Count Bassy

I thought thought that the "Agent of change" principle had been adopted. Perhaps not.

Thanks for your thoughts people. Some very interesting points. I hadn't even thought of the fret-board material. Checked it out and the fretted is rosewood, the fretless is 'Tiger stripe' ebony. - I've only really played an Ibanez GWB35 extensively which is ebanol (i.e. plastic), so I don't actually know which I'd prefer sound wise Also I hadn't considered the side dots potentially being in the wrong place on the fretted one. I'm also guessing that if I went with the fretless then the nut would be set for a fretless, but this is Chinese made so I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't (the nut set up was way too high on the fretted one when it arrived), so I might be leaning towards starting with the unlined fretless . Thanks again. Any further comments still gratefully received.

A slight tangent to the main subject, but I was briefly in a band with a Conga player (who was also the band 'leader'). He was quite a good player and because it was Congas he could wing it and play along to anything. The problem was that he couldn't understand that other members of the band actually had to take the time to learn and practice stuff. I didn't stay for long. PS " A wing and a prayer" seems a very appropriate phrase for this thread.

I have a Warwick Rockbass 32" Corvette 5 string fretted, which I really like (Will review at some point, honest). In fact I like it so much that I'd really like a lined fretless version as well. Warwick make an otherwise identical fretless version, but it's unlined. So, do I buy another fretted one and de-fret it and modify the nut etc, OR do I buy an unlined fretless one, and add the lines in myself? (positioning of the lines would not be any problem to me). Note that I do not want this to become a Lined Vs Unlined debate. I just want opinions on which approach would give me the best result. Thoughts/opinions please.

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1492095860' post='3277931'] "The vicar would like to invite you to join him for a cup of tea during the interval." [/quote] Brilliant!.

What about a DBS7412, only 60Kg (9.5 Stone)!!!

[quote name='PaulGibsonBass' timestamp='1491568417' post='3274026'] Having seen him last night it seems it's a combination of severe carpal tunnel syndrome and a nerve problem, in both wrists and hands. His left hand is more effected, but his right hand is permanently very warm to touch. He's going to get a second opinion to see if it can be treated, if not cured. [/quote] AFAIK Carpel tunnel can 'generally' be fixed with an Op. My wife is a piano & Sax teacher, and had one hand done about 6 weeks ago. Apparently it can take a long time to recover, according to how severe it was. Hers was described as severe, but she was playing piano again within a week, and it is vastly vastly improved she said, although the area of the op itself is still a bit sensitive. Going for the other hand once this one is fully recovered. She did say that the initial anesthetic injection (local) was the most painful things she's ever experienced, but best not tell your guitarist that should he go that way. I guess it depends what the other nerve trouble is.

Can't imagine how I'd feel in that situation. Did he say what it actually was?

Some of the best speakers I have heard have a small speaker instead/as well as a tweeter - some how sound more balanced and natural. In particular I have a Musicman HD212 which is a 600W 2 x 12" + 1 x 5" (ish). My rig of choice,would be this with my Marshall DBS7400 on top, but for practicality a Vanderkley 112MNT + LM3 gets used more often.

[quote name='Jecklin' timestamp='1490125444' post='3262441'] Oh and as for a compensated nut, it's the solution to a problem that didn't exist [/quote] I experimented with a compensated nut in my younger days (well actually a compensated zero fret), and I found that it made a noticeable improvement to the intonation. If one was available on a bass that I could afford then I'd go for it.

[quote name='Bolo' timestamp='1490563496' post='3266054'] Who has a spare fiver to waste, these days? [/quote] The new plastic ones are meant to last longer, but to me they seem to go just as quickly as the old ones.

[quote name='smokyflipps' timestamp='1489921803' post='3260789'] Cheers guys, much of the same opinion. Briefly had it up for sale but couldn't bring myself to do it. Maybe keep the head and shift on the cabs. [/quote] I think I saw it on Ebay!. but I have a DBS7400 amp already, and am OK for cabs! (since when was that an excuse?). Anyway, can't speak for the cabs, but you did the right thing keeping the amp. Lots of trouser flapping goodness where, unlike a lot of modern hybrid amps, the valve/SS preamp blend actually does something!!

