tauzero

Looks as if they've made one, painted it blue, the the designer's come along and said "no, [i]this[/i] is how I wanted it" and painted his real design on top.

[quote name='chris_b' post='207091' date='May 27 2008, 10:09 AM']What's the betting that in another 50 years the Precision will still be with us?[/quote]
Of course they will. Look how long it took to eradicate smallpox.

[quote name='Tee' post='207052' date='May 27 2008, 09:11 AM']Hmm, i'd say the Precision was a design classic, so a 'Mondeo' would be far off the mark imo. More like a VW Beetle, or a Mini.[/quote]
More like a Harley Davidson Sportster. Ludicrously over-priced, under-performing, there's lots of Oriental copies, plus some specialist builders who make vastly improved versions of it, and it was overtaken by the competition decades ago.

[quote name='Jonny Walker' post='207928' date='May 28 2008, 11:36 AM']I have never understood why people buy copy fenders.... not that i am a huge fan but it seems to me (outsider) that Fender came up with their perfect bass and every other luthier copied the plan to get some sales.... and everyones buying into it... surely if you want a fender buy a fender?[/quote]
Innate conservatism of bassists and the fear of going outside the comfort zone of a familiar body shape. Fenders are far too expensive for mass-produced lumps of wood with strings on, so the timorous bassist goes for something that looks the same but is better value for money. Let's face it, people who play P-basses and J-basses really just want to return to the womb.

[quote name='bnt' post='205462' date='May 24 2008, 11:37 AM']It would be a bit difficult to aim. Bass frequencies are notoriously non-directional, so protecting the "good guys" would be a serious challenge.[/quote]
ISTR being told at school when we were doing sound that at least one of the weapons that used infrasound actually used two ultrasound notes, pitched a few Hz apart, so the infrasound was generated by the beat frequency.

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='205716' date='May 24 2008, 09:40 PM']There'll never be a situation where I'll do without backline.[/quote]
I tried it with the barn dance band for a few gigs. I think it might have worked had it been an all-electric band, but it's actually an all-acoustic band (but with pickups on the various instruments) plus me. I just use the backline to effectively bring the bass up to the same level as the acoustic instruments, and then run it into the PA, so I don't run it at huge volumes. For the covers band, I just run backline without it going into the PA.

[quote name='cheddatom' post='204411' date='May 22 2008, 04:49 PM']I like to go and "jam" with my girlfriend, but I wouldn't want to be in a band that takes gigs and money etc seriously. It'd stress me out.[/quote]
Two of the three bands I'm in include both of us, so it's not a problem.

[quote name='rbatts2000' post='204399' date='May 22 2008, 04:42 PM']What about setting up an 'audition' for the future Mrs. Zero just to see how it goes. The drummer and guitarist may like what they hear...[/quote]
The objection is to the principle of having a female vocalist at all. They've both heard her sing - she's done "Bad moon rising" with the band and also the drummer and his wife have seen our acoustic duo. I shall just have to see whether Sue (the drummer's wife and our occasional keyboard player) might exert a bit of pressure...

[quote name='finnbass' post='207600' date='May 27 2008, 09:32 PM']Who else would have bought this?[/quote]
Definitely. Ah well, there'll be another one along sometime.

[quote name='ahpook' post='201581' date='May 18 2008, 03:55 PM']well, maplins have proved to be no use trying to source the replacement caps for the power supply....[/quote]
Tried [url="http://rswww.com/"]RS[/url] or [url="http://www.cricklewoodelectronics.com/Cricklewood/home.php"]Cricklewood Electronics[/url]?

[quote name='Burg' post='200264' date='May 16 2008, 11:01 AM']I'm miffed about the 2X500watt thing as well. It's gives the same problem as the superfly did. The whole point is a lightweight portable rig. This is from the Ashdown website:

"Just sling the amp over your shoulder, pick up a cabinet in one hand and your bass in the other – and you're on the way to the gig! "

Nice idea, but it doesn't really work if you have to carry two cabs to the gig.[/quote]
So rewire a 4x10 so it will run as a single 4x10 or two 2x10s. I've done something like this, only with a 2x10 cab that will run as 2x10 at 4 ohms or 2 1x10 at 8 ohms each.

I've seen [url="http://www.sportube.com/pages/home.html"]Sportube[/url] mentioned for similar applications, and bow cases (although the ones I've found have been too small).

[quote name='Bassworm' post='202971' date='May 20 2008, 04:24 PM']If it's any help, I'm told that the earlier Warwicks have a much slimmer neck profile than the recent ones. Phaps you need to do a swap? :-)[/quote]
They do. I have an '87 Thumb and it's lovely to play. I can't stand the later Warwick necks.

[quote name='markbass555' post='201979' date='May 19 2008, 10:33 AM']looking for a 5 string but looking for one with the a narrow neck...[/quote]
I've got a frankenbass with a Westfield Precision neck and Wilkinson 4-to-5-string adaptor bridge - so it's a 4-string bass with 5 strings on it. It would be rather impractical for you to try it out, but it's a route worth considering. It's very playable - I found it easier to play than a 4-string Jazz.

I was going to do the standard moan in the "How was your gig" thread about the singer (more random rearrangements of songs, breaking in on soloes, talking through the instrumental section of "Music", blathering uncontrollably, interminably, and unintelligibly between songs) but couldn't be arsed. However, I did have some good news on Tuesday evening - he's leaving. Or, in fact, has left. Which means we're back to a three-piece temporarily until we get a singer.

