Lfalex v1.1

I tried a Variax with a view to buying one. It felt ok, I suppose. The sounds were alright, but didn't seem to have much of a depth of tone (I'm struggling to find precise words to define what it lacked sonically). The 8 and 12 String modelling was fun for a quick blast of "Jeremy" which made everyone in the shop turn around and look . I then made the mistake of A/B comparing it with a 2EQ Stingray, MIA S-1 Jazz and a Corvette 5 (ash, J/J) with the Variax on the closest settings and then some others. It got mugged, which was a pity, as I'd wanted to like it. I bought the Fender evetually, as it bettered both the 'Ray and th Warwick at their own games. Wasn't expecting that, but when you get a good 'un turn from Fullerton/Corona up, it's silly not to buy it. I'd like to see someone with some "proper" manufacturing ability; Gus Status Vigier Basslab Even Ritter (!) team up with a company with some serious electronic know-how; Roland Akai Korg And make a serious (If expensve) stab at this concept. Might be interesting to move away from piezo-based technologies and try lightwave or a collecion of multi-element magnetic pick-ups...

[quote name='KingBollock' post='1332535' date='Aug 8 2011, 06:42 PM']Ha! I've never seen that word in connection with my Dad before! I'd tell him you said it but I haven't spoken to him [b]since he threw me into the back of a Fedex lorry[/b][/quote] Fixed? Seriously, though, affixing a sticker with "fragile" has a similar effect to; Waving a Red Rag at a bull whilst standing in a china shop Wearing a T-shirt with "Kick me" emblazoned upon it to the pub on a Friday night (maybe Saturday's better. It's alright for fighting, apparently) I'd just mummify the item and trust in the power of prayer. Or buy a seat for it!

Thanks for the ideas, guys. I'll take the DR FatBeams off of the VMJ, and the Elites off of the Attitude and have a little swap around... I'll put the DRs on the Attitude (which deserves nice strings but never seems to get them!) and put some flats on the VMJ. If that doesn't work out, I'll swap them over! Something tells me that the Attitude might just be awesome wearing flats. Sounds like thunder with rounds, but could do with losing some "twang". Compliant flats may be a cure....

Hi fellow BCers. Has anyone ever refinished their hardware (Knobs, Bridges, Nuts(?) and Tuners) The reasoning being that I have two Warwicks with Gold (bleugh) hardware that sweat and time have turned silvery/greenish. I know Warwick can sell you replacements, but why buy if you can re-condition? Besides, they'll only do Chrome, Gold, Black or Satin. What about other colours? Naturally, it'd all come off, be lightly "keyed", and then enamelled. I've considered using the automotive paint for engine blocks or brake callipers. That ought to be super-tough. Has anyone re-coloured their hardware, and to what effect. (I realise that saddles/nut slots/tuning posts will be subject to wear, and that the gears/worms on open tuners probably aren't a good idea!)

I'd try flats, but I don't know what bass to try them on! They just all sound so good with rounds. Here's the choices; OLP MM3 Squier VMJ with a BadAssII Yamaha Attitude MIA Jazz (I've left out the rest of the collection, as they're 5s, 6s or ultra-modern designs, which don't seem appropriate somehow) I like the look of TI! /involuntary hijack

The Vigier Excess Roger Glover Signature has Luminescent markers. If whatever you use is genuinely [i]luminous[/i], it ought to go barmy when struck by ultraviolet light...

