Wolverinebass

Graham Parker in Lewisham is really good if south London is where you want to go. I got him to make my 8 string a new nut and set up my 12 which has now got the most insane low action ever. I'd recommend him and probably wouldn't go to anyone else unless I move.

That is awful. Everyone has a story like that. Here's mine. About 6 years ago I got slung out of a signed band in the middle of a recording session. My "crime" was that after the guitarist/singer drilled the drummer for 6 solid hours to do 2 songs when there was honestly nothing wrong with anything he did after the 2nd take, I got 15 minutes to do the bass. I didn't get to play at the same time as the drummer and there was no guitar track to play to. I can't play a song as binary data unless I'm literally playing root notes. It's a skill I just don't have. Although I did okay, I wasn't happy and wanted to get a better crack at it. The next day before we went into the studio he phoned me and said that "my style no longer fitted the band." I'm surprised he hadn't noticed that 6 months before when I joined the band. About a year later I did a project with the drummer who had quit over money issues and he'd been told that "Andy didn't want to do it anymore." At the time although none of the material was mine, I was a bit upset. I didn't touch a bass for 10 months after that. People will stop at nothing to get what they want sometimes. Selling out your friends is bad enough but over something so petty as image is just crap. They'll wither and die after the album. Go on to better things.

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1344938776' post='1771268'] This is cheeky a hell but... do you have a tab for it? Would be great to be able to sit and learn it [/quote] You know, I was going to ask that for a laugh, but since Charic has done it for me I can now say it seriously. Really, really nice playing.

[quote name='pietruszka' timestamp='1345907462' post='1783002'] in all fairness the tweeter isn't at all that loud, I can hear it when there is no other sound other wise it's absolutely fine. [/quote] Try playing with the tweeter on playing a 12 or 8 string bass. It sure isn't quiet then. It's hideous. After loads of evenings which involved unumberable head/brick wall interfaces trying to EQ it out without losing all cut and bite, I just turned the damned things off.

The shock value is pretty much gone from smashing instruments. After The Who and Hendrix is there anything else left in this regard? Er, no. What killed me about that video was that I didn't understand why he didn't swing the bass so that the string side went into the stage first. Surely that would have got the neck joint to break with one swing?

I can understand that totally Alan. Your preamps are more flexible that my Alembic easily. They're more like the Series II Alembic electronics on steroids. At least in my opinion. Plus, considering the price point of your basses, one cannot feel that your features to cost ratio is very, very high indeed. A lot is being got for the cash. At least that's what I think. I mean, how much is a series II Alembic? £15K? Ouch.... Why copy something when you can make something original that's better? You and John East clearly have. I can see what you mean about interest translating into actual sales though. If you ever make something in a more outlandish shape I'll be on it!!

[quote name='skelf' timestamp='1345927217' post='1783336'] Hi Just to let you know the original dual filter pre-amp the EQ01 is now available out with my basses. This has a lowpass filter per pickup instead of the one global lowpass filter of the 02 version. The mufti-coil pickup I am working o will only be available in my own basses with the EQ03 pre-amp, Alan [/quote] Hi Alan, sorry about the confusion. I actually meant your newer preamp the 03 version as I presumed that would be closest to a Wal type preamp with it's seemingly limitless control over the mids (not to mention the rest of the signal) that seems possible with it. In all likelihood, I'd imagine yours would be much more flexible and dare I say it - better than Wal's. I was just lamenting that it was a pity that such things would only be available in your own basses as I'd imagine you'd have people biting most of your arm off for that combination. But on the other hand if you sell a bass or a truckload as the case may be because of the combination, that can only be a good thing. I think that your basses are spectacular to look at and sound great from the samples I've heard, but it's just a pity that the body shapes aren't ones that I'd dig on. If you flogged the pickups and circuit seperately, I'd have that. Naturally I can understand the reasons why that won't happen.

[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1345908759' post='1783016'] Also, get a bolt on, neck throughs apparently lack an area of mid range that may contribute to your 'growly' sound. [/quote] Really? I never knew that. I suppose that might explain why my Warmoth 8 string is very mid ranged. I always thought it was the status pickups and EMG circuit. [quote name='rubis' timestamp='1345915795' post='1783134'] If you are interested in aftermarket pickups and electronics cloned on the Wal innards, try a search on Talkbass in the "pickups and electronics" section for a thread called "I won the Wal pickup on e-bay" At the end of the thread an American pickup maker called SGD Lutherie is making quad coil pickups and filter pre's emulating the Wal design [/quote] I've read that. Quite interesting, but I wonder if it'll ever be realised. The thread has been going on for almost 4 years and people are starting to get impatient. I'm waiting to see if it ever comes to anything especially as let's face it Wals are ruinously expensive. If SGD come up with something that's similar, he's got a licence to print money. I for one would happily get stuff from Warmoth and bung some cloned pickups and circuit if in effect it'd save me the better part of £2.5K on getting a Wal. However, it's not like I haven't started saving for one on the off chance, so whatever happens, I'll be getting something as one can never have enough basses surely?!! The only other things which seem like they're similar are the ACG developments. Of course Alan is only going to put that particular circuit and pickups in his own basses. As they're gorgeous to look at (in terms of wood) and very reasonably priced you'd think that'd be a winner, but sadly none of the shapes really appeal to me for reasons which I can't as yet fathom other than I think singlecuts look stupid and none of the others appeal to me. Such a pity really.

