Count Bassy

[quote name='project_c' timestamp='1476085482' post='3151006'] Exactly! I just don't get how people can't see this, but it says an awful lot about why we're in the mess we're in. Either British builders will have to raise their prices if they keep using what we consider quality parts - USA pickups and hardware for example - OR they will need to start using cheap Chinese copies which we all know are sh!te. British manufacturing isn't exactly cheap at the moment is it? If a builder has any pride in what they do, their prices will go up by just as much in terms of percentages as any other imported thing. Or maybe you will either end up with a boutique 'all british' design which relies 100% on british manufacturing but is totally unaffordable, probably even more so than an import. As for 3D printing - the technology is not ready for that yet. It's good for making a prototype to test your design, but 3D printed instruments are still at novelty stage at best. [/quote] Well, most UK bass builders are, AFAIA, towards the top end of the market, in which case I imaging the cost of the parts is a relatively small part of the cost (labour being the largest part). So price rises for the whole instrument should be considerably less than the change in the exchange rate, unless people cry 'Brexit' and put their total price up by the exchange rate change! Also the exchange rate changes will make British manufactured parts cheaper to source so,,[i] in the longer term,[/i] once things adjust, you might find bass parts being manufactured here in the UK, and even exporting abroad. I work in machine tools and we can already see increased interest in our products from abroad. Don't want to get into the politics of Brexit here, just saying that a low currency value can work both ways. Also, some Chinese stuff is sh*te, but a lot of it isn't.

Yes, let us know. I suspect it will depend on the type of paint.

To be more exact, my Warwick Rockbass 5 string 32" scale Corvette has come early. Was expecting it on 13th October, but it came last Thursday! I am currently working through getting it set up how I want it, but first impressions are great. Absolutely no problem with the low B, which is obviously a concern with a 32", and the neck, although deeper than my Ibanez SRs, is fine (I had heard that Warwick necks could be a bit tree-trunky). It seemed to have been assembled very nicely, but with no obvious attempt at a 'set up'. Action was way high at both the nut and bridge, and the relief was quite high. Still, working through it all getting it all set up to my taste, but even with the Just-a-Nut right down I'm going to have to file the nut a bit (at least with a just-a-nut it's not game over if you file it too low.!) The stock Warwick Red Label strings (Stainless) are way too Zingy for me so I'll probably change them to Nickels when the time comes. Tone controls seem very effective so, with the pickup panning, I can get a tone I like very easily, including taming the zingy strings. String spacing is 16mm which is not to everybody's taste, but suits me fine. Spacing is adjustable within limits (but not to 18mm!) Currently only played it through my Roland cubebass 100, but will try it through something else tonight. Will do a proper review when I've had it longer, but for now I'd say that Warwick have made a decent quality 32" fiver at a reasonable price. (PS - I've recently gone back to nickel rounds on the SR506 (was on half-rounds), and loving it)

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1474988611' post='3142084'] Naah... those two are for show only. There is a big SVT behind the curtain, plugged into that big heavy 4x10 [/quote] Surely you mean 8x10!

Probably the Warwick Rockbass 5 string medium scale Corvette that I am currently waiting for. Other than strings and stuff this is the first new bass related thing I've ever bought ( I would have bought that second hand if I'd found one). Not that expensive compared to some of the stuff mentioned, but still not justified by my standard and amount of playing. Having said that, if I get on with it then I'll probably shift some other stuff on. Or possibly buying a second Vanderkley MNT112 when I already had one and never really needed more 'Heft'.

[quote name='3below' timestamp='1473283463' post='3128767'] Capo 2nd fret and tune accordingly will be the way to go then Dots will be in all the wrong places, could be interesting unless playing Jazz. [/quote] But then you'd only have 22 useful frets!

Markbass LM3? Not many knobs: I just leave everything 'flat' and it sounds great.

[quote name='bassman7755' timestamp='1473657211' post='3131947'] So this is your first fiver then ?. [/quote] No, but it's my first 32" Fiver. Currently have a few 32" fours, and some 34" fives.

..... and ordered a five string, 32" scale Warwick Rockbass from Gear4Music. Now I just have to wait until October 13th for it to arrive. Just wanted to share my excitement.

I've always fancied a Marquee, because it is 32", but I've since moved on to fivers so its lost the appeal.

Family (even though they split when I was 16)

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1471966133' post='3117307'] You know what is great, how Koko looks at it and almost knows what to do with it, knows to strum the strings, inspects it...fascinating ! [/quote] Yes, it was the behaviour of the ape that wowed me. If not for the looks it could have been a human seeing a guitar for the first time.

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1471809808' post='3116090'] For starters drop the were "just" a pub band. Your a pub band and there's nothing demeaning or lower rung about it. Blue [/quote] Beat me to it as well Blue. Well said.

[quote name='el borracho' timestamp='1471467815' post='3113329'] I only really know his playing from Bandstand by Family - one of my favourite albums. [/quote] Good man. Nice to know I'm not alone.