It's horses for courses, to a degree. I own a Status Streamline, Vigier Passion 5 and a good selection of wooden instruments. I've found that all-CF basses sound a little [i]too[/i] clean and clinical- But that's when I'm practising through headphones. Out in the real world, or even in a studio environment that translates into a really clean and "measured", controllable sound. The real benefits in all-CF bodies (as opposed to necks) would appear to be; [b]Durability Stability[/b] In extreme environments [b]Consistency[/b] In terms of the finished instrument - they ought to display little variation from one to the next [b]Tunability[/b] Ask Rob Green to make you up a lighter/heavier Streamline, and he can do that for you- within limits. I don't know if anyone builds a Carbon/graphite-bodied bass with a bolt-on Carbon/graphite neck. If they do, It'd be interesting to see if they varied much from the monocoque equivalents (assuming electrics and hardware to be identical) Then there's the headed/headless aspect to consider. Ned Steinberger was definitely barking up the right tree in terms of design- chuck out absolutely everything you can. And why have a body/neck made of a stable, inert material and then have to worry about balance issues and the possibility of dead-spots caused by a headstock? Having extolled the virtues of the compact composite bass, it's interesting to note how competent my Vigier is by comparison in terms of tone. It's arguably even better, but I reckon that's down to the pick-ups, EQ and low-impedance output. I guess it's about the whole package and the overall design concept, not just the materials or construction.

[quote name='MatthewKeys' post='1329377' date='Aug 5 2011, 11:09 PM']Just tried the one of my jazz, doesn't fit! Do you know where I can buy a replacement quickly? I don't think I can wait 2 weeks for yamaha to send me one, as i'm trading the bass in about 7 days![/quote] If it's a MIA it'll have imperial Heads and Threads, mine does. My Squier is metric, I'd guess MIJ might be metric, too. Dunno about MIM. Yamahas will almost certainly be metric. (and I should've read the previous post...) Any guitar/music shoppe that's any good should be able to help (Yamaha dealers?) Take the other grub screw (don't lose that one, too!) for comparison. Or even the whole bass. I took my MIA into a tool shop when hunting for an Allen key for the truss rod. They were rather pleased when I popped the case open (!) That way you'll know it fits..

Two salient points (outside of the taste/talent argument) Where'd he get the bass / pay for strings / pay for lessons (if applicable) There's some sort of advantageous scenario behind his ability. Will he still be able to do that when he has a considerably larger right thumb. I can lay my thumb parallel to the strings on an instrument with 16.5mm spacing, and cover 3 strings with it. That ought to be useful, but it ain't. Hope he manages to keep going and enjoy a career in music if that's what he wants in half a decade's time.

[quote name='lowdown' post='1328196' date='Aug 5 2011, 06:46 AM']Sting did a few times i think. Garry[/quote] Well I thought it was funny!

[quote name='RhysP' post='1306531' date='Jul 17 2011, 11:49 AM']Second coolest. This is the coolest space craft ever IMO: Awesome! [/quote] +1 on that. Best SpaceCraft design ever. And a dodgy SW quote; "You play bass on [i]that[/i]? You're braver than I thought"

Tune it CGDAE?

As a long-time headphone practiser, I have to say I've not experienced this. If volume is skewing your pitch perception above a certain level, keep it below the certain level for critical performances if possible (?) I find headphones a good way to practise. Leaving aside the lack of noise, (good, proper) headphones can give a transient response, harmonic distortion, dynamic range and frequency response that loudspeaker designers can only dream of. Add in a lack of time-smear, no room interactions or any real phase issues (due to lack of a crossover) and they're streets ahead. Negative issues? A few. No visceral, "monster", "I can't breathe!" bass reproduction. Can be VERY revealing of playing misdemeanours! Long term comfort can be questionable You can easily damage your hearing by wnding up the volume without realising how loud your headphones really are.

Sold one on here, and God did they get a bargain. No feedback. No Nothing. Tried to sell another two. No Luck. Did better elsewhere. Bought one. Great Transaction. Put a downpayment/holding fee on it ASAP with the seller's consent and then met up, tried out. Liked, and thrust the readies into he vendor's sweaty mitts. Everyone happy. No Haggling. I was happy and so was the seller. Good transaction Generally, buying on here is a good experience. There's some lovely people out there. Selling, less so, but that's a reflection of the times rather than BC. It really is a buyer's market right now, and may well remain so for some time.... Anyone remember an errant Warwick a year or so ago. Funds were exchanged, but alas, no bass. BC gently leans on vendor, and all is well... Ideally, meet up and hand over cash. Not much to go wrong there...

