dc2009

[quote name='molan' post='1243310' date='May 24 2011, 07:22 PM']Is it the same as this one at BassGear? [url="http://www.bassgear.co.uk/products-page/accessories/tech-21/sansamp-1-u-rackmount-bass-preamp/"]http://www.bassgear.co.uk/products-page/ac...nt-bass-preamp/[/url] If so then Phil has them in stock at £269 [/quote] That's the ticket, and I hadn't even heard of it!

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1243240' date='May 24 2011, 06:38 PM']Get a fiver And how could you number all the notes with at least 80 choices even on a 4 string? If they had what would you of called B string notes, Minus numbers? All other methods including tab limit you to that instrument as you say you now know what a 3 on the second string is or whatever but if you can read an F is an F and all you need to do now is learn where the notes are on the instrument of choice rather than it's equivalent sort of tab just for that instrument.[/quote] I meant numerically per string, as tab does now? :s

So just been looking at Tech 21 Sansamp RBI's, new, via the tech 21 site, you are greeted with a list price of $329, not bad I thought, so I checked the UK prices. The cheapest being £335 at DV247, and it was £399 at GAK, which is strange as they're normally some of the best for price. I was understandably a bit hacked off at this obscene price difference, is there really a decent reason for it? I'm seriously considering importing one of the US ones, because I think it would be cheaper to do so. I remember similarly, with my Dean (Edge q4 Bartolini) which I bought through a US music shop's ebay store (new). They shipped it in an indestructible Gator Hard/Soft case which they threw in for nothing, and including import tax, the thing got to my door for just under £400, the price for the UK, given by Dean's distributors here (Bill Lewington IIRC) for the exact same model was £500, and many shops had it on sale at more than that. So why do we get ripped off here, and has anyone else got any success stories of beating it by importing directly from outside the UK? Dan

As far as my own playing goes, I rely solely on my ear I think. When I am given a song to write a bassline to in a band environment, I almost always have what I want it to sound like in my head, and then play it. I wouldn't say that my rudimentary knowledge of scales and keys assists me at all, but I know that from one note to the next, where I am likely to want to put my fingers, it might take a coupla goes to hammer out the precise bits of it, but it's there in my head, knowing any musical theory or not. I do however hope to start to learn to sight read score, but I do like my current arrangement where the numbers on the tab give me the position, and the score notes give me the duration. IMO tab is the most logical and sensible way to relay hand positions for fretting instruments (violins etc included). This is to do with how you fluent sight readers no longer read the name 'D', but initially you did. Similarly, I suppose I've used tabs for so long I don't read 3 and think third fret, I simply remember where my hand goes. I think that if the instruments were re-invented today, or on an alien world, you would label the positions numerically, not according to the note they produce. The other issue for me with wishing to learn to sight read is that I have previously been in bands where we use different tunings, and I can envisage being in such a position again (my current band does use drop D on the one song too). It is not useful to learn that a D on the score corresponds to however many fret positions on the fretboard as doddy put it earlier, if those positions are not necessarily always the same - obviously if you never play out of standard tuning they are, but if you want to play in a different tuning, tab is without a doubt the more logical system.

So I was thinking last night: for those of you that sight read a score, when you read, how do you convert that into bass playing? What I mean to say is, do you read a note on the score and think, that's an A and then go for the most convenient A position on your fretboard, or do you read a note and think, that corresponds to a certain position of my fingers on the neck/fretboard (i.e. you read a note which happens to be a D and your hand instinctively is at 5th fret on the A string, without actually considering that the note is a D)? I think this is akin to learning another language in a language other than your mother tongue, as in to say, do you 'translate' the word twice, or can you bypass the intermediate stage.

[quote name='cetera' post='1242721' date='May 24 2011, 10:55 AM']Loving the Spectors [/quote] mmm, the rainbow one is cool for sure, and the tops on the other two are so nicely figured, hence their inclusion

[quote name='Roland Rock' post='1242385' date='May 23 2011, 10:23 PM']Lovely, although I'm not crazy about the rainbow one. There's also a Classic series Stingray on there (can't get the link to work properly) that has possibly the nicest maple neck I've ever seen.[/quote] I liked the originality of the rainbow one. Though out of all of them, I gotta say that PRS is up there with Ritters as one of the nicest basses I have ever seen. Not seen anything quite like it before either.

