Lfalex v1.1

[quote name='dincz' timestamp='1368124675' post='2073591'] The problem with thin cables is not so much resistance - the cable's resistance will be negligible compared to the input impedance of an amp. The real problem is capacitance, especially with long cables, and it will cause a reduction of top end response. [/quote] +1 There are SO many variables in cable construction. Resistance Inductance Capacitance Skin effect Strand to stand conduction Geometry Shielding Dielectric Connectors Etc. Some may have a discernable effect. Some may not. The only way to minimise the interaction between cable and signal is to reduce the amount of cable to to the minimum length that is practically possible for the application in question. The added bonus is that shorter cables are cheaper! I'm still using some cables a mate gave me when he gave up guitar. They are Whirlwind branded, and are visually identical to some Fender branded cables. They are now nearly 20 years old, and I've done every gig, practice, rehearsal and recording using them. I don't foresee needing any cables in the immediate future...

[quote name='Dr M' timestamp='1368116811' post='2073447'] The trouble you're likely to have is the fact they're about one inch thick (25mm). Most bodies tend to be about 35 - 40mm. You'll probably find one piece is too thin, but two pieces are too thick and weigh a ton. My Dad's found the same thing, although he's had some success using iroko. It's got quite a nice colour and a similar feel to korena. The grain can be quite deep though. [/quote] A solution might be to make the "wings" of a through neck 2 pieces thick. Cut them to a rough shape. Chamber them before glueing them together and then contour them etc. Just a thought for the brave/skilled or those with too much time/ too many router bits on their hands...

Some "customs" hold their value. Wal and Alembic for two. Some Status basses hold their value, but Streamlines can be tough to shift. Iceni bass values drop like a stone. Sei seem to hold value well. Can't speak for GB or Shuker.

[quote name='Dave Vader' timestamp='1367934327' post='2071169'] I am interested in this, are you running it with no preamp at all then? Straight from piezo? Does it have enough output straight into the amp this way? I quite fancy doing this to mine now, just to see what happens. The less things with batteries in, the happier i am. [/quote] From an EUB position, it's worth noting that the NS NXTs are, to the best of my knowledge, passive, with just a volume and passive tone control, plus the ARCO/PIZZ selector. Whether they incorporate a buffer of some sort, I do not know. Oddly, I'd say the pre in my NS CR5 is excellent, and only reveals any gremlins when you crank the treble up...

Bubinga's Nordstrand picture raises an interesting point (given that it's looks to be a PJ) Namely: What defines a bass as a Jazz? Is it; neck dimensions, the off-set body shape or the use of two single coil pick ups at the bridge and mid positions? Or a combination of these? Otherwise, bases like the Thumb, Vigier Excess/Passion/Arpege and even Status S2 begin to creep in...

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1368022587' post='2072147'] Err, nothing, it was offered as part of an explanation as to why prices on the whole are low rather than taking exception to the question. Or did I read it wrong? [/quote] No, you didn't. It was intended as at least a partial answer to the question in the OP. And to Timmo, I did type it in haste, and it does seem a trifle blunt. It certainly wasn't meant as some sort of admonishment, more of an explanation of what I personally do to try and get the best value. Sorry for any misunderstanding..

Buy on BC Sell elsewhere. Forum rules (no auctions / statement of item value) coupled to people's knowledge and a broad range similar or alternative instruments conspire to keep prices on the low side around here.

Black or silver would've saved the day, even with the sparkles! Silver with black hardware. Mmm

I've only seen full sets of G,D,A and E Elixirs. Low B and high C are available separately.

