Lfalex v1.1

[quote name='famstd' post='1259238' date='Jun 7 2011, 03:13 AM']The board radius, and the measurement at the nut, for most players isn't as crucial as the overall shape of the neck itself.[/quote] Particularly the depth (from the front face of the fretboard to the back of the neck. That's the deal breaker for many people.

Well... If you have the time / materials / inclination, I don't see why not. I was appalled at the "bell-wire" lurking inside my Trace cabinets (and the lack of any internal damping or bracing) If you're that bothered, stick some push-fit connectors to the cable, so you can temporarily fit the cables and try them. Just remember to solder them up once you've mad a decision!

I'd have said that the only place that a 1 or 2 mm change in measurements would make a difference is in string spacing. Fortunately, there's [s]an app for that[/s] bridges with adjustable string spacing available. All you need add is pick-ups with bladed pole-pieces so your string alignment/output doesn't suffer...

There might be a bit of truth to TC's spiel... Drivers/Loudspeaker systems' impedance is not fixed. It varies with frequency. If you plot a graph of frequency (horizontal axis) against Impedance (vertical axis), the resulting trace (no pun intended) describes the system's modulus of impedance. This shows how much the demand on the driving amp changes in a real-world setting. The figures quoted on cabinets for reference (4 ohm, 8 ohm etc.) are Nominal impedance figures. I presume that the TC cabinets' impedance does not present too varied a load in its various combinations. They're not likely to research all the other alternatives from other manufacturers...

[quote name='Low End Bee' post='1255510' date='Jun 3 2011, 02:57 PM']An Anthrax & Megadeath clinic sounds like the worst waiting room in the whole of the NHS.[/quote] Actually, that's just down the road at Queen's Hospital.

[quote name='ped' post='1255977' date='Jun 3 2011, 09:39 PM']Some bodies have a penny sized hole where the body is held during painting[/quote] Yup. My MIA S1 Jazz has this. It's about the size of an old (circa 1900) penny. It'd be a bloody eyesore if it weren't under the pickguard. What's wrong with screwing a cuphook into the hole for the upper horn strap-button and hanging the body from that during finishing/drying. This and ropey routing really spoil jazz basses, as you can't really play them without a pickguard or with a clear one.

IIRC, they ship with 500k volume pots as standard, not the 250k a jazz would normally have. Perhaps this is a contributory factor? Maybe yours have been changed and someone has installed Linear pots instead of Logarithmic (Audio Taper) ones? Difficult to say without whipping the control plate off and having a look!

Not being overly familiar with Dragonforce, Nile etc., the question begs; Did the bassists in question use their fingers originally, or were they using a plectrum (presumably striking up/down alternately) As previously mentioned, there are many dynamic aspects to composition, loud/soft, FX/No FX, chord/key changes/Modality etc. etc. and [b]Fast/Slow[/b] an oft-overlooked tool. It's all about dynamic contrast. There is no "fast" without a "slow" with which to compare it.

[quote name='paul_5' post='1251932' date='May 31 2011, 07:30 PM']I've bought a few bits of kit from Electro over the years and they always had plenty to choose from. Shame if they've gone downhill, though I did read in the paper today that Ukelele sales are now outstripping guitars...[/quote] At least they've got the right number of strings... Otherwise, playing bass is about as fashionable as a Warwick.

[quote name='thodrik' post='1251631' date='May 31 2011, 03:25 PM']The Smiths, The Cult, Stone Roses, Oasis, Blur, Radiohead, Nazareth, Sensational Alex Harvey Band, the Kinks, Free, Yes, the Clash, Rory Gallagher, Gary Moore, Robin Trower, AC/DC(though the BBC like to pretend they don't really exist!), New Order, Buzzcocks and Depeche Mode. I'm sure all of those bands/persons have interesting stories that would make for a 'aren't they really awesome' BBC documentary.[/quote] Absolutely. And you can add Iron Maiden, The Cure and The Police to that list...

All of the instruments mentioned so far would be a good bet. Yamaha and Ibanez are excellent for the money, and are well made. Squiers have improved recently, and the Vintage Modified (VM) and Classic Vibe (CV) series are both worth a look. Do you know anyone who can play? Maybe take them along for an opinion. Try not to get too hung up on pretty colours (!) How the instrument feels and balances are as important as how it sounds. Remember to budget for an amplifier of some sort- even if you just get a little headphone amp that you can plug an MP3 player into. Good Luck! And Enjoy! It's not every day you get a new instrument (although some folks on here may get close! )

