Lfalex v1.1
-
Posts
5,000 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Shop
Articles
Everything posted by Lfalex v1.1
-
If you hadn't posted it, I would have!
-
A Sterling/Status with a buzz... Graphite setup issues
Lfalex v1.1 replied to BassAgent's topic in Bass Guitars
Should behave the same as a wooden neck, but with less susceptibility to temperature and humidity changes. -
You'd be surprised. My worst bass for construction/ self-deconstruction issues was a Status with no wood in it at all. The only good thing about it was the neck stability.
-
Wenge exhibits much larger pores and is frequently used (particularly by Warwick) for fretboards. Macassar Ebony often bears red stains and is an excellent fretboard wood. I'd be concerned about visible knots, damage or unnatural staining. That said, the worst fretboard I've experienced wasn't wooden. It was phenolic.
- 9 replies
-
- 1
-
-
- jatoba fretboard
- jatoba
- (and 16 more)
-
Yup. Liking the NS headstock. Seen here on my NS CR5. So no bias at all!
-
I suppose its cheaper than having a separate 5 and fretless 5 Wal. But that's all. Ultimately a bit pointless.
-
The one that got away in 99/00 Manchester Bass Centre
Lfalex v1.1 replied to AndyTravis's topic in Bass Guitars
'Twas a veritable Aladdin's cave of low frequency goodies... shame it's gone. -
The one that got away in 99/00 Manchester Bass Centre
Lfalex v1.1 replied to AndyTravis's topic in Bass Guitars
There was this Ken Smith NT six at the Bass Centre in Wapping in about '98. Amazing instrument, and I could have afforded it there and then as I was still living at home. Should've bought it. Didn't. Bought a Streamer LX 6 instead. That went to help finance the house move during my divorce. I doubt the KS would have... -
I got close once. I "cheated" using a phone app designed to compensate for individual perception of frequency response through headphones. I plugged it into my amp head instead! Fortunately, it produces a visual curve and balances itself around 0dB so as to give no overall gain), which I managed to replicate relatively well on the 13 band graphic in my Trace Elliot amp. End result? Really rather good. Presumably because it negated (or at least minimised) any amp/cab voicing, room modes, and other interactions like boundary reinforcement. It certainly "cleaned up" my tone. It was ultimately a bit lean- sounding, so I left the amp alone and nudged the bass up/mid down a little using the instrument's EQ (I'd started with that "flat", too) I'd even use it live, but I doubt anyone would thank me for running a series of test-tones through a bass amp at gig- levels while we're setting up.... Flat (In any given circumstance) isn't so bad a place to start. If you can a) find it and b) it doesn't take radical amounts of EQ to achieve it.
-
I still have 2 Warwicks, a 1998 Fortress MasterMan V, which is weird but good; Maple body. Bolt on Wenge Neck. Twin Jazz pickup and 2x2 band EQ. I also have an '02 Infinity SN IV; Zebrano Body, glued-in Ovangkol neck, Twin Jazz at the bridge, single Jazz at the neck. 2 band EQ. They're very different. The Fortress would be relatively normal but for the MM pickup placement and crazy EQ. The Infinity can be properly aggressive. Mountains of growl, but it can be tamed. Neither are still in production. The Fortress was about £500 second hand a decade ago. The Infinity was a bit of a bargain. Picked it up new for about ⅔ retail. Tried it in the shop and was sold on it. I don't know what you can get for £6-700 these days, though.
-
Compare and contrast that with the aforementioned QSC PLX 1202. It's class A/B (very little in class A before heads determinedly into B, though) 2u high. Weight? A lot. 15kg+
-
Dare I suggest that, given the other basses in your collection, you might be a bit disappointed in a Warwick? Unless.. It's a real corker like an Infinty, Dolphin, or an upmarket Thumb or Streamer.. The more prosaic models might just be a bit bland by comparison. On a positive note, apart from the previously mentioned issues, they're quite tough basses, and easy to work on/get spares for. Positive points to look for (IMO); Wenge Neck Brass Just-a-nut (1 or 3) German-made Some of the more bizarre pick-up configurations can harbour some nice tones.
-
Consider also bicycle wheel rims. Aluminium alloy and frequently anodised in black.
-
As previously stated, try bridging it. I did it with a QSC PLX 1202 (so about 600w bridged into 8 Ohms, 1200 into 4 Ohms) I (on occasion) used it with an old Trace 2x10 with 2x80w OEM Trace (Celestion) drivers. You'd think that 600Wrms into a cab rated at 160w would cook it, but it didn't. It got way too loud (in rehearsal) before there was any evidence of my pushing it too hard. Does the amp have a high pass filter? I ran the QSCs one at 30Hz. Prevents power being wasted on trying to force the loudspeaker system to reproduce low frequencies it simply can't.
-
There's a subcontrabass sax that can hit Ab(0), 25.95Hz, 3 semitones below a standard-tuned 5. Slight problem is that it's 2.8m tall. The bell looks like it's about 30cm diameter. I should imagine it's probably louder than an ABG, though. As with so many concepts, there's no such thing as a free lunch.
-
This. "Garbage in, Garbage out". Clichéd, but accurate and succinct. Besides which, it's "always" easier to reduce something that's a bit excessive than artificially add something that's a bit weak.
-
NBD - 1971 Precision (with a bumpy start)
Lfalex v1.1 replied to wateroftyne's topic in Bass Guitars
Nice. Glad it survived. Stories like these are why I collect in person and don't ship when selling. -
Shame it's "only" a four...
-
An idea; IF it has two rods (and looking at the 'rod cover, it IS rather large), then use a torque wrench to ascertain how tight the rods are to begin with, then use the torque wrench to tighten/loosen (both) the rods to the same tension, assuming you feel it to require any adjustment in the first place.. Disclaimer- no, I don't have a torque wrench at all, let alone own a small one...
-
Does it have the usual Ibanez truss-rod cover at the headstock end? Unscrew it and have a look to see if there are two rods in the neck. (Edit- oh, you've not got it yet!) (Speculation) Personally, I reckon it has one truss rod and two non adjustable stabilising bars.
-
Gold hardware on white basses. Makes them look like a naff bathroom suite. (Think gold taps on a white bath) Gold hardware isn't my favourite in any case.
-
Keep it on a stand and use the case as a house?
-
Hmm. The 300 & 500 look much like the 774 and 775 of old. And the 300's pickups are a dead ringer for those in the Ibanez SRXs from a slightly later era. Maybe some other bits are different.
-
I had an Ovation Celebrity (The cheaper, Korean-built one) electro-acoustic. It had phosphor bronze strings on. My acidic sweat turned them black in a very short time. It could never keep up with acoustic guitars, and was basically inaudible unless you leant right over so you could hear what was coming out of the sound-hole. I never used the internal pre-amp until I sold it. It sounded pretty good through that. I'd never have another, but it did help me realise the potential of full-range piezoelectric pickup systems.
-
Very true. I punish strings and use Elixirs. They last ages even with the way I play. Eventually, they start to mechanically die; the cores lose their resilience and the coating will also start to fray off above the frets and where your right hand plucks/strums/slaps. Don't let that piece above put you off. It takes about 18 months to 2 years for that to happen! (Not that mine are on anything as exotic as Wals or Smiths. Vigier, Warwicks and Ibanez still sound great with them on)
