redstriper

you kids crack me up

[quote name='Biarnel' post='1162589' date='Mar 14 2011, 11:48 PM']Actually its almost 2.6kgs for the Scorcio 32" Superleggero and less than 3kgs for a four strings bass with headstock, like the Iter.[/quote] And absolutely gorgeous

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='1160847' date='Mar 13 2011, 06:41 PM']A highly-entertaining thread, although I am disappointed that no one has yet mentioned Adolf Hitler ... he only annexed the Sudetenland because the Czechs objected to his slap style, y'know. Anyway, while most of this thread was being created last night I was playing a 3-hour gig in a pub in Chiswick. Number of notes slapped = 0. Number of disappointed punters as a result = 0. Number of songs "missing something" = 0. Don't really matter whether or not I hate slap, I just don't need it. I suspect that most people don't.[/quote] 3 hours and not one disappointed punter - you're really not trying are you ! Oh and that Hitler was a moody little burger whatever anyone says.

Proper job: [attachment=74278:holy_bass.jpg]

Handy for smuggling the band's stash too

[url="http://www.richtonemusic.co.uk/guitars/bass_guitars/"]Rich Tone[/url]

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=117725&hl=Fender+Stu+Hamm+Urge"]This[/url] might do the job, but the neck might be too girlie for you. FWIW I'd just use your precision and see how it goes - we all play better on an instrument we know and love. Plus, just cos it's a function band doesn't mean you have to impersonate the bassist in every band you cover - you can do their songs in your style, with your sound, which I think is a much more honest and enjoyable approach.

I use a cheap and basic Toshiba Satellite A110 laptop with an Alesis multimix 16 desk. I've been using it for over 4 years and recorded countless sessions, often with 16 tracks at once into cubase. Never had any trouble with latency or anything else, apart from when I first started and was using the mini firewire socket on the laptop. I added a PCI card which gives 2 full size firewire sockets and I've not had a problem since doing that. I just finished an album on this set up, using nothing else except some very cheap mics, you can hear some tracks [url="http://myspace.com/tacsiband"]here[/url].

Hi DDM, I'm in an Anglesey band looking for gigs, check us out and let me know if you can offer us anything: [url="http://myspace.com/tacsiband"]Myface[/url] [url="http://facebook.com/tacsiband"]Bassfook[/url] Cheers, Steve. PS: Your myspace says you live in Madrid - is that near Aberystwyth?

[quote name='Johnston' post='1147511' date='Mar 2 2011, 07:01 PM']New thread. Whats the cheapest bass on flats [/quote] I might just win that one

[quote name='Johnston' post='1147493' date='Mar 2 2011, 06:54 PM']do you think so?? When you consider the amount of budget instruments in the market place aimed at the beginners compared to high end gear. Would you not think the market sector the most money gets spent is at the lower end???[/quote] Just cos you're cheap don't mean you can't be a geek. And don't presume everyone on here is rich - I've never spent more than £200 on a bass.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1147405' date='Mar 2 2011, 05:43 PM']I was thinking about this thread earlier for some unknown reason and it occured to me the poll is totally flawed because it's only a poll of BC members who as we know are bass geeks myself included. If we asked every bass player that went in every shop this weekend from young kids to people who have been playing years I think the 25% would fall to a much smaller percentage giving even more weight to the argument of fitting rounds from new.[/quote] This poll is obviously flawed, (like any statistics) but it's just that little bit easier than your suggestion. It would be great if every member of this forum voted, along with every bass player in the world, but realistically this is the closest I can get and I can't force people to vote. It's us geeks who buy the most basses and related gear anyway and how else could I get any idea of people's preferences? I meet a lot of bass players who are not members of this forum and I would say the percentage of flat preferers is similar to that in this poll. Having said that, don't let me stop you asking every bass player in every shop this weekend - and please post the results here so we can compare. You should also bear in mind that some flatwound lovers (me for one) don't bother with music shops because we are not welcome in such places.

[quote name='spinynorman' post='1145732' date='Mar 1 2011, 01:49 PM']Simple rule of thumb when trying a bass in a shop (assuming you can find one to try). If it sounds ok with rounds it'll sound better with flats. [/quote] True. And I agree flats needn't be expensive, I like GHS precisions which I buy from the states [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/GHS-PRECISION-BASS-STRINGS-FLATWOUND-M3050-1-SETS-/170554363653#ht_500wt_922"]here[/url] at about £17.00 including postage. There are excellent cheaper brands available too and I don't think the cost is a reason for suppliers not to fit them. I think bass manufacturers and retailers are out of touch with the demand for flats, partly because we all accept that they aren't readily available and don't even ask for them.

[quote name='Johnston' post='1145160' date='Feb 28 2011, 10:34 PM']One way of looking at it is rather than increasing the sales to 25% of the population you are limiting the sale of those 2 basses by 75%. And if you mean 10 jazz basses on a wall?? Around here your lucky to get 10 basses. 1 shop put up a picture of a mix of 10 fenders and squiers on FB someone commented it was an amazing bass section. 10 basses amazing !!! there are players on here with private collections 4 times that.[/quote] Yes, I take your point - I've been silly haven't I................ and in public too

