Dingus

Funky Germans? Am I dreaming this ? Wasn't that Fender Rhodes player in "Das Boot" ? Amazing music , but when the chap with a beard starts rapping it gets a bit disturbing .

[quote name='spongebob' timestamp='1388682846' post='2324780'] I preferred the TOTP 1978 Christmas special on BBC4! [/quote] I watched that and it brought back the full horror of Christmas 1978 to me in startling fashion . It seemed grim at the time , and looking back now , it was. I can, however, take some small comfort from the way that recent events have exposed Radio 1 and the BBC as a whole as the Axis of Evil that it surely was. At least now they are being brought to justice.

[quote name='yorks5stringer' timestamp='1388677557' post='2324700'] [sup] Liking John Newman ( he's from Settle) and Happy too.[/sup] [/quote] Are you sure he's not from Seattle and someone made a spelling mistake?

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1388675827' post='2324670'] If you haven't heard this before have a listen to this interview with Chuck Rainey. It's interesting what he has says about the Steely Dan recordings and on slapping. [url="http://www.insidemusicast.com/musicasts/2009/2/2/chuck-rainey.html"]http://www.insidemus...uck-rainey.html[/url] [/quote] Thanks for that. I am listening right now.

[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1388193304' post='2319444'] You know you'll only get a limited sound from flatwound strings, so why not just put them on a cheap passive bass instead of a vintage P? Here's my thing: I've got a Korean Squier Jazz that I put LaBella 760FLs on, and replaced the tone pot with a push/pull that will put it in series (and replaced the tone cap with a .1uF so it'll do reggae), but yeah, with the tone wide open it's got a genuinely perfect soul tone, can't imagine anything ever sounding any better, and so I wonder: Why does anybody spend so much to get that sound? [/quote] In the interest of balance, I can certainly see where you are coming from here. I grew up thinking of flatwound strings as things that came fitted to old basses that helped make them sound even more crap, and, even though I have moderated that view slightly nowadays, the dull thump that they tend to produce in most instances would indeed seem to the non-aficionado to be a bit of a leveller when it comes to bass tone. However, even though I thought I would never see the day, flats are back in fashion ( so are beards- who could have anticipated that twenty years ago either?) , with some folks at least, and they seem to have some pretty vociferous advocates. It's a bit much to say they sound the [i]same[/i] on all basses, but I would definitely agree with you that you could probably get a[i] [u]very[/u][/i] acceptable facsimile of that classic Fender-with -flats sound on an inexpensive version of that style of bass, much more so than you could get a version of the Stanley Clarke sound with a cheap generic active bass and roundwounds, for example . That is a pretty reasonable assertion overall, it seems to me. Bear in mind that I can't put this theory to the test because I don't have any flatwounds or indeed any cheap basses, and have no intention of getting any of either, but I am sure a Squire with flats will do that sound perfectly adequately for most needs. But when people buy basses they are usually buying something where mere " adequacy" is not what they are after -the whole industry trades on the idea of excellence rather than plain old sufficiency - and so it's not surprising that most folks gravitate towards something better and get upset when someone challenges the romance of that idea.

Regarding slapping on flats , it can sound great, albeit in a different and much more muted way to roundwounds. Listen to Chuck Rainey back in the '70's on tracks like "Peg" by Steely Dan.

[quote name='Machines' timestamp='1388671622' post='2324578'] Are flats any good for metal ? [/quote] I remember seeing Neil Murray ( of Whitesnake , Gary Moore, ect and top hard rock bass player extraordinaire) on Rockschool saying how when he joined Whitesnake he switched from rounds to using flats because their "thud" suited the heavier style of music better than the rounds he had been using previously.

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1388601437' post='2323912'] I read that Ron Wickersham the founder of Alembic that when he developed the Alembic bass electronics he did them n conjunction with flatwound strings. He obviously thought flatwounds were o.k. to put on an expensive bass. BTW Didn't the first Alembic bass that was made for Jack Casady cost something like $4,000 in 1972? [/quote] That's absolutely right. When Alembic were experimenting with their very first custom designs they wee collaborating with Phil Lesh and Jack Cassady, who both favoured Pyramid Gold flatwound strings. Rick Turner who was the chief designer and builder of those basses has gone on record as saying that the unique sound of that particular brand of strings was a major factor in the sound of those basses , as were the Hagstrom Bisonic pickups that Alembic adapted to their own ends. Up until the early Seventies, roundwound strings were mainly a novelty used primarily by British bass players.

[quote name='Cameronj279' timestamp='1388588803' post='2323706'] I was going to say Warwick thumb is exceedingly comfortable sitting down and standing [/quote] Thumb comfy sitting down -yes Thumb comfy standing up-no! There are few basses I could recommend as being very comfortable to sit with , but they are all a bit pricey and not a practical quick fix . Is your Jazz particulaly heavy? Even a medium-weight Jazz will feel cumbersome on your knee due to the larger offset body . Mine certainly does.

