Kiwi

[quote name='Mike Brooks' post='356009' date='Dec 16 2008, 02:30 PM']He's never happy you know.....[/quote] Hmmm, maybe. I look at the maple neck on my Spector and think to myself that there's not a lot of difference there between a Spector and some Foderas. Plus if you listen to Jon Shuker's website samples, I can't really tell the difference between a EMG'd Shuker and an EMG'd Spector if I play exactly the same basslines. Like I said before, I don't think the EMG's do the Spectors justice in some respects.

[quote name='Ant' post='355918' date='Dec 16 2008, 01:27 PM']If you drop by can you have a look out for mine? it should be black and a funny shape!!! it's getting darkstars and a light sensitive noise thing in it. i just want to know what it looks like![/quote] Jon generally doesn't encourage people to take photos of other basses under construction so I'm only going to be able to give you a verbal description I'm afraid. He was answering his mobile this morning so it might be worth giving him a call perhaps?

Hmmmmm, I'm still not a fan of the EMG's in mine. The sound doesn't do the maple neck justice I think. The EMG's have a very distinctive flavour which is fine for live playing when I get the EQ scooped gently but for solo noodling at home I wish my pickups in which had a slightly sweeter treble. Ideally a pair of Delano SBC's would do the trick but they're a different shape to the EMG soapbars.

[quote name='Bassmonster' post='355159' date='Dec 15 2008, 04:25 PM']the queue starts behind me CK [/quote] Jon dropped me an email last night to say he's finally managed to finish the finishing. He says the bass looks gorgeous. It doesn't sound like he's put it together yet though, I will try to drop by on Friday and see it in the flesh. I'm hoping I can pick it up but I'm not holding my breath.

I'd be willing to place money on us getting our basses at the same time...

Terrible idea, if its worth having then people will be willing to pay for it. By giving it away you gain nothing apart from maybe the appreciation of a few fans who probably already liked you anyway and how much did that cost you? Make people pay for it and they enter into a self imposed obligation to determine whether you represent good value for money. Price it at a point where your existing fans feel comfortable paying for it.

awesome idea wayne, you're a star.

if its not larruping, I'm not interested.

[quote name='NancyJohnson' post='355017' date='Dec 15 2008, 01:51 PM']Heh. Photoshop, five minutes. Now it's worth keeping. P[/quote] LMAO

[quote name='dub_junkie' post='354432' date='Dec 14 2008, 06:27 PM']CK,minor point I know,they were made through to '91. Long time ago I had a 1989 natural finish Sabre fretless with the covered p/ups and the 5 position switch. I also had a pre EB Stingray at the time and in summary I'd agree 100% with your take on the tonal differences between the two. Looks wise I preferred the slimmer outline of the Sabre to the Ray's roundness(like the older G&L L2K before they were changed and given more curves).I'm kind of tempted with this but have plans on one day aquiring another late 80s EB Sabre in trans red/maple or blueburst/maple if I can ever find one[/quote] 91?! Awesome, the later the better! If ever a post-EB sabre with a birdseye neck came up I'd snag it without a second thought, especially if they've improved the design like they did with the Stingrays. Squarepusher used a sabre for a while as well IIRC.

[quote name='Josh' post='354644' date='Dec 14 2008, 10:39 PM']Yet I can seemingly switch between all 3 in one sitting and be comfortable after a few minutes, as you've seen for yourself. Basically I forced myself to get use to them and luckily I have, as mentioned, the best approach is to not feel the need to have to constantly add the low B into your playing, that will easily halt any progress on a 5/6/7 string. You bring it in gradually, using the B as a more flexible anchor is natural, but you do have spend some time noticing how your right hand is fairing.[/quote] I can't add any more to this myself. I've more or less eschewed fives, I don't see much point in playing one if I can get used to a 6 (which I have, after forcing myself to play it exclusively). I've found the additional freedom of that extra string (or strings in the case of a 6) is very liberating. I still play fours but only for traditional or classic flavourings.

get it delivered to work maybe?

congratulations, but now you need a plan so cunning you could put a tail on it, and call it a weasle...

[quote name='alexclaber' post='354197' date='Dec 14 2008, 01:08 PM']f=fundamental frequency L=scale length T=tension m=mass per unit length f=(1/2L)SQRT(T/m) (2fL)^2=T/m m(2fL)^2=T So tension is directly proportional to mass per unit length and also directly proportional to the square of scale length (so longer scales are better at adding tension than heavier strings). Alex[/quote] you crack me up Alex!

[quote name='niceguyhomer' post='354171' date='Dec 14 2008, 12:37 PM']I've told the singer that I'll be looking for something else in the New Year - the spark of enjoyment has gone now and the guitarist is causing problems with his dreadful sound and incompetence (which he won't acknowledge) riding the desk. It's a fantastic band when all is well but time to move on methinks otherwise I'll be hanging my boots up and I don't wanna do that.[/quote] It sounds all too familiar to my situation mate Now the 'manager' has gotten back with his on/off girlfriend/fiance things in our band have settled down again. I still keep having a go (along with the soundman) at our guitarist over his sound. He doesn't use any effects at all when a bit of wah, heavy distortion, delay and chorus might sweeten up his otherwise very harsh sound. I'm half tempted to donate my £100 Mesia valve guitar combo to the band just to put the soundman and I out of our misery. It knocks the Peavey guitar amp he's borrowing off the drummer into a cocked hat. I just try and stay out of the politics thing along with the rest of the guys these days. Its a shame because the band is still cliquey but one day the message may get through to the girls but for now its just the best way until I have better reasons to leave. [quote name='BigRedX' post='354185' date='Dec 14 2008, 12:55 PM']Now seriously hacked-off with the whole thing. The band has only done two gigs this year and one of them was just a 20 minute 4-song set. We've spent 18 months dicking about with replacement lead guitarists and TBH none of them have the same vibe of the original guy. Right now playing music is pretty much the only good thing going on in my life, but I see little point in being in a band that doesn't do any gigs (which is the only time I come out of my rather shy and geeky shell).[/quote] Hang in there mate - how about a solo spot with a bit of MIDI bass?

