bigjohn

Played one in the guitar center in LA when I'd never heard of them. Was stunned by how light they are. I really liked it. Will get one one day.

Lighter fluid - naptha (real zippo fuel) rather than petrol. It's higher grade and the stink stays less. Watered down malt vinegar can be useful too. Lemon oil smells nice after

I managed to ding my bass without any impact. Being a silly boy I put it on a footstool whilst I cleaned the fretboard. The footstool cushion is just tied on and moved ever so slightly as I was cleaning, allowing a wooden corner to stick out - which wore through the finish right through to the wood. Despite the odd clanging on things - its the only visible mark on it still.

[quote name='gypsymoth' post='142559' date='Feb 18 2008, 04:36 PM']different brands are different - cleaner, brighter, dirtier, more mid-focus, more fi-fi, earlier breakup, etc. www.watfordvalves.com has reviews on pre & power tubes. the "trick" is knowing what you want more or less of. it can make a pretty dramatic difference. swapping an ecc83 for an 82, or el34's for 6550's is equally significant.[/quote] Will take a look. Nice one. [quote name='Hamster' post='142561' date='Feb 18 2008, 04:40 PM']In that case - go to Nottingham [url="http://www.chambonino.com/"]http://www.chambonino.com/[/url] Hamster[/quote] He looks like a good chap!

[quote name='Hamster' post='142420' date='Feb 18 2008, 01:03 PM']I'd go for 4 Sovtek 6CA7 and JJ's for the 3 ECC83's. As for changing valves to achieve different tones you wont make a huge difference, but there are simple ways to make bigger adjustments in tone if you want to go that route. If you live anywhere near Guildford I can recommend an excellent valve amp guru - [url="http://www.stevesamps.co.uk/"]http://www.stevesamps.co.uk/[/url] Hamster[/quote] Not really wanting to change anything too drastically if at all - just wondered if the brands of tubes add or subtract anything. I've been told putting 5881s in makes these amps sound more "american" - but a mod is needed to fit em. Am in Nottingham so nowhere near Guildford! but thanks for the link.

Hi all, I'm going to replace the valves in my new valve head soon. Whaddya all know about the different brands of valves, their tone etc. Also - does anyone have any experience in using different valves than the recommended types to get different tones, or increase power? I've got a marshall JCM 800 - it uses 4 EL34s and 3 ECC83s for the pre amp. Ta John

Hi all, I'm going to replace the valves in my new valve head soon. Whaddya all know about the different brands of valves, their tone etc. Also - does anyone have any experience in using different valves than the recommended types to get different tones, or increase power? I've got a marshall JCM 800 - it uses 4 EL34s and 3 ECC83s for the pre amp. Ta John

[quote name='David Nimrod' post='136421' date='Feb 8 2008, 12:04 PM']Item number: 280199212775 My lovely jazz bass, for sale due to an ongoing relationship with an Ibanez ATK series fretless Starts at £199.[/quote] I would have bit your hand off for that if I wasn't skint. I only live 5 mins drive too

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='141160' date='Feb 15 2008, 04:26 PM']Actually its Gear Acquisition Syndrome i believe. Its used for many things other than guitars. [url="http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/GAS"]GAS[/url][/quote] Yes - that's where I knew it from. got guitars on the brain So I've just got a large lexicon and I'm not a saddo. Honest.

[quote name='pauljdcooper' post='141157' date='Feb 15 2008, 04:23 PM']Guitar Addiction Syndrome = GAS! [/quote] Nowt wrong with addiction - but filling your house with them is a bit OTT. Or wanting more even if you've got perfectly good ones in hand. Guitar [s]Addiction[/s] Acquisition Syndrome = GAS. Not to be a pedant like. (I don't even know how I know that... I spend too long on internet forums obviously :ph34r: )

Good god. Some of you lot have issues Do you have one night stands with these basses or what? I've been playing over half my life, I'm 33 and I've owned : 1) Marlin Jazz bass - not for long - crap - gave it away. Sounded "ok" but was really hard to play. The neck was thicker and the fretboard wider than any P I've ever played. 2)"Epiphone by Gibson" US made Rock Bass - fantastic deep & full sound - but a really thin neck which I eventually have gone off. Also I prefer flats - but the neck is so thin it bows the neck too much to put them on. Good looker though! Still got it - it's the bass I learned to play on. 3) MIM Precision Bass Special. I do GAS for : A Thunderbird, A Grabber or Ripper (or both), A nice natural wood Jazz, and a fretless Jazz, a Stingray (maybe a Bongo), oh and a Starfire. One day I'm buying amps at the moment :brow:

