JapanAxe

[quote name='borisbrain' timestamp='1386426516' post='2299981'] Bruce Thomas maintains a blog at www.brucethomas.co.uk and he seems quite happy to correspond with anyone who sends a comment. A while back I asked him about the signature tone he used for albums like This Year's Model, Armed Forces and Get Happy. This was his reply: [color=#444444][font=minion-pro-1, minion-pro-2, Palatino, Georgia,] My P bass had the pick ups rewound, wrongly as it happens but it turned out to be a happy accident and gave the bass a different sound in itself.[/font][/color][color=#444444][font=minion-pro-1, minion-pro-2, Palatino, Georgia,] I never used Ampeg SVT equipement until later on — and only live. On the albums you referenced I used a Traynor monoblock head with a custom speaker rig containing 2×12″ speakers and 1×18″. obviously it was the 12″ speaker that was miked up — but I also mixed in the miked sound with a DI feed.[/font][/color][color=#444444][font=minion-pro-1, minion-pro-2, Palatino, Georgia,] A vital part of the sound was a small Boss graphic EQ pedal which I used to roll out low bass and the honky mid tones (around 600 I think). The only other modification was a bit of compression.[/font][/color][color=#444444][font=minion-pro-1, minion-pro-2, Palatino, Georgia,] Having said all of that, most of the punch you talk about comes from the way you pluck the strings. The only way to describe it is to say that if you try snapping your finger and thumb together to make that snapping sound, it’s a bit like that. Also important is releasing the string with your left hand, so you get a more staccato stabbing effect.[/font][/color][color=#444444][font=minion-pro-1, minion-pro-2, Palatino, Georgia,] Try getting that kind of punchy sound just playing the bass acoustically without plugging it in to anything and you’re half way there. On some of the clips I put on youtube I turned the amp right down, so you might be able to hear what I mean.[/font][/color] It's worth wading through the site for the occasional nuggets of wisdom, and some video of his playing. Pickup wise, I think that SPB1s would be the closest match to his custom-wound pickups. Or you could just get one of his signature P basses, made through the Bass Centre in London. BB [/quote] I was about to start a Bruce Thomas thread but found this one. Mrs Axe got me an Elvis Costello compilation CD for Christmas. It covers the first 10 years and most of the tracks feature the same Attractions line-up. I am sitting at home sweating out a cold, and have just listened to 'Detectives', 'Chelsea', and 'Pump It Up' in succession. What fantastic bass lines, and a tone to die for. Off to check out BT's website now.

Tried a Dingwall 5 at Bass Direct and adapted to it straight away. Still wonder whether there is one in my future...

Everybody judges themselves against the stuff they can't do yet. Many players will do a partial position shift rather than a full stretch to get to the note they want, but you may find this less necessary with the Mustang. BTW it's a great bass! EDIT: sorry I missed that you already have a short scale.

On my Sandberg VM, I use the P on its own for punk and classic rock, 50/50 mix for most pop, and go more towards the M for funk. I've always found a J bridge pickup on its own to be not quite fat enough.

[quote name='Marc1t' timestamp='1390147481' post='2341925'] Fear & apprehension sums it up. [/quote] No need to fear! To quote Brian Eno, in music you can crash and burn and walk away.

[quote name='Hugh971' timestamp='1390045131' post='2340794'] [b]Cheap Harley Benton Fretless Jazz [/b]([url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_jb_40fl_sb.htm"]http://www.thomann.d..._jb_40fl_sb.htm[/url]) - I've found next to nothing about this online. It looks very good for the price but it's a bit of a risk. Has anyone ever played a Harley Benton bass and if so was it any good? [/quote] Yes I have and no it wasn't. (Different model to this one though.)

That makes me a drummer!

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1390051353' post='2340883'] If they've got any sense, they'll just rebadge 'em. They'll be on to a winner. [/quote] We're talking Fender here...

It's all to do with the heat generated in the power amp. If you do this at home levels, it'll probably be OK. If you gig it and turn up the wick, either your amp will burn out a power transistor, or some protection device will come into play and switch it off for you. There is also a legend, passed down through the centuries in whispered conversations between bass players in dark and dingy corners of pubs, that any Peavey solid state amp will happily run into half its rated impedance. But that's just a myth.

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1390037145' post='2340679'] Where abouts are you?? There may be a BCer close to you who could give you some 1:1 guidance to get you started... [/quote] +1. If you can find 3 or 4 Basschatters local to you, they could each spend say 45 mins with you to get you started. In the meantime you can get a lot of basic instruction free, from people like [url="http://www.scottsbasslessons.com/"]Scott Devine[/url] and [url="http://www.talkingbass.net/"]Mark J Smith[/url].

[quote name='Noisyjon' timestamp='1389964953' post='2340036'] I once turned a band down a long time ago because of distance/travel issues [i]before[/i] an audition and got this back: " Don't worry about sending the demo back,it's only a cheap sh*tty tape copy anyway,I don't need it. Can't say I'm too surprised that you're not up for it, I didn't think you really would be after the first e-mail I got from you when you were fretting about travelling arrangements - too concerned with trivial matters for my liking (sorry, but I have to be honest). At the end of the day we need someone who lives,eats, shits, sleeps and breathes Rock'n'Roll as opposed to it just being a "weekend" distraction,this comes before everything else in our lives! Good luck in your search for a band but, just a word of advice, think carefully how you approach people in the future, I think you're really looking for something to fit in round your life for fun and maybe you should state that in your ad. Hope you don't take that the wrong way, just being honest..." [/quote] That is someone with too much time to fill. Surely 'OK thanks for letting us know' would have sufficed?

I use Lava plugs. Plus points: solderless, quick to make up in the right length*, very low capacitance, very ow profile, plugs do not block neighbouring sockets Minus points: *but takes a while to build up the skill level, wallet-worryingly expensive

New strings. Check tuning before every take.

[quote name='2x18' timestamp='1389992458' post='2340442'] I have always strung my Mustangs through the body with Ti Flats ( Med scale ) Chris and never had any problems! --- I also had a Custom Shop Classic Jazz that was also shod through the body with Ti Flats long scale! Will. [/quote] Just what I needed to know - cheers!

[quote name='Freebass' timestamp='1389814809' post='2338275'] I have a Gretsch a la George and might be a passable lookalike (from a distance). Get in touch if that sounds promising.... [/quote] I think musical and vocal ability might be quite important on this gig, not just looks!

Signed!

[quote name='badboy1984' timestamp='1389877139' post='2338945'] When I had a BH500 i keep everything flat and only adjust the spectracomp and tuber drive to my taste. [/quote] [quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1389878483' post='2338991'] I was the same with my Classic 450 - worked a treat with a Precision, sitting just right, very Ampeggy I thought. [/quote] This. Personally I have no desire for extra bells and whistels. Anyone thought about rattling TC's cage about this? And aren't they site sponsors?

There's plenty of different ways to play 'straight 8s'. Also hat makes such a b-line interesting is the way you get from one chord to the next. Listen to the bass part on Tina Turner's 'The Best' for an example.

Impressed!