CliveT

[quote name='snazz' post='1337422' date='Aug 12 2011, 11:27 AM']You tube... Try here [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDZJMKfgaCk"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDZJMKfgaCk[/url][/quote] Thanks, but it's not a jazz style bass, and not fretless.

Where can I hear some recordings of a Fender fretless Jazz bass, or Jazz style bass Lakland etc, with flatwound strings?

I have the old carpet covered 100w version and can't agree about the power. I use mine with a P bass and it easily keeps up with the drummer. As monitoring back-line at larger gigs or by itself at smaller gigs it always performs for me. I play pop/rock at reasonable volumes, nothing too loud I guess, but the Commando always keeps up. The only thing I've had to do with mine us replace the top carrying handle a couple of times but that's just wear and tear, you can get them easily enough online..

[quote name='ash' post='1299452' date='Jul 10 2011, 11:43 PM']Here's one on ebay, an early one too - nothing to do with me but they will deliver so got to be worth a punt! [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270777519451&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...e=STRK:MEWAX:IT[/url][/quote] Sorry but that's not an early model. The early ones had carpet covering and didn't have the large green 12 (or 15 if it had the 15 inch speaker).

That's interesting. What bass are you using? I have a Commando combo from the mid 90's and it's been a great workhorse. It's got passive eq so 'flat' is bass = 0, mids = 10 and treble = 0. I find that settings works pretty well most of the time with the odd tweak depending on the room.

What abuot the cheap power supplies you can get from ebay and elsewhere? Are they any good? Would it be safe to use something like the following? Can they damage my pedals? [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/9V-GUITAR-EFFECT-PEDAL-POWER-SUPPLY-5-WAY-DAISY-CHAIN-/150569460382?pt=UK_Guitar_Accessories&hash=item230ea3a29e"]9V GUITAR EFFECT PEDAL POWER SUPPLY & 5 WAY DAISY CHAIN | eBay UK[/url] or: [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Guitar-Effect-Pedal-Power-Supply-9v-5-Pedals-/270310792916?pt=UK_Guitar_Accessories&hash=item3eefc75ed4"]Guitar Effect Pedal Power Supply 9v 5 Pedals | eBay UK[/url]

I've just got a used LMB-3 and have a question about the ratio. I read that 2:1 or 4:1 are good settings but at what point is the ratio set to 2:1 or 4:1? It says it's 1:1 at min and inf:1 at max. I quite like the threshold at 12:00 and the ratio at about 10:00 - 11:00 so what ratio do I have there?

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='1057540' date='Dec 13 2010, 05:26 PM']Hi Clive Wow... this is going back a bit! My mistake - definitely the D'Addarios halfs. You can hear acoustically when I slide up the muted strings - the La Bellas are smooth and you wouldn't hear anything. In the end, I didn't care for 'em - I went back to the La Bellas.[/quote] Hi Wateroftyne Interesting to hear your thoughts on halfs. Was it just the noise of sliding up the strings you didn't like or the tone itself ? For me the jury is still out on the halfs. I tried them as I wanted the make things a bit brighter on the fretless, and they are, but in doing so they just seem to lack mids and punch that the flats give. I have to admit I've only practised with them so need to gig them before making a final decision but the flats I took off are ready for a recall if needed.

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='354845' date='Dec 15 2008, 10:34 AM']As it happens, I stuck a clip on YouTube last night of me mucking about on my fretless with D'Addario half-rounds on. The playing is shoddy, but it was posted specifically to give someone an idea of how a line went, rather than to say 'Hey! L00k at my l33t fretliss SK1LLZ!'.. Bear in mind when listening out for treble: 1) I'm playing a P, so it's not going to have the bark or honk of a J pup. YMMV. It's a sound I love, though. 2) I have the tweeter on my Mesa Scout rolled right off.. all the way. The tension is fine for me... about average. Not a million miles from my La Bella FLs. There's certainly more tension than TIs. They do mark the board a little, but it's superficial scuffing rather than viscious grinding. [/quote] Hi wateroftyne. Following the link to Youtube it asys there you are using La Bella FL flats.

I've tried both and like most here chose the MXR. Good clean DI and I like the distortion for occasional use. The EQ works well for getting the tone right for the room. Unlike most people though I don't like the colour button. Yes it fattens up the tone but for me it adds too much of a mid scoop.

Is Mike Mills from REM using nickel rounds in this video? They don’t sound like flats and the when the light catches the strings they shine quite brightly which makes me think they are nickel. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJlvgHwemXE"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJlvgHwemXE[/url]

I was under the impression David J of Bauhaus only played fretless Precisions but here is a picture showing him playing a fretless jazz on their tour from a few years ago. (3rd picture down on the left) [url="http://www.hyperplush.com/bauhaus1.html"]http://www.hyperplush.com/bauhaus1.html[/url] Does anyone know any more about this? Any better pictures? What songs did he use it on?

