Lfalex v1.1

[i] "I am Spartacus" [/i] As opposed to; OLP MM3 SUB 5 Sterling by MM 'Ray 5 Sterling by MM Sterling 5 MM Sterling 5 MM Classic Series 'Ray 5 MM Classic Series Sterling 5 Oh, plus any Anniversary editions and "Ball Family Reserve" lines... Didn't post this on the EBMM forum for fear they'd issue a Fatwa. (Cool Name for a wah pedal, though.... FatWah) Edit. In my "excitement", I neglected to mention all the "H", "H/H" and "H/S" variants. Making at least another God knows how many alternatives. Normally, I'm all for choice, but this is getting a bit silly.

[b][u]like[/u][/b] Actually, most things! Bongos Fretboards other than Rosewood Control knobs in a "smile" that follow the shape of the bottom bout of the instrument Unlined fretless necks Fretboards with no front-face markers (only on the edge, thanks!) "Different" material choices - Tokai, Kramer, Travis Bean, Status, Moses, Modulus, Gus - just make for a different "look" to wood [b][u]dislike[/u][/b] Gold hardware, but only because it won't be gold by next week. The MM Big Al Ricky "Shark-fin" inlays Controls that are randomly distributed across the instrument's surface Wooden control knobs Overly colourful silks and ball-ends on otherwise sober-looking basses Overly colourful strings (coated) on otherwise sober-looking basses

£500-£1k is a sizeable budget, especially if you buy second-hand! Try everything you can get your hands on. Hopefully, your guitar playing / purchasing past should stand you in good stead when considering instruments, and you should have an idea of what tone you want and how you'd want it to feel. Got any bass-playing mates? Take one along for a second opinion. Unless you're in a rush, take all the time you need. Do bear in mind that a new set of strings and a decent set-up can make all the difference. Brand-wise, there's loads to choose from. DO have a look at Fender, Musicman, G&L, Warwick, Lakland, Sandberg, Ibanez, Yamaha, Rickenbacker and all the usual suspects, but not exclusively. I've done well out of picking up something I've never heard of that was being neglected in the corner of a showroom! Just because you may not have heard of it, it doesn't mean it's not potentially excellent. Happy hunting!

[quote name='basshead56' post='705648' date='Jan 8 2010, 04:06 PM']I´d go with a Darth Vigier [/quote] [i] Sorry, my master, I forgot me cape! [/i]

It really didn't trouble me at all. Have gone from 4 to 5 to 6 and now play whatever fits. I also have a fretless tuned CGDAE and swap to and fro quite merrily. That said, I am used to playing a broad cross-section of basses... So maybe I can adapt more readily than someone who sticks to just one instrument.

I'm not familliar with Nordstrand pick-ups, however, I do have a few thoughts; Have you had the bass for long, and has it always been this way? Or has it just started? I presume you've tried fresh batteries! Could one of the potentiometers be worn out/ faulty / damaged - The volume would be my first one to check. It's not unusual for basses to have a hotter ouput in active mode than passive - Most Warwicks are at least a bit quieter in my experience. Could the Nordstrands just be lower in output than you expect, and that perception is reinforced by the higher output from the Musicman? Just some ideas...

[quote name='ahpook' post='701068' date='Jan 4 2010, 10:26 PM']i'd be on for it, if i could get over the fear of meeting a roomful of bass players. [/quote] Really, it's an excellent experience. So much to experience and learn from so many [i]friendly[/i] faces, some of whom you'll be familiar with... if not actually know. Think of a bash as BassChat brought to life. Literally.

The last ATK I played was really good. £440 new, though. Second-hand may be a good proposition. That or the previously-mentioned S.U.B.

If you think that's unusual, the last piece of footage of Deicide I saw clearly showed Glenn Benton playing a black Rickenbacker...

[quote name='Stag' post='696429' date='Dec 30 2009, 04:12 PM']Particularly on "Nutshell".[/quote] To which I can only say "+1"

[quote name='lozbass' post='696167' date='Dec 30 2009, 10:53 AM']I think that WD40 is recommended by Status for ebanol boards. I tried this recently and it worked extremely well (a dash of WD40 on 0000 wire wool was very effective!) However, I'd get more opinions and do some checking - I don't want to offer poor or potentially dangerous advice[/quote] I used WD40 on my Vigier's phenolic fretboard with no ill effects, and it worked a treat. Frets came up nice and shiny, too. Just don't go mad and use loads. I used it on my Yamaha's phenolic board, too, and that's PURPLE (don't ask!) When I next change strings on my Streamline, if it's a bit manky, I'll clean it down with WD40. I don't think I'd use any abrasives, no matter how mild.

I've always preferred blend pots to switches. Separate Volume and tone per pick-up is better still. Coil switching is where it's at! Series/Parallel (and single-coil) or coil selection options can be very useful, and can give some really good tonal options that need not necessarily upset the soundman! There's plenty of designs that incorporate (coil) switching of some sort; Stingray 5, Sterling, Sabre, Warwick $$ (Streamer and Corvette), Dolphin/Infinity/Vampyre, Roscoe Beck Signature, Ibanez ATK, some G&Ls, S1 Jazzes and Precisions.. the list is quite extensive.

