Lowender

Nobody thinks any of those parts are worth tapping into? Cool stuff, me thinks.

Well...pieces of them. Most are little too complex but I'd like to get a handle on some of it. They put videos together for this piece but made it out to be the best channels for bass players instead of a showcase of interesting new players. At any rate, a good read and some good choices. I may have a difference of opinion here and there but it's nice to hear some up front bass playing coming from a fresh place. I sure can't find it on the radio! The sample vids are a lot of fun. And humbling. http://www.forbassplayersonly.com/Features/Top-10-YouTube-Channels-For-Bass-Players.html

[quote name='4 Strings' timestamp='1377246712' post='2185185'] Most of us are, without doubt, a conservative lot. Snob value will continue as long as we judge a player by his bass. I hate myself for doing it but I know if I go to a gig and the mandatory gear scan shows a Squier I have pre-judged the bass player. Once they start playing I definitely know I would mostly find it difficult to tell from the sound what bass it is let alone whether it's from the budget range or, more still, whether the neck is quartersawn. Do I consider that if they took their playing seriously enough they would (waste money unnecessarily and) buy an expensive model? But, however workaday our approach to gigs we don't buy basses for the audience's satisfaction but our own as they won't tell the difference. As long as we can afford and want the best we will always be on the subconscious lookout for something different/better and when that gets presented our reduced satisfaction for the current bass means we'll be tempted to at least consider it. Different/better may be older, more used, newer, mint, nice colour, exactly the same colour as many others (how many fans of sunburst/tort Fenders are there?) etc, whatever is floating our boat at the time. Even if we don't personify our basses (I don't, many do - calling it 'she' or even a name) I believe they become too personal to be considered as mass produced and characterless as tv. Even owners of mass produced Fenders et al like to consider they have a 'good one'. [/quote] I agree completely. I have a vintage P and a Ric and love them to death and would never want to e without them because they are special to me. I don't have them in the hope the audience will like them, I play them because I want to, and for that reason hopefully the audience will like what I do. But just as I'm aware that people will judge you for using what is considered a "hobbyist" instrument (I put a Fender decal on my Squier -- so sue me, I don't feel like explaining to anyone why I prefer a Squier) I think one can be judged by using a boutique instrument. I think coffee table basses look like you're trying too hard. I find most pros are okay with stock instruments. I went though my boutique stage when I was up and coming and thought I deserved something really good. Now that I' m a better player I don't have the need to make that statement. I play what I like.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1377244008' post='2185141'] There's also inverse-snob appeal. Just as strong IMO. [/quote] Not at all. I'm just stating the facts. I WANTED to believe my Fodera was superior and had to face the reality that it simply did not sound as good as a much cheaper bass. I can afford a Music Man. I HAVE a Music Man. But I have to admit, the SUB sounds and plays every bit as good. As mentioned in my OP, there are cheap basses that just aren't worth it when for a little more you can get something very good these days. And the double blind test where people chose the new violin to the Stratvarious was hardly inverse snobbery. If anything, I'm sure they were a bit embarassed by it. And they PLAYED them. If you were just hearing a bass I doubt most bass players could tell the difference between a Sadowsky and a good Fender.

I've been at this a long time and I can tell the difference between basses, though that doesn't mean the difference is one sided. Not long ago, I've played on a track a with a Fodera and a Squier and the opinion of the composer, the engineer and myself is that the Squier sounded better. As for the snob appeal -- here ya go: [url="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2012/01/02/violinists-cant-tell-the-difference-between-stradivarius-violins-and-new-ones/#.UhcXSeDLhh8"]http://blogs.discove...s/#.UhcXSeDLhh8[/url]

This is an interesting time for guitar and bass. The mystery has been solved! They aren't rocket ships. They're wood and electronics and the parts aren't very expensive. Custom builders will say that they hand make their basses. Well, that is true -- to an extent. But guess what...ALL basses are made in part by hand. And ALL basses are made in part by machine. Attention to detail? Hmmm...perhaps. Though I've played some very high basses that were dogs as I'm sure many here have. And here's the thing -- these days, the tool are so superior and by shipping the labor to Indonesia and China, the cost of making a fine instrument does not , nor should not be that high. Only in the most low end market is there a big difference in quality. Once it gets to a certain point, a bass is as good as a bass can be. It's just a matter of what you like. So which budget basses are great and which are garbage? Personally, I find the SR 500 Ibanez basses to be extraordinary -- as good as anything out there. So why get a Ibanez that's just a little less expensive? I feel the VM Squiers are cheap basses. But for a few pounds more you can have a CV, which is as good as any Fender other than an american standard from a good year. The custom shop is just an AS with hype. Music Man came out with the Ray line and they matched the original in quality. Now there's a SUB series for even less and THEY are every bit as good. It's actually quite ridiculous. So has everything changed? Are super expensive basses a thing of the past? I appreciate the dedication Luthiers have for their craft but why should I have to spend all that money on someone's personal carpentry hobby? Is there a future for elite instruments or are we looking at a future where instruments will be like TV's? Far better and far cheaper.

