Lfalex v1.1

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1318778646' post='1406079'] Yes, basically to protect the strings... [/quote] Hmmpf! Never mind my lovely hardware, then!

My MIA has this. At first I thought it was chronic woodworm... And in answer to the thread title; [i]"There's a hole in my Jazz Bass, Dear Liza, Dear Liza" "Then cover it (with a scratchplate) Dear 'Enry, Dear 'Enry"[/i]

[quote name='darkandrew' timestamp='1318793260' post='1406298'] I've read some reviews of the Vigier Passion where it's desribed as "unforgiving". I'm not quite sure what is meant by this, from your experience have you found it to be "unforgiving"? [/quote] It's fair to say that there's nowhere to hide when playing an instrument of this nature. The Vigier has always worked well with every signal chain component it's been plugged into, so it's perfectly tolerant of a wide variety of partnering equipment. Ergonomically, it's excellent, and it's eminently playable. Which can only leave the sound/tone, which is great. If "unforgiving" means that its clarity shines a bright light into oft hidden corners of player technique, then perhaps it is. I think I prefer the term "revealing" Similarly, if oddly EQ'd and suitably played, it could be described as sounding quite relentless. That said, a quick tweak and a softer technique and it'll simply sing. In a nutshell, precise and transparent.

[quote name='Chris2112' timestamp='1318698492' post='1405399'] That would look amazing with gold hardware. [/quote] No. It would look like a bad bathroom suite. The fretboard's probably phenolic. TBH, the pick-up covers would be nice in white, too.

[quote name='GeeCee' timestamp='1318695238' post='1405344'] I would imagine it's just painted white. [/quote] That'd wear off. It's more likely to be Phenolic Resin. It looks like it is.

Cost no object? This; [IMG]http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m248/Evilex1/P1000887.jpg[/IMG] Except I already did. But I'd have another Vigier without hesitation.

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1318467777' post='1402650'] Oh look a [size=5]kettle lead.[/size] [size=3]Surprised that one isn't in here yet.[/size] [/quote] To be fair, you'd get some puzzled looks if you asked for a 3-core power lead terminated with a 13-Amp plug at one end and a female 6-amp IEC 1 plug at the other... And the guy behind the bar would reach across and grab the greasy, white, coiled flex with a 10-Amp IEC 1 plug that supplies power to their... kettle. I call them power leads, myself.

However... Dependent upon your other interests and commitments, you may wish to [i]plan[/i] the duration of any sabbatical. I (rightly) quit my last band,as 50% of them were not behaving sensibly. I now find that I have filled (or had filled for me) any spare time I had kept aside for rehearsals etc. I've had a look around various sites, but can't find anything that appeals to me. My old "network" of fellow musos has crumbled, as several have moved abroad and others quit/ had families/ gone off the rails completely. Worse still, so many venues have gone out of business that there's scarcely a stage left to play on in these parts. This in turn means the scene has all but collapsed.

[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1318446097' post='1402350'] My Mrs calls the whammy bar (or tremolo arm) a "Wahwah Lever". [/quote] Which actually induces vibrato, does it not? Spooky!

I polished an oil-stained Warwick recently (using red T-cut, as it's a red bass) and the result was rather unlooked-for. I was actually trying to get some scratches out of the back, but it didn't really happen. I tried a small area first, and it turned the dull, matte 14-year old surface into something resembling a high-gloss finish. I reckon I got away with it because the stains soak into the timber a bit rather than coat it (also, there's no primer/undercoats as it's technically a translucent finish) I'd hesitate to use it on paint, as I fear it'd wear through if you were too zealous. I did it by hand with several old T-shirts in about 4 hours! (Sorry, no pics, though!)

[quote name='Grant' timestamp='1318368845' post='1401369'] + 1 for singlecuts. They always remind me of a sperm whale, especially that Warwick Thumb SC. Speaking of Warwicks, isn't the Dolphin the same as the Reverso, just with the corners sharpened? Still an awful, lazy design though. [/quote] No, it's even worse than that. It's an upside-down Stryker. The Dolphin's okay-ish to look at, but suddenly makes sense when you wear it.

Did the Bongos look like toilet seats?

[quote name='Doddy' timestamp='1317918885' post='1396283'] The new Modern Player series Jazz is twin humbucker. And (pedantically ) the Noiseless Jazz pick ups are humbuckers. [/quote] And the Blacktop, too.

