project_c

Ok, didn't realise this would be such a contentious issue, here's what I mean by 'feel': - first, I adjust the truss rod by looking down and seeing how straight it is, and by pressing down on the first and last fret. I like it to be fairly straight. - then, I set the string height on the saddles by playing the bass until it feels right. Yes, by 'feel'. Which as it turns out is usually bang on 4/64ths. - then intonation, which I don't do by feel for obvious reasons (my ears are not that accurate) - then pickup height, which, as i've learnt, i normally set lower than i should. That's it, I usually don't need to do much more than that. I don't see the big deal.

I get like this during times when i'm stressed out with work or preoccupied with some other issue, and definitely when i've not had enough sleep. lack of sleep is the single worst thing for my bass playing. It also coincides with those times when i'm not happy with equipment or tone - which leads to GAS - I think those things are intrinsically linked. A bass can sound like crap one night, and amazing the next day after you've had some sleep. I never get enough sleep so i'm really aware of the symptoms.

[quote name='dyerseve' timestamp='1486913846' post='3235453'] If you want to properly understand how to setup your bass correctly, I thoroughly recommend the 4 part video by John Carruthers on YouTube. Covers all aspects such as trussrod, bridge action, but action and intonation. It covers how to carry out these steps but also explains what you are doing and why they are done in a set sequence. [/quote] Thanks, I've watched all those videos many times, there are a lot of good videos for setting up Fenders. As I said I generally set up my own basses as long as there's nothing drastically wrong with them, but I've just always done it by feel rather than by measurements.

I realise this is stating the obvious, but for the past few years I've been doing my own setups purely by feel, and then on a whim I decided to buy a string gauge the other day, and lo and behold, it's amazing the difference a simple little ruler makes. It's cleared up a lot of things. I've learnt that I like my action lower than the Fender 'preset', the strings on all my basses were pretty much bang on 4/64ths at the 17th fret (as opposed to 6/64ths). But I like a bit of fret buzz so that's fine. I've also learnt that my pickup heights were all over the place on all 3 of my P-basses, and when I adjusted them on my fretless (they were way too low), the difference in tone was huge. I also learnt that on my Jazz everything was perfectly aligned and I didn't need to adjust anything, which is weird. If any of the basses had major issues I'd still take them to a pro, but for regular general maintenance these things are invaluable, I can't believe I've left it this long to get one.

It's either one of these or something v similar: http://pandamidi.com/bass-guitar-synth/

Anyone seen this yet? http://youtu.be/v5eWOCT8jcs

+1 on Dean Markley Blue Steels

Thanks everyone! Didn't know about OBBM, or Cleartone or the Chord Company, will drop them all a line.

I'm looking for British companies that make good quality instrument cables. Looking into a potential collaboration for a business idea and would like to use a UK company if at all viable, anyone know of any good companies that do this?

[quote name='Hobbayne' timestamp='1485965552' post='3228095'] I could never quite get on with the Quarter Pounders. I replaced them with a more vintage sounding SPB1. Apart from that, My Nate Mendel is my most played bass. [/quote] There are occasions when they can be a bit too much. Did you not find turning the volume down a bit got you in the same territory as a normal P? The QPs are so loud that even if you back off a bit they're still loud enough, but they get a bit more into traditional P territory and lose some of that heavy thump.

The pickups have a lot to do with why these are so good. Those QP's sound so weighty, I have a P with them in and it's always getting compliments. One suggestion from experience- some people find them a bit much in certain situations and they end up replacing them. If you ever find them over the top, just back off the volume on your bass a bit, they end up sounding like a normal P pickup.

[quote name='Low End Bee' timestamp='1485791861' post='3226706'] I like that olive finish. [/quote] I like it too, and I also like black and sunburst. I generally like the limited color range, doesn't bother me. We must be their target demographic.

[quote name='Tee' timestamp='1485438451' post='3223968'] What's going on here then? The [url="http://shop.fender.com/en-GB/electric-basses/precision-bass/bullet-bass-b-34-aka-bullet-bass-deluxe-34-1982-1983/0191002800.html#start=1"]pictures[/url] are of the American Vintage '58 precision, but the title tells a different story. Are they reissuing a Bullet bass? [attachment=236663:Screen Shot 2017-01-26 at 13.32.49.png] [/quote] That would be nice, although i'm sure they would've mentioned it at Namm. Would probably be a good time to relaunch the Bullet in both scale lengths though, maybe once the Mustangs are all gone.