That bass is so hot with so much low end I can't imagine needing or wanting a neck pu.

This place isn't so much a community like here, but they have some good articles as well as nice features with established greats and lesser known greats. Worth checking out for anyone who's interested. http://www.ForBassPlayersOnly.com/

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1377038729' post='2182684'] Didn't work on one bass, so the whole idea is invalid? Not buying that, sorry. Also, the "old fashioned way" is through body - RE: the 1951 P bass. [/quote] That wasn't the cause of the determination. It was the observation that the length of a string is compromised went put into a drastic bend. Logic dictates that a straight string will resonate better and when making the change on my bass, it indeed did. Maybe that's why they s changed design from the 51 P bass.

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1377034503' post='2182625'] Really? I would have said a Jazz bass was one of THE slap basses - Marcus Miller & plenty of others seem to think so. [/quote] The MM has a different electronic, but yeah, some guys sound great slapping a J, I just wasn't getting it. And a Sting Ray or anything with jumbo frets and active pups seems to be better suited for slapping. Though, now my AS Jazz has been funkified! The string set up made all the difference.

Just thought I'd pass along a tip to anyone who has a string through body design. I have a J with that type of bridge and I always felt as if it didn't have a great slap sound. It didn't matter much, since a J isn't really a slap bass and I have others that work in that regard very well. But... I found that as the strings got deader, the sound became very choked and the feel very..."spongy." Very dull. So I changed the strings and it was better, but I felt the bass should really "snap" more. Then by observing the "through the body" design, I noticed it's a drastic downward bend -- causing the string to flex over the bridge saddle. So I removed the strings and strung them straight through to the hole in the back. BINGO! The bass now sings with more tone, more brightness and a snappier feel. The slap sound is sharp and twangy. WHO WOUDDA KNOWN? I never really bought into the notion that a thru the body design was an improvment, but it does look kinda cool. But now I realize, it's an unnatural and flawed design and the regular old fashioned way is better. If any one else has been experiencing lack of tone with a thru body string design I recommend going straight. It may solve a big problem.

I never understood getting something like a VM Squier and then changing the tuning pegs, the switches and the pu's. It winds up getting close to the price of a Fender and it's still a VM Squier.

I'm of the general philosophy of leaving guitars alone. It seems most every time I do a mod, it is not for the better. I put Norstand pu's in a CV J bass, thinking it was going to make it kill. It sounded no different. I've replaced vintage bridges with a Badass. It sounded no different. I put a state of the art Mike Pop pre-amp into an 1997 Fodera. It sounded worse. There are always tech guys who insist changing this pot or that capacitor makes all the difference. Nothing. The only mod I ever did that was an improvement was a fretless replacement neck on a MIM Jazz. Anyone else? Which have you found do be a good move? And who believes that a bass is a bass with its own personality and you can't change wine into whiskey.

[quote name='Graham' timestamp='1376948679' post='2181514'] I haven't played an '08 model Fender, but played a couple of '12 model Precisions recently and was in 2 minds about them, on one hand I loved the neck, really comfortable and I think the 1.625" nut width is just right for me, they were also unbelievably light. On the other hand, and to your point, I wasn't so impressed with the tone, very good, but not too Stellar - far more low end than was useable, particularly on the rosewood model, and this was with fresh strings in the shop. [/quote] Agreed. Exactly what I felt. The neck is nice. And they are lighter . And although the maple and rosewood fingerboards are supposedly the same dimensions, the rosewood just feels more like a vintage 60's neck, which I like. But they were surprisingly thin sounding and flimsy feeling. (Maybe due to being lighter?) And on a couple of occasions there were some buzzing notes, even though the set up was fine. Very dissapointing.

...or maybe I should say, come to the same conclusion? Agree? Disagree? But... Around 2007 or so, Fender really stepped up their game. They made some improvements in their American Standard Series and they were substantial. The 2013 models have been supposedly upgraded once again and now include custom shop pickups. And they just don't sound as good to me. Beyond that, the 2007-2012 models all felt very solid -- like a boutique bass. But the new ones feel a little cheaper. I honestly can't tell the difference between a 2013 American Standard Jazz and a Squier Classic Vibe Jazz. Now I happen to think the CV is a great bass. But it's a third of the price of an American Standard. I not only can't see justifying the cost of the new AS Fenders but I do think they've slipped a notch. Anyone else noticing this or is it just me?

