EssentialTension

[quote name='guzzibass' post='648996' date='Nov 8 2009, 06:53 PM']Jefferson Airplane doing White Rabbit - with no strings on the bass???? [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WANNqr-vcx0&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WANNqr-vcx0...feature=related[/url][/quote] It does look like no strings but if you pause at 3 seconds you can see them. Great great bass sound. And Grace Slick ... I'll stop now.

[quote name='silddx' post='648926' date='Nov 8 2009, 05:33 PM']I feel more "spiritual" (if that's the right word) when I play unlined ebony.[/quote] Yes, Nigel, when playing unlined ebony I often turn to prayer.

[quote name='moonbass' post='649755' date='Nov 9 2009, 03:36 PM']As a lined fretless player I can just about get away with playing an EUB neck with side dots. BUT I would love to know how you unlined fretless players manage to hit note's in tune on an electric bass neck when making big jumps. For instance if you needed to hit aBb on a D string... in the dark... in a quiet bit of the song... how do you do it?! Is there some arcane secret that you're not passing on to us mere mortals? (And no, I won't accept 'practice' as an answer!) A.[/quote] Well, someone better at this than me will be along in a minute but.... 1 I'd avoid the big jump and play the Bb on the G string 2 In the dark, lines or dots won't help anyway 3 Muscle memory 4 Slide and listen 5 Vibrato and listen 6 By which time you're on the next note anyway.

I'd like to announce that Andy sent to me (free of all charge) his slightly used set of Roto Trubass black nylons so that I could try them out. Very generous.

[quote name='longtimefred' post='649586' date='Nov 9 2009, 12:19 PM']I dont have a second amp but i remember plaing a gig with my old Marshall VBA400 with my old Trace 8x10, a trace 4x10 and a trace 1x18 all rigged up together. MY LORD!!! It crushed all the people in the first 5 rows![/quote] A while ago I played through Ashdown ABM900 feeding Ampeg 8x10 and Ampeg 8x8 and slaved up to Markbass LMII feeding Ampeg 4x10 and also DI through 2.5kW PA. This in a pub in Hastings called [i]The Carlisle[/i] - some of you may know it - there were no complaints about volume.

Unlined but side dots.

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='647718' date='Nov 6 2009, 10:09 PM']... and a Walkabout Scout ... I thought about selling it recently, but that was a stupid idea.[/quote] Correct.

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='645604' date='Nov 4 2009, 07:28 PM']I'd just like to add, the Classic Vibe instruments are up there with the original Squiers of yesteryear in terms of quality and sound.[/quote] +1 on that. My Classic Vibe Jazz is fantastic anyway but also only cost £260.

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='645602' date='Nov 4 2009, 07:26 PM']You would not believe this is an Indonesian-made Squier.[/quote] There are some very good instruments being made in Indonesia. [quote name='bh2' post='645656' date='Nov 4 2009, 08:20 PM']As far as I know, they are the CV Jazzers with a repaint and price hike.[/quote] The CV Jazz is made in China - where there are also now some very good instruments being made.

I like to have a second rig or at least some kind of back up. My main thing at the moment is my Mesa Boogie Walkabout Scout combo but I take a Little Mark II with me to gigs as a back up. I'm without any other cabs for the LMII at the moment but a pair of 1x12 or 1x15 will be coming in to fill out the second rig. Meanwhile I always have access through friends to other cabs if I need them - usually an Ampeg 4x10.

Well, the used Roto Trubass from Soopercrip (Andy) didn't work out because they were cut for a 3+2 headstock so they didn't fit my Squier Jazz (or any other of my basses). So I've ordered some Pyramid black tapes from StringStar. I'll report on them later.

I don't know who played bass but I love that song.

Very nice, Lee.

[quote name='skankdelvar' post='644416' date='Nov 3 2009, 02:43 PM']I recall the outrage when it transpired that the 1968 "I'm Backing Britain" promotional carrier bags were of Nipponese manufacture.[/quote] Around World Cup time I'm always struck by the number of probably Chinese made St. George's crosses flying from cars that were built almost anywhere except England. Strange.

[quote name='silddx' post='644400' date='Nov 3 2009, 02:21 PM']When I was a nipper people used to, in a completely racist fashion, say stuff from Japan was sh*te, cheeky slopes copying our inventions and all that rubbish.[/quote] When I was a nipper people used to say they wouldn't buy anything Japanese because of the war - but they didn't seem to say the same thing as often about the Germans.

