Dingus

Seeing as the gloves are off , my two pence worth would be that pre - EBMM 'Rays do sound a little bit different , particulaly the [u]very [/u]early ones ( to my ears , the treble control and the preamp on those basses is centered on a very slightly higher frequency that sounds a bit better than the recent EBMM basses and , for whatever reason , the early basses seem to have a bit more " grunt " overall ) , but the overwhelming sonic charactaristic of both the old and new EBMM ones is that scooped - out Stingray tone we all know and many of us love . They are far more similar than they are different . I much prefer the styling on the original Stingrays , too . I had an early 1980's pre - EBMM Stingray and it was a good bass , but neither that or any other original Musicman or EBMM Stingray I have ever played had a sound that could compete with the Stingray - style tone I can get with the rear humbucker on my EBMM Reflex Bass , and I prefer my Bongo to either a Reflex or a Stingray . Both the Reflex and Bongo have a richness and definition in the tone that a Stingray can't really compete with , to my ears at least . Maybe I'm just not a Stingray guy, when all is said and done .

Cue my predicted ruck ...

Unless the bookshelf speakers are particulaly onerous to you , I wouldn't bother changing them for something which costs a lot of money and may well not sound as good . It's just not good sense . There are even conventional speakers that are fairly unobtrusive that would probably be preferable to a sound bar .

Just like Rhys , my first memory of hearing Todd Rundgren was on the Friday Rock Show when I was a kid . Tommy Vance used to play this , and I loved it at the time : [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEV6wZd9_9c[/media] To be honest , it must be 30 years ( !) or more ( !!) since I last heard that track , and in retrospect it sounds a bit like Boston ( More Than A Feeling , ect ) with A - Levels to me nowadays , but Todd's talents are so many and so varied that I can easily forgive him that . He's a top producer as well as musician and prolific songwriter , let's not forget .

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1374277378' post='2147244'] 'Bula Quo'..? Jesus Christ. [/quote] No , actually that's Francis Rossi .

[quote name='Lord Sausage' timestamp='1374276667' post='2147240'] I'm not! [/quote] Not being yourself is what makes you even more of an individual .

Wow , big question . I can see a ruck developing over this one . Well , the old ones sound a little bit different in absolute terms , but how different depends on how old you are talking about . Music Man tweaked and changed the preamp in the original basses between1976 and 1984 when EBMM took over , so the earlier ones sound slightly different to the later original ones . Allegedly . An early original one and a brand new EBMM one will both sound charactaristically like a Stingray i.e far more similar than they are different . Both will , more likely than not , be quite heavy , too . To my own personal tastes , the newer EBMM ones with the bridge without mutes don't look right , but that's just me .

To be honest , their best days are long behind them and they could be accused of being a bit of a cabaret act noways by some more cynical observers , but never forget that in their heyday back in the 1970's Status Quo were a serious band , and surely one of the best live acts in the World at that time , bar none . And loud . Very , very loud : [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKe2OfXLxuc[/media] Surely one a the greatest tracks ever . Denim on denim is a great look for a man , too .

[quote name='toneknob' timestamp='1374236213' post='2146725'] I'm still trying to process "...in his own modest way..." [/quote] The term "genius " is bandied about a bit too liberally nowadays , and it's important to keep a sense of perspective . Jaco was a genius for sure , but he had a very specific and relatively narrow talent , most specifically for playing the bass guitar , although I would of course also acknowledge him as a composer and bandleader . I describe Jaco as a "modest " genius because , in the overall scheme of things , in relation to some other musical geniuses , his gift was limited . It could be argued that people like Bach , Mozart and Beethoven had a musical gift which eclipsed that of extraordinary instrumentalists like Jaco because they were able to write for several instruments with the same level of skill , dexterity and maturity that Jaco showed on only one . Imagine having the ability to think for all the instruments in an orchestra as if you played each one like Jaco or Jamerson played the bass and to be able to create an overall musical soundscape in your head without the aid of recording or any of the technology that we take for granted , or in some cases without ever hearing the music being performed . That is what the great composers did , and I'm sure that Jaco himself would not dream of putting himself in the same bracket as them .

