Dingus

[quote name='HowieBass' timestamp='1393870477' post='2385323'] Here's all the data on basswood [url="http://www.wood-database.com/lumber-identification/hardwoods/basswood/"]http://www.wood-data...woods/basswood/[/url] - the area it performs less well in is hardness (so dents rather more easily than other tonewoods). [/quote] It interesting reading these technical assessments of the properties of different woods that in fact hardness and stiffness are not the actually same thing. I'm sure Mrs Dingus might have something to say about that, but I don't really want to get into that right now.

[quote name='bubinga5' timestamp='1393870141' post='2385319'] Usually why you find basswood bodies are usually painted, or topped with a nicer wood like some G & L's.. i won't go into what wood sounds good debate, but imo sounds just as good as any other with high quality pickups, and good strings. [/quote] Yes, totally agree. A lot of high-end, expensive super-Strat style guitars are opting for chambered basswood bodies nowadays because the resonance is so good. I remember even back in the 1980's, the Ibanez Alan Holdsworth signature model had a basswood body because after exhaustive testing Alan thought it sounded better than anything else.

[quote name='UglyDog' timestamp='1393869831' post='2385313'] Or as it is also known in some parts of the world, the Chipboard Or Even MDF Tree [/quote] I've seen Bongo bodies without any paint on and they were definitely solid wood. Also , the USA G&L L2500 five string basses used to ( and still may) be made out of tilia to try and keep the weight down. They were definitely not plywood or chipboard , either, and they sounded superb.

[quote name='JazzBassfreak' timestamp='1393869734' post='2385309'] Am I right I'm saying some companies use the term basswood for an undisclosed species though? As I said I've had basses with bodies of "basswood" and I can definitely say it's verging on blended sawdust+glue rather than wood [/quote] As far as I knowm basswood is a solid wood. It may be that on some very cheap instruments they are using a ply made from layers of basswood, but I really don't know about that. Usually on an instrument of any quality basswood is a specific solid wood. It's incredibly inexpensive, and is often used in things like very cheap self-assembly furniture.

[quote name='bubinga5' timestamp='1393868778' post='2385292'] to be fair mate, i don't think that was, what some guys points were at all. but never mind. [/quote] [quote name='GreeneKing' timestamp='1393869152' post='2385298'] I don't entirely agree with your assessment I'm afraid. If a thread goes 'pear shaped' it's not just because the moon is in the wrong phase or a particular bout of mean spiritedness has overcome BC. I've no problem with the OP posting about his purchase. I'm a great VW fan and I'd love a Fodera. If I sold a few basses I could indeed afford one so I've no gripe. I think they are stunning instruments. Every bass I own is a good un too. The OP's original thread has two main inconsistencies that have nothing to do with 'folks definite ideas about spending money' imo. [font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][color=#282828]People have commented on these inconsistencies and the OP has reacted quite negatively to these comments.[/color][/font] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]I made my recommendation in my 1st reply and I stick by it as a reasonable response.[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]I can only repeat:[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]'The meaning of your communication is the response you get'. [/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Lovely bass, enjoy [/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Peter[/font][/color] [/quote] I'm not having a go at [i][u]anybody[/u], [/i] or taking sides in any of this . I only want to make the point that the O.P is not under any particular onus to behave rationally or according to other people's criteria for making a purchase. Human beings are not, after all, rational creatures at the best of times, and pursuing an interest as romantic and impractical as playing the bass guitar it is hardly surprising that hard- headed reasoning doesn't always feature that prominently in the decision making process.

[quote name='bubinga5' timestamp='1393862686' post='2385166'] why do people think BassWood is bad .? there is nothing wrong with BassWood, seriously I've played some kick ass Jazz basses that were BassWood bodied, its very similar to ash but without as much grain. anyways, you got any more lovely pics of this Fodera.? [/quote] Basswood is indeed an extremely good wood for making guitars out of, and more and more manufacturers are recognising that, particularly for six string guitars,. Sounds great for some basses too, like the previously mentioned Bongo. The great thing about basswood is that it is relatively lightweight and very resonant. I think most of the stigma some people attach to using basswood( or tilia, lime or linden , as it is also known) is because it is very plain in appearance and relatively inexpensive compared to some other commercial timbers. It is , however, a wood that has long been recognised for its' acoustic qualities , and as far back as the middle ages it was being used to carve woodwind instruments. Nothing wrong with baswood on the right bass.