[quote name='drTStingray' timestamp='1388520402' post='2323111'] I agree with you Dingus that the lack of a centre detent on the 2 band Ray tends to make it more a case of starting from full boost and cutting back to get your sound, whereas with the 3 band the tendency is to start at centre detent. I would like to dispel the myth about the 3 band EQ - I have both versions and whilst the 2 band makes lovely sounds the 3 band is a lot more flexible, especially if you're playing in a room with strange acoustics and without PA assistance for the bass. I've used the 2 band and 3 bands in the same gig and the 3 band has a lot more mid presence. However with bass and treble slightly boosted, and mids slightly cut on the 3 band, and the 2 band with both bands boosted above centre, I would defy anyone to distinguish the difference between the 2 and 3 band sounds. The 3 band can excel at getting a more modern type sound as well, and as I said, control of those mids on the fly can be very helpful - my fretless is 3 band and I find it invaluable to be able to tweak mids for some songs. [/quote] I totally agree with you, dr T, that the three band EQ and an EBMM Stingray can be very useful and I have no particular prejudice against it myself, but then again I am not a Stingray- purist ( or actually even a Stingray owner) . The sonic compromises that result from introducing a midrange control to a two band EQ are by no means exclusive to Stingrays either, I hasten to add. I personally find midrange controls useful to an extent, but I am always cautious and use them sparingly .Even on active basses, I tend to favour the flat sound as much as possible. I am not dismissive of the three band Stingray by any means , but most folks would agree that in use there is a discernible difference between that bass and the traditional two band version

[quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1388520519' post='2323116'] Yes I did own a Vigier Arpege with a carbon fibre neck...funnily enough it was also white. It was an exceptional instrument - on a par with the Wal & Alembic soundwise...and in hindsight probably nicer to play. I think it was an ex Hue & Cry/Midge Ure instrument. I had to sell that bass (cheap) in 1989 due to a sudden bout of extreme poverty. Another beauty bit the dust..........sigh. And I also agree that the current batch of Vigier basses just don't hold the same desirability. Happy new year and all the very best [/quote] A very happy new year to you too, sir, and hopefully a prosperous one, too. Ex-Hue and Cry- that would make sense. I remember going to see them play live just at the time when Labour of Love firsty came out and their bass player had obviously spent his part of the advance money on a brand new black Vigier, Arpege so he may well have ended up with another one as well. He had previously been playing a Wal with wenge facings , and presumably that is the bass on the record. He was a superb bass player too. I remember hearing him go through some licks during the soundcheck and being very impressed, as well as with what he was doing on the Hue and Cry record. Ah , the summer of 1987 ... I was going through a hairstyle-transition period, but otherwise it was a happy time for me. That chap from Hue and Cry went on to be the bass player for Stiltskin( they of the song "Inside" from the Levi's ad of about twenty years ago) and is apparently now a music teacher at a school in Scotland.

Keep the BB414. It would have to be a strong contender as the best budget bass of recent times.

I fully expect to see some daft bugger with a beard and a chequed shirt playing this thing backing up Pete Docherty on Jools Holland in the near future, and to read the self- same bearded bloke waxing lyrical in his interview with Bass Guitar Magazine about its' naturally warm vintage passive tones. I just hope he paid a fortune for it. .

[quote name='Geek99' timestamp='1388484405' post='2322420'] The keys player is cute [/quote] Unfortunately, if you look at her posture in that photo the way she is clenching her thighs together suggests to me that she is in the midst of a cripplingly painful bout of cystitis. Francis Dunnery is a classic example of someone who has failed to achieve sustained mainstream success because he is a bit [i]too[/i] talented for his own good. He has so much creative energy and effortless musical ability that he has never ploughed one furrow long enough to achive his full commercial potential, but that has been his own choice and entirely of his own making. I'm sure he would be the first to acknowledge that, too.

[quote name='Mr Stinky' timestamp='1388403482' post='2321504'] I'm speaking as a relative newbie to playing live here. A friends band recently lost their bass player for a couple of weeks due to illness. To cover existing gigs, me and another guy are stepping in to help out as we know most of the set between us. We played on Saturday night and it went quite well as we'd never played together before. However, after one of my spots, this 'expert' player decided to give me a lecture about economy of motion and correct fingering, citing the E string run-up in Tush. This wasn't a couple of comments, this was a university thesis standard verbal essay. He went on and on almost pushing me to a 'swift and to the point verbal retort'. Is it really that important to use the correct fingering? My left pinky isn't that useful anyway due to a mis-spent youth, and how would you deal with this sort of character? [/quote] Just to clarify , was this guy the original bass player you are standing in for , or your fellow substitute bass player? If not, then you should have stopped this chap mid -sentence and asked him who he was and why he had taken it upon himself to offer you this advice ? And then turn your back on him.

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1388322563' post='2320703'] Post your funkiest funk toons here!!! Let's kick it off with a little bit of General Caine [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XrkjBr9ioM[/media] [/quote] I was very sorry to read on Wikipedia that the bass player/ singer featured on this track was murdered in 1992, apparently.

You know you are getting old when people are reminiscing about the early days of the internet.