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1374150858' post='2145814'] We're doing a music week at my school at the moment, and the music department have just bought in a few new budget instruments (they get a very hard time from the students!). Anyway, I thought i would have a bit of a play about with one of the bass guitars. It is an Aria STB-JB in black with a white PG, so it has a kind of passing resemblance to a Geddy Lee J... (well, if you half close your eyes!). [url="http://www.ariauk.com/aria-stb-jb-bass-guitar/"]http://www.ariauk.co...jb-bass-guitar/[/url] I wasn't expecting much, as these things retail at around £100-120, but I have to say that I was VERY pleasantly surprised! A lovely Jazz Bass tone and extremely playable. It just feels really sweet in my hands. It hadn't even been set up, so the volume levels were a bit variable across the strings - but that was a five minute fix.Truss rod could probably do with a bit of a tweak too as there was a bit of buzz at around fret 15. No big deal. I even did a bit of recording with it and it sat really well in the mix, with a certain degree of authority! Incredible at this price, and thoroughly recommended to anyone looking for a very good quality beginners' bass or even a reasonable back-up. Even swapping back to my Spector didn't seem like too much of a downward step!! Have a try of one of these if you can [/quote] Hang on a minute , do they have school teachers with Spector NS Series basses nowadays ? The World has gone crazy!

[quote name='Count Bassy' timestamp='1374177706' post='2146222'] I really can't understand this sort of attitude.[size=4]Not just for Jaco, but Shakespeare, Mozart and others as well. Yes they were good at what they did, but the attitude that no can ever be better (which I know is not what you said) seems very negative and backward looking. All budding bassist, playwrights and composers might as well pack up now.[/size] Jaco may have been technically brilliant, but his music (esp. the solo's) do very little for me (in fact bass solos generally leave me bored to tears). There are plenty of bass players I much prefer to listen to, which in my mind makes them "better". Besides Jaco's been dead for 26 years - time to move on. [/quote] Well , the thing is that Jaco and the other artists you mention were radical departures within their given discipline , and changed their medium forever . It is possible for all kinds of fancy Dan bass players to come along with amazing chops and technique , but so far most have struggled to make the impact that Jaco did . I wouldn't put Jaco in the same bracket as Mozart or Shakespear for various reasons ( I could explain why , if you like ) , but in his own modest way he was a genius of sorts , but not because of his technique . His gift was that he thought about and interpreted music differently to other people , and happened to do so via the medium of the bass guitar . Like just about every genius you can think of , Jaco was unconventional , a radical , and unlike anything that had come before him on the bass guitar . He wasn't alone in that by any means - there were other fantastically gifted players of that era - but at his best he was brilliant in his own right . He was versatile too , despite having such a distinctive signature style . He was a World- class jazz bassist and accomplished soloist , but his work as an accompanist in various genres is equally accomplished and shows great maturity and sensitivity to the overall musical picture rather than just his own role in it . Regardless of your own personal taste ( which you are fully entitled to , I hasten to add) Jaco was the real deal , the complete package . I am not one of Jaco's slavish followers by any means , and I couldn't even say he was the player I myself have enjoyed or or directly tried to emulate the most , but his stature on the instrument is undeniable .

