noelk27

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Pieces written for violin, viola and cello, mostly. An afternoon spent listening to classic rock and playing classical pieces qualifies as a good day, in my book. Introduce yourself to Julian Lloyd Webber.

The author of the article "To The Limit: 'Dynamic Range' & The Loundness War" (Sound On Sound, September 2011) would suggest we're arguing about nothing: music is getting louder but it is not getting less dynamic. Makes an interesting read.

[quote name='Dom in Somerset' post='1364629' date='Sep 6 2011, 08:10 PM'][R]ounds marked my rosewood board -almost instantly ...[/quote] With a fretted touchboard the string rarely, if ever, contacts the surface of the wood, so players aren't used to seeing the touchboard mark up. With a fretless touchboard the string is in direct contact with the surface of the wood so minor contact wear occurs more quickly. Sure, poor technique, and heavy-handed playing, will also damage a touchboard and reduce its lifespan, but it took around 12 years for me to wear the surface of a rosewood touchboard to the extent that it required refinishing, and a further eight years before it needed replacing, and I was using nickel roundwounds. So, 20 years use out of one touchboard, and my main instrument is fretless.

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='1365130' date='Sep 7 2011, 11:04 AM']Bruddy Herr - Yamaha make tents too?[/quote] Colour-matched for your pleasure ... [url="http://www.t-motorsports.com/product/outdoor-yamaha-pop-up-gazebo-ez-canopytent-blue-wall-ym/"]http://www.t-motorsports.com/product/outdo...t-blue-wall-ym/[/url]

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='1365043' date='Sep 7 2011, 09:43 AM']At what point did [b][i]JapCrap [/i][/b]cease to be a valid description, and become an ironic compliment? Would that point be pre-1968 or post-1968?[/quote] Possibly my favourite Japanese marquee, and although this design is striking, and the quality of workmanship on these instruments is high, I'd reserve my praise for the guitars and basses of the 70s, with particular reference to the first versions of the SG and SB. Sure, the design of the SG takes its ques from the Gibson Les Paul, and the SB from the Fender Jazz Bass, but those instruments mark the point when form and function, design and quality, from a Japanese factory equalled that of the US. With the second version of the SG and the introduction of the BB, between '76 and '77, Yamaha surpassed its US competition. The Achilles heel for Japanese factories, however, was the reputation of their acoustic guitars, and like many marques it took Yamaha until the introduction of the FG1500 and FG2000 to develop instruments the equal of the best from around the world. Those models were introduced in 1971, so I'd not argue with you on the irony point if you picked a year anywhere between '67 and '71, but, for me, it was by '73 that Yamaha had rewritten the rulebook on what to expect from a mass-producer in terms of quality.

[quote name='Doctor J' post='1362605' date='Sep 5 2011, 08:14 AM']I believe Elixir own the idea of coating the string as a whole, everyone else coats the outer wire and then wraps it around the core, a very different feel and sound. I haven't tried the DRs but having bought sets of D'Addario and Warwick coated in the past, I won't be switching from Elixir again.[/quote] Nope. Read US6765136 for the facts.

[quote name='LukeFRC' post='1362472' date='Sep 4 2011, 11:09 PM'][I] know very little about kawai basses ...[/quote] A good factory. Until concentrating on its own designs in the late 80s, mostly built for other marques - notably Fender clones for Fernandes and Gibson clones for Ibanez. It was the "Strats" and "Teles" Kawai built for Fernandes in the 70s, and Tokai built for Fernandes in the 80s, as well as Tokai’s own clones, that undermined Fender's sales in Asia, and resulted in Fender setting up in Japan.

Disgusting colour. Is it an attempt at Bahama Green?

Not sure you'll achieve that: make your acoustic sound more like an upright. Sure, you'll alter how it sounds as you play, but defretting won't change the overall sound, so if it doesn't sound like an upright now, it won't sound any more like an upright when you're done. As for the potential problems: 1. No. If you mean the process, it's relatively straightforward to do: heat the fretwire with a soldering iron, to break the bond of the glue; remove with a pair of needle-nose pliers; clear the slot; fill with your preference of plastic insert or sawdust/glue mix. 2. You can tackle this issue by shaving any saddle(s) and/or removing and shaving the bridge. 3. There are, but if what you want is more of an upright sound, then you want more wood tones, and not synthetics. All the synthetics do is introduce more top end/more shimmer.

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='1311197' date='Jul 21 2011, 08:36 AM']I had one of the original JV serial number Squiers but ... traded it in at the Bass Centre ... The guy in the workshop, (Chris) told me that it was the neck thats the valuable part, apparently they were made in the same factory as the real Fender necks.[/quote] There are different versions of the story, but it's widely understood that FujiGen sourced an order of necks based on vintage Fender specifications from Atlansia, which already had experience of replicating Fender necks as it had been supplying Tokai (for Tokai's Fender clones: the clones which originally panicked Fender into striking a deal with Yamano/Kanda Shokai, and creating Fender Japan). Among Japanese musical instrument manufacturers Atlansia are one of the most highly rated producers of necks, so it's no surprise that those instruments fitted with an Atlansia neck are highly prized. It's also rumoured that, after CBS sold the Fender brand to the then management, but not the manufacturing facilities, the new management sourced an order of necks from Atlansia for instruments to be branded "Made in USA".

[quote name='apa' post='1359348' date='Sep 1 2011, 10:27 PM']Have a read of [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strings_(music)"]THIS[/url] [/quote] Perusing that link reminds me why I avoid Wikipedia.

High C. Because a low B on fretless sounds like sh*t.

[quote name='Mornats' post='1356993' date='Aug 30 2011, 10:05 PM']Possibly not... a bass that would cost $500 in the States would cost £500 over here but £500 would cost you $815 at today's exchange rate.[/quote] Prices quoted in the US are exclusive of sales tax. Prices quoted in the UK are inclusive of VAT. As a US resident visiting the UK and making this purchase, the OP can claim back VAT and declare the goods in the US for the applicable rate of sales tax. As VAT is 20 per cent, probably works out in his favour. All the OP needs do is, at the point of purchase, get the reseller to issue the correct paperwork.

[quote name='joe_bass' post='1355468' date='Aug 29 2011, 04:52 PM']I thought Squier wasn't around until the 80's & originally just made in Japan.[/quote] Well, you're right that Fender didn't use the Squier name until '82, for it's first line of diffusion instruments, but Fender had owned the brand name Squier since '65.

[quote name='Doctor J' post='1355735' date='Aug 29 2011, 08:44 PM']Elixir have copyrighted the process of coating the string as a whole. All the others coat the wire and then wrap it around the core already coated, which entirely defeats the purpose in my opinion.[/quote] No, in its patent of 2002, the specific claim made by WL Gore and Associates Inc for Elixir strings does not relate to when in the process the coating is applied, but is that after submersing a wound string in a bath of liquefied polymer, the string is then removed and any excess polymeric material is "scraped" from the surface of the string leaving only the interstitial voids filled by polymeric material. It is this process of "scraping" that differentiates Gore’s process, and Elixir strings, from those of other manufacturers.

[quote name='bassman7755' post='1355597' date='Aug 29 2011, 06:45 PM']I'm idly curious to know if the elixirs have been beaten by advances in technology ...[/quote] Elixirs is the most up-to-date process of manufacture. DR's is a reversion of an older process.

The Yamaha BB1500A in the FS section might be of interest.

Jimmy Moon (Moon Guitars). He's a master in one-offs.

The £1,600 GG are asking is well OTT.