tauzero

Personally, I wouldn't like a ramp. I played a ramp-equipped bass recently, and it interfered with my right-hand fingers (fortunately not with the left-hand ones, that could have been nasty). I'm sure they're useful for some players, but I am not among the "some".

I started on guitar, was a mediocre lead guitarist back in the 70s and the bar has been raised considerably since then. Or maybe I've just slid down the bar after too many drinks. I do still play guitar, for songwriting and for the acoustic duo that is myself and Mrs Zero, though I would like to expand the band to a four-piece and shift back to bass. My rhythm guitar skills are reasonable and I can fingerpick as well (I started learning on a classical and have always used both plectrum and fingers).

[quote name='OldGit' post='346241' date='Dec 5 2008, 10:55 AM']Too pretty to photograph [/quote] The camera would steal its soul.

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='345399' date='Dec 4 2008, 02:00 PM']Now THAT was a truly great movie.[/quote] Yebbut Alan Rrrrrrickman never went on to record a song about hobbits, or indeed any fictional or mythical creature.

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='343830' date='Dec 3 2008, 09:36 AM']Fascinating that Fender [seem to] have tried to disown this bass. Anyone know anything about this? Urban myth or is it true? If so, why?[/quote] Because it's pig-ugly?

[quote name='bilbo230763' post='345586' date='Dec 4 2008, 03:54 PM']To only play what I hear[/quote] Isn't that going to result in you only ever being able to play versions of John Cage's 4' 33" (short version, 12" remix, etc)? After all, if you don;t lay till you hear and there's nothing for you to hear because you're not playing, you're a bit stuck aren't you? Um, resolutions: Practice.

[quote name='martthebass' post='345369' date='Dec 4 2008, 01:38 PM']Just be careful getting the neck out of the pocket - don't want to chip the paint. Then again it's a Fender - you should be fine [/quote] You mean that as all the paint will drop off in a couple of weeks anyway, it doesn't really matter?

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='345720' date='Dec 4 2008, 05:06 PM']Oh it's coke I thought it was concrete.[/quote] I'm glad it wasn't just me.

As far as competition vs. cooperation goes, competition is a natural consequence of the acquisitive nature of humans and the fact that when a resource is in demand, there will be competition to obtain it, especially if the supply is perceived to be insufficient for the demand. There is also a hierarchic form to this - small groups will cooperate internally and compete with other small groups for certain things, but for other, larger things, will cooperate with other small groups to form a large group which will compete with other large groups. Parishes might compete for a new playground, towns for a Tesco, countries for the Olympics, and blocs (eg. the EU) for world trade. If someone with anarcho-socialist ideals wants to play a bass, what choices are there? Buying any bass from a large manufacturer is implicitly supporting capitalism, so it would have to be obtained from a luthier, but not a luthier who has used their own money to buy their tools and equipment as that is also capitalism. The luthier's tools would have to have been bought and owned by the state. And the tool-making company would also have to have had its equipment bought by the state, as otherwise that's capitalism by the back door. And don't get me started on amplifiers, it might be difficult making valves by hand but it's a lot easier than trying to make transistors or ICs by hand (the state doesn't seem to have got into the ownership of semiconductor fabrication plants yet).

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='343036' date='Dec 2 2008, 02:17 PM']Not having a pop at you, just this Media created, over used phrase.[/quote] It's not media created, it was created by the Tories a good few years ago. It was first used (IIRC) about some form of tax relief which was being removed from pension contributions, not at the contribution source but somewhere more obscured (and also IIRC it was actually John Major who put that one in place, but set it up to take effect a few years down the line). Then it starrted getting used about more and more things, to the extent that I think a rise in income tax rate would be called a "stealth tax".

[quote name='Wil' post='343122' date='Dec 2 2008, 03:54 PM']I've got a motorbike. I can fit a bass, a trout and a perch in my backpack.[/quote] I have fitted a Westone Quantum, a GK 200MB, a bag of leads and effects pedals, and a sleeping bag on the back of the Tigger.

[quote name='Currrls' post='342365' date='Dec 1 2008, 09:01 PM']as much as i try i just can't ignore the name on the headstock lol. lets face it. half of the reason for buying this bass is so that i dont have to wear something that says 'squire' on it around my neck[/quote] You wouldn't have a Chris Squire signature Rick? I can't think of any other bass with "Squire" on it.

[quote name='budget bassist' post='343705' date='Dec 3 2008, 12:06 AM']I disagree. You wouldn't go around a guitar shop, spot a really ugly bass and think "wow that's ugly, i might try it".[/quote] When I first played a Thumb 21 years ago, to me it looked rather odd - basses tended to be pretty lumpy, taking cues from Fenders (although there weren't many Fender clones around then). I was actually trying out an effects pedal and had had a Streamer given to me to try it with, but it was badly set up, so I took this odd-looking thing off the wall, started playing it, and had to have it, even though it cost double what my entire bass collection was worth. Traded in said bass collection and got a loan for the rest. Never regretted it.