[quote name='JazzBassfreak' timestamp='1393868149' post='2385273'] Thank you mate! Finally abit of sense and not just everyone throwing judgements and "that idiots thinking of doing what?!" Type comments. Cheers for the friendly advice, I'm a very happy owner and will no doubt look into getting scratches and dings looked at to tart her up. But will maybe leave the pickup swaps to the lower level of basses like my beaten in Fender jazz. Thanks for the reassurance and advice mate, greatly appreciated ^.^ [/quote] If you want advice on restoring the finish or maintaining the bass in any way, get in touch with the crew at Fodera. They really are master craftsmen, the best in the business, and will be glad to offer advice. It goes without saying, they are the best people to ask . Also, it can be less expensive than you might think to ship the bass back to NYC to get it serviced / refurbished by them, so that is one option to consider .

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1393854193' post='2385006'] I didn't realise the dark part of the bass was painted, I always thought it was some sort of darker wood facing. [/quote] I seem to remember that Fodera make two versions of this bass, the extremely expensive one like Victor Wooten has , which is painstakingly made from interlocking pieces of wood to get the ying-yang pattern, and these less expensive Standard versions that are stained to create the effect. They only make a handful of the deluxe version each year, and they are usually all spoken for way in advance.

[quote name='yorks5stringer' timestamp='1393867012' post='2385246'] Looks like its Basschat "Full Moon" again...... [/quote] Something is going[u] very [/u] wrong when[i] I[/i] am acting as the voice of reason and reconciliation.

[quote name='JazzBassfreak' timestamp='1393865860' post='2385229'] Can't stand the unfriendly vibe. It's killing ma groove! [/quote] Unfortunately, my friend, you have contradicted some folks very definite ideas about how and in what manner a muso should spend his money when choosing a bass. Contrary to what some might try and tell you on here , you have every right to buy what you want how you want , and then you also have the perfect right to be dissatisfied or unsure about your purchase afterwards. It is all perfectly valid and it is perfectly reasonable to think and feel that way . I have bought countless basses, most of which were very expensive, and I haven't been entirely happy in one way or another with most of them. That said, a lot of basses that I had misgivings about after I first bought them have grown on me over time , though, so that is something to bear in mind. You could discover more things you like about this Fodera and its' P pickup as you get more familiar with it. Let me offer you some informed and friendly advice, though. Don't under any circumstances f*** about with this bass by changing the pickups, re-routing it or any other such projects. Trust me when I tell you that you will not end up with anything that you are any more happy with , and you will be throwing a lot of money down the drain in the process. Keep this bass all-original and you can have your money back from it any time you like in the foreseeable future, and you have it to use and enjoy in the meantime . Fodera's have great prestige , will always be in demand and should command a high price for a good example. In that respect, you have made a very wise purchase.

Never had flats on it, but I did have a USA G&L bass a few years ago and it sounded immense. I am sure that if you like the sound of flats that they would be nothing less than immense on your bass. Those pickups in combination with that preamp have got so much punch that they cannot help but give maximum thump to any flatwounds you stick on there .

I am a big fan of early 1970's P Basses . I've owned a fair few, and to my tastes , a good example can be just as good as a pre-CBS bass, and I personally prefer the neck profile on a lot of the late '60's/ early '70's Precisions. This looks like a bass you could get a lot of joy from. That bass is crying out for a refinish. I would opt for Fiesta Red myself , but the the choice is , of course, yours. If that bass had still been in the original CAR then it would have been a rare beast indeed from this era. Not a common colour at all. Looks like a "B" neck , my favourite , and I love that early '70's logo. I would vote for a change of pickup to something more in keeping with the era the bass was made ( from a purely aesthetic point of view, I don't like pickups in closed shells without pole pieces on Fender style basses), and a Badass bridge or similar ( Fender HMV?).

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1393770406' post='2384135'] I thought Elixir strings were nickel ? I've got Status hotwire flats on mine, they sound really nice. I was put off the Thomastiks by the price and huge great B string . [/quote] Erm, on closer investigation it turns out that , yes, the nickel Elixirs are indeed nickel, but the stainless steel ones are indeed stainless steel, so at least I was 50% accurate. I had a set of the steel ones a while back( didn't like them at all) and for some reason presumed they were all steel. Anyhow ,when it comes to fretless bass," nickel good, steel bad" is the overall message. I personally don't care for flats on a fretless. They don't give the same complex overtones as roundwounds and it is even more difficult to make the bass clearly audible and cut through in the mix with flats . For my tastes at least, all the classic fretless bass tones are with roundwounds.

