bnt

I'm looking at a way of getting there, partly with a slightly ulterior motive: I have a Chapman Stick (10-string) I would like to sell. I've concluded that selling it will mean a trip to the UK anyway, since shipping from Ireland is expensive and risky. I'd like a trip to the UK anyway, and if I stay in Northampton I'll get a Saturday in London too.

Would anyone be interested in taking a serious look at the Stick, if I bring it across? I'll post a note in the For Sale forum too, with photos (later). I'd prefer to carry it one-way only.

[quote name='gafbass02' post='149227' date='Feb 29 2008, 10:26 PM']will these fit???
[url="http://www.guitarpartsresource.com/guitarknobs_barrelknobs.htm"]http://www.guitarpartsresource.com/guitark...barrelknobs.htm[/url][/quote]
I'm guessing you have 6mm knobs, but the shafts are 1/4" (6.35mm). The ones on that page at top-left are 1/4", set screw, which sounds like what you want - though I can't be sure. (Split shafts?)

[quote name='Rich' post='149091' date='Feb 29 2008, 05:52 PM']Re: Manring's "Enormous Room"... I've just spent nearly 6 mins staring in wonder at this screen, watching that youtube vid. My god. That is one of the most beautiful, haunting things I've ever heard from a bass guitar. I knew the guy's a visionary, but [i]that[/i]...[/quote]That YouTube user [url="http://www.youtube.com/user/wizman440"]wizman440[/url] has a few more performances from the same living room session, including [i]Red Right Returning[/i]. If you want more haunting, try [i]Adhan[/i], which is where we get to hear what two E-Bows can do to a bass - spooky.

[quote name='Lfalex v1.1' post='147190' date='Feb 26 2008, 12:03 PM']Hats off to Ned Steinberger for a valliant attempt to address what he felt were the shortcomings of conventional instrument design.
Unfortunately, that was driven more by a desire to produce a minimalist desgn than a truly ergonomically driven re-appraisal of bass or guitar design.
That notwithstanding, the materials used coupled to the design did advance thinking about what a bass could be, and how it could be constucted.[/quote]
Don't forget that, before Ned made his own instrument, he designed what was arguably the first bass to take ergonomics seriously, the [url="http://www.spectorbass.com/NewFilesNew/ns1stuff.html"]Spector NS-1[/url]...

Interesting article in the Ergonomic Guitar blog about Santiago Arteaga's new bass: [url="http://buildingtheergonomicguitar.com/2008/02/bass-guitar-design.html"]The Design of An Ergonomic Bass Guitar[/url].

Interesting, though he talks like he invented the single-cut principle...

Status Graphite can sell you parts. Also, [url="http://buildingtheergonomicguitar.com/"]this website[/url] has various bits of info e.g. ABM appears to be out of business at the moment, but there's a new maker out there, [url="http://www.ets-hardware.com/"]ETS[/url].

[quote name='hatori' post='143321' date='Feb 19 2008, 07:32 PM']Michael Manrings Zon Hyperbass because it is the ultimate fretless for me. Just listen to 'The enormous room'....beautiful.[/quote]
OK - if you insist!


I'm currently Jonesing for an 8-string, so I'll have Mr. Jones's Manson, please.

Here's one I just spotted: late 60s [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Zenta-Violin-Bass-60s-Japanese_W0QQitemZ140208018371QQihZ004QQcategoryZ4713QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"]Zenta Violin Bass[/url]. Not my taste by a long shot, but I thought it suited this forum... currently at £9.99, under 3 days to go.

A Variax 700?

Actually, now I think about it: would a Gibson Victory be comparable? The [url="http://www.gibsonbass.com/GibsonVictoryBass.php"]GibsonBass[/url] site has sound samples from the three models, and other Gibson basses.
edit: after a bit more comparative listening, how about a Ripper or a Grabber? (If you can find one, that is.)

A while ago I put a temporary shim (1mm plectrum) in my Tune TWB-43, and I've just tried the stacked shim idea that Hamster suggested, using Gaffa tape. Seems OK so far, but the screws nearest the bridge have further to travel, and have dug their washers a few mm in to the body from the rear.

I'm a bit annoyed that I've had to do this to a new bass, but that's what I get for buying a bargain off the 'Net from Germany, I suppose. My preferred solution would be to lower the bridge, of course. My other two basses are neck-through headless basses... good thing this doesn't happen to them.

