Dingus

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1354203370' post='1883550'] Then why aren't "the professional" helping you with the wood choice. It is their job after all. When I had my Sei bass made I wasn't really bothered what woods Martin used so long as they looked nice and the bass ended up sounding how I wanted. [/quote] They are advising me , but ultimately the final decision rests with me . Alder is a safe bet in terms of sound , but may end up too heavy for my taste . Ash is lighter , but more of a gamble in terms of sound . That is my dilemma . Ultimately , some people are more accepting than others , and I am less accepting than most when ot comes to basses . I like to get everything just right , because small things that don't seem to bother other people so much drive me to distraction . In my own experience , I cannot delegate to others and expect the criteria for other peoples decisions to the same as my own would be .

[quote name='iiipopes' timestamp='1354201314' post='1883502'] Your ears are right on. OP - if weight is the primary issue, then you have to play the bass in question, as I've played ash that was heavy and light, and alder that is heavy and light. OK - I live about a half hour from Conklin basses, and I used to hang out there with my own projects. "Heft." No, lightweight ash has a dip in the midrange. Moderate weight alder with a rosewood fingerboard and a pickup that is stock specs to 5% overwound with the traditional circuit of 250kohm pots and a .047 tone capacitor, along with a standard Fender-style plate bridge, will get you heft. Since you're going the "build" route, use lightweight tuners, such as Hipshot, as they will save about 1/4 kilo in weight overall compared to the traditional large Fender-style tuners. That will help as much as anything. [/quote] I am reliably informed that it easier to source lightweight ash than alder , although I too have experience of both heavy and light examples of either wood . I think with ash their is a big difference between Northern ash and genuine southern swamp as , which tends to be lighter .

[quote name='LawrenceH' timestamp='1354198896' post='1883443'] Why not look at the Warmoth in-stock offerings in alder and ash? They go by weight, you can get lightweight for either type, and I've not hear of anyone being disappointed by their sound [/quote] If I was going to build my own bass they would be my first port of call , but I am leaving this one up to the professionals .

[quote name='redstriper' timestamp='1354199271' post='1883451'] You should play the bass first, otherwise it's a gamble more likely to result in disappointment. The feel and tone of a bass cannot be specified by mail order whatever the wood used. [/quote] Very true , but for one reason or another , I can't get what I want off the shelf , so I have to go custom order .

[quote name='risingson' timestamp='1354151629' post='1882917'] Too many threads on whether or not body wood makes a difference, that's not I'm sure what the OP had in mind. It's getting boring. Personally I think I hear a difference in body woods, although what do I know! I prefer ash bodied jazz basses, they do seem to have a bit less of a low-mid that you get with alder IMEO (in my ears's opinion). Prefer alder in P-Basses. I've owned both and both are great. [/quote] My interest is more than just academic in so much as I am looking at buying a Jazz Bass and am weighing up my options regarding body woods . The problem is one of weight as well as tone as I dont like very heavy basses , and if I go for a bass made of swamp ash there is more of a chance of ending up with a bass that is lighter in weight , but alder is what I am most familiar with and I know it gives a good all -round tone , generally speaking . I like my basses to have a bit of heft to the sound , and a lot of modern basses sound a bit too polite for my tastes nowadays , and whereas I know that there are many factors ( pickuops ect . ) that can influence the complexion of the final sound , the wood is surely where it starts . Get that choice right and you have hopefully got half a chance of ending up with a decent sounding bass . So my conservative side says alder , but ash would be lighter and might sound just as good or better . I've got to make my mind up soon , so I welcome anybodys input on what I should choose and why . My main cocnern is whether lightweight ash will sound as powerful and as forthright as alder in the midrange .

Has anybody out there got a Fender - style bass made out of lightweight swamp ash , and how does this wood sound ? I've been reading up lately about body woods for Fender basses and I would be interested to hear if such a lightweight wood sounds hefty enough to give the full and beefy sound that we all know and love from Leo's creations . I have never subscribed to the idea that heavy basses sound best myself , based on my experience that my light basses have sounded as good as my heavy ones . Anyone had experience of a featherweight Swamp Ash Fender- type bass like a Mike Lull ect . that sounds great or not so great as a result ?

[quote name='Joker2807' timestamp='1354123110' post='1882393'] Im torn between the rotos and the sunbeams.. not sure which id prefer [/quote] The Sunbeams last a lot longer and are the best sounding nickel string I have ever heard . They have got a pretty elastic feel though , so be aware of that .

There's some great bass lines in that selection , to be sure . Time After Time has a superb and highly effective bass part that makes the song , in my opinion , and I would find all of those songs challenging in one way or another and fun to play . I'm glad your looking forward to the show and I will be interested to see and hear how it went .

