drTStingray

Musicman have Tim Commerford playing their basses so fairly similar I guess. I can understand people wanting to play something that looks like what Flea uses but seriously - a Fender body and neck with an Aguilar copy of a Musicman circuit and pick up? Far easier to play a black and rosewood Stingray which is what Flea has been pictured with in the past, and will make an equally good sound, but with the legendary Musicman quality and playability. I'm a big fan of Flea and was very tempted by the Mexican road worn Flea Jazz - I don't think I would go to the expense of a Custom Shop special of this bass though, particularly when a bog standard Stingray would do the job all day.

Have I got this right, the current bass player can't play the bass parts on the new album? Which begs the question who wrote them - it's normally the bass player in my experience? In which case the problem doesn't arise....

I have done exactly this several years ago - mine was ABM500 + 1x15 + 2x10 for LM3 + 2x10 standard and 2x10 Traveller. It's a more focussed sound for all the styles of music I play and is perfect with the Musicman basses I use. The other thing is that this is borne out by You Tube clips showing similar songs before and after. I still have my Ashdown equipment and use it at home and may occasionally use it for gigs. My back much prefers the Mark Bass equipment and I can always get a great sound with it - either of the 2x10 cabs are usable on their own for small to medium gigs also.

[quote name='geoffbyrne' timestamp='1486031873' post='3228606'] Look at film from the 50's - everyone (pretty much) played thumb style. G. [/quote] However electric bass was largely irrelevant in GB until the end of the 50s (helped by import restrictions) - and even in the US was the exception rather than the rule.

[quote name='sbrag' timestamp='1485979571' post='3228256'] There was a Chas and Dave documentary out a couple of years ago where i belive they claimed that this has been the most sampled piece of music ever. Chas and Dave are hip hop legends. Gertcha [/quote] I saw that and Dave explained how the bass part had been the basis of that part of the Labi Siffre song - everything builds around the bass and drum pattern. Actually I came across Chas Hodges as the sessions bass player on an album I bought in the early 70s called the London Sessions, by Jerry Lee Lewis - I bought it because of the featured guitarists including both Lees, Albert and Alvin. I then found Chas Hodges to have played bass with Heads Hands and Feet, including playing bass on Country Boy - it's all good stuff! So these guys really were in the sessions scene and other famous bands well before the Chas and Dave stuff - though I was always impressed with Dave's bass parts on that. The Eminem sample sounds just that - a sample straight from the track with the addition of the DJ scratching. I rather like the Eminem track as well!

[quote name='SpondonBassed' timestamp='1485980496' post='3228269'] I looked up the acronym you used and found this; http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/PBFS Can we eliminate some of those definitions please? [/quote] Lol - I made it up - Pretty Bloo** F****ng Sure 😀

[quote name='ians' timestamp='1485976998' post='3228224'] umm...isn't it all in the fingers anyway? [/quote] Well apparently lots of those guys using 'passive' instruments in the late 70s put them through such gizmos as the Alembic pre amp - thus - aherm - preamping them!! Also I've heard of people using Sadowski floor pre amps. Nate Watts is a good example re the Alembic in the studio (some of the famous Songs in the Key of Life tracks) - he later used a Stingray which of course has the onboard preamp. I'm guessing a decent proportion of all of this is in the fingers as you say. I personally prefer the sound of an on board pre amp (well a Musicman one at least) and dislike the colouration given by some passive instruments. That said modern active EQ amps help a lot of passive instruments to get over some of the issues they had with audibility in the 70s/80s.

[quote name='SpondonBassed' timestamp='1485964614' post='3228085'] Who T F made Leo the boss of bass anyway? [/quote] It's funny you should say this - back in the late 60s Jack Bruce was God of Bass and Andy Fraser was the apprentice God of Bass as far as I was concerned - both played EB3s. Despite this fact, I lusted after a Precision - despite Leo Lyons and John Paul Jones being my other bass Demi-Gods and playing Jazzes. I suppose having another bass Demi God in Larry Taylor (who played one of those funny slab bodied Precisions at the time) just about justified my choice. Oh and at the time no one knew who the **ck Jamerson was, only that there were some tasty and audible bass lines on Tamla records with rumours of them being played by a housewife in her spare time. How times have changed!!!

[quote name='Hobbayne' timestamp='1485967291' post='3228120'] No. Jack Horner married one of the Spice Girls. [/quote] Lucky chap!!

