BassTractor

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[quote name='hiram.k.hackenbacker' timestamp='1455668142' post='2981408'] That's great. Don't worry about looking for the info, I assumed the seller was part of the Ernie Ball PDN. I did look at Sweetwater who have some nice neck-through Ray's, but I think I'm going to go with the one at ProMusicTools. Thanks for taking the time to explain what you went through. Much appreciated. [/quote] Okeydokey. Be aware that if Sweetwater do decide to sell a new bass to you, which then is in breach of their contract, then EBMM will not accept your registration for the bass, and you will not be covered by EBMM's part of the warranty responsibilities. I have asked several US PDN dealers to send me a bass or even several basses, me accepting the lack of warranty, and they all refused without hesitation. BTW, I'm sending you a PM.

Yup. The first two deals were problem free, if long-winded and unlike other web shopping. This may have changed in the mean time though. The basses themselves were perfect, and arrived undamaged, well set-up and even in tune. I can't remember the seller's name, and all the info is in my broken laptop, but I can try and find the box tomorrow. However, if it's a Music Man you're after, and if it's new, then that shop can't help. They're not a Music Man dealer, and at any rate Music Man dealers are not allowed to sell new basses to other areas the first two years of having the bass in stock. Mine was used (even if it was built the week before - probably a sad story there). (This is where the NOS thing happened: the EBMM guy had forgotten the two year clause in the contract, and so incorrectly concluded either a breach of contract had taken place when a US bass got sold by a Munich shop, or the bass was second hand.) Edit: The "two years" clause in the contract does not go for regular basses, which can never be sold to other areas, but only for presumed risky lim.ed. ones, like for example the Kermit green Dargie Delight series.

[quote name='hiram.k.hackenbacker' timestamp='1455651376' post='2981200'] Mmm. This presumably wasn't anything top do with the "other" scenario you had regarding the NOS instrument? In the absence of others weighing in, I think I might be prepared to regard the above as an unlucky occurrence which hopefully won't be repeated for me. Could I ask how long ago this was? [/quote] It was the very same bass (in 2013 if I can trust you ), but I do trust the bad packaging had no relation with the NOS thing. Probably just an inexperienced employee cutting corners without realising the impacts the bass has to endure during transport. The resulting customer service may well have had something to do with the NOS thing. I'm only human, and so are the folks in Munich. People's glasses can get coloured after such incidents, and maybe I was seen as a difficult customer by then, even though it was EBMM's initiative to warn me rather than to contact ProMusicTools. Me too, I'd wager a guess that this incident was very special and not something that ProMusicTools have planned on repeating with other customers. I'd guess you are safe, but felt I could not just sit still and not tell you what I'd experienced. Also, the bassic.ch experiences are not about packaging and/or warranty claims. They are about visiting the shop. I think it's reasonable to suspect that one person in the firm has issues, not the whole firm. . I guess they're safe to order from, but I'd still make sure they know you expect them to make sure the bass can't move within its case. Incidentally, my next Music Man came from the USA, and that firm had a page explaining exactly how they packaged, and one of their principles was exactly that: using bubble wrap around the body of the bass in such a way that the knobs have leeway, but the body has not.

Sorry for derailing a perfectly enjoyable thread, but yes. Meaning: two or three people on here have admitted, after long interrogations, to having been or being a copper. That said: you did not state what goal, aim or purpose you have with this thread. That, in my book, is highly suspect. I think [b]the butler[/b] made you do it. Him, or reverend Green, with a lead pipe, in the billiard room.

There may also be a follow-up thread about what happened afterwards, but I can't find one. So here's the fatty skinny: 1) I've ordered from them three times. Prices are high, but they do tend to have rare, sought after items, and they do inspect and set up every bass very carefully before shipping. 2) My last Music Man bass from them was erroneously packaged without protection between bass and Music Man case, leaving the bass to move around inside the case. Also, they had put the case in a much larger Fender corrugated board box without filling the void adequately, allowing the Music Man case to move freely within the Fender box. Thirdly, they'd put on the address sticker in such a way that if one had the sticker in reading position, the bass inside would be standing on its headstock. The obvious result of all of this was that the bass had gotten its volume knob knocked off during transport. ProMusicTools initially would not accept any responsibility for this, and instead meant this was due to stupid consumer error, which got me fuming. When they finally did accept responsibility after I'd thoroughly documented how badly they had packaged this time, it took them [b]more than a year[/b] before they sent me the new pot I would solder in myself (I had offered to do this myself in order to save them the hassle as well as the shipping costs both ways). Several of my polite mails during that year remained unanswered, and my last, very clear and very strict one a whole year later (still polite, mind, just factual and strict) that stated I would complain about them to Music Man, resulted in an enormously butthurt answer and in the pot arriving here within a few days. No apology or anything like it. I remained flabbergasted. I saved them on postage twice and offered to take responsibility for the repair, and all they mustered was being butthurt by me saying their customer service was unacceptable to me. 3) the German spoken Swiss bass chat site bassic.ch has a forum where people tend to tell stories about rather creepy experiences with the firm when meeting up in person, leading me to believe the firm are best dealt with as a webshop. In summing up: in my experience they're very good when there's no problem, but they show their private personal issues very clearly when not everything is perfect anymore.