It's funny. I have 11 basses. (I know, I know) including a vintage P, a Ric, -- all styles, some with cool finishes including one that's the most shocking, eye opening sea foam green you'll ever see. I leave them all out on stands in my living room. I like to be able to pick any one up at any time. I also think they look beautiful. So which one do people invariably take notice of, and comment first on? The Hofner. After all these years, that lowly cheapo bass simply stands out. Is it because of its shape? Or is it because Paul used it? I guess it's both. Any by the way, I have a Hofner Icon , which is supposed to be their "budget line" bass, but the Hofner was never an expensive instrument. Paying thousands for it seems silly. There's no difference as far as I can tell. It isn't a very practical bass, but it certainly does have a sound and a vibe. I love it.

Tight. Great grooves, great playing. But the songs lack to me. I'm just not hearing any hooks. No strong melodies. One can say James Brown is just tight grooves too. But James Brown is singing.

[quote name='miles'tone' timestamp='1376631150' post='2177001'] Classic. As a lad I loved the old fashioned look of it on JPJ's Led Zep jazz bass. It looked as wooly and big and brown as it sounded! Disclaimer: [b]I DON'T like sunburst that has a big fat line of red through it that almost reaches the pickguard, that looks cheesy sorry. It's got to be a subtle 'burst as close to the edge of the body as poss. That way the effect is more seamless and easy on the eye.[/b] You asked! [/quote] Agree 100%.

I play with both fingers and a pick. (90% fingers). I always used a Fender heavy. It worked and that was as far as I had to think about it. Then I read that Chris Squire used Herco picks. (Never heard of them). Now I'm not one to simply copy the habits of a player who I like and the last thing I thought would be a factor in his great sound of his would be the picks he uses. But ona whim, I picked up a bag of Hercos. They felt weird at first but, ya know, since I've using them I can't go back to the Fenders because the Herco's really do SOUND better! They have a bit more flex but are a bit thicker so I think there's more mass to grip the strings. In comparison the Fenders feel hard and sound more "plastic-y." So there's just another of the little unexpected twists that this endeavor can bring. Besides thickness and texture has anyone ever preferred a pick because of its [i]"sound?" [/i]

I like sunburst. In many ways, I think it's the way a guitar should like. Nothing else has such an iconic color scheme. I also have several basses and guitars with various other finishes that I find nice. But if I had to pick one bass with one color, gotta go with burst. I just don't understand the hate for sunburst. (Or tort pickgaurds but that may be another argument for another time). Anyway, what's your take? If you like it...why? If you hate it...why?

[quote name='phil.i.stein' timestamp='1376605779' post='2176876'] had to post this here aswell as the 'what are you listening to.. ?' thread i'm having an irrational love for this at the mo.. ok, so it's not gear-related as such, but hey, i started this topic, so derailment is my choice (and, let's face it one or two replies have been 'tangential', to say the least..) so, Who fans, enjoy ! [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whuwbyBtwqY[/media] [/quote] How many times can that same joke be told?

I thought wanting a Hofner was completely irrational until I got one. It's still pretty useless for most playing situations and there's something about it that's a lot of fun.

I'm fascinated by old P's -- but no other old basses. Not even J's. Don't know why. Also, I think the toggle switch on the Ric is one of the greatest, overlooked features that no one seems to want to copy.

Has no one said it yet? Signature basses.

[quote name='Lowender' timestamp='1376503779' post='2175140'] P/J configurations -- they never seem to be like either. Foderas. Owned one-- sold it. Nice and solid feeling but zero tone, even with 3 pu changes and a pre-amp change. They also look dorky. Yeah, white pickguards look cheap. Every Warwick I've ever played felt stiff to me. Sadowsky's. Good basses but I just can't justify the price. Most effects pedals -- they just compromise the original signal too much. Aquilla heads. They have 20 knobs that don't do anything. SWR heads. No way are they the wattage they claim. Light rosewood fingerboards. They just bug me. Rosewood should be a deep dark brown. 20, 22 or 24 frets. 21 is perfect. Thunderbirds. Good luck finding one that's balanced. Synthetic fingerboards are fine but synthetic necks feel like plastic. Headless -- of course. Fiesta Red -- It looks like the color of a toy to me. Maple finish -- except with Rics, in which icase it's my favorite Ric color. Go figure. Acoustic bass guitars. You can''t hear them from 2 feet away and once they're amped they sound like an electric, but not as good. Electric uprights -- neither fish nor fowl. Obvious splits in the body wood grain. Yuck. Lakelands -- for some reason I'm never drawn to play one. 18" speakers -- slow response and muddy. Vintage Modified -- any way you slice it, they're cheap basses. The CV however are outstanding. They're not in the same league. Boutique Ibanez's -- the SR is a great bass for $500. The Prestige is the same bass for $1500.00 Ultra fancy finishes. It looks like you're trying too hard. That's off the top of my head. I'm sure I can think of more . Give me time. [/quote] Okay, one more. And this really is irrational... Strap locks. They make sense. I should use them. But I refuse to . I don't know why.