[quote name='CameronJ' timestamp='1490340849' post='3264345'] Looks like they've ditched the VLE and VPF controls in favour of the new amp modelling stuff? [/quote] Which is a great shame. I find I can get the sound I want very easily using these two controls on my LM3. I couldn't be arsed messing around with Amp emulations - far too complicated for me -.it seems (to me) like a solution to a non-existent problem. ... and why on earth (Flat or Spheroid) two Jack speaket speaker connection, but only one Speakon? Does anyone still use jacks for speakers these days?

Done, but I'm a bit concerned by [quote name='cris the man' timestamp='1489587596' post='3258180'] In order to show it's a viable idea, I need to do some market research. [/quote] in that you want to 'show' that it is viable, rather than find if it is viable, and this may bias your interpretation of the survey results accordingly.

I liked and still like "Dancing in the Street", Great driving version which doesn't take itself seriously.

The DBS7400 is a class H power stage, and I think the DBS200 is the same. so that would be 200 Watts with 2000W peak. Has he tried the amp through different speakers? I would have thought that they'd be the most likely problem after 25 years. Blown Tweeter perhaps?

[quote name='markstuk' timestamp='1487766152' post='3242547'] The good news is that bugeras seem either to fail early, or carry on running... One of my guitards is very happy with his... [/quote] This is a standard feature of almost all products, and is refereed to ad the bathtub curve. i.e. there are a relatively high number of failures early which quickly falls off (The tap end of the bath) then there is a period of reltively few failures (the bottom of the bath), and then there is a gradually increasing number of failures as the things start to wear out (The back of the bath). A good bit of kit will have fewer failures at each stage of the curve, but will generally follow the same pattern.

[quote name='Bill Fitzmaurice' timestamp='1488030444' post='3245175'] That's what they mean, but it's of no consequence anyway. Output is limited by voltage swing, which is the same irrespective of the load, while sound levels are measured in decibels, and there's no direct correlation between power and decibels. [/quote] Output swing,[i] and the current/thermal limits of the output devices[/i]!

Well, if it had to be just one then it would have to be Family, as they were/are my favourite band ever.

[quote name='fleabag' timestamp='1471744060' post='3115533'] He was on Fearless, as well as Bandstand. Just the 2 albums unfortunately. Ric Grech and John Weider played on the other albums [/quote] Apart from "It's Only A Movie", which was Jim Cregan. Saddened to hear that he's gone. Saw him with Asia a few years ago (not really my sort of thing), who were on the same bill as Family. Struck me as a shame that "Family" didn't get him up for one.

How long have you been playing, and/or how often do you play? You refer to gigging, so I assume you're not a beginner. Different strings will help, but it sounds like you need to toughen your finger tips up. This only really comes from perseverance BUT the trick is (IMHO) to stop when your fingers start to feel sore (easy when practising, not in a gig), i.e. before they blister or shred.Give it a day and repeat. If you let the skin blister/shred then you're back to square one.

[quote name='skb558' timestamp='1485117623' post='3221317'] Steve Upton, Wishbone Ash drummer went to run a chateau in France. [/quote] And what a great drummer he was!

[quote name='kodiakblair' timestamp='1484848259' post='3219094'] Holding out for a Hero written by Jim Steinman Total Eclipse of the Heart also written by Steinman [/quote] Oh well, that's made me look twat hasn't it! Actually I've got to admit that having posted that last post I heard "Total Eclipse of the Heart" on the radio and I did think (without knowing who'd written it) "Actually that could easily be a Meatloaf song" I still think that Meatloaf had a good voice for the songs, obviously not a classic 'good voice' but very suitable for the songs in the same way that Joe Cocker or Tom Waits (or indeed Bonnie Tyler) could be said to have good voices. (still loving that "Twat" gets through the filter)

[quote name='mikel' timestamp='1484772992' post='3218389'] Nah. Meatloaf has an awful voice, strained and tuneless. Bonnie Tyler would have done those songs so much better. [/quote] I think Meatloaf had a great voice for those songs at the time. Bonnie Tyler had a great voice for her songs, but I couldn't see it in many Meatloaf/Jim Steinman songs.

[quote name='SpondonBassed' timestamp='1484777586' post='3218449'] Do they still do Bert Weedon's Play in a Day? Edit; Oh yeah. They do! [url="http://www.bertweedon.com/playinaday.htm"]http://www.bertweedo.../playinaday.htm[/url] [/quote] We are normal and we love Bert Weedon!