Lfalex v1.1

[quote name='leschirons' post='1346951' date='Aug 21 2011, 10:08 AM']My third bass was a Vigier Passion. Incredible, and only sold it because it looked a bit too 80's pop. In hindsight, I should have stayed with it.[/quote] My third bass was a Vigier Passion 5 series III. Oh, hold on, it still is... Mine's not too 80's pop! It's all black... I don't think I'd change much about my bass history.

Yes. I have FatBeams on my Vigier and Squier VMJ. They sound great on both. I put Sunbeams (they're the Nickels) on my MIA Jazz. Again, just what I wanted. Smooth, Warm goodness. I also use/used Elixirs. I've found them to be very good also. However, on phenolic fretboards, they can be a bit plasticky/quacky sounding. I use the Elixirs on my Warwick Infinity, and they sound superb on it. Life-wise, (uncoated) DRs are pretty good, but no match for the Elixirs...

When I saw the thread title, I thought; "Finally! He's seen the light and gone back to the Modulus!" Alas, no.

Had a 'Ray5 fretless. Lovely bass, but didn't get used enough. Sold it on. I have an (Electro)Acoustic Ovation. Likely to be sold on. Looks/Sounds/Feels fine, but can't match Acoustic Guitars unamplified. When using at higher levels with a drummer etc. It becomes somewhat prone to feedback...

Well, [b]I[/b] like them. So there!

[quote name='EdwardHimself' post='1341960' date='Aug 16 2011, 02:43 PM']... It just looked really weird.[/quote] Yup. Weird is good! And it would confuse everyone no end, especially (hopefully) guitarists!

[quote name='JTUK' post='1340492' date='Aug 15 2011, 11:26 AM']3 and 4 piece gtr bands are very limiting IMO. It becomes all gtr and you really need a very good player to be able to entertain. That said, I am not a fan of twin gtr bands either. But the same applies..the gtr needs to be very decent so as not to sound samey.[/quote] Complete opposite to me, though I agree about the need for the guitars to be decent. I work better with 2 guitars; G1) Lead/Melody G2) Rhythm B ) Rhythm / Harmony

Er... I just remember stuff? And I think I can tell when batteries are going out / Strings getting tired... So I'll change them as necessary. Never mind the fact that I'm allergic to Excel/Powerpoint/Word/Photoshop etc. etc.

[quote name='EdwardHimself' post='1341600' date='Aug 16 2011, 10:34 AM']how long is a piece of string?[/quote] Twice the length from the middle to one end? And in response to the OP; Anything! You could find your perfect bass in a skip or charity shop. Alternatively, you might find it in a pawn shop or covered in dust at the back of a music shop. It might cost a lot. It might not. If you're expecting a Ritter for Ryder money, it's not going to happen, but keep your eyes (and mind!) open, and you might find some pleasant surprises in store. If you see something, try it. At the very worst you'll hate it, but even then you'll have learned something about what you [i]don't[/i] like!

Personally, I'd like one of the Fender 5s from the 60's. Tuned E to C, 15 frets. That one. Definitely not your usual.

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='1340838' date='Aug 15 2011, 04:26 PM']We'll just have to stop using it for a couple of weeks each year. In truth, the 2-door design coupled with two smokers in the band just means that we'll need a fag-break every 30 minutes with both doors open and a through draft.[/quote] Open it up and run some fans!

One good tip; Remove the original covering as carefully as possible, and use that as a guide template for sizing/preparing your new covering. Getting all the old adhesive off so you get a clean start is helpful. Use woodfiller to make good any dents/chips in the cab itself. You may or may not need to remove the drivers. Many baffles are simply sprayed black. You might need to take out any rear panels with connectors/ horn attenuators to work around them, and they may need unsoldering for removal. HTH. Alex

I did "C" with a Columbus.... My "Z" was a Zoot... And I could've done "V" with a Vester. But I went for the expensive French option! Don't ask about the "W" I still have 4! (One from the Matsumoku factory, the other 3 from Eggolsheim/Mankurichen)

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='1337813' date='Aug 12 2011, 03:54 PM']I'm fairly immune to neck profiles..[/quote] Hooray! I'm not alone! From Ibanez SRX 4 string to Warwick Streamer LX6, I've never really been bothered. There was an Epiphone Les Paul that I found bothersome once, but that doesn't count, does it?

From what I've seen and played, Clover's build quality is less erratic than Fenders, and on a par with EBMM. To put that in the correct perspective, EBMM is generally very good in terms of fit & finish. Fenders are generally less comprehensively designed/built. A good exaple of this being neck attachment- Fenders generally use 4 bolt fixing. EBMM use 6. A Nice Fender is a lovely thing, but it can be a bit like Russian roulette as to whether or not any given one is "Nice". Try before you buy. If you like it, Buy the one you tried. Then you know what you're getting.

