EssentialTension

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1323551117' post='1464564'] Good point! It threw me that the guy selling at £40 had 10 copies for sale [/quote] Oh, I didn't notice the ten copies.

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1323544505' post='1464508'] Just looked on EBay & it's selling for £40 for a paperback! Maybe it's out of print? [/quote] Not selling but for sale at £39.65. The only one that sold recently fetched £5.49.

Try putting the details in here: [url="http://www.quinnviolins.com/qv_stringidsearch.shtml"]http://www.quinnviolins.com/qv_stringidsearch.shtml[/url]

Just one bass usually but always spare strings even though I have rarely broken one.

[quote name='99mustang' timestamp='1323377271' post='1462793'] High all, I have a Squier Pbass and have noticed that when the strings touch the magnets on the pups, there is a loud click. Been told this is the Fender Clack. Would swapping out the OE pups for Seymour Duncan SP1's get rid of the click? Cheers all. [/quote] The strings shouldn't be touching the pole pieces. Play more lightly or lower your pickup.

I've got a couple of the Hercules minis and they've worked fine for me but I don't risk them on a crowded stage.

Here's another Zemaitis previously owned by Ronnie Lane and now with Bob Daisley:

[quote name='toneknob' timestamp='1323003007' post='1458091'] Same song - Who Did You Think I Was - from the Pino POV [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLCmw2zMP6Y[/media] Dig the Grolsch bottle-washer straplocks. [/quote] Fantastic.

This thread reminded me of a story I read about John McVie. It may or may not be true. McVie asked Lakland for a Precision bass (the old Bob Glaub signature). They didn't have a US model ready so sent him a Skyline version saying that they'd get the US model to him as quickly as possible. A few days after McVie received the Skyline he phoned Lakland to say not to bother with the US model because the Skyline was fine.

Good service here from Thomann too and they have a 30-day refund policy.

[quote name='Slipperydick' timestamp='1323034166' post='1458576'] Well put. Dunno why really, but watching McFly when they used to be on Saturday morning TV ( seemed like every week) always reminded me of the Monkees. A nit off thread really I spose', but didnt the Monkees stuff have some great Bass Lines ? I wonder if they were all played by Carol Kaye, or did Nesmith play any of them at all. Either way, he made a good few bob. [/quote] Joe Osborne, I think, but if not then probably Carol Kaye.

[quote name='EdwardHimself' timestamp='1323006523' post='1458154'] Not if you define a bassist as someone who sits around their bedroom all day going widdlydiddlydo at 1 000 000 bpm on their fingers. However, he's made more money than most people on this forum by playing a bass. IMO I think that pretty well qualifies him to put "bassist" under "occupation" on his census form... [/quote] I've never watched celebrity jungle dancing or heard of whatever his name is but this is spot on.

[quote name='REDLAWMAN' timestamp='1322995282' post='1457947'] [color=#333333][font=HelveticaNormal, sans-serif][size=3]Thanks Johnston, I'll look into that.[/size][/font][/color] [color=#333333][font=HelveticaNormal, sans-serif][size=3]Someone on the Fender Forum was kind enough to direct me to this:-[/size][/font][/color] [color=#333333][font=HelveticaNormal, sans-serif][size=3][b]You can preset the basic intonation of your bass by taking a tape measure and measuring from the inside of the nut to the center of the 12th fret [i]([/i]the fret wire itself; not the fingerboard[i])[/i]. Double that measurement to find the scale length of your bass.[/b][/size][/font][/color] [color=#333333][font=HelveticaNormal, sans-serif][size=3][b]Adjust the first-string bridge saddle to this scale length, measuring [/b][b]from the inside of the nut to the center of the bridge saddle. Now adjust the distance of the second saddle back from the first saddle, using the gauge of the second string as a measurement. For example, if the second string is .060" (1.5 mm), you would move the second-string saddle back .060" (1.5 mm) from the first saddle. Move the third saddle back from the second saddle, using the gauge of the third string as a measurement. Adjust the fourth saddle in the same manner (and fifth if you have a five-string bass).[/b][/size][/font][/color] [color=#333333][font=HelveticaNormal, sans-serif][size=3][b][i]Note: If you're using a taper-wound fourth string (and fifth if it's a five-string bass), use the actual gauge of the string for your measurement rather than the dimension of the tapered portion of the string.[/i][/b][/size][/font][/color] [/quote] I would totally ignore that and set the action and the intonation in the normal way.

[quote name='daz' timestamp='1323008468' post='1458194'] Really ? I always thought flats came [i]after[/i] rounds ? Well, a they say. [i]You learn something new every day[/i]. [/quote] The standard story is that the first roundwound bass strings were produced by James How (RotoSound) around 1963 for John Entwistle. Whether those were really the first roundwound bass strings I don't know but rounds were certainly very uncommon and for most people remained uncommon for some time after 1963. Until at least 1976, and perhaps later, a new Fender came with flatwound strings as it always had done.

[quote name='thebigyin' timestamp='1322987194' post='1457875'] .... the jazz neck is thinner [which i new] ..... Bit confused as i don't want to cause any harm to neck of bass..... [/quote] On this point, the unfounded fear is usually that flats will be too high tension for the neck but flats aren't necessarily higher tension - just like rounds, there are higher tension and lower tension flats - and anyway, that's what the truss rod is for.

When I had a CV Jazz I tried several types of flats on it, like I always do. There have been lots of Jazz/flats players over the years - Joe Osborn, for example - and as obbm says, when the Jazz was introduced there was no such thing as rounds. Your shop man might be stating a personal preference but he's not stating a universal fact. Get some flats now!

Is the neck and fingerboard slightly DB like the Takamine or is it more guitarish?

Only musical I've played was Grease about twenty years ago and I really enjoyed it. It was harder work than I expected although I realise Grease is probably somewhat easier than say West Side Story (and most others).

I jammed with some guys and drummer (or cajonist) had one. Saw one with a flamenco band a couple of weeks ago too. I've told our drummer to get one but I don't think he was listening.

[quote name='Legion' timestamp='1322937088' post='1457561'] I really like them Dave. I don't think they are any [b]more[/b] sensitive to hand positioning than the Chi Sonics (which already are IMO). The Chi Sonics certainly have a more modern tone to them, due to more mids I think. The Darkstars do seem to sort of "saturate" the more you dig in which gives a really nice fat rounded sort of drive to the notes especially at the neck pickup. The adjustable pole pieces are brilliant as well, so you can get a very even tone across the strings. Overall I think the Chi's are a great pickup but the Darkstars were worth the wait for me. [/quote] I had Dark Stars in a semi-hollow Dearmond Starfire and the neck pickup definitely did that fat round almost or slightly overdriven sound (that you can hear on late sixties Jefferson Airplane and Grateful Dead) especially with some digging in. I'd agree the Chisonics are very similar and similarly sensitive but, as you say, a more modern sounding version. I think I may need some Dark Stars again sometime.

Jas, how are you liking the Dark Stars compared to the Chisonics? I've had both (but not in the same style bass) and I'd agree there are some definite similarities.