steviedee

Hi 

I have a passive fretless, it’s a copy of a well known bass! Plays really well but I just feel the tone is lacking. Currently has Bartolini 6R Pickups. It’s got a good thumpy old school tone but, for me, lacks a wee bit of zing. Any recommendations for a small preamp that might work? Each pickup has a volume and tone control but I’m not wedded to any configuration . A local luthier suggested an EMG VMC. Any suggestions?

all the best

S

Chris Squire for me. Spent most of my bass life playing fingerstyle with the treble turned down! Listening to Chris Squire made me really appreciate the pick and the top end! Rotosound strings were integral to his sound!

8 minutes ago, DanOwens said:

Unfortunately the ceramic elements in these (an assumption on my part) can crack and cause issues. I've heard of similar happening with J-Tones and the like.

I'll be buying a spare soon.

Cheers Dan that's very helpful. Are the j-Tones any good? They are very cheap and there is one that looks very like a bass max.

Hi 

My  trusty K&K Bassmax pick up has developed an annoying crackle. I've had it for years and it's on my backup bass. Wondering if anyone ever experienced a similar issue and any possible solutions or should I just bite the bullet and get a new one! 

That looks great!  I was thinking of something similar but with thick wooden dowels.

Has anyone had a go at making a double bass stand? I’m thinking of something similar to the Upton bass stand below, or the other attached. There is also one Concord Double bass stand here which looks like it would work  http://www.kontrabass-atelier.de/zubehoer_e.html 

The problem being I am pretty hopeless at DIY but I do have access to a CNC Milling Machine at work and am about to book on to some training. I think you just create you designs in Illustrator or something and upload it via a web interface and it does all the work but I’ll find out. The Concord stand is CNC milled MDF.  I think I would need to source the bars in the appropriate size and shape in wood or metal and then mill the sides which would create the shape and holes for the bars.

The machine I have access to is not huge so potentially it might not be able to handle the size but people have made chopping boards etc and the bass is an odd size just bigger than 1/4 size, so I’ll see.

Be great if anyone had plans so I didnt need to do any work tho!      

Traded a cab for Gerry’s Mustang. Absolute pleasure to deal with and made me appreciate how nice it is to meet other bass players and have a chat, great bloke.

On 10/10/2018 at 20:59, Psymoon said:

I know it’s been a while and I hope you’ve fixed it but mine does this occasionally too. It’s the machine head not being quite, er...tensioned up right if that makes sense? In between cog teeth?

 

 

I know it been late replying, after a couple of months and all seems fine. In fact the vast sounds great. It might have been my completely stinky poo restringing!

On 03/10/2018 at 17:56, owen said:

The fdeck makes everything nice for DB. What a lovely piece of kit it is. 

Cheers own it's the original one so super small!

Hi Bridgehouse thanks for the reply I'll try the Helix FX return.

2 hours ago, Bridgehouse said:

You have options with Helix, depending on the impedance of the piezo..

If it’s passive then either use an fx return input or DI box into the DI. 

If it’s active then depending on the amp type, either the aux in, or the fx return will again work very well, as will the DI option. I’d avoid the guitar input as you’ll find it affects tone a lot. 

Thanks for the reply. Yeah I thought the input impedance, I have an fdeck I’m going to try with it. I’m using a bassmax but just about to switch to a Realist. 

Has anyone used a Helix with their upright bass? Just for ease I’d rather just use one input and one channel in the desk but maybe I just need to have a separate DB setup. I bought Sigma Studio upright IRs but to me the sound is thin, wondered anyone had any advice.

16 minutes ago, petebassist said:

Annoying... I had a similar issue with my old bass on one string on one or two notes up the neck - after trying to damp various bits of the tailpiece, felt at the ball ends of the strings etc, I found that the tailpiece itself had a hollow cavity, so I stuffed a piece of black cloth up there and it stopped the buzz on mine.

Thanks for the info I’m going to take some time and investigate. 

29 minutes ago, xgsjx said:

That's got to be the thread title of the year so far.

 

Ha ha, very good!

Just changed my strings and have a terrible open G string buzz. Seems to be coming from the body, soundpost looks in place. The strings are lighter than the previous set and when I lay it on it’s back no buzz. Any ideas!

Hey Shamrock not got round to fitting them yet, I’ll let you know.

Anyone know where I can get a battery plate screw for an 86 Stingray?

Picked up a set of new Helicore Hybrid Lights really, really cheap. Certainly cheap enough to take a punt. I haven’t really read anything much about them so keeping an open mind!

Hi. Folks just an update on this, I used UPS and had the bass insured for £5500 by a 3rd party,. Thanks for all the advice and  special thanks to Grangur for the kind offer!

2 hours ago, TPJ said:

What kind of DB are you using?  I ask because when I tried Spiro weichs on my Duke, they didn't sound very bright at all. They were very rootsy sounding. Spiro mediums are reportedly brighter but even they didn't brighten up the bass...lol. The mediums are surprisingly less tension on the Duke compared to how they felt on my cheap hybird.

As always, strings sound different on different basses.

I have a Michael Poller bass which I believe is Romanian which currently has innovation Honeys, I have Spiros on a old Boosey and Hawkes and its just night and day.... Lots of volume and projection.

Anybody tried the Zyex strings?

Looking to buy a set of strings, something growly and reasonably bright... suggestions much appreciated. I thought Spirocore lights maybe?

Thanks, very kind. I’ll get back to you as soon as possible know what’s what!

3 hours ago, Grangur said:

In May I'll be meeting in Leeds, with a colleague from Scotland. After the meeting I'll be driving home and on to see my customers in the south counties. So, I could drop it into Wal.

So as you may not be a tearing hurry, maybe my colleague and I can help?

41 minutes ago, JohnR said:

It has been a while since I removed the preamp myself. I think you might have to desolder the connections to the DI out. If you aren't confident you are welcome to bring it to me and I will help.

Very kind John, I'm just a bit reticent to mess about with it. Where are you mate?

here is a pic of the bass.

1 hour ago, dmccombe7 said:

£2000 insurance ? I would have thought any WAL would be worth more than that.

Are you that far from Wal to drive there yourself ? That way you get to see the service being done hopefully and then try it out before you leave to make sure its all perfect.

Make it a few days holiday or something like that if its too far to drive in a day.

Dave

£2000 is as high as they insure.