Dingus

[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1357320544' post='1921055'] Having had all manner of composite 'boards I have to say the body is much more important. As a direct comparison - my Graph neck, wood body Energy (old one - no truss rod, very stiff) compared to my Streamline... the Energy is much more traditional sounding and a warm rounded tone is entirely possible, whereas the all graphite Streamline is much more modern. that being said, the difference in Stainless Steel and Nicket frets is quite obvious too. Zon boards are wooden but pressure treated to force resin into the wood. I like it a lot! But I'm not convinced it makes a huge amount of difference unless you are looking at a fretless. Body wood and pickups are a much more important part IMHO [/quote] I used to use Zon basses and I seem to remember Joe Zon telling me at the time that the fingerboards were made of very thin layers of Birch almost like paper that was then impregnated with resin and then compressed at a certain temprature to create the final Phenowood composite . I could be getting confused in my memory of this , but I think that was the overall gist of it .

Loads of the good ones have already been mentioned , but George Murray and Dennis Davis are big favourites of mine that deserve some kudos.

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1357308476' post='1920714'] He is wearing a "Hot Hand" controller, so that means a Source Audio pedal of some sort was involved: envelope filter more likely. [/quote] That explains why I have been waving my hand at my bass for the last three days with nothing happening .

Any post 2008 AM St Jazz is worth considering - as with any Fender you have to find a good one - and you see them used for very reasonable money . The CS pickups on the 2012 ones sound great , but for a reasonable price you can always swap the pickups on an earlier one for those or a myriad of other hot pickups on the marlket if you so desire .

[quote name='bassman344' timestamp='1357310723' post='1920762'] Quite a nutshell. And so right. They are not for everybody - I can't afford one. ££££££ [/quote] Even if you could afford one , you may find that they do not suit you in one way or another . I have coveted one since for well over thirty years , but in the late 80s when I could first afford one and tried one with a view to buying I found that the ones I liked the best weren't the classic Series 1 and 2 designs I had grown up oggling , and the more modest models at that time didn't suit me ideally either , so subsequently never bought one . More lately I have been casting my eye over the new Balance K Omega model , which is a new slightly more compact and allegedly lighter and better balanced version of the classic models , and it has reawakened my Alembic cravings , even though I have absolutely no intention of buying one

[quote name='lozbass' timestamp='1357299494' post='1920505'] I really only play short-scale Alembics these days (well those and a Status Streamline). I've had pretty much everything and find that Alembic shorties really work for me, above and beyond all else. I don't want to get involved in the hype around these things, but for me, Alembics have some stand-out features - especially the unique tone and attention to detail. The innovative components and build philosophy are well documented above and I'd agree with most of what I've read. I do find however, that Alembics are fairly high maintenance basses. Necks need regular tweaks and electronics can be idiosyncratic. Then there's the ergonomics - neck dive is frequently an issue, and the small-bodied basses don't balance well on a strap (for me, though I'm used to it now). Also, I would like to see Alembic move to dual action truss-rods - just a lot easier (though I'm sure the company has its reasons). Fittings and finish on all my Alembics have been superb - genuinely beyond anything else I've owned (Wal, Fodera, Celinder, Alleva, Overwater, Nordy, Sadowsky, Pangborn...you get the picture). I've kind of voted with my feet - expensive yes, but not stupidly so in the second hand market. Reassuringly, I picked up a less expensive Alembic a few months ago - soon to be sold, watch this space, it's 34" scale - and it was every bit as lovingly built as my other Alembics. There is a professional pride at Alembic that is reflected in the quality of the instruments that bear the company's name [/quote] This post puts it in a nutshell for me . Alembics are not for everybody , but they are truly unique instruments anfd their overall quality and the integrity of the company as a whole is beyond question . No other bass sounds like an Alembic .

[quote name='Fionn' timestamp='1357241314' post='1919764'] Ok, so there are the obvious classic bass guitars ... Those basses which have endured and continuously prevailed through the ages, and endless fashions of music. Those basses are ingrained in our consciousness, so familiar are we with the sound and sight of them. Instruments which are the successful formula of aesthetic appeal, functionality, sound capability, quality of manufacture, and clever corporate voodoo. But is there anyhing else? At what point can a bass rightfully be called a "classic"? It may not be a Jazz, a Ray, a Rick, but a Steinberger XL2, a Warwick Streamer, an Aria SB1000 ... Is your bass a classic? [/quote] All the basses you list are classics to me . They are superb designs that have stood the test of time and are highly useful and usable instruments . Classics capture the spirit of the age in which they were conceived , but also have an enduring appeal which transcends that time and subsequent trends .

If Flea and EVH had decided to play Hamer basses and guitars respectively I expect that they would still be in production today , but as it stands I don't think even the bass player out of Def Leppard plays them any more . The profile of the brand had been on the wane for a long time .