I've found sellers on Ebay who offer titanium strings under lesser known brands. [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Titanium-Alloy-45100-Electric-Bass-Guitar-Strings_W0QQitemZ270294838685QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Guitar_Accessories?hash=item270294838685&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1301|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1317"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Titanium-Alloy-45100...%3A1|240%3A1317[/url] [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/OSP-HEXTONES-40-4-BASS-GUITAR-STRINGS-TITANIUM-COATED_W0QQitemZ200275862011QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar_Accessories?hash=item200275862011&_trksid=p3286.m63.l1177"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/OSP-HEXTONES-40-4-BA...p3286.m63.l1177[/url] I like the idea of a lower mass string in principle as I have a fairly light touch and hope I might be able to play a little faster with the same volume. Not sure what the tension will be like though.

[quote name='bassace' post='352740' date='Dec 12 2008, 02:32 PM']Actually it's Edwin Lutyens, dear. A bit too posh, perhaps.[/quote] For me? Definitely. I'll stick to my middle class pretentious ways, its what I know best.

[quote name='griffonite' post='354132' date='Dec 14 2008, 11:30 AM']I contacted the seller of this bass and he told me he is selling an Ernie Ball Musicman Stingray!!! I pointed out that the photo' he has up is a pre Ernie Sabre but no response. He hasn't amended the ad'. As to whether it is dodgy or not I couldn't say but he was ok about me coming to take a look at it?[/quote] If he's sure about that and doesn't mind you checking it out in person, I wouldn't argue if it means you're getting a cheaper bass.

[quote name='phil_the_bassist' post='354089' date='Dec 14 2008, 10:29 AM']What sorta prices do they go for? if nothing else, this erroneous thread has served as a forum for you to educate me on Sabres![/quote] Sure! Glad to help if I can! The preEB Sabres don't generally go for anywhere near the same prices as Stingrays but offer greater value (imo) because of their versatility. That's why I think they're so under rated. You could expect to pay up to £800 for one privately, perhaps up to £1200 if a store was trying to winkle extra margin out of you. They were made until about 1988 I believe. The neck pickup is nice and flabby in sound ([url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLmE4lby_fI"]think the slap sound from that Citroen transformers ad[/url]), not quite punchy enough for p-bass but still pretty disco-y. Same neck as a stingray, the body is slightly reduced in width, greater versatility in the eq with the first switch for selecting pickups, second is for the pickup phase and the third is a treble boost in addition to the treble and bass controls. This was revised in the later models to a 5 way selector switch which just offered various coil tap options in a very illogical order. The bridge is a lot more solid than the stingray, more in keeping with bridges on G&Ls. I can't remember whether the bridge is through body anchoring but its not going to make much difference to the sound. Pair a sabre up with a valve amp or maybe put a sansamp in the signal chain and it will fatten up nicely I'm sure. If I was in the market for an older 2 pickup bass that I could use on funky early 80s/late 70's tunes I'd go for a later Sabre if it was less than £850. Above £900 maybe if I really liked the instrument and it had a lot of growl. You might even make a bit of pocket money on it if you decided to flick it on later to a collector. A super mint one might go for up to £1600, but I personally would avoid those as gigging instruments. Kiwi's top tip for bass shopping: give me a bass with loads of player wear any day. The more worn out, the better so long as there are no signs of abuse.

Sabres are highly under rated basses though, more versatile and funky than a Stingray IMO but you won't get the same depth and power from the bridge pickup. That looks to be an early one (pre 1983-ish) with the exposed pole pieces in the pickups, so I would be wary about the neck pickup magnetically choking the strings a bit. The later ones had covered pickups because the neck pickup had been redesigned to be like jazz pole pieces (2 pairs per string) to reduce the choking effect.

I think you're a bit quick to judge there Phil and I hope the reference to Basschat Angry Mob was tongue in cheek.

[quote name='bilbo230763' post='118517' date='Jan 11 2008, 01:45 PM']I suck! Seriously tho' (you weren't??), my technique is variable depending on how often I gig and on the nature of those gigs. I rarely practice bass anymore - not because I don't love it but because, where I am in my playing career, I rarely get to play anything that stretches the technique/capabilities I do have. I periodically hear something that gets my juices flowing and I pick up the bass and woodshed but, very quickly, I find myself on the same treadmill on function gigs, Latin or Funk gigs etc and, in a nutshell, NOT using the chops I am working on. So I look to other areas of music for inspiration. I was playing Donna Lee twenty years ago but have rarely done a gig where I would need to play at that level for more than a minute. So where is the motivation to continually practice at that level? I am confident enough in my capabilities to feel that I could nail most gigs with a little work anf I have had no complaints but I find that I work on MUSIC now more than I do on BASS (i.e. composing, harmony, orchestration etc). I am sure my technique suffers as a consequence. If Metheny calls, I'll practise my a*** off but, until then, I can cope with what I have.[/quote] You've summed up my situation completely. I don't need to add anything else and I wish I had music shop chops and a choice little solo piece but I can't be bothered going to the trouble of learning something like that if I'm only ever going to playing it to impress other bass players. If I played guitar better and could transfer guitar stuff over onto bass (like Paul McCartney's Blackbird) it might be a little different I guess. But I'm not that skilled. I just do groove.