Dingus

Fenders are great sounding and well- designed basses . There's far more right with them than there is wrong with them . Get a good one and you have got everything you need to play bass guitar in most musical situations . You can't fool all the people all the time , and Fender basses are ubiquitous for good reason .

[quote name='4 Strings' timestamp='1358851038' post='1945897'] So, as everyone likes G&Ls why do Fenders outsell them 100-1? [/quote] Marketing , distribution and , above all , brand profile .

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1358844266' post='1945795'] It's a bit of a cop-out though isn't it? For people too vanilla to buy a Thunderbird-shaped T-Bass. [/quote] It wont sound quite the same either due to using ash and maple rather than mahogany . I suppose the thing is that the TBird body shape can feel very awkward and alien to Fender -style players ( indeed most players ) so these basses make sense in light of that .

A great album , for sure . The whole band is cookin' - especially Willie Weeks - and Donny was really at the peak of his powers , before his problems took over and obscured his immense talent . It's gratifying to see Donny Hathaways' reputation enjoy something of a renaissance in recent years - the fact that he suffered from and died as a result of severe mental health problems rather than substance abuse issues meant that the music industry found it a little awkward to celebrate his legacy compared to some other artists .

What I find about Hi Beams / Fatbeams/ Sunbeams is that , like all strings , they lose that new zing after a certain time but after that they still sound good and not " dead " in the sense that they are dull , lifeless and in need of changing . That still sounding o.k phase lasts for ages and ages . That coupled with the great feel makes them worth the extra money . The only problem I have with them is that on some basses , to my taste at least , the 40-100 set feels too light and elastic but the 45-105 set feels a little too taught and heavy . Its about time DR brought out a Dingus Signature set gauged 42-62-82-102 . They could make up some story about them being wound at a high temperature and call them Baked Beams and package them in a tin rather than the usual cardboard packet . In my experience some basses are subjectively stiffer to play than others , and on stiff-feeling basses the 40-100 set are a Godsend in making them feel a bit more friendly to play , so the extra compliance from the round core can be a big help sometimes too. The only strings I have used that lasted as long as DRs is the old Elites Stainless Steel . They lasted for ages too . I used them in the late90s/ early 2000s and they were great and cheap , but when I went back to them around 2009 they were totally different and seemed to go dead as a doornail and need changing very quickly . After three or four sets I gave up on them . I'd be interested to know if anybody else thinks Elites Stadium Series aren't the same as they used to be . I know they used to be made by GHS - maybe they got a new supplier or something .

It'll sound very different though . The Lull has got his rewind of classic 1960s Gison Thunderbird pickups on , same as the ones on his TBird style basses . Presumably he has put them on this bass to give a taste of that sound to players who prefer a Fender - style body shape .

I've been listening to the early PIL records lately , and they could be seen as an early example of or influence upon the post rock genre . Have a listen to some of the fledgling Jah Wobbles ' lines and maybe get some ideas or inspiration from them . To me it's one of those genres ( if in fact it is a genre ) where the only rule is that there are no rules , if you see what I mean .

[quote name='noelk27' timestamp='1358794433' post='1945183'] Well, unemployment in Japan is running at roughly double it's historical average. Since the start of the world financial crisis it has hit a record high, in 2009, and continues to remain high. Corporate insolvency has been at record levels, since the last spike in the 80s. Personal bankruptcy is also on the rise, since the end of the last boom, in the 90s. In the last couple of years it has been consistently trading at a deficit, and has dropped from second to third in the table of the world's economies. Japan has also been heavily criticised by the International Monetary Fund for its failure to deal with its long-term borrowing and its low tax revenue levels. Its economy is not in a good state. A lot of similar things could be said about the UK, but since the start of the financial crisis, when the pound was buying circa 250 Yen, in recent times the pound has been buying between 120 and 130 Yen. Your buying power against the Yen has halved since 2007. But, you're a little better off this week, as your pound would buy you circa 140 Yen. [/quote] Japans "lost decade " that followed its economic bubble is a well -documented trajectory , but there is a broad consensus that since bottoming out in 2009 the Japanese economy is at least facing up to the realities of their situation . The same cannot be said of sucessive British governments since 2007 . Japan are dealing with their economic crisis better than the U.K and several other Western economies because they are being painfully honest with themselves about the sheer scale of the task they face . They have to - they have had twenty long years of relative turmoil . The British government and others like them still cling to the idea that the current problems can be solved by shuffling things about a bit . As a result , I have every confidence that in this country we are heading for a period in the economic wilderness equal to or greater than that endured so far by Japan .

