solo4652

[quote name='Clarky' post='823750' date='Apr 30 2010, 10:06 AM']I use flats on my P basses but have put some EB Slinky roundwound strings on my Alembic. To my fingertips, the EBs feel quite rough and harsh so I was wondering if anyone could recommend roundwound strings that feel smoother under the fingers - perhaps because they use narrower gauge wire for the windings? I have TI Jazz rounds and they feel much nicer than the EBs (I think due to narrower gauge windings) but they are too skinny and loose for the 32" scale length (IIRC the E string is 89). So I am looking for something like TI rounds but less skinny. All thoughts gratefully received.[/quote]

I suppose there's always the half-way house of halfwounds. I swear by Status Hotwire halfwounds. Smooth to the touch (smoother than other halfwounds I've tried), but still giving some useful brightness to my P bass. I don't think my fingers would cope with roundwounds now.

Steve

I spotted this:

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ibanez-bass-guitar-/310216051066"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ibanez-bass-guitar-/310216051066[/url]

It looked pretty suspicious, so I consulted the oracle - Jon/bassassin. He said, (and he has given me the all clear to post this):

"It's a complete fake, not an Ibanez, not a Blazer, not Japanese & most definitely not Matsumoku! It's a generic Precision copy (possibly an Encore, from the headstock shape) with a cheap transfer - & the logo's wrong for any 70s or 80s Ibby. I've seen basses badged like this a few times on Ebay but not for a few years so this is maybe one that's been in circulation for a bit.

Anyway, proper Ibby Blazers aren't straight P copies like this, the body, scratchplates, headstocks & hardware are quite different, and copy-era Ibanez Precisions have a "spaghetti" logo and are typically sunburst with maple boards. There are other variations but they're not at all common. All 70s & 80s Ibanez basses were made by Fujigen Gakki, post '75 ones have a serial number consisting of a letter denoting the month, two numbers for the year & the remainder are the month's production run. My Blazer is L800470 - making it the 470th instrument made in December 1980. The Guitar Dater project erroneously recognises these serial numbers as being from Terada, so that often turns up in Ebay descriptions. There's no evidence that Matsumoku ever made Ibanez guitars - none have turned up with Mat serials or production traits.

Anyway as for age & value? Less than 10 years old (probably a lot less!) and worth about £40!"

Jon's an absolute star.

Steve

A few more to consider here:

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Squier-by-Fender-Precision-Bass-No-Reserve_W0QQitemZ250621617927QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item3a5a366707"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Squier-by-Fender-Pre...=item3a5a366707[/url]

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fender-Squier-Precision-Bass_W0QQitemZ300421362824QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item45f2823488"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fender-Squier-Precis...=item45f2823488[/url]

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fender-Precision-Bass-Guitar-Lyte_W0QQitemZ170477225218QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item27b13c0502"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fender-Precision-Bas...=item27b13c0502[/url]

Here you are:

[url="http://www.musicradar.com/forum/showthread.php?t=56613"]http://www.musicradar.com/forum/showthread.php?t=56613[/url]

There's the Fender Precision Lyte.

Also the Fender Frank Bello:

[url="http://www.fender.com/products/search.php?partno=0130095306"]http://www.fender.com/products/search.php?partno=0130095306[/url]

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='815159' date='Apr 22 2010, 04:33 PM'][url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Hudson-Project-Bass_W0QQitemZ180497622358QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item2a067f2556"]Cheaper here if you want one/want to point out to him its overpriced.[/url][/quote]

Aaah - now that's interesting. Thanks for the link.

I've just had an email from the seller. Apparently it's a Tanglewood Canyon 3 and he wants £350 for it.

Could it be a Tanglewood Canyon 2?

[url="http://www.mveducation.com/invt/38955/"]http://www.mveducation.com/invt/38955/[/url]

Hi,

I've seen this advertised:

[attachment=48042:unknown_bass.jpg]

Sorry about the rubbish picture - It's all that was offered in the original ad.

Advert description of bass:

"Long scale Active bass

Canadian Maple & Mahogany Thru Neck

Ebony Fingerboard

Arched Spalted Maple Body

Walnut Veneer & Mahogany back

Diecast Black Nickel Bridge

Fitted with EAST RIVER pickups

Natural Open Pore Finish"

Anybody know what it is and how much it might be worth?

Thanks,

Steve

The only other place I can find to buy a new Frank Bello bass is Thomann. Sale price = 799 Euros.

The reply from Malta, if I get one, is going to be interesting.

I spotted this ad on Ebay. I'm particularly interested in the Frank Bello bass, but there are some other very interesting bargains too:

[url="http://www.maltadir.com/mobile/ads/business/for-sale/for-sale-fender-stratocaster-jeff-beck-550euro.html"]http://www.maltadir.com/mobile/ads/busines...ck-550euro.html[/url]

I sent a general enquiry email and got this in return:

"Hello,
Thanks for your mail and interest in buying from us, we have the Fender Guitar in stock for sale in our company brand new factory sealed in its original boxes with complete accessories and 2 years international warranty from the manufacturers and 90 days return policy from our company.