[quote name='absolutpepper' post='1250999' date='May 31 2011, 12:53 AM']Letting us know the make/model will help. For example some manufacturers use recessed strap locks (I think Warwick did for a while).[/quote] Sssss a Dunlop innit? edited for not being very helpful. You need these; You do not, however, need the strap buttons included in the set. The Straplocks go on the strap, and lock directly into the metal inserts in the bass. DO check that the screws securing the inserts are properly tightened. DO NOT overtighten them as you may crack the wood, causing the insert to come out and your bass to crash to the floor. Also ensure there are no existing cracks around the inserts. I've had no trouble with this design, even on my stupidly heavy Streamer LX6 (>14lbs), so if all is well, then there shouldn't be any reliability issues. Is that a Corvette in Nirvana Black that you have? I think Warwick changed to "normal" strap buttons around 2000, although I've seen all 3 types on Warwicks (Schaller, Dunlop and Normal) over the years. IIRC, the earlier models have Schallers..

Find one that plays well, feels good, weighs whatever feels right to you and has the tone you're looking for. If aesthetics are important, then the colour will matter, too. What's less important is where/by whom it was made (check out Tokai HardPunchers, for example) [sarcasm] Choose carefully, as due to the total lack of readily available spares/upgrade paths/replacement parts, you'll be stuck with what you bought and have no way at all of modifying it to better suit your taste. [/sarcasm] My favourites I've tried? Squier CV60s (Fiesta Red/Tort/Rosewood) Fender Highway One (Black/Black/Rosewood) Tokai HardPuncher (Olympic White/Tort/Maple) MIA Fenders (all with BBOT bridges) were present and compared on all 3 occasions. I preferred those listed above in terms of playability and tone. I [i]still[/i] don't own one yet, though (note use of the word "yet"). It'll happen eventually, but may well be a PJ or a deluxe with the twinjazz humbucker at the bridge...

[quote name='Fat Rich' post='1248892' date='May 29 2011, 08:19 AM']Don't DR suggest you put a 90 degree bend in the string before cutting to stop the windings moving on the core? Pretty sure it says that on the Hi Beam packaging anyway. Something of that nature, yes. Status Premium Round wound have a round core according to the website.... I tried a set but they seemed to sound darker than the normal Hotwires so I didn't get any more.[/quote] Are they Double Ball-Ended? It's only an issue with these and any clamp-type string retainer (as per the E-bay link in the OP and also as featured on Status/Other Headless basses. If they're ([i]just[/i]) standard strings and are used on headed instruments, there'd be no problem. Perhaps that's why they make/market them?

The Warwick truss-rod tools are very good/robust. Only thing is, they make it very easy to apply LOTS of torque to your truss-rod. Tighten/loosen with care, and work in 45 degree increments(an eighth of a turn) or less so as not to overdo it..

Plenty of sounds on offer. I've a Streamline, and it can do the lot. Especially good with 90% Neck and 10% bridge, plucking up by the base of the fretboard- sounds like a fretted upright! On a more general note, I've never found that basses with a pick-up close to the bridge to sound thin, particularly if it's a Humbucker. I just run them a bit closer to the strings so that the output equals that of the neck when the pan pot is centred. (Observation based on a Streamline, Warwick Infinity SN4 and Series 3 Vigier Passion 5.)

It's a known issue. Well, it certainly is at Status towers. During a lengthy conversation with Dawn, she explained that whilst they'd love to do round-cored Hotwires, they just keep coming unwrapped. Even Double Ball-ended ones, and always at the head(less?) end. Strange.

[quote name='wulf' post='1246599' date='May 27 2011, 08:05 AM']If you choose to play anti-commercial music then you either have to supplement that by a day job or by playing other music which does attract some income.[/quote] I HAVE a day job. It just doesn't pay enough to subsidise the rehearsal/gig cycle. [quote name='Conan' post='1246606' date='May 27 2011, 08:09 AM']I think that is what you meant to say....[/quote] No. It wasn't. The circumstances have been the same for the last 5 or 6 bands Ive been in, but now fuel prices in particular are making it an issue, and my car does 50+ mpg... [quote name='lojo' post='1246639' date='May 27 2011, 08:54 AM']Re the well heeled comment, every hobby is, its all relative, Id love to go jet skiing every day, but I can't afford to, but also their are people in the world who see my living room with its TV and Wii as something they would love to have just for one day a year Don't get bitter, make some choices, if you cant afford this band or think they are throwing money away, leave or make some suggestions about saving, perhaps rehearse / write acoustically in someone's place every other practice etc[/quote] What I'm getting at is the fact that something I have done a lot in the past is now being moved beyond my reach due to circumsatnces beyond my control. Re: The band, The drummer and I quit. The other two were a***holes.. They lived further away thanthe studio. [quote name='tauzero' post='1246873' date='May 27 2011, 11:53 AM']Move closer to the rehearsal studio and get a lock-up there. Rehearse less often for longer.[/quote] Don't think the wife and kids are going to buy that. Time and money at a premium. Inclination waning. Depression and "For Sale" section looming large.

