White Cloud

Yolanda Charles who is a member here used a Levinson Blade for some time...that's a good enough recommendation for me!

Looks awesome...that neck pocket is a fantastic piece of clean router work. Nice!

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1379528622' post='2213805'] A very good point, Rich . You can put a Badass on using the existing screw holes for the stock Fender bridge , and you can get a Sadowsky outboard preamp that clips to your strap ( or indeed choose any of the other fine external bass preamps currently on the market ), so no need to butcher a vintage investment . The East J-Retro is also usually a direct retrofit that doesn't need any irreversible alterations to a standard Jazz Bass, if I understand correctly . [/quote] Very true this! I owned a 78 Jazz to which I fitted a badass & used a Sadowsky outboard pre - getting a Marcus-esq sound wasn't hard.

Having played actives for many years I had a epiphany when I was using an Alembic bass and realised that sometimes less is more. There is a lot to be said for passive basses that you can just plug in and play. P basses seem to just sit in a band situation and work despite their basic nature. Horses for courses of course. Try everything you can get a hold of - Its all part of the experience of being a bassist and finding your thing.

Have been looking at the 5 string version of this lately as a stable mate for my BB714....they look bang on the money. The best bit is the Yamaha logo on the headstock - that says to me "very well built, incredible value and reliable". Nice.

[quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1379439050' post='2212758'] No worries. There's this guy in Upper Volta who ... Seriously though, I may be quite similar even though my above post might point in a different direction. I just want to learn about amps, and imagine that after that I will settle for a certain style and one rig (or two if must) for the rest of my life. Now basses on the other hand ... . [/quote] The issue I always have is that as soon as I have saved up enough cash for a nice amp.....a nice bass catches my eye instead lol!

I will be watching this one with interest...as a big Carl Thompson fan I really like the look of these basses. Love the specs....it's gonna be a good one!

Not sure if it's just me but I find it really hard to get excited about amplification in the same way that I do about basses. I use one of those 500w TC Electronic amps (not sure of the model)...it has 2x10's and does absolutely everything that I want from an amp. Even sounds good!

I have used Thomann previously....a very expensive instrument. I had the same reservations - but they were quite excellent. The level of service was absolutely first class and I would have no hesitation about recommending them.

[quote name='4000' timestamp='1379327841' post='2211211'] This is Yes you know. Which is kind of the point. [/quote] Yes I know lol.

[quote name='Lowender' timestamp='1379295019' post='2211001'] My opinion is based on the fact that he's a brilliant player but his solos are generic and uninspired. I'm not alone. I also recommended Squire to a bassist who was unfamiliar with his work and he checked out a solo and thought he was awful. I then played a track from The YES Album and then he realized how good he was. Yes, music is subjective but why make it an issue at every turn? The point is, not everybody can do everything equally well -- even great players. [/quote] I agree that not everybody can do everything equally well......but as a bassist I don't want to be able play every style though, only the style's that are useful, or "right", to me as a player within the music that I want to play. Jeff Berlin would rip it up on a fretless - but has a very strict and outspoken opinions about why he would avoid doing so. I'm certain Louis Johnson would be able to jam with Zep and do a decent job of JPJ lines also. Anthony would probably be a monster slap player IF he wanted to be....Chris? well, he has the kind of ego that comes from living in the type of bubble that comes with being a rock god. His solo's are self indulgent rubbish imo...

[quote name='SpaceChick' timestamp='1379255779' post='2210379'] I had a 5 string.... I tried hard to love it, but just couldn't. I've never needed to go below D for a song, so found it easier to quickly drop tune anyhow. So my 5 string sat unused and unloved. So a couple of weeks ago I sold it and put the money towards my dream bass an Ibanez SR1000..... Best decision I've made so far!! In other 5 string news, my bass teacher has a 5 string Sei bass with a high C rather than a Low B.... That is quite a thing of beauty [/quote] Congratulations on the SR1000 - stunning basses

[quote name='Lowender' timestamp='1379257147' post='2210410'] You said a good player can become good at anything, not THINK they sound good. Some fans may like it because they simply want to like it, though a lot of musicians realize it's sub par. And if you want to introduce the brilliance of Chris to someone who's never heard him, playing one of his solos is likely not going to do it. [/quote] If Chris thinks he sounds good but you don't then who is right and who is wrong? I would say that your assertion that Chris is not a good soloist is purely subjective. Your criteria for a good bass solo will be different to mine etc etc. We all hear things differently. Personally I think that any rock bassist that takes the time to take a solo slot live needs a reality check...but that's just me - and that's another story!

[quote name='Lowender' timestamp='1379253261' post='2210340'] Well, Chris Sqiure has been doing a solo at YES shows for 30 years and he still stinks at it. Meanwhile his time is impeccable, his tone is god-like, he has chops to spare and his sense of voice leading is one of the most brilliant I've ever heard. Explain that. [/quote] Simple...Chris believes that he is a good soloist! Plenty of non bassist Yes fans probably agree...............

