Jean-Luc Pickguard

I took my new Beyerdynamic DT-150s to the recording studio last week to focus in on individual sounds and the engineer liked them so much he's going to try to get the studio to buy some sets. I like to mix on headphones, but always listen on decent monitors as well.

[quote name='Buzz' post='48657' date='Aug 22 2007, 12:15 AM']Dunno, 70's would be a nitro finish wouldn't it?[/quote] I think they stopped using nitro around '68 and went over to polyester. I'm sure someone correct me if I'm wrong.

If you got credit from a shop you WILL be treated like a mug. Your best bet is to first workout how much you can afford to pay a month and set up a savings account. Set up a standing order to transfer that amount from your bank account into this new savings account. Then apply for a credit card with 12 month interest free period offer on purchases - halifax currently offer this, I'm sure there are others as well. When you get the card just use it once to buy the bass (after shopping around and haggling over the price) then put the card away don't get tempted to run up a higher debt. Pay the minimum amount off each week from the savings account, then just before the interest free-period ends pay the outstanding amount off and cancel the card. If you receive any credit card cheques or loan offers from the bank in the meantime shred them immediately, they want people to borrow more than they can afford and if you do you'll regret it almost immediately.

I wish I'd known about this stuff last time I had to strip the paint off a 70s fender (most had already been sanded off by the previous owner). Even Nitromors could hardly touch it.

[quote name='beerdragon' post='48241' date='Aug 21 2007, 12:02 PM']but you would'nt want to play one [/quote] I would for £100,000 a week

I thought the first one was aesthetically challenged but the atum-re on the link just looks scrotal to me. Just my honest opinion. maybe I'm too conservative. (with a small "c")

[quote name='E_MaN' post='47437' date='Aug 19 2007, 04:47 PM']buy the bass that inspires you to play[/quote] E_MaN speaks the truth. You already have a Carvin, which is probably a very nice bass but doesn't sound like it particularly inspires you. Its much better to have a bass that you want to pick up and play every time you walk into the room. You can safely ignore your friend's opinion about the Hoppus - as the saying goes "opinions are like a******s: everyone has one and most of them stink" )

Cool idea, but it seems kind of expensive for something that looks like it can easily be made for next to nothing.

[quote name='Crazyforkillua' post='47265' date='Aug 19 2007, 01:52 AM']Yea, pop punk. I want a Mark Hoppus bass, but my friend says they're a load of crap [/quote] Did your friend give a reason for his opinion. Has he played a Hoppus? I see no reason why a Hoppus would be a load of crap. I'm not keen on the styling, but I doubt it would be much difference between it and any other MIM precision apart from the jazz body and it has a great Pickup. Mexican Jazzes & Precisions are consistently very nice instruments these days. Have you seen the MIM Mike Dirnt Bass?

For Punk I'd go with a US Fender Highway 1 Precision or a Fender japan 70s Precision reissue. The highway 1 will get nicely mojoed up from playing wear over time. Sorry I couldn't resist - no offence intended:

It was designed to emulate the sound of an acoustic upright. I'm not sure if its more or less easy to adapt to a 43" scale

A sign hung near the stage like this helps: "All song requests must be submitted on a fifty pound note. The band reserves the right to substitute any requested song for one with some of the same notes in it."

I don't think I play any better after a drink, but I probably care less about any flubs in my playing.

I must admit I find it uglier than an EBMM bongo, so in theory it should be even more comfy to play and sound better than a bongo. Rightly ot wrongly that shape looks like the main design criteria was to be different, rather than look aesthetically pleasing. - It looks like it could have been designed by committee. It should be designed as a unique bass model in its own right not as a scaled-up version of an existing guitar.

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='44893' date='Aug 13 2007, 04:44 PM']Left thumb on top is fine and automatic, right thumb on top feels deeply weird. I've been totally right-handed all my life in every (and I mean [i]every[/i]) activity.[/quote] Same for me.

My EMG P pickup sounded a bit weak with 9v compared to to the mighty punch you get running it on 18v by connecting a pair of betteries in series. I've gone back to the stock fender pickup since though.

It sounds like the guitarist is just trying to push your buttons - don't bother going down to his level. If it winds you up tell him he's an idiot and find another guitarist - there are ten a penny after all.

That sounds great but why's she playing the bass line from "Ice Ice Baby"? I was a big Bowie fan up until the early 80s but I couldn't stand the original version with Queen.

I use an H4 to record rehearsals & gigs. It works great on a cheap camera tripod from currys. I get plenty of recording time going straight to CD quality WAVs from a pair of 2700mAh NiHm AAs and a 2Gb card. I have Cubase studio 4 on my laptop, so I haven't used the cubase LE that comes with it, but I always use Magix Audio Cleaning lab to edit down the Files from the H4 to CD which works very well.

I used to be on the lookout for such a thing, but since I started using a cheapo planet waves SOS strobe tuner, I no longer use my korg tuner, behringer pedal tuner, the one built into my GT-6B or the one that clips onto the headstock. If my amp did have a tuner built in I wouldn't it. I find the SOS to be the quickest & easiest to use of all I have owned or tried. I have managed to loose it a few times though. ( Its also handy to have when trying out basses in shops.

I have a couple of comfort straps and a couple of fender neoprene ones, which are actually neotech ones with a fender logo instead of the little neotech balloon. They are different in construction, the neotechs seem a bit "bouncier", but I can use either with my heavy ash P bass without injuring myself (It gets painful with a thick leather strap after about ten minutes), so I don't have a real preference for one or the other.

[quote name='markdavid' post='32101' date='Jul 15 2007, 04:45 PM']Hi , I have recently heard that there is a set of flats that have a layer of silk wound between the outer and inner wraps , anyone know what string this is as I suspect that this may give me the tone I am looking for[/quote] That'll be the Thomastik Infeld Jazz bass Flatwound set. Made like Orchestral Double bass strings. Available from stringbusters, stringsdirect etc. They are quite bright for flatties when new, but they do settle down and sound better with age. They are very light guage so you'd probably need to adjust the truss rod & possibly change the nut. I have TI Jazz Flats on Two fretted Precisions, a fretless precision, a highway 1 jazz, an epi thunderbird, a Dean Pace Upright and a peavey millenium five string. My oldest set is about four years old & still going strong. I'm not sure whether they'd actually be the magic bullet in getting the sound you're after. What bass would you be putting them on?

I flatwounds & find they prevent blisters in the first place. I prevent the fingertips from drying out by using some kind of moisturising hand lotion. I always used to have more trouble from hands drying out and cracking than from blisters.

I'm right-handed & play bass right-handed, but can only play piano left-handed. Still looking for a left-handed one though.... My five year old is left handed when writing or drawing, but occasionally switches over to right hand. He often used to pick up his mini-strat like Jimi when he first got it, but I suggested he might like to try it the right way round and now he's quite happy playing it that way.

Is the intonation OK on the hofner? the bridge looks a bit too far forward in those pics.