project_c

I'm sure this will sound great but that logo is a certified disaster. Looks like my mum designed it in between writing christmas cards and decorating a cake. This is what happens when people think they can do 'arty' stuff just because they have a computer. If you're going to build state of the art equipment, don't get your mum to do the typography, at least talk to someone who vaguely knows what they're doing..

Have you heard them? They sound pretty damn good.

I tried one in a music shop in Redhill, they had a bunch of Musicman stuff and were happy for me to try it all. I specifically went down there because of the Sterling. Can't remember the name of the shop but google will tell you. (I didn't like the Sterling - I did like the Stingray tho.)

I guess i'm the only one who quite likes these new Fenders, I don't see the problem with any of it. You can get whatever you want in a huge number of price points, and if you want fancy colours, you can still order a CS. The price is horrible, yes, but all prices are going to be horrible from now on, it's pointless complaining about it.

[quote name='NJE' timestamp='1481113496' post='3189766'] I know its easy for us to talk about what Fender should and shouldn't be doing but did no one in Fender think to take some test pieces out into the public domain, bass shows or something and get opinions on these instruments?? The same old sh*tty colours and some new sh*tty additions, why not throw in some of the cool vintage colours from the past that aren't being used on other models? Another thing with the US standard/pro instruments that has always done my head in, is the router hump by the neck joint, why in gods name cant they sort that out and grade it in and finish the instrument properly? I have had 3 Squiers that don't have it and they play fine and the necks never fell off or anything drastic like that. I have a huge in-explainable sort spot for Fender, the RW and vintage USA stuff seems to be well received, but they seem to be losing the plot IMO. To think what superb quality instrument you could buy for £1500.......the mind boggles as to why anyone would buy a new USA fender. [/quote] Did you actually look at the new colours? The olive one is pretty nice, and the 5 string precisions look nice, it's not really quite the same old. There's no point in crying about the prices, that's been on the cards for months.

I just tested a whole range of different headphones for recording / studio / listening. I have used HD25's for about 15 years and the only headphones that came near them in a similar-ish range were the Spirit Focal Pro's, which are great for monitoring but have a much better stereo field and fatter low end than the 25's. So I bought those. I haven't stopped using the 25's though, still my favourites for straightforward mixing and general audio tasks.

Signed up, but quick heads up - the questionnaire on the site is completely broken on my iphone, the page isn't working very well.

I noticed recently that Hiro Miura, the guy behind Xotic basses started a new company, and their basses look and sound very nice. They're probably overkill for my needs but I love the look and sound of Xotic basses, and if anything these look like they're even nicer. Anyone had a chance to play one yet?

[quote name='Bigwan' timestamp='1478618228' post='3170327'] Sounds like an Elite. Does it have a fairly substantial bridge as opposed to a BBOT? [/quote] Not an Elite, it's one of these but in black: http://thebasspalace.com/images/157c.JPG (sorry am on phone so can't post the pic) I paid a relatively ok £600ish for mine but it's far from pristine, bought off craigslist while in nyc about 6 years ago in a bit of a state. Has been my main bass since then, despite having much nicer, lighter and easier to play basses. Just has a good solid feel to it.

My 83 P has the wide nut width, i don't know the name of the series (if there was one), they were black/maple with white pickup covers and a white guard, worth looking out for if you like the feel of wider width necks. i'm always surprised by how nice it is to play, despite having small hands. I find fast solos that involve a lot of string skipping tricky on it but for everything else it's perfect.

[quote name='timmo' timestamp='1478560019' post='3169984'] Sounds like you are heading for health problems with such a bleak outlook on life. It might not happen yet [/quote] My health is fine, i've never felt healthier. I admire your positivity but from where i'm standing, my outlook is not bleak, it's realistic. Again - tell the guy in the rubber dinghy at the top of the waterfall to cheer up, it might never happen. Yes, there might be a random branch sticking out somewhere and he might be ok, but his chances are slim. Crap analogy aside, things are unlikely to magically be ok just because Nissan sell 3 more Micras in the U.K. this year. The fact that the UK is clinging on to the car industry for hope is in itself a great cause for concern, and shows how backward the country is at a time when we are facing climate catastrophe and by now we should be way beyond finding ways to reduce pollution. We are so unbelievably shafted it's actually staggering, and i am shocked on a daily basis that people can't see this. Anyway back to basses.