I can relate to this, my gf is quite a bit younger than me, I get dragged to all kinds of crap i absolutely hate. The single worst thing was Glastonbury last year, I went to raves and festivals all through my 20s and 30s, i'm 100% done with getting my car stuck in a swamp, portaloo rivers of sh!t and people on pills missioning it around a medieval mudbath covered in litter. I go to wine bars that play chart music, house parties where people play drinking games, clubs, I have to put up with her being skint all the time, it sounds fun but trust me it's hard work, especially for a grumpy bastard like me. But I always go regardless, I see it as the price you pay for maintaining a decent relationship, and to be fair she also makes the effort and comes out when i see my friends or play bass somewhere. It's been 6 whole years of hard work but i probably wouldn't have it any other way.

[quote name='Kev' timestamp='1485076618' post='3220839'] I get that requirement, but what are such people using for a cab? In such circumstances, a small combo would be even more convenient surely? If not, why not buy a more powerful amp and turn it down? I cannot see why people need an amp this tiny, 500w+ Class D heads are marginally bigger and much more flexible. As I say, the market is clearly there for companies to be making them, I just don't understand why [/quote] Yeah, I gig with a combo too, it's a fair point. Maybe this and the tiny 8 cab takes up even less space than a combo, who knows. Maybe the tiny head means you only have to carry a cab and the head can go in your bass bag, and it all makes the journey more manageable. The smaller the better for me,but I appreciate it's not the same for most people. My tiny Genz Shuttle combo and a bass on my back still makes me look massive and cumbersome on the tube, at rush hour people hate you with luggage like that. Still it would take a lot to better the Genz, I don't know if the Trace is even in the same ballpark in terms of tone really, but in any case I appreciate the desire to make everything as small as possible.

[quote name='Kev' timestamp='1485034219' post='3220665'] What is this market for these 200w heads? More and more seem to be appearing, I don't really get who is buying them?? If I were looking for something that low powered for practice or similar, I would be looking at a combo rather than a standalone head and a separate speaker or 2. Clearly there is a market for them and I say good luck to them! Certainly looks more exciting than the GK equivalent [/quote] Lots of people live in small apartments with no storage space, thin walls and have neighbors really close by. Those people tend to live in big cities where they have to use public transport to get to gigs and carry everything by hand, and many of those gigs are in tiny venues where loudness and power are not much of an issue as sound quality. As long as they sound good, they should do well with these.

http://youtu.be/sHuwQwPAxL0

Also John Procter in Nunhead, really good.

[quote name='markdavid' timestamp='1484653699' post='3217158'] is Feline still running from Martin Phelps? I see they have a slightly different address but i am sure they used to be run by the same people [/quote] Don't know, owner seems like a v nice guy, did a repair job for me super fast a few months ago. he has glasses and long 'let's rock' hair. If that sounds familiar it's the same people.

have you tried Feline in Croydon? Am also intrigued by the guy in Orpington, let us know how you get on if you end up there.

This looks great to me, nice to see a Genz Shuttle-style combo coming back, 100% happy my tiny Shuttle 3.8 combo and this will sound way bigger and better. The amp and cab will be available separately too.

[quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1483481121' post='3207615'] So the same as the slow blues song for a cover band? [/quote] Like that but with more bass face, while the rest of the band check their phones and talk amongst themselves.

[quote name='spectoremg' timestamp='1483462012' post='3207334'] What's soloing on a bass? [/quote] If you play jazz, it's a requirement. In other genres, it's a dance floor clearing manoeuvre.

Not my kind of thing at all, but swapping the fretted / fretless parts to this from how it used to be on the previous model makes much more sense to me. Fretless for bass parts and walking lines, frets for soloing in high registers. Might even make sense to make a standard 4 string fretless which is fretted when you get above the 12th fret. Those high notes are tough on a fretless, even if it's lined. (or maybe i could just learn to play fretless better)

Anyone else notice "Made in the USA" has been replaced with "Corona, CA"? I think the little USA flag sticker is also gone. It's a fairly big sign of the times I think, not just with California increasingly seeing itself as a separate entity from the rest of the USA, but also global attitudes towards the USA. Or maybe I'm reading too much into it.