pete.young

[quote name='Frusty' post='421333' date='Feb 27 2009, 09:12 PM']I want a P bass, but would like one on a budget; with P copies in abundance from 70's JapCrap to modern day copies, I'd be interested in hearing everyone's opinion. So what are the best non-Fender P basses you've played?[/quote] My '79 Yamaha BB800.

I'm playing in a rock/pop covers band, anything from '60s to present day. I have compressor, octave, chorus and a Korg G5 which also provides a distortion when I need it. I hate distortion. The compressor is really only there to help the G5 track.

[quote name='bilbo230763' post='417146' date='Feb 23 2009, 08:56 AM']Sounds cool to me, Pete. We should find a band with a weak bass player and all stand at the back and intimidate him!!! [/quote] Um, lemme see - yup, no gigs at the Steamboat in the foreseeable! Good call Bilbo ;-)

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='417817' date='Feb 23 2009, 08:31 PM']It's the reel tagged on the end 'Oakey Strike Evictions' by Jack the Lad. Marvellous![/quote] Er, it's a jig. Damned if I can remember the name of it though. It'll come to me at 3.00 in the morning, as usual.

Another one. We really should have a get-together, even if it's just going for a quiet pint somewhere. How about meeting up in the Steamboat one night?

DHL are about as much use as a one-legged man in an arse-kicking contest.

[quote name='Hamster' post='414606' date='Feb 19 2009, 06:59 PM']I have 4, but I'm reducing to 3 - but I suppose that's not what you wanted to hear![/quote] Hmm, you don't still have that Bass Collection SB325 cluttering up your house do you? Deep breath: 6 basses, 2 electric guitars, one acoustic guitar, one upright, one custom hand made bouzouki, 3 concertinas, 3 accordions, my late father's fiddle, 2 mandolins, 2 banjos (stop laughing at the back), one columbian tiple, one Eb tuba (on loan) and an autoharp. Plus 3 guitars, one bass and one drumkit belonging to various offspring.

[quote name='BigBeefChief' post='414737' date='Feb 19 2009, 08:49 PM']I take it Noel Gallagher has been mentionned??!![/quote] Not in this thread. He's in good company. Neither has Ry Cooder.

Garethox bought my Yamaha SBV 500. Fast payment, good communications, excellent transaction allround. Many thanks Gareth, and welcome to Basschat!

Ben bought a synth pedal from me. Good communication, speedy payment, what's not to like? Nice one Ben, happy to recommend you to the assembled masses of basschat.

[quote name='alexclaber' post='411701' date='Feb 17 2009, 08:50 AM']Lowest note on an Eb tuba is Eb one semitone below that of a 4-string bass[/quote] I don't know where you get your stats, but my experience doesn't agree with them. I'm no great tuba player, but I can pedal my Eb down to the B below the fundamental (same as the lowest string on a 5-string bass) on a good day. Championship section players can do this with power and good tone. Virtuosos like Steve Sykes and Shaun Crowther can get much lower.

[quote name='BottomEndian' post='411514' date='Feb 16 2009, 09:38 PM']I was wondering exactly the same thing recently. I ended up with the following list of budget 35" 4-stringers: Peavey Cirrus BXP ESP LTD F Series Ibanez BTB range HK / Woodo (or whatever name's on the headstock) 4-stringers But like 6stringbassist says, a good 34" can have a beautiful B. Every bass is different, and some 34"s have that magic combination of factors that gives a clear, powerful B. In my (limited) experience, they tend to cost more. [/quote] After a bit more research I can add: A couple of Deans, some rather too pointy for my liking, some not so bad. Yamaha TRB 1004 . Hmm. Allegedly , Peavy Grind. Though I could have sworn I played a Grind 4 and it was 34", the 5s and 6s are definitely 35".

[quote name='Linus27' post='411486' date='Feb 16 2009, 08:56 PM']So a not for export is for Japan only and an export is for USA etc??? Also, the USA pickups and hardware bump the price up? A not for export is the more expensive specials like the 57, 63, 70 models and the export is just the standard models? Am I getting this right ?? :)[/quote] My understanding is that the Fender Japan not-for-exports are Japan only and these have the US pickups, hardware and more exotic choices of body wood. 57, 62 and 70 are available in export models and not-for-export . Non-export models have 'US' in the model number and are more expensive. It used to be possible to export a not-for-export from dealers like Ishibashi, but Fender Japan tightened the thumbscrews and effectively prevented Ishibashi from selling you a new one. However, there's nothing to stop you buying a second hand one - if you go to www.ishibashi.co.jp/u_box and click the electric bass link, it's a useful place to do a bit of research into what code numbers are what.