Some of these basses are so beautiful I creamed many times over. Here are some links for you to admire: A lovely PRS: [url="http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=ja&rurl=translate.google.co.jp&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http://1484.bz/shibuya/347075/&usg=ALkJrhiTaeEti4ZTrQ4pL9Rm5fefjU9g1w"]http://translate.googleusercontent.com/tra...pL9Rm5fefjU9g1w[/url] A few spectors, the top one is unbelievable: [url="http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=ja&rurl=translate.google.co.jp&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http://1484.bz/shibuya/341713/&usg=ALkJrhgLrTfx95arABLlCrblxYJSXZWjAg"]http://translate.googleusercontent.com/tra...lCrblxYJSXZWjAg[/url] [url="http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=ja&rurl=translate.google.co.jp&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http://1484.bz/shibuya/341714/&usg=ALkJrhgjGLIGSp_jhBRqhmen11DLoeyuBQ"]http://translate.googleusercontent.com/tra...qhmen11DLoeyuBQ[/url] [url="http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=ja&rurl=translate.google.co.jp&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http://1484.bz/shibuya/130192/&usg=ALkJrhjd-zXNq0pSsDF9xsYAqQMYkoxO8A"]http://translate.googleusercontent.com/tra...9xsYAqQMYkoxO8A[/url] A noice jazz: [url="http://translate.google.co.jp/translate?hl=ja&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2F1484.bz%2Fshibuya%2Fc1"]http://translate.google.co.jp/translate?hl...%2Fshibuya%2Fc1[/url] And a status: [url="http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=ja&rurl=translate.google.co.jp&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http://1484.bz/shibuya/126036/&usg=ALkJrhjpc9pnWvjZWRPK-e-st_-oJIG9dw"]http://translate.googleusercontent.com/tra...K-e-st_-oJIG9dw[/url] AND THIS: [url="http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=ja&rurl=translate.google.co.jp&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http://1484.bz/shibuya/94700/&usg=ALkJrhicpLkilgE6IiDYeHV5iH_HGl4MrQ"]http://translate.googleusercontent.com/tra...YeHV5iH_HGl4MrQ[/url] o.O Enjoy.

[quote name='ZMech' post='1242267' date='May 23 2011, 09:23 PM']I think you're underestimating the time each tube journey takes. If you're staying in shephards bush, I wouldn't recommend holborn as a stop off. This is as you want to get either the jubilee (grey) or metropolitan (purple) line to wembley park. Shepherds bush to holborn would be around 20mins+walking each end. Holborn to wembley then means gong back to bond street first then changing lines. Instead I'd suggest bond street is your easiest midpoint as it's on both the central and jubilee lines, so no unneeded travel, meaning more beer and chow time. Bond street to wembley park will take your at least 30 mins of time sitting in the train, i don't know how long the walks through the stations are (can add a few minutes each end sometimes). timeout will often find you a good place to eat, or maybe someone on here will know of one.[/quote] Team up Burger King with this month's vouchers and you have yourself a wonderful meal.

NancyJohnson, that is absolutely gorgeous, pretty much all I am gassing for right now is a 5er version of that exact bass, in that colour, though I'm fairly sure such a bass doesn't exist. When I'm famous I'll get an endorsement and make them make me one like that, and a black one with all gold hardwardwae incl pickguard - secksy!

[quote name='toneknob' post='1241895' date='May 23 2011, 05:11 PM']Both, really: Denmark St has indeed got all the shops but I'd never buy anything there; also just because there's a lot of tourists and places to eat in Leicester Sq it doesn't mean they're any good for tourism or food! [/quote] I doubt the thread starter was planning on buying anything with a champion's league final to attend, so in terms of volume of stuff to browse, denmark street has got to be it. I meant Chinatown for the food, and the food is almost certainly better than the stuff in Camden, which gave my mrs food poisoning only last week!

[quote name='billyapple' post='1241567' date='May 23 2011, 01:36 PM']I think you are right, but I've been looking second hand for a while now, and nothing (Decent) seems to come up. I thought what the hell, I'll go for a new one, but no one seems to have any of those either! I've got a P Bass and was wanting something different. I'm starting to think I'll get a new P Bass. Anyway, we'll see.[/quote] Decent ones come up from time to time, sometimes there's none, sometimes 4 or 5, check egay, gumtree etc for anything. Imo it's worth the wait, there was a nice black one on fleabay a while back that didn't sell at £700. Search completed listings, you might find it, make an offer! Or go for an off the shelf epi TB pro - imo they are the best TBs made by epiphone, and will fill your TB void until you can trade up to a gibson (that's what I'm doing).

