Dingus

I get the distinct impression that most straight -ahead jazz musicians still have a strong preference for the upright . You can see why ; the upright has a depth and intimacy that the electric can't really compete with . The electric bass has its' own strengths and virtues , but the traditions and conventions of jazz dictate that the upright is usually the most appropriate choice , just the same way that the electric bass is the best choice for rock and pop music . My favourite trumpet player is Freddie Hubbard and I love the crossover jazz-funk fusion records he did in the mid to late Seventies , but I recently saw an interview with him where he said he only made that music because it was the only way to keep making money when jazz was out of vogue , and that he was much happier now that the musical environment had changed and he could go back to playing with a quartet with an upright bass . As long as the music feels good , that's all that matters , and for a lot of jazz the upright feels most natural .

[quote name='DarkHeart' timestamp='1379775342' post='2216667'] I got a text the other day from the wife saying `im not going to ask why youve bought a 32" tv` it was a bass in bits in the box haha [/quote] She must have been gutted when she sat down to watch Eastenders .

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1379774642' post='2216662'] because your posts are displaying really oddly with the line breaks in the wrong places and so on. Looking at you last post the open parenthesis of the "and couldn't" is on the line above, and the text seems to be trying to justify itself - which messes up the spacings - so everything has become spread out and your eye can't flow across the line easily. So if you have the text justified try left aligning it, if you have to have it justified like it is increase the leading (line spacing) - or if you are using something like a phone or tablet which doesn't give you these options use line breaks more. [/quote] [quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1379774765' post='2216663'] Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. [/quote] [quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1379774844' post='2216664'] ah there you go Dingus .... can you try switching the editing mode button? (top left of the reply box) this mode will set your replies out in a nicer way and organise line breaks better. [/quote] WOAH THERE ! You are assuming[u] [i]way[/i][/u] too much much knowledge on my part , my friend ! As I have just been explaining on another thread , I have no idea what I am doing . I normally have other people do all my word processing for me . ( I have other people do most things for me nowadays , to be honest ) . I took me nine months to work out how to use emoticons , and figuring that out made me feel like I was a computer genius . It takes me all my time to justify my own existance . If I had to justify my text on Bassschat too , it would be too much effort to get out of bed anymore ,. I will see what I can do , but don't hold your breath . ( Just showing off my new-found skill with emoticons ) .

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1379770805' post='2216613'] That's because a lot of the time you have something interesting and useful to say, however your misuse of spaces with punctuation plays havoc with my dyslexia and therefore your posts are much more difficult (for me) to read than they ought to be. Those that do talk in textspeak mostly have nothing worthwhile to say and can be safely ignored. [/quote] If I may explain a little , I usually pay to have my all typing done by someone else , so Basschat is the only time I sully myself with actually tapping on a keyboard . I have no computer skills whatsoever ( I have a man who does it all for me) , and I am of an age where all my student essays were still written by hand , except in special circumstances where I paid to have them typed from my notes . So I have no idea what I am doing ! I thought spaces made it easier to read . Clearly , I was wrong . My handwriting is terrible too , so it looks my typing is an extension of that .

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1379771588' post='2216624'] I've persevered with this post (see elsewhere for my comments on your punctuation spacing and the problems it causes for dyslexics like me) because you seem to have something important to say here. I can see the advantages in using less windings to produce the desired tone and then using a pre-amp to boost the signal to the appropriate level to drive the rest of your signal chain properly. However there isn't anything "active" about the actual pickup itself. That's still a magnet and wire coil. Also Lace seem to manage to produce a pickup (Alumitone) with almost no wire in it at all that operates at normal output levels without the need to boost the signal (and of course all the unwanted non-string noises that also get picked up and amplified). [/quote] Why does everybody have such a problem reading a paragraph? ( I am currently fielding other complaints ). I just don't get it . I think what you're getting at is that it is still essentially a conventional magnetic pickup , albeit a fairly weak one that needs boosting to reach the required output . That is true . I suppose it depends on your definition of active . I am no electronics buff , to say the least , so I wouldn't ( and couldn't ) get into complex debate over what defines active - to me if it needs a battery , it's active - but the validity conventional approach is borne out by the fact that no radical pickup designs have ever been much practical use . A conventional magnetic pickup is relatively simple (and therefore reliable) , flexible , inexpensive , and sounds the best . What is the point in investing time and effort on radical new technologies that ultimately yield inferior results ?

