BigRedX

It really depends what parts of the synth sound you consider essential and what isn't. For me one of the important elements is the really short release of every note, which gives the sound it's definition. The original would have either been played from a keyboard or sequenced using a device like a Roland Microcomposer which gives you far more control over the envelope of both the filter and amplifier then you can easily get from a bass guitar into effects. If still want to try it, you will need either a filter that will cut all the sound at its lowest position or also have an envelope shaper in you signal chain which comes after the fuzz and filter, but is being triggered by the clean sound of your bass, so that you can get that sharp cutoff to every note without the "thump" that normally accompanies muting the strings on a bass guitar (and which be accented by the fuzz). Personally by the time I'd found the right pedals and worked on my technique to play this cleanly enough, I'd have been able learn how to play it on a keyboard.

Like the 70s, the 80s were good at the beginning and again at the end, and boring in the middle.

If you are interested in getting one remember that the re-issues are all long scale while the original 60s models are short scale. I used to own this: The rarest of the all the basses in this shape made in a limited edition of 50 as the signature bass for Terry & the Blue Jeans, a well-know Japanese Surf band. There as also a T&tBJ limited edition guitar in the same shape. It is essentially a TRB5 with the SVB shape, so it doesn't have much in common with the 4-string versions. Unfortunately it didn't get used much as it was far too big the wield on most of the stages I was playing at the time, without putting the rest of the band and the audience at risk of injury. Also it was massively heavy. The SVBs seem to have been popular with girl bassists in Japanese bands - Fumi from Polysics uses one and Miki Furukawa of Supercar even has her own signature model.

You should already have a pre-amp in your signal chain probably in your actual amplifier. Why have a second one? Unless it currently doesn't do what you want in which case you should change for one that does.

If you are happy with the sound and feel of your current strings, then why change? Back in the 70s if you read interviews with bassists in any of the music mags, most of them would be saying that the first thing they did with a new bass was to remove the factory fitted flat wound strings and replace them with a set of Rotosound round wounds, and they would also be removing the bridge and pickup covers; so I would suspect that the majority of 70s rock was recorded with round wounds. By all means try them, IMO there is a place for both and it depends on the kind of music you play, it's not an either/or choice.

I used to have a Peavey Spectrum filter in my rig which was fine when everything I had was rack mounted. However since I replaced all my rack gear with a Line6 Helix Floor, I've had to make do without this function. One of my bands now has a couple of songs where it would be useful to have something like this again, ideally in a small pedal format that I can run via one of the effects lops of the Helix. The functions I absolutely need are the following: 1. The filter must either be able to be triggered via a MIDI note on command or the cut off frequency can be mapped to a MIDI CC and has a suitably fast response so that I can use CC commands to simulate an envelope generator. 2. A full complement of programmable user memories - ideally 128, although I'll settle for less (but not just one or two). If not then I need to be able to access every parameter using MIDI CCs. 3. Proper MIDI sockets. I'll need to daisy chain this from the MIDI out/thru of the Helix so no MIDI via USB only. I think that's it for now.

Personally I'd go further than that. I always play at home as if I'm playing a gig. That means I almost never play sitting down at home - the only times that I do is when I am also programming drums and sequences and I need to play along to check the parts fit with what I'm going to be playing live. I play in two bands and use a different bass guitar in each (5-string for one and Bass VI for the other), and I always use the correct bass for the band when I am playing at home. Also every new bit of equipment gets throughly tested at home before I even consider taking it to a full band rehearsal let alone to a gig. Right now I'd like to use my Linn Adrenalinn for a couple of songs that one band does but I've been having synchronisation problems, so it won't get incorporated into the rig until these have been completely ironed out.

Back in the late 70s when Ibanez were making the switch from copies to their own designs getting spare parts here in the UK was surprisingly easy. Nearly all the hardware for the guitar I was making came from Ibanez including their special versions of the "speed knobs" with the rubber grips around the edge. Sad to hear this is not the case any more. However if you are able to get to The Gallery in Camden, it might be worth asking them as IIRC Martin was involved with Ibanez in some capacity.

Although all the other far eastern-made 8-string basses I've seen from Dean, Schecter and even the ultra-cheap Carlo Robelli model that I used to own all use the same two part bridge and tail-piece which does have individual saddles for each string in the course. It's not as elegant looking as the one on your bass but it means you can stay in tune as you progress up the neck.

Those won't make the headstock too bulky for a hard case, or prevent the neck from lying on the neck supports in transit?

We were supposed to be playing this coming Saturday. Gothzilla are reasonably local although they do play support at almost every vaguely goth/industrial gig in the Edinburgh and Glasgow area so maybe they are over-exposed. We're from Nottingham and Feather Trade are on tour in the UK from Athens Georgia, so not necessarily well known in Scotland. I'm begining to wonder if the venue has made a booking mistake and were looking for an excuse to get out of it?

Thanks. That bridge looks the same as the one fitted to the recent Hagstrom 8-string. It looks good but has the disadvantage that you can't adjust the intonation of the octave strings separately, so you'll probably experience tuning issues as you play further up the neck.

