Count Bassy

Started on Melodeon (about 30 years ago), then Anglo concertina about 20 years ago (along side the melodeon). Then took up trumpet for few years (actually reading the dots). Then started taking bass seriously about 2 years ago. Currently playing mostly melodeon and bass. Having said that, my first instrument was the bass I built myself when I was 17, but it then spent most (but not all) of the next 30 years up the attic. Clive.

Jack sockets come in many forms, but one big variation is how the earth side of the contact is made. On cruder versions the earth contact relies on contact between the solid barrel of the between plug and the inside of the hollow body of the socket. There is no spring in the contact and it relies on the sideways force from the tip contact (which is sprung) to keep the earth in contact. Better sockets have a separate sprung contact to make the earth contact as well, and on the better ones of these they are gold plated contacts. Gold is a very good conductor and does not tarnish much, so the contact is generally reliable. We're not looking a lot of money here, you'll get a good quality socket for a couple of quid. The only down side of these sockets is that the spring is generally less strong, and the retention of the plug is not quite so firm. If that's a problem then Neutrik do a locking jack socket which still has the sprung earth contact, bit they need an XLR size hole rather than a standard Jack, so might not be suitable. The other problem with a locking jack is that should you trip over the cable you'll likelt pull the cables out of the plug rather than pull the plug out of the socket. These still come in at under a fiver, and are rated for 10000 mating cycles. Oh dear, I seem to have gone on a bit. Clive.

[quote name='Bidd' post='67019' date='Sep 28 2007, 05:09 PM']I remember when I started about 3 years ago that Hysteria was the Holy Grail and I couldn't play it for ages, then suddenly it became a piece of piss.[/quote] I'm glad to here that: That it became a piece of piss. It's not the sort of thing I'd normally be interested in playing, but it seems I've got till the 8th December to learn it! My 11 year old is drumming for it in a concert put on by his drum teacher, and I've been volunteered to play bass for him. His teacher (who also teaches bass) says that its not so much difficult as relentless. From where I'm standing it sounds both difficult and relentless!! Having cracked it, do you have any hints for someone who's still at the stage of listening to it to get the feel of it into my head? Clive.

Thanks for your comments chaps. Chris, If anything, on mine at the moment I would say that the P pickup is the redundant one, as I can get a very good approximation to it by having the two js together and a little teaking of the Volume and the tone. I'll try out some of your ideas and report back. Shark, as it stands at the moment, if you were thinking of buying a US one, I would say stick with the Mexican. The US one is undoubtedly better finished, and has string through the body etc, and is generally better quality, but in terms of fundamental playability is not much different to the Mex, and as I said in launching this thread, the extra pickup does not seem to add that much. I can't make a complete direct comparison between the two as the Mex has heavier strings on at the moment, but I guess that, given I paid twice as much for the US one as for the Mex, I'm a bit dissapointed not to see more difference. The only problem I have with the Mex is that its prone to neck dive which the US one isn't (lighter machines and the weight of the extra pick up etc. I guess), and the big elephant ear tuners get knocked out of tune very easily. I guess one solution might be to speak to Wizard pickups to see if he could supply an alternative P pick up to bring out the difference a bit more. Just a thought/another question: If you put a P pickup in the P pick up position, but on a Jazz Bass, does it sound like a P Bass, or a Jazz, bass, or what? Also, would the pickup hieght affect the difference in the sounds? Clive

I recently bought myself a US built Fender "Stu Hamm"Urge 1, from about 1990, the one with the 32" scale, and a JPJ pickup configuration. I love the instrument in many ways but, having played it for a few weeks I find that there is, to my ear, very little difference between the sound of the P pickup on its own and the sound of the two Js together. There is a difference but, it seems to me, no more than can be acheived by use of the tone controls. I was expecting more of a difference; So: Does a Jazz on both pickups sound like a precision anyway?, or is it it because I have this combination of pickups on the same guitar that makes the difference less obvious?. I am only playing it through a Marshall B65 combo. Is it possible that this amp doesn't bring out the difference? Does the Preamp on the urge 1 mask the differences? Are the pickups on and urge 1 just crap? Would changing some or all the pickups from the originals give me a wider range of tones? Would changing the strings bring out the differences? (still using the ones it came with - round wound, medium gauge, probably stainless, but no idea as to make) Should I have stuck with the Mexican Urge 1 I already had and saved my money? Is it just me? Thoughts and comments please! Thanks Clive.

Martin Turner's bass solo and subsequent line in Wishbone Ash's Phoenix does it for me. Still trying to learn it. Clive.