We are based in United Kingdom and we ship world wide via UPS or FedEx courier service and shipping will only take 2 days to deliver to your doorstep.

Bellow is the quotation for the Fender Guitar Fender Frank Bello bass will cost you 270Euro including shipping fee.

Note that payment will be made via western union money transfer and as soon as we confirm your payment, we will ship out to you and send you the tracking number of your package and in the next 2 days your package will be delivered to your doorstep.

I will like you to place your full order with your shipping information and phone number as listed bellow."


I replied asking for:

Their UK address
Where the bass actually is
Pictures of the bass
Serial number

My thinking here would be if the bass is in the UK, and if photo's duly arrive, and if serial numbers check out, I'd try and go and pick up the bass and hand over cash. Otherwise, I'm deeply suspicious.

What does everybody think?

Steve

I've recently used a Line6 Backtrack+mic to record band practice - really, really easy. See:

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=83725"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=83725[/url]

Hope this helps,

Steve

Well, so far so good. The Backtrack+mic is really simple, small and straightforward gadget to use. I've used it as a stand-alone digital recorder to record band rehearsal and it worked surprisingly well. 5-piece band in a small room, overall volume not too loud, but still pushing my 75W practice amp to max. You just turn it on and leave it. As soon as the band starts playing, it starts recording. At the ned of a song, as long as everybody is quiet for a couple of seconds it stops recording automatically. You simply press a button to keep the track. Plug it into your PC USB port and it's simplicity itself to open the files. Audio files are kept as WAV files - easy enough to convert to MP3 if you want to. Certainly good enough for later bedroom practice, which is all I needed. £50 used from Ebay - bargain.

Steve

[quote name='noelk27' post='806242' date='Apr 14 2010, 04:49 PM']The factors that determine profile might be playing a larger part in your perceptions than you first realise. The L2000 has a 12" radius, 21mm thickness at the first fret, and a relatively flat fretboard, so although the neck is fairly wide at the nut - 44.5mm - it feels quite shallow in comparison to MusicMan and Fender designs. Not completely certain, but think a Fender Precision uses a 10" radius - measurements of 7.5, 9, 9.5, 10 and 12 inch are all common.

If you find yourself getting along with the L2000, you might find joy taking a look at the older, discontinued G&L models - such as the first version of the SB, with the two J-style pickups, or the El Toro, which produces a sound with more mid-range than the L2000. There are also passive versions of the L1000 and L2000, from the early '80s, which have different tonal characters to the modern L2000.

And given that CLF described the L2000 as the finest bass he ever designed, I don't know why you think it's back to front either.[/quote]

Thank you. I'll look out for the G&L's you mention. My "back-to-front" comment was driven along by price, really. I'm currently favouring the G&L Tribute over the USA P, despite The G&L consisting significantly less. The G&L is such good value - used it tonight at rehearsal, with the band members once again saying they prefer the tone over the P.

Steve

[quote name='BoomBass' post='806461' date='Apr 14 2010, 08:12 PM']Hm... I had these two that each (almost) meet your needs. Only, none of them are Fenders...

This is a passive J-bass with a chunky P-neck (and reverse headstock)




And this one is a P/J with a P-neck, but it's active...

[/quote]

A couple of lovely looking Celinders here. Most probably beyond my budget, however.

Steve

[quote name='noelk27' post='805979' date='Apr 14 2010, 12:58 PM']Interesting. Is the G&L the L2000? In which case you're playing a 44.5mm neck, making your desired 42mm not so wide by comparison. Have you given any thought to radius, as this could also play a significant part in any qualitative assessment.

Within the G&L range, the SB (P/J) series comes closest to your requirements, but the standard model features a 38mm neck, although custom options are available.[/quote]

Yes - My G&L is a Tribute L2000. It's fast becoming my No. 1 bass over the USA P, because I find the G&L cuts through a band mix better and it gives me more tonal options at the flick of a switch. Also, I find the G&L neck marginally more comfy and less cramped - I must have huge hands! I only play it in passive mode, so it ticks all my boxes. I did look at the G&L SB2 but thought the neck would be too narrow at 38mm.

I've not given any thought to radius because I don't know much about the subject.

I don't really want to start modding the USA P bass - I'd rather leave it as original. I used to have a Stingray and was comfy with the neck, but I don't really want an active bass.

So, it may be that I simply use the G&L L2000 as No.1 bass, with the P as it's backup. Somehow seems a bit back-to-front - dunno why.

Steve

Thanks everybody.

Looks like we can tick 3 of my 4 boxes, but it will cost me £mega.

