Russ

Well, here it is... my new Sei! It got delivered today - I haven't had a chance to plug it in yet (I'm at work), but first impressions are amazing. It's even prettier in person. Now, for my next trick, I have to find a band to play it with...

I've heard that Marshall have refined the design of the MB series amps as a result of bad feedback about reliability. I've never owned one, but I've played through a few and always thought they sounded bloody good for the money, easily up there with the likes of the Ampeg B series. I wish Marshall would put the Dynamic Bass System stuff back into production. That was the best bass gear they ever made. The only downside was the sheer size and weight of the cabs - they could do so much better now with neodymium drivers and so on.

[quote name='Salt on your Bass?' post='1244443' date='May 25 2011, 03:22 PM']Wasnt the 'superstore' thing effectively what Sound Control aimed at/provided before going into receivership??[/quote] I think Sound Control's problem is that they set themselves up in large shops in city centres with very high overheads, eliminating their ability to be cost-competitive because of much higher operating costs, despite their increased ability to buy in bulk. They should have set themselves up in out-of-town shopping centres or other places where rents weren't as high. People shopping for musical instruments realise they have a somewhat niche interest and would probably be prepared to travel a little further to get their instrument fix. In the US, most Guitar Center locations are in out-of-town strip malls (roadside shopping centres) where they can pay much lower rents and get much more space.

[quote name='molan' post='1244333' date='May 25 2011, 02:00 PM']Based on my experience of Guitar Center in the US I'd go for small specialist retailers every time. Never found one with a decent bass person and I've visited quite a few.[/quote] I've been to a couple where there was reasonably knowledgeable bass people, and you can't argue with the prices, for the most part. For the bread-and-butter bass stuff (Fender, Ibanez, Musicman, etc) they're very well-priced, since they buy in bulk. The only problem is that the stuff they have on display is usually not set up properly. They must just pull the instruments out of the box and hang them up on the wall - I tried out a nice-looking Stingray 5 when I was at a GC last year, and it was unplayable - the strings were lying on the neck. That degree of inattention cost them a sale.

I think the other thing that goes on in the US that doesn't really happen in the UK is the "music superstore" phenomenon - Guitar Center, Sam Ash, Musician's Friend and so on. Manufacturers sell goods to these companies by the hundred, hence getting volume discounts, whereas they'll only sell a few at a time to shops in the UK. Also, if you import things by the pallet-load you save a ton of money on shipping, but not so much if it's just individual items sent separately.

It works the other way around too. For instance, Marshall, Ashdown and Blackstar amps cost a fortune in the US, and you should see the price of Warwick basses... eek. You'll find insane markups almost everywhere where there's any kind of importing going on that isn't from the far east.

On the subject of portable recording solutions, has anyone else played with Garageband on the iPad? F***ing awesome. I've been using it with the iRig guitar interface for recording bits and pieces, and it rules - no latency, great-sounding effects, and some awesome virtual instruments - the "smart drums" are fantastic, some of the synth stuff is amazing (complete with real-time parameter and filter adjustment) and the virtual guitar is astonishing - it even does palm-muting! Best £3 I've ever spent on a piece of music software. Although, of course, you need to buy the iPad to go with it.