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1379767705' post='2216577'] That should be "[i]upon which to live out his fantasies[/i]". But we're all friends here so I'll let that go. [/quote] I rest my case ...

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1379759919' post='2216474'] BTW What exactly are "active pickups" and how do they differ from a normal magnet and wire coil pickup attached by a very short lead to a pre-amp? I can't help but think that it's all marketing bullshit. [/quote] Active pickups use a battery ( or external power supply in extreme cases such as the Alembic Series 1 and Series 2 basses ) to boost the signal coming from the pickup itself , which may then be routed into a preamp for tone-shaping if desired , or not as the case may be . The reason for active pickups is that they allow for a much wider and " truer" frequency response from the pickup , primarily because they allow for far less wire to be wound onto the pickup bobbin . Pickup design is a balancing act between apparent volume and bandwidth . The more wire wound on the bobbin , the louder the pickup , but the more wire , the less frequency extension , particulaly in the higher frequencies . Active pickup designs such as those used by EMG use a very small amount of wire , enabling their characteristic crystaline and noticably "flat" frequency response ( hence why people often find EMG'S a bit too clinical -sounding) , and then achieve a decent level of output by using a dedicated battery to boost the signal from the pickup . This is the opposite approach to what is currently fashionable in conventional passive pickups , which are now often overwound with extra wire to give a bigger , beefier output , but there is often a noticable tradeoff in the treble response of those pickups , with perceivably less "bite" to the sound and a loss of airieness in the treble .

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1379709512' post='2216139'] They look cool, more G&L than Musicman to my ears....I think the bridge H is out of the Stingray sweetspot on the HH...(not sure). This would make the HH model more like a Bongo HH. If they are reasonable prices they could do quite well with these. I imagine they are having to tread VERY carefully not to be 'too Stingray' to get into trouble. I think Fender having some cool stuff out at the moment...they just need a GOOD passive 5 string PJ model to the standard of something like Sandberg. That would go down VERY well. [/quote] I'm sure Fender have designed these with the specific intention of treading on Sterling's toes , and are sure of their ground regarding copyright ect . I think so long as they don't go for a 3+1 headstock they are safe ! It would be interesting too hear what folks on the EBMM forum think of these . However , that is a bit like saying " I wonder what people in North Korea really think of Kim Jong-un ?" , i.e they are too frightened to say what they really think for fear of what might happen to them . Totally agree about the Fender PJ , too.

Talk of the Devil... What did I tell you ? He probably wants to give me the cane now ...

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1379700704' post='2215969'] Me too! [/quote] More people criticise my written English on Basschat than any other member . I'm starting to get paranoid about it . Everyone else seems to get away with communicating in textspeak and I get pulled up for every slight grammatical error and spelling mistake. I think that Discreet geezer secretly dreams about being a strict English teacher and he has chosen me to live out his fantasies on .

[quote name='Westie9' timestamp='1379067296' post='2208259'] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]It's our wedding anniversary on Sunday. I'm sure she asked for an MXR Compressor and a Lava Patch Cable Kit ? [/font][/color] [/quote] I was looking at those Lava Patch Cable Kits in the Anne Summers catalogue just the other day !

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1379685695' post='2215725'] Yeah, I remember Two Dogs.... Hooper's Hooch... Is that what you meant? [/quote] I am only joking . I just mean to say that , to me at least, my paragraphs are only , well, .. .paragraphs ! It may well be that written English has moved on without my knowledge and that sentences are now the way to go . I'll give it a try .

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1379668971' post='2215407'] @Dingus I love your posts mate, but any chance you could use a few more paragraphs? They are rather daunting to read! [/quote] And they wonder why standards in schools are slipping ? I will try harder in future to condense my posts into short soundbites for the alcopops generation . ( Edited for conciseness . If this post is still too long for you I could always cut some more out ) .