Nothing wrong with a FatFinger or two (!) Welcome to BC! It's good here.

(Before BigRedX gets here..!) That's a bit different. A bit like a Spalt Bass visually. They do a lightwave equipped bass also... I [b]really[/b] wanted to like the lightwave system, but I found it disapointing when I tried a Lightwave Sabre. Maybe it takes more time to get used to than I had available.

Still liking mine. Yes, they can be a bit on the heavy side, due to the Maple body. The stock pick-ups aren't so good- I'll probably change those next. Mine's wearing a BadAss II bridge, which was a straight swap for the old one. I could get a suitably low action from the original, but the BadAss just sounds better. It now wears DR FatBeams, too, though I may switch to Sunbeams next time around.

[quote name='JTUK' post='694174' date='Dec 27 2009, 11:46 AM']And what is this thing about neck-dive...?? if the bass isn't balanced why would you buy it...?[/quote] Because even the best instruments are compromises (no matter how good), and it ticks all the other boxes? A good example being my Yamaha Attitude. Monster Tone Plays well Feels good Really well made (Japanese!) Good hardware (DiMarzios, Gotohs, a proper Hipshot De-Tuner) "Real" P neck profile But- that hefty neck, headstock layout, weighty tuners and Hipshot do make it a bit dive-prone. I'll live with it, though.

[quote name='karlthebassist' post='694153' date='Dec 27 2009, 10:54 AM']Not sure if this has been mentioned already (I skimmed through some of the posts) but.... Strings. You need double ball end strings really if you want it all nice and tidy. If your favorite srings are not availiable as double ball end jobbys then you'll have to use the retaining grub screws in the string retainer (I know status/abm hardware has this option, not sure about other makes) - not pretty. But works. Just something to consider.[/quote] Fortunately, Status Hotwires are really good strings. Typical of Rob & Dawn to come up with a complete solution... I think they may even do flats. I'm not sure, as I use rounds exclusively. I've seen DB end strings made by other reputable manufacturers - I think it was either LaBella or D'Addario. Apparently, round-cored roundwounds "come undone" when assembled in a DB end format.

At the risk of flying in the face of accepted wisdom, I dare to suggest; Ritual de lo Habitual > BloodSugarSexMagik

[quote name='The Burpster' post='694123' date='Dec 27 2009, 09:40 AM']I think you may find that if you play a Status Streamline, you may struggle to want to play anything else afterwards! [/quote] Actually, I find I go through "phases" of playing my Streamline, then put it down in favour of the Jazz, Attitude or Vigier. That said, it's easier to transport (especially abroad!) and less susceptible to damage or environmental changes than most basses, and makes an excellent all-round instrument.

I have a Status Streamline / Korg Pandora / Sennheiser HD215 set-up (plus an MP3) player for times like this (and for taking on holiday!)

Pros: Lighter, Shorter, better balanced, fewer obvious deadspots. Can't knock them out of tune so easily. You can lean them against walls. Cons: Can be odd if you're not familliar with them. If you move around a lot as you play, the lack of headstock may mean that the neck bounces around without the added mass of a headstock to damp the movement. You can't use wall hangers very easily. They won't stay in some stands.

I'm sorry. Really I am. I feel like I've just outted myself in public. Definitely "The bass that taste forgot"!

From messing around with various ideas on my own, I can safely say that my £80 8 track mixer does all but 2 of these, namely; It isn't rack-mountable. It only has one FX loop (and wouldn't be able to cope with the compressor requirement as stipulated) BUT it does allow a wet/dry FX mix for each channel. It has enough gain to enable me to use each channel as a pre-amp. I can mix in MP3s for practice purposes. And it will merrily drive a big pair of headphones! Oh, and it'll phantom power up to 4 devices via XLR I have 5 pre-amps at my disposal Ampeg SVP Pro Hartke VXL bass attack MXR M-80 Peavey MaxBass The desk channels themselves. Which is the best? Damn it, the desk channels are! clean as you want, but overdo the gain, and even (a good) mild overdrive is available! 3 band EQ, too! The SVP gives the grit, but can be too noisy. The Peavey has switchable/combinable SS and tube stages, but is hamstrung by poor tube gain, lack of a master output "volume" and noisy switching. The VXL is too clean but is very "Hi Fi" The MXR is okay. but sounds a bit dull, and the OD can't match the desk or SVP. At least it's switcahble, though. Check out rack-mountable mixers and microphone pre-amps. They may secretly harbour what you seek, in spite of their not being bass-specific...

I'm in accord with what everyone else says, but the pivotal issue is; "[i]Why[/i] do you favour a high action?" Is it tone? Do you attack the strings really hard? (I do. Too hard) What styles do you play? Would a lower action benefit your fretting hand technique, stamina and speed? The list is endless... But ultimately, I suppose it's a compromise. That said, if your action preferences are [i]so[/i] high that relief has negligible impact, go for straight!

The Bassassin never fails to amaze me! A true fountain of (Oriental) knowledge. A credit to bass players, and this site.