[quote name='BassBod' post='643170' date='Nov 2 2009, 09:49 AM']The LaBella set is really good - a very funky flatwoundbutwithabitoftwang sort of sound. Heavy gauge, but they will last a long long time, so I think they're worth the cost and a bit of set up. The Roto tru-bass is similar but doesn't sound or feel as good - a bit more wobbly sounding and the intonation can be strange. The Status version is good, but with a regular gauge they are very low tension - I foound I had to move the string height up a lot to get a good feel (like Thomastik flats). Pyramid gold - the best trad flatwound. Sound 20 years old out the packet, and feel old and solid (but not very high tension like most flats). If you only want to buy one set of flats (and your bass is very regular Fender type dimensions) these ae the ones - Thomman were the cheapest last time I looked. Hope that helps[/quote] Thanks BB. I've got some Rotos coming by the kind courtesy of Andy (Soopercrip). We'll see if I like them and if not I might try the Pyramids.

No distortion here.

No, the strings should be at tension, to balance the tension of the truss rod.

I have a Lakland Skyline Decade - I guess it may be the only one in this country, it was certainly the first here and was one of the first few out of the Chicago factory. Here's John Pirrucello stood in front of the PLEK machine holding my bass before it left Lakland: Mine is the single-coil passive version which has a street price of $1259 in US and if you could walk into a shop and buy one here it would probably cost that much or likely more in £. Because I bought it when the £ was much stronger against the $, even with import duties and shipping, it cost substantially less - although it was still a lot of money. In total I waited 18 months for it. It's mahogany and it's 9lbs 4oz. It has blocks and binding and a coloured headstock - both of which put the price up. Skyline bodies and necks are machined (in batches of thirty) in the Cort factory in Indonesia (formerly at the Cort factory in Korea, which closed down) using the same CNC programmes as US Laklands. Hardware is fitted in Indonesia but no electronics. In Chicago the bass has the electronics added - the same electronics as a US Lakland - is restrung, the frets are PLEKed, the bass is setup, and in the case of the Decades a bone nut was fitted. It's a great bass with a real retro sound, one of the few basses with a true neck pickup, and a fabulous finish. I won't be selling it, it was worth every penny. I don't care where it was made but, anyway, it wasn't simply made in Indonesia. From the Lakland website: [quote]Lakland Skylines are designed in Chicago but made in a state-of-the-art overseas factory. Lakland determines all specifications and anything that can be done by machine is done by machine, including the fretting. Basses are manufactured in lots of 30 (or more) of each model. You may have heard about the long lead times - that's because we only have so much physical space, and it's impossible to inventory every bass in every color. We listen closely to our dealers and customers, and based on their input and orders we put into production the models and colors in demand at that time. Most Skylines arrive at the Lakland factory fully finished, except for electronics. Lakland luthiers inspect each bass and do refinements according to an incredibly thorough set-up procedure that ensures each bass has proper string alignment, neck relief, fretting, tuner installation integrity, etc. The Skylines are then installed with the same electronics as the US models (except for the 01 models which are shipped with overseas electronics.) No Skyline bass leaves the Lakland facility until it's properly set up and in prime playing condition. We know the customer might not consciously notice it if the refinements weren't done, but we believe that this incredible attention to detail is the reason most players consider Lakland Skylines higher in quality than most mass produced American-made basses. [url="http://www.lakland.com/skyline_vs_us.htm"]http://www.lakland.com/skyline_vs_us.htm[/url][/quote]

[quote name='Legion' post='642514' date='Nov 1 2009, 02:19 PM']I've still got a barely used 4 string set of Roto's for sale if you decide to try them out. J[/quote] Thanks Legion, I've actually got some Rotos on the way now but I may get back to you.

[quote name='BurritoBass' post='642459' date='Nov 1 2009, 12:28 PM']Rotosound state the gauge is to keep the tension on the neck. A couple of rehearsals and it doesn't notice.[/quote] I think you're right, the heavy gauge wouldn't bother me.

[quote name='bassline' post='642450' date='Nov 1 2009, 12:16 PM']hi i have been useing roto black nexus strings for a while now and they have been realy good, they have lasted about twice as long as my strings normaly do. here is a link to them [url="http://www.stringbusters.com/frameset.asp?MAIN=http://www.stringbusters.com/ko-kat/BASS%20STRINGS/ROTOSOUND/"]http://www.stringbusters.com/frameset.asp?...INGS/ROTOSOUND/[/url] enjoy:)[/quote] Aren't those roundwounds with a coating rather than nylon tape wounds (which is what I'm interested in but didn't say explicitly)?