Lfalex v1.1

Waaaay back in the mists of time, before I discovered bass, one of my favourite tracks was from Bryan Ferry's [i]Bete Noire[/i] album, entitled "Kiss and Tell" Upon reviewing this track, I found a bass tone to die for, a laid-back but punchy groove with tidy technique... Oh and a bass credit for one Marcus Miller... Super player.

[quote name='Doctor J' timestamp='1327653401' post='1514678'] If you want consistent quality, try a different manufacturer. Forget about the badge and buy a good bass instead. [/quote] Yes and yes. G &L? Sandberg? Lakland? Dingwall? Spector? Not heard many Qc related gripes about any of these.Then there's the likes of Status, Vigier, Modulus, Alembic, Sadowsky and so on. Btw, has anyone ever had a naff Yamaha?

[quote name='funkle' timestamp='1327653056' post='1514671'] Fender. You can take it anywhere, and no-one will look at you oddly. Everyone knows what to expect and what it sounds like. You do want the gig, don't you? [/quote] Not only do I want the gig, I can do without the worry of who's legging it out of the fire exit with my 6 million dollar Fodera when I'm at the gig. On that basis alone, a Fender. Although perhaps not a particularly mainstream one. Maybe an Urge or Roscoe Beck...

I find FX deeply frustrating. I've been through loads (fortunately no boutique units) and I can't even find an OD that I like. The only OD I've kept isn't a pedal, it's an Ampeg SVP-PRO! I have an MXR M80 as a stand-alone DI, but run that "clean" Why don't chorus pedals have the equivalent of a tap-delay to accurately sync the rate to the tempo of the music? I've never seen one that has.. Tap-delays can be quite nice, and I can see the value in a looper with plenty of memory. I like to use a variety of different basses, and find that they interact very differently with FX in some cases (the low impedance output of the Vigier's on-board pre really throws some units) I think my main cause of consternation with some kinds of FX is tone related. Why spend ages in pursuit of a bass with "the" tone (and, let's face it, most of us on here do, or have) only to smother it with modulation effects or somesuch. I know they've got an "off" switch, but for me, I just relish the simplicity of the clean approach. I guess it depends on what type of noise you want to make... YMMV, of course.

[quote name='chaypup' timestamp='1327510203' post='1512617'] Sorry, but in my experience from working with touringbands this is incorrect. Great (and even halfway decent) originals bands know exactly what they're going to play and have rehearsed it to death. Even the between song banter is the same each night and is scripted and rehearsed. Ad-libbing simply leaves too much room for things to go wrong. [/quote] I agree. The best band (originals) I've ever been in played everything the same each time (within normal limits) We'd change the set list/running order for each gig according to what we thought would suit the venue/audience, but rehearse the agreed list in advance to make sure it worked and time it, making any adjustments as necessary. It made everything so much easier (and more predictable) when it came to the actual performance. On one occasion, our entire set was recorded. When you listen to it back, it simply sounds like a more energetic rendition of the original recordings (which formed the basis of our individual practice regimes anyway)

[quote name='leftyhook' timestamp='1325339663' post='1482278'] You get out, what you put in. [/quote] Awesome! Can't wait for it to start raining chocolate!

He didn't really need to sign it Henry Rollins. Everyone would obviosly [sic] have known it was him. Because he's SHOUTING AGAIN!!!

3 Warwicks 1 Vigier 1 Status (ordered without front markers) All without front markers. Never missed them. I don't like lined fretless much either.

[quote name='voxpop' timestamp='1327342574' post='1509658'] Funky [/quote] As in "American for dirty/smelly", right?!

Can you spend more if it's composite? But in real terms, I'd baulk at anything much over £2.5K, and it would have to be bloody exceptionally marvellous to make me want to shun some of my collection in its favour.

Having played some single pick-up basses, I'm not even too sure that you even need two, let alone all the switching and stuff.. We all know the diverse range of sounds available from "just" a P bass... Jamerson, Harris, Burnel, Simonon, Olivieri, to name but a few. I like the idea behind the Enfield, but they're mighty expensive, and I'd have to try one first...

[quote name='observer' timestamp='1327317667' post='1509099'] Thanks for that. Find it very usefuIiill. I'm already user of DR orange neon. Love the sound, but coating wears to quick and looks terrible. Think next I'll try LoRiders or Sunbeams [/quote] I've Sunbeams on my MIA Jazz. Sound and feel lovely. Not black or orange, though!

I'd have claimed the bass was knackered (take the battery out) and laid a monster guilt-trip on the singer by way of revenge. One unethical turn deserves another...

Bought a Warwick from Romford for a good price, but when I asked to try a s/h Burns on another visit, was told they wouldn't make it playable (it wasn't!) Unless I was buying.... So Romford is a bit mixed. Tried many over the years in Southend. Bought an MIA Jazz in there. Always pretty ok, but they know me by sight now. Can't comment on the online thing, though...

[quote name='dave.c' timestamp='1326446322' post='1497221'] I've got two Vigier Passions and the necks are the best I've ever played, with aWwwn incredibly solid feel to them which I like, I now find a lot of necks feel a bit 'bendy' or 'lively', don't know how to describe it really! [/quote] I own a Passion V series III. Amazing necks are a recurring feature on all the Vigiers I've played (okay, I've not played any series I instruments!) They really are very good; Stable, fast, well-proportioned, well finished, comfortable and expensive ( new) I sold my Ibanez Srx 700 as I didn't like the electrics package. Nice necks, though.

I find Elixirs ok. I tend to mechanically kill the strings before the fluff and dandruff phase begins. My sweat kills non-coated strings quickly, but some last better than others. Coated strings don't sound at all good on phenolic boards IME.Conversely, the set on my Warwick Infinity sound great, a combination I'll stick with

I've always pulled my castored stack. You can get over small obstacles more easily. Friends should be advised that the castors are to save your back, not for them to fulfil their go-karting fantasies...

[quote name='Fat Rich' timestamp='1322661447' post='1454078'] This is probably your least destructive option (apart from not messing up... erm, I mean Er modifying your bass at all). Keep the original double ball end retainer, replace the 2nd fret with a nut and remove the first couple of frets and hollow out a bit to look like a bendwell then you won't need to chop the truss rod. But I think you'd be better off trading the bass for a proper short scale jobby, [/quote] I like the idea about hollowing out under where the first 2 frets would've been. I'd replace the second fret with a higher one to use as a zero fret,.and put the new nut just beyond that. I like zero frets. Give a really nice low action. My Status, Vigier and Hohner all have them..

I love these. Except for the lack of pan pot...

Try listening to some; Snot One minute silence Skunk Anansie Rage Against the machine Aggressive music played aggressively, on G&L, Musicman, Warwick/Spector and Fender.. And maybe a bit of Overdrive.

He's used Status and Yamaha too, over the years.

"If I Reach for the tele with my right hand, she won't notice what I'm doing with my left. Either way, not tonight, Josephine.."

[quote name='bluejay' timestamp='1325612681' post='1485212'] Love this forum [/quote] Conversely, I am finding Pianowaffle.com amazingly edifying right now.

Screw the castors to the side of the cab. Tip it back onto its original feet onstage. Lower centre of gravity when moving it, too.