Dingus

[quote name='thepurpleblob' timestamp='1373464719' post='2137908'] That's ok... me too! [/quote] Hasn't done Marcus any harm ...

[quote name='iceonaboy' timestamp='1373464286' post='2137898'] I cant believe the sexist flag has been raised again. I said I liked them. Didnt say a word about what they looked like and made a joke about my ideal job and now I am a sexist. For f*** sake guys , get off your f***in high horses and get a life!!!! So what if guys say they like the look of female bass players anyway? Its natural to check out the opposite sex and if they are doing something that you have an interest in, all the better. I bet any female bass players on this forum check out guys who play bass just as much. Its natural. Its what makes the world go around. To most anyway. I too have an opinion of the resoningl skills of some on this site [/quote] I'm certainly not having a go at you , my friend , and I don't think having and expressing a sexual interest in a woman is neccesarilly sexist - it depends on how you express it . My point is just that I can't understand why otherwise fairly plain women with basses send otherwise reasonable folks into a frenzy of lust . That's sexist isn't it ? Oh well , I never claimed to be perfect . Anyhow , I'd better go now , I've got to pick Mrs Dingus up from the quim barbers at four o'clock .

[quote name='thepurpleblob' timestamp='1373463983' post='2137892'] Marcus Miller is black??? [/quote] No , he's bald .

[quote name='seashell' timestamp='1373460280' post='2137803'] My fellow female bass players.. Do you get fed up with being likened to Suzi Quatro all the time? Or is it just me because I am blonde and of a certain age? I really should not complain because a couple of years ago no-one would have compared me to a bass player of any description, let alone the admirable Suze. But sometimes I wish people could come up with something more original. Especially after I have just been up playing a great Kim Deal bass line and I still get the Suzi Quatro comment [/quote] I know this was a question for women bass players but I do have child -bearing hips , so indulge me . The thing about Suzi Quatro is that a spunky yet nubile young girl in a leather jumpsuit is likely to make a lasting impact on the nation's psyche . It's 40 years ( !) since Suzi was first on the scene , and she is still an instantly recognisable point of reference in popular culture . Good for Suzi ! She is someone who garners great affection from people who remember her , and anyone who was around at the time still remembers her . I have been aware of her from before I started primary school , I'm now middle - aged and she still looks great ! Kim Deal could never have that kind of charm or celebrity even if you wrapped her in latex and put her on The One Show every night . Maybe you should just give in to pressure from your public and go the whole hog . Get yourself a leather outfit and start wearing it to work and to go shopping ect . I[u] guarantee[/u] you will get yourself a man in no time , whether you want one or not ...

To echo what Nigel has said , I too have noticed that if you take any half- presentable looking woman and put a bass ( or indeed any other musical instrument ) in her hands she is inevitably the target of Benny Hill - like attention from male Basschatters . I am all for people saying what they really feel , but why is it that women in music cause men to react in this way ? Do they see an attractive woman in the supermarket and think to themselves "if only she had a Fender Precision in her hands I'd give her a seeing to she'd never forget " ? Surely most men, even musicians ( even drummers ) , could develop a sexual fantasy around something more imaginitive that than their partner sharing the same hobby ? Do men who enjoy doing DIY fantasize about women who know how to do a bit of grouting and who clean out their own guttering at the weekend ? When I made this point in a ( hopefully ) humourous way in another thread recently I was , bizzarely enough , accused of gross sexism , racism and castigated by all and sundry . I have very serious doubts sometimes about the reasoning skills of some members on this site . Or maybe it's me .

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1373404411' post='2137302'] Even the mention of pre-Ernie Ball sends a shiver down my spine as if i was in pursuit of some mythical creature. I must ask myself if i am worthy enough ever to hold one of these in my feeble hands. They truly are the thing of legend. [/quote] Some of the ones I have played were so heavy that you ought be asking yourself if your feeble hands are strong enough to lift it , never mind worthy to hold it !

Just had another look at the video . If you do actually manage to meet these two in person and something develops between you and the one on drums , make sure you get some proof that she was actually[i] born [/i]a woman before you comitt yourself , if you know what I mean .

Do you find these two ladies scintillating in a musical or a romantic sense ? Both , I expect . The good news is that you could [u]definitely [/u] get a woman like one of these two . Every alternative music venue and indie bar in America is full of them and they are waiting for someone like you to buy them a drink . This is surely a goal within your reach .

Just had a look - they're about £100 a set from Bass Direct . That is indeed a lot to spend . Maybe Schaller or someone similar do a rival product at a lower price ? Keep looking and I'm sure something suitable will turn up .

Try emailing Hipshot and find out who the UK distributors are . They're absolutely fantastic quality tuners , the best you can buy , and will do a lot to help your problem .

