4000

[quote name='silddx' post='1239382' date='May 21 2011, 03:15 PM']I got a cheap Hohner headless yesterday and it is a peach! 24 frets, D-Tuner, active, great action, great build, ergonomic, light as feather, totally stable tuning, highly portable, seldom seen in the wild .. Everything most Fenders aren't. It's not a very exciting bass, but the music I make on it is, and while I completely understand GAS and regularly suffer from it, I think the perceived need for a Fender, especially an old one, is irrational with most people.[/quote] They make some really nice stuff, Hohner. The Jack I had, apart from a slightly temperamental neck, was a great bass; comfortable, nice sounding & playing.

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='1238523' date='May 20 2011, 06:23 PM']Following on from the thread about Victor Wooten having to borrow a bass at last minute, how would you cope if a similar situation happened to you? What if your set mainly involved a 5-string and only a 4-string was available? Or you were used to a 4 and had to borrow a 5?[/quote] I'd be knackered!

Great necks on those things; great sounds too. Very nice basses.

[quote name='Fat Rich' post='1238985' date='May 21 2011, 09:02 AM']Sometimes a high end bass arrives eventually (they usually take ages to build) but it doesn't quite hit the spot... you need to understand very clearly what you like in a bass before you order. A highly personalized bass might not resell for as much as you paid if you decide you really don't like it. But if you get it right it might be the only bass you ever play.[/quote] +1 to both points. I've had a few customs that haven't quite hit the spot once built. However I've also had off the shelf that haven't either, and one or two that have. What I will say is I always thought I couldn't afford a custom Alembic and went through all sorts of other stuff over the years "making do". When I eventually went for the Alembic, 23 years on, I wished I'd done it 23 years earlier as by then I had a chronic back problems and eventually had to sell it for that reason - it was simply too heavy - but I absolutely loved the bass and would never have sold it for any other reason. Ultimately it's a tough question, but I'd be tempted to go for the custom. One plus with that is if you get it right you might not be as worried about gigging your other basses anymore. If you are, well, buy something cheap for gigging with.

[quote name='Bilbo' post='1237005' date='May 19 2011, 03:44 PM']Its a great way of making money, having a laugh and will suck the life out of you Don't listen to me. I talk sh*t [/quote] I'm with you all the way on this one. But then I talk sh*t too.

[quote name='Wolverinebass' post='1234322' date='May 17 2011, 02:13 PM']Plus the comment about a Jazz is right on. One of my mates got a Jazz and whilst the sound of passive basses doesn't work that well for me, I thought it was fantastic and very versatile. He then sold it and bought 4 Danelectros. Never did figure out the logic of that.[/quote] Maybe he vastly preferred the Danelectros? I've had 3 Jazzes. I go back to them thinking "they must work really, it was just the last one wasn't right". Sadly they never do. No instrument works for everybody.