I put mine (EUB, not acoustic DB) through a GK 200MB (older version of the MB150), but that's generally just as a personal monitor for me as the rest of the band are entirely acoustic. We feed everything through a Peavey XR886 and a pair of Peavey moulded speakers. I also occasionally use it with the BG rig, which currently consists of Ashdown Superfly and a homemade 2x10 using Skytronics speakers, which sounds good but is very inefficient.

Trouble is that they look like what they are, a load of ringbinder rings stuck on a bass. If you could find some way of doing something like that without it looking like a load of ringbinder rings, that would be good. You could try looking at the optical sheets [url="http://www.mutr.co.uk/index.php?cPath=6_414"]here[/url], which might contain something of interest.

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='342066' date='Dec 1 2008, 04:41 PM']One of the bidders placed a bid of £389.99 which is a silly amount to bid UNLESS you want someone to just beat you with a bid of £400![/quote] Oh. You mean you don't stick odd numbers of pennies onto the end of your bids? I always do. Might be that he really wanted to limit his highest bid to £380 but hated the thought that it might go for a couple of quid more than that.

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='342966' date='Dec 2 2008, 01:07 PM']I work for a small printers and for the past week or so we have been really busy with local companies getting their stationary re printed with the VAT change on it. For these small companies the 2.5% saving is costing them a fortune.[/quote] The govt themselves have estimated a cost to business of £175 million, so you can probably at least double that. Wonder how many places "17.5" is hard-coded in all the computer programs and spreadsheets in the UK...

[quote name='Mr Shiny Cadillackness' post='342836' date='Dec 2 2008, 11:29 AM']As for using corporate products, well, the's just a sad by-product of a capitalist society. To survive, one must conform at least to some extent. But there are basic survival necessities, luxuries and that grey area inbetween. For instance, I see using an ISP a necessary evil, to remain informed.[/quote] What bass and amp are you using?

[quote name='Dr.Dave' post='341744' date='Dec 1 2008, 11:33 AM']Dr D's fave mantra - buy the bass that feels right in your hands - anything else can be sorted with a screwdriver , a soldering iron and a spray gun.[/quote] Definitely. Try basses out without them plugged in initially. If they don't feel right, stop there. [quote name='Dr.Dave' post='341744' date='Dec 1 2008, 11:33 AM']I'd also advocate leaning towards classic , simple designs as a new bass owner. So I'm talking Jazz , Precision or Stingray styles. Of course you may want something different and whacky as your experience develops - but you can only break a rule if you know it first. If you took everyone who posts here off the forum if they didn't own one of these 3 design types there'd be about a dozen members left I should think. That says a lot to me.[/quote] My idea of hell would be a room containing just bassists who owned Jazzes, Precisions, or Stingrays... Don't be afraid to try out anything, regardless of what it looks like. The best 4-string I've ever played was not from the "three classic styles".

Not that taken with the body shape, but for some reason I don't like singlecuts anyway (I don't know why not, I can admire how well they've been made but I have some deep-rooted aversion to them). Great detail in the capping over the rear of the neck with that diagonally striped inlay.

[quote name='marcus bell' post='342230' date='Dec 1 2008, 06:53 PM']i love the idea of a food operated preamp[/quote] What do you feed a food operated preamp? Fish? A nice bit of sole would probably work, or maybe eel.

[quote name='squire5' post='342367' date='Dec 1 2008, 09:03 PM']Again Marcus,Ebay came to the rescue.Look under 'Dual concentric' in 'knobs'(oo-er missus).They come in 'short' and 'tall' versions.I used the tall one.[/quote] They're cheaper from [url="http://www.axesrus.com/axenob.htm"]AxesRUs (knobs, tips, strap locks, not knobs pots)[/url]. Look for the one that says "FITS ALPHA, ARTEC POTS".

I've used a Thumb for all of 1-7 plus 10, Hayman for 8 and Fender for 9.

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='341536' date='Nov 30 2008, 11:21 PM']I have no disagreement with the seller or the final price, it is worth what it is worth. However it ALWAYS sets alarm bells off when you have a bidder (i.e. bidder 11) putting in a bid of £389.99... £389.99... who 'genuinely' puts in a bid of £389.99 if they truly want to win something? Nobody, "not ever" puts a bid in of £XX9.99 if they want to win; that is a bid set to ensure that your shill bid is just below what you genuinely want. I've seen it soooooo many times you wouldn't believe it and if you don't trump that bid it is equally amazing how many 2nd chance offers you get. [/quote] But they didn't put in a bid of 399-99, they put in a bid of 401. However, 399-99 of the bid was used to cover the previous maximum of 389-99 plus the increment of 10. As soon as someone bid more than 409-99 (399-99 plus increment), the bid went to its maximum of 401, hence the next bidder had to bid at least 411.

[quote name='SteveO' post='341722' date='Dec 1 2008, 11:16 AM']It cost me a tenner 5 years ago, havent played it for 2 years coz in my opinion it's a bag of sh*te. so either I [i]am [/i]a victim of hype and I didn't like it coz I'm thinking it's a cheap jap copy, or fender p's really are overhyped overpriced planks...[/quote] In fairness, a tenner probably isn't overpriced for it. You should be able to get fifteen for it from the [s]deluded[/s] Fender lovers on here.