bnt

I'm curious what people think of SWR in general, and their amps - any opinions?. I used to lust after the [url="http://www.bryanbeller.com/music/ampsandspeakercabs.html#1"]Mo'Bass[/url] head, the one that Bryan Beller pushed for while he worked there*. Now I'm wondering what effect the Fender takeover has had, whether the quality is the same? * Bryan tells the story on his website ([url="http://www.bryanbeller.com/literature/lifeofbryan/bryan44a.htm"]here[/url]) of how he ended up as vice-president of the company, managed the takeover by Fender, but kicked it in to go back to music full-time. I've been a fan of his work with [url="http://www.keneally.com/"]Mike Keneally[/url] for years, but this year he toured with Steve Vai.

My Hohner B2V with the EMG 35 P/Js, tuned High C. The Tune isn't as "sorted", at least not yet - can't quite get the action the way I like it (low).

My favourite Manring piece is [i]The Enormous Room[/i]: here's a video of Michael playing it in some guy's living room, just a few weeks ago. Lucky people..!

I just did a YouTube search for "bass sweep picking"... first time I've seen any, but yeah, it's being done. Fingerstyle too.

There is a band called [url="http://www.fourplayjazz.com/"]Fourplay[/url], of course - a jazz supergroup, featuring Nathan East, Bob James and Larry Carlton.

[quote name='cris the man' post='105724' date='Dec 18 2007, 08:20 AM']then theres the issue of being a fussy bass player , not wanting to use a pic , is it possible to sweep pick using a relative fingering technique?[/quote] Don't see why not - if I understand the technique correctly, the key is the other (fretting) hand, the muting and unmuting of the right strings at the right time. If you get good enough at it, you might be able to produce notes so short, you can't tell what note it is.

Today I found out about a guitar called the [url="http://www.carverdoug.com/wang.html"]Wangcaster[/url] (NSFW = guess why!). The luthier, Doug Rowell, specialises in elaborate hand carving of bodies, and also made a few weird basses, such as the Yellow Submarine bass: [url="http://www.carverdoug.com/sub.html"][/url]

Heavy, and I imagine it's a pain to restring. Chris Squire has a [url="http://www.trevorandthea.eclipse.co.uk/specs3.html"]triple-neck bass[/url], a copy of a Wal original that now lives in Hard Rock Cafes.

I'm watching a Pink Floyd documentary on BBC1 at the moment: they all look in fine fettle, but they did get an early lesson, from Syd, on how [i]not[/i] to look after yourself...

I have a special place for [b]Wagner[/b] in my musical quotes file: I like Wagner's music better than anybody's. It is so loud that one can talk the whole time. -- Oscar Wilde Even the bad things are better than they used to be. Bad music, for instance, has gotten much briefer. Wagner's [i]Ring Cycle[/i] takes four days to perform while [i]Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm[/i] by the Crash Test Dummies lasts little more than three minutes. -- P.J O'Rourke (All the Trouble in the World) One cannot judge [i]Lohengrin[/i] from a first hearing, and I certainly do not intend to hear it a second time. ... Mr. Wagner has beautiful moments but bad quarters of an hour. -- Gioacchino Rossini (1792-1868) Too many pieces of music finish too long after the end. -- Igor Stravinsky Learn to feel sorry for music because, although it is the international language, it has no swearwords. (If you don't count Wagner, which in my opinion is one long one and should be avoided at all costs.) -- Billy Connolly Richard Wagner was a musician who wrote music which is better than it sounds. -- Mark Twain

[quote name='Buzz' post='97889' date='Dec 3 2007, 01:46 AM']So chaps, if you want ampeg gear, best scrimp your pennies together and buy now while you're guarenteed a USA made one.[/quote] I imagine that horse has already bolted: the end of the second quarter of 2007 was the final date, and that was 5 months ago.

