Lfalex v1.1

[quote name='JellyKnees' timestamp='1332155915' post='1583918'] I don't generally like heavy rock/metal, especially all that dire 80's NWOBHM stuff.... [/quote] What? No Iron Maiden?!

I (generally) like Warwicks. I own 3, so I should do. However, both the Vampyre AND the Dolphin are wrong (as shown is this thread) Why? Gold hardware on the Dolphin. It really should be black. The pick-ups. That's what's really wrong. What makes the Dolphin, Infinity, Vampyre and Fortress Masterman great is the pick-up complement; J/JJ. JJ in the case of the Fortress MM. Go up to 6 strings, and the MEC Js and JJs are too short, so out come the soapbars. Unless they're a single coil at the neck and a tappable parallel humbucker at the bridge, they'll sound somewhat different to their progenitors. I understand that others may feel differently, but this detail ruins it for me. And am I alone in finding the Vampyre ever so slightly vulgar? Maybe it's too loud, and I really am getting too old!

[quote name='markstuk' timestamp='1332149023' post='1583792'] Again, like a lot of people, LZ I find always interesting to listen to, lots going one.. Sabbath I find a little monolithic (although I thought they improved when Dio came on board) - almost a self parody in some ways.. [/quote] Aren't Sabbath [i]supposed[/i] to be monolithic? I thought that was the idea (if not the attraction!) I think they did descend into self-parody later on, though "Headless Cross" was ok, and "Dehumanizer" was bloody excellent - with the late great RJD back on vocals.

All I can add is; Picato make their own [i]and,[/i] I do believe, Overwater strings AFAIK DR make their own, too.

[quote name='peteb' timestamp='1332099709' post='1583312'] Both great, not too mention influential bands - LZ in particular are probably my favourite band..... Funnily enough, every decent drummer that I know seems to worship the ground that Bonham no longer walks upon! [/quote] Odd that Bonham gets all the attention, given that Bill Ward was clearly no slouch.

[quote name='Icarus_147' timestamp='1332088600' post='1583005'] .... Plus I suppose it's easier for me to justify spending that much on a 'wick when I can finally afford one. =P [/quote] There's a for sale section with plenty of them in it. No need to pay new prices. All sorts of basses. All sorts of ages/conditions. Just keep an eye out for what you want, and wait. It's still a buyer's market out there.

I'm having truss rod issues with my Vigier. Like finding it...

For some reason LZ always seem to ramble on (ahem!) excessively. The rhythm section are obviously superb in their own way, but the music seems to get bogged down in itself (apart from the shorter numbers) Now Black Sabbath, on the other hand.... Are simply superb. Not all the material is good, and I tend to regard the first six albums with the original line-up as best; Black Sabbath, Paranoid, Master of reality, Volume 4, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and Sabotage. And when they were "on-song", they were awesome. I think part of the appeal of Sabbath (for me) was the darker outlook, surely a product of their collective upbringing in and around Aston/Birmingham. by contrast, Zeppelin seemed altogether less disenchanted and more affluent. Led Zep - Woaaaah! My lady done left me (again) Black Sabbath - Songs about War, death, religion, politics, the future, the past, and (unsurprisingly) substance abuse.

[quote name='Ben Jamin' timestamp='1332093427' post='1583124'] Must admit I've got a thing for my friend's old ES-335 at the moment! I think there are too many good/bad examples of each to decide if guitars or basses look better [/quote] But look how much body is behind the bridge. What's it actually [i]doing[/i]? It's just being there- along for the ride. I agree with whoever said about it being a headstock thing - guitar headstocks often seem too big for their bodies. Finally, some instruments make more ergonomic/aesthetic "sense" when they're being played by a certain person who is well acquainted with the instrument. I look utterly stupid wearing a guitar. It's too small (although I'm only of average height/build) Looks good on a guitarist, though.

I've 3 'wicks, one with J/TJ, one TJ and one with SD soapbars (MEC didn't do anything long enough when it was made) The SDs sound a little "muted" and lack the sparkle in the top end that the MEC units have. All the basses have MEC 2-band EQ. AFAIK, the SDs are passive pickups, whereas the MEC units are active pick-ups. I'm open to the suggestion that the interaction between pick-up and EQ may make some contribution to the "signature" sound. I reckon there are examples of alterations to both pick-ups (EMGs and Barts being the common choices) and EQs (Again, EMG, Bart, plus Glockenlang, Aguilar, East, Duncan etc) being made to good effect. As previously stated, MEC pick-ups are just too expensive [i]unless[/i] you need a design, type or specification that only they sell- such as the TwinJ, which is awesome. With regard to the MEC "P", do they have blades rather than polepieces? Many MEC units do. That'd make a difference to the sound. Otherwise, there's plenty more "P" in the sea... Every pick-up manufacturer makes a set, and if you can identify what characteristic you like in the MEC "P", no doubt someone like Wizard or Armstrong could make something similar.