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1470834647' post='3108803'] I just wanted to clarify something about Moondance and why I make mischief when it is mentioned. The truth is, it is not a particularly bad tune, although it is not a great one either. The original is a badly produced performance by any standards but it is 'good enough' for millions who love the song so why should that matter? My reason for having a dig is because of the apparent desire to link it to Jazz. To most Jazz aficionados, this is like calling Europe's 'the Final Countdown' a Heavy Metal classic or 'Rockin' All Over the World' a Rock anthem. It shows a lack of idiomatic awareness. That's all. It's like those old K-tel records 'James Galway plays The Beatles'. It doesn't quite come off. I am perfectly aware that lay audiences don't know what is wrong with it. Why should they? But, as aspiring performers, shouldn't we be duty bound to recognise what is wrong so that we can move the art form forward? Isn't that the difference between a player and a listener? My digs at the offending tune are simply a challenge to fans of this mediocre artefact to look beyond the immediate and to THINK. Is this REALLY Jazz? Is this a good performance? The answer is No, on both counts. Is it a successful record? Of course it is. In real, it is, for me, an irrelevance. I play it for money. People clap. Whoopee doo. People enjoy Macdonalds. Doesn't make it nutritious. As for the 'we are entertainers' argument; some of us are. Some of us are also other things as well. That's OK too. [/quote] Very well put Bilbo. I think part of the problem is that you "make mischief" too well, and it gets taken seriously. All you need to do now is ring back the carrots and all will be forgiven. CB

Great hints here. I am in a similar situation to the OP. Our band has reformed minus the singer (who was the root of the original problems) with a view to three of us sharing the singing duties. I'm told that I can sing pretty well (in some genres), and can play bass OK-ish (Again in some genres), but generally if I try to do both it all collapses in a heap. I suspect that it might be best to get the bass playing automatic and put the engage the brain on the singing, on the basis that the average audience will know if you're not engaging with the words.

Personally I don't care if the timing is out, or the notes are out. If you just listen to it rather than analyse it it's a pleasant up beat song that swings along quite nicely. I wish that I'd written it. There was programme on the radio last week, and Howard Goodall was basically saying that you can follow all the rules there are to come up with a well constructed bit of music, but that that is no guarantee that anyone will like it - and vice-versa. At the end of the day most people listen to music for pleasure, not to analyse it. Did Van Morrison ever actually claim this to be a jazz song?

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1470243492' post='3104452'] Unfortunately it will only work out cheaper if all the materials and components are also UK produced. Anything that has to be imported will bump up the price. [/quote] Yes, but the increased cost of imported parts will encourage the manufacturer to source his components in the UK, and so the effect will trickle down. Eventually, perhaps, parts that are only manufactured in abroad my start to be made in the UK again

[quote name='4stringslow' timestamp='1470155918' post='3103688'] Agreed, not entirely necessary, though even a high impedance 5m unbalanced cable is susceptible to noise interference and the longer the cable the higher the risk. It would do no harm to standardise on balanced cables. Not all mic leads are particularly long (eg PA amp on stage with the band) but they are mostly balanced XLRs these days so why not guitars? [/quote] Another difference is that a typical 'good' microphone will output up to about 50mv. Line level is typically 1v. Guitar outputs will vary widely according to many factors (particularly active/passive), but will generally be significantly higher than the microphone output. Through the same cable the induced external noise level will be the same, so is less of a problem the higher the signal level. A balanced signal will be better than unbalanced in all cases, but becomes less necessary as the signal level increases, more necessary as the cable run increases. In theory optical cable is brilliant because it is totally immune to external electrical noise, but seems an overkill when there are other cheaper & more practical solutions available. Now, what about 'Starquad' cable?

Stiff Little Fingers a week Thursday, and status quo the weekend after that.

I used to be very cynical about cable size (for 'Hi-Fi'), but changed my very modest system (I mean really sh*tty) from the old 'bell wire' stuff to 2.5mm (No OFC & stuff in those days) and it made a very noticeable difference - Like someone removing a blanket from in front of the speakers - and much cheaper than replacing the 30 year old amp and speakers!

Now I really like my 32" scale Fender Urge (Mk1). Everything is so much more comfortable for my small hands, than on a 34", but I also like Fivers. Most of my playing these days is on an Ibanez SR605, which is a great five string, but 34" scale. There are 32" (and even 30") fivers out there, but mostly expensive, which my standard and frequency of playing really don't justify (eg the Status King bass with the Bendwell). Now Warwick have had a 32" Rockbass corvette available for a couple of years, and I'm in the unusual position of being able to spend the £750 required (still very much an indulgence at that price). Anyway, the question is, has anyone here ever played one of these, and what do/did they think? Bear in mind that I've never played a Warwick of any type. I recall Warwick had a reputation for necks like tree trunks at one point, is this still true? If so it might be a bit much after the slim necks I'm used to. See the link below: [url="http://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Warwick-Rockbass-Corvette-Basic-5-String-Bass-Medium-Natural-Satin/18KW"]http://www.gear4musi...ural-Satin/18KW[/url] Any thoughts, comments or experiences welcome. Thanks.

To stand up for singers (and brass/woodwind players) if you're feeling sh*t, especially in the throat/lungs area then an essential part of your instrument is malfunctioning, and there's not a lot you can do about it (live in a bubble?). If you're a bassist, drummer, guitarist, keys etc. then you can feel sh*t but it doesn't affect your fundamental sound. I wonder if on "Singchat" they moan about bassists who cry off because of a broken wrist etc. with the comment that they've sung with their arm in plaster? EDIT: It seems that great minds think alike Iojo, and apparently at the same time as well!

Loctite?

And Andy Fraser of course. And Neil Murray. Damn that makes it about 8 now.