[quote name='BassBus' timestamp='1478557181' post='3169948'] I wish everyone would stop the panic about Brexit. It is in Europe's interest as well as ours to do a good deal. Take the motor car industry for example. Mercedes Benz, BMW and VW have a vested interest in there being a good deal. VW in particular has more to loose than most. Not only are jobs in Germany under threat but also those at Seat in Spain and Skoda in the Czech Republic. As I understand it Volvo's biggest single market is the UK. That's Sweden as well. Apply the Dad's Army Principle. There are so many Private Frasers around saying "Wur doomed, doomed". But look, here's Corpral Jones; "Don't panic, don't panic. When you stuck you've got to show them the cold steel". In threatening a hard Brexit Theresa May might be seen as showing them the cold steel. When it comes down to it you know what Corpral Jones said about showing the cold steel. Indeed the pound dropping has actually benefited the UK economy. Our goods are now more competitive. Stop pinicing, that's what causes the problems. [/quote] People are not panicking blindly, they are worried because their money is becoming worthless, and as a result they might lose their homes, and end up being governed by idiots who want to punch foreigners in the face and think climate change is a hoax. A stiff upper lip and a positive outlook is very noble but not much use when you're on the precipice of a waterfall in a deflating rubber dinghy.

Not to put a dampener on things, but this is just the beginning, everyone - the 'thing' we don't mention hasn't actually started yet, this just a bit of a gentle fluctuation due to international anxiety coupled with a touch of opportunism. Get ready for a nice long descent into the abyss once it does start. That extra 300 will seem like the good old days soon, but basses will be the least of our worries by then.

[quote name='danonearth' timestamp='1478477525' post='3169373'] I'm looking for small, portable, bass pre-amp for headphone practice (preferably with rechargeable battery) I have been looking at the VOX ones, but they don't get great reviews... I also saw the Phil Jones Bass Guitar Headphones H-850, and the PJB Big Head from them as well… I'm not sure I want to pay a few hundred for the Big Head though! I’d rather just find a good, cheap carry around for headphone practice Any recommendations? Thanks! [/quote] Boss TU88, not a pre as such, it's a tuner and metronome with instrument in and headphone out, plus it has an extra input for audio/mp3 etc. Not new technology, they've been around for years but i love mine, i take it everywhere. They're only 30ish quid, they sound good and are more than enough for headphone practice. (unless you want effects and amp sim, in which case you're better off using a phone and something like iRig, but i personally can't stand that stuff, i like a dry signal for practice).

I have a very old pair of HD25-1 headphones, which I bought in Japan back in 2004. They've been great and had various parts replaced over the years, but they're starting to cut out from time to time and will get sent back to be repaired. In the meantime I'm looking through the current range and am trying to choose between the following: HD25-II HD6 Mix HD7 DJ All these look ok, I know the difference between the HD6 Mix and 7 DJ, but in sound tests the HD6's don't sound as good as the 25's. So my questions are: 1. Are the 25-II identical to the 25-I? No clear answers on this anywhere online, especially as the 25-I's are so old now. 2. Are the HD6 Mix an improvement on the 25-I's? I use the 25-I's for both studio and normal use, they sound good for standard listening but I rely on them for mixing and studio stuff. The 8 DJ's will sound good but will not give me a flat response, and the 6 Mix's seem like they will not sound as good as the 25-I's, hence my dilemma choosing between those 3. Just thought I'd put feelers out here to see if anyone has any knowledge on any of this.

What bass are you trying those combos with?

[quote name='dmccombe7' timestamp='1477320728' post='3161392'] Agree with almost everything apart from volume issues. Some drummers just cannot control how hard they hit a drum yet others are far more versatile players and can adapt to a certain degree. I've just ordered set of ACS earplugs mainly because the drummers i currently play with are too loud. That's my only criticism really. [/quote] So agree with this, I play with 4 drummers regularly (not at the same time) and only one of them has any kind of dynamic range, the others are ok but they smash the sh!t out of the drumkit every time, and the rest of the band just have to put up with it. Constant loud drumming is the worst, it makes every song sound the same, and everyone ends up playing too hard and too fast. Finding a decent drummer is hard enough, but finding one that can play quietly is virtually impossible. i'm sure there's a reason for it, a drummer recently told me that playing quietly isn't easy and he spent years working on it specifically.

