Dingus

[quote name='seashell' timestamp='1382890055' post='2257607'] Personally, I adopt a more 'Mrs Merton plays bass' style. Keeps me out of trouble. [/quote] But Shelly , you have got the priceless secret weapon that you [i] can actually [/i]play the bass . You should harangue some young whippersnapper struting and pouting on the stage of your local pub for a go on his bass ... and then get up there and actually play it ! ( possibly even better than he does) . That will leave them scratching their heads . It's the musical equivalent of the muggers who have the misfortune to pick on an old lady who happens to be a kung fu master .

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1382882612' post='2257498'] Glamour models can't play bass? Nonsense! You want proof? [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcATvu5f9vE[/media] [/quote] Her technique is poor .

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1382882575' post='2257497'] Having once been married to a Scandinavian, I can only agree. [/quote] I expect things could get a bit "viking" after one too many Heinekens . At least they can do lots of things with fish .

[quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1382882361' post='2257496'] I have found this to be very accurate from my experience too. [/quote] Imagine if Rotosound developed a string that sounded like the classic RS 66 but consistantly had a decent life and didn't eat your frets . That would be worth paying for , and it would sell truckloads if Rotosound marketed it properly . It's long overdue for Rotosound to put in some research and development to try and catch up with the competition and modernise their designs.

[quote name='Marvin' timestamp='1382881884' post='2257488'] As a resident of Devon I am shocked at such behaviour...which pub? I need to make sure I avoid it, I'm a delicate sort [/quote] I often daydream about moving to Devon . You have an ample supply down there of two of the things that make life most worth living - women and custard. Are there many buxom and as yet unattached milkmaids in your neck of the woods ? ( Someone like Joss Stone but without the singing would do) . Please say yes and keep my dream alive.

[quote name='lowdown' timestamp='1382880756' post='2257468'] I remember those days, you could get drunk, forget where you lived and go to any home to be greeted by any woman, It did not have to be you own. [/quote] Being bashed on the head with a rolling pin by one woman with curlers in is pretty much the same as being bashed on the head by another .

[quote name='drTStingray' timestamp='1382874760' post='2257371'] The other thing about back then was you bought the bass in the shop - I'd never have dared ask anyone to order anything!! And a lot didn't get sold with cases. I did know of someone who ordered a left handed pre EB Ray however - probably the only way you'd ever see one!! Perhaps that's why non mainstream colours are so rare in this country? Re Cobalts Dingus, they really did work a treat on my Classic Ray - that upper mid boost was really useful and the lack of new string zing was also good. Extremely loud as well. I've had a set on a Bongo 5 for nearly two years now and they're still fine. Not sure on tension but if they have more it's very marginal. You're right that they feel different from nickel rounds - I thought they felt a little bit different - not as harsh as stainless though. I would still pay the extra - not something I would do with the Roto flats again!! They were quite expensive also!! I found out that MM changed the string spec on new Rays about 78 - going from flats to rounds. As a total devotee of Bernard Edwards who famously used a 77 Ray I put Thomastiks on my Classic - phenominal sound and it is still possible by boosting the treble to get a nice slap tone if you need it - think popping that sounds like Bernard Edwards on We Are Family. I've never been able to achieve that before but it's flatwounds, it appears. [/quote] Yes! You went to the local shop and looked at what they had in terms of basses and chose from them . We were lucky that there were three shops in town that sold decent quality basses , but I still remember vividly the first time I ever went to the Bass Centre at Wapping and they had such a selection of sumptuous high-end basses that I had previously only ever seen on T.V or in magazines that I was almost overwhelmed . It was literally like being transported to some kind of bass guitar heaven . Back in those days they had the most amazing stock of any shop in the World , and they even had loads of different brands of strings to choose from ( but they always tried to flog you Elites) . Even now , I wish I could recapture the thrill of visiting that shop in its' heyday back in the 1980's . I think ordering basses ( and wider choice of strings) is a symptom of the increased amount of information consumers have nowadays and the creation of far more specific demand . The internet has been instrumental in that , no doubt . No one ever bothered about what basses weighed in those days either . If it was heavy , that was just another sign of quality. I can certainly see how some folks would take to Cobalts , but for me , like so many other more expensive strings, they were decent but not outstanding and I would be more inclined to buy two sets of ordinary EB'S than one set of Coblats , but that is with the caveat that, of course, that taste in strings is a highly subjective and personal thing. I like EB strings on a Music Man bass just fine, for example , but I'm not that keen on them on anything else I've tried them on . I've been toying with the idea of putting some flats on a bass recently , and the thought had crossed my mind that , instead of putting them on a Precision like most folks seem to I might put them on my Reflex to get that '70's Bernard Edwards -like thump . The idea is quite appealing and I may well explore that in the near future. Am I right in thinking that those Thomastics put far less tension on the neck that regular flats?

