BigRedX

Thanks for those, unfortunately neither are at all what I'm looking for. I've played the Shuker Artist and it really didn't do it for me. I'm definitely looking for a more symmetrical EB2 style body. I'd consider a Lakland hollow body or a Jack Cassidy Sig Bass if either was available in a 5-string version, but I wouldn't want to go any more asymmetrical than that. Plus I simply don't get on with Fender-style bodies.

I'm sure that the Walbassist's acoustic bass is very nice but not at all what I'm looking for.

Any more ideas?

I'm hankering after a really nice semi-acoustic bass with the following specs:

Must be 5-string

EB2 style double-cut body shape

At least 32" scale (would prefer 34")

Neck/body join that allows easy access to at least 17th fret.

So far all I can see is the Warwick Starbass II. Unfortunately the only example I've played (4 string bubinga fretless) had the most horrible sharp fingerboard edges, and if I'm going to be paying the sorts of prices that new Warwicks are currently demanding (over £2k) I expect it to be perfect out of the box and not require any further luthier attention to get it right. Plus I'd probably feel compelled to do something about the ugly headstock.

I've fired off an email to Chris Eccleshall to see if he would make me a 5-string version of the Peter Hook bass.

So what else is out there?

[quote name='simon1964' post='550474' date='Jul 24 2009, 06:55 PM']Ah - didn't realise that.

Definately agree on the quality of their stock, and they seem pretty helpful. The old Sound Control, on the other hand, is even worse than it used to be![/quote]

If it wasn't for the fact that I've recently gone self employed and have to watch the pennies for the moment, plus I've decided that I shouldn't buy any more 4-string basses, I'd have been severely tempted by the Jack Cassidy Sig, Thunderbirds and Rics that they have in stock.

The old Sound Control shop is now part of Millennium Music. I've had to deal with them in the past when I wanted to buy a Nord keyboard and they were the only way of getting one in the UK at the time. It wasn't a particularly pleasant experience and I'm in no hurry to do that again.

They're not exactly a new shop - it's a second premises for Guitar Base.

Personally I hope they do well. Their stock is way more exciting than either the Drum and Guitar Centre or the offshoot of Millennium Music that's in the old Sound Control shop.

Fuzz in Nottingham had a Jetglo and a Mapleglo Ric 4001 last time I looked. Of course both were the full new list price...

[quote name='I am not excane' post='549633' date='Jul 24 2009, 12:56 AM'][/quote]

What's this bass? More details please?

Ta!

Just had a look and out of all the basses I use regularly only the Reverend Rumblefish doesn't have a 24 fret neck.

So, have a look at Gus, Sei, Born To Rock, Traben, Overwater, Pedulla or Lightwave.

AFAICS it's the the Fender derived styles that appear to be challenged in the fret department.

Does he have a web site?

I'd rather have both.

[url="http://www.acguitars.co.uk/shop/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=2"]ACG EQ02 3K/S[/url]

I have the EQ01 version on my Sei which is fiitted with 2 Gary Willis pickups. Sounds fantastic, and IMO the ACG is a great pre-amp for fretless.

Err the lasers and lights are part of the image.

Would you go to a gig if the band played behind a curtain in a dark room and there was nothing to look at at all?

Tune Korea still do a version of the [url="http://www.tuneguitars.com/store/wizmart.php?code=000701&lv=2"]Bass Maniac[/url]. Current price for a natural finish 4-string $972.

[quote name='crez5150' post='543953' date='Jul 18 2009, 01:26 PM']To be fair your not gonna need more than that.... how many times do you change your settings during a gig...??

It's nice to say have a setting for Finger style, one for Slap.... and another to what you choose..[/quote]

When I was the bass player in SugarBox I had a different setting for every song.

With my current originals band I play both fretted and fretless. There's a setting for each, plus a extra one for the fretted when I play it with a pick. Since my back up basses aren't identical the my main ones there's a setting to for each to compensate for the difference in tone. At some point I'm likely to add 8-string (4 course) to the live sound. That again will require its own setting (or two) as will its spare.

In the covers band I've joined I use four different settings ranging from muddy and deep to zingy and bright depending on the song, for each of the two basses I'm currently using plus a set for the spare. The guitarists spend quite a bit of time matching their guitar sounds to those on the record and I so should I not only to be fairly authentic but also so that the bass still balances with the guitars when their sound changes.

