drTStingray

He still seems to be able fill large concert halls with fans and still puts on a great show - which means it's also probably financially beneficial as well. I know a number of people who were fans of Cliff in the 60s and still are (paricularly women) - I suppose the difference between them and say fans of, for instance, Paul Weller is they're 15 + yrs older (original punk fans are probably late 50s early 60s age now so hardly in their youth! That's not to say these elderly acts don't have appeal to broader age groups as well! So if there's a syndrome it's elderlypoprocksoulmusicitis.... Probably applies to a decent proportion of devotees of rock, prog etc etc etc....

Look again - you missed it 😂 Real reason was the photo upload kept crashing 😕

I have this Musicman Sabre - Sabre's are relatively rare anyway but this one is probably unique as it has a mahogany body and also in this very cool finish - with figured roasted flamed maple neck.

Thanks - the combination of colour, black hardware and ebony board/roasted maple is quite striking. I may get a black pg for it as well though I like the white as it is - to be honest, I ordered this having seen a photo of one when they were first announced - which had a black pg. The neck profile and string spacing etc doesn't seem any different to me - however I have not had any instance of pushing the G off the edge yet - I find that playing a 5 I have to be more accurate - especially as the spacing is narrower. Ive also never had an issue with my Bongo 5 with that either. I have a gorgeous natural/maple ceramic pu SR5 from 2003 - now I do very occasionally push the G off the edge on that - usually after I've been playing 4 strings for a few weeks and go back to the 5 - that said, done once you just adjust and play more accurately - exactly the same as failing to mute the B properly, getting confused which string you're on - forgetting the ability to play two octaves across the strings. I saw Marcello's video and whilst it's definitely possible to do this, for me it's a case of adjusting your technique slightly so you don't bend the string the wrong way - anyone who plays Fretless will know that doing that on any string wrecks your intonation - so it's an element of the design and doing it continually is a technique issue - one I understand as it's very easy to get excited playing a groove and playing inaccurately in lots of ways (even hitting the wrong notes!!) All basses have compromises and I prefer the overall playability of the Musicman 5 string neck. Btw this roasted maple neck is so slick to play - the ebony and stainless steel frets possibly give a little more ring to the notes - slap sound is great as well - I'm very pleased with my pair of Specials 👍

Another NBD for me - this time a Stingray 5HHS. I picked it up earlier today - had a bit of a play in the shop and it sounds very nice - I was curious how the B string would sound with the revoiced pre amp - didn't need to worry as its a tight and focussed sound even with the bass fully boosted (and it's got a lot of bass boost). Anyway, after a 7 month wait here it is!

That's 9 ounces in old money - not a lot so long as the base line weight wasn't 10 lbs in the first place!! I have started wondering whether as bass players we're all becoming wimps - back in 1980 people were raving about Ibanez Musician basses - and they were often 12 lbs +. I count myself in this as I have a Stingray Special - and it's around 8 lbs - having used this a lot it's noticeable when I pick one of my other basses up. Perhaps it's an age thing..... Congratulations I'm sure it'll sound great 👍

Unfortunately such people are very compromised sound men IMHO - the presumption that no bass players use pedals or require certain EQ or even amp characteristics in their sound is staggering - and of course the majority do. Its a bit like taking a feed from a synthesiser before the sound is synthesised if you see what I mean - so no pitch bending, different sounds just the basic keyboard. Or the same with a guitar - no pedals, no drive. Plainly stupid and not doing the job (of amplifying the band sound) properly. And it apparently happens to even the most famous of people - Guy Pratt mentioned this issue in a recent article - Glastonbury IIRC. Most larger events I've played at using a house PA have taken the feed from the amp DI - and I always select post EQ to give FOH the sound I'm using - however on one or two occasions where the back line was provided and it was a valve amp, a DI box was used - on at least one occasion because the amp didn't have a DI out (another good reason for not using 'vintage' equipment for me!!)

Well that's good to hear amongst some of the more negative comments!! I'm not a great fan of Queen - but like some of their stuff but went to the musical with an open mind (as I did with a famous Andrew Lloyd Webber one - and I disliked his music) and like millions of others, thoroughly enjoyed it (liked the ALW one as well). I shall probably try and get to see the film as well. Now if someone made a film about Morrissey or Paul Weller...... even then I might go out of curiosity!! 😧

Its very interesting and it's great to hear the detail of the bass line. However I'd never realised the similarities with Jack Bruce on White Room by Cream - especially in the areas where the chord sequence turns round. The style is very similar. The only modern sound here is the separation between the instruments and it is unusual to have such quiet drums and relatively loud bass. The bass guitar itself sounds like his bass sound generally from that era. I am also of the feeling that the original, for me, is better.