They're a Box-Shifter... but when it comes to basses & associated gear, most folks here know more than music shop employees, so a Box-Shifter is what we want.

The old BTB 4-strings looked (to me) like 4-string necks on 6-string bodies; the new ones look a bit more balanced, esp. the BTB670.

[quote name='nash' post='133770' date='Feb 4 2008, 06:19 PM']that i can use with cakewalk instruments

does anyone know of any?[/quote]
I'm not getting the question... writing what, to what?

[quote name='dannybuoy' post='132049' date='Feb 1 2008, 04:52 PM']... SX you have to get from the states.[/quote]
Each time the SX name comes up, I feel obliged to mention that they're on sale here in Dublin, at [url="http://waltons.ie/waltonsshop/index.php?cPath=60_62&sort=2a&filter_id=27"]Walton's[/url]... you could make a weekend trip, try them out, and sink a few Guinness in nearby Temple Bar as a side benefit.

So... is it safe for me to start that thread on synth bass?

Alex Lifeson (Rush) has a few of those, though he referred to them as "Penis Reduction Systems". These days he tends to play with his Gibson.

They don't just do replacement parts either: I like the look of their original [url="http://www.warmoth.com/gecko/gecko.cfm?fuseaction=include_gecko6"]Gecko[/url] designs, especially the 6.

Lemme think... well, I narrowly avoided flattening Robert Fripp as he was coming out the loo, during one of his marathon Soundscapes sessions.

The music was still going on while he was away - he could go to hospital for a week. and it would still be going when he got out...

Dublin store Waltons is still selling them with the SX label, [url="http://waltons.ie/waltonsshop/index.php?cPath=60_62&sort=2a&page=2"]here[/url].

[url="http://chrislarkinguitars.com/"]Chris Larkin[/url] (Ireland) does them to custom order, too - see the "SC" models in his [url="http://chrislarkinguitars.com/goibasses.htm"]gallery[/url], and a review [url="http://www.doctorbass.net/en/producto.asp?id=1000170614"]here[/url].

(I don't have any of Chris's instruments or any connection, so if it seems like I'm pimping his stuff, it's mostly because geography puts him high on the list of luthiers I would consider for a custom job.)

I like the idea of triggering samples etc. live and un-sequenced, but then I would: I'm a huge fan of Rush, who pioneered that and are still one of the few bands doing it today.

A far more common strategy is the use of a sequencer, which the drummer follows. I have an Akai MPC1000, which is not just a sample-based drum machine. It can be used to trigger samples at the correct points in a song, control external synths, or let you play samples live via its pads & external keys or pedals. There's now a less-expensive version, the [url="http://www.akaipro.com/prodMPC500.php"]MPC500[/url].

edit: there's an MPC500 on ebay UK, auction ending Saturday lunchtime, currently at £150 - [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Akai-Professional-MPC500_W0QQitemZ320209574488QQihZ011QQcategoryZ38070QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"]link[/url]. A word of advice, though: don't bring a drum machine in to a band without the drummer's permission!

Well, Michael Manring's Hyperbass has piezos in the body, so he can do percussive effects etc. I wouldn't expect a clean tone from a piezo mounted on a solid body anyway - only in direct contact with the string, as already noted.

Maplin used to sell piezo cable too, perhaps it still does? You'd just cut to size and wire up one end to a preamp.

Reminds me: I had a play with [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hall_effect"]Hall Effect[/url] devices, which Maplin sold back then. I wonder if I should have a go again?

[quote name='bass_ferret' post='124024' date='Jan 20 2008, 06:26 PM']What did you expect when you buy a headless bass?[/quote]
Well, Status headless basses can take standard strings, too - that's what those hex screws on the headpiece are for.

[quote name='ian' post='123987' date='Jan 20 2008, 05:40 PM']hi since owning my king bass 5 im finding it very hard to find the strings i want in double ball end.the gauge what works best is 30s to 115 but the only people i can find who do them in this gauge are status or rotosounds.does anyone else know any other companys please. [/quote]
What's wrong with Status strings? That's where I got my last DB High C sets (25-105), so they can definitely do the weird.

Elites should be available as singles, you could add a 115 to their 30-90 set. The other name I know is LaBella: their S400 "High C" set is 29-105 - a bit lighter than you specified.