I did do a bit of experimentation in trying to get a sort of similar sound to Justin Chancellor. I could get reasonably close with an Alembic, but it just didn't have that sort of "ring" in the mids like you hear on that guy's sound playing Vicarious above. I would think that there isn't the slightest chance you could get a sound like that with a Thunderbird which to me is one of the most dull, thumpy basses ever made with absolutely no cut whatsoever. Having never played a Stingray, I could only say that stuff Chancellor plays a stingray on such as 46+2 doesn't sound like Tool's later stuff where he plays a Wal, so there would be the difference. I doubt very much if Chancellor would sound exactly the same playing a Precision through his rig. He'd still sound like himself, but just not exactly so in terms of sound.

That review got me thinking about something reasonably unpleasant. If my buzzard ever got stolen or wrecked what would I get with the almost stupid amounts of insurance cash I'd get for it. It would be absolutely mental what I could replace it with. That Fodera is a fantastic bass I'd bet, but on a certain level, 7 grand is brutal expensive. Would it be any better than a bass that cost 4 grand? I wonder. Us mere mortals I doubt will never get to play something that expensive.....

I learned on a Fenix. I've still got it. It's a ludicrously short scale 28 inch with 24 frets. It has a soapbar in the MM position and insanely enough is white. The Scottish shop you mention is probably Biggars which is on Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow. That's where I got mine from. £179 in 1999. It's the only passive bass I own and sounds fantastic. I wonder what it's worth now? £50?

[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1344971112' post='1771889'] Did you like The Who after 1978? Why would you feel that the continued creativity of a band should be curtailed after the death of one of its members? [/quote] Their studio albums without Moon are in my opinion rubbish as due to Kenney Jones's style the rythym section customary rampage is curtailed. Zak Starkey is a brilliant drummer and a much better fit stylistcally. Surely you don't think Entwistle's playing isn't missed on Endless Wire? The album and the band are worse for his absence. Or at least his style of playing being absent.

[quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1344958721' post='1771642'] I went to see The 'Oo at the NIA a couple of years ago and they were bloody great. [/quote] I saw them in 2000 and I'll never see a better gig. Ever. Every time I've seen them on TV with Pino playing I want to be sick. Whilst he's great at what he does in the fretless/fusion type playing style, plus his extensive career as a session musician, he just isn't right for the Who. It's ironic in that one of his biggest ever gigs is arguably his biggest turkey or fish out of water scenario. His tone has virtually no treble cut in it at all and his disciplined approach is on a par with how different Kenney Jones and Keith Moon were stylistically. Such is the parallels in my viewpoint of this (in my opinion at least) erroneous replacement. Both Palladino and Jones are good or even great players in their own right, but for The Who, they just didn't/don't work. Just as truthfully you can say that Entwistle and Moon's style doesn't work with other people as well. Fair's fair. As with Jones' eventual sacking/non-invitation back post 1988, I hope they come to their senses and give Pino the boot and get someone who actually plays something like Entwistle. I am presently awaiting a call back from Pete Townshend.....

Who gives a toss who was on bass. If it's not Entwistle, I don't want or care to see The Who. I see that they're off touring Quadrophenia, how is that going to work without the bass playing? Errr... it's not. It's quite simple. As capable as Pino or whomever is, unless you get someone who has a similar stylistic bent to Entwistle and there aren't that many people who do play anything like that, the Who will continue to be crap and I won't be interested.

I think that bass looks magnificent. Dare I ask for what it's specs are and what the damage was?

A 4x12 would be insane. I'd be up for that!!

Did anyone notice they couldn't even spell Entwistle's name right? Just as well he was only in it for 20 seconds. Entwhistle indeed. Tools.

[quote name='noelk27' timestamp='1342918170' post='1742827'] His tenure with The Who correspondent with a time Townshend was writing by numbers, but you can't blame Jones for being with The Who at a time when The Who had gotten stale as a creative force. As for Moon, even if he'd not died, Townshend was likely to replace him. Moon had been forced to redo and redo his parts on "By Numbers" and, even more so, "Who Are You", and had to endure the indignity of having Jones redo those parts he couldn't cope with. Sure, the flair, the energy, and the power, that characterised Moon's playing had come to represent erratic timing, unconstructed fills, and chaotic solos. After Townshend had used Jones on "Tommy" the writing was on the wall. [/quote] What? When did Kenney Jones play/record with the Who before 1979 if you discount the Tommy soundtrack album? That can't be true.Unless of course I've misunderstood what you meant by that. There certainly wasn't anything on Tommy that Moon couldn't cope with otherwise Live at Leeds would have sounded crap wouldn't it? The Who by Numbers stuff was down to Glyn Johns taking away half his kit to get him to simplify his playing. As for Who Are You, they made an album with a simpler rythmic feel to appeal to American audiences which prohibited him from playing. At all. Listen to the drums on 905. They're horrible. It's so far removed from his style is it any wonder he couldn't cope aside from the fact that he was an alcoholic mess by then? Ultimately, Jones and Moon is an apples and oranges comparison. Moon's drumming is a force of nature. Jones' is 1,2,3 (hit snare). Simplicity itself and not necessarily in a good way. The Moon era Who stuff would have sounded worse with Jones playing on it and the Jones era Who stuff it wouldn't have made any difference who played drums on it as the material was rubbish, so in that respect he did get a bum deal.