[quote name='ahpook' post='1246284' date='May 26 2011, 09:30 PM']there are more costly hobbies.[/quote] And that's why I'm not partaking of them. [quote name='Happy Jack' post='1246311' date='May 26 2011, 09:54 PM']Precisely... ...I get paid (in a covers band) to play pubs in West London. The money barely covers my basic expenses - I doubt it will ever pay for any of my basses. That's OK, I'm not doing this to make a profit, or even to break even.[/quote] I don't expect to re-coup on the outlay on the instruments, nor make a profit, but it's just like pouring money into a big hole at the moment. [quote name='Ed_S' post='1246365' date='May 26 2011, 10:22 PM']To my mind, I have a decent job and can afford to pay what little it costs to rehearse and gig, so if it's a choice between being in a band and not, I'll be the one up on stage. My band agreed a long time ago that we'd prefer to play to a full room than cover costs, so we rarely charge unless forced to by a venue.[/quote] I don't have such a "decent" job, and I can't afford it. Hence the thread. [quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1246397' date='May 26 2011, 10:48 PM']Like others have said it's my hobby and the amount I have spent on gear alone would take ages to get back at the £50 a gig minus costs anyway, You can't take it with you.[/quote] I've never even been paid a tenner for a gig. The sort of music I play doesn't get paid like that, but I fail to see why I should have to play stuff I don't want to (functions/covers). Fine, if it were a bread-winning job, I'd have to do it. Right now I have the ability and the gear but can't afford the continual and substantial drain on resources that rehearsal and gigging represent. As for food and drink, I was only talking about a burger and a coke or a single beer, but that still stacks up to nearly £400 per annum if you play once a week. Add £2.5k for rehearsal / associated travel and £500 for gig-related travel, et [i]voila[/i] £3.4k a year to rehearse and play once a week. Based on there being no financial return, it's a cost I can no longer afford. Nice. Now we're turning into a hobby for the well-heeled only. Never thought I'd live to see the day.

I've used my Yamaha Attitude in "two channel mode" to great effect. Neck HB clean. Split "P" driving my SVP-Pro to death. Nice.

As the title says; Is being in a band now so expensive that you can't afford to play live and not get paid for it? When you factor in the costs of Fuel (to gigs and to rehearsals) Food Drink Rehearsal space costs (ok, none if you can find a way to do it for free, but I've never been in a band that has!) I enjoy being in bands and playing live, I don't even care about not being paid to "work" (Ars Gratia Artis and all that), but the costs of simply keeping a band up and running are becoming ruinous if you're not getting paid. I'm finding that not (currently) being in a band is saving me about £40/£50 a week... And I do begrudge paying out the thick end of £2.5k a year for no return. Most of the outlay is in petrol costs to and from rehearsal and gigs. The rest is rehearsal cost itself. I'm assuming that this will apply primarily to originals bands, for I'd want to be paid the going rate to play anyone else's music (covers/functions etc.), and that's really not my scene at all... What say you, BassChatters?

[quote name='BigRedX' post='1243402' date='May 24 2011, 08:34 PM']There is no bass shop in existence with an esoteric and diverse enough range to satisfy me. I'd rather spend my £20k directly with the luthiers of my choice.[/quote] Ok. Name the names, then. If only so we an all go and have a look at their sites....

[quote name='WILD FROG SHOT' post='1192647' date='Apr 8 2011, 10:10 AM']That's the great thing about basses - you don't have to be monogamous; you can indulge in whatever takes your fancy![/quote] [quote name='Muzz' post='1192661' date='Apr 8 2011, 10:22 AM']The more I pick up the three basses I keep coming back to (the FrankenP, the Ray and the Fortress), the more I think it's impossible for me to settle on a single bass which will do everything. They all have strengths and weaknesses which I think I should accept as part of their whole, rather than trying to resolve into one 'perfect' bass...[/quote] +1! Irrespective of how good a single bass is, it'll never capture all of the elements of several instruments. I have a selection of instruments, traditional, modern, active, passive, bolt-on, neck-thru... (you get the idea) for that very reason.

I haven't tried this config- I don't have a guitar amp... However, I don't think there's any reason NOT to give it a shot. My main concern would be the EQ voicing wouldn't be that good for the bottom end of things. I'm also assuming that th pre-amp isn't inherently "voiced" for guitar (!) Guitar through a bass amp & cabs? Awesome. A bit sucked-out in the mid range, but HEAVY!!!!