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1373390275' post='2137049'] No, on the contrary. I've just remembered that the Stingray has a bolt on neck. Memo to self: Must get Stingray first thing tomorrow without fail. As the great FZ once said ...................... how could i have been such a fool? [/quote] in that case , what would be better , one of the current six bolt models or a pre - Ernie Ball three bolt model ? Would I need to get two three bolt basses to equal one six bolt bass ? This could work out as a very expensive business .

[quote name='Lord Sausage' timestamp='1373386878' post='2136998'] 80's great pop bass lines. [media]http://youtu.be/pIgZ7gMze7A[/media] [/quote] Indeed ! Without wishing to derail this thread , there were so many . Maybe we could have a new thread on that theme ?

John Taylor was ( and still is ) great . I can't think of any bass player in a current chart act who plays such up- front and creative basslines as John did with Duran Duran back in the day . In the 1980's we were spoiled with great bass playing on pop records and we didn't even know it . Everyone thought it would go on like that forever . How wrong we were .

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1373281665' post='2135548'] This rings with authority, but is any of it [i]true[/i]..? Not wishing to pick a fight, but it doesn't square with my experience (admittedly limited...) or intuition. As stated above, I've yet to be able identification of construction from listening alone (either 'live' or recorded...). As for status of current 'fashion', surely, almost by definition, this is a transitory phenomenon, likely to be reversed if (when..?) the wind changes..? Terms such as '"...also [i]think[/i] ..." and "...[i]perceived[/i] ..." reinforce, to me, the subjective nature of these statements. Are there any undisputed facts available, or is all simply conjecture..? [/quote] Well , if you're asking me what I think , I would say that a good bass is a good bass , so judge each instrument on its' own merits . I have owned and can enjoy both designs ( and set-neck too , for that matter ) . Some designs will be better as bolt-on , some sound right as neck-thru . I don't think an Alembic would be improved by changing over to bolt-on construction because that is what is currently fashionable , but by the same token I don't think a Fender would be improved by being a neck - thru . If it sounds good and feels right then it is O.K by me , regardless .

Most bass builders of repute acknowledge that there is a significant difference in sound between bolt -on and neck - thru or set neck in terms of the relationship between the fundamental and overtones in the sound of the final bass . A lot of builders ( and players ) prefer a bolt-on neck because they think it gives a more punchy and direct sound with plenty of snap and sizzle in the high frequencies . Neck-thru was considered one of the benchmarks of a high quality bass in the late'70's / early 80's , probably due to the fact that it was one of the construction techniques developed by Alembic in the early '70's as they sought to revolutionize the sound of the bass guitar . However , in recent years neck - thru has very much fallen out of fashion as players and builders have generally come to the consensus of opinion that in fact the less "efficient " neck join of a bolt -on is sonically preferable in most cases . A lot of players also think the feel of a bolt on neck is better in terms of the way it affects the perceived string tension and overall playability of the bass .

[quote name='Monckyman' timestamp='1373240585' post='2135278'] I'm sure Bilbo is distracted otherwise the reading lobby would be in effect. I once had a tutor who theorised that the brains visual memory was much more powerful than the audio equivalent and so reading helped transfer all that data to a larger RAM pocket in the brain. Good theory, I always seem to remember some thing more if I write it down, even if I then throw the note away. Personally, I hated reading lessons and felt that for every semi Demi quaver I learned to recognise, a little bit of my musical soul died. This may not of course,be the case with you,and reading is a massive tool. But the point is, learn to trust your EARS. Carry on. [/quote] I can confirm that your tutors theory is currently received wisdom in the world of psychology . That is why formal education in almost all disciplines still relies primarily on reading books rather than film and audio . All significant research in the last thirty years or so that I am aware of has fairly consistantly come to the conclusion that there is an element of active participation in reading that engages both the memory and intellect to a far more significant degree than listening or watching . You only need to look at the long - term development of children who are read regulaly to as infants and who subsequently learn to read early compared to those who don't to begin to see the ramifications of that . By implication , musical training could be similaly beneficial .