I tend to agree that Status have become uncool. The never ending Kingbass with minimal tweaks (seemingly one every 2-3 years) has done it for me. 8 models which are minimally different and all the differences are options anyway. Build a new all graphite B1 (buzzard derivative) or I'm not interested. Whilst Mark King seems to have kept them in work for the last decade, it's got to stop soon doesn't it? Let's face it, Level 42 aren't nor were they ever cool after 1985. I would imagine Rickenbacker are getting into the uncool territory with their relentless pursuit of people trying to sell copies. I wonder how much goodwill has been lost on this site because of that. This is of course aside from the fact that their instruments are badly designed and trading on reputation. At least, in my opinion. They're £600 basses, not £1700 basses. I tend to find Fenders a bit meh, but then again I don't like passive basses so I'm biased.

[quote name='Dom in Somerset' timestamp='1342684940' post='1739093'] [/quote] I never knew John Hartson played bass....

To those saying that it's not the Stones without Bill. It's a fair point. However, how many of the same people would say that Ronnie Wood should get booted in favour of Mick Taylor who played on their more successful albums and (as admitted by Jagger) was/is a much better player. I bet not many. Personally I think Wyman is awful, but then again The Stones aren't a bass led band and with 2 guitars the opportunities for "noodling" aren't that great. Everyone always goes on about the bassline from Miss You. Wyman has been trading on that for the last 30 years, but you could argue he never really got a chance to shine so to speak especially when other people in the band would play bass if he wasn't about. In the case of Miss You, it's the best thing about a very mediocre song. I'd have no interest in paying £135 for a ticket just so that they could play for 80 minutes as they did at Hampden a few years ago. Good luck with that. Had I actually been alive, I'd much rather have seen them in 1972.

This is [i]well[/i] taking the piss. I'm sorry, If I paid almost £700 for something if it got sent in a box that looked like it'd been pulled from a tramp's bottom and the shop fed me some line of BS, I'd imagine I'd be asking for at least a 15% refund or I'd be contacting the manufacturer or head distributor. Good luck with continuing to stock Hartke products after that Guitar Guitar. It's not just the lie you're getting fed it's also, just say for example that you don't like it after a few months, you can't sell it as saying you have the original box/manual and all that can you? Just a point. I can only speak from experience that although I've never been to the Epsom one, I was in the one in Glasgow about 6 months ago and they were absolute tools of the first order and actually took umbridge at the fact I wanted to try a bass that was (shock/horror!!) more than £800!!

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1341834017' post='1724697'] Peavey IPR and pedal. Think there is loads of space in the IPR too could probably get the circuit in there if its in the right places for pots to go on the front. [/quote] Quite right sir. The chasis of the IPR is almost totally empty. It really is quite frightening when you look inside. Why they ever needed the 2u chasis is a mystery to me unless it was to implement cooling better through the front grill. But seriously, $2500 for that? Are they mental or something? Who in their right mind is going to pay that for what is in effect a £150 pedal and a £300 class D amp? Good luck with that one Tech 21.

I thought Markbass amps were somewhat souless. Just my thought on it. As for the cabs. Hmmm. I wanted something small and light as I'm only 5foot9 and about 9 stone. This I feel is "how they get you." I should have followed my instincts and got some new Trace Elliot cabs instead which although heavier, would have been cheaper. I'm still in two minds as to whether to flog them. My reasons are simple. I've wrestled for months with trying to find a setting that would allow those damn piezo tweeters not to tear my face off at high volumes. If some of you think that they're harsh with a 4 string, try playing it with a 12 or an 8. In the end, I've turned them off. Even with them off the insane amount of attack noise you get from the speakers is quite remarkable and I think possibly an acquired taste. At low volumes they sound much more "buttery" which depending on your viewpoint is a good or a bad thing. However, the voicing of them is a problem. I feel that there is a distinct 200Hz wodge there which I don't like as I feel that this portion of sound is just "flab." Also seemingly everything between 300 and 800Hz seems somewhat muffled. I've tried this with different basses/amps and settings. I can get rid of it, but I'd rather have the sound out of my cab being a bit closer to what goes in. Anyone who says that the MB cabs produce a "DI like" sound is deluded. It doesn't sound anything like it. At more than £550 a pop for even the cheapest cabs I think they're not worth it.

I tend to have mine as low as humanly possible, which on the buzzard is less than 1mm. After this I find I can't play an instrument properly that's got anything that even remotely resembles a high action.