[quote name='Hobbayne' timestamp='1485954545' post='3227962'] This is the 1962 P Bass used by Greg Lake. Note the tugbar under the G string. Bassists back in the day used to grip with the index and middle fingers while plucking the strings with the thumb. [/quote] Amazing - I'm PBFS he used a Fender Jazz when I saw him with Emerson Lake and Palmer back in the 70s and also with KC before that? He also played rather nice acoustic guitar as well - I hadn't appreciated he'd gone back to the 1959 rudiments at some stage 🤔 With regard to the tug bar, back in the late 60s when I got interested in these things, unless you played with your fingers bass players were rather thought of as dabbling guitarists or worse still, those clicky plectrum things on the 'bubblegum' pop music of the day, as opposed to proper progressive music (or jazz/R and B ) so it was really an anachronism from the late 50s. As is often the case with Messrs Fender and timely (or not usually) response to customer practice and need, they moved the tug bar to the top to facilitate 'proper' finger style bass playing in the early 70s just at a time when slap bass was taking off in R and B, and thus rendering it virtually impossible on a standard Precision without removing said tug bar. Of course, parking your plucking hand in one place by using the tug bar rather limits the change in sound you can get by varying somewhere between the bridge and the neck. But so do the chrome covers (even more so on a Jazz). All that said, a Fender without a tug bar in the traditional place for the era (and chrome covers) just doesn't look right to me but that's just me being OCD probably 😉

Mark King Superb bassist. For me a bass review should show the versatility of the bass in a whole range of styles. Those styles may include slap, picked, bread and butter pop from various eras, Palm muted, 70s/80s/90s fingerstyle, with effects for electronic - basically as much as possible to give an indication of how it would fit a range of people's requirements. The amp and speaker set up (if used) should not colour the sound too much (I have found some types of set up scoop mids and top very badly thus limiting the sound of the bass itself). I have found in my experience that there are some bass players who limit their playing to narrow genres - no problem if that's what they want to do - however the only people I've come across who don't like slap are bass players (many of whom haven't even bothered to learn to play it) and guitarists who object to a bass being anything but a low pitched background rumble. On the contrary audiences seem to love it if used tastefully (basically the same proviso as for any technique). In the 80s it was entirely possible to come across bass players who could ONLY play slap 😮 To omit one particular style because it offends some people's sensitivities seems daft to me - if you transfer this to a drum demo, much of that is genre specific - so would you miss out rockabilly because it offends bread and butter rockers - I think not!!

[quote name='rodney72a' timestamp='1485307598' post='3223054'] Like this, you mean? (Not mine, I should add - these are from a friend who was at NAMM.) [url="http://s1275.photobucket.com/user/72arodney/media/IMG_1917_zpsjcfttzac.jpeg.html"][/url] [url="http://s1275.photobucket.com/user/72arodney/media/IMG_1918_zpsirqoxtre.jpeg.html"][/url] [url="http://s1275.photobucket.com/user/72arodney/media/IMG_1919_zpsbfeqbuhi.jpeg.html"][/url] [/quote] My lord that is an awesome looking bass 👍 But how does the new price compare to a post Brexit Fender Custom Shop bass price? On the question of Cites, I suspect all manufacturers are having a headache created by not only this but the situation with the new Commander in Chief's plans for the US which would appear to the onlooker to affect most instrument manufacturer's current business models.....no doubt all of these changes (including the changes here with the EU) will create a significant period of turbulence ...... and possibly even bigger prices. I hope you get your Starry Night bass soon.

Another +1 for Markbass. My basses sound great with them and you can adjust to suit any room in my experience. Also in my experience, most amps work great with Stingrays (or should it be the other way around....) - so pick from Hartke, Acoustic, Ampeg, Ashdown, HH, Trace Elliott, GK - I've used them all and got a great sound out of all of them. I would suggest avoiding amps which seem to automatically cut or suppress all the top end. Regrettably I played through a Fender Rumble which gave plenty of power but cut all the upper mid and top - it may have been the speaker I guess (it was a medium sized combo). I'm very old school (grew up as a bass player in the 70s, and the 60s and 50s had a range from some to very little relevance) - valve amps and passive basses were the very reason I couldn't get a good sound or hear myself (or even in an FOH mix) as I would like in those days so I took inspiration from people like Family Man Barrett, Jermaine Jackson and many others - never looked back after converting to solid state - first HH then Acoustic - the final piece in the jigsaw was a Stingray in 1979....I have never owned a passive bass since. As Hiram K said, strings play a big part - so does the player IMHO - play one too hard and inaccurately and they'll sound like a pile of poo poo whereas a bass with less dynamics may be more forgiving. I am able to and have played Stingrays in any genre - its quite wrong to say this is not possible - however the player needs to be versatile enough to fit any genre as well!! My recommendation is Markbass, 3 band Stingray (if you use a 2 band be ready to fine tune your amp's mids), and after vast experimentation, I believe you can't beat Ernie Ball Slinkies (100-45) or EB Cobalt Slinky flats with a Stingray. I love the sound of brand new Rotosound rounds on a Stingray also - but they seem to mark the frets with very regular use. All IMHO of course!! But remember at least some of it's in the fingers (skill of the player). You can definitely get a whole range of great sounds if you have the techniques (eg I rarely hear anyone mention it but they sound great palm muted - as well as slap, finger style funk, pop etc etc ).

