Lfalex v1.1

Way back when I was buying such things, I demo'd the following; Hartke 3500 & 4.5XL Trace AH300SMX & 1048H Some SWR head and the 4x10 (Goliath?) For fun, we tried the heads with their matching cabs, then mixed it all up. None of them sounded "right" with another brand of cab. Liked the Hartke then and I've used one in anger since and it was still good. It seems, as Lozz suggests, that manufacturers who make both heads and cabs "voice" them to achieve the sound they're after and to give some kind of brand sonic identity. Which you either like or you don't! (I Ended up with the Trace in a slightly different form, as I wanted to buy British, and because Trace weren't far away if anything went Pop! (which it duly did))

This. I did it at the Wapping Bass Centre (back in the day) Went Jazz hunting with a healthy budget, and of 30 of them, including a '72, MIAs, MIJs, MIMs.... none floated my boat. I reckon I was just unlucky. Many years later, I bought a 2004 S1, which was lovely, but had to go in the end due to finances. I just kept looking until a good 'un popped up.

By popular request; SB-2 Tribute All 3 Ibanezzezes; (L-R) EDB605, EDA900, EDC715

Nothing but basses for me this year to replenish the herd/ give a home to Korean plastic... All second-hand. All from here. Ibanez EDC715 Ibanez EDA900 G&L SB-2 Tribute And they're all corkers in their own (very different) ways. The only common factor is that for all 3 designs, it's all about the pickups and the way they're implemented.

Alll of the tunes they recorded were covers. From the Blondie album; Atomic

Yep. Try before you buy (if you can) And buy the one you tried- having tested it against whatever else is around.

So.. The consensus is that A=440Hz, or at least ought to be. If pitch changes due to wonky tape machines, time, feel or mixing considerations are largely arbitrary (as are some instruments that cannot be "tuned"), why do tuners accomodate pitches other than A=440Hz? Much of what has been said has been illuminating, but leaves me wondering why as "musicians" we'd want to deviate from a standard that serves us all perfectly well.

IIRC Cass Lewis (Skunk Anansie) had the Gold version of that finish on an ASAT bass. Gaudy but lovely.

Meanwhile, (topically) in the year 10,191...

And likely the most stable "stringed" instrument?

I guess no-one notices, especially live.

Probably these two! I'd neglected the issues that analogue studios (though not exclusively) have or what mixing/ tape speed decisions might have been made.

To clarify- pitch. Example (which triggered the idea for this thread)- Every Little Thing She Does is Magic by The Police Try to play it against the original on an even-temperament A=440hz tuned bass and it's way off. Microtonal adjustments on a fretless could compensate, but I reckon you'd need to be a stellar fretless player to pull it off. And then there's the guitar...

I know they sound "distinctive" or some such, and they're fine in a (recording) studio setting where there's time to re-tune everyone's instruments. But what does everyone do when it comes to playing them live?

Another vote for the usual G&L suspects. Almost a Fender, but tweaked in all the right ways. Personally, I rather like the MFD pickups.

I wouldn't not buy one on the basis of it being a signature model. I had a Yamaha Attitude BS 10th Anniversary. Brilliantly (MIJ) made instrument. Top-notch pickups and Tuners and a pukka matching Hipshot de-tuner. However, it didn't really suit me. I don't like the strings Billy uses, nor the gauges, and I don't play how he plays with the same equipment. I found it to be just too much of a niche instrument to fill my needs. That DiMarzio Neck pickup was lovely, though. My current G&L SB-2 Tribute is more versatile, easier to play and sounds at least as good. Arguably better in my hands. There's still a few on the hitlist that I'd buy if they came up while I had the funds; Fender Roscoe Beck V Stu Hamm Urge 1 or 2 Modulus Flea with the Lane Poor pickup Maybe an Ibanez GWB Edit- and a Reverend Brad Houser, please.

As a righty, I once toyed with buying a lefty to improve my plucking (right) hand dexterity. Then I ended up with a Chapman Stick. Would learning to play right-handed work? I can't see how it would be detrimental apart from the frustration that you couldn't immediately perform to the same standard that you're used to. Just a thought, and I'm not for a moment suggesting that anyone should change the way they play unless they want to.

£940 is a good price. For reference, the Thumb 5 NT that I tried in 1997 was £2.5k in the Bass Centre. I found the lower horn didn't sit well in my lap. It was too short to "hang on" to my thigh. If you're going to string/play it upside-down, that's less likely to be an issue!

Lop-Sided! Another idea! Yamaha SBV?

Basslab L-Bow.

Nope. I checked!

My 2p worth; (for heads and combos) Power it up, all good? If it's an SMX, set the input gain type to 100 % valve, turn the gain and volume up a fair bit and firmly slap the top of the amp. Sounds silly, but it'll help detect a microphonic 12AX7 in the input stage; there'll be a ringing sound. Similarly, any crackling or loss of hiss from the drivers from the unit apparently cutting out may be caused by the cables that carry the signal from the preamp module to the power amp working loose. They're only a push-fit. Fixes? Replace the valve. About £20max and 5 minutes' work. The cables? Solder them rather than rely on the push-fit connectors. This is derived from experience with my SMX and advice I received about it from Qualified Service Personnel and Ex Trace Staff.

DRs are pretty good in terms of overall life/ longevity of tone. I clean my uncoated strings with alcohol wipes if they're sweaty. Seems to help.

This is my experience also. My sweat is very corrosive, yet Elixirs will last me until the cores start to go "soft" (about a year for me as well) Not so good for plectrum players- the coating eventually flakes off from the abrasion of the pick. The frets will also wear the coating on the underside of the string, but this doesn't seem to make much difference.