[quote name='thumbo' post='64969' date='Sep 24 2007, 07:22 PM']I don't think people were being judgmental, I think the general consensus on this forum is that it looks a bit sh*t. This is a forum, where people discuss things.[/quote] Well, I got the impression that people were being very judgmental, which is why I contributed. If you look at the first 1/3 of this thread it is not people saying that it looks a bit sh*te, it is people calling the perputrators all sorts of rude names. Strangely if you look at the latter half of the thread the overall tone seems to be defending the right of people to do this if they so desire. It seems that the accusers are very quick off the mark, whereas the defenders take a little longer to voice their opinions. Clive.

Anybody mentioned Bill Wyman yet? Not flash, not a tapper or a slapper, but rock solid without making a fuss about it. And despite his fame he quite happily, in the Rythm Kings at least, lets others take the limelight. And Andy Fraser, of course, but is he really underrated? Most people seem to hold him in high regard. Clive

[quote name='mancunianfox' post='64739' date='Sep 24 2007, 01:32 PM']I was working off that assumption as well. I am still suprised that the shop would be that eager to devalue one of their instruments, customers wishes or not.[/quote] But by then it wasn't the shop's instrument, it was the customer's, even if that customer was a shop employee. [quote name='MB1' post='64795' date='Sep 24 2007, 03:28 PM'][quote name='Clive Thorne' post='64676' date='Sep 24 2007, 12:02 PM'] Have they affected the playability of the instrument? NO. Have they wrecked a rare vintage instrument ? NO Have they given the customer what he wanted ? YES. ..... My own view is that either method is artificial, so why bother at all? Clive[/quote] MB1. Well Clive!..."Good Luck" selling your old bass!.... [/quote] As I thought I'd implied, in the last sentence - its not something I'd do myself, I'm just defending others rights to do it if they want to. [quote name='ARGH' post='64909' date='Sep 24 2007, 05:58 PM']Why does this whole thread make me think,the phrase "Who cares, some of you need to get out more"? Its just an instrument....an object. There are bigger things occurring in the world.[/quote] I agree with that. The reason I commented was not because of what was being done to the bass, but because of the way the people were being slagged off for doing what they wanted to do, which after all did no harm to anyone. Clive.

I was assuming that the customer was there at the time and knew what he wanted, and if them getting the files out to it was not what he wanted, then he would have said stop. Having said that, the customer would appear to have been youngish and didn't know any better himself? but does that preclude him from making his own decision? +1 on the Porsche analogy. Clive

I've been watching some of the lessons by him that have been put on U-tube. As well as being a cracking (mind blowing)player he also comes over as really nice bloke, who is very modest about his abilities, and totally unarrogant. Clive.

Is this Manson the same one, or related to, the one that builds acoustic guitars and mandolas etc.? Clive.

Have they affected the playability of the instrument? NO. Have they wrecked a rare vintage instrument ? NO Have they given the customer what he wanted ? YES. Also, the impression is that the customer is present at the time, so why are we giving them such a hard time? (I'm not one of them by the way, I just feel we're all being a bit harsh on them) A natural/genuine relic instrument achieves this state through years of abuse. So which is the most authenic way to reproduce this effect artificially? A very skilled paint job and sand papering by a craftman, or some abuse with a file by some young lads in a shop? Who knows? The craftman job would be very careful and skilled, but totally lacking in any abuse that a naturally battered instrument will have suffered. The file and sandpaper job in the front of a shop lacks any finess, but does at least involve some real abuse, so is possibly closer to the spirit of a genuine relic!. My own view is that either method is artificial, so why bother at all? Clive

I can see little point in Relicing a guitar at all, but people do do it, even the Fender custom shop. So if other people want to do it, with files, sandpaper, whatever, then it really doesn't bother me. If the customer said he wanted it relicing then surely the shop doing for him is just good customer service? Clive.

Those warwick ones look interesting. Dunlop style locking pin, but with nuts to hold it onto the strap. All it needs now is a dunlop style dished washer to prevent accidental pushing of the release button. Certainly a good price! Are they compatible with the dunlop system? i.e will a Warwick male part fit into a Dunlop female part and vice versa? Clive

I was the one who started the previous thread on this subject. I ended up buying the Dunlop ones, which I now have fitted all three of my basses. The main reason for this choice was that I didn't like the peg sticking out the end of the schallers, and tha fact that even if the C clip fails the strap will still not come off while its attached to the bass. My only complaint with then is that the 'C' clip method of securing them to the strap does not allow for different strap thicknesses, whereas those with a nut fitting obviously do. Apart from that I've found them brilliant, and as someone has mentioned you can still use non straplocked straps (which I believe is also true for the schallers). As well as securing the straps straplocks (except Grolsh ones) also allow for very quick changing around of straps. Clive.

