wateroftyne

Of course it's OK to say someone is better or worse. But you have to be aware that that's only in your opinion and there's a million people out there who will disagree with you. Art is analogue, not digital.

[quote name='basslondon' timestamp='1356989657' post='1916210'] Because then i would be able to sell my 5 string status knowing i could get a sound like that from a Precision. with flatwounds. [/quote] Oh. Thanks for sharing!

[quote name='basslondon' timestamp='1356989573' post='1916208'] heaven help us.... if ever a band were all about attitude and image it were the 'pistols........ i thought we were talking music here. [/quote] Yip. Great tunes, though.

[quote name='basslondon' timestamp='1356987718' post='1916190'] Id like to see a precision/jazz 4 with flatwounds sound that harmonically rich.... [/quote] Why?

[quote name='bassman344' timestamp='1356988818' post='1916198'] Here's a thought. Imagine if Leo Fender had put out the P bass looking like a 5 string BC Rich Black Widow back all those years ago. Would that shape now be the norm and the four, 'rounded body' be the supposed imposter? [/quote] Yes.

[Quote]Almost paradoxically it tends to be the hobbyists who feel the strongest (either way) about this kind of thing, though why the 'pro-bashing' I'll never understand. [/quote] ...because it's less of an issue on the session scene, where most of the non-hobbyists reside.

Don't feed the troll, folks...

[quote name='Inti' timestamp='1356948857' post='1915375'] One of you is a musician while the other is an entertainer. Simple. Entertainers don't like the idea though so they think they are musicians...hence the confusion. A true musician doesn't approach music from an economical or an image-fixated standpoint. A musician cares about sound and creation, not how many chicks he'll have because he looked cool or the check he may get for moving his ass behind a fender. f*** the music industry. [/quote] Yeah! Stick it to the man! I bet you're a hoot at parties.

[quote name='Mog' timestamp='1356946838' post='1915346'] Of course. It doesn't mean I have to agree with the principle though. For my originals bands I use my Spectors (all 4 strings) because they suit the overall sound of the bands. It could be argued that they're a typical rock bass but [b]image is not something which matters to me [/b]and I use them because to me they sound excellent and the company is a pleasure to deal with. To be honest if a bassist had to use a fender jag because that's what the rest of the bands were using Id probably feel sorry for him or her as their individuality is quashed. Isn't that why we all started playing? To have an outlet for our creativity. To that end playing bass x in an originals band because it fits the perceived cliche of what a band should look like is polar to individualism. [/quote] I've highlighted part of your post which I think explains everything.

OK then - referring back to the OP's point - you do understand the distinction between depping for a covers band, and becoming a permanent member of a cohesive band performing original material where image is all, don't you? Different beasts entirely, as I'm sure you're aware.

What - professional musicians who would use an instrument that wasn't up to the task, just because it looks the part? Examples, please.

[quote name='Mog' timestamp='1356939938' post='1915294']I don't get why supposedly professional musicians place aesthetics above tonal quality. [/quote]I don't think many professional musicians would.

[quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1356891685' post='1914819'] And even if you [i]don't [/i]like it. Lots of people have to do things in the course of their jobs that they don't like doing. [/quote] Yip... it's definitely more fun than working in a call centre for a living.

[quote name='Inti' timestamp='1356886182' post='1914732'] See, that's the problem right there... I can't see why anyone with some knowledge of the world would like to play music for the sake of money. [/quote] Even if you like it?

[quote name='Inti' timestamp='1356864578' post='1914348'] Aaaaahhhh a limited entertainer! ...play for me slave! Play! [/quote] I beg your pardon?

[quote name='Mog' timestamp='1356864220' post='1914338'] The Northeast? [/quote] Not specifically, no - unless the folks who have posted on this thread that they understand why it happens are all from the North East, which I don't think they are. [quote name='Inti' timestamp='1356864281' post='1914341'] [b]In my world[/b] it's totally idiotic and moronic to be limited by looks in a sounding art form. People who favor looks over sound and claim to be musicians are certainly more entertainers than artists. Is it so much to ask to take music seriously?....clearly it is. [/quote] I've highlighted the important part of your quote.

[quote name='Mog' timestamp='1356861559' post='1914305'] Unfortunately there's idiots everywhere. IME comments like that usually come from people who played in a band briefly and were convinced by their mates that they were fantastic. (those same mates usually make up 99% of the punters they've ever played for). For a working musician the correct bass to use is the one he/she finds most useful with respect to versatility, comfort and totality. For me that's a 6 string because I have to be able to cover everything from Pop to Traditional Irish at most sessions. To suggest that a specific style, brand or range (scale wise) of instrument is suited or unsuited to particular genre is nothing short of moronic. [/quote] As has been suggested elsewhere, there's nothing idiotic or moronic about it.

I owned mine in 1991, and it was a few years old then, so 1987 is a reasonable guess, I'd say...

What don't you like about the old bridge?

I've been through a lot over the years, and I've settled on Laklands. A great flatwound tone and feel, with clear mids and smooth highs. And they're cheaper than most, too.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1356786177' post='1913566'] Our guitarist has a pointy Hamer that he has had rewired for allsorts of pickup combinations, wheres a leather jacket that he painted his own devil design on, loves 80's metal and anything pointy would you jam with him wateroftyne? [/quote] I would LOVE to!

Without referring to the 5-string thing specifically, there is another angle to this. If a guitarist auditioned for a band I was in and they turned up with, for example, I dunno.. one of those flowery Ibanezzzzes with a pointy headstock and a carry-handle, I'd probably pre-judge that person. And I'd probably come to the conclusion that, given the kind of music I'm into, we're probably not going to have a lot of common ground, musically speaking. And the chances are, I'll probably be right. Human nature, innit.

Yip - it's a Bass V. As played by John Paul Jones (briefly) amongst others. Jack Bruce noodled on one too, I think. Not very popular at the time.