Lfalex v1.1

Incubus Marillion Edit- Genesis!

Not sure about blood wood, but Pau Ferro (Iron Wood) is another good option. Had it on my EBMM Ray 5 fretless. Hard as nails, too.

I'd guess that having a 6-string fretboard made wouldn't be vastly more expensive than a 4-string. Time/Labour is probably a major contributor to the overall cost. My Electric upright has a Macassar Ebony fingerboard, and I think it's a big part of the tone and feel of the instrument. IF the bass is worth it, don't rule out ebony. It looks nice, feels and sounds great, and is extremely hard-wearing.

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1381513227' post='2240191'] I've not been to a Church without hymns. Usually go to C of E ones. [/quote] I prefer my 5 string Churches tuned G to B...

ALL cats love anything to do with moving-coil loudspeakers. I base this on the condition of the grille cloth on my stereo speakers, cinema subwoofer and Trace Elliot cabinet carpet covering...

Alright, not a DB'er, but I've never broken a string on a Bass guitar. I don't carry spares for those. I seriously doubt I'll ever bust a strung on the EUB. it's also rather physically robust. I'd be most worried about batteries. Might carry a pair of 9v!

Aieeeee! Magick and Electrickery be gone, for ye are the work of the devil! Take your feeling gauges, keys of Allen and rods of Truss and perish!

A good damping technique is probably at least as important, be it left or right-handed (or both). If that's already in place, a mono-rail bridge might help eliminate that last 1% of cross-talk between strings. I tend to view them as a cost-effective means for manufacturers to make ERBs using hardware that's already available to them. A fine example being the Ibanez 7 string you posted. It'll use the same bridge hardware as the 4,5 or 6 strings. Just more of it. No need to source or manufacture a 7 string unit.

Might have to listen to JMJ's Aero DVD-A now. It's in lossless 5.1, too. Just reading the liner notes...

Fwiw, I tried a mate's e-bow on a fretless 'ray5. It wouldn't shift more than the C and G strings. D, A and E wouldn't move. Do they do a bass version, then?

[quote name='lowdown' timestamp='1381231917' post='2236054'] Thanks for he tip. Seems like it might be a good one - But I was counting out loud, and my wife thought I sounded like John (Joseph) Merrick. [/quote] It's alright. I tried it laying down and nearly swallowed my own tongue...

Watch the used values climb... Especially good condition Flea basses with the Lane Poor pickup.

[quote name='cemaes' timestamp='1380719496' post='2229473'] The sound needs to be very centered on the note, so no "wah" of any kind. Any advice? [/quote] Perhaps a fretted instrument? Or is that a no-go area with all the other fretless instruments?

He uses Cleartone strings. I've used Elixirs for a while now, with pretty good results. I'm a fingerstyle player exclusively, so don't suffer from the coating wearing off from plectrum abrasion. The set on my Warwick 5-string have lasted in excess of 18 months now and still sound OK.

What're the controls? (Guesses) Passive. Volume Tone Series/Parallel switch ?

Like most people are saying... It all went south after "Justice". In spite of the bass-less mix, it's quite an avant-garde collection of songs. And extremely angry... The first three are fine albums. And the Garage Days Revisited $5.98 EP is great for a quick blast-through. Messy, dirty and fast- with plenty of bass in there. I own the Black Album. It never gets played. I stopped after that. Haven't heard anything newer except the title track to St. Anger. Which was rubbish.

Nice. I think I'd rather have frets and an extra string, but still nice.

Unless it's utterly spectacular and has custom features that you'll use, then £2k seems too much. Have a search for at any listings in the marketplace here for Thumb NT5s and see what they went for. I reckon you could get one for £1.5k It's a buyer's market, and S/H Warwick values are positively comedic. Sure, NEW ones are ludicrously priced, but there's plenty out there in the second-hand arena, and good supply keeps the prices down. Of you do miss this one, another will probably be along shortly.

[quote name='Chris2112' timestamp='1294670184' post='1084261'] Of all the myriad preamps I've come across over the years, the Tonepump has been one of the better ones. A friend of mine used to have two Spectors, one US made with a Hazlab preamp and one Euro with an Aguilar preamp. The Hazlab was the best sounding of the two, but when I A/B'd my Euro against his basses it sounded a lot better than the Aguilar and not far behind the Hazlab one. The Hazlab preamp sounded amazing, absolutely great. Thats what Fodera used to use, and I believe Victor Wooten's #1 Monarch has this preamp. The Spector in question certainly sounded said fairly "Wooten". [/quote] Interesting, that. My NS CR5 EUB has a Hazlabs EQ in it. And it's very, very good indeed. Sounds like it's been voiced to suit the instrument, not just plonked in the cavity and left to get on with it...

[quote name='Graham' timestamp='1380135357' post='2221423'] How is it any different to any of the cheap Fender/Musicman/Gibson/Rickenbacker copies? [/quote] The QC might [i]just[/i] be worse than the design it's um... Er.... "Emulating"

[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1380108880' post='2220855'] Inspired by one of Entwistle's Fenderbirds maybe? [/quote] It does seem likely, doesn't it?

Interesting. I live within driving distance. If they're as nice about necks and bodies as they are about strings, perhaps they'd let me choose the nicest body and best fitting neck from stock- and implement my own QC. Then just add hardware, strings and electrics to taste. Not cheap, but satisfying, and you'd get exactly what you wanted within Fender specs.

[quote name='cocco' timestamp='1379975053' post='2219123'] Or a bass for Klingons? I'll get my coat. [/quote] Or Romulans. No coat required.

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1380012078' post='2219354'] Why compromise on your instrument just because you’re travelling? Get a good flight case and play a proper bass when you get there. [/quote] So a Steinberger/Hohner/Streamline would constitute a compromise? There are scenarios when it's "small bass" or "no bass". If a "traveler" is too much of a compromise, there's always "no bass", I suppose.

True enough. EUBs cover a broad range of designs, sounds and playability. Some nearer to DB, some nearer to BG. Mine sounds like a very big fretless Bass Guitar with stupid amounts of sustain....