Misdee

I totally agree with all those who say that it's the aggression is more down to the player than the bass. I was listening to a classic live recording of King Crimson with John Wetton playing his Fender Precision and the bass tone practically mugged me, such was the visceral impact. Geddy Lee and Flea sound aggressive on any bass, let's face it, but, to my ears, a Wal seems to compliment that aggression beutifully. Same with Jack Bruce and the Thumb Bass. Although I can't help but wonder if Thumb Basses tend to sound aggressive because the people playing them are so brassed off by the ergonomics. As for the Stingray, for me the aggression is all in the treble. Those basses have always had a peculiar relationship with midrange, or the absence thereof to be more specific. I know they have a midrange control on nowadays but the essential tone of those basses is characterized by a very pronounced scoop around the middle frequencies. The overall effect can be very punchy, though. Plenty of aggression in Tony Levin's playing whenever the mood takes him, for example.

That's what the 70s were really like in a nutshell! Motorbikes, warped vinyl (and people who claimed to be able to do Kung Fu but in reality probably couldn't, from what I remember).

I too remember Breadfan as a standout track back in the day. Budgie were one of the bands that , like Judas Priest and UFO for example, were a precursor to the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal (now there's a phrase I haven't heard in a while...) that was a thing in 1979/80. Saw them opening for Ozzy Osbourne in 1980 and they were a consummate live act, from what I can remember. I recall seeing Burke Shelley on some program or other a few years back talking about his Christian faith ect. Good for him, I thought. Anyhow,I hope he is at peace now.🙂 All this is making me realize how long ago the 1970s are getting to be.

I take your point entirely, but there is also the very real possibility that representation to the British legal system would have been different . Any litigation is tailored to the jurisdiction in which it's likely to be heard. Chances are that, yes, this young man was trying his luck at getting a few dollars out of his enforced fame. But for all we might look askance at court cases like this, there is no doubt that the image on the front of Nevermind is designed to shock and provoke. There is a degree of studied insouciance in putting a naked baby underwater on your album cover. Whoever did it knew it would be controversial. His grievances deserve to be considered, at least. And in any negotiation, you ask for more than you expect to get and negotiate down from there. If you claim child sex exploitation you might get at least some acknowledgement that no one considered how their actions might affect you in future when maybe they should have. It seems in this instance though, he has overplayed his hand somewhat. Bargaining, another perculiarity of the American legal system.

...or just leave it flat like I tend to do. It sounds just fine like that.

I am totally in agreement that EBMM's current pricing is a bit steep to say the least.But at the same time I would have to say that, in its own way, the Bongo is equal to any high- end custom bass I have ever played. For my own tastes, I find a lot of boutique basses to quite gutless and insipid. The Bongo, in contrast, is hifi but quite brutal in a good way. In a blindfold test I would put it up against anything on the market, no eggageration. If a bloke with a beard somewhere in Finland had designed the Bongo, built them one at a time on his kitchen table and made people wait three years for them, everyone would want one. In a world of retrogressive bass designs, EBMM deserve tremendous credit for coming up with a truly innovative modern instrument with a unique sound that matches the styling.

Big +1 on that. This colour combo is a classic! Love the off white with the gold anodised pickguard. The maple board offsets it beutifully, too.

Many moons ago I used to play along with albums by the Police and learnt so much from doing so. Sting is such a great player . Still a role model to me. Back in the early 90s it was RATM, RHCP and The Black Crowes. Lately I have been really enjoying playing along to Back in Black by ACDC. Cliff Williams is so underrated. To get the bass lines right and make the music rock like he is does is much, much harder than it might first appear in. Despite being blues- based, the music is actually quite difficult with lots of turnarounds that are played slightly different every time. Rumours and Fleetwood Mac by (you guessed it) Fleetwood Mac are great play along albums,too.

Well that may or may not be the case. There can be a gap between reality and perception. He had had the chance to put his argument to a judge, the judge has heard the evidence, we now have an outcome. It seems to me like American justice is working pretty well. Could I take this opportunity to mention that about thirty years ago I was introduced to the young man whose Converse baseball boot is seen tapping to the music at the beginning of the video for Smells Like Teen Spirit. He had the famous shoe hung on the back of his door in his dorm room at UC Santa Cruz. He was from Seattle and had been an extra along with loads of his friends from school. People used to knock on his door and ask to see the shoe. That shoe must be worth a few quid by now I expect. How traumatized he has been by the legacy of that experience I could not speculate.