Very sorry to hear this . What a fantastic bass player he is , but that's an irrelevance in these circumstances . Get well soon , John .

We've banned smoking from pubs , so maybe next we could ban bimbos , or women altogether . I would miss both myself , but the harsh fact is that we all know that women and drink don't mix , and you only need to go into any town centre in Britain on any night of the week to see that . Perhaps we need to admit that Britain was a much better and much safer place when men went out drinking and their women waited at home for them .

Totally agree , and I too have noticed an increasing number of YT clips that use distortion on part or all of the demonstration . It makes me despair at how stupid some people are . IF YOU PUT THEM THROUGH A FUZZBOX ALL BASSES SOUND APPROXIMATELY THE BLEEDIN' SAME! Slapping is of some use , tapping is of no use , and it would be nice if , as the O.P says , folks doing You Tube demonstration videos would actually play some basslines on a bass to let other bass players know how that particular bass sounds when you play bass on it in a bass guitar- type fashion .

[quote name='drTStingray' timestamp='1382807301' post='2256833'] Rotosound Jazz Bass 77 flats. Far too much tension for my liking - put me off playing the basses I fitted them to. I would go so far as to say, for me, made the basses virtually unplayable for anything but v simple parts. It's not a me v flats thing either - I have thomastiks on a Classic Ray and Ernie Ball Group 3s on a Ray fretless and love them. These have sensible string tension as well!! Favourite rounds? EB hybrid slinky, EB cobalts (particularly brilliant on a Classic Stingray), DR Marcus Miller fat beams, and believe it or not Rotobass 95-35 guage - have these on an HH Ray - it sounds very Mark King in tone (especially twin H slap) - AND they haven't died like their 66s do - must check fret wear sometime ........... Back in the late 70s and early 80s I didn't know anything but Rotosounds - in fact that may been all that was really available - at least in the shops I went to. My Ray must have shuddered when I swapped out the OE strings!!!! [/quote] The only set of flats I have ever owned were a set of Rotosound Jazz Bass that I bought to put on an Ibanez fretless when I was a nipper . I cannot for the life of me remember why I thought I should put flats on it , because it was the '80's and no one used flats and no one bothered too much about wearing out fretless fingerboards, but for some reason that is now a mystery to me I shelled out for them and they were awful things that , as you say , were so stiff that only a champion arm wrestler could play them . Re. buying Rotosound strings back in the day , how soon we forget in these days of the internet and the instant global exchange of information what things were like back in the olden days . If you wanted some new strings for your bass you went to the shop and asked for bass strings . A man with a beard muttered something about " these are alright" and you gave him some money , he handed you the packet of strings ( usually Rotosound) and took them home on the bus . There was no discussion about what you wanted , liked , didn't like ect. You then used the strings until they broke or wore out . Kids nowadays have no idea . And there was only three channels on T.V and on Sunday it was mainly religious programmes . How have you been going on with those Cobalts , Dr T? I didn't like what I perceived to be a slightly higher tension , and I thought the sound was perfectly O.K , but no better than say a regular set of EB's or similar . In terms of performance , I can't see how they justify the price . I think they feel a lot like stainless steel under the fingers , too (that's not a criticism, just an observation.)

[quote name='Fat Rich' timestamp='1382786582' post='2256522'] I've had a few conversations where I've asked: "Why do you use Rotosounds?" "I've always used Rotosounds" "You've never tried anything else?" "Nope" A few people have said because Billy Sheehan or John Entwistle or some other player uses them. I'm often surprised at how little bass players are prepared to experiment with different strings. [/quote] I think Rotosound are great-sounding strings , but it's just everything else that goes with them that puts me off . The actual tone fresh out of the packet is fabulous , but ... we all know it doesn't last long enough and the fret wear is frightening . I used to like Elites Stadium Series , but I'm sure that they aren't the same as they used to be because they seem to die off much quicker and don't sound as good as they used to . Back in the 1990's they used to last for ages and sound great, but now they sound so-so and die off quickly.