Some very informative and unexpectedly thoughtful replies in this thread. What a great community this is. [quote name='alexclaber' post='410588' date='Feb 15 2009, 11:00 PM']Note that plenty of organ music goes lower than 5-string basses do, the pipe organ having long been excellent at delivering big low notes in a musical way, so lower tunings on bass guitars shouldn't be seen as a fad but as the inevitable result of technology allowing bass players to get the sound they want.[/quote] From my own experience, I know that an Eb Tuba will comfortably go lower than a bass guitar even in the hands of a tubahacker like me, and a Bb or C tuba (or an Eb in the hands of a PROPER player) even more so! [quote]The issue I have with BEAD tuning is that a 34" scale rarely results in an instrument that can make good use of that low B string throughout its range. If you dare go a bit longer the difference in tone and playability is radical.[/quote] This hits the nail on the head. My BEAD bass is a Bass Collection, and I think it's just about coping but would benefit from a longer scale to give a bit more string tension and/or string through. It would be interesting to find out whether it's easier to cope with a longer scale length or a wider fretboard. Are there any 35" 4-string basses? And isn't this just as much of a concern with a 5-string?

Mine is a Not-for-export CIJ with US pickups and hardware, with a P0 serial number which dates it to I think 2003-2004. I've had it for about 3 years and paid about 500 quid for it second-hand from Far East Guitars. It has TI Flats on it and sounds immense. Even Kiwi liked it. Ive no idea what it's worth now, but that's cool since it isn't for sale ;-)

You sir are a man of impeccable taste. I have one just like it, with a jazz width neck. Mine came from John at Far East Guitars. He had a nice fretless in stock the last time I looked.

[quote name='pete.young' post='410515' date='Feb 15 2009, 10:05 PM']Piece of cake ;-)[/quote] I meant to say that it's a doddle on an Eb tuba too!

[quote name='Beedster' post='397810' date='Feb 2 2009, 01:11 PM']And a special prize for anyone who can play it on upright [/quote] Piece of cake ;-)

Been scratching my head over this for a while, and the splinters are starting to hurt my fingers so I thought I'd share. I am very very happy with the feel of a 4-string bass. OK, I have small hands, but I do play upright bass and I still find 5-string bass guitars are uncomfortable and the 6-string I owned had a fingerboard wider than the flight deck of an aircraft carrier. But, so much of the stuff I play needs notes below the bottom E, often because our singer's voice range isn't quite there for Aretha and we end up dropping a semitone or two. I traded the last 5-string I owned and set up one of my 4-strings B-E-A-D, thinking I could swap to it for the odd number. But that doesnt work in a live situation - there isn't time to swap basses. So I went through the whole of our set, some 80-odd numbers and guess what? I can play it all on a 4-string , strung B-E-A-D, no problems. Which made me wonder why a tuning designed for 18thC chamber music was more relevant to the modern times we live in, and I couldn't come up with a sensible answer. Yes, it was good enough for Jameson/Pastorius/Rainey/Entwistle, and I can fake a lot with a decent octave pedal, but I'm starting to wonder whether E-A-D-G is the best tuning for a 4-string bass. I hear a lot of people saying 'I must have a 5-string' , but who actually uses those notes above the top D (assuming a 24-fret neck) ? It looks as though I don't. There's a simple answer for me which may not work for everyone else - I can use B-E-A-D no problem, but there's a nagging doubt here that I'm not doing the right thing. Any other B-E-A-D users want to come out of the closet? Please understand that this is not intended as a dig at extended range instruments because I know that's a very sensitive area and I don't want to re-open old wounds. I'm really just thinking about making the most of the limitations of a 4-string axe.

Andrew Guyton? - [url="http://www.guytonguitars.com/"]http://www.guytonguitars.com/[/url] He's in Bungay.

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='409388' date='Feb 14 2009, 01:25 PM']I've gigged my 100w Burman head through an Ashdown 4x10 and an Ashdown 2x15 and it was drowning out the guitarist using a 100w Marshall valve combo. I've also had a go on the Burman this morning through two EBS 212 neo cabs and the sound was lush. Warm, clean and plenty of volume (up to a point).[/quote] How did you manage that, then? Mine only goes down to 4 Ohms.

Far East Guitars occasionally have these in. For non-export models with US pickups, depending on condition they seem to be advertised around the £450 - £500 mark.