I too heartily recommend Fatbeams . Or Sunbeams if you prefer nickel . Both sound great and last ages .

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1358789913' post='1945061'] Oooh... Fatbeams already suggested by someone else... and these ones, the gauge matches! Yes, I thought that the A string could have been changed... but it would have had to be done when all the strings were new, as they are all similarly aged. Of course, the previous owner could have just bought singles... My strings do feel pretty flexible and elastic for the gauge!!! Yes!!! The HiBeams do not, however... and they are round core. They feel much less elastic than D'Addarios, for instance. DR fatbeams are not cheap... Happy to buy them if they are the right thing, and they look like they could be... are Fat Beams a bit more "elastic" feeling than HiBeams? [/quote] Fatbeams are essentially Hi Beams wound at a slower speed than Hi Beams to give a bigger bottom end and more pronounced mids ( allegedly) . The tension feels the same to me , although some people think they are very slightly taughter - feeling than the regular Hi Beams , but all those DR round core strings should feel much more elastic and less tension than the same gauge of DAddario XL strings . Are you sure what you think are Hi Beams are not LO Riders ? The LORiders ( hex core ) are very stiff and would feel more tension than the DAddarios , in keeping with what you say .

Hi Beams / Fatbeams higher tension that DAddario ? Surely some mistake . Those round core DRs all feel very low tension . Could you have got mixed up with DR LO Riders ( very stiff feeling ) ? The Fatbeams are basically the same tension as the Hi Beams .

Dr Fatbeams Marcus Miller Signature set are 45-65-80-105 and dont have silk on the ends . It could be however , that someone repaced a 85 A string with an 80 from another set before you got the bass . Do the strings feel very flexible and elastic for the given gauge ? If they do that would be in keeping with round core DRs such as the Fatbeams .

Looks like a fantastic bass but I would choose a different colour myself .

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1358780066' post='1944826'] Black and gold finish aside ( how much extra cash is that worth ? ) , the two models you mention were arguably inferior to the SB1000 . These basses are still not worth £4000 when you look at what else you can get for the money , and what you would be getting for your money if you bought one of these , in my opinion . [/quote] To put it another way , these look like they will be cracking basses , but you could spend £4000 far more wisely unless you were a Cliff Burton or Aria basses obsessive .

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1358780396' post='1944832'] Yes what I was implying was that Japanese instruments used to be very cheap for the quality of design and construction. These days they sell for what are far more realistic prices. On top of that the currently strong Yen doesn't help matters when the instruments reach the UK. 5-6 years ago they would have been almost half the price. [/quote] I had no idea that the yen was so strong against the pound . I know the Japanese economy had it's own crisis a few years before that in the West , but they seem to have dealt with it it far more effectively than we seem able to at the moment ..

[quote name='noelk27' timestamp='1358778809' post='1944809'] It's not an SB1000, it's an SB-B&G I, which is derived from the SB700/SB-R60 model(s). The priced quoted in Yen is the list in Japan, and the street price is likely to be lower. You'd also have to deduct the 5 per cent Japanese sales tax to make a true comparison. Initial information I saw indicated that Aria was commissioning the FujiGen Custom Shop to build the B&G I Limited Edition. The FujiGen Custom Shop is easily the equal - if not the better - of the Fender Masterbuilt Workshop and many boutique makers. If you go back and look at the list price of the Ibanez Musician and Greco Anniversary, which had prices in the UK of circa £6,500 and £7,000 respectively, at circa £4,000 in the UK the "Aria" is quite cheap. [/quote] Black and gold finish aside ( how much extra cash is that worth ? ) , the two models you mention were arguably inferior to the SB1000 . These basses are still not worth £4000 when you look at what else you can get for the money , and what you would be getting for your money if you bought one of these , in my opinion .

[quote name='4 Strings' timestamp='1358771321' post='1944615'] Absolutely agreed there is definitely something very workaday (and so, for me, attractive) about the older G&L1000s. Just that Fenders seem more apt to find their way into the wardrobes of middle aged collectors. Funny how a new, say, sunburst US Standard Fender will attract the comment 'hmm, nice', an identical looking bass with the numbers '1968' underneath will attract 'ooh, beyootiful' despite ithaving a couple of worn, buzzy frets and scratchy sounding controls. [/quote] I am with you on that one . I think the new USA Fenders are probably the best they have ever been if you want a bass to take out and play . If you want an antique with plenty of romance and mojo ( i.e knackered ) then pay a fortune for a ( often very beautiful ) vintage one , but I would buy a Custom Shop one for the same money myself .