[quote name='E_MaN' post='140539' date='Feb 14 2008, 06:26 PM']thats quite a pitch[/quote] I thought that. If I lived in Oxford I wouldn't know whether to give him a ring or leave town good job I don't live in Oxford. And I'm too old :brow:

[quote name='Tee' post='140360' date='Feb 14 2008, 02:48 PM']Well done John Before i got my Orange, i was on the look out for a JCM800 or VB4H.[/quote] Thanks! Josh was just telling me he's ordered a Cornell... I will have to come down and see annoy you lot again soon. I bet your "Oranguilar" sounds awesome. [quote name='alexclaber' post='140443' date='Feb 14 2008, 04:34 PM']Righteous! Alex[/quote] Right on! :brow: And thanks to all those who replied. & the PMs - invaluable info that made me do it!

[quote name='mr.sibs' post='132921' date='Feb 3 2008, 11:01 AM']i think using mp3s doesnt help, there is a lot more clarity without any compression, even wav files have noticably better bottom end and head room, thanks for the insight though[/quote] We've done different mixes to make mp3s with - that seems to help. You just need to experiment. It's unlikely that you'll get a mix that sounds great on a wav to compress sound the way you want it. Especially if the bass is big part of your sound. Our Mp3 mixes have the the bass tracks turned right up. Like your stuff though. V chilled.

[quote name='uptonmark' post='139800' date='Feb 13 2008, 07:22 PM']in the process of learning bass line to see me by luther vandross standard tuning, its starts in E flat is this correct or do they re-tune so it starts in D thanks in advance for any replies [/quote] Does it ever go as low as e flat played on the bottom string? If not - you might as well play in standard tuning?

[quote name='NJW' post='139928' date='Feb 13 2008, 10:44 PM']I love "musos" on forums who think all sound engineers are idiots by default. Its a fantastically narrow minded and blind approach. Telling an engineer how to do their job is just as bad as them telling you that your basslines are crap and someone else should play the parts.[/quote] I agree... 1) Let them do what they do. 2) Don't let them drink your beer. 3) If you like it go to 6) 4) You don't like it, tell them why 5) Let them do what they do. 6) Let them drink your beer (if you've got any left)

[quote name='Gazm' post='123197' date='Jan 18 2008, 11:36 PM']Don't get drunk and listen to the engineer's advice.[/quote] Don't get drunk? If you usually play drunk, get drunk. I do - it's fine But then I think a certain amount of beer suits me / my playing style. Just do what you do. Some of the best music ever has been made by drunkeds. In fact I usually overbuy beer. I hate being distracted by thinking I'm running out of it. And make sure you throw your empties in the bin unless you wanna look for the full can after each song / create an atmosphere fit for tramps. but yeah - listen to the engineer. Even if you think you know what you should be doing. They usually know the idiosyncrasies of their equipment and space much more than you do after only being in there an hour. If you use the same studio a couple of times, it's much easier (and they listen more) if you say "can we get it like this?". I think like anything it's hard for everyone to get on the same hymn sheet first time, and bands sometimes have unfair expectations of engineers who've sometimes not even heard your band. Sometimes best to do a take or two and then go and listen to them. +1 for the food. Food, beer, fags. Whiskey / wine for after. +1 for camping, I've been stuck in a rehearsal studio with no bog roll before. Spares, spares and more spares.