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1379111295' post='2208930'] This must be a common issue! In one of my bands, the member who does most of the gig bookings is not very good at saying no to gig offers. We've had a couple of gigs in the past where we've been left out of pocket, playing to oblivious audiences and wondering why we bothered. Currently I'm trying to explain to the band why I'm not keen on doing an out-of-town charity gig in between Christmas and New Year, where I'll have to rent a vehicle to shift our gear (I'm the only driver) and the promoter is offering "as little as possible" in payment. We do still get plenty of gigs which feel worth doing, but I feel like we could be more selective. Any tips on getting my viewpoint across without seeming like a grumpy b@stard? [/quote] It is a common issue. Stick to your guns and be assertive.....i.e. be calm, controlled, measured, put your point across and stick to your guns despite any histrionics or other types of leverage from your band mates. In this way you are true to yourself, do not compromise on your beliefs and avoid coming across as grumpy or angry etc.

[quote name='Greggo' timestamp='1379165624' post='2209351'] I recently after exclusively owning and playing 5ers for years swapped one for a 4 string and quite frankly I much prefer them. I worked out I don't go much beyond D anyway and prefer the string spacing of a 4, especially on the yamaha BB414 which has a fairly slim neck anyway (but not too thin). I have a Vintage EST96 stingray clone in 5 string form which I used to love playing but since having a 4 again I just think I would like it more if it had one string less! Bit of a quandary because I would love to just do a straight swap for a 4. I don't know whether to keep it in case I get the urge for 5 strings again or just change it so I have two basses I'm happier with. Anyone gone through this conundrum before? [/quote] The question is rhetorical. You know what the correct course of action is...but want affirmation from others that it's the right thing to do. Go with your instincts.

[quote name='Lowender' timestamp='1379113446' post='2208954'] Inspired by Bilbo's post. You would think you get good at what you like and lag at things that you don't like. But I like a lot of things and want to do them well yet some stuff (not necessarly the "more difficult" things) just doesn't come naturally. Oddly enough, I started on drums and jazz came to me , right from the start. Rock too. But although I really worked on my funk playing, and got decent at it, I never really OWNED it. When I switched to bass, the funk came flowing right out of the gate. But jazz...it's okaaaay, but I have to work at it to start living in that zone. And my reading sucks at both. And yes, I've practice it a ton. I'm just a functional reader and assume I always will be. EVERYONE has their shortcomings. Chris Squire s a genius and he can't solo worth a damn. Louis Johnson is a genius but I don't think he'd fit in Led Zeppelin. Jeff Berlin is a genius but he doesn't play fretless. Anthony Jackson is a genius and he can't slap. So...what eludes you? And what is in your back pocket? And do you know why? [/quote] Nothing that I find useful to me as a musician eludes me. I would suggest that the famous players that you have named fall into the same category. For example i am quite certain that if Anthony Jackson decided that becoming proficient at slapping would be worth fitting into his "map" of bass playing then he would decide to work at nailing it!

Love T birds....but cannot help but feel that this is an opportunity missed. Looks nice - however could have been outstanding!

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1378832539' post='2205308'] I have heard some people ( well , one person , to be precise, and other folks seemed to agree with him ) claim to be able hear the difference between a wood shim and a card shim under a bass neck . Needless to say , I am sceptical about that claim . Lots of basses have shims , including some very expensive ones . If the bass plays well , sounds great and has no reliability issues as a result of being shimmed , why worry ? Yes in an ideal wiorld , all basses would play perfectly without them , but expect to pay substantially more for the same bass without a shim in that ideal world . Precision manufacturing costs money , and the reality is that bass makers at nearly all price points need to keep costs down to avoid pricing themselves out of the market . [/quote] I agree.

[quote name='Kiwi' timestamp='1378680828' post='2203269'] Hehe, its called a mahogany but its not really. It gets used for cheap furniture. But a good wood to practice on, there's loads of it out there and its easy to work, [/quote] Yes agree totally...very good to practice on & it's easy to work. I used it for a body and neck stringers on a fretless build....that bass sounds very good indeed. Wood snobs can sneer but if it sounds good then it sounds good lol.

I remember when this came out well...loved it. Pretty much agree - after signals it all started to go progressively wrong for me concerning Rush....cannot get anything out of their recent material at all and HATE the bass sound Geddy adopted.

GAS is evil and only leads to dissatisfaction, unhappiness and emptiness in the end. Resist!

[quote name='timmo' timestamp='1378633658' post='2202535'] Maybe a lot of work, but if you haven`t got the confidence to try on an expensive bit of wood, couldn`t you get a cheap wood to practice on, and use as a template for the real thing? [/quote] I made the body of the my first bass build from Merranti (cheap-ish Mahogany type wood) for this very reason. It works well and sounds pretty good!