[quote name='Lozz196' post='1238957' date='May 21 2011, 07:06 AM']Take a look at the Eden Nemesis - link below. I`m an Ampeg fan, and when seeking out a lightweight 4x10, saw these, spoke to The Bass Merchant, and they advised that the Nemesis is inkeeping with the Ampeg sound. So I bought one, and am very pleased with it. Don`t know about the 2x10s, but the 4x10 has an adjustable, and very smooth tweeter. On it adds a little high end sharness, but no irritating hiss. Off, the cab sounds like a traditional rock sound, warm, but focused. It has that knack of being really present in the mix when playing. The 2x10s freq response is 35hz - 18khz, lower in fact, than the 4x10 - if I`d had the money, two of these would have been my preferred option. The link, by the way, is a bit wrong, and the written text gives info relating to the 2x10 combo, but the specs relate to the 2x10 cab. [url="http://www.bassmerchant.com/item_detail.php?product_id=449&category_id=2"]http://www.bassmerchant.com/item_detail.ph...p;category_id=2[/url][/quote] I don't think Eden actually make the Nemesis line anymore - they've been replaced by the Eden E-series, which look more or less the same as the old Nemesis line. I've got no idea if they're any good though. Shame, one of the coolest rigs I ever tried was the Nemesis 2x12" combo with an extension 2x12" cab. And their old 8x10" combo (yes, combo) was a beast. Grab a couple of Alex's Barefaced Compacts. They'll do you just fine.

Behold... [attachment=80271:newsei.jpg] It's not quite ready for me yet - that's not the final neck (the final neck will have an unlined fingerboard) but hopefully this provides suitable Sei pr0n for the time being - it certainly has for me.

[quote name='supabock' post='1041531' date='Nov 29 2010, 07:32 PM']Well there is no doubt as to the quality of these basses. I have two so could be a little biased. The seller refers to it as being ultra rare, but i think its only ultra rare as it would take Martin some months, more like a year to produce one to your spec, if thats what you want. I think they are worth every penny, but do feel this seller is asking for max price on this one. All subjective i know and it depends if someone wants to buy it at that price or wait for a new one at an equivalent price to what he is asking for. Steve[/quote] Martin's been working on my 5-string fretless Jazz for 15 months now... Still, it should be biblically awesome when it's done.

It's got some nice "mwah", but not six grand's worth... and seriously, why do all Americans pronounce it "War-Wick"?

Saw them in the US last autumn. Great show, all the hits. Even stuff like "Jerry Was A Racecar Driver". They've still got it, and Jay Lane is an awesome drummer. They did go through an awful phase of trying their hand at being a jam band when they first got back together after their hiatus. Glad they've given all that up.

I've got four basses (soon to be five), two guitars, a touchstyle/Stick-type instrument and a cheapo electric upright. Oh, and a bunch of computer music/MIDI gear, and I'm not in a band. The only musicians I have any desire to play with right now are 3500 miles away, back home in the UK. Out here it's all awful cover bands and Christian rock, and I have zero interest in either. I've been attempting to make some music on my own on the computer, but it's tough without someone else to bounce ideas off. Guess I'll just have to wait until we move home, whenever that may be.

I've still got my old pair somewhere, not planning on getting rid of them though. Basically, they're percussion sticks (drumsticks without the tapered end and tip) that have been cut in half, with finger indents carved into them, and a short length of Velcro to secure them. One is also slightly longer than the other to accommodate the different lengths of your index and middle fingers. The ends have also been dipped in silicone rubber to soften the attack a little. I've seen pairs change hands for £200 before on Ebay...

[quote name='dan2112' post='1114221' date='Feb 3 2011, 05:53 PM']Anyone else notice the BXP logo on the Peavey Cirrus?[/quote] Apparently he's got a Sei Bass on the way, so we probably won't be seeing him with the Peaveys for too much longer.

He did good. I was particularly impressed with how well he pulled off the Queen stuff, since he's not really known as a rock player. And, despite his thumb being taped up for action, I didn't hear him slap once. Nice Statii too. Good show though. Some nice variety there. The usual dad-rock suspects (Clapton, etc), but it was nice to see Paloma Faith, and that kid from Keane who sang with Queen absolutely nailed the Freddie thing - who'd have thunk it? Hidden behind Keane's bland indie-rock stylings is a proper showman with a proper voice trying to get out!

I'm pretty sure they were performing live - the tune sounded different to the album version, and John Taylor's bass sound on the album didn't have such an obvious envelope filter tone to it. I guess he was just looking for an opportunity to tune up! And, I must say, I approve of Simon LeBon's beardiness.