[quote name='ras52' timestamp='1379682967' post='2215677'] And think about the acoustics in the bathroom... [/quote] Quite...

[quote name='Tullfan' timestamp='1379678287' post='2215595'] .....My wife, she just sighed - and it turns out she was waiting on how to tell me, she had just bought a new bathroom cabinet for £500 ! B^D [/quote] How can you pay £500 for a cabinet that doesn't have speakers in it ?

[quote name='ead' timestamp='1379677503' post='2215579'] I have and use both, but as basses are regularly plugged straight into an amp (or possibly a preamp with EQ controls), so isn't it just about where you do any tone shaping? [/quote] Kind of , but not quite . Depending on who you talk to and what you believe , active basses( generally speaking , as not all are equal) with the preamp engaged buffer the signal that comes from the bass , even without any EQ treaking , so even the flat sound of an active bass has a slightly different character to the unaffected sound of a passive bass . Allegedly . A lot depends on what bass with what preamp , but one fairly famous bass player who a lot of people associate with vintage equipment and passive Fender basses who I once met told me that he uses active basses exclusively in the studio precisely because he feels that ,even though he rarely uses the onboard EQ , the extra boost to the signal his active have gives a noticibly better recorded sound and one which is easier for the engineer to work with in the final mix , and this chap has done a lot of recording work and knows what he is talking about . From my own experience , I think a lot of active basses have a noticably "thicker" sound , even without any E.Q added from the preamp . If I pick up a Warwick Thumb Bass or Musicman Bongo then even with the EQ flat I think there is a percievable "cushion " in the sound that makes the bass feel like it has a bit more depth when you "dig in " . That is probably why an increasing number of manufacturers particulaly of high-end basses are featuring a true passive mode on their preamp , not just as a safety feature in case the battery dies but also as another tonal option that is supposed to offer a more organic sound than the flat active preamp .

I think the historical reason why playing with a pick was looked down on some players is primarily because of how the bass guitar was conceived and marketed from its' inception . Leo Fender's vision was to invent an instrument that enabled guitarists to take the place of the double bass in contemporary popular music of the day . That must have put the noses out of double bass players at the time , and I know that many jazz bassists in particular were dismissive and scathing of the electric for a long time after the electric was introduced . A lot are still of that opinion in the present day . Playing bass guitar with a pick represented a complete break with that tradition and to some observers it betokened a complete absence of knowledge about the true role of the bass and how to play it . Add to that the undeniable truth that in the early years of the bass guitar all too often the least able guitarist was relegated to playing the bass , usually with a pick , then you can see how some folks came to associate pick playing with limited ability . It's significant that for a long time received wisdom has been that the first true virtuoso of the bass guitar was James Jamerson , who was a double bass player who played the Fender Bass with his fingers with the skills and instincts of a jazz bassist , which is essentially what he was . By contrast , Joe Osborn who was Jamerson's contemporary on the West Coast played with a pick in guitaristic fashion to great effect has only been widely acknowledged in recent years since players like Anthony Jackson have cited him as an influence . By the late 1960's players like Paul McCartney , John Entwistle , Noel Redding and Jack Cassidy were all playing brilliantly with a pick , but the stigma was already in place . I have always been a fingerstyle player , not least of all because my first bass teacher was primarily a jazz bassist who was completely dismissive of pick playing , full stop . I had it drummed into me for years that pick playing was for the less capable , so much so that even today I feel like the fact that I enjoy lots of pick players is an act of rebellion .Most of the players I wanted to emulate when I first started playing - Geddy Lee , Geezer Butler , Bernard Edwards, Stanley Clarke , Andy Frazer ect- were all fingerstyle players , and so I was more than happy to go along with the no plectrums rule . Since those days I have really changed my thinking and love the sound of a pick , but , like Ian , I just can't get to grips with using one , and never get round to practising it . The pick always feels so awkward and alien that it soon gets put away again . The fact that I've never been a guitarist also adds to my lack of familiarity with the plectrum . Over the years I have come to realise that some bass parts just can't be recreated properly without a pick . Sting's playing with The Police springs to mind as an example of where the kind of muting and ghost notes you can get with a pick are impossible to cop with your fingers . Regarding cutting through the mix , though , I get plenty of cut with my right hand fingerstyle attack , probably because I have always liked agressive players and know how to dig in just the right way to make the notes most audible . Look at Jack Bruce and his fingerstyle playing - you can't imagine him getting buried in the mix !