If you like the Hohner , why not try a headless Status ? You often see them used on Basschat at very reasonable prices . They might feel fairly familiar to you , and will sound great in comparison to the Jack Bass

[quote name='BassBus' timestamp='1374167694' post='2146082'] There are many players today who can do things Jaco did not do. It's the same with guitarists. Eric Clapton was once called God but there are many guitarists who can do so much more than Clapton these days. Clapton can't do what Eddie Van Halen does. Jaco couldn't do what Michael Manring or Gary Willis do. Playing moves on and develops. Jaco was an innovator. The developers come afterwards and take the instrument on to new places. [/quote] I see where you are coming from , but the expansion of technique does not neccesarilly make subsequent players better than Jaco . Only creating better music would make them better . Gary Willis and Michael Manring have not made better music than Jaco did . Maybe Jaco was so great not just because of what he could do , but also the taste , style and feel with which he did it . Jaco had soul and authenticity in his playing . He was a virtuoso who said something about the human condition with the music he created . That is what gives him his stature . There are loads of other good players who have come along since Jaco , but he hasn't been bettered yet . Also bear in mind that players who have come along in his wake had Jaco to listen to and to act a a role - model , whereas he himseld was a true original with a disparate collection of influences that he synthesised into his own style . Gary Willis and Michael Manring ? They pale in significance in comparison to Jaco , whether you are a fan of Jaco's playing or not . It seems to me you are missing the point a bit if you think that because Eddie Van Halen uses certain techniques that he is neccesarilly a better musician than Eric Clapton . I can guarantee you that Eddie Van Halen definitely doesn't see himself in relation to Eric Clapton that way .

I too am a big fan of all things Brazilian ( except high levels violent crime , poverty , social inequality , inadequate public healthcare provision ect ) and have been enjoying this woman's music lately : [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZqHxzWMGR4[/media]

[quote name='BassBus' timestamp='1374126565' post='2145485'] ...and there are some even better ones around today. [/quote] Better than Jaco ? I don't think so...

Would it be making thigs too complicated if I told you that I notice much more difference in the sound of high - end basses from the neck fabrication than the body wood , on the whole ? I've tried a couple of basses with ash necks ( the latest thing on mega expensive basses apparently ) and they had a noticibly forthright tone . Wenge necks such as those on Warwicks also have a very distinct tone , very sharp , crystalline and compressed , a bit like graphite in certain respects .

[quote name='njr911' timestamp='1374045391' post='2144478'] Just to let you all know there is a pleasant, attractive girl that works in PMT in Leeds This thread is getting all a bit 70's sitcom now [/quote] I'm sure she would thank you for that endorsement ( unless you are in fact her , in which case I salute your positive self - image ) . My life is a bit 70's sitcom . I could do some mother- in -law jokes , if you like.

[quote name='Jah Wibble' timestamp='1373918764' post='2143219'] Bought my 1st amp off her a few years ago.......a 2007 Markbass CMD 121h (which might be up for sale if anyone's interested ;-) [/quote] [quote name='pete.young' timestamp='1373994427' post='2144024'] Oh, that Simone? That's really good news in that case, she was the most pleasant and helpful person in that shop by a million miles and it's good to see her having some success. [/quote] [quote name='markinthegreen' timestamp='1373918351' post='2143211'] Im surprised no one recognises her from the Bass Cellar on Denmark St, She worked their for years. I got a couple of basses off her. [/quote] [quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1374012150' post='2144320'] I too have been served by her when shopping in Denmark Street! Would you Adam & Eve it! [/quote] Once again , I seem to have missed out .

[quote name='cloudburst' timestamp='1374005608' post='2144217'] That Fender colour is normally called Mocha. It's one of the less common colours, but it's not a custom shop colour. I'm fairly certain that Fender Custom Shop didn't exist until the mid 80s at least. Re value - wowser! I bought the same 70s Musicmaster Bass for £50 on no less than 3 separate occasions. But that's now a very long time ago, so I don't even know why I told you that. CB [/quote] Fender Custom Shop started in 1987 , but Fender did offer certain colours and features like matching headstocks as custom options available to special order through Fender dealers going back to the early 1960's . C.B is absolutely right though , this was never a custom colour .

I've just had another look and I can confirm that she is indeed very lovely . Are you trying to tell me that there are actually women like this working in guitar shops nowadays ? I find it hard to believe . All I ever seem to get greeting me are overweight roadie - type men with a surly attitude and personal hygiene problems

I think this was a Fender custom colour they called " Dirty Protest " in the catalogue at the time .

