Linus27

[quote name='purpleblob' post='881755' date='Jun 30 2010, 11:32 AM']I had a six string Corvette. It sounded really really nice, great depth and particularily nice fretless sound, but I really didn't like the feel of the bass, it was just horrible to play. Obviously things may have changed on more recent ones (and this is just my personal feel for the instrument I had), but mine had no contouring on the back of body which made it feel really unatural and uncomfortable when playing whilst standing and only a little better when seated. I have to totally agree with BigRedX. I thought I was the only one who felt the neck was sticky. I have another unvarnished fretless that feels fantastic to play, the palm slides nicely around (admittedly it's a five string) but the neck on the Corvette felt it needed varnishing or maybe some sort of oil on it, but in it's natural state it just felt sticky (that's the only way to describe it). I wouldn't have minded this due to it's lovely sound, but the uncomfortable feel of the body I felt it had to go. But like I said this is very much a personal view on one particular instrument, so as always I'd say go and try one out if you can.[/quote] Thanks for the input. I need to go and find one to try now. Unfortunately, this is quite a hard task as not many places locally are stocking them.

[quote name='BigRedX' post='881671' date='Jun 30 2010, 10:22 AM']Play before you buy. Every fretless Warwick I've tried (and I tried pretty much every single one I came across a couple of years ago) except the stupidly expensive Jack Bruce Cream Reunion Signature model have horrible sticky feeling necks that hardly lend themselves to fretless playing styles.[/quote] What do you mean by a sticky feeling? As in the wood used for the necks (Ovangkol) felt wrong due to being not vanished?

[quote name='goblin' post='881502' date='Jun 29 2010, 11:46 PM']I've got a pair of Warwick Corvettes, fretted and fretless (see bass porn), and to be honest, the fretless I find is a completely different beast to the fretted one. The fretted one I find is a lot easier to get a bright, poppy tone from, and slaps really well too if needs be, where the fretless is much more civilised. Out of the fretlesses I've played, it has to be one of the best and most accessible as I use it as my daily for rehersal, gigs and studio work, and with the right strings, they sound beautiful. In short - highly recommended.[/quote] Just checked out your fretless Corvette. Man that is perfect, just what I would get. Stunning. Is it active or passive?

Thanks for all the replies so far. Really is food for thought. Very tempted to get a Bubinga Corvette at some point.

[quote name='Muzz' post='880970' date='Jun 29 2010, 02:09 PM']Well, I've got the Ash Standard (in the Ocean Blue), and it's got a lovely tone - very woody, and with rounds it absolutely sings. It's the only Warwick I've ever got on with, to be honest. It'll be a shame to sell it, but I think the day's coming, thanks to redundancy... Anyhoo, I can recommend the Ash one. Never tried the Bubinga personally.[/quote] Thanks for the reply. I have the fretted Ash Corvette and that sounds superb. I have heard the the Ash Corvette tend to have a bigger, looser low end and a flatter midrange while the bubinga has a much tighter, almost slightly compressed low end and a fatter midrange. Sound like both would make a great fretless.

Still toying with the idea of getting a different fretless. I quite like the idea of a Bubinga Corvette Standard. Any ideas of what Warwicks and the Corvette's are like as a fretless? Quite a woody mellow sound with plenty of WAH or more clinical processed tone????? Any thoughts and opinions really appreciated.

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='879651' date='Jun 28 2010, 10:35 AM']Yeah, i read your post, just wasn't sure if you had run both cabs. Im sure it was the lack of decent power, like the others said. Just thought i'd mention it. Hopefully a one off.[/quote] Yeah, I really hope so. Kind of makes you paranoid and worried for the next gig

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='879595' date='Jun 28 2010, 09:50 AM']I had a similar thing happen to me at a rehearsal studio a couple of years ago. Every time i dug in my MB head would shut down. This turned out to be a faulty cab. After 4 or 5 times i plugged in to another cab and all was fine. I tried the faulty cab again at a much lower level and that to was ok. Just saying. Might be worth checking both cabs.[/quote] Thanks Dave. I did try my setup when I got home, at much great power and volume than I did at the gig and it was fine, no cutting out. I even ran it pretty much full volume with the overdrive and clipping light flashing away and still no problem.

Thinking about either getting a Hartke LH500 as a spare head or to replace my Genz Benz Shuttle 6. Now the Hartke has been out for some time, just wondering what owners think on them. Are they a real budget entry level head or a great reliable work horse? Are they loud and powerfull or pretty lame? Are they really clean and hi-fi sounding or quite dirty and driven? Opinions really appreciated.

What was the black bass that Chris was using on the U2 song? The headstock looked really nice. I am guessing it was probably a Status from the comments here.

Thanks everyone for the really helpful replies. Seems like you have all hit it on the head with finding the fault. Really pleased it was not my amp playing up.

[quote name='johnzgerman' post='878561' date='Jun 27 2010, 01:16 AM']generators dont tend to do large spikes in power etc but they drop severly if they have too much electrical load put on them like a lighting rig, hence there are normally at least 2 generators at most reasonable size outdoor stages-one for PA/backline and one for the lights.[/quote] Any reason why my rig was the first to suffer? Saying that, we did hear that the keyboards were having problems also at the start. Probably cleared up after I was taken out of the loop.

[quote name='johnzgerman' post='878553' date='Jun 27 2010, 12:54 AM']yes, get a UPS (un-interuptable power supply), but thats probably out of must peoples price range and quite unnecessary most of the time. So take a multimeter with you to gigs and check the power before you plug stuff in, that way you will at least know that it is the venue that is at fualt and you will have to use a DI rather than rely on your amp for noise, not ideal but it won't cost you much.[/quote] Ok, thanks for your help.