There are , apparently, all kinds of complications and unwanted interactions that can be caused by introducing a midrange frequency to a two- band bass and treble EQ preamp . That's why Roger Sadowsky refuses to offer a three band E.Q on Sadowsky basses. On the Stingray, EBMM first introduced the three band as an extra -cost option and eventually made it standard . The midrange control was, however, a bit of an afterthought when they should have in fact redesigned the entire circuit if they wanted to make it three band , and a lot of aficionados have commented, just as the previous poster has done, on how it messes up the basic sound of that preamp. I personally don't think the three band EBMM Stingray sounds that terrible in itself , but it definitely does sound significantly different to the classic two-band preamp , even with the mid control set flat. By comparison , the preamp specifically designed for the Bongo with dual- frequency midrange controls sounds fantastic. It's also worth mentioning that one minor but potentially significant difference with the two band Ray is that there is no centre detent on the EQ controls, you just have guess where 0 is, so that can in itself lead to those basses sounding different in use.

[quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1388422776' post='2321812'] Dingus to be absolutely honest with you I don't think you have "tried" to say anything....I think that you have said it very, very well. For whatever reason, considering I don't know you, your opinion is quite important me and I value it. You have hit the nail on the head regarding the fostering of, and nuances of, brand creation/association. I have been mulling over the advice offered throughout this thread a lot lately, and having had a close look at AC guitars...I think Alan will get my order. The only problem is I am talking in future tense...and that is frustrating! [/quote] That is quite worrying that anyone would pay attention to what I have to say. Keeping things in perspective, I don't think you could go too far wrong with any of the basses you are considering in terms of ending up with a very well-made instrument. All the builders you are flirting with do top quality work, and will pay attention to what you want. Being happy with you get in the end is a slightly different and much more tricky proposition, and for all kinds of reasons that element is just as much dependant on yourself as much as it is the builder, but that is true of any custom build. Speaking of ultimate basses, didn't you mention once that you had a Vigier Arpege with a graphite neck? I was watching Bands Reunited featuring Kajagoogoo that someone posted on Basschat the other day and there is snippet from their heyday with Nick Beggs playing a beautiful white one and it just reminded me what awesome basses they were. I could only dream of owning one at that time, and the Vigiers they make now just don't have the same appeal to me. That era of Vigier basses would still be very near the top of my wish- list. Those basses were the epitome of what that kind of bass guitar[i] should [/i]be- punchy as hell, light, powerful and very playable-and I sincerely wish they still made them like that now. Maybe you could get whatever builder to distil some of those elements into your custom build.

[quote name='0175westwood29' timestamp='1388415523' post='2321717'] wait you have a scalextric in work! i have clearly gone down the wrong path! [/quote] Never mind the Scalextric, you have a bass amp at work (, and you don't work in a guitar shop) ? No wonder the British economy is going down the toilet! I bet at offices in Germany they don't even have a dartboard, let alone a bleedin' bass amp

[quote name='the boy' timestamp='1388336554' post='2320904'] She is pure filth. The video was hilarious she made with Leslie. He's a wrongun. [/quote] " Wrong 'un " indeed ! But let's not go there ... Let's just say she is a young lady who knows how to get what she wants , and when she decides she wants a middle -aged toy boy who falls asleep on the sofa in front of Match Of The Day then I hope she has the necessary confidence to give me a call.

[quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1388333746' post='2320860'] Very true. The question is...if an ACG bass is built as well, plays as well, uses a similar filter based electronic package (always my preference) and looks as good as a Wal...at half the price (plus being located just over an hour drive away from me)...would I be stupid to discount it? [/quote] I think you should by all means consider one of Alan's basses- some of them look exquisite to me( Salas, Recurve) - but , to reiterate what I have tried to say already, if what you really hanker for is a Wal then that should be your goal. If what you want is a superb, hand -crafted hi-fi, hi-tech bass guitar with a flexible, modern sound the an ACG or Overwater will give you that in spades, but if what you need is to identify with Wal as a brand and all the associations that go along with that then only a Wal will do. The deeper truth is that when we purchase luxury goods of various kinds , or aspire to do so, a big part of what we are flirting with is as much in our own imagination as it is the actual goods themselves. That is a major factor in defining the world we live in, and manufacturers are acutely aware of it. It's why brand -identity is such a critical consideration for all kinds of consumer goods. It's why Diesel want David Beckham to wear their jeans , and George at Asda aim their jeans at men who look like Eamonn Holmes. As a maker of bass guitars, without even trying, Wal have created a brand-identity that most other bass guitar makers would give their right arm for, albeit that that prestige is based on having a fantastic quality product to sell. All I am trying to say is that you should think carefully about what it is that you[i] really[/i] want and be honest with yourself. I hasten to add that there is absolutely nothing wrong with brand-association as a phenomena, and that I am just as susceptible to it as anybody else, so please don't think I am making any judgements or being scathing about anybody in any way. All it would take would be for Geddy Lee to start playing an ACG and Alan would be taking my deposit and putting me on his waiting list. For what it's worth, I think it's only a matter of time before a very high-profile bass player discovers Alan's basses and then his profile as a builder will take a dramatic leap, and good luck to him .

[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1388325137' post='2320739'] Quality. Check this... [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4XI6LXCsH8[/media] [/quote] One of my favourite clips on YT, but wow Pino looks tall on this one!