If the question is whether Ampegs are Made In China, well, Ampeg's parent company ([url="http://www.loudtechinc.com/"]LOUD Technologies[/url]) has the following statement in their [url="http://www.loudtechinc.com/invest/invest_sf.html"]Annual Report[/url] for 2006: [quote]In 2006, we began the process of transferring our remaining domestic manufacturing overseas. All of our domestic manufacturing plants will be closing before the end of the second quarter of 2007 as our overseas contract manufacturers ramp up to full production of our products. Our overseas manufacturers are supported by a team of our employees, located in China. These employees are responsible to audit quality procedures, manage and facilitate the transition of products from design to manufacturing and to ensure timely delivery of purchased product.[/quote] LOUD is the "corporate face" of Mackie, and is also the parent company of Crate, Martin Audio, and others. They have job openings in Shenzen if you fancy a new challenge.

Didn't New Order play with two bassists at times? Hooky... and someone to hold down the low end? Hooky is also a member of the Freebass project: himself, Andy Rourke (The Smiths) and Mani (Stone Roses & Primal Scream). According to this [url="http://www.xfm.co.uk/Article.asp?id=142885"]interview[/url], they're looking for a vocalist - someone who can sing over three bassists.

Do what Tony Levin did on Peter Gabriel's "Don't Give Up": stuff a disposable nappy under the strings. (The [url="http://www.elephant-talk.com/wiki?title=Interview_with_Tony_Levin_in_Making_Music&printable=yes"]Super Wonder Nappy Sound[/url]!)

One niggle about the Tune shape is that it's not the most comfortable bass to play sitting down. The lower horn digs in to your leg a bit. If you're looking for another source of weird and wonderful, have a look at [url="http://www.chrislarkinguitars.com/"]Chris Larkin Guitars[/url]. I think his monster 9-string was mentioned here recently, and he also does EUBs, singlecuts and custom jobs with unusual woods e.g spalted Beech.

12 pages to this thread? I thought 4 pages would have been enough... If you hate ERBs, come to Ireland! I've visited music shops in Dublin, Cork & Galway, and have never seen a 6-string on the wall, or even a pack of strings for one. The only place I've seen them is on Chris Larkin's [url="http://www.chrislarkinguitars.com/"]website[/url], and he's about as far from Dublin as you can get and still be in Ireland.

On my old Hohner, I've had a red 3" DiMarzio ClipLock for the last 15 years, similar to this: I should get a couple more, I think - boring, but comfy, and won't come off by accident.

First one went for £855 in the end. This new one seems to have had "one careful owner" - made in '91, had it for 16 years (he says).

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/warwick-thumb-thru-neck-bass-guitar_W0QQitemZ260184745914QQihZ016QQcategoryZ4713QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"]link[/url] I saw this filed under Amps, which makes me wonder if it might have been overlooked by a potential buyer. Currently at £510 with 1-1/2 days left. edit: it's a fretted model

Well, with the treble down, haven't you cut out most of the hiss, anyway? See, you gotta think about these things...

There was an old lady who swallowed a fly. I don't know why she swallowed a fly. Perhaps she'll die? Or, maybe she'll take the tarantula off your hands?

[quote name='bremen' post='92005' date='Nov 21 2007, 09:44 AM']Or at least load up a few washing machines...[/quote] Washing machines are so 2002 - this year, the in thing is a chicken rotisserie oven: [url="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b2/Geddy-henhouse.jpg"][/url]

[b]Chris Squire[/b] is about to release a "Progmas" album, [url="http://www.chrissquire.net/marketsquire.html"]Swiss Choir[/url]. (Geddit?) You can hear his new version of [i]Silent Night[/i], and his older Christmas tune, [i]Run With The Fox[/i], on his [url="http://www.chrissquire.net/music.html"]music page[/url]. [i]Silent Night[/i] is not bass-heavy, but pretty-interesting, and his voice is in great shape I think.

[quote name='BassBod' post='93205' date='Nov 23 2007, 10:10 AM']Looks like a version of the Alembic system - using a "dummy" pickup as a noise canceller? Can't imagine that was ever standard on a Kramer?[/quote] That's what I was thinking of - it's just that the placement is weird. Alembic at least put them in front, in the same plane as the strings. It's the middle "pickup" in this picture: mmmm... Alembic... (drool)