Oh dear. Now you've got me started.. A,B,D,G,K,L,N,P(!),Q,T,U&X still to go. Bizzarely, I've done V,W,Y&Z.

Four words. [b] Second Hand On Here[/b] No, really. There are some lovely, proper, German Warwicks for silly money in the For Sale section. I know they're grossly unfashionable, but they're generally solid, well-made basses. Try out; Streamers/Jazzmen/$$ Corvettes/FNAs/$$ Fortresses Thumbs Dolphins Infinities Might want to avoid; Strykers (!) Buzzards Vampyres (too pointy!) Katanas (too blobby) Dark lord/ Taranis / odd tuning variants Anything that once had frets but now hasn't Fortunately, the second category are in the minority around here. Try some out and see. I own a Streamer LX6, Fortress MM5 and Infinity SN4. All are excellent basses and wildly different from each other.

Liking this. But.... how far is said (ex)garage from civilization? What security arrangements have you in mind in case it attracts any unwanted attention? And last (and worst of all) Have you gained planning consent for change of use from a garage? My neighbours fell foul of this one. Which had no connection at all to their installing a gas flue spilling unburnt gas into my garden. Or their refusal to re-locate it. We can all play that game. How are your relationships with your neighbour/s, BTW?

[quote name='TRBboy' post='1336353' date='Aug 11 2011, 12:59 PM']I've always felt that a case which is a very snug fit is worse than one which is a bit loose. If it's a very snug fit, a serious impact will mean that the force of the impact is transferred straight through to the bass. If the bass is a looser fit and can move a little, the force will be dissipated more quickly and allow the bass to move instead of absorbing all of the impact.[/quote] I agree, [quote]Hiscox STD EBS cases are great (and pretty much industry standard) but not shaped at all inside. Never heard of this causing a problem.[/quote] And with this also. I have two, and can fit any of my basses in them. Except one. Alas, the Fortress V's horn is [i]so[/i] protruberant and its tip so bulbous that it simply will not fit without that fit being too "snug". This in turn causes abrasion, wear and discomfort. I think my 5 must be wider than yours, lobematt. Is yours a 4? I really must stop this. NOW.

Fill the voids with polystyrene beads from your younger brother's favourite beanbag. How the venue owners will curse you when you open [i]that[/i] case.... I have the opposite problem. I have such as protuberant horn (well, actually a Warwick Fortress 5 does) that it's going to spend it's life in a (decent) gig bag... I'm not butchering my Hiscoxs for it (they have to transport other basses, too) It's easier to pad out than cut back, that's for sure!

[quote name='gary mac' post='1333622' date='Aug 9 2011, 02:35 PM']Stash your cash until the GAS returns, you know it's never all that far away [/quote] This.

No. Don't sell the Pre-EB. If, as you say, the SR5 all but replaces the 3EQ 'Ray, then lose that. I certianly wouldn't buy a Classic 'Ray 5 with the funds. Variety is the spice of bass! Of the Bass Direct stock you posted, only the Clover floats my boat (and not because of the paint job!) I'd sell the 'Ray 4 and sit on the funds. Save up and play lots of interesting stuff. Scan the ads in For Sale, and go try some of those, too. You know what you like and what you don't. I certainly do by now! Pick a good 'un, and grab it! But try some weird stuff you wouldn't usually look twice at along the way, you might be surprised...

[quote name='BigRedX' post='1335179' date='Aug 10 2011, 03:31 PM']Unfortunately unless it sounded fantastic and was dirt cheap it'll only ever sell to a couple of weirdos on here like you and me and that would be it.[/quote] I'll take that as a compliment!! [quote]A Lightwave-based instrument would be a better start from the PoV of capturing as pure a signal as possible, but IMO they still need to make the bridge units more user friendly. I think until that happens a piezo based system which can be unobtrusively fitted to your base design of choice is still going to be the best.[/quote] That's why I listed manufacturers who specialise in composite technologies who could "tune" their designs to give the desired result, namely, as clear and uncoloured a signal for the DSP as possible....

This is good news. The full site is a bit hefty for mobile use. Lo-fi is ok, but limited. A slick halfway house would be super. Thanks guys.

[quote name='dc2009' post='1334936' date='Aug 10 2011, 01:11 PM'][/quote] I'm not sure what that means, but I thought he'd done quite a good job. Shame about the lack of sound samples or comments on the results.