[quote name='rodacademy' timestamp='1358769662' post='1944570'] Cheers for that, I'm finding no matter what I do with the Warwick, it wont cut through! Played around with bass and amp but it just seems to mid-high out! My Streamer 11 4 string is ok but I play 5's now, and I have a dolphin thats the dogs, but fancied a change and thought the MM would growl like a MF! [/quote] I've never owned a Warwick myself but I've played and heard many and I am surprised you can't cut through with the SS1 . They tend to have the strong mids that we all know and love Wawick basses for , and in my experience that's what gets you heard . Have you listened back to recordings of live playing with a band to hear how it sounds ? Sometimes your perception of things can be very different to what people are hearing out front . Maybe changing the pickups on the SS1 would remedy it if you decide against the Stingray . The humbuckers on the SS1 might be a very different proposition in terms of sound to the PJ arrangement on the four string model .

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1358769340' post='1944563'] Unfortunately the days when "Made In Japan" meant a quality instrument at a very attractive price are long gone. The current poor ¥ - £ exchange rate doesn't help either. [/quote] Would you agree that Made In Japan still means quality, though ? Some of the best made instruments I have had in my hands in recent years have been made there , and I think that the Japanese don't just talk a good game when it come to making things properly ; more often than not they deliver something made as it should be . Made in Japan is a mark of quality nowadays , and has been for a long time . As you point out , that isn't going to come cheap anymore . But four grand ..?

Wawicks are great sounding basses in their own right , and a SS1 is a particulaly nice one , so that's a tough call . Stingrays are very distinctive sounding basses that people tend to love or hate , so a lot depends on how much you want to add that Music Man sound to your arsenal . Would it be a Stingray four or five ? The five is a bit more tonally versatile , but any Stingray will be radically different to your Warwicks . Music Man basses have their own sound with plenty of cut , but not the same midrange growl as a Warwick . Stingrays are more scooped in the low mids with an emphasis in the upper mids and treble .

[quote name='dudewheresmybass' timestamp='1358766695' post='1944508'] They will be available here at £3999 [/quote] That is a lot of money for an Aria SB1000 ! Lovely basses for sure , but not four grands worth in my book . Such a shame because I would love one of these . Not a Cliff or Metallica fan particulaly , but when I started playing in the 80s these basses were some of the best on the market , but unfortunately out of my price range at the time . This reissue has enabled them to be out of my price range once more ! Thanks Aria , I feel like I'm 13 all over again .

The thing about G&Ls is most of them won't sound like Fenders ; the L Series basses with the proprietary humbucking pickups may be great sounding basses ( something that we all seem to agree ) but they won't sound like a Precision or a Jazz Bass , which is what a great many bass players are looking for in a bass. Testament to that is the SBand JB Series basses that G&L feel obliged to make to cater to that market . Fender are great basses too . If you can find a good one it will serve you for a lifetime and do a great job in so many musical situations . Same with a Music Man . All three brands make basses for working musicians to use as tools .

[quote name='machinehead' timestamp='1358711954' post='1943920'] Echoing what has been said above, the G&L L2000 Tribute, available used for around £350, has to be the best bargain out there. Their versatility makes them close to an all-rounder for the gigging bass player and the build is rock-solid. And.... someone mentioned not liking having to worry about the battery going flat- it doesn't matter. The L2000 will still play, and very powerfully too, in passive mode with the battery removed altogether. In fact, I rarely (almost never!) use the active mode. Frank. [/quote] To work without a battery is very good feature for any active bass . Those G&L pickups are super -powerful sounding , that's for sure .

I've never seen Tony Kanal with an ASAT , but the again I don't see him that much so it's quite possible he has got one , but Cass Lewis used one extensively back in the 90s with Skunk Anansie . I would gladly have another G &L bass myself Pete , they are terriffic basses and pretty good value for money when you consider how well made they are . The USA ones are all Plekked now as well , I seem to remember .

Too much bass and you get no articulation to the sound . A lot of rooms and stages add bass anyway , and sometimes you need to have plenty of midrange definition to counteract that . The final sound out front can end up being very different to how you hear your amp soloed . But yes , if the front of house sound hasn't got enough bottom end then it's no use to anybody .