So, let's move the goalposts a bit. I currently have a USA P-bass with 42mm nut. Rich, classic p-tone. But I find it a bit limiting and I'm favouring my G&L Tribute because of the pup-choice flexibility it gives.

So, as a possible replacement for the P-bass, I'm after something - let's now say it doesn't have to be a Fender - with these features:

4 string
Passive
Wide neck - 42mm
Switchable pup configuration to give tonal range from P-thump to J-twang

Lakland? Sandberg? Musicman? G&L?

Steve

Hi,

I'm looking for a Fender with this spec:

4 string
Passive
Wide P-neck
P and J pups

Does such a thing exist, please?

Steve

Okay - looks like I'll struggle to find such a thing. How about:

4string
Passive
Wide P-neck
J pups

Basically, a Fender J-bass with a P-neck?

Steve

[quote name='JackLondon' post='784329' date='Mar 24 2010, 09:00 AM']Line 6 BackTrack? Can be had for under £60 and does the job, when you need you can simply plug your bass, guitar or mic and record straigh to it or do as we do and plug into mixing desk! It's idiot proof to download and manage the recordings![/quote]

I've just bought one of these with the in-built mic off Ebay for £50. I want to use it to record band rehearsals without using the desk. Please tell me it will do so.

Steve

Here you are:

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Professional-padded-RITTER-BASS-CASE-FREE-GUITAR_W0QQitemZ350337659411QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item5191c07213"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Professional-padded-...=item5191c07213[/url]

Hi all,

I'm looking for a really simple digital recorder that I can use to record band rehearsal. I'll need to download files to pc afterwards. I won't be editing or anything - just using the files to practise-jam with.

According to the manufacturer, this will record a band, even though it was originally designed to record a single guitar or bass:

[url="http://www.soundsliveshop.com/p/Line_6_BackTrack_+_Mic/L6-EX-BACKTRACKMIC"]http://www.soundsliveshop.com/p/Line_6_Bac...EX-BACKTRACKMIC[/url]

Anybody used one to record a band at rehearsal? Any good?

All comments gratefully received,

Steve

PM's flying here.

[quote name='lanark' post='771268' date='Mar 11 2010, 09:20 AM']Okay - when learning a cover version, how do you go about isolating the bassline. Is it merely a case of turning up the low freqs on the stereogram and listening carefully or are there free / cheap programs I can use to isolate the bass to hear exactly what's being played?

Then, do I try to pick out the main basslines first and try to ignore the fancy fills that go on?

Basically, any tips would be much appreciated. I'd like to hear what your processes are when you haven't got dots or tabs to work with.[/quote]

I've been doing loads of this recently. Be lazy - before you start writing a bassline fron scratch, check the web. My tips:

1. Important first step: [b]Check with the band which key they're playing the song in.[/b] Otherwise you'll learn it in the wrong key.
2. Look up the chords on one of the many chord sites. Just Google it - you'll find the chords. This will give you the basic structure. I use this website: [url="http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/"]http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/[/url] The neat thing about this site is you can simply ask it to transpose the chord structure if you need to change it.
3. Look up the bassline on the web. Again, just Google it: e.g. "Alright now bass" and you'll get lots of bass tabs. Look at more than 1 version - some will be hard, others easy. Don't forget you may have to change it if there's a need to change the key. Word of warning, I've looked at loads of these bass tabs recently and you need to bear in mind that they're not always correct. Trust your ears - if you play it and it sounds wrong, it probably is. I often end up with a mix of basslines from a number of different suggested tabs
4. Initially, jam along to Youtube. However, get back to your band to check whether they've made any structural changes to the song. I've recently joined a band that had changed the running order of verses, choruses and bridges for a number of songs. Original key - yes. Original song structure - no.
5. Again, you could search the net for a backing track version of the song. Google it: "Alright now backing track". This can throw up a stripped-down version of the song that makes the bassline much clearer. Recently I found a really useful backing-track of Sweet Child o' mine that made it so much clearer what was happening in the bassline

Hope this helps you to avoid the time-consuming errors I've made.

Steve

Here's my shopping list for a rehearsal combo:

Small
Lightweight
10" or 12" speaker
Ideally, used, because I don't really want to buy a new one
Cheap - up to £100 secondhand

I tried a Line 6 Studio 110 yesterday and was impressed with it. Crank up the mids on the Grind setting and it was impressively loud in a noisy music shop. Can't find one secondhand though.

What about the Warwick Take 12? Anybody got one? Is it loud enough to cope with rehearsals - 4-piece band with fairly restrained drummer playing pop and soft-rock?

Steve

Now sorted - got a Line 6 Studio 110.

[quote name='HarryPotter' post='759600' date='Feb 28 2010, 09:49 AM'][url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=63149&hl=laney"]This[/url] one if you can go and fetch it, and it's not like it's a million miles away [/quote]

Hi,

A bit too big for my needs!

Steve