[quote name='ironside1966' timestamp='1317728300' post='1393698] The other side of the coin is even if you are young and you may have a young family to support, would you risk that could you really quit your job and take the time away from home needed? Even with a major deal there is still a strong possibility you won't make any money. [/quote] I got offered a potentially awesome gig but had to turn it down for this very reason. The other two band members had music related income streams that could be flexible around the write/release/tour/repeat cycle. No use me living the dream while the wife and kids are homeless and begging for food. I was also in another band that was getting interest, but he whole "management" piece got screwed up and multiple band members left, leaving us in almost the right place at the right time, but with only 40% of a band.. I never really got into playing with a view to doing anything but er.... playing. Never considered live work, recording, writing, rehearsing and all that. The fact that I've done all of those things without intending to do so ought to be considered a bonus, I suppose. I'm no more trying to make it than I ever was, but if someone really wants to pay me a shed-load of money to play, then I'd probably oblige.

Warwick Fortress Masterman 5. Ok, no series/parallel/single coil modes or mid EQ, BUT..... The two coils can be panned between (works nicely, almost "P" at the one extreme, "MM" in the middle, and heading for "J" at the other extreme. The 2x2EQ (bass/treble per coil) is perfectly intuitive, and gives nice variation on a good core tone. Maple body, so nice and bright. Balances properly due to loooong top horn. And it has adjustable string spacing... I sold my fretless 'Ray 5 for a fretted one, half-knowing I'd like it. I was not wrong. One catch. Second-hand only, unless you want to pay Warwick custom shop prices!

Works nicely on fretless. Barring the C&G strings together with your pinky (fretting hand, naturally) sounds lovely. Also good if you drop a tone in tuning from EADGC to DGCFBb - covers lots of grunge/post grunge etc. drop-tuned songs and still leaves you the upper registers.

Looks very much as though it's based on an MC924 Musician, albeit with different pick-ups and slightly altered controls. As for lack of official recognition, I'd not worry too much. They're fine instruments from an era when (original) Japanese basses were awesome.

Korg Pandora PX-4d. You can turn all the widgets off if you want. I scored a s/h one for £60.

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1317763452' post='1394420'] do you think anyone actually ever buys aftermarket MEC stuff? like however much you like them you pretty much could buy anything you wanted for the price. For instance- if someone stole just the MEC pups and pre out of my '91 streamer then it would cost... P = £154 J = £137 pre 2 band= £289 which is £580 in total. More than I paid for the bass- so if you are lucky you can get a secondhand vintage warwick for less than the pickups! [/quote] I'm in this situation! Last I looked, The TwinJazz pick-up was about £205. My Fortress MasterMan 5 also has 2x2-band eqs in it, which is £478 (!) So a mere £683-worth of electrics in a bass which cost me a shade over 500 notes. MEC must have the best balannce sheet in the industry!

[quote name='mentalextra' timestamp='1317671644' post='1393185'] Could one of you great bass gods explain to a lowly member why, on this bass, and the "Pino Paladino signature precision", "Jaco Pastorious tribute" and "Reggie Hamilton signature" that Fender have chosen to select premium wood, upgraded electronics and pickups yet chosen to leave the bridge standard. Isnt this the one component that everyone changes. I cant believe that Pino's "exacting standards" never stretched to an upgraded bridge. Ok now beat me up! [/quote] Because if they stuck a BadAssII (other direct-replacement bridges are available ) on it, it'd be just a bit too much like a Marcus Miller or a Steve Harris Sig, and that would never do...

[quote name='Mornats' timestamp='1317592256' post='1392248'] The bridge pickup on every bass I've owned has been quieter than the neck one so I reckon it's just the nature of it. [/quote] It is. The string deflection is smaller at the bridge pick-up than at the neck. This is because it's closer to one of the points from which the string is held static; The bridge saddle. Less deflection means the string cuts fewer magnetic flux lines (given off by the pick-up magnet) and this, in turn causes a smaller signal to be induced in the coil, creating a "quieter" pick-up. A hotter pick-up can help. A humbucker-in-a-J pick-up will give more output, too. It'll also be tonally different and less hum-prone. You can always run the (bridge) pick-up as close to the strings as is practical and use the pan-pot to compensate a bit...

Gold/Silver/Dynamic Correction notwithstanding, some MEC units are superb. The JJ as found in the Fortress Masterman/Dolphin/Infinity etc. Is a phenomenal unit. And rather expensive when new. I do believe that the pick-up is the same for both 4 and 5 strings, and that it has blades for pole-pieces, so no need to worry about string-to-polepiece alignment (if that sort of thing bothers you!) I've never heard their "P", but the "J"s seem quite quiet. I'm not fond of the MMHB(s) in the $$ models, though. I'd probably replace them with Duncans, an Alnico at the bridge and a ceramic at the neck if possible.

The neck on the Overwater CJ I tried was pretty ok. Know what you mean about that tone. It seems mainly to come from the P. The J was quite weak. An MEC JJ at the bridge would be awesome, but that's a router job...

[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1317404117' post='1390490'] Ergonomic, long-lasting cookware by Warwick. [/quote] In Chrome, Gold, Black and Satin, I presume? With Wenge handles.

Don't the pots have to turn anti-clockwise?