[quote name='machinehead' timestamp='1484249187' post='3214057'] I wouldn't call mine an anvil but it's the heaviest bass I own. When I was selling all my heavier basses the US SUB stayed because, although it weighs about 10lbs it balances so well that my back doesn't suffer. Work that one out? Frank. [/quote] It's just a well balanced design - my SR5 is the heaviest bass I have but likewise, balances very well, but has extraordinary body resonance. The very lightweight US Sub 5 is similar on a strap but has a lot of neck dive played seated, simply because the body is so light. I've deliberately kept the checker plate on it - looks great particularly with the white - feels a bit wierd at times but not enough to be an issue (I notice it when popping the strings in occasional slap fests - which it rather encourages!!) Did someone say they have GAS for an SR5? The ceramic ones and US Sterling 5 really do sound the nuts as far as I'm concerned - can be aggressive but can also be orchestral-style and pop heaven (West End show/Elton John//TakeThat style stuff).

I'm very much the same in respect of the US Sub - used mine last Monday at a jam session for which I provide the bass gear. Awesome sound and even more so with the 2x10 tweeter turned up!! A number of people commented how good it sounds and looks (it is also white, a 5 string and with original chequer plate pickguard). Yours looks interesting with the red pickguard. Mine is also a featherweight, which was the main reason I took it. Hooray for relatively cheap basses!!! (Well Musicman ones at least).

[quote name='Grahambythesea' timestamp='1483664681' post='3209202'] Before the shads were famous and could afford to import US guitars, he also played a Framus. After he left the shads he recorded with Tony Meehan on a Fender VI - "Diamonds" [/quote] It was a case that Femder basses were generally irrelevant in the UK before 1960 owing to post war import restrictions. The two Strats and Precision in fiesta red were imported (brought over) by Cliff Richard and Hank famously gave back the Strat when he could get his own. Both Jet and Hank played bass VIs - as fat sounding guitars. The Shadows changed to Burns guitars in white in the early/mid sixties (but Jet had left by then). It was a change in the whole stage show etc. If you watch some of the more recent Shadows performances you will see that Mark Griffiths alternates between a fiesta red Precision and a Burns when the band change guitars. The sound is quite different and much more modern sounding - used in Rise and Fall of Flingel Bunt, which, when I played this music, sounded to me to be influenced by the Jack Bruce style of playing at times (the single was 1964). In fact it was also possible to pick up influences for bands in the late 60s - one of the songs had more or less the exact bass part from a Ten Years After song and there was another one (with distortion on the bass) which sounded very Led Zeppelin. I guess this is not surprising as Cliff and the Shadows and Jet Harris influenced lots of players in the 60s. In the 70s/80s Alan Jones played with them and used a 5 string sometimes and the bass parts were much influenced by music of the times and bass playing styles. That is what I based my own interpretation on when I played in a tribute group. Using a coral red Stingray - nailed the early recorded style and of course, the later stuff as well.