[quote name='johnzgerman' post='878535' date='Jun 27 2010, 12:26 AM']sounds like the amp was not getting a constant voltage or current, were they running the stage power off a generator by any chance?[/quote] Yes, a little generator behind the stage. Is there anything I can do to avoid this happening in the future?

[quote name='Musicman20' post='878531' date='Jun 27 2010, 12:20 AM']That screams power supply problem...sounds like it was fluctuating. I doubt it's your setup Is this a new band you've joined?[/quote] Cool, thank you. I also heard that the keyboards were doing some strange things. Not a new band as such. It's a U2 tribute band that I dep for when the bass player can't make it. I kind of got recommended as I know all the U2 stuff. Not really my cup of tea playing covers as I find it really hard to draw any emotion from and a bit like painting by numbers. Not a negative comment towards those who do covers but my 23 years of bass playing has always been originals so it feels a little weird playing covers However, a great bunch of musicians and they always go down really well. Encores every time and always people up dancing so still good fun and bonus that you get paid for it Guitarist is also going to play for my originals project.

Did a small festival gig today and had a strange moment with my amp. It's a Genz Benz Shuttle 6 running through two Aguilar GS112's. Never had a problem with it before and used it in rehearsals a week and a half ago with no problem. There was a sound engineer there who just mic'ed up the bass so no DI involved. I set up, quick line check and all sounded fine. I used the power cable on the side of the stage to plug into for power. So, started first song and the bass was cutting in and out as if it was clipping. I was probably between 1/2 and 3/4 volume, maybe not quite that so still plenty of room. The harder I played, the more it cut out. I eventually had to go direct through the PA which was not ideal. When I got home, I tried my set up again and not a problem. I whacked the volume up really loud and still no problem. I turned it up so loud that all the red overdrive lights were flashing yet it still did not cut out. So, anyone go any ideas what this could had been at the gig? Dodgy electrics from the people providing the PA/sound engineer. Like I say, no DI, just mic in front of the speaker and the power coming from the extention socket that was already on stage. Any thought really appreciated.

We used to always have one person unloading the van and waiting by it whilst the other band members got the gear and took it into the venue. The reverse for leaving. One band member would load the van and stay with the van and the rest carry out to the van. We have never ever had any equipment go missing that way. We did however have somebody try and steal our cases during a gig as we played. I saw them doing it and droped my bass mid song and chased after them through the venue and caught up with them outside. The rest of the band caught up to find me roughing the guy up a bit. I have stolen a few bands riders in the past but only to the bands that were w***ers

[quote name='martthebass' post='873457' date='Jun 21 2010, 01:36 PM']+1 Linus - I wouldn't rule out a Ray fretless tho, if you like a P sized neck. Coupled with a 2eq pre they really sing as a fretless - I for one think they have the edge over the Jazz for sound.[/quote] I would love a Stingray fretless but my budget can't stretch to that. I guess another option would be to buy just a Stingray fretless neck and swap between my current fretted Stingray. The only problem with that is it means I don't get a new bass, just a new neck

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='873439' date='Jun 21 2010, 01:23 PM']You'll usually not go far wrong with a Fender Jazz fretless. They're a good workhorse and sound great. I've just picked up a fretless Iceni Zoot Funkmeister with aero pickups, EMG preamp & the most beautiful thin neck you've ever seen. Even has brass inlay lines! Stunning [/quote] I think finding a fretless thats a different manufacture than I already have is proving difficult within my budget. So this leaves the Fender Jazz still top of my list. I do like the tone that the Jazz fretless makes. They also seem more common to have a lined neck. The other bass thats equel top is the Warwick Corvette Buginga but not sure I have ever seen a lined fretless one so probably never going to happen. Another option is a Washburn AB acoustic bass and despite quite common fretless, less so with a lined neck.

[quote name='Sumbabba' post='872707' date='Jun 20 2010, 04:09 PM']Esperanza Spalding. She inspires me in so many ways... not all legal... [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8gynGy8pSg"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8gynGy8pSg[/url] [attachment=52661:esperanza_spalding.jpg][/quote] Ooohh just had a 20 second listen to some of her stuff and really like what I've heard. Will check out more when I get home. Sounds great though.

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='872318' date='Jun 20 2010, 12:11 AM']No, but they bring it regularly.[/quote]

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='872310' date='Jun 20 2010, 12:08 AM']I think you'll find that is my tray on which the staff deliver my food to my sofa.[/quote] They didn't bring you much

Yep, the new look pickup covers are horrible. Funny as I was looking at this bass today and noticed that the fretless version is only available on the US model Also noticed that Lakland have renamed a lot of their models. No more Duck Dunn, Bob Glaud or Joe Osborn it seems. Oh and Dave, have you hung that picture up yet thats lying on the seat at the end of the room?

[quote name='BassBus' post='872046' date='Jun 19 2010, 07:33 PM']Well I'm Biased but what about a Status. The phenolic fingerboard can give a different sound. The link below gives you an idea of what it can sound like. This tune was all played on my Status S2 fretless. [url="http://www.reverbnation.com/tunepak/2712082"]Maple Leaf Angel[/url][/quote] Thanks for the clip. Very nice although I do prefer something a little more woody sounding. Still very nice though. I have thought about Status although not totally convinced about the shape. Are they still British made? I also thought about a Yamaha BB614F although not sure if these are good instruments or not.