[i][b]Preamble[/b][/i] Well, where do I start? Having had a quick browse through the reviews section, I couldn't see [u]any[/u] Electric Upright Bass reviews. Maybe they're in that [i]special[/i] forum.. No? It is a bass... Of sorts, so here's the review! [i][b]Background[/b][/i] Why an EUB? Having flirted with fretless (an old Columbus S2 Jazz and a Musicman Ray 5) I discovered that, whilst I could play such an instrument, It couldn't reproduce [i]that[/i] DB sound. Nor can an EUB. But it does get closer. And it's smaller And you don't have feedback issues And they're available with too many strings (five, in this case) And you can use effects with them And amplify them straight from the box without modification And many can be readily set up at home without specialist tools/skills I'm guessing that the DB purists will have hit the "back" button on their browsers by now, so I'll continue! In all seriousness, An EUB represents the right compromise for me. A sort of halfway-house between fretless and DB that's more portable and convenient. Why the NS? For me, it had to be a 5. It's now my choice of fretted bass, so to be able to play/re-interpret some material it was entirely necessary to have that fifth string. That limits the number of purchasing options, even in the EUB field. I'd originally targeted an NS Design NXT 5, but a CR 5 came up second-hand, and at a good price, So that forced my hand somewhat. [i][b]Features[/i][/b] Made in the Czech Republic. A diminutive Maple body with a flamed Maple cap (about 3mm thick, if you look closely) A full 42" scale Maple neck, scarf-jointed to the body. This is of [i]much[/i] higher quality than either the body wood or the cap, and is beautifully finished is a gloss lacquer. The fingerboard is of Macassar Ebony, and has small dot markers at every position from "1" to "24", with double markers at 5,7,12,17,19 and 24 positions. Yup. A double-octave neck that's completely accessible due to that dinky body. The transducer is a piezo electric bridge fashioned from phenolic resin. It's adjustable for action/side to side tilt from behind with two 3mm Allen keys. It's a doddle. No Magnetic pick-ups in this model. That's the "M" String spacing could be changed, too, if you wanted to file a few (more) small slots in the bridge. As it's removable, you could possibly obtain a new phenolic blank from NS (not that I've tried) The electrics are 18v active, with controls for Volume, continously variable Arco/Pizzicato control with centre detent, treble and bass. The tuners are Schallers. A regular Bass guitar type, but they're the smoothest, most positive tuners I've ever encountered. Period. The nut is phenolic, too, by the looks of it. It all stands atop a tripod. Yes. It stands up all on its own. No leaning it in corners or buying stands. It's remarkably liberating to be able to just walk away from an instrument and not have it follow you in some way. That might sound odd, but if you've just swapped from a Bass Guitar, your shoulder won't miss having a lump of wood hanging from it! End pins and shoulder straps are available as further alternatives. The package comes in two tubular soft cases with a degree of padding. One for the stand, one for the bass. [b]Simple, minimalist design, with good quality construction and selective application of excellent quality materials where it really counts, particularly the neck and fingerboard. 10/10 [/b] [i][b]Sound[/i][/b] In a word, Massive. Makes my "biggest" sounding bass guitar sound like toy. Yes, that's partly a function of the energy transmitted from all that extra string mass, but the Piezo system conveys the player's input with great accuracy, and the 18v electrics give plenty of headroom. Best of all, the EQ controls are not an after-thought. The extremes of adjustment are too much (particularly if you wind the treble up all the way- its uncomfortable through headphones), but used sensibly, they affect exactly the right parts of the sound in just the way I'd want. [b]Powerful, flexible and intuitive.. Great with (subtle) effects. Noise and feedback free. 10/10[/b] [i][b]Action, Fit and Finish[/b][/i] Very good indeed. Everything feels remarkably solid. All the joints are tidily constructed and there's no sloppy workmanship to be seen.. The only shortcoming is that the inner faces of the (open) headpiece are not finished to the same standard as the rest of the bass. The neck has a truss-rod, so it's adjustable, as is the bridge, so you can tailor the action to suit your preference. I opened the back panel up to have a look (slacken the strings or the tension will fire it across the room!) It's all tidily wired and very well shielded inside. The Tripod stand is very stable and adjusts into some weird positions if you want but allows a good degree of flexibility [b]Solidly made, with only a few compromises visible. Plenty of adjustability. 9/10[/b] [b][i]Reliability[/i][/b] I purchased this instrument used, and am at least its third owner. It has seen plenty of action. And it all still works exactly as it should. [b]No issues here, then.. 10/10[/b] BUT [b][i]Durablility[/i][/b] Here's the catch. All that Maple, particularly on the body, is soft. It can be dented easily. And this has been. Especially around the bottom edge of the instrument. The Flamed face has some gouges in it from fingernails when players have overshot the G string. The headpiece is fine. The padded bag for the bass is not up to the job.It has insufficient padding in the ends to prevent damage to the instrument. The manual states that you can get the stand (in its bag) in with the instrument in its bag. Not a good plan. The stand has the ability to damage the instrument. Bagged or otherwise. The previous owner had purchased a proper flightcase. That's more like it. Time to try and steam some of those dents out with a soldering iron/damp cloth. [b]Inadequate protective gear supplied. Durable if you treat it [u]carefully[/u]. Buy a proper case! 6/10[/b] [i][b]Overall rating[/i][/b] Cracking design (if you favour minimalism) Sounds superb and plays really well- and I've only used it to play Pizzicato. Great clarity and sustain- really sings in a way that makes a lot of Bass guitars sound a bit thin and weedy! Excellent neck access. If your intonation is up to it, you can go "Cello-Chasing" A really good blend of design, features and construction, with materials that can only be described as "premium" used in critical areas (neck and fingerboard) Let down only by the soft bags and the fact that the body damages easily. The strings can be kinked against the (square) tail-end of the fingerboard if it suffers a big impact. If the instrument bag was better, it might not happen... [b]Overall? 8/10 as if bought new. If only it came with a proper case. These are approx £1700 new. Inadequate protection is a serious flaw at this price point Otherwise I'd probably bump it up to 9 or even 9.5 out of 10[/b] Any questions? Fire away? I'll try to sort some photos in due course...