[quote name='Bilbo' post='1234151' date='May 17 2011, 12:06 PM']One of the things that always troubles me about these threaads is the knowledge other people have of the differences in sound between a long list of specific makes: they are all mentioned above. Having played bass for three decades, I can honestly say, I have absolutely no idea what most of these basses 'sound' like. I have no idea what they difference between a Fender Precision and a Jazz, no idea what a Ken Smith sounds like or a Fodera or Kubicki or Overwater or an Alembic etc ....... becasue I have never even [b]seen[/b] one of them let alone played one. The only 'modern' bass I have played is a Roscoe (I was trying out an amp in a shop) which sounded remarkably like a bass. I know Jimmy Johnson plays and Alembic and sounds nothing like Stanley Clarke or Mark King or Phil Lesh etc who also play Alembics. So what does an Alembic sound like? WHere do you guys get the opportunity, never mind the time, to not only play this array of basses but to play them sufficiently long enough to be able to identify the specific idiosyncracies of the instrument makers definitive sound? At a guess, I think I have played 3 or 4 Wals, a Jazz (mid 80s), an Ibanez Musicman bass (mid 80s), a Yamaha 6 string (mid 80s), a Status Energy 5 and 6 string (mid 90s), a Jaydee (late 80s), a Washburn headless Status type copy (late 80s), an Aria SB700 (1980 - 82) and a Hondo II Precision copy (1980). There may have been a Stingray in there somewhere as well. I think that's it. Oh and a couple of Sei basses at The Gallery. None of them left any impression upon me at all except the Wals (played them in about 1985) which were consistent. Most of these basses I either owned, they belonged to students or I played because I was there and it seemed like a good idea at the time. But to have a definitive opinion on the sound of each? I must have cloth ears [/quote] I think what you've got to remember here is that you don't appear to be every interested in the instrument beyond its use as a tool for creating music. I get the impression that as long as it works ok, then that's game over. "What ketchup do you prefer?" "Doesn't matter, it's all ketchup isn't it?" To some, yes, to others no; gimme Heinz or gimme death . I've played thousands of basses. Thousands. And will continue to try them. Why? Because I'm interested in the [i]instrument itself[/i]. You could go in Clarks' and buy a perfectly acceptable pair of shoes; for some people that would be enough, but for others they may not quite be what they really want or they may not fit quite right. We're all different and have different needs and expectations. Having played thousands of basses and having listened to many thousands of recordings I have a good idea what certain basses tend to sound like, mainly because I'm [i]interested[/i] in what they sound like. Of course boundaries can be blurred depending on the player, the rig, the recording etc etc so it's not always straightforward but I certainly have a good idea what many instruments generally sound like when [i]I[/i] play them. Re your Jimmy Johnson analogy, to me Jimmy sounds like he's playing an Alembic, even though he doesn't sound identical to Stan, who also plays an Alembic. I've owned Alembics and could do either tone, but have never managed to duplicate them on anything else. So to me, they both have an Alembic sound, despite it being apparently different. Instruments can contain many sounds and can be played and eq-d many ways but can still have an inherantly recognisable quality. Chris Squire doesn't sound like Alan Davey but they're both recognisably Rickenbacker to me. I also don't subscribe to the "a player sounds the same regardless of what bass they're using" nonsense. Mark King on a Jaydee to me sounds different than Mark King on a Status or an Alembic. [i]Some[/i] players sound the same whatever they're using, not all. of course much of this does depend on the grade of cloth your ears are made from.

[quote name='RhysP' post='1234111' date='May 17 2011, 11:30 AM']Yeah, thanks Chris & Geddy for making me waste money on a couple of bloody Rickenbackers only to find out they're atrociously made & really uncomfortable to play. [/quote] Yeah, they're so atrociously made and uncomfortable to play that mine are still my go-tos when Wals, Jaydees, Alembics, Seis, Warwicks, Fenders etc have gone by the by. My experience with newer & boutique basses is that they've generally been really nicely made, when set up correctly are very easy to play and often sound great. However personally I've always found they sound best either on their own or in a more "polite" musical environment; YMMV. Of all the basses I've owned/tried in my main bands (all of the above and more), the only ones that have really worked are my Ricks and a P Bass. Everything else from Musicman to Wal and beyond never really cut it for me (and my bandmates, many and varied, have agreed). Ultimately it depends what you want. If you take my old Sei singlecut; I loved that; it was immensely comfortable, great to play and sounded really sweet. But it didn't have what I needed in a band situation, or at least any band situation I was playing in at the time I owned it. Did it make me a btter player? To be honest learning guitar makes me more of a better player than any bass ever did! Get out there and try as much as you can. I've always tried to get my hands on everything I can bass-wise [i]just in case. [/i]

There are many options. Firstly, a lighter and/or better balanced bass may be the way to go. I had to sell my custom-made 11lb Alembic as it aggravated existing chronic back and neck problems (2 prolapsed discs among other things) but sometimes you just have to do these things. In fact even my favoured old Rics (8.5lbs each) are giving me some jip now, but I'm hanging on in there with those for as long as I can! Headless helps, but of course aesthetically isn't for everyone. In addition, physio, stretching, Pilates should all help. Developing your core muscles is a biggee. If necessary there's always chiropractic but sometimes I've found that aggravates as much as fixes. One thing I would add is to watch your posture, both when playing and not (a physio may help with this), and also when sitting; I also do a desk job and its done me more permanent damage than all the weight-training and Aikido ever did. If you haven't already, get a workstation assessment!