Thanks for the nice comments. Where are you playing with Gothzilla? Maybe have to do something with your band and Hurtsfall if you fancy a trip to Nottingham?

There are plenty of new bands with prominent bass guitar. You just won't find them in mainstream modern guitar-based pop and rock.

Maybe. Although I did have a Thumpinator in my previous rig. To me it seems as though the dispersion from the FRFR is much better which I think might be the most help in being able to have a sensible on-stage volume while still being loud and punchy enough for the audience.

Yes it was Bathgate in Scotland. It was for In Isolation, Gothzilla and Feather Trade. Apparently the venue had pulled the plug because they'd only sold two tickets for the gig. Personally I'm not sure how relevant that is. I wouldn't buy advance tickets for the sorts of gigs that we play (unless it is supporting someone very well-known), but simply turn up on the night. Maybe I'm too old-school to get it?

For me I can't see the point any more. There are so many instruments available, all with slight variations that unless I want something very specific there will be an off-shelf one that is right for me somewhere. And if there isn't I can always get something custom-made that will be exactly right. Back in 70s when I started playing, when choice was considerably more limited and I had no money, there was a point. In fact the only way I could afford my own solid electric guitar was to make it myself and buy the parts as and when I had the cash for them. I now have some guitars and basses with "good quality" machine heads from Gotoh and Hipshot and some with whatever the far-eastern factory fitted as standard, and there is no applicable difference between how well they work. In fact the last time I had to replace a set of machine heads was on a Burns Sonic Bass from the early 60s where the gears had worn to the point that they would no longer hold the strings in tune when at the correct pitch. Everything else I have owned has been fine. Same with pickups. The last time I changed a set was back in 1990 when I replaced the factory fitted Js in my Washburn 5-string with a very expensive set of active EMGs (that cost half as much as the full price of the bass) and was rather disappointed to find that the change had made absolutely no difference to the sound. Besides these days, by the time I have passed a bass or guitar through my Helix so long as there actually a signal I can get all the sounds I want out of them.

Interesting looking bridge and not the one that you normally see on far-east made 8-string basses (Dean, Schecter etc.) any chance of some close-ups of that? That octave E-string looks rather slack...

Saturday night in Heckmondwicke at Westgate 23 for In Isolation and Gothzilla. Small band room at the back of the pub that normally puts on punk gigs, but someone who knew our drummer from when he used to be in Every New Dead Ghost recommended us. We were a little bit worried that with it being an unknown venue in a small town we might end up playing to the drummer's friend and Gothzilla's manager, but it seemed as though every vaguely alternative person in Heckmondwicke and the surrounding are had turned up, so there was a good crowd. Vocal only PA meant that I had to use my RCF powered cab for FoH bass (these days it only really gets used for rehearsals), but it coped perfectly well, and although I was louder than I preferred on stage, I could still properly hear all the other instruments, which has been a problem in the past when I was using a conventional bass rig for the audience to hear the bass. Next weekend's gig in Bathgate has unfortunately been cancelled, so nothing now until 30th when Ex-Superstar, In Isolation, Gothzilla and Feather Trade play in London.

Did a rare vocal only PA gig at the weekend. smallish venue probably about 75 capacity in a long narrow room. The RCF745 was more then adequate. I had both the Helix and the RCF volume controls at just under half way, which was plenty. The last time I had to use my bass rig for FoH bass with this band was when I had my more conventional amp and cabs set up and I ended up having to be so loud on stage I could barely hear the rest of the band. The RCF seemed to be more controlled and with better projection and although I was slightly louder than I would have been out of choice, I could still hear all the other instruments comfortably.

If you can post some photos that will help with getting some info on it.

When I had mine built I knew which body shape I wanted because Sei had been mostly picked on that basis alone, that it was going to be a 34" scale fretless 5-string with an ACG01 preamp and I had a photo of a Nordstrand (IIRC) bass that I liked the colours of. That was it. Martin helped me pick out some woods that would give the visual result I was after and then sent me away to measure my favourite bass for the nut and bridge spacings. Once I had those I spent an afternoon in the shop trying out various basses the get the right neck profile and pickup voicing to suit how I played and how I wanted the bass to sound and after another 18 months this was the end result:

My last proper bass rig was put together mostly from the Basschat classifieds and various special offers on here. Even tough the bulk of it was either second hand or heavily discounted it still cost me a lot me than the combined new price of the Helix Floor and RCF745 that replaced it.

First date for In Isolation and Gothzilla mini-tour, playing upstairs at The Olde Salutation Inn in Nottingham: With X-Superstar and Feather Trade also on the bill for this gig it was a bit cramped on stage and I had to do a bit of a rewire of my "bass rig" in order for Feather Trade's bass player to also use it, but the gig went well and we seemed to have the biggest audience of the night. Just getting ready to go to Heckmondwicke for tonight's gig.

Photo from last night's gig at "The Sal": Tonight In Isolation are in Heckmondwicke, at Westgate 23 with Gothzilla.