[quote name='Chiliwailer' timestamp='1382765395' post='2256319'] They say a real man can wear pink. I am wanting a Flea Bass, have been for a while. Finally given up on getting a Lane Poor version, having heard various sound clips of the Seymour Duncan + OBP-1 preamp I'm convinced that's ok. But..... my friend has this one for sale and it is in [size=5][color=#800080][b]purple metal flake!!! [/b][/color][/size] It's not cheap, but then again will they ever will be. I'm only go to play this at home, the little kid in me wants a Flea Bass just for the awesome tone and fun of it, purple flake is kinda fun? Please guys and gals, [u]give it to me straight,[/u] no holding back, be nice, be mean, just don't be diplomatic! Thanks. [/quote] I'm not at all keen on any of the glitzy flake finishes on these Modulus basses -it seems like a way of ruining a very nice bass to me- but I am probably in a minority on that and , as in all matters of taste like this, you can only please one person so please yourself! If you like it then go for it ( sounds like you already have). That purple is slightly more masculine than classic Fender Burgundy Mist , but not by much . I wouldn't want to be seen with it out in public myself , but I am a very confused man with all kinds of insecurities and unresolved issues . You will probably thrive on it. About the whole Lane Poor v Seymour Duncan pickup thing , I've played them both side by side and there really is no discernable difference between the two Of course some folks have got the idea in their heads that the unavailable Lane Poor is the Holy Grail ( old + not available + Flea uses them on some of his basses =[i] must [/i]be better) the reality is that no one could really hear any difference if you played them both side by side . Seymour Duncan carefully reverse engineered the Lane Poor pickup and did a very good job of replicating the sound of the original . I certainly can't hear any difference whatsoever , and that OB1 preamp sounds good with it , too.

[quote name='seashell' timestamp='1382727062' post='2256072'] Or the effects of a new budgie food. But you'd be too young to get that one [/quote] We weren't allowed to have any pets when I was a kid ( but we did have my perculiar older brother, and he was a[i] de facto [/i]substitute ), so the world of budgies in any era is an unknown quantity to me , Shelly.

I thought this was going to be a thread about a groovy new fabric conditioner . I'll get my coat ...

I had all kinds of problems when I started my own original band and decided to call them Led Zeppelin . I got the idea for the name one day on the bus coming home from the day care centre and it seemed to have a ring to it that I thought people would remember . Even after loads of rehearsals and a very slick demo tape we had terrible problems getting gigs due to the fact that no landlords seemed to believe me when I said that I was phoning on behalf of Led Zeppelin and could we have a gig on a Tuesday night . I cannot tell you the amount of times people just hung up on me. Eventually the band broke up as a result of all the frustration , but fast forward a couple of years and it seems like four other blokes a bit older than us but who still sounded pretty amaturish had got the same idea. They had obviously been more successful in dealing with pub landlords than me and , lo and behold , before you know it they have sold out the O2 Arena and you can't get a ticket for love or money . Needless to say, I often think about how different things might have been had I been more persistant as I gaze out of the window at the day care centre/ secure unit .

It's worth mentioning that the weak spot on these Yamaha basses is the pickup selector switch. They are notoriously dodgy , and it's a shame that in their search for ultimate quality that Yamaha have overlooked this minor but infuriating achilles heel . It's a two and a half thousand quid bass with a 25 pence selector switch . I wish they had a used pan pot instead , but, failing that , at least use a decent quality switch !