My first band used to have to borrow our bass guitar from one of two class-mates who owned them. One had a home-made P-ish shaped bass and the other had something that looked very much like the one pictured here and had a Kay badge on it. From what I recall the home-made bass was better (and that wasn't particularly good...)

As Jon said, bigger pictures please, and I'll try and find some photos of the version we used to use for comparison.

That's looking good!

Did you thin down the neck any? Reshape the body? And how long did all that work take you?

My problem with Wishbasses is the variable finish and the fact that Mr Wish doesn't appear to know when a straight line is actually a requirement.
There's potential in them as this one and the one that Thunderritter owns both show, but for me, I'm not sure that all the extra work is actually worth it.

IMO programmable presets are a great idea, but only 3? If I only needed 3 I'd be able to remember the settings. Now if it had at least 40 we'd be talking!

Levy's M7GP on all the basses I use regularly. I have a Comfort Strapp too, but IMO it's ugliness outweighs it's slight comfort advantage.

[quote name='guylewis' post='543036' date='Jul 17 2009, 11:05 AM']I love short-scale basses too - here's one I made earlier[/quote]

That looks interesting. Could you post some bigger photos and maybe details of how you made it - perhaps in the build diaries or gear porn sections? I'm sure I'm not the only person who would be interested to know more.

It's a Hondo Alien. I've got one of these although without the "Alien" badge.

Tell-tale signs other than the Alien Decal:

Two screws holding the string clamp at the head (the Kramer only has one)
A real Kramer will have Kramer The Duke plus the serial number on the neck plate, Hondos have nothing.
The bridge and machine heads are Schaller branded ones on the Kramer, cheap copies on the Hondo.
Kramers have an ebanol fingerboard, the Hondo has rosewood.

Actually the Hondo version isn't a bad copy, and apart from the lack of the ebanol fingerboard, with some hardware upgrades, you're pretty close to the real thing.

Realistic price for a Hondo - about £100 if it's in good condition (better than that example) and includes the violin-shaped case.

Overwater Porn thread is [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=52576"]here[/url]. Looking forward to seeing your addition to it!

Again short scale (24 fret neck). Not very many details but it's probably an XKB-10 rather than a Gibson-style V shape (although those do exist). Be aware that there's only one pickup and design used ought to be at the neck rather than the bridge to the pole spacing is incorrect for the strings where it's being used.

As Jon said the Talbo Bass is mostly about the looks.

Average weight by my standards (mine is 4.4kg on the bathroom scales) but it's nearly all at the body end so at least it doesn't suffer from neck dive. I find the neck is very slim (but then again I mostly play 5-string basses). I haven't tried mine at serious volume so I couldn't comment on feedback, but it did suffer from a nasty rattle until I taped the "scratch plate" to the body using double sided tape. Sound wise it's bright and aggressive, and pretty versatile considering there's only one pickup although the design appears to be a separate coil for each string.

I like: The look, the sound (although not suitable for everything) the playability.

I don't like: A couple of design features that compromise functionality. The machine heads used makes it difficult to get a decent break angle for the A string. The bridge design is far too complicated and unfriendly for what it does. Has a tendency to rattle unless everything is tightly screwed down.

Overall nice but I wouldn't want it as my only bass.

Also the price of these in the UK is stupidly expensive. There's one in Denmark Street that's been there for years with a body with far too many casting marks on it (mine only has a few and they're all on the back). The Japanese seem to get these at a sensible price. Here we pay a premium which simply isn't worth it. (I imported mine from Japan via Ishibashi).

It's also short scale which I don't think anyone or the eBay listing mentioned. All the Kramer aluminium necks were the same length they change the scale length with the number of frets they fit. 24 frets like the XL24 is always 30" scale length. 20 frets is standard 34" scale.

I have a pair of older style Dr Bass cabs (before they started adding the mid control) a 210 and a 1260. Both fine sounding although not as good as my main EBS Proline rig. However I can carry both cabs at the same time whereas I can't even pick up the EBS 410 on my own!

My main concern is the 210 which only has jack connectors. I don't like jack connectors for high powered speaker systems it's simply not professional IMO. I've tried contacting Dr Bass about buying a replacement back panel with Speakons but they won't even acknowledge my emails...