2nd-hand Warwick. Thumb 5 Fortress Masterman 5 Vampyre 5 Streamer Jazzman 5 Corvette FNA 5 Infinity SN 5 Plenty more where they came from...

Does it have a truss- rod that could be adjusted? Did the change of strings also include a significant change of gauge?

What sort of a hot-rod is it, and which pick-up config is it? I have visions of a Maple Thumb with double-Ps in it...

[quote name='bagsieblue' timestamp='1367669108' post='2068165'] Cheers - I don't want to really mod the bass and I don't really want to get rid as it is a beautiful and lovely bass to play, fussy bugger eh? Not familiar with DR Fatbeams, will they give me some more thump as I would hope that flats would? [/quote] Fat beams may give you a slightly more scooped sound than you're used to. Nice strings, and easy to play due to the round cores, but not the game-changer you're looking for. I'd have said change the pick-ups and pre- amp. Keep the originals, and at least it's reversible. Maybe an outboard pre-amp? Tone hammer, EBS, Paradriver etc?

[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1367460317' post='2066007'] Yup. My Status loves The Sheehan EBS and the B3K The Marleaux HATES drive of any kind. The P loves the B3K and the Marshall Jackhammer. I have about 20 drive pedals. Clearly I need 20 basses! [/quote] My Vigier is a complete fx dodger. I think it's the low (600 Ohm) output impedance.. Best all rounder I've found is my Ampeg SVP pro. Lots of tube niceness..

Not sure I liked that. Over-application of a tap-controlled flanger/ noise gate combined with short slides sounds exactly like the sound effects they dubbed over laser bolts in the 80's. A smidge of ring modulator on the top end, and I reckon you could nail the Battlestar Galactica tone. But that's probably NOT what I bought an EUB for...

I really don't know. Haven't really played much recently as it's all seemed a bit pointless. Oddly, the time I'd have spent doing that hasn't been reinvested, and I've completely stopped watching TV, using the PlayStation, reading, listening to music. Nothing is doing it for me right now, so I seem to be sleeping quite a lot instead.

Maybe he just hasn't the TIM anymore?

[quote name='bluejay' timestamp='1367325063' post='2064159'] LOL yes, except when you do it the other way round and buy an EUB first and then a fretless (5 strings in my case), followed inevitably by a 5-string EUB. No space for the DB at present, thank God! [/quote] I didn't exactly go that way myself... 4, fretless 4, 5, fretless 5, discover fretless isn't for me, sell it and buy another fretted 5, figure EUB will sound how I'd want, buy EUB 5 straight from the off...

[quote name='Fat Rich' timestamp='1367323022' post='2064118'] Dunno what they sound like on a wooden neck, but phenolic on a graphite neck is too bright and clacky for me. I've got rosewood on mine. [/quote] And the converse is also true... They sound great on my Yamaha and Vigier, both of which have mainly Maple necks. Not so good on the Status. My only fretless is a NS CR5, and that's Macassar Ebony. That's really nice...

I'm wondering about the merits of a B3... The blurb says the tap function can control all of the modulation fx and tie them to the same tempo....

[quote name='chilievans' timestamp='1367263685' post='2063437'] Being new to this sort of thing I'm looking for some advice regarding intonation, setup, strings, study pieces etc etc. basically anything that can help me on my merry way. [/quote] Start saving for an EUB. Then a DB. That's the normal progression, isn't it?

[quote name='Junkyard Rocket' timestamp='1367278618' post='2063719'] he should make it up to her by taking her up the oxo tower. [/quote] Brilliance.

I'm guessing (and hoping) the Alembic is a Photoshop.. One good downstroke on that guitar, and your Eq just got kinda "scooped"!

[quote name='- Matt -' timestamp='1365601699' post='2041643'] Intonation is 7/64 [/quote] So, what's wrong with good ol' screwdrivers?