Great interview, thanks for posting. One of my favourite bass players. Does he use the Rotosound swing bass strings on fretless as well? Didn't know he used the octaver either, where can that be heard?

Because the colour button is engaged when using rhe distortion channel do you find you need to push the mids a bit to allow for this when using the distortion? If I want the clean part of my distortion tone to be similar to my actual clean tone I find I do need to push the mids from 12:00 to 3:00.

[quote name='tayste_2000' post='761651' date='Mar 2 2010, 11:17 AM']Here is one I did ages ago [url="http://www.grygrx.net/Pedal%20Reviews/MXR/M-80/MXR%20M-80.mp3"]http://www.grygrx.net/Pedal%20Reviews/MXR/.../MXR%20M-80.mp3[/url] Great pedal I was going to buy one again but thinking I'll get the Tone Hammer this time around.[/quote] Thanks. there is certainly a lot of gain on tap, as can be heard just after halfway when you boost the gain.

[quote name='MacDaddy' post='760484' date='Mar 1 2010, 10:07 AM']if you are anywhere near that London and are going to the London Bassbash, I'll take mine and you can have a fiddle.[/quote] Thanks, but I won't be able to make it.

Does anyone have any sound samples or videos of the MXR M80? Apart from Dunlop’s own demo video here there are very few samples I can find [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGT9IVvR8sM"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGT9IVvR8sM[/url]

[quote name='1976fenderhead' post='733506' date='Feb 2 2010, 09:31 PM']I tried it with a fretless, overall I prefer the tone but I feel I lose the expressiveness of the mwwwahhh of the bass especially in higher notes so as a trade off I don't use it with my fretless. I suppose I could boost the highs to get the mwaahh back, but if so, I get just a normal transparent tone like my SWR already has, no point in using the M80 then (unless if no amp being used). At the moment I have it set up as proper clean and proper distortion but I'll try to add just a slight touch of distortion to my clean tone and leave it on all the time to see how that goes...[/quote] I use the M80 with fretless but just not the "color" button. The mid scoop kills mwah as you say.

I like the M80 and find it a very useful tool but I don't tend to use the "color" button on the clean channel. I find it sucks too much of the mids from the tone. With my P bass I like to leave the eq pretty much flat, boosting what's required for the room. I find you get a nice grind from the distortion with blend around 11 o'clock, and gain at 9 - 10 o'clock. Push the gain to 12 - 2 o'clock for fuzz. The "color" button is engaged when the distortion is on but I find that helps put back the bass which distortion usually loses. Anyone else use the M80 with a fretless? I find the mid control comes in very useful here and a small boost really helps define the fretless tone.

There was an interesting Culture Show special on John L last night on BBC4. Very interesting. Steve Firth sounded good on bass playing a fretless and EUB on the show when they showed a couple of rehearsal clips. Anyone know what gear he uses ?

[quote name='Spoombung' post='681158' date='Dec 11 2009, 11:36 AM']Where do you guys buy your strings in the UK? Is there a good website? I'm after short scale flats that'll fit a Danelectro 30" scale.[/quote] stringbusters.com or stringsdirect.co.uk are the ones I mainly use.

[quote name='Sean' post='639689' date='Oct 29 2009, 07:38 AM']Cheers, guys. If you want a good idea of how versatile flats can be listen to some tracks off the new REM live album. Mike Mills uses flatwounds on his Precision and strikes them with a pick. His tone is just fabulous.[/quote] On his main fretted Precision? He never used to. Do you know what flats he uses ?

I would make sure you know exactly what you need before spending money. I have both P and fretless J basses and gig with both regularly. The P bass sounds good as it is but the fretless jazz needs a small volume boost to equal the P. At low volumes a like to boost the mids a bit on the fretless too but at gig volume I don’t find this is necessary. So, I use an MXR M80 and if I need no EQ changes for the P it’s left switched off. When I change to the fretless J I use the clean channel to boost. To be honest even if I need to use a little EQ for the P it’s not a problem to bend down after switching basses and move the volume knob from 12:00 to 2:00, and a small EQ change on the fly is very easy too. My chorus pedal stays inline all the time too so can be used whenever needed.

[quote name='dmz' post='667841' date='Nov 27 2009, 10:58 PM']Wasn't Pink Floyds "Hey You" David Gilmour on his JayDee fretless - wonderful tone - wonderful playing.......[/quote] I didn't know that, I presumed it was a fretless P. What style of fretless is the JayDee ?

Listening to the audio samples on the Lakland website are useful. They have samples with rounds and flats on many basses, and the 2 pickup basses they solo each pickup as well as both together. Whilst they don't have a fretless sample it was obvious that the neck pickup on their Jazz basses was close to the Precision pickup tone.