[quote name='silddx' post='1225083' date='May 9 2011, 01:51 PM']It looks lovely! Is it a real Rick?[/quote] Yep (thanks Rich! ). Feb 1972, checkered binding, pre-skunk-stripe, full width crushed-pearl inlays, walnut headstock wings, plexi trc, 1/2" toaster, screw-top treble hi-gain. Sounds and feels very different to most later Rics (and indeed many earlier ones).

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='1231223' date='May 14 2011, 06:43 PM'][url="http://www.dmstour.com/"]http://www.dmstour.com/[/url][/quote] Er, I think my feelings are well known so I'll pass.

[quote name='ray57' post='1229184' date='May 12 2011, 07:11 PM']Meet the new bass, the same as the old bass Fodera's are OK but nothing special. Nothing to justify being 2 to 3 times the price of the best work of British luthiers, or the hype that surrounds them and the people that play them. And yes, I have played one.[/quote] I've played a few and haven't liked any of them anywhere near as much as my Seis, but that doesn't mean other people don't like them better. It's those horses for courses again.

[quote name='tauzero' post='1229195' date='May 12 2011, 07:17 PM']Could be the limitations of Youtube or of my sound equipment what I am playing it through, but, compared to when I saw him live, it sounds like the strings are dead.[/quote] I thought the opposite!

Sounds like a Fodera. A Fodera played by Janek. Very nice.

[quote name='Bilbo' post='1227639' date='May 11 2011, 03:20 PM']You're all wrong. Its a kind of blue.[/quote] Now you're splitting hairs. I wasn't Miles off.

[quote name='Skol303' post='1227503' date='May 11 2011, 01:35 PM']Orange is still the best colour... ;-)[/quote] Nail, head. Except it's blue.

[quote name='purpleblob' post='1227138' date='May 11 2011, 09:19 AM']What I don't get and I doubt I ever will, is those bassist who seem to want to limit their instrument to (massive generalisation time) root and fifth playing.[/quote] I do understand why people want to limit their instrument (usually down to their own preconceptions, prejudices or preferences), but I find it irritating when they then expect that others should comform. Back to the OP, I find it rather like someone who doesn't like vanilla ice-cream asking is there any point to it and being answered by various opinions in the "yes", "no", "I prefer strawberry" mold. Still, most of these threads are rather like that and I still end up commenting, sadly.

[quote name='silddx' post='1226037' date='May 10 2011, 12:01 PM']I agree with Bilbo. Soloing with a bass is like painting with mud. Bass is a supporting instrument. Its timbre, its register, its limitations. Support. The bass is capable of many beautiful things, but soloing is not one of them. Why anyone would want to expose themselves in such a way is quite beyond my understanding, unless to demonstrate to others how amazing you are in the bedroom. The only people who are pleased to hear a bass solo, are other bassists who want to learn how to perform a bass solo.[/quote] And yet you like Chris Squire? When they work they work. When they don't they don't. If you like 'em great, if not, great. It's entirely up to the individual as every individual gets something different out of music.

[quote name='Bassassin' post='1226804' date='May 10 2011, 10:08 PM']Not at all. I like a low-ish action & tend to dig in, so it's become an inevitable component of my sound! There's a big difference though between an enthusiastic clattering-off-frets sound and the choking & buzzing you get from a poor setup or if frets need dressing. Jon.[/quote] Ditto. Except for the digging in bit, which is only occasionally.