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1354035451' post='1881238'] If you are going to sell it and it is in otherwise original condition, I'd leave it as it is. If you decide to keep it and can't live with wear then talk to [url="http://www.walbasses.co.uk"]Paul Herman at Wal[/url] to see what your options are. [/quote] ^ This . End of story .

The problem is that some basses feel subjectively stiffer to play than others , and I'm trying to get a good balanced feeling to the playability on one particular Fender bass I own . I usually use 40-100 strings , and the DRs feel a bit too loose in that gauge even when strung through the body . I tried Lo Riders when they first came out and I found them to be a bit of a nightmare in that they are the exact opposite of what I am looking for in terms of feel in a string ; they were very stiff and taught ( great sound though , like all DRs ) . I've tried 45-105 Hi Beams and they are way too taught for this bass , as are Elites 40 -100, Dunlops , Dean Markley ect . I've spent a bloody fortune on strings lookng for the right feel for this bass and nothing is quite right . One problem with trying Ernie Balls is that they don't make a 40-100 set , so I would have to buy two sets to make up the appropriate set .

I'm trying to find some strings that have slightly less tension ( or compliance , perhaps I should say ) than most average " ordinary " strings i.e Elites , D'Addario , Dean Markley , Rotosound ect. but slightly more tension than the various round core DRs , which I find to be just a little too elastic for my taste . Any suggestions ?

[quote name='Rayman' timestamp='1353935470' post='1879864'] Thomastik Infeld flats....fabuolus tone, low tension, problem solved. [/quote] +1 on this . Flatwound strings have a far higher tension than the corresponding gauge of roundwounds . Pino Palladino tunes down his Precision Basses strung with flats , partly because he likes a lower tension feel , but also to avoid putting such a strain on the necks of his beautiful vintage Precision Basses . Those Chromes in that gauge wil be very tight , by anybodys standards . The Thomastics are pretty pricey , but they are the best on the market and will last for years . Ask a rich relative to buy you some for Christmas , or failing that we could have a Basschat whip round . Have you thought about looking for some in the Basschat For Sale ads ? I've seen them on there now and again at bargain prices from people who just don't get on with flats and want rid of hardly used sets ..

I remember that album Magnum II with a silver cover .

Wow , are they still going ? I remember seeing them opening for someone or other back in the 1970s ! I remember the guitarist was called Bob -something ( maybe ?) and had a chubby face and a red Gibson ES335. That bass looks like a current Fender American Deluxe Jazz 5 .

Tools music just isn't my idea of fun , but I have tried hard to listen to them and understand their appeal to such a huge audience . I respect any band that writes their own material and strives to create an individual sound . There is no doubt that , ironically enough , they occupy a very similar position as a cult band with a massive following that Rush did in the 1970s and early 1980s . The acclaim that Justin gets as a player is not unwarranted in so much as his playing is an integral part of that band's music , but I certainly wouldn't descibe him as a virtuoso . He just isn't that capable a player -he's good within the idiom in which he plays , but not great . I dont think Justin uses effects to hide flawed playing , but effects are no substitute for musicality . It's one thing to create interesting music by using sound effects , but to create captivating music by purely by playing the bass in a compelling and convincing style is an altogether more skilled endeavour . The ability to play transcends equipment- Jaco Pastorius would have still sounded like Jaco Pastorius on any old bass because what made him was what was in his head and his hands . If you want to emulate Justin Chancellor because he inspires you then then that is great , but the most important thing in doing so is to try and understand the way he thinks about playing the bass , not neccesarily copying his equipment and getting hung up on what he uses , because that just isn't that important. If Justin woke up tomorrow morning and decided that on the next Tool album he was going to play a Fender Precision through an Ampeg SVT and not use any effects then I guarantee that he would still sound like Justin Chancellor and the band would still sound like Tool. When I was a kid everybody ( including me ) wanted a Rickenbacker to be like Geddy Lee and Chris Squier , so nothing changes in that respect .

[quote name='Fuzzbass2000' timestamp='1353923531' post='1879647'] Are the custom shop pickups something different from these? [url="http://www.amazon.com/Fender-Original-Precision-Pickup-Black/dp/B0002KZB0W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353923534&sr=8-1&keywords=precision+bass+custom+shop+pickup"]Link to amazon[/url] Which at one point I'm pretty sure were called the '60s pickup? [/quote] I thought this was the pickup on the pre -2012 basses , but I am not so sure I was right in that assumption after looking at the Fender website and the lack of any information on any of their Precision pickups . The pre -2012 pickups sounded perfectly good to me , but those 60s CS Jazz Bass pickups are some of the best sounding on the market and really do give a nice edge to the sound . That said , you can so easily upgrade any Fender with new pickups from the myriad on the market that existing owners need not cast a wishful eye on the new 2012 crop . I used to have an early 70s Fender PJ with an ash body that I put with Seymour Duncans in and it sounded immense . A friend of mine who is a well established pro player borrowed it to do a session for an album and refused to give it back . I ended up having to sell it to him and he is still using it twenty years later . One of the great things about Fenders is that they are so easily upgradable , but the post 08 Am Standards are so good to start off with that once you put some first rate pickups in them like you would get on a boutique bass , there really isn't anything else you would change .