[quote name='chris_b' post='1325816' date='Aug 3 2011, 04:13 PM']Whirlwind from the late 80's. Still used every week.[/quote] Not to be underestimated, these. I've had 4. 1 mislaid/lost/stolen? 3 still functioning. 2x2 metres- Since 1995. 1x5metre- about a decade old. Not a hiss, crackle, pop, bang or complaint from any of them despite being bashed, smashed, burned, used as a weapon, tugged, stepped-on, lent-out and frequently connected to/ disconnected from amps/basses and miscellaneous stuff. +1 for these. They make some of the Fender-Branded ones, too. Arthur Harris would have found them frustrating, as they are Bomb-proof. I expect them to outlast me. And they're nt even that expensive..

There's some interesting stuff on there. Where are the prices, though? Did I miss them? And why? Why? WHY?! (Delilah!) would you want a twin neck 4/5 [b](both fretted)[/b] tuned GDAE and GDAEB? At least have the 4 as a piccolo or something!

[quote name='daveybass' post='1324343' date='Aug 2 2011, 03:10 PM']Would be tempted to throw in View to a Kill as well..best Bond theme and a great basline to boot.[/quote] Really? I'm rather fond of "The Living Daylights" (A-Ha) The drumming's amazing (if it isn't sequenced!) Seems like most of us have a copy of Rio at home (the album), then!

[quote name='dc2009' post='1323176' date='Aug 1 2011, 03:18 PM']An Infinity, at an open mic night? You have me agape, sir.... [/quote] Er... I've played an Infinity (SN4) at an open-mic night. Sitting on my Trace 1153 (no PA support for me) worked a treat with the acoustic gtrs...

[quote name='Mikey-t1994' post='1319270' date='Jul 28 2011, 01:21 PM']It is the custom for sure, did a bit more research last night, still can't figure out the 4th control knob, most people think it's tone control and looking in the back there is a little circular dial back with a tiny green capacitor so I guess that fits but it don't seem to work, could that be the battery? My other friend has looked at it and thinks not, he noticed that the jack is different to his. On his bass which is also active there are only 2 wires going to the jack on mine there are 3. Why does a bass need a 3 Pin jack? Is this the active setup or something else the only reason I can see the need for a 3 pin jack is stereo over mono[/quote] I'd expect the 4 controls to be ((probably) from front to rear) Volume, Pick-up Pan, Treble and Bass respectively. The tone controls may be the other way around. With regard to the wiring, it's quite common practice to use a "stereo" or TRS socket in active basses, just to control the switching for the power to the EQ. Inserting a Jack plug (of the "mono" (TS)) persuausion will complete the circuit. Removing the plug will cut off power to the EQ, thereby saving the battery. Why 3 wires and not 4? Common ground(-ve) for signal and 9v supply.

What are you trying to achieve? (As in note value?) And what gauge strings are you using? What's the bass and why are you downtuning? More specific answers may well follow....

[quote name='ThomBassmonkey' post='1320511' date='Jul 29 2011, 02:56 PM']The advert made me smile, there's something mildly amusing about such rampant patriotic displays whilst trying to sell a Japanese instrument.[/quote] Unless you're Japanese!

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='1319690' date='Jul 28 2011, 08:03 PM']10 out of 10 for effort writing that up. I think it may be as a result of countless threads bigging up exotic woods (and justifiably so for many reasons) without clarification or actual proof of the alleged tonal super-propeties.... and a bit of common sense.[/quote] Thanks, it was a royal pain!

Do it fingerstyle in an aggressive fingerstyle-funk/typewritery sort of way. Or play chords. Weird ones. In a melodic and constructive way. Failing that, ask for a Tuner and Allen keys. It's what many basses in showrooms need most anyway.