In short , yes it is possible to better or worse than other artists in the same discipline . Art involves a certain degree of craft - you need knowledge and aquired skills , and it is possible for some people to be better at those skills than others in one way or another . Take playing the bass guitar for example . It's not just a question of expressing yourself , moreso it's about learning the intellectual and manual skills neccesary to conceive of and execute the basslines . If you don't know how to play , it's like someone who can't read ,write or speak attempting to write a novel . All you would be making is a racket , not expressing yourself in any tangible way . The whole pesonal expression thing when it comes to art is a bit of a red herring . Human beings cannot help but express themselves in almost everything they create . It is an inherent part of the human condition for them to do so . There is no need to self- conciously promulgate personal expression as an ends in itself . The idea of the artist as a autonomous creative force with their work born out of an internal creative genius is a fairly recent and highly romantic idea . Ironically enough , in the ages before this idea became prevailent the artist was considered more of a craftsman than an inspired creative force , and artists learned the skills of their chosen creative medium in the same way any apprentice learns a trade . The higher expression of aesthetic beauty was largely an afterthought .

SLO - San Luis Obispo ( where they make them ) .

I've just been working out how to play one of Meshell's lines from an album that came out in the 90s and she is a wickedly tasty and tricky player . Still a lot of work for me to do to get it down properly , or indeed anywhere near .

I much prefer the look of the Sterling five to the regular Stingray five , but they both sound terriffic .

[quote name='hamfist' timestamp='1357159793' post='1918488'] Sir, you really need to cut back on the chemicals. [/quote] I think you need to put some clothes on , especially if the weather turns cold again .

Lakland are a company who genuinely care about customer service . The strings are made for them by GHS , and GHS make great strings .

[quote name='leroydiamond' timestamp='1357154140' post='1918334'] are they single coils? [/quote] No , i think they are humbucking testacles .

There is something going on in this video that is beyond my knowledge and comprehension .

Have you thought about other 5 strings that will do the Stingray thing but without some of the perceived drawbacks of the EBMM SR5 , Chris ? There are many on the market , and even basses like the EBMM 25TH Anniversary with the HH or single H configuration will arguably better the SR5 in certain respects . I have seen these cropping up at very reasonable prices on the used market recently . The Warwick basses with MM style humbuckers can also be had for fairly cheap and sound brilliant to me .

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1357142064' post='1918028'] Haha! Sometimes Fender really don't get it. Why not introduce something more interesting colour wise?! [/quote] I think ( well actually I know for a fact ) that Fender are careful to keep the best colours for the more expensive guitars . They could easily offer Fiesta Red , Dakota Red , Sonic Blue ect but they don't on purpose , so they can keep these very attractive classic custom colours for the more upmarket Custom Shop and Vintage Reissue instruments . From a marketing point of view , you can see why they would do so- if you want a premium colour you have to buy a premium guitar ..

I find that a Jazz Bass with both pickups on full can sound fine in a band setting with the right eq , and every band I have played in has been LOUD . Some Jazz basses have more of a percieved drop in volume than others with both pickups on full , so its worth experimenting with different basses and also different pickup heights to minimise the effect . I find the mid -scoop on a Jazz with the pickps up full is no more problematic than the inherent dip in the midrange and wierd frequency spread on a Stingray , which can also be a bass that is difficult to hear in a live situation .

[quote name='Zenitram' timestamp='1357140515' post='1917986'] All basses sound pretty much the same, don't they? [/quote] Funnily enough , a well known and highly respected record producer once told me with great authority that in the end all basses end up sounding approximately the same in the final track , and that the only real difference in sound was whether they have new strings on or not .

Nice sounding Jazz Bass . There are so many great Jazz pickups on the market nowadays , and the Fralins are amongst the best , and to my ears sound very authentic to the classic Fender sound . Its all very well telling us about the pickup settings , but were these latest demos done with or without the dressing gown ?

Just had a look at the Mystic Red . What's mystical about it ? Personally I didn't like Candy Cola , but I cannot see why Fender would discontinue it to replace it with such a similar colour . Someone such as myself who wouldn't have bought Candy Cola will now be able to not buy Mystic Red . Mystifying .

[quote name='voxpop' timestamp='1357120044' post='1917596'] What are the " improvements " ? [/quote] [quote name='geoham' timestamp='1357123631' post='1917641'] Lucky for you! [url="http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/bass_guitars_detail.asp?stock=12031011331258"]http://www.guitargui...=12031011331258[/url] (if you don't mind the colour!) [/quote] The only difference between the 08-11 Am Standards and the 2012 ones is the Custom Shop pickups , and that is only on the 4 string ones . The fives are unchanged ( except the price has gone up ) . All post - 08 have graphite reinforced necks .

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1357130676' post='1917789'] Going by the way Fender & Gibson operate when buying up these smaller companies I think a more appropriate Marx quote would be "A single party state cannot exist without first eradicating it's opposition" [/quote] Well that would certainly be part of it . It's a long time since I thought about Hamer basses , but this thread has reminded me just how nice they are / were , and made me nostalgic for their heyday . Such a shame they are now gone .

[quote name='Chris Horton' timestamp='1357084400' post='1917428'] Can you explain the phrase "venerable Stingray 5" ? Is it the design or tone etc that you are referring to ? [/quote] I mean that it is venerable in that it is accorded a degree of respect because of its distinct character and distinguished heritage - it's been around a long time doing a great job .