OutToPlayJazz

Hi guys, Well, a bit of an impulse purchase at Electro today. Happened on one of the new Sterling Ray 34's in a fetching solid black. Very nice bass, excellent Indonesian construction and quality control. It plays and sounds just like the American bass. Changed over the Ernie Ball (not very) slinkys & put on some DR Sunbeam 45's. Too heavy for me, but they'll do until I can get some lighter fatbeams on there. Also reset the neck with just the slightest hint of relief, so it's very fast and playable now (apart from the barge rope strings!) Preamp is epic with massive highs and lows. Best Ray of any kind I've played in a long time! Very very impressed! Will take some pics tomorrow & maybe do a review...

[quote name='philw' post='628934' date='Oct 17 2009, 06:56 PM']I thought Sting had plenty of fretless experience. Didn't he play double bass long before he played electric bass? P[/quote] Double bass is a completely different kettle of fish from fretless. I'm a professional double bass player and cellist, but I wouldn't dare play a fretless electric bass in front of an audience. Higgie last heard me play one. It wasn't pretty, LOL!

Martin came to buy a bass from me today & it was good to meet him at last after all these years! A great guy to deal with & I'm sorry I had to tip you out so quickly so I could get on with Tiff's lesson, mate! Buy/sell/trade with this man in complete confidence. Rich.

Just been reading up & Sting did have a fretless Precision first (which he played blind on a gig with no fretless practise or experience!) Here's a pic of his Ibanez... Aha! Found one. Is this the Precision you were looking for?

Ah, so it was you who ended up with Dave's P5 Excellent catch, Clarky. Congrats

As WoT says, a lot of it is down to personal preference, but yes they do vary hugely in quality. Some are excellent & there are still a few dogs that slip through the net. Thankfully, most people seem to be finding the new American Standard range excellent. As always, pick one out for yourself and you'll be onto a winner. My '08 Am.Std. Precision was actually a very nice one, but again, I was lucky enough to be able to pick from two very varying basses at the time.

Congrats, RM! Looking forward to seeing this one...

[quote name='thepurpleblob' post='627434' date='Oct 15 2009, 10:53 PM']Totally disagree...... but each to their own, eh? [/quote] Indeed But constantly adjusting your volume is only going to get you noticed in the wrong ways. The bass sometimes appearing too loud or disappearing is not good. Best to set levels at a sound check or at the beginning of a gig and play in a dynamic style. Anyway, this thread is meant to be about jazz basses, not us arguing over volume etiquette -_-

[quote name='Sibob' post='627423' date='Oct 15 2009, 10:44 PM']Amps have volumes that are perfect for turning up and down! I actually treat my Jazzes as just having blends, my bridge is always maxed and I blend in the neck to suit. General volume is an amp thing, I rarely have to adjust mid-gig, and dynamics between different types of songs is in my fingers. Si[/quote] Agreed totally on all counts. There's no need to play around with blends or volume in a gig. Play with a lighter or heavier touch, or adjust your rh playing position for different sounds. I'm a classical musician as well - cellist & double bass player. Rich.

[quote name='doctor_of_the_bass' post='627409' date='Oct 15 2009, 10:26 PM']Check out the MIM Roadworn Jazz basses - I've got severe `must buy one' GAS right now - in fiesta red!![/quote] Yes, I must admit that there is something about the RW Jazz in Fiesta Red. Even though I hate the concept of the "worn" look, there definitely is something about them. I love this YT video of one...

You can occasionally get a "dead" string in a set. Sometimes it's a fault in the winding that just doesn't let the string ring like the others. I'd get some nice DR Fatbeams on it. Much softer string, lovely to play, great tone and very long lasting. I ought to be on commission from DR!