[quote name='bass_in_ya_face' post='57702' date='Sep 9 2007, 12:44 PM']I'd love to wife + kids + 20 years too late...say no [/quote] Nevr too late - I was 49 when I first played the bass in a band (and in public). Of course I wish I'd started earlier, but I didn't, and I'm just glad I've started now. Clive.

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='46444' date='Aug 16 2007, 02:27 PM']Don't luthiers/manufacturers normally go to great lengths to screen cavities from the pup magnets... so someone starts fitting magnets to hold screened cavity covers on [/quote] Noise problems are caused by moving/changing Electric/Magnetic fields, such as mains hum, and switching noise from lighting etc. A static field from a fixed magnet should not cause a problem. Clive.

Its not a case of being under the thumb or doing what your told. It's a case of whats best for the common good of the family. After all family comes first, and if that isn't your veiw then would you get married in the first place? As several people have said, its all about compromise and negotiation.

[quote name='Sharkfinger' post='42790' date='Aug 8 2007, 10:33 AM']Shame I've only just come back to this thread, as I've just hit the button on a eBay purchase of a Mex Urge. £370 including postage to UK. I'm sure it will be £400+ once the govenment have hand their pound of flesh! As I'm London based, I'm not sure it would've have worked out. With my luck, however, they probably only wanted about £20 just to get rid of it. Damn my impetuousness! [/quote] Shark, I presume you've now got this one. How's it going, how are you getting on with the 32" scale? Clive.

[quote name='The Funk' post='45749' date='Aug 15 2007, 12:54 PM']Van Morrison - Dancing In The Moonlight. Not the note for note but utterly rubbish cover by whatever-they-were-called.[/quote] In which case I'm sure that it is also has many fine qualities, but not quite as many as tha Thin Lizzy song of the same name. Clive

[quote name='Stuart Clayton' post='45442' date='Aug 14 2007, 09:01 PM']Songs that we're always asked to play, or play anyway cos they're so popular...: Mustang Sally (in A, which feels wrong to me) Sweet Home Alabama Brown Eyed Girl Twist & Shout La Bamba Dancing In The Moonlight Sweet Home Alabama is fun to play but the rest suck pretty badly, having been playing them for 12 years or so now. My pet hate is at weddings/functions of ANY kind, where the band is packing up and trying to get out, and the punters congregate around the doorway. They see you coming, but don't move. Can they not see me struggling with an EBS bass cabinet? Honestly... STu[/quote] You can't really blame the audience for wanting to hear these songs, they are all cracking tunes in their own way (I presume we're talking Thin Lizzy Dancing in the moonlight, not the other one), and are popular for a reason! But a bands enthusiasm for any song is likely to wane after 12 years! You've got remember that the vast majority of the audience have no idea how a band works, or the work that goes into learning each song. Most of them probably think that playing a different song is no more difficult than changing channel on the telly. Personally I would prefer not to do requests, and on no account attempt anything you've not fully rehearsed. And +1 for the pet hate. It's just so nice when someone asks 'do you want a hand carrying anything, mate?'. Clive.

Frank, I've been told (by my darling wife) that if I get a USA one the Mex will have to go, so I'll get in touch if that happens. The Mex one seems to be a fine bass, although I've not a vast experience of other basses to compare it with. I just fancy a USA one for the extra flexibilty. The one on E-bay ticked all the boxes for me, except on the price, hence my original question. I don't mind paying the going rate for one, but I've no idea what that might be. To be honest, part of the problem buying a USA one is that my playing standard and frequency don't really justify one. If I do go for one it would be as an indulgence / late 50th birthday present from my aforementioned wife. The other problem with having too good an instrument is that when you get it out people can expect better things than you can deliver and you end up looking a bit of a twat. I don't have a problem with the medium scale because that's all I've ever known. I have problems when trying a long scale, both in terms of the finger stretch and the arm reach (although that depends on how you wear it), and of course because the frets aren't quite where you'd expect. Clive.

Ped, Thanks - problem solved! I was looking around for some sort of switch like that, but under "My controls"/"my assistant" etc. rather than the obvious place. Clive.

I've taken the plunge and bought some Dunlops. Initial thoughts are that they can be very tight on the strap or very loose depending on the thickness, whereas schallers screw up tight irrespective. Ho Hum. Clive