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1145094' date='Feb 28 2011, 09:51 PM']Yes please Wimpy is my favourite BTW All that Aberdeen Angus on the door step going to waste! Keep sending it down here Rich All of this for a plus 1 and put better than I did, Have a gold star! Whats the most common gauge of rounds? I like 40-100 on a four and as close as possible in a five with a 125 B. Thats probably a fair portion of users the same or similar to those wanting flats maybe? 25% say, Can we have 40-100 on all fours as a standard fitment, Probably not but theres more chance of that than flats coming on anything other than the odd bass aimed at that market. I would be in favour of big stores having a 2 P's with a choice to try but then [b]you lot[/b] would only be argueing that the RW board one should have the flats, No no maple and flats is best etc etc etc.[/quote] Now that's just daft and I withdraw my offer of a (veggie) burger . The difference between flats and rounds is much greater than that between different gauges of the same string type. Nobody is asking for that level of choice although now you mention it, I don't see why you couldn't have a couple of jazz basses strung with flats if you had ten on the wall and why not put one set on a maple board and the other on a rosewood? I would call that excellent customer service and very good business sense. The fact is that many shops sell a range of rounds in a variety of gauges, whilst often not stocking any flats at all. I would love to try a new bass with flats instead of trying to imagine how it would sound and feel through the bright scratchy clang from the standard strings. I don't know who you mean by 'you lot', us crazy, wild, veggie munching, flatwound playing freaks you mean ?

So if things change and more players prefer flats than wounds, it's reasonable to expect all basses to come strung with flats and shops to stop selling rounds because it's too much trouble to offer a choice? I find it strange in a world of such overwhelming choice, that I cannot try a Fender bass with the strings it was originally designed for. A new Fender AV jazz bass is around £1600 and you're telling me it's too costly and inconvenient to offer it with a basic choice of strings. Consumer choice is the key to successful business these days and it's no wonder that music retailers are struggling when they are so out of touch with public demand. I don't see any reason not to have a few flatwound strung basses, (whether budget or high end) in any music shop. I remember it was similar in the early 70s when everyone wanted rounds, but most basses came with flats - it took the industry ages to catch on to the demand and I think they are out of touch again, 25% is a considerable market share to ignore and I've a feeling it may be growing.

Never say never Pete - fancy a burger?

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1144868' date='Feb 28 2011, 07:52 PM']Whats the point, Will people who only like flats only try the 25% of basses hanging up with flats on? I have said it 3 times in this thread already but here we go again, If its a serious possibility that you will buy it ask for them to be fitted (either take a set along or buy a set there and keep them for your next purchase when you find the one somewhere else, The strings can be left long for now just incase). If you like the bass anyway with the rounds on make sure you get a set of flats thrown in with the deal. There is more chance of a flat strung bass in a shop selling some flat wound strings to the new and uninitiated than of actually helping to sell that bass as we can see from 75% of people walking in the shop prefering them. This thread wiffs of the vegetarians wanting you to cook a veggie and meat meal at your house then you get a nut roast at theirs [/quote] What's the point? I have said it 3 times in this thread already but here we go again: None of the shops I have tried even stock flats and none of them will let me fit mine to audition their basses. They seem to have the same attitude as you, that all flatwound lovers are weird vegetarians and don't deserve equal treatment. I don't know why you think a preference for flatwound strings has anything in common with not eating meat, but most restaurants offer a veggie option for the small percentage of non meat eaters and I am simply asking for the same thing string wise.

And the '62 AVs are supposed to be replicas of basses that were produced before rounds were even invented - this can't be right......... can it?

Why is it not a viable option to have a few basses strung with flats for the 25% of us who prefer them? I'm not asking for fat, medium, thin or anything else - just the simple option to try a bass with flats instead of rounds. As far as the action is concerned, that is easy to alter and not my concern here. Every music shop that I contacted within a 50 mile radius has not a single new bass strung with flats, furthermore none of these shops even stocks them. When I asked one large retailer if I could change just one string for a flatwound of my own, I was told absolutely not. So how are we to know what a given bass will sound like with flats? We could look to youtube for video reviews, but guess what - it's all about the slap, pop and treble with not a flat to be seen. I remember when all basses came with flats and rounds were a new phenomenon. Then rounds became much more popular and flats almost disappeared, but there has always been a hardcore of flat lovers and now there is a new breed of players wanting the retro sound of flats. It surprises me that with all the retro basses that are being produced eg. Squier CV & VMs and Fender Classic 50s & 60s and RWs, none of them come with period correct strings, (unless you can afford the Pino which has TI flats).

[quote name='BigRedX' post='1144222' date='Feb 28 2011, 10:21 AM']But I prefer both types. It depends on what kind of music I'm playing and what bass I'm using to play it with. I mean why limit yourself? The reason why different basses and different strings exist is so we can get different sounds out of them. Wha is appropriate for one song isn't necessarily appropriate for another. Just because at the moment in my band I predominantly use one bass strung with a particular type of string doesn't mean that in 12 months time I won't be using something completely different, and in another 12 months something different again as the music changes and evolves.[/quote] I understand that many people like both types and there is plenty of choice so there is no need to limit yourself in the real world. For the purposes of this poll I am simply interested to know which you would choose in the hypothetical situation that you could only have one type. It may help to imagine that there is no choice and you simply have to decide one way or the other, but if you really can't decide that's ok, don't vote.

[quote name='Darkstrike' post='1144100' date='Feb 28 2011, 02:23 AM']Yup, a bit late now, you'd be better off starting from scratch if you want accurate results. I would have gone for both, but hit rounds because they're what I use on the majority of my basses lately.[/quote] I want to know which strings you prefer, not whether you like both or not - which you would choose if you could only use one type. I know lots of people like both and I know most prefer rounds, what I don't know is how many prefer flats. And I know that all statistics are flawed, but the results are accurate enough for me to get a better idea of that percentage.