Lfalex v1.1

And Status necks ain't bad, either...

Ibanez Vigier Rickenbacker

Can only see a still of the video... Is it Roger Glover? Looks like him. If so, it'll be his signature Vigier Excess (as previously mentioned)

I sold my fretless 'Ray 5 and Ibanez SRX700 and Zoot Chaser. I bought a second-hand Warwick Fortress Masterman 5 on here. MEC j/j humbucker in the "correct" place, and a control section that consists of: Volume Pan - between coils Bass/treble for neck coil Bass/treble for bridge coil It's superb. Only catches are the fact that it eats batteries twice as fast, And the pickup hum-cancels progressively less as you pan away from centre. Otherwise, heartily recommended. If you can find one. It's stoopid-price custom shoppe or sensible price second-hand only, I'm afraid...

Change instrument. Upright, Fretless, More Strings, Less Strings, and approach tunes from a different angle. Jam along to mp3s and improvise/harmonise against the original melody/harmony and bassline. Works even better with songs you thought you knew...

[quote name='Jimryan' timestamp='1360264178' post='1967809'] Love the masses of stacked pots idea [/quote] Shamelessly nicked from my Warwick Fortress Masterman... That has 2x2 band eq, pan and vol. All in 3 double stacks...

Or go mad, and have: Master volume, Pan Stacked bass/treble for the P pickup Stacked bass/treble for the MM pickup Series/parallel/single coil switch for the MM... That gives you plenty of sounds. Hard part is where to position the MM? More or less where it should be, or further back so the rear coil in s/c mode gives you a good P/J approximation? A bladed unit (Bartolini) would prevent there from being polepiece alignment issues if you put it somewhere unconventional.

I guess it depends upon what you're offered, where you are in your music career, and if you can find the best contract lawyer in the known universe to analyze your deal...

You just can't beat the sound that the longer scale gives. It's why I've abandoned fretless...

Was playing " Trout Mask Replica" (Captain Beefheart, for the uninitiated) My Eldest (9) Came in and said; "This is weird. I prefer System of a Down" Genius.

I can't. Don't have no FX..... I [i]do[/i] have plenty of Doctor Who (old skool) on VHS and DVD, though....

[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1360002732' post='1963386'] Yes, I've had a few like this, it's bloody annoying, my time is valuable... [/quote] Alas, your TIM is no more valuable than anyone else's. No one has the TIM for this sort of thing... There. I Said it. Someone had to.

A Bass. Fresh Silica Gel in the little compartment. That's all. Leads/Spares/Strap/Tuner go in an old (read LARGE) Panasonic padded laptop bag...

[quote name='simon1964' timestamp='1359931614' post='1962343'] English Settlement - XTC [/quote] Totally, utterly blinding (double) album! And I really can't find two that sum me up as a player. I just sound like "me".

[quote name='Chris2112' timestamp='1359872231' post='1961385'] Warwick's guidance on their open grained necks was that they don't need to be waxed. The rest of the bass does. The neck will be naturally treated with oils from your hand whilst you play; those oils won't end up on parts of the bass you never touch, hence the need to wax... [/quote] But..... You don't need to wax the stained (Maple-bodied) ones, because the coloured finish "seals" the body. Consequently, I wax my natural Zebrano Infinity SN4, but not my Burgundy Fortress MM5 or Honey Violin Streamer LX6. Those with Wenge/Ovangkol necks need not worry about anything. All of mine are over 11 years old and have never had any attention apart from the odd wipe with a soft, dry cloth. Maple necks are likely to be sealed with some sort of finish, even if it's satin. these'll probably only need a wipe down, too, though..

[quote name='DiMarco' timestamp='1359415539' post='1954570'] Some people... [/quote] Like me, have acidic sweat that'd give Xenomorph blood a run for it's money. I can't have unlacquered brass on anything. Nickel, Chrome and Gold hardware are a no-no, and all but stainless frets will end up looking like they're made from a copper church roof. Christ, it's even reacted badly with the (phenolic) fretboard on my Status! I can clean and dry everything after playing, but it only delays the inevitable! So it's black hardware and Elixirs / DRs for me all the way. Never bust a T-Rod, though..

[quote name='bertbass' timestamp='1359650490' post='1958255'] Our drummer only got a mobile so he could talk to his bit on the side after years of slagging everyone off for having a mobile Only switches it on when he wants to talk to someone and doesn't do texts 'cause he doesn't know how too. I suppose that's because he's a drummer. [/quote] It's alright. Blackmail him into keeping his phone on by threatening to expose his sordid affair on a well-known bass-player's forum....... Ah, well. Another plan bites the dust

No, they're not all the same Some f***er melted the lid for my Rega Planar 3 by burning incense on it... Incensed was exactly what I was. FFS! Who burns sticks on a turntable? Worse still, I didn't notice it for a week, and couldn't find out who did it. Do Pink Triangle even still exist? Try them. You might be able to get a generic (fabric) dust cover, but it won't protect your tonearm much..