[quote name='operative451' timestamp='1455618623' post='2980667'] 'proper' blues of the 'Disability-Fruit-Surname' variety [/quote] But don't be so narrowminded! It can be a vegetable as well! Oh, and extra points if <surname> is a former US president. [b]Blind Lemon Jefferson[/b] is a classic of course, one of many classics, and both Lemon and Jefferson were even his real names. I'm Slantin' Banana Clinton, but I can't explain that one without the help of... er... that woman... Miss Lew. Er... Liverpool. Grip. Beatles. Carry on!

Congrats! I'm very curious to hear your findings.

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1455439359' post='2979016'] Many thanks, I think we'll be sticking with Roland. She's a big Roland fan. [/quote] Aye, but to me this reads as she wanting a Roland keyboard - not a Roland iPad app - whereas I thought I was talking about the iPad apps to use with that Roland controller keyboard. I went to the Piano World forums to check what pianists say about them, and they came up with these. BTW I still haven't remembered a great new piano app I know exists, and can't find it either. The iTunes app store really stinks big time. All of that said, is 4 octaves the size she wants to go for, or could this be stretched? I mean: stage pianos exist that are shorter than 88 keys.

[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1455437577' post='2979006'] 88 weighted or 61 semi weighted keys if I don't get the rubber thing? I play a mix of everything. [/quote] Get both. </THREAD> As I assume you're much aware, it's about prioritizing and about your own technique and in what direction you wish to develop it. It's very hard to exactly and [b]dynamically[/b] control the dynamics of plucking and hammering sounds like pianos with a semi-weighted. For people without good technique, it's also hard to do dense pads with quick chord changes on a weighted keyboard if it's a rather heavy one. Wait! I have great technique, and me too, I find it hard to do this. However, one solution might be in one of the weighted ones that need very little pressure. IMS Fatar do one or a few. Problem with Fatar is they do so many different keybeds, that it's hard to get an overview of which models use exactly those keybeds. I remember having been much charmed by the action of an Orla stage piano with such a Fatar keybed, but as this is several years ago, they may use different keybeds these days - even if they're supplied by Fatar. Also Yamaha do or have done one that was very light on the touch, and which resembled the light Fatar one very much. I'd believe it was a Fatar one, but reportedly, Yamaha almost always do their own keybeds. This may have been the exception, Idunno. Another solution might be in tracing a shorter, and thus cheaper, weighted one and add a synth bed or a short semi-weighted later. Short fully weighted keybeds are almost as rare as hens' teeth though. Roland did a 64-key one, but it may be unfindable these days. Just trying to hand you some thoughts. Sorry that I can't provide a shortlist of keybeds to go and try. One last remark though: if you're on a tight budget, you can do worse than with a semi-weighted M-Audio KeyStation or KeyStation ES. They come in all lenghts.

[quote name='Roland Rock' timestamp='1455309425' post='2978151'] Thanks BT. I'm thinking that maybe a Future Impact is more what I'm after [/quote] Noooooo! Think of the lag! You need the Instantaneous Impact! But yeah, that sounds like a more natural choice to me too.

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1455317560' post='2978231'] Do you have any suggestions of software to use to produce the sounds of a piano? [/quote] If you decide to go the iPad route, then you may wish to check out: - CMP Piano - iGrand - SampleTank These are old. I don't know whether they've been updated recently. I know there's another, newer one, but i can't remember it right now. CMP needs a newer iPad than iPad2; I don't know what the others need. At any rate, these are far better than a GarageBand piano. Remember that the resulting sound of a piano app also is very much dependant on the MIDI keyboard having a decent Velocity range, and thus also is dependant on a good keyboard. I've tested the same software with different keybeds, and there's a huge difference in what one perceives. Better control = better sound.