Interesting - I was a massive music fan back in the 70s and had also never heard of Terry Reid either - great singer and like seemingly a few other people, seems to have been a potential Led Zeppelin member before their line up was finalised. Reid was managed by Micky Most back in the 70s (about as frightful in the 70s as Simon Cowell is today) who seemingly steered him down a ballad style rather than rock. Somehow can't see him in the same vein as Peters and Lee, Davids Soul or Cassidy, or Julio Iglesias (with apologies for any duff spelling)

Yes even I turned it off this week!! Interesting juxtaposition, Marc Almond v Jools on boogie woogie piano - had it been the 70s I would have suspected I was on an acid flashback 😯 (Although I would confess to being a fan of boogie woogie piano 😏 )

Young people seem to like him - however very much a mixed response from the over 40s (or should that be over 50s). However this is much like Dylan in the 60s 😏 (only his songs weren't as catchy) and when he went electric - well you could almost hear all those eardrums popping as the died in the wool folkies wrenched their one finger from one ear in unison 😂😂

I think there's some truth in the notion they're after some 'monitor' sound and I have known drummers say they play better when they can hear the bass drum better - I've also refrained from suggested they hit the other ones less hard to give themselves a chance. However FOH bass drum sound is often a problem - should it be a thud or a boom - the latter is a real problem especially if mixed too loud. As I don't play in marching bands I really don't understand anyone who wants the bass drum to boom - and it sounds like that's one of the problems the OP has......

Well depends what it is I guess - at least it's getting children and slightly older teens interested. Having been dragged by my own children to various events including several Radio 1 road shows (one included Faithless playing Insomnia which I really liked!!) it's pleasing they showed an interest and developed their own likes and dislikes - even though I thought Rage at that time was a bit ranting, I did like the music!! Mand I know what some of us think of Ed Sheeran - I quite like him and was pretty impressed by his Glastonbury performance. When his songs are played in discos lots of people sing along - like the Dave Clark 5 or Beatgkes used to be. It's all pop I guess.

If he insists on doing this (I have heard of it as well) then why can't the amp be EQd and the output set at a sensible level so that it doesn't get in the way, particularly if the bass drum doesn't go through FOH.

Having seen this I felt obliged to post it as members and anyone seeing it may well be as excited as I was when I saw the poster during my daily commute.......😳

The rear of the lower bout on a multi pick up Stingray is almost entirely routed (which is not the case on the H versions) as the HH (and discontinued HS) have rear mounted electronics - this is what I meant.

Great - think you'll be impressed. The latest on my 5HHS is first/second week January.

I think this is spot on - and to echo Deedee, my SR4HHS is significantly lighter than any other Stingray (or Sabre) I have. Strangely the two that come nearer to it are both two pick up (Classic Sabre - with mahogany body and SR4HH 2007 LE. At the time, several others commented on the light weight of their 2007 LEs of various configurations - maybe they used a batch of lighter ash. The multi-pick up variants have a much bigger chunk of wood routed for the electronics, which probably more than compensates for the extra component weight). You ought to try some SRSs Rodney 72a - they really are impressive in many ways. A couple of other points, when these were first in production AJ posted a list of weights of 4 and 5 string basses produced - they all hovered within or just below the 8 lb range. And remember, it's generally only us over 40s that stress about instrument weight - my son's quite happy to gig a 12 lb + Ibanez Musician!! It certainly was never a consideration in my younger days. I was mainly after the sound and something I could play with ease. Perhaps this says something about a changing demographic of the guitar buying public!!

I don't disagree with you concerning Leo - however the Rics and Gibsons etc clearly didn't disappear - unless you ignored people like the Beatles and many others. It wasn't until the later 60s Fenders became more ubiquitous, usually sunburst, in the hands of Larry Taylor, John McVie and Leo Lyons for instance, but even so there were key artists in that period and into the 70s (and beyond....) using Gibson and Rickenbacker. In jazz it really wasn't until the late 60s that electric bass started to be accepted more - people like the MJQ were lone beacons and even after the 60s there remained a lot of snobbery in jazz about using uprights. Leo, as I understand, tended to err towards the country artists so it's possible Fender electric basses appeared there (and in rock and roll) during the 50s. Studio people were not visible until far more recently.