[quote name='andyonbass' timestamp='1393613033' post='2382637'] Looking for a brighter sound on my fretless, which is currently strung with Status nylons. Anyone tried Elixers on a fretless? Are they less likely to mark the board compared to normal rounds? Thanks in advance Andy [/quote] I would think that Elixirs are not really likely to wear your fingerboard significantly less than uncoated rounds. The coating is so thin that it is unlikely to prevent the usual abrasion. What's more, the fact that they are stainless steel means that they are not really that suited to fretless playing, both tonally and in terms of the extra wear that steel tends to inflict on the fingerboard. If you are going to use rounds then they should at least be nickel plated because it tends to be a little kinder to the board, although nickel rounds will still wear it out eventually. Some folks think that if you use strings with smaller/ narrower windings that it wears the frets or fretless fingerboard less , but such strings are hard to find. Thomastic Jazz Rounds are nickel with smaller than average windings, but they are a very unusual light gauge and are quite expensive, but then again the Elixirs you were considering aren't cheap either, so maybe you could look at them as an option . The Thomastics are a remarkable sounding string and would be great on a fretless, providing you could live with their low tension -feel. Another option would be something like D'Addario XL's , which are relatively inexpensive, sound great and are a popular choice for a lot of fretless players, or the excellent but more costly DR Sunbeams, which are what I use on my fretless . Any of those strings would probably be more suitable than stainless steel Elixirs.

[quote name='FinnDave' timestamp='1393680922' post='2383287'] Well, she's not 20 years old any more, but she's far from ravaged by time...she takes care of herself. And that voice can still make the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. Can't wait to see how tonight's audience reacts when she joins us! [/quote] I'm sure she is very presentable and I wish her well. I am only concerned that she will have to compete with Betafunk's misty-eyed memories of the lady in question in her succulent prime.

[quote name='Russ' timestamp='1393676300' post='2383198'] The missus overslept so I'm running a bit late [/quote] Putting my militant feminist hat on for a moment, there is[i] so much[/i] inherently wrong with this statement. I can totally sympathise though. If I had enough money to buy an alarm clock at the time I met Mrs Dingus, I would probably still be single now.

Where is Betafunk? I seem to remember he has got a bit of a thing for that girl from Babe Ruth. I just hope he is prepared for what the ravages of time can do.

[quote name='miles'tone' timestamp='1393675048' post='2383169'] Brilliant, thanks! I love YouTube because I just watched that and it led me to this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs7LhL_I9kE Weather Report on the South Bank Show. Great insight and explanation of their creative process. [/quote] I remember watching that the night it was on. I also remember seeing Marcus Miller for the first time on The South Bank Show in 1982 , playing with Miles Davis.

Janette Krankie. Where do I claim my prize?

Jenny Argutter?

[quote name='lowregisterhead' timestamp='1393678634' post='2383232'] Sonja doesn't start with a J, though... [/quote] Jonja Kristina?

The bassline on Candi Staton's version of that song is played, I am pretty sure, by Dennis Bellfield. Dennis was one of the hottest players around at the time . He had replaced Willie Weeks in Rufus , and he is the bassist who plays on their hit "Tell Me Something Good ". Around that time ( mid 1970's) he had also been the bass player for Three Dog Night, who were a very successful pop act at the time . I seem to remember hearing somewhere that he is based in Nashville nowadays. Candi's version of "Nights On Broadway" is indeed a great track, but then again , Candi is a superb vocalist so that is always a good start. It's nice to see that she has had some recognition for her formidable talents in more recent years . The bass sound on that track will have been state-of-the-art at the time and is a great example of the kind of tone that the hippest American bass players were favouring in those days. It sounds like a Fender bass that in reality will probably have been recorded straight into the desk without an amp in all likelihood, but which has been EQ'd to sound as if it had been played through an Ampeg SVT rig with the five position midrange selector switch boosting the mids at 450 Hz and the treble boosted too. In marked contrast to the scooped out bass sounds that came to proliferate in the 1980's , the mid -to-late 1970's was an era of midrange-prominent bass guitar tones, and it was all the better for it. The simple fact was that, with the audio formats of the day and the analogue technology involved, you had to EQ the bass that way if you wanted to make it clearly audible as a featured presence on the track.

[quote name='bluejay' timestamp='1393529729' post='2381581'] Or more precisely, expressing political views in a subforum that actively asks user not to talk politcs? [/quote] Oh yeah, I'd forgotten about that, . Anyway, I could not and will not comment on any such subforum or any discussions within it , if indeed such a subforum actually exists, which it does not. I certainly hope that if unsuspecting members of the public join Basschat on basis of the information on that poster that they don't actually read the advice given on this forum. [u][i]and actually believe it ![/i][/u] I shudder to think what that could lead to. You need to put up some kind of disclaimer to the effect that using flatwound strings will not necessarily save your marriage and Benito Mussolini did not actually invent the fretless bass.