Ha ha - I'll go with that Pete. Having been a member of a tribute band rooted in music of the late 50s and 60s, I am well acquainted with the era/generation mindset of 'nothing worthwhile happened after the 60s', and an almost anal view of accuracy and adherence to period, particularly in minute detail but seemingly ignoring core matters of substance. I used to quietly chuckle to myself when their 'vintage' amps were unable to cope with poor venue acoustics simply because they didn't have mid range controls!!! But of course, they must be the best because they're vintage ha ha!! I'm not in the least surprised Vintage Guitar comes up with such nonsense. It's especially wrong for the UK where Fenders weren't even imported until the early 60s owing to post war import restrictions. It simply isn't right for the 60s where I seem to recall the most famous bass player of the era played a Hofner, two of the most famous and accomplished players of the decade (amongst others) played EB3s - move on to the 70s (when surf music and pastel coloured guitars were about as unhip as flared trousers from the 60s/70s were in the 80s), and players were often using CBS era Fenders, and Rickenbackers - move forward to the latter part of the decade and the influence of players using active basses like Alembic and Musicman is all pervading. No doubt active basses are anathema to the vintage brigade. I don't recall the funny shaped Gibson figuring in much of that. l I'm sure Vintage Guitar sells to that fast diminishing demographic of (generally) white 70+ year olds - who have never noticed that the instruments they're on about did not figure generally in for instance, Classic Rock. It's true that there were some great songs and music in the 50s and 60s, and it was a great pioneering era - but to ignore anything from 1970 - 1990 is plainly stupid, particularly when that era contains far more classic pop, rock, soul, R and B than the 50s/60s, and there are a lot of real classic designs which grew with the music. It's basically an out of touch magazine which I wouldn't expect to know much other than the obvious about basses anyway.

[quote name='Shambo' timestamp='1482668819' post='3202153'] If Fender had specified a natural finish with their new line of USA basses, (along with the staple black, white and 3TSB), I wouldn't have started this thread. The Jazz has got its natural '75 RI, so why no Precision equivalent? [/quote] Yes I've always been curious why Fender has never done this! Offering natural bodied basses requires a better standard of wood and maybe the cost is too much for Fender. Fact is, originals do crop up and they are much better value than say, 60s basses and worth saving for. Either this or maybe a team built CS?

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1482609475' post='3201922'] I think any with multiple pickups are Alnico, I could be wrong, where's DrStingray? [/quote] Merry Christmas folks!! I think the SR5 (all models) changed back to alnico when the US Sterling 5 was introduced - which has ceramic in all pick up configurations afaik (2008 I think). I agree with Pete, the one in the picture looks great - the pick up looks identical to the one in my 2003 SR5 which I've had since new.

Natural bodied Fender basses were a real 70s thing. Look just as good with a white scratch plate as well. You'll see lots of people on film, especially in R and B, using them in that era. It was the bass I really wanted at one stage (the 70s). It's also a classic Musicman colour, starting in that era also, and even Gibson offered it with their Grabber/Ripper IIRC. Good thing is you can actually buy a new Musicman in that spec - I suppose Fender have catered with the 70s Jazz reissues - I don't think they've done it with the P, but it was the look/sound of the early 70s for soul/funk - some might argue a golden era for bass playing and bass players. Good examples of original basses are quite good value to buy and crop up from time to time and I have been tempted. When you compare with the price of 60s stuff which, with a handful of notable exceptions of players, is hardly an iconic era for Fender bass!! I guess it's the CBS stigma...

Really enjoyed that - like the way they kept the ascending bass part in the breakdowns as well. Did someone mention Take Five http://youtu.be/qKkZ5ndxuDk

I use flats on my Fretless - tried lots of different types. The first thing to watch out for is string tension - bear in mind some of those flats designed for use in the 60s have tension which would challenge even a prize arm wrestler.... great if you're a double bass player who occasionally plays an electric - or as occurred in the 60s where bass guitarists were mainly ex double bass players. its unlikely you'll be playing 16th note grooves with these IMHO. If you use these they will be hard on your fingers. I have settled on using low tension flats - Thomastik, Rotosound Solo Bass (ground wound), Ernie Ball Group 3 have all been good but I am absolutely sold on Ernie Ball Slinky Cobalt flats and have them on my Stingray Fretless. They feel as smooth as anything (a little sticky for the first couple of days, but this goes), have similar tension to roundwounds, and the sound is fabulous. A great compromise between thump, fundamental sound and a bit of zing if you want it. They've been on the bass for 12 months now and are still great.

[quote name='lowregisterhead' timestamp='1481989898' post='3196821'] A few years ago EBMM did propose a 19mm wide-spacing SR5 ('The SLO Special 5') which they vowed to produce is they got 125 advance orders. IIRC they only got orders for 3, so it never happened! Here's the No Treble article: http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2011/07/01/ernie-ball-offers-test-run-of-music-man-stingray-5-string-bass-with-19mm-spacing/ [/quote] IIRC it was 50 orders required within one month of announcement.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1481976976' post='3196698'] Ah but would it be if it was an EBMM model? will we ever know,will Big Poppa ever try it to find out? [/quote] Now you're being v wicked lol 😂