I just happened to pop into Pooles in Grimsby to get a grade 2 violin book for a pupil & they'd literally just got three Flea basses in. Oh dear, oh dear... First complaint is that the finish is utterly awful on these three I've seen. The neck pockets didn't inspire at all and in fact, the necks didn't even look properly aligned to the body. The paint finish around the neck pocket is the worst I've ever seen & there was even some orange paint staining on the side of the neck near the join (on the orange/yellow one.) So either the necks are put on before painting, or added before the paint is dry. Either way, they're botch-tasticly made. To play they're okay enough, but they even sound cheap and nasty. Output from the single pickup is okay, but tone and any quality of sound is wilfully lacking. If it was priced at under £200 I could almost understand it, but at £399 they're seriously having a laugh. Interestingly, the shop owner was there with me and I played a (yes, you guessed it!) Squier CV Jazz against it and to say that the Squier is cheaper than the Flea, the Squier jazz buried it in terms of tone and quality sound with the same amp settings, let alone in terms of quality of construction. Fleabass - Don't do it!

[quote name='martthebass' post='626313' date='Oct 14 2009, 07:41 PM']Another +1 for Stingrays. For me it balances better than the Jag and has a more convincing 'active' sound. If you need more sound versatility try and snag an HS or HH Ray but they are fewer in number 2nd hand and more £.[/quote] Quite true on all counts, Mart. And as for the HS/HH models, more £ definitely equals more sounds!

I've had a Jazz around on and off for the last three years. Originally for the reason that I sometimes get asked to play something more traditional sounding or looking than a Status. But now I've had a few, I can't see myself without a Jazz bass. I've tried Precisions, but only the absolute top of range 62RI model does anything for me. And I like the traditional Jazz bass sound as well. Now I've got my hand picked 09 American Standard/Sadowsky preamp & the "do everything, leave anywhere" Squier CV, the only one I'm hanging my nose over is the American Standard 5 in Candy Cola/maple. Mmmmmmm

[quote name='GreeneKing' post='626330' date='Oct 14 2009, 08:01 PM']I'm trying out with a Jazz oriented band on Monday night. If successful I'll probably end up wearing a beret and being quietly smug No offence intended.[/quote] Peter? A beret? Is it exclusively French jazz, then? I play a lot of jazz & I don't wear a beret. Might keep my bald head warmer, though!

[quote]I reckon you'd be better of saving your monies and get a CV Jazz... I reckon that's all this one is really.[/quote] Quite true. It says on the Squier site that it's basically a Classic Vibe model painted blue.

Yes, the Fender preamps aren't great - I always think they sound very harsh. The pre in my Marcus Miller Jazz was horrid, but when played passively then plugged into the Sadowsky it was immense. I've also played a few Jazz Deluxe & Jaguar models and they all have the same problem.

I just love the extra richness of the extra signal boost on an active bass. I like a lot of extra bass and treble, giving me lots of thick richness in the lows and loads of clarity in the highs. The other advantage is that with the boosted signal you can use less gain or input volume on your amplifier, therefore making the overall sound sweeter and less harsh. I even use a Sadowsky outboard preamp with my passive jazzes. They sound amazing! So it's active all the way for me.

£420 is a very reasonable price compared to the MIM which now retails at £629. I compared one of the new Lpb/maple ones against a Classic Vibe the other day and the Vibe blew the Mexican bass out of the water!

[quote name='bilbo230763' post='625194' date='Oct 13 2009, 04:40 PM']But all of your basses are stock, right? So there is no contradiction here?[/quote] My ACG isn't, even though I didn't order it originally. But I do take your point, yes.

For me, I used to play all jobs on one bass for about 16 years. But those jobs were all the same with the same type of music. Now I do a lot more more professional playing, from cello to double bass and electric bass, I need certain instruments for certain sounds. Yes, I could do it all on a single instrument, but the people hiring me expect a certain amount of care and attention about the sound I produce. And I even have a couple of wooden basses now, as some producers/MD's do ask for a more "traditional" non-graphite sound. Tradition? Pah! Add to that the fact that my basses are my hobby as well as my living. (Yes, I am a very boring man!) And yes, I do know what they're all made from. And it may not matter to Joe Public, but it does matter to me.

Very nice looking bass, mate! How does it sound in comparison to your previous Fender? Rich.