[quote name='Chris2112' post='1106218' date='Jan 28 2011, 02:02 PM']Yes, the Corvette is another popular one that just does not work for me. I think Warwick have some part to play in devaluing their brand over the years, watering things down with ash bodies and maples necks hasn't really done them any good. To me, that classic Warwick sound comes from the Thumb, with it's wenge/ovangkol/bubinga construction and pickup placement.[/quote] I'm not a Corvette fan either. In my opinion, the last new and interesting shape they came out with was the Fortress, which has now been demoted to being a Rockbass-only model.

[quote name='Chris2112' post='1105711' date='Jan 28 2011, 12:38 AM']No, that model was never particularly well received, especially in it's hideous bolt on guise.[/quote] I'm amazed they still make it, to be honest. For me, the only design that they make outside of the Thumb and Streamer that really works is the Infinity. I had high hopes for the Thumb singlecut, but it ended up being disappointing... They do have some very nice Korean-made signature basses now that might make their range a bit more accessible. There's a cheaper P-Nut sig bass that looks awesome, and the cheaper Zender bass looks a lot nicer without the silly inlays. Shame they've got maple necks though - part of the whole Warwick allure for me is the exotic-wood necks.

[quote name='risingson' post='1104654' date='Jan 27 2011, 02:17 AM']I like Warwicks, I always have, but I think they've played into the hands of a certain market that has now alienated some potential customers that believe that their application as instruments is limited to metal etc. They need a bit of an overhaul image wise, maybe start looking to endorse a wider range of artists that pull a newer crowd of players.[/quote] The thing is, you don't see too many metal guys with them any more. There were loads 5 years ago or so, but either the bands involved have slipped into obscurity or the players have moved on to other instruments or endorsers. The stigma's still there though. On the plus side, it did make for some excellent bass tones on some rock/metal recordings back then - Alex Katunich's SSII tone on the earlier Incubus stuff was fantastic and inspirational, as was Ryan Martinie's stuff on the Mudvayne records. Looking forward to hearing Mike McKeegan's tone on the new Therapy? album, now he's playing Warwicks. Warwick attempted something a little more conventional a few years back with the Katana, and I don't think it's done all that well. I've never seen anyone play one live, not to mention it had a good thrashing with the ugly stick.

It's fashion, basically. Instruments are as subject to the whims of the fashionistas as everything else. Flashy, exotic-wood basses aren't the in thing - it's all about the Fenders right now. Warwick aren't helping matters though - their endorser list is more or less all highbrow jazz-funk and session guys these days. They've jettisoned most of the rock and mainstream guys. Granted, the nu-metal era was something best forgotten, but they sold a lot of basses back then, when they were in the hands of players that people had actually heard of. (I'll excuse Stuart Zender and Adam Clayton from that list - shame their signature basses are fairly tragic). With this change in fashions in mind, I'd be interested to see Warwick's take on a Jazz Bass. And regardless of fashion, if I can find a wenge-necked Streamer Stage II 5-string for a good price, it's mine.

[quote name='Mlucas' post='1096792' date='Jan 20 2011, 08:51 PM']I totally agree on the dependency on the music but i always feel there is a natural discrimination against pick wielders..[/quote] If there is, it's because a lot of the people you see out there who really can't play well are often amateurishly sawing at a bass with a pick. Think the Pete Wentzes and Sid Viciouses of this world. I think it just makes those who really can play with a pick, like Anthony Jackson, Hellmut Hattler and Bobby Vega look even better!

Both. Each technique sounds different and lends itself to different styles and feels, and pick, fingerstyle, slap, thumb-muting, etc are techniques that every bass player should have in their toolkit to be able to use when appropriate.

Love the U-Basses. It's like the ultimate evolution of the old Ashbory basses. They sound awesome too. I'm planning on getting one of the solidbody ones for my son when he's a bit older. Then I can play it when he goes to bed.