Jean-Luc Pickguard

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.

[quote name='baretas' post='30329' date='Jul 11 2007, 04:11 PM']You're right. Maybe it's an IE7 problem... although it's only a browser, IE affects a lot of the windows OS (and vice-versa). But now that I checked the page source, i noticed that the forum is based in javascript. Have you updated the java to the most recent one? [url="http://www.java.com/en/download/installed.jsp"]http://www.java.com/en/download/installed.jsp[/url] (to verify your java installation) If that doesn't help, try to repair the IE7 installation or uninstall it (reboot) and check the forum with the other browsers. But I honestly hope that it's a java problem [/quote] Java and Javascript are completely different technologies, despite the confusingly similar name. Upgrading the Java VM will not make any difference to the javascript engine in the browser.

If you prefer the sound with the compression, there's no reason I can think of not to use it. I think the phrase "not to use it too much" could mean a few different things. Rather than meaning not to use it all the time I would guess the advice was not to turn the compression level up too much, but if you did have it too high you'd probably notice it sounding all horrible and woofed out, but depending on the design of the compressor and the musical setting, if that sounds good to you I can't see any reason not to use it in any way that sounds pleasing to your ears. To paraphrase Joe Meek: "If it sounds right, it is right."

search for "beatbass" at thomann.de. The Harley Benton Hofner "McCartney" copy looks very good for £100

I use a ritter t-bird gigbag for mine. I think it was about £45 new via ebay, but fits perfectly and has enough padding without making it too bulky.

It depends on the results you want. I use Thomastik JF344 jazz bass Flatwounds on my fretless precision and get a lovely deep growly mwahh sound. These are very light low tension strings, but you can probably use heavier strings if you're able to adjust the truss rod.

I saw the who at Glastonbury on TV the other day. I'm sure Pino was using Grolsch seals to keep the strap on his sig CS Fiesta Red Precision.

It could be as simple as the contacts in the jack have become dirty or oxidised. Before replacing the socket it could be worth cleaning the contacts inside the socket using a cotton bud moistened with isopropyl alcohol (sometimes tape head or CD cleaner). Planet Waves cables have expanding collars help keep the plug snug in the socket. Before I replaced the jack on my '71 musicmaster it kept cutting out if I used any cable other than a planet waves. Do you know anyone who has a planet waves cable you could try?

I'm not sure if the cover itself has a direct effect on sound or not, but it could be that your right hand position and/or technique is different with the cover on.

I have found the dark grey/black foam that comes packed around OEM Hard disks to be perfect - just cut with sissors. If you don't know anyone that's bought a HDD recently I think a servicable mute could be cut from a baby bath sponge, (but only if you like pastel colours).

I an early red highway 1 jazz from '03. It has picked up some dings and playing wear, but its all good honest playing "mojo" and looks cooler (imho) than the "damage" you get when dinging bass with a harder finish.

[quote name='Mottlefeeder' post='25443' date='Jun 30 2007, 11:58 PM']There is a school of thought that you can get rid of neck dive by moving strap buttons around. It looks as if he/she had four attempts to do so.[/quote] Good Point - I managed to cure the horrendous neckdive on my thunderbird in a single attempt though.

Early Wishbass?

"I've set it up with a low-ish action and good intonation" I'd hate to see his idea of high action - My Cheap Chinese Double bass came with lower action than that!