I've some experience in playing an EUB, so the "abnormal" dimensions aren't really an issue. I might have to ditch the tripod for an endpin, but that's not a deal-breaker. As for the physical aspect of playing, my day-job requires incessant use of my arms/hands/fingers, so I don't seem to have any strength/stamina issues - Whilst I understand that DB/EUB necks are different, I can readily adjust to any 4,5 or 6 electric bass I've encountered, so don't anticipate too much trouble there either, unless the NS necks really are utterly "wrong", which I doubt. The budget's around £1k, so if anyone has alternative suggestions for an upright 5 (BEADG), I'm open to other ideas...

Hi all. This' ll be a while in the making due to lack of funds, but I'm considering buying an EU...something. I was looking at the NS design NXT 5 Eub, but I see that they do a NXT ' cello 5, too. If I were to drop the low F to E... It might double (!) as a bass, too, but giving me a 'cello to boot. I guess I need to hear the two together. Why Eu.... No room for db To be used in potentially loud environments I actually want something that sounds like a big fretless! Want to use fx And so on. Any ideas, and could anyone suggest a dealer in such instruments that they'd recommend? Thanks in advance! Alex.

I like it. If it's well assembled and made and feels/sounds good, they could be on to a winner with it.

No, but I can't have brass door handles in the house because I turn them black, and I have a tendency to turn "gold" hardware green.I have heard about some of the demands Jason N made of Roger Sadowsky re; his basses, though. For us, black hardware is the way forward!

If the neck relief/action/set-up is close to optimal (for you) in the first place, I'd not bother. If it's going to need lots of adjustment, then ask them if they've ever touched it. Given it's not that old, I doubt it will have seized..

Let me touch them... My sweat is super-corrosive!

For some reason, I just can't get a suitably pleasant tone from a fretless. They just seem to grate when I play them. It's not that my intonation is that bad, it's just not balanced enough. Too much harmonic content and too little fundamental. Which is why I sold my '90 fretless 'Ray5 and am currently considering trying out a NS NXT5 EUB... [runs away]

[quote name='icastle' timestamp='1331451089' post='1572883'] There are (not unusually) two schools of thought on this. Having said that there are two will now inevitably mean that a shopkeeper will appear from nowhere.... [/quote] This isn't an episode of Mr. Benn, you know!

[quote name='YouMa' timestamp='1331552301' post='1574503'] Make her clean it. [/quote] This!

I was going to say Wings... Then remembered the crime against humanity that is "Mull of Kintyre"

[quote name='Badass' timestamp='1331476004' post='1573315'] I used to know a guitarist that use a VOX wahwah left turned on, but never steped on to use in a wah motion. He swore, used that way, he could get a Hendrix style strat sound from a Les paul, but that's guitarists for you [/quote] Frank Zappa used to do that, too. I've been known to use a Morley Wah in front of a Russian Big Muff. Once I'd got it in the right place, It sounded really rather nice, albeit in a slightly "sucked-out" way.

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1331493327' post='1573749'] in Spanish anywhere "gui" will be closer to "ghee" than "gwee". Unless there is a couple of dots (much like the German umlaut) over the "u", then it would be "gwee". Pronounciation of the "s", "c" ("ce" and "ci"), and "z" varies a bit regionally. Generally "z", "ce" and "ci" sounds like a "th", and "s" sounds like an "s". Except in some parts of Southern Spain and in the Canary Islands, where "z", "ce" and "ci" is more like an "s". In addition, in some areas in the South of Spain, they will pronounce the "s" as "th"... but NOT for every word So people are less likely to correct you on those, as you could always claim you speak with a regional accent [/quote] If in doubt, "Aggie" will suffice..

[quote name='TRBboy' timestamp='1331297461' post='1570938'] The one that always really bothers me is D'addario; People who say "Dee-Addario" Its Da-da-rio! [/quote] Forgive them. They were Klingons.

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1331465650' post='1573086'] Fender Roscoe Beck. Both pups in single-coil mode, you have a Jazz. Solo the neck, and switch it to series, near-as-damn-it P. Both in series is just ridiculous. Laahvley. [/quote] Agreed. But sadly lacking a pot of blend for the pick-ups.

[quote name='lxxwj' timestamp='1331410806' post='1572630'] What about this 'un? I was thinking something like this: [/quote] Nah. The Status takes more batteries...