music Now" also receive a nice windfall from your money.[/quote] If you say yes to the question "Are you donating in return for a ticket to an event/raffle/auction?" then Gift Aid doesn't apply, according to the site

[quote name='PauBass' post='399889' date='Feb 4 2009, 12:42 PM']- Is it going to affect the overall sound? I mean, when adding the jazz pickup, the soloed P pickup will sound the same or it will change the tone?[/quote] If it's wired up properly then it will make an imperceptible difference. You'll be introducing another pot into the circuit (assuming you're going VVT) [quote]- I've heard about problems when balancing the two pickups, one being more powerfull than the other, how do you guys go around this problem?[/quote] Turn the more powerful one down a little? [quote]- If possible I'd like to keep the P pickup, because I love the tone it has and just add a jazz one, which one would you recommend me?[/quote] Man, take your pick. There probably is the most variety in jazz pickups than any other type. I wouldn't like to say. I have a Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounder in the bridge position of my MM/J custom build, but it has trouble being heard over the MM. To be honest though, I tend to use either one or the other depending on what I want to achieve. [quote]- Another possibility I'm thinking is a set of Sadowskys PJ but not sure if the overall sound will change too much from the original Fender... what do you think? I assume Sadowsky will have the pickup balance sorted so: [url="https://secure.sadowsky.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=76_43_44&products_id=69&osCsid=ada8ae4917c72dde9a328ac7bedbf83a"]https://secure.sadowsky.com/store/product_i...a328ac7bedbf83a[/url][/quote] I couldn't possibly comment on that. [quote]- How much do you reckon it will cost to have the routing and pickups installed?[/quote] No idea, I'd do it myself. [quote]Any other recommendations?[/quote] Remember that you'll likely be installing another control. Usually that means bumping the tone pot down to where the jack socket is and then routing out a side mounted jack socket. Squeezing it onto the pickguard looks cluttered and wrong to me, but each to their own. Are you sure you want to do this? It might be safer to get hold of a secondhand Squier PJ and see what you think. You'll get most if not all of your money back on resale. Alternatively, get a Jazz as well.

[quote name='Born 2B Mild' post='399788' date='Feb 4 2009, 10:59 AM']But where are the bats?[/quote] Bats? Err, I ate them? No, that was Ozzy.

[quote name='simon1964' post='399774' date='Feb 4 2009, 10:42 AM']I've never played a Gibson style bass, but I can't deny they look cool! I trust you wear it on a ridiculously long strap, playing with a pick [/quote] Pfft, I most certainly do not - that kind of nonsense is for young pups whose joints don't click yet. Besides, I can barely play bass with it in a comfortable position as it is!

I'm (always) willing to stand corrected but you'll get a better (high mass) bridge with the Squier Classic Vibe. Plus the fact that it is a bonny looking P with its amber tinted neck. I doubt you'll be disappointed with either to be honest. It just depends how important to you having the F-word on your headstock is. Personally I'd go for the Squier, I don't give a monkey's what's printed on it, it's a seriously nice looking bass, a regular Fender Mex will look a little too clean and sterile for my tastes (although you will get a choice of body colour that way). And welcome to the Jazz dislikers club. Choose Precision Bass for its ... umm ... precision Seriously though, it's those thin necks I can't get on with, that and the wadge of chrome on the body.

I saw this on the evilBay and I just had to have it! I'm too tight/skint to own a Gibson, but frankly after playing this one I don't see why I should! This beast is the loudest passive bass I have ever played and isn't it pretty with its carved top and binding? No neck dive either, which I found amazing considering the small body and massive long/wide neck (2mm wider than a P at the nut!). It's got some battle scars but I managed to polish some of it out and I think it look sweet. Definitely going to take it to band practice tonight so we'll see if it's as serious as it looks. I might change the knobs - I'm not sure how well amber works with the rest of it, but apart from that, it's sweet.

I'd steer clear of their flatwounds - so much string tension I could hardly move 'em!

Welcome to the forum

[quote name='Beedster' post='398800' date='Feb 3 2009, 12:21 PM']You can opt out. I think there's some blue text near the top right of your page saying 'opt out of beta' or similar[/quote] It's not as simple as that, I fear. I am opted out, My eBay displays old skool style as I expect it, along with a link at the top offering to try out the beta (no ta!). It only looks different when I view items.

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='398762' date='Feb 3 2009, 12:03 PM']I find that it sticks if you use eBay[b].com[/b] then go into your own one (ebay[b].co.uk[/b]) therefore I avoid .com like the plague and only log into .co.uk. Clear your cache and then log back in and it should go back to "normal".... at least until it becomes mandatory. [/quote] Nope, I signed out, cleared my cache, went back into .co.uk, signed in and looked at a listing. Still "new" format. I guess I'll just have to get used to it.

eBay listings look weird to me today - all Fisher-Price and touchy-feely, ugh. Is this the beta thing that's been going on for a while and I'm finally being forced to use it?

Yeah, I guess an update is due from me also: [b]Current[/b] 2007 Custom build (SD MM/J QP/Artec 2EQ/Hipshot A-style bridge/Schaller BMFL tuners) Fecker Imprecision (Squier body/neck with Badass II, SD QP pup, Fender Mex tuners) Squier Bronco (modified with Lipstick pup, 4 saddle bridge, full size tuners) Warwick Rockbass Corvette Standard 4 Epiphone EB-0 (modified with DiMarzio Model One pup, Hipshot Supertone bridge, Hipshot Ultralite tuners) Takamine acoustic bass (needs truss rod nut replaced though) [b]On the way in[/b] DeArmond Starfire (if my brother ever posts it (or I go down there and get it myself)) Epiphone Les Paul Standard bass (moment of weakness - black with cream binding - oops, expected on Wednesday) [b]On the way out[/b] Epiphone EB-3 ([url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=39716"]for sale thread[/url]) [b]Been and gone[/b] Squier Jazz OLP MM3 I think I need to get rid of one more, but the trouble is I feel personally invested in the ones I've modded

Welcome to the forum

[quote name='Maxcat' post='397347' date='Feb 1 2009, 10:44 PM']Sorry for being dense. How do you know if it can take the extra tension?[/quote] Not very helpful, but if the neck snaps, then it couldn't take it. Seriously though, some flats exert more tension than others. I have limited experience with flats, but I wouldn't get Rotosound flatwounds - I found them so tense I could hardly move them while playing!

Heh, and I just gave him his money back because I bought a 2U rack case from him for my naked, homeless Hartke 3500 head. Everything went swimmingly!

Epiphone EB-3. I bought it on a whim because it was pretty. As it isn't the easiest things to play, it then became an ornament for a few years before I finally decided to get serious about it.