The two I have first -hand experience of both had maple boards and both were consistantly as good as each other , although one was significantly heavier than the other . They have got all the classic Jazz Bass sounds in spades , and I honestly think these current Am. Standards are still a bit of a bargain even at the new prices , especially considering the quality case ect ..

The Jazz Bass with the C.S. 60s pickups honestly sounds as good as any Jazz Bass I have ever had my hands on , including much more expensive boutique ones . The pre 2012 Am. Standards weren't too shabby either , but these sound a bit more well ... better due to the upgraded pickups . It goes without saying , if you have a pre-2012 you can easily just buy a set of the C.S. pickups and have them put into your existing bass and you will in effect have the 2012 spec . Haven't heard the P but I expect it will be just as good .

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1353864561' post='1879109'] Cool, you got one of the proper Japanese hand made Yammies?! They look great. I really like the sunburst ones. Apparently that hum is present on all of them. Yamaha chose to leave it like it is, probably because they wanted a true vintage J sounding pup (which has its hum but also has glorious tone!). I also had a quick check over a Sandberg on Friday (relic TM4). To be honest, I felt myself straying further away the more I held it. Nice bass, well made, the relic isn't my thing at all, and it looked a bit fake, but I haven't seen a non-relic one yet in the flesh. My worry with the Sandberg is the delano pups and the pre-amp....I know i'd end up just wanting to use a classic passive P or J bass, or a Musicman. If I wanted an active EQ I have the Aguilar TH pedal which is their active EQ in pedal format with drive and DI/etc, so if I get another J or P bass I want it to be stock passive. It's good to try these things, as it gives you a proper perspective. [/quote] I am right with you on not wanting the preamp on that kind of bass . I have gone right off active Fender -style basses lately for a number of reasons . I have found that a passive P or J with decent fairly high output pickups gives just as much cut in the mix and has a much better sense of transparency in the sound . I have particulaly gone off the sound of boutique -style active Jazz Basses that seems to be so ubiquitous noways . Don't get me wrong , I love Marcus Miller et al. , but it just seems like everyone has jumped on the bandwagon of the whole hi fi Jazz Bass sound thing . And as you quite rightly point out , you can use a whole host of external preamps nowadys if you decide you want to use a preamp after all .

The inherent hum associated with the rear pickup on the 2024x is very directional ; the proximity of the bass to the amp seems to have a big effect on the amount of hum . In reality , the amount of hum seems to be is fairly minimal , anyway . I think you've made a good choice , anyhow . The Sandbergs look like fairly nice basses , but these custom shop Yamahas are quite frankly a different class . I really would put them up against the very best basses out there at any price , no exaggeration .

Can't see the show , but it sounds like Jerry Meehan , maybe . Also played with Roxy Music .

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1353677337' post='1877289'] IMO, not quite as silly as the rest of the bunch of no hope, tattooed, beardy, droning wannabe's. [/quote] I certainly wouldn't want to have to share a bathroom with them in rented accomodation , that's for sure .

Larry Graham - still the King Of Slap in my book . The original and still the best . The ball-crushing power of his effortlessly funky slap style is undeniable . I am not a fan of the kind of carbaret pastiche that a lot of funk/soul " legends" all too often end up performing as , or of the uncritical sycophancy that usually accompanies theIr performances , but thankfully Larry transcends all of that with his sheer stature as a musician . Who would you rather hear slapping the bass than Larry Graham ? On the contentious subject of Ellie Goulding , I would say that , while she has never been my cup of tea , she churns out the kind of innoffensive middle of the road "serious" pop music that fills the ipods of people of a certain age and she seems fairly competent within those parameters . Obviously , her performance at William and Kate's nuptuals has cemented her reputation with people of a certain level of taste and discernment ( i.e not much ) and no doubt her C.D will be flying out of the supermarkets in the run up to Christmas . The thing that struck me about her performance on Jools Holland was that she is obviously trying to revamp her image to be a bit more edgy and to reinvent herself as a more "credible" artist by the use of p.v.c trousers and additional percussion instruments . It's like she has said ( or the record company have said ) "I want it to be all serious and melodramatic like Florence And The Machine ! " It's a shame she can't quite pull it off , not least of all because I'm as big a fan of P.V.C trousers as the next man , but what do I know ? Maybe she will be able to convince the wider audience that she does in fact have depth and insight after all .