[quote name='aende' timestamp='1359718350' post='1959211'] Okay - Thanks for the info all. So, it is more about technique change to accommodate the low 'b'; and setup of equipment to accommodate the low resonance. I will have another go on it; preferably when I am not in a rehearsal time. I think I needed to set the amp eq up very different than I have set up for the 4 string (my Warwick is passive too). [/quote] Don't try to push the bass end too much. Our perception of low notes is heavily determined by the first and second harmonic content, so have a look at how you EQ the 60-120Hz region. Try to avoid as low as 50Hz, as that frequency tends to excite a room mode that corresponds to a common dimension in many rooms- an 8ft ceiling- and that will cause evil boominess. Also revisit how/where you position your amp/cab. Sticking it in a corner may well lift the bottom end a bit due to boundary reinforcement, but may not give the sound you want. Experimentation is key for this one!

[quote name='aende' timestamp='1359713806' post='1959079'] So, I had a play on a 5 string bass last night, Ibanez Soundgear variant, and I have a few queries; 1, the low 'B' aside growling the sound up, what can it actually be used for? Percussion? Does anyone retune it to a more useable frequency? 2, String spacing - weird, I tried going between 4 and 5 string bases and it was messy to say the least. 3, Amps and cabs; I was running the 5 string through a 250w head and 210 cab and man, the cab was on the limit with the low 'B' - any tips? The bass did not have much 'tone' to it - so, are the pickups the all important thing in a 5 string bass Just a few thoughts; I quite like the idea, but it was a bit weird to play. [/quote] 1) The Low "B" string can be used just like any of the other, with most of the techniques that can be applied to them, but, er.. Lower in pitch 2) The difference in feel is something that can be overcome with habituation. Then it's a natural transition in both directions 3) Most average cabinets struggle to reproduce the fundamental frequency of "E1" (41Hz), let alone "B0" (32Hz) This does cause issues in terms of headroom for partnering amps. Playing at a level that does not unduly stress the amp/cab could give a more accurate impression of the instrument's sound 4) It's fair to say that it's easier to make a pick-up that can transduce such a low frequency than it is to make a loudspeaker system that can reproduce it! 5) IMO, a five string bass ought to be a "complete" instrument. Not a bass which has a B string that sounds different to the other 4. How that is arrived at is immaterial- be it a fresh design or a modification of a 4 String design. As long as all the strings sound "of a piece" and the resultant tone is acceptable to you, then it's doing its job. Trying lots of fivers will give you a thorough understanding of their respective strengths and weaknesses, as well as what you do and don't like. How you tune it and how you play it are entirely up to you, though, for example, some grunge bands de-tuned to "D", and many newer heavy rock/metal songs use drop "D", "C#" or "C" tunings. Doubling synth lines can also now be achieved. A five tuned BEADG will give you access to all of this. Two other tunings of note; EADGC (the regular 4 with a high "C") DGCFBb (as above, but de-tuned a tone)

[quote name='cocco' timestamp='1347829461' post='1805621'] At the moment, mine are 1 Status S2000 2 Pre EB ray 3 50s/60s P 4 Rick 3001 5 Yamaha Attitude [/quote] Seriously, if ever you're passing my way, I can fix #5 for you !

[quote name='TommyK' timestamp='1359640401' post='1958065'] John Frusciante, the perfect guitarist for bass players I think. [/quote] Yes, he is. Him, Larry Lalonde (mentioned earlier) and Andy Summers are ideal for us bass playing folks. Liking Jeff Porcaro (RIP) from Kiwi, but I'll add... Carl Palmer or, in fact, a young (shut up and sit on the drum stool!) Phil Collins for drummers

[quote name='Rainbass' timestamp='1359214831' post='1951711'] Hi I've managed to lose one of the tiny screws that hold the battery covery on to my Fender Deluxe Jazz, and I can't seem to find a replacement anywhere - any suggestions? [/quote] Yes. Google for a local fixings/fastenings supplier. Take another screw out of your bass. Take it with you, show it to them and ask for four just like it.. They'll probably come back with, " what colour would sir like, and will he be wanting Phillips, pozi, slotted, Allen or Torx-headed!" Seriously, though, a good shop like that is indispensable. So far, my local one has supplied everything from bolts to wall mount my tv to imperial Allen keys for my MIA Jazz.

What use is a high C? Pick any note on the G and barre the 4th above. Sounds lovely, especially on a fretless... If your intonation is better than mine above the 9th (un) fret.

My Columbus series 2 fretless jazz wasn't that great. Other than that, I guess I've been quite fortunate!