Every bass and guitar I've ever owned has been black. I agree they're very versatile as they come in a variety of shapes, sizes and configurations. You deffo should play a fender (unless you just take a punt!). I went down Denmark Street all day and played every fender I could find when I was in the market for a Jazz bass. To be honest, if they'd all had the "made in" decal taped over I would have got most of them wrong. I also found myself preferring some Precisions. Some MIAs, MIJs & MIMs played like dogs, some were lovely. I left feeling confused. A lot of how a bass plays is how it's set up. I then bought a MIM Precision Bass Special from ebay. I couldn't resist. It's an FSR in matt black and a jazz neck - I love it. Although it was dirt cheap for what it is and almost brand new - and I was willing so replace bits on it didn't like (I never did). It was a lucky punt. It might have been a dog. Modern MIAs and MIMs are made from the same wood, although you get more variety of woods used for bodies in the MIAs - and the MIAs are sometimes made from less pieces. Talking of sunbursts - they're often made of less pieces for aesthetic reasons. Both MIA and MIM now use the same necks made in the same factory. MIMs rarely come with maple fretboards. MIJs are made from entirely different trees stocks on another continent (though maybe the same type of wood) in different factories. MIAs have much better pickups, electronics and hardware. MIJs are somewhere in the middle. Although some of the Deluxe Series MIMs (like mine) also have US pickups. Some people rate the MIJs as having better build quality than the MIAs or MIMs. I'm not so sure. There are good and bad examples of each.

With a little "peavey" 4x8 - It was awesome - just awesome. Got quite a loud drummer - in a small room with earplugs (obviously) Loads of headroom. Great. Also a really BIG sound - big range deep with good strong mids - almost clean but thick. Love it. Really love it. Sounded quite different that it did though the Marshall 4x12. For £300 - a bargain - exactly what I wanted.

[quote name='Jayfaedoom' post='138798' date='Feb 12 2008, 12:43 PM']what does the JCM800 head sound like? I am thinking of buying one. I know the guitar amps are amazing and used by a lot of bands, wondering what the bass amp is like?[/quote] Only heard it though a Marshall 4x12 Guitar cab which the fellow in the shop was concerned I was gonna blow so I'm very interested in what it's like myself Sounds nice to me though. Old school 60s / 70s / 80s Rock. I got Butler / Harris / Lynott sort of sounds. Marshall say it's the best bass amp they've made - and Marshall made amps for Entwhistle, John Paul Jones etc so they can't be that bad Full and warm with bite if you dig in. It's possible to change how they sound with modification by the Marshall service department and by changing the valve types. I would like to hear it through a modern transparent full range cab - which is what I'm planning use for my rig anyway. I'll maybe be giving it a work out in a rehearsal room tonight - probably through an old cobbled together 4x8 cab - so I won't be giving it the full welly or hearing exactly what it's got but I'll get more of an idea.

I only ever play with my fingers. I find it a lot harder to forget them or lose them down the back of the sofa I did experiment with a thumb pick a few months back, although I had to dunk it in boiling water to make it fit my thumb comfortably. That was interesting as I could play with my fingers, and then use the thumb pick - it was bit brutal though - too stiff & harsh for my liking. I've started to notice though recently (been playing a lot more) my right index finger is huge. It's getting muscle bound and feels odd...

[quote name='alexclaber' post='138476' date='Feb 11 2008, 09:15 PM']Back to the topic-ish, has anyone else noticed how ridiculously awesome Matt Cameron is (particularly on Soundgarden - Superunknown)? His timing is incredible![/quote] He is rather good. I'm a fan of Steve Gorman of the Black Crowes - that Southern Harmony album is brilliant. Live - he's better.

[quote name='SJA' post='97436' date='Dec 1 2007, 10:14 PM']I went to see the support band, Blah blah blah, who have an excellent bassist (but he uses a Jazz), a bit like Norman Watt Roy.[/quote] We played on the same bill as Blah Blah Blah. Their fans are a bit odd. He's good though - very chas n dave. Deffo not P with a pick Good tone is easy with a pick on a P - but with fingers, there's more variety.

I had a few drum lessons way before I played any sort of guitar. Was about 12 or so. Never got my own kit, but there was one at school which I messed about on before and after the 10 or lessons I had. I then got a guitar when I was about 16 - but quickly moved onto playing bass in a band rather than playing with 6 strings. Although I've always kept one in the house. I think playing the drums before I took up any guitar has influenced my bass style. A couple of my mates also play bass - but have come to it from playing lead / rhythm guitar and play bass a bit differently than I do. My basslines are more walking in style (probably as I learned to play by searching for the right note!), and mostly accompany the drum patterns - whereas theirs can be more riff based and sometimes seem to favour the guitar lines.

Here's a photo.