[quote name='djaxup' timestamp='1353685111' post='1877465'] It's fine to disagree. Whatever exact range of the sound you favor, the characteristic treble and high mid sound of the wal is just that - very characteristic, and i challenge you to record a piece with another bass and replicate that very voicing. Trust me, it is not easy if not impossible. I had one bass that is said to be very close to the Wal sound, an EBMM Bongo. While being a very nice bass it didn't give that voicing at all. You can easily get into the same territory with just about any bass, and if you stop there and won't listen to details then that's it pretty much. Listen to some Disposition Bass Covers on Youtube: [url="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=disposition+bass+cover&oq=disposition+bass&gs_l=youtube-reduced.3.0.0i19l2j0i5i19l2.85410.88285.0.89023.10.10.0.0.0.0.77.671.10.10.0...0.0...1ac.1.xa-Kv1WEU0M"]https://www.youtube....c.1.xa-Kv1WEU0M[/url] And then tell me the other basses sound anything like the two guys who do the cover with their wal. Remi Zik, the first one, is a sick bassist and plays in a successful and internationally touring tool cover band, and has gone a long way to achieve the tone. His bass is basically a custom made Wal Mk2 rebuild, and still it sounds nothing like it. Sounds good, but not like a wal. Mick Karn is acutally a very good example because one can hear the G and D strings sing very nice in that froggy squarky way that only a Wal can produce, in my opinion. And i say the Tool bass sound is too a typical wal sound that is hard to achieve with another kind of bass. Just like both Jamerson and that Rage Against Guy - both sport a classic and typical P-Bass sound, yet they could not be more different in sound. Mick Karn and Geddy Lee also sport completely different sounds in character, still both are superb wal sounds. And please elaborate where Reflection or Schism are "drenched in effects", i just don't hear it. My Wal sounds exactly like this, as i told... without any effect pedal. [/quote] I take your point and agree entirely that the Wal is a unique ( and fantastic sounding ) bass but I just find Justin Chancellors tone a bit too generic to be archetypal of what I and many others would consider typical of those basses . I am not suggesting that every note Justin Channcellor has ever played is drenched in effects , but he does rely on them heavily . He is certainly not alone in this ; a lot of those modern rock guys are using a lot of effects nowadays . That is just the trend I suppose , but to what ends is another question entirely . On the tracks you mention , Schism is a heavily processed bass sound with distortion and compression certainly in effect . Reflection sounds like it is using compression but is otherwise a relatively clean signal by Justin Chancellors usual standards . No other bass will sound like a Wal unless it has Wal pickups and electronics , and as far as I know they have never been replicated . Regarding a Wal compared to a Bongo , these are two basses that I am intimately familiar with and you are quite right that they are completely different . If by the Rage Against Guy you mean Tim Commerford of RATM he has never to the best of my knowledge used a Precision , he favours a Jazz bass except on the first album where he used a Stingray . If you yourself play a Wal then you have got a truly unique sounding bass , for sure , that is capable of so many great tones that I wouldn't get too hung up on what Justin Chancellor sounds like . To be absolutely frank with you I find the popularity of Tool as band a bit mystifying and the kind of profile Justin has as a player completley unwarranted , but the whole thing is just not my cup of tea so each to their own and all that . I have just been having a listen with headphones on and when he plays withy a clean tone he sounds like he is playing a Wal with the attack boost on with both pickups on full and the active e.q clicked in the on position both left on 10 for maximum treble and a slight roll off in the bass , if I remember correctly . Once a Wal player , always a Wal player . So maybe on certain tracks you can tell he's playing a Wal , but it's certainly not as obvious , to me at least , as it is with some other notable Wal players . Enjoy your Wal bass , you've got one of best basses on the planet .

I can see what you mean , in so much as it can be difficult to the right context in which to best showcase your ability . I have half- toyed with the idea of putting a playing video on Youtube , but I would feel way too insecure . too embarrassed and too awkward to actually go through with it . I would also be worried that one of my old girlfriends that might see it and be upset by how good I still look nowadays , long since after they have given up trying and let themselves go . I would think a candid video of you actually doing a session for someone would, by coincidence , be a very good format to feature your talent , as well as potentially be a genuinely fascinating insight for a lot of people into something they have never seen. If it was something you yourself had control of and could selectively edit then you would have that security and I think it would be a lot more interesting than another of those playing your bass in the bedroom video which you dread .