The American legal system is based on four basic principles, one of which is known as "due process". That means an individual has the right to a fair hearing within the judicial system. That is what has happened in this instance. I wouldn't be too quick to rush to judgement on which grievances are worthy of that process and which should be excluded. It's quite concievable that this chap could have suffered as a result of having to go through life as the baby who had his meat and two veg on the front of Nevermind. He deserves to be able to make his case, it would be unjust to deny him the right. Americans are no more stupid than any other nation ( or to put it another way, they are just as clever as anybody else). The thing to bear in mind when considering the supposed eccentricity of the USA is that America isn't Britain with a funny accent. It's a distinctly different society where people are citizens, not subjects. The are huge historical and cultural differences between our two nations despite having a common language. They have different values, different priorities and a distinctly different view of the world. It is folly to judge America by the yardstick of how much their conduct and beliefs mirror ours in the UK. Generally speaking, standards of education are substantially better in the USA than British ones at the equivalent level. It's only at University level that British institutions can start to claim parity. Americans are not only not thick, by and large they have a far better grasp of the English language than British people. It's not so much ironic as it is tragic, and a testament to the degradation of the British education system and our nation as a whole. People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, as the saying goes.

Too many is a few more than I already have. All of which are absolutely necessary.

Funnily enough, I was watching on old episode of Rockschool on YT the other day and there was Neil Murray talking about how when he joined Whitesnake he switched from rounds to flats to get a tone more appropriate for heavier music. It's a new one on me, but I've seen a couple of YT videos recently that claim that if you use an octave pedal it will track better on flats than rounds because there are less overtones to cause glitching. Regarding set-ups, it's a recognised idiosyncracy of the TI's that the A string tends to rattle/ buzz a bit more than the other strings, so don't worry if you are finding that. I have a bit more relief in the neck on both my basses( Fender American Standard P and 74 AVRI Jazz) with TI's on and they feel and play noticeably better as a result.

I too have learnt to love TI flats, and I say that as someone who was brought up from an early age to believe that flatwound strings were something they had in the olden days, kind of like hooping cough and diphtheria. I would describe TI's as flatwounds that even a dyed in the wool roundwound player can enjoy. Just be aware of the low- tension feel. I have to set the action on my basses with them on a bit higher to make of for the slackness, but it's all part of their charm. Great fun to play and very versatile sound on a P Bass. Hollow clank to deep thud and everything in between all available.

I've got a Bongo 4 and I am aware of the bottom horn digging into my leg slightly when I play it sitting down, but it's a minor irritation rather than a deal breaker. I have a very low tolerance for uncomfortable "hair shirt" basses, and the Bongo is definitely not in that category. If you want an unapologetically modern bass with a hifi sound packed full of attitude then the Bongo is just the ticket. I would think that the heavier the actual Bongo you are playing is , the more you are going to notice the horn digging in your leg when sitting. I remember playing a ridiculously heavy Fender Jazz Bass sitting down and within 20 minutes my right leg didn't work when I tried to stand up!

Regarding reversing the coils on the P pickup on a Yamaha BB, whenever I play a BB2000 (classic bass) I am reminded what a noticeably lean sound it has. There is no getting away from the fact that it is not a warm- sounding bass. Whether that is because of the reverse P pickup is a matter for conjecture, but it is definitely a thing. The 1024/ 2024, by way of contrast and for example, has a fundamentally different sound, with a big cushion of bottom end. Whatever BB you customise, are you sure you want to upset the tonal balance? Just playing devils advocate, but are you sure you it will be better rather than just different? What is it about the existing sound that you are dissatisfied with? Why do you think reversing the P will remedy that dissatisfaction? For me , one of the great things about the Yamaha BB is the remarkable balance between the P and J pickups compared to a traditional Fender- style PJ. I've no idea how they did it but a long time ago they recognised the problem and sorted it in a way that still eludes most other manufacturers. Much kudos to Yamaha for that.