You missed out Warwick, Wal, Alembic and several other iconic basses. As we all know history can be manipulated. The story in the US was different from in the UK - but even then there is over emphasis on 'orchestral' players like Jamerson and Kaye - there were lots of others around. If you listen to what Carol Kaye says, she often played 'Dano bass' (click Bass) whilst someone else played 'Fender bass' and someone else played 'upright or string bass' - sometimes in the same track - I'd wager that's where the phrase 'Fender bass' came from. The attached thread covered why the Precision was probably the best bass available at the end of the 50s but was virtually unobtainium in the UK. According to quotes in Mo Foster's book, Hank Marvin had problems with the strings on his new top of the range custom red Strat (58 model) vibrating against the nut - and stuffed paper behind them - resulting in him in approaching Burns to get a similar guitar designed/made for them. Interesting stuff eh?

That's a bit dismissive and very debatable dependent on individual taste 🤔 I think it's a bit more than that as well - she designed the guitar with them so it's a true signature instrument - designed by a woman - also quite an iconic act. They've done pretty cool versions of it as well. It's quite high profile as well, surprised you'd not heard of it. There were rumours of a short scale bass version at some stage. The 50/50 I believe includes acoustics - although Gibson has iconic acoustics, Fender really hasn't and many other manufacturers don't even do them (PRS, EBMM etc etc). If I was in the market for an acoustic, Fender would not be the first to come to mind. Are they really trying to compete with the likes of Taylor and Martin, Takamine etc? Electrics are a completely different story as the Strat is one of the most iconic guitars.

This is true to an extent but there's also an argument that endless streams of people playing the same type of boring old fart 60s instruments, melting into the mix (I.e inaudible) is a turn off, or at least gets boring after a while. And note Fender did introduce the Rascal bass which some people would call cool and was certainly short scale - but dropped after not long. I think the truth is we on here are not generally in touch with the thoughts of the average teenager - apparently there has been an 'Ed Sheeran effect' with young people singing and playing acoustics. And from what I've seen many of us older types bemoan this type of thing. Intersting result of research though - I think the potential market for instruments for women has been recognised for a while in fact some manufacturers have made a point of doing signature instruments - even completely new ones. Fender has been historically incredibly slow to respond to market trends (active basses, 5 string basses are examples) and I wonder if this is just another example? Fact is the market for instruments has reduced a lot over the last few years - presumably it's the male part which isn't buying as much anymore. Maybe there aren't so many budding players and also too many who favour beaten up looking old guitars (thus not buying new).

I feel your pain with that - a few years back I was trying out rigs in a large store on the south coast - using my Fretless - and was astonished how people buying starter basses for kids were being wheeled over to the Squier/Fender stuff. As you say, probably not the best thing for small hands (though I'm minded Suzy Quattro's main bass has been a 57/58 Precision given her by her dad - which she wasn't allowed to appear with in the early 70s for aesthetic reasons - something to do with a manager's/producer's whim apparently). However you can see why as Fender historically has required dealers to buy in bulk (units of 10 or 20 at a time - and little choice of what some of the product is) so you can see why the salesmen want to get rid of them!!! That is why there are walls of them in many shops that sell them. Plus they're popular up to a point. As you say there's been better stuff around (actually since the 60s really) 👍

Agreed!! But be careful not to block any amp fans or ventilation grilles (the mechanical/electrical type 😬) I fried/blew up my Ashdown ABM during sound check a few years back with an injudiciously placed coat on a very cold night (snow outside). Since I've been using an LM3, which has a pretty minute footprint, the areas of exposed carpeted speaker cabinet top have become an irresistible lure for lady singer's handbags, bags of harmonicas, drummer's accoutrements, if fact just about anything - and which can block the ventilation grilles - on one occasion I only realised when I could smell a vague but very recognisable smell of electrical components over heating (which reminded me instantaneously of the night I fried the Ashdown....). Looked round and noticed the leather Armani clutch bag which I instantly moved and solved the problem (lady singer's, not drummer's 😂) So watch where you put/chuck your towel!! 👍 Nice rig btw