Bassfinger

6 hours ago, Hellzero said:

@Bassfinger Here's some real science for those naysayers pretending wood doesn't matter, worth reading it and, for some, admitting that it's not because they don't hear any difference that there's none. Also maybe showing their hearing test could help too...

 

Archives of Acoustics.2021.138150.pdf 9.53 MB · 3 downloads

As a scientist myself, although not in the field of acoustics, I can pick holes in their scientific method big enough to walk through. Its a good thing they're not testing vaccines!

At least give us something credible, with stringent method and reproducible results, and peer reviewed, just the same as any other piece of science we are expected to believe.  Then people can legitimately have some faith in it.

On 05/02/2022 at 23:50, gjones said:

You'd have to be trusting type of person to buy that for £10,000.

Aye, without some proof of provenance it has no provenance.

Still got my first, a used Ibanez.  Its sprouted Wilkinson tuners, Entwistle pups and a Gotoh bridge, the total of which cost me more than the bass itself.

It get used quite a bit and is now my main live tool because the boys in the band love the sound. I couldn't disagree with that, and its pleasant enough to play so it still earns its place on the fleet.

3 hours ago, SteveXFR said:

You can't claim its science without evidence, maths or theory to back it up

A detail like that never stopped the tonewood devotees! 🤣

Weve been asked to play a GK pub on Jubilee weekend. We've declined. 

I buy from Thomann all the time (I'm probably single handedly responsible for their various stock shortages!). Im pretty sure theyre still in the EU and have haven't declared their premises UDI, and they still often undercut sellers in the next town.

That being the case I think your grievance is as much with the seller than any general situation regarding being in the EU or otherwise. The likes of Thomann show what can be done. Whether its an enormous administrative ball ache for them is a discussion for another thread, but they demonstrate that there is nothing inherently wrong with the prices they can supply to external EU customers.

Private sellers are a different kettle of aquatic life entirely, and wherever they are on the globe can often have ridicuous ideas about the worth of their wares. Again, that's down to sellers being greedy/chumps/taking valuation advice from Dave down the pub and little to do with their chosen country of residence.

If you found it cheaper in Japan and can get it delivered, then why the moan in the first place?  Just buy it and enjoy it. Life is too short to spend it whittling about inconsequential rubbish.

16 hours ago, Hellzero said:

 

If you can get some Brazilian rosewood for the fingerboard, it's another key factor to Jaco's tone (whatever some deaf people of this very parish might yell)

I think what they yell for with such claims is evidence, which seems rarely to be forthcoming.  I'm a fence-sitter on that one, but still wouldn't mind seeing some actual science to support this sort of claim.

As for the pups, its wire wound round a bobbin with some magnets thrown in. Unless SD have been able to get their hands of one of Jaco's old pickups there's not much likelihood of them being any closer an approximation than anyone elses same gauge wire wrapped around a bobbin of near identical dimensions. It seems a bit of a cynical marketing tactic as much as anything else, and SD do have a lot of form for that.

Whenever these pickups are mentioned I habe this mental picture of Geezer Butler in his shed using a drill to wind the pickups by hand, and then packaging them in EMG boxes. A couple of times a week Tony Iommi calls in to collect them and take them to the post office, but he skims a few off the top to sneakily sell in his own ebay shop.

Please don't ruin the illusion!

It's hard to describe, but here goes...

Use a large pick, moderately heavy. I use Dunlop Tortex Triangle 1mm.

Instead of plucking the string with the flat of the pick, angle the pick so you're striking it obliquely, about 30 or 40 degrees edge on. That starts to get you in the ballpark.

It takes a lot of practice for it to come naturally, and there is a bit more to it than just that. Speed, the power behind the strike, etc, all come into play, but the attack angle is the biggest part of it.  Hard to describe, although doubtless easy to show.

I have a nerve injury which means I can't feel 2 fingers on my plucking hand (-thisnisnwhy my typidhh is so baad). As a result my playing simply wasn't advancing because I can't command my fingers to reliably do what was needed. 3 years ago I gave up and got heavily pick playing and experimenting with differing techniques.  We were in the studio in January (producers like pick players, they find each note more uniform and consistent - not sure that's necessarily a good thing muself) and I did a bit of both, although always with the pick for the money takes.  Listening back afterwards I can't tell the difference between fingers and pick - after 3 years my pick playing passes the taste test.

With lots of practice and dogged persistence it can be done. It took me a good solid 2 years to get there.  It's not a panacea, there will always be finger techniques out of reach to the pick and vice versa, but for typical, normal, NATO standard playing it can indeed be done.

Mirror pickguard...

So the country that invented depleted uranium artillery shells makes a fuss over the type of mother of pearl? Odd priorities!

What a palavar.  I'm glad it made it there safely.

It brings to mind...

I just cant read tab, makes my head hurtmtrying to get my eyes round it.  Fortunately I can read music well enough to get by.

Its only handbags, not a real fight.  Nice use of cymbals as a weapon though.

11 hours ago, peteb said:

 

I could be wrong, but I thought that only applied to credit cards and not debit cards? 

 

If goods or services dont appear you can do a chargeback on a Visa or Mastercard debit card.  There is a bit of process, but it usually succeeds.  Done it once myself.

7 hours ago, Rayman said:

Well that's the question 

 

Is the tone from an 80s Eastern made pickup with thin wires (does that matter? I don't think it does) going to be markedly improved by a more expensive pickup, costing 4 times as much, say, a Fender US pickup. I guess quality means "better" magnets, plastic, wires etc.

Well, the plastic components have no bearing on the sound.

Wire differs only in gauge, not quality.

Magnets differ only in the strength of the field the produce, and one chooses that which is appropriate to the sound they seek.

So if thats the measure, then the answer to the original question is "no".

As ever, the eternal question - what does the OP define as "quality"?

19 hours ago, oldslapper said:

He got stung 

The news of this created quite a buzz. It's a real honey of a deal.  I understand The Hives are looking to do the same, as is Queen.  I reckon the publishers will make a bee line if they did.

On 27/12/2021 at 18:11, MacDaddy said:

 

Diminishing returns were affecting the hair metal scene from after the mid 80s. Few hair metal bands (or those who got lumped into the scene) who released their first album after 1987, had a more successful album. Extreme are the only exception I can think of.

Although Extreme never were hair metal, and always distanced themselves from that moniker.  I believe "funk-rock" was the favoured tagline at the time, and I guess I can dig that.

https://www.loudersound.com/features/extreme-the-rollercoaster-story-of-hair-metal-s-funk-brothers

As an aside, saw them at the NEC and Bettencourt was staggeringly good live.

Lemmy.

May as well lock the thread now.

I'm not sure how the Affinty even made the shortlist.

On 03/02/2022 at 23:14, jackreacher193 said:

 

Just rock stuff really. 

 

That's a very  broad church. It might help if you could narrow down the type of rock you're into.  I mean, a 50's classic vibe would be great for your Buddy Holly tribute band, but a bit lacking in depth and punch if you fancy yourselves as the next System of a Down,

2 hours ago, SteveXFR said:

I feel like he needs to swap one of those cheap far Eastern engines for a vintage US engine from the Harley custom shop.

No need. Just whip off an HT lead then it'll run, sound and vibrate just like the best classic american iron.

On 05/02/2022 at 00:35, neepheid said:

 

Thanks Cap'n Obvious, how did we ever manage without you?

I recall that we struggled very badly and were a danger to outselves without his wise counsel.

On 08/02/2022 at 09:55, SH73 said:

I was going to suggest Jethro Tull but unsure if he plays recorder?

Anderson is very good on the oenny whistle and similar instruments.