[quote name='toneknob' post='1241716' date='May 23 2011, 03:18 PM']You're joking, right[/quote] Which bit?

I'd say dodge the bass cellar, but denmark street has all of the music shops, as well as proximity to leicester sq and chinatown for even better tourism and food!

[quote name='billyapple' post='1241117' date='May 23 2011, 05:53 AM']Why? Apart from saving a few quid?[/quote] The depreciation on a new, high-end bass like that is like that of a car. I'm all for spending thousands on a single bass, provided you have a decent guarantee of the resale value being not too much below what you bought it for. You may not plan to sell the thing, but it would be foolish not to think that you may want or need to one day. Gibson TBs are not that common S/H, but you save yourself a few knicker on the new model, and if you keep it in the condition you get it in, and pay a reasonable price, you can sell it on for as much or perhaps more realistically, at least get a reasonable figure for it if you trade it for another bass.

[quote name='billyapple' post='1240961' date='May 22 2011, 10:26 PM']I've been trying to buy one for a while now, but no one seems to stock them.. Seems bizarre to me... Don't Gibson want to sell stuff?[/quote] DON'T. BUY. NEW. for the love of god

I'm an interesting mix (I think) when it comes to reading. I sight read a lot, from guitar pro/powertab type stuff, I use the tab for the fret numbers, and the score for the note duration, reading both simultaneously, this is my favoured way to play anyway. I can however, read all of the notes from a score, but it takes me time to figure it out from the mnemonics note by note, and I end up committing the piece to memory with hand movements long before I am able to read and play the music by sight. I tend to write frets, or letter versions of the notes, under a score like this. I can also play to note names, but this is normally only useful when playing with a guitarist who throws me a chord or key. My theory extends to about 5 basic scales, some very basic chord shapes. I know how keys work, and have some idea of modes, though struggle to implement them. I seriously wish I knew a lot more theory.

[quote name='crez5150' post='1240937' date='May 22 2011, 10:16 PM']Jamiroquai for me![/quote] Same. And if they said I was rubbish and wouldn't have me, it'd be Metallica. I'd say Iron Maiden as I prefer them musically, and the band members as they come across in interviews etc, but I couldn't replace Steve Harris now could I?

[quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' post='1240181' date='May 22 2011, 11:47 AM']The stock pickups sound good to me on my pro-v - with the eq flat on on the bass & LMII, just tweaking the tone with the amp's VLE & VPF controls. But then again I use flatwounds & probably have cloth ears.[/quote] Mine are rounds, guess I could try some flats on it. Not a fan of those markbass heads one bit I'm afraid, though I have my bass eq flat and tend to use the stuff on my trace. They sound alright imo, but could be better, you know.

[quote name='gjones' post='1240578' date='May 22 2011, 05:48 PM']Might be a good idea to shop around. I'm no expert but have read a few reviews and on some basses the B string can lack tension and flap around so you don't get a very tight sound when you play lower down (something to do with tension). Fenders seem to be one of the culprits.......apparently.[/quote] Warwicks do not suffer from this. My old band played a tone down for our first ep, then an extra semitone down for the second, my warwick handled A and Ab just fine! However, it is german made, i can't vouch for the cheap asian stuff. 5 strings seem to be standard for basses these days tbh, well worth it too imo! A great deal more versatility in just 5 extra notes!

[quote name='pantherairsoft' post='1240219' date='May 22 2011, 12:19 PM']The Pot, by Tool. Win![/quote] +1

[quote name='EskimoBassist' post='1240204' date='May 22 2011, 12:11 PM']If you're referring to Hysteria, that line is played by Wolstenholme on his Bass through a plethora of Fuzz, Synth, Octave etc. And you're right about Hoppus. But I've never really regarded him as a particularly amazing player so it doesn't suprise me in the least. But I guess their music was never really about perfection so perhaps it doesn't matter that much.[/quote] I thought Wolstenholme said in his BGM interview that the into was bellamy playing it?