The future Mrs Zero can sing rather well and would love to be in the band, but the band axis is the drummer and guitarist (I've only been in for three years, so I'm a newcomer) and they're reluctant to have a female singer for some reason. I think they're being rather closed-minded. Still, I shall carry on trying, and I suspect the drummer's wife will also try putting her oar in for the future Mrs Zero.

[quote name='The Burpster' post='200101' date='May 16 2008, 07:09 AM']I feel some of you are missing the point......

This is not a 'perfect bass' thread its a signature bass thread....

the two are not necassarily the same or even in the same street!!![/quote]
So presumably your signature bass is the bass you are most associated with? For me, that would probably be a fretless 4-string Warwick Thumb NT. I think having my signature (such as it is) inlaid in MoP (or MoTS) into the front would be quite tasty too. Dammit, [url="http://news.harmony-central.com/Newp/2001/Jack-Bruce-Bass.html"]some bastard's beaten me to it...[/url]

It'll have to be the Tony Tsai 5-string then.

[quote name='Buzz' post='203427' date='May 21 2008, 02:46 AM']I'd probably take one of the Lodestone Primal ones as well, just so I'd finally have one on hand to have a go with, after all, if you're doing headlining stadium tours, £800 isn't too much to have a play with one.[/quote]
They're all right. Definitely nothing special in the playability stakes, and I didn't bother with trying one plugged in.

[quote name='Viajero' post='203166' date='May 20 2008, 07:20 PM']Afaik, H is B natural in Germany and various other places round that way. I've had charts in this country with it on too, though, where Bb is in the key and H is clearer than Bnat.[/quote]
That's the one. I don't know why though - I first encountered it in a Peter Gabriel transcription where the chords at one part went C C/H Am, which caused head-scratching...

The future Mrs Zero has actually called a moratorium on bass (and other) purchases until we're in the house, due to lack of space. There has been a certain flexibility to the moratorium, it must be said. Still, I can hold out till the end of May...

Not only does she approve of my bass playing, she also thinks I'm good. Which is nice. As two of the bands are bands that we're both in (her calling and me on bass in the barn dance band, her singing and me g*itaring in the acoustic duo), she doesn't miss any of those gigs, and the only gigs she misses of the covers band are when there's a booking conflict or when we can't get a babysitter [1]. One room of the house is to be used as the computer and music room (which it was before, in fact, but that was when the former Mrs Zero was in residence). And she wants guitars and basses on display in the lounge and dining room. So I'm happy with her, and she's almost happy with me (it's the genetic predisposition to untidiness that she has a problem with).

[1] Why do they still get called "babysitters" when the baby in question is 12?

[quote name='iain1985' post='202351' date='May 19 2008, 06:18 PM']Its all originals and they have stuff recorded. What do I do ? Do i figure it out note for note or work out my own parts for it? If anyone could give me any advice it would be much apprecieated, not just on playing the songs, but on anything else i might come across. cheers.[/quote]
If they're still gigging with the old bassist, try and get to a gig.

Go through the recorded stuff and work out which bits (if any) need to be note for note and also if there's any nice licks you'd like to copy anyway.

Make sure you've got everything you'll need for the audition before you set out. Write out a checklist if you've got a memory like mine.

Duracells definitely make the best sound - due to their heavier weight, they produce a far more satisfying "thump" when they hit our vocalist.

I put a Procell into my wireless (an AT 1400 IIRC) because I'd forgotten my rechargeable PP3s. It's done three gigs so far (about 7 hours on time).

[quote name='Jase' post='202630' date='May 20 2008, 09:35 AM']......so it's basically the look rather than the tone difference?[/quote]
There's a slight difference in the way they play, too - more noticeable on a g*itar though. If you use side-to-side vibrato, a rosewood board is generally rougher than a maple board and less smooth doing the side-to-side (or string bending generally).

I've had one bass with a maple fretboard, a Hayman 40/40, and that sounded really dull. Of course that would have been the fretboard and not the five year old flatwound Rotosounds then...

[quote name='thinman' post='201105' date='May 17 2008, 04:21 PM']Who are the biggest bas talents you know of with the worst gear?

(Or the reverse! My vote would go to some of the people at a Hedge Fund manager's "Hedgestock" event.)[/quote]
For the reverse, I'd have said Adam Clayton if he used decent basses, but he uses Fenders so that's OK.

[quote name='bass_ferret' post='201797' date='May 18 2008, 10:17 PM']And I Was Made To Love Her that even Stevie Wonder says was Jamerson.[/quote]
I'm not sure I'd want to call Stevie Wonder as an eye witness though...

[quote name='Dr.Dave' post='201012' date='May 17 2008, 01:22 PM']Kismet intervenes and by tomorrow your current band is massive , you're a multi squillionaire and about to do a world stadium tour.

...

My Shukerised Status 3000
another Shukerised Status 3000 just in case
One of Jon Shukers Artist fretless jobbies with the 'Shirtlifter' pickup system.[/quote]
Erm, two new Shukers by tomorrow? You're having a giraffe. Either that, or paying him an awful lot of money...

For me, the Tsai 7-string and 5-string fretted, and the two Thumbs. And a Tsai 5-string fretless the same as the 5-string fretted.