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1379621455' post='2215043'] I write on my batteries when I stuck them In. I check them when I do a set up or something every few months. If they are over a year and a half old then I just replace them - never had one die on me. [/quote] I think I once read Basschat's own Warwick Hunt tell us that he changes the battery in all his active basses every year on the 1st of January . It sticks in my mind because I was in awe of that level of organisation . I have usually got my head down a toilet on that day , and quite often it isn't even my own toilet .

[quote name='Funky Dunky' timestamp='1379611949' post='2214866'] Okay, I'm still learning here.... The physical act of changing batteries is not a hardship in my view. The expense of replacing battery every few weeks, if that were the regularity (and apparently it's not, so that's grand) is one I'd rather avoid, but buying in bulk would obviously be the route to go so again, problem solved. As for the instant death - sound to silence - a supposedly informed salesman said that this happens with some active basses. If this is false information, I believe I am well within my rights to slap him across the chops with a live trout. Thanks for clearing things up, I'm grateful to everyone who has taken the time to share their opinions and experiences so far. Cheers all :-) [/quote] You can buy batteries cheaply over the internet , and most basses have low-drain circuits nowadays that gives hundreds of hours use from one change of batteries , but when you finish playing you must always remember to unplug the cable from the jack socket on the bass to disengage the battery . Regarding actuive basses konking out if the battery dies , your salesman was right up to a point . Some active basses cut out completely and very abruptly when the battery no longer has sufficient power , whereas some others have circuits designed so that the bass will continue to work in passive mode if the battery dies on you . It just depends on which bass you choose , and if it is something you are worried about then it's worth doing some research and finding out if any active bass you are thinking about buying will work in passive mode in case of an emergency . I have an active bass and when the battery went dead unexpectedly and not only did it work as a passive bass , but it also sounded so good that I didn't get round to putting a new battery in for several weeks . A similar model from the same manufacturer will give no sound whatsoever with a dead battery . If you find a bass you like then look into what back-up features it has . More and more basses nowadays have a "reserve tank" in case the battery dies precisely for this very reason , although generally speaking it tends to be most common on more expensive models aimed at professional players .

Wow , in that latest video they really sound like Music Man basses. I never thought I would see the day ! I am still not hugely keen myself , but I can certainly see the appeal . Contrary to my initial impressions , I think these will be a big hit for Fender . A couple of good reviews and these will be selling in numbers , I expect .

[quote name='dr Szelma' timestamp='1379584374' post='2214374'] He didn't - he's using both. He's not carrying his gear with him when touring, it is provided for him wherever he is gigging, and in fact - it has no relevance for his sound going through PA - "ebs era" and "swr era" (when official endorsement) - he still sounded like Marcus Miller, cabs and amps are not changing the way he sounds (edit: response to Roland Rock's question) [/quote] I agree totally that Marcus' sound seems unchanged regardless of which amp setup he uses . Over the years I've heard him play through various rigs and he sounds just the same , regardless of what backline he has . Maybe that's partly because he always specifies gear that will enable him to get his signature sound

Hang on a minute , 5AM bedtime and 8[u]PM[/u] rise time ? I missed that bit ! That reminds me of being unemployed back in the 1980's . It was great ! Get yourself a girlfriend who likes The Smiths , get hammered every night on cheap snakebite and blame everything on Thatcher . You will sleep like a baby .

Can you expand on the relationship between playing the bass and your lack of sleep? Are you up late practising, or are you sleepless with anxiety over which inversion to use over an A minor 7th chord ? We need to know more details before we can help . In the meantime, avoid energy drinks , sugar , large quantities of garlic and chocolate.