You should try a different interface. I'm on a mac but when i upgraded my OS everything went weird with my setup too, and i ended up buying a new interface in the end which fixed things. In my case the problem was caused by the way the new OS handled USB powered devices, something changed and under this OS my mac hates anything that's powered by usb. So your problem may have something to do with how your upgraded system behaves with usb peripherals. Just a guess but worth a try.

[quote name='Kiwi' timestamp='1477489006' post='3162546'] I was involved with early planning and design for that whole area TCR/New Oxford St junction but NOT Denmark Street. Consolidated Developments own Denmark Street and were planning to redevelop in order to take advantage of Crossrail's revitalisation in the area. But the demolition of the Astoria left some pretty pissed off people behind and they didn't want to see yet more of London's musical history being lost. I'm glad Consolidated cooled their heels a little bit and decided to manage the whole change process a little more sensitively. [/quote] The demolition of that entire area was 100% unnecessary and nobody asked for it, it's just another nail in the coffin of London's cultural heritage. 'Revitalization' is a funny expression to use for an area that had its vitality bulldozed and replaced by Costa etc.

[quote name='Hobbayne' timestamp='1477486561' post='3162531'] I thought Denmark Street was being demolished to make way for crossrail? [/quote] The petitions against this have had some success: http://www.mi-pro.co.uk/news/read/success-for-save-denmark-street-campaign-three-buildings-protected-and-new-planning-legislation-in-place/021493

[quote name='therealting' timestamp='1477294715' post='3161085'] I send all my stuff to Jonathan at Feline Guitars in Croydon. Yes, he does guitars too but I've found his neck and fret work to be first rate. He's worked on both my Canadian Dingwalls, my Sadowskys and numerous vintage Fenders. I've referred several people to him who have all been very happy, and he's not expensive either. Of course if you are wanting a bass specialist then skip right to Martin at the Gallery [/quote] He's a good guy, I know him, just a bit worried about the fretless thing, which I think a bass specialist is more qualified to deal with. If it was a fretted, I'd go to him (he's also a lot closer to where I live). Looks like Martin is still my best choice so I think I'll go to him.

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1477248507' post='3160863'] Another silly question: There's a buzz when the fret at the 9th on the D string. But it doesn't buzz when you fret the G or the A on the 9th? What's buzzing? Is it the string on the fingerboard, or is something else buzzing? I ask this because I had a bass that buzzed when I played a note on the A string. What was buzzing, as it turned out was a loose top on the G string tuning head. It's worth sitting quietly and play the D 9th and move your ears all over the bass and listen for the location of the buzz. [/quote] No buzzing anywhere else. It seems to be coming from right above the fretline, I'm fairly sure it's the board that's buzzing. A bit to the left or right and no buzz. The location of it is difficult to determine beyond that, I'm not sure, there's nothing in particular that's buzzing specifically, it's like a glassy noise alongside the note. I've recorded it, have a listen. Listen out for a glassy overtone on the first 3 notes and the last one. Acoustically it's a lot more obvious than this, maybe I should record that too. [url="http://www.mediafire.com/file/ghc0o4p37g860e0/buzz.wav"]http://www.mediafire...g860e0/buzz.wav[/url]

[quote name='Number6' timestamp='1477224598' post='3160640'] Try asking Graham Parker a luthier based in Lewisham. [/quote] Looks great but seems like he's a guitar guy rather than a bass specialist, which may or may not be a problem. I know it's practically the same thing in terms of the work that needs doing but i wonder if fretless bass is something he knows as well as a bass specialist would.

[quote name='gary mac' timestamp='1477220766' post='3160595'] Have you tried changing strings? Sorry if that sounds an insultingly strange thing to say, not meant that way, just that I had the same on a fretless a while back. One spot that I was getting a buzz, drove me mad, tried all the usual tweaks and adjustments. Then I just decided one day on a string change and there it was gone On checking there was a little flaw/burr on the underside of the old string. [/quote] Yep, done that and unfortunately it's still there. The story with the neck is that it was originally an unlined maple fretless, the previous owner cut grooves into it to turn it into a fretted but gave up before installing frets. I wanted a lined maple fretless Fender for ages so I bought the neck from him, the lines were then added by Martin at the Gallery, and they're great but I was told recently that changes in temperature can cause tiny fluctuations between the materials on the neck, and even if one of the lines sticks out just a fraction, it may cause a buzz like this. So I'm wondering if that's what happened in that spot. It was fine when I got it done last year, started doing it a month or so ago. I always use tapewound strings so I don't think they're damaging the fingerboard in any way.