[quote name='Roland Rock' timestamp='1455300812' post='2978040'] When you say that the K Pad is an effects unit with an input, could it be used just like a bass guitar effects pedal to play synthy sounding basslines? [/quote] Yup. Depending on the model, you can expect effects ranging from your everyday regular effects like reverb and delay, to more synthy ones - some of which self-oscillate and can be played melodically on the X-Y pad. If the goal is to only have a bass synth effect unit, then my guess is it's quite limited, in that only a few of the effects are in that general area. As I haven't got the most interesting ones yet (Kaossilator Pro and Kaoss Pad 3 in any of their versions), I don't know how to use the sampling or what it does. Initially I'd assume you can loop the samples. Think of a DJ in electronic dance music as the original target market for these units, and I guess you're in the right area. Edit: looked it up, and the samples can not only be looped, but also one-shotted. This is Korg's own explanation of the first versions of the big ones: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxEdOSusYzs[/media]

Memory Lane! [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/236837-anyone-plugged-their-bass-into-a-kaossilator/"]http://basschat.co.u...-a-kaossilator/[/url] That thread has a lot of info. Again: A Kaoss Pad is an effects unit. It always allows the input of an audio signal. A Kaossilator is a synth with a looper. Advanced versions of it allow the input of an audio signal. Either thrives with your fingers on its X-Y control surface, which may not always be handy for bassists. These units come/came in four different sizes, of which the largest ones are the most advanced. (Actually more models existed, but here I'm referring to the usual ones: the mini, regular, Quad and Pro lines.) Up to now, I only own the two sizes in the middle, and there's nothing fiddly about them IMO and they're very well built and seem to last forever, but the larger the control matrix, the easier it is to hit the right spot. Personally, I will buy both the Kaossilator Pro Plus and the Kaoss Pad 3 (Pro?) (Plus?) in addition to the ones I already have - not as an exchange.

[quote name='6v6' timestamp='1455182310' post='2976671'] (what could possibly go wrong! ) [/quote] Nothing! I wondered about the same thing. Saw a rope type rig many decades ago, with some special type of chain instead of the rope, but I guess that those are extremely very rather obsolete now. The total investment in H&S on that exact rig was a bar that went around it in belly height.

[quote name='Daz39' timestamp='1455105995' post='2975879'] I suppose it wouldn't help to track down the QC inspector of the time who wrote the final tick on it the instant you were brought wailing into the world (even allowing for time difference.) [/quote] Aye. That bass is an SOB.

[quote name='Stu-khag' timestamp='1455021483' post='2975044'] to see what everyone here would be interested in seeing being mentioned in a tv programme. [/quote] "The Amazing Adventures of Simon Simon" by John Surman may be a concept album, Idunno. At any rate it's not the usual prog suspects. Possibly maybe perhaps worth mentioning the (IMO bad) concept that Ekseption had for their "Beggar Julia's time trip", where medieval Julia travels in a spaceship-like time machine and picks up classical music pieces during the trip, in roughly historical order. Thus, the album starts with medieval/Renaissance-like music, before picking up Bach and Beethoven and the like, and megalomaniacally finishing with Ekseption. (Ekseption tended to use known classical themes for their mainly instrumental pop/jazz.)

My stuck-up ex-sister-in-law: "The guests would never leave! Even after I'd said "Please stay longer! No need to go yet!" several times, they still just kept sitting! " Sometimes, a divorce is just a lucky escape.

[quote name='phil.c60' timestamp='1454953572' post='2974571'] I've seen that photo of you in your pants. [/quote] Demm! I'd almost forgotten that, but you just had to bring it back! I'll have to go in retail therapy now.

[quote name='12stringbassist' timestamp='1454930567' post='2974208'] [media]https://www.youtube....h?v=SoAYK9tjWMQ[/media] [/quote] For some reason, I didn't get that to work (Win10 / Chrome), but it must be this, yes? Edit: I found out why. Somehow, your link had been truncated in such a way that the part we normally see of a long link text (as in: with "...." in place of a long string) now had become the link text itself. Anyway, here it be: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoAYK9tjWMQ[/media]

That was a luvverly photo though.

Dutch 80s band Mo used bassoon, synth or electric piano for the bass role, depending on song or song segment. Here's their "Nancy" in playback with visible bassoon (not in bass role though). I lurv it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntwRQ9JzN0A

I feel so stupid. Suddenly it dawned upon me: - "Honey, remember the bass I built myself?" - "Yes, dear..." - "Sold it to BassDirect! Got 300 quid for it. They said it was very playable. You want a trip to France?" - "That's lovely, dear. Congrats! You mean the one that looks exactly like a Fodera Monarch and even has a perfect butterfly inlay in the headstock? That one?..." - "... ..."

[quote name='hiram.k.hackenbacker' timestamp='1454521052' post='2970489'] Can someone please explain to me why anyone would put up a relatively expensive bass for sale (which would attract a commission in the four figure bracket) without making any effort to advertise it anywhere else (as far I can tell). [/quote] A serious depression? Can't be arsed? No clue, and too rich to be caring about the four figure number? Very busy, presumably making a lot more money? Living abroad? One year sailing trip? Beautiful long/short-haired blonde/brunette demanding the darn thing out of the house before he will be allowed near her again, so he desperately sees no other option than a quick handing it in to a shop? Other good or bad reasons that may or may not be rational or may be driven by emotion or the lack thereof?

[quote name='Muzz' timestamp='1454512852' post='2970383'] ...and does your mother smell of elderberries? [/quote] You solved it! It's Hamster's dad!