[quote name='Who's Who' post='1226431' date='May 10 2011, 05:02 PM']Hi Has anyone out there tried any other pickup on a 4003, other than the Rick stock ones? I have a 2007 Blue Burst 4003 and I find that the output of the pickups seems really weak when compared to my other basses (Jazz Bass and Thunderbird). They are also fairly inconsistent across the strings, even after a decent set-up. For this reason I'm not really using the Rick at the minute, and always gig with one of the other two, which just doesn't seem fair on her!!! Was considering swapping the pickups for something with a bit more beef, like the Seymour Duncan pickups. If anyone has any experiance of these, or any other type of pickup please let me know as I'd like some opinions before shelling out £170.00. Thanks in advance.[/quote] I'm surprised the output is lower than a Jazz (my last Jazz was the opposite). How high are the pickups? I have mine very close to the strings ( I also play lightly). Is there a problem with the bass? Or is it an eq issue? The last thing I've found my Rics is "inconsistent across the strings"; they're arguably the most consistent basses I've played (which is why I use them). Is it just that you're used to the bigger low mids of your other basses? If not and you were to change anything I'd get them rewound. I've tried Seymours; didn't like em at all. They just lost the Ric tone IMO.

[quote name='JTUK' post='1225134' date='May 9 2011, 02:28 PM']Nothing would make me want to raise the action...it is not the lowest but it is fast and I like to be able to do that if I feel like it.. I don't want anything grabbing or tring me out and I don't think I struggle for tone anyway so I don't need to follow this thinking. Horses for courses.[/quote] Absolutely, although my action is generally very low, even by Gallery standards. It's all about how you play.

[quote name='Monckyman' post='1224827' date='May 9 2011, 10:09 AM']Def more thump.[/quote] Which is why I don't like it as much. Higher action doesn't work for me. Every time I raise my action (which I do occasionally) I always hate the sound and so end up lowering it again. Of course your preference will be affected by the interaction between the action height and the way you play (both left and right hands), amongst a million other things.

I'm up to something like 40, but the top 5 would probably be: 1) 1972 Rickenbacker 4001 Fireglo - I've yet to play anything that touches it. 2) Custom-built Alembic Triple Omega - sadly had to sell due to back problems. Awesome. 3) 1972 Rickenbacker 4001 Azure 4) Sei Flamboyant 5 headed - sadly sold recently to help pay for the Azure. 5) Probably either my old Pedulla MVP 4 (p/x-d ages ago for a Wal Custom; big mistake as it turned out I much preferred the Pedulla) or Rickenbacker 4003s8 (a beast!), sold to help pay for the Alembic above. I still miss my buckeye Sei Flamboyant 4 headed too, although it wasn't as successful as the above....

[quote name='mcgraham' post='1224959' date='May 9 2011, 12:06 PM']Hmmm, could be a number of different people depending on when you ask me. Right now it'd be Matt Garrison. Not to say I dig all his stuff, but he is doing exactly what I am striving to do, and I'd love to pick his brain on how he approaches arranging and playing.[/quote] Matt is one I'd like to chat with too, arguably my favourite of the current fusion types. Of the famous bassists I've met, there are a few who stand out. Lemmy (who was my initial inspiration and who I've met a couple of times) was an extremely nice bloke and we talked about Blackpool and "that bloody Opa-Loka" (which he said he can't stand - Dave Brock plays bass on it). Tal was very sweet and both Mark King and TM Stevens were absolute gents. Stan Clarke (one of my heroes) I've met twice but he couldn't have got away from me any faster! He didn't seem at all keen to talk to fans either time. Chris Squire (another hero) was hugely hammered both times I met him so I'd like to meet him sober! Tal aside, for me it would probably have been the Ox or Phil Lynott; I'd have loved to have met either, John more for his bass playing / gear interest and Phil for being the all-round legend he was.