[quote name='visog' timestamp='1373215332' post='2134813'] The pick-up covers are worn but the sound is clear and burpy. Perhaps I'll just get her cleaned and properly set-up then decide. Just wondered if there was any particular synergy with a Warwick and Barts that made it a good option. What I'm hearing is that the difference will be minimal and I'm just gassing... It's a lovely bass that sadly I don't play much on account of the Spitfire hogging the limelight. [/quote] Warwick and EMG had a natural synergy too , back in the day . If I remember correctly ( I could have got this a little confused in the last 25 years or so , , but I am pretty sure this is what happened ) , when Warwick had their first flush of success and international exposure after the release of the Streamer and Thumb in the mid - 1980's , Spector , quite understandably , started to seek some kind of redress for what they saw as infringement of their copyright . While they sought legal redress , Spector in the meantime put pressure on EMG ,who exclusively supplied the pickups for their basses , to stop supplying pickups to Warwick wholesale , thus lessening their similarity to Spector basses and competitiveness in the marketplace . As a result , Warwick started to look more to other pickup suppliers such as Bartolini and Seymour Duncan whlie they set up MEC ( even has two of the same letters as EMG ) to make their own pickups . The move away from EMG was never about the sound of EMG's but more about company politics .

Lightweight tuners is the best solution . A heavy bridge won't help , as the balance is dictated by the weight after the balance point where the strap attaches on the top horn .

Andy Fraser is a true great of the bass guitar . For years I wondered whatever happened to him but it turned out he was living a quiet life in San Francisco and not playing music that much . Great to see him rocking the bass again and I hope he will be playing a lot more in future . With skills like his , I am sure high - profile musicians will be queueing up to work with Andy Fraser if he has decided to get back into playing again .

The Squier Classic Vibe Precision has a lot of fans and is supposed to be excellent value for money

Ball Of Confusion by The Temptations Thankyou Falletin Me Be Myself by Sly and the Family Stone Who Is He And What Is He To You by Creative Source

[quote name='Bmo7476' timestamp='1373089002' post='2133575'] I am happy to hear this! Very happy! [/quote] Well , Wal basses are special , and that goes for the Pro Basses just as much as the Customs . Don't get the idea that because the Pro Basses were lower priced that they were inferior quality . The people that built them didn't deal in inferior quality products . The build quality of the Pro Basses was every bit as good as the Customs , the only difference was in the complexity of the electronics and the fanciness of the body woods , and those fancy woods don't actually make a huge difference to the sound . The Pro Basses were made with exactly the same care and attention as the more expensive models , and the necks are identical to those on the more expensive Customs . I played Wal Basses myself for ten years , have owned a few and played a lot more than that and I have never found a dud one . The key to the Wal sound was those pickups : they are a unique design and have got an effortlessly fat and very pleasing tone that just sounds "right " . No other pickup I have ever heard is comparable . Even without a preamp they have got such a meaty and rich quality that people who have heard them don't forget them . When you read about people trying to recreate the Wal sound on other basses , trust me when I tell you that , for the most part , they are wasting their time .

I'm sure Warwick will be along to give his opininion on this matter in good time , but I seem to remember that he is of a similar to myself in that , contrary to what some may say , swapping one perfectly good set of pickups for another set of similar pickups of another brand more often than not makes minimal difference to the overall sound of the bass and isn't neccesarilly the most fruitful upgrade . If you have a decent bass with poor pickups on it then an upgrade can work wonders , but if you have a good bass with top quality pickups ( you do ) then changing them for another brand of similar pickups might make a slight difference to the overall complexion of the sound , but in most cases it won't radically transform it unless the new pickups are something really extraordinary . I would keep the bass stock with EMG's- they are great pickups in their own right . Hasn't the Streamer got a preamp in it already ? If so , why replace it ?

Regarding the string spacing on EBMM basses , it's on the tighter side in the scheme of things ( 17.5 mm ) . I find it a bit too tight , but many players seem to get used to it without too much trouble . I think the body on the 5 string Bongo is indeed the same size as the four string . All the EBMM 5 strings I have ever played had a very good sounding low B .

Hi Gary , to get some indication of typical weights for these basses it's useful to look at the weight of actual examples in shops that stock them : [url="http://www.theperfectbass.com/explore.cfm?STORE=Y&N=122&SN=162&CT=101&PG=101&W=STORE&P=N&S=1001081&U=1&SS=1&CR=Y&modify=0"]http://www.theperfec...1&CR=Y&modify=0[/url] [url="http://www.basscentral.com/musicman/bongo5.shtml"]http://www.basscentr...an/bongo5.shtml[/url] Bongos that left the factory in the last twelve months will have the new lightweight tuners that immidiately knock almost half a pound off the final weight of the bass , but you would have to order a brand new one to get hold of such a recent example in the U.K , in all probability . The Bongo is certainly , on average , the lightest of all the EBMM basses , and the newest ones have the best chance of being light . If you're considering the Yamaha Nathan East ( lovely bass ) then I would also cast your eye over the even lovlier BB2025X , nice examples of which are now turning up secondhand , and which can do both the modern and traditional sounds with aplomb . I noticed that they have got an ex-demo 2025x the same as this in at Bass Gear at very reasonable money : [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxkN1RzRQqE[/media]