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1382696095' post='2255488'] Strings are a very personal thing. What suits one player won't necessarily suit another and even if find a set of strings that works for you one one bass that doesn't mean that they'll be as good on any other basses. Personally I really haven't been able to get on with any of the DR sets I've tried. I bought a 4 different sets after reading lots of rave reviews on here, but hated all of them. Mostly they felt slack - particularly the E and low B strings. Could get them off my basses quick enough. Also I've never tried Elixiers because of bad experiences with the strings on guitars. Horrible feel which made me want to wash my hands immediately after playing them. [/quote] I wholeheartedly agree with BRX on all these points . I wish I could find one set of strings that is perfect and then use the same ones on any bass , but the reality is that, for most people, different strings are best suited to different basses , and which strings those are depends on who is playing them . I can still remember the first set of strings I ever bought - Rotosound Swing Bass - and well over thirty years later , I'm still looking for the ideal set. If this thread continues for long enough I'm sure every brand and model of string will be cited by someone as being disappointing . I love the sound of DR strings and I have never had a duff string from the myself , , but I find the hex core ones way too stiff , and on most basses the round core ones are a bit too elastic, so that rules them out for me in most instances unless a bass has a particulaly stiff feel to play with other strings . Warwick Black Label are just right in terms of tension but lack top end sparkle and are very dull straight from the packet and then die off quickly from there . I used Dean Markley Randy Jackson Signature Alchemy strings for a while and they were great in so much as they felt good and had a unique tone , but the coating flaked off after a while and then Dean Markley discontinued them as Randy subsequently buggered off and started using EB Cobalts . Shame , as I liked them quite a lot . I don't like the Cobalts , though , especially considering the price . Despite the marketing hype , I can discern absolutely no advantage over strings costing half the price . Just another very average set of strings with nothing to recommend them over regular Ernie Balls or anything else similar , I'm afraid.

One thing I have learnt from internet forums is just how surprising other people's idea of" beautiful "can be compared to my own ( superior) taste. I love vintage Fenders in sunburst, though I doubt I will ever buy another nowadays .

[quote name='jaybass 70' timestamp='1382635380' post='2254827'] hi, I've been relatively gas free since acquiring a 1979 BB1200 off bobby K on this very fine forum [size=4]until I seen this [/size] BB2024 £1650.00 from Bass Direct, good price for a quality instrument that retails for £2350.00 I'm wondering if there is a massive jump in quality and sound compared to the BB1200 I already love and own? I'm coming into some cash soon and I'm gonna treat myself to another bass to add to the herd , short of diving in the car and doing a 5 hour round trip has anyone tried these basses out compared to the very good japanese BB1200 ? thanks in Advance guys and dolls [/quote] Hi Jay, I've played both , but not side- by -side . The 2024 is a fine bass ( in fact , it's an amazing bass) , but your Japanese BB1200 was its' equivalent back in the day .One thing to be aware of from the outset is that the 2024 has got a pretty chunky neck profile by most standards. That may be a big plus or a big minus , depending on your preferences. The pickups on the 2024 are a triumph in terms of their overall sound and help make these basses so unique ( the sound on these basses is so deep and lush that it is like they are active despite the fact that they are actually passive, if you see what I mean) , so that is one clear advantage for the newer bass over the BB1200 , but that said the BB1200 was and is still a great sounding bass in its' own right with the stock pickups . From memory , both have that polished but powerful Yamaha sound , but the 2024 has probably got a bit more of everything , considering that it is supposed to the ultimate refinement of the model . They are certainly superb basses by any standards and easily worth what they cost . To give you some indication of the quality level of these basses , I've played them side-by-side with USA -made Sadowskys and USA-made Laklands that cost at least a grand more each than these BBs and, on balance,, I would say the Yamaha is as good if not better quality than either. I know it's exactly the situation you are seeking to avoid , but it has to be said that ultimately the only way to assess it against your BB1200 is somehow to play them both and compare .

[quote name='ML94' timestamp='1382634624' post='2254809'] Unfortunately not even this. It's driving me mad! [/quote] It's getting to me, too . It's particulaly annoying when the whole line goes up a fourth - that's when I almost recognise what it is , for some reason .

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1382630825' post='2254721'] Oddly the closest thing I've played to this before now was an alembic, didn't want to say before cos it would sound odd - but it's got a similar playing feel, musicality and evenness to it. [/quote] The laminated neck-thru construction has probably got a lot to do with that. Essentially , Yamaha directly copied it from Alembic .

Another completely professional ( for want of a better term ) sounding track that is the finished article . If this was on a major label ( or an independent label with someone good plugging it for you) , it would get on the Radio 2 / 6 Music playlist, for sure. All this track needs is for the right person to hear it and it will open doors for you . I hope you have a bit of good luck in that respect .

[quote name='Lowender' timestamp='1382622285' post='2254537'] I like passive, I like active, I like humbucker , I like single coil. All have their advantages and disadvantages and their own character. [/quote] Me too . A strictly passive Jazz Bass has its' own distinct character though , and has an enduring appeal because of that . I would try keeping the Di Marzio's , though. They are great sounding pickups with plenty of beef and no hum , and you may find going from the J Retro / Di Marzio combination to a passive bass with stock Fender pickups a bit weedy-sounding by comparison .