[quote name='operative451' timestamp='1373988053' post='2143906'] You're absolutely correct - i don't know what the question is yet... The sound i 'want' is thick without being muddy, bitey without going fizzy when i hit the fuzz, twangy without clanking (ok, that might be my fingers). I think what i actually want is to know where to start the twiddling! There must be some rules of thumb? Other than, 'for more bass turn up the bass' - like for a lot of guitar amps for instance, its more 'for more bass turn down the treble'! This is totally a noob beginner question i know - i've not been bassing long and in my previous world (old-school goth guitar) the default setting was chorus and reverb turned up all the way and distortion on the loud bits.. ;D [/quote] In practical terms , if this is the sound you want , you may well find you need far less equipment to achieve it than you think . I am a minimalist when it comes to equipment , and I would recommend only adding additional items such as effects etcetera if you have found a specific need for them yourself . If you have a good bass and play it through a good amp you should be able to get a decent tone that pleases you with a little experimentation and trial and error . As others have mentioned , always bear in mind that your perceived tone will change depending on the other instruments playing along with you ( usually playing over you, as the bassist ) and the overall volume the band are playing at . A certain amount depends on how much money you spend , but it's very easy to get a rubbish tone with expensive equipment if you haven't chosen well for your own taste and musical situation and don't know how to adjust it to achieve what you really want . It takes time and experience to find what works for you . A big part of your tone is also how you play the instrument and physically approach producing the notes with your fingers , a pick , your thumb or whatever . The tone you describe as your ideal is certainly available to you in the right circumstances . However , sounding deep without being muddy is one of the great balancing acts of being a bass player and can hinge upon the relationship between the physics of low fequency sound , room acoustics and how the human ear percieves music . Settings that sound deep and clear in one venue will sound muddy and indistinct in another . You may find that finding a compressor suitable for use with a bass guitar helps you get a lot closer to the sound you have got in mind . They may not be the most exciting effect to some people , but a compressor is an essential part of many bass players overall tone and the way that they are heard in the final mix . Regarding distortion , a lot of bass players in certain genres of music are using this effect more and more , but my own personal opinion is that , although it can sound impressive in certain situations and is an easy way to get some cut through the overall mix , in an ensemble situation more than just a little can end up confusing the overall sound when a clean , solid bass guitar sound would serve the music better overall , but that's just my two pence worth . I come from the 1980's school of bass playing where distortion was something you tried to eliminate from the sound of your rig . In absolute terms , the way to get a distorted bass guitar sound without getting too " fizzy " and managing to retain the solid low end punch in your sound is to split the signal coming from your bass and distort the high frequencies whilst leaving the lower frquencies clean and unaffected , but that can take a lot of extra equipment and is a lot of messing about for the average bass player so not many people go that route . There is a lot to be said for keeping every aspect of your setup as simple as possible , not least of all because there is less to go wrong .

[quote name='Jah Wibble' timestamp='1373907398' post='2142999'] +1 to this. That's what I meant about the UK's reputation with artists being damaged by f**kups like yesterday. I can't claim to be around when the legendary gigs were on, but the heritage is there.....not sure where its being continued today tho [/quote] Why can't we have free gigs now ?( I was [i]very[/i] young back then , I hasten to add ) Bands would play for cost because of the massive exposure and publicity they would get , the place would be packed for any half-decent bill and it would be a real pick-me-up for London and Britain as a whole at a time when we need it .

[quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1373905955' post='2142969'] I could top The Laughing Gnome. I'd set fire to his house with him in it. [/quote] Gnomist !

I remember [u]free [/u]summer concerts in Hyde Park back in the 1970's with Queen , Steve Hillage ect , and the P.A was perfectly adequate . Now it's ( allegedly ) 2013 , it's a prestige gig and they are charging big money for tickets . Sounds like a complete bollocks up all round . They ought to give refunds .