The Stingray Special has its own strengths and charms, for sure. I would love one myself. I just can't quite bring myself to fork out three grand for a Stingray. They sound wonderful to me, no doubt about that though. I think all unlaquered necks are inherently vulnerable to over time. The good thing about roasted maple cosmetically is that it is much darker so less likely to show the marks. However, I would expect any neck finish from any manufacturer that didn't seal the wood to potentially be more prone to humidity ect . I've got oil/wax finished necks and old fashioned laquered ones too. I don't notice too much difference in terms of stability, but then again I'm only playing them at home in my bedroom and imagining that I am on a world tour. If I was on an actual world tour in real life it might be a different story.😄

I missed out on a 9 pound Classic they had at Bass Direct a couple of years ago and I'm still miffed about it. I am still sans-Stingray, although my Bongo and Reflex make up for it a bit. I much prefer the feel and durability of a laquered neck on most basses to the oil and wax they use now. So many manufacturers, not just EBMM, go the way of oil and wax precisely because it is much less expensive to apply. Oil and wax can get to look very grubby after a few years unless you really maintain it. I've got enough chores to do already.

The thing is, I think we are both being slightly disingenuous when we claim to wonder why EBMM don't make them like this nowadays. It's obvious that they would be much more expensive!😊 If EBMM are asking three grand for a Stingray Special, what would they charge to for a bass like this one?

That looks like a lovely bass, and I'm sure the sound more than matches the good looks! EBMM basses of this era always make me wonder "why don't they make them like that anymore?" Stingrays never look right to me without that bridge with the mutes, even though I never used the mutes on my Stingray when I had one. Late 80s/early 90s was a golden age for these basses ( and for bass playing in general, but don't get me on to that...😐). I don't remember Stingrays feeling heavy in 1989 either, but that must be because I was thirty-odd years younger. And a bit more optimistic. It's looks like the Gallery have done a superlative job on this one. I've got an ebony board on my Lakland 44-02 fretless and it sounds wonderful . I hope those round wounds don't mark that beautiful fingerboard too much. It's a work of art in itself.

I've got a USA 44-64 PJ with a Jazz neck that is my go-to bass and I love it. I endorse everything folks have said about how wonderful the Lakland necks feel, but I am also a big fan of the Lakland/ Hanson pickups. To my ears they are very punchy with a high output and not overly polite like some boutique brands I could mention. My PJ has got a NeoPunch in it and it's s bit of a beast! Also, call me crazy if you like but I also feel like the small frets somehow give these basses a slightly "woodier" sound. Probably my imagination but that is my impression anyway. Enjoy your new bass. This looks like a lovely example. There's not much music a decent PJ can't cover.

I think it depends on how old you are! I think of vintage as being pre-1974 , when Fender really started to go downhill. Certainly, post- 1976 is not a desirable era to me. If I were twenty years younger I would no doubt have a different view. I am frequently shocked by the amount of money some folks are willing to pay for mid to late Seventies Fenders considering what poor instruments many were when they were new ( sadly I am old enough to remember😕), but as ever, the market dictates the price.😐

One of the greatest of all time in my opinion. An iconic bass guitarist. Such a clever musician and such a joy to listen to over the years.

They are indeed a pricey proposition, and with the added jeopardy of being a very niche string that may well not suit a lot of folks one they have forked out for them and got them on their bass of choice.🙂 However, in terms of longevity I think they are not too different to the flats in so much as they pretty mellow for round wounds(definitely not a string you would choose for Rotosound Swing Bass-like brightness) and they are supposed to sound progressively better as they get played and deaden-up .Potentially a great match for a Rick. Without wishing to derail the thread, I am sure that I am not the only person who is a little bit frustrated by Thomastik's rather eccentric approach to string gauges. They make wonderful bass guitar strings with a unique tone and then only offer them in gauges that are a compromise for many (most?) players. Myself, I would cheerfully pay the prices for a more conventionally gauged set. As it is , I use the flats on a couple of basses for my retro sound, but I would love to use the rounds too if only they would offer some semblance of a 40-60-80-100 set. Thomastiks are so hip nowadays that I am sure they would sell a lot more strings,too. They are turning their back on a load of revenue by being a bit wierd.😕

The 1024 is indeed a very different animal to the 414 ect. The bottom end is way deeper and fatter and the top end is less brittle ( for want of a better term). In relation to the P34 that I had for a short while, the 1024 is a lot warmer and sweeter in tone. The P34 is , to my ears at least, a very lean-sounding bass . There is a distinct lack of richness in the bottom end. In that respect it has a lot in common with the old BB2000 that had a similar tonal balance. There is a definition and crispness to the sound that would be a very good partner to a nice warm valve amp