Kongo

Nearest to .30 is good, I use .30 - .32 depending on bass etc etc. a .40 is a G-string!!!

[quote name='andyjingram' post='899834' date='Jul 20 2010, 11:28 AM']Ah, I see what you're getting at. I think most people listen in the way you do though, as in artists they like. I certainly don't go around buying up albums because Joe Osborn played the bass on them! I do look up to him because he has played on so many high profile records, made a career without ever being a 'star' as such. I think the only people who give a toss about a session bass players name are musicians themselves. The (career) case for stylism (let's call it that, whether it is a real word or not!) is that you might eventually come to the attention of the public in your own right, rather than blending into the background regardless of situation. Ask your average joe about Mark King, and like him or hate him, there is a chance they will know who your talking about. Mention Carole Kaye, Joe Osborn, and Ray Pohlman, and they will be much less likely to know who you are talking about, despite them having played on 50% of the records played in that pub that night. As for variety, too right! There is no wrong or right here, it is self expression, and realistically, self satisfaction which is key in making music![/quote] Yes indeed, now you understand me. I guess in the end I turn out 50/50 on this, in the end I love music and the arts including literature, poetry and art itself. If I can create and perform my art, that's all I would want of this world. It is unfortunate session musicians don't get recognized but then, that's assuming they base their career on fame, which in itself turns out to be destructive at times. They are performing their art and that's all that they need to. Same goes for the Stylists, lets just love music and hate not the way it's made.

[quote name='Davo-London' post='900249' date='Jul 20 2010, 04:44 PM']I'm VERY late to this debate ... but it won't stop me. I think there may be a link between the simplicity of the P and a demand for straight-forward bass playing. I cannot deny that the P sounds good in the mix. I also cannot deny that my bass playing development has been significantly held back by only owning a P-bass. Chords don't work and I find it impossible to play fast and articulately. If only I had bought a Jazz instead of a Precision 32 years ago I think I would be a different player. That said, I would happily own a 60's P with a narrower neck. My 70's P feels like a great slab of wood. So I went from the sublime to the ridiculous and commissioned a Cliff Bordwell Ball Bass as my main fretted bass. They are different instruments, they really are but I'll try and use the P-bass next time I'm in church. I'll need to give it new strings though! As for Leo getting it right. Well he did alright. I don't think Fender's popularity can be so easily dismissed. There's been plenty of opportunity for other basses to take the No1 spot. But they haven't. And the resale of Fenders is by far the easiest route. Davo[/quote] I think chords work awesome on the P-bass as they don't sound so tinny, they sound full and fat. As with playing fast...when I need to I can play my fastest on my P-bass, it's so easy to play and I play better on thick necks as I can get a lot more force down with little effort...thin necks make playing feel to slippery to me. I play 6-string a lot these days but I write everything on my P-bass first then put it across and expand on it on the 6-string. If anything, would I be able to play it in my band...why...me and my P-bass would take over the world MWAHAHAHAHA!!!...I guess that's why I can't.

[quote name='civictiger' post='899239' date='Jul 19 2010, 06:32 PM']I play in a Metalcore Band (Drop C - C, G, C, F) and a Muse Tribute Band (Standard & Drop-D -mostly).. and although I have 2 basses - so it should be ideal to have one for each band, I use my Fender for both. I tune my bass to Drop C all of the time, and then I will make correctments are tune it up to Standard for my Muse one for gigs or practises and then leave it back in Drop C. I have done this for a while and I havent really seen a difference in the neck. I use Elites on my basses, Medium Gauge on my Yamaha and Heavy Gauge now on my Fender as my Metalcore band being in Drop C, it makes it easier to play breakdowns as the strins arent as floppy and kinda of fight-back at you. However, the big problem is that I use a pick in my Metalcore band so its easy to play with thick strings, but having Heavy Gauge strings playing finger style for my Tribute band it a LOT harder to play songs, as it is more tension to play with so you get worn out easier - especially on songs such as Hysteria. I could play that song all day with my Medium strings but with Heavy I do feel my fingers going a bit!! all in all, im just passing by my personal advice. Heres a link to buy the strings, with a gauge selector on the right. [url="http://www.stringsdirect.co.uk/products/578-elites_4_string_stadium_stainless_steel_bass_guitar_strings"]http://www.stringsdirect.co.uk/products/57..._guitar_strings[/url] And heres a link to my band, if your interested (bass is turned down on the demo we have, as they didnt have a bass player at the time until I joined and we are still writing before doing more demos) [url="http://www.myspace.com/amherstuk"]http://www.myspace.com/amherstuk[/url][/quote] Ogh, my bands playing 2 days appart from yours, 13th not the 11th otherwise it'd be pretty cool to play the same night man. EDIT: I just made the connection bewteen name and Laney Amp, hey I remember sellin that! How's it holding up? IN terms of drop tuning, when I used to do it, 110 can do a good Drop-B if you don't fancy having a low-B on there, I used to use this cause I'd switch from C# standard to drop-B with the flick of a Hiphot. But these days even tho my band plays in C# standard, drop B and drop-G# (Drop-B but with the B becoming G# instead) I just use my Yamaha TRB 6-string in standard tuning as I've become to hate detuning bass. Guitars sound awesome, but bass is already challenged in the tension to playability depot. IMHO of course. Besides, it both means a challenge if you do follow the guitar (open strings are different), or in my case, means you are free from following the guitarist. Have a noodle and see what tickles your fancy, you could try a 5-string.

[quote name='andyjingram' post='899608' date='Jul 19 2010, 11:55 PM']Well, too much versatility in one song, yes that's taking it too far! I think picking up on more styles should teach you what to do to make it that style, and what not to do to keep it in that style. Unless you're mixing or contrasting things for some artistic reason, it is just as much about what you leave out as what you put in. Discipline is a big part of versatility- knowing how to do everything, and doing it all at once shows a lack of sensitivity to the situation.[/quote] Indeed, but I think my typing has led confusion...and rightly so. What I'm ultimately getting at is, whereas I could like one of these artists on one album, I wouldn't like em on another because it doesn't speak to me, whereas, again using a name say...Devin Townsend (LOVE his compositions!), I know that 9/10 if he's makin' an album I'm gonna love it. (I can't stand his album "Physicist"!) Still, you could go the other way, but to me, this is music. But hell, Variety is the spice of life, it's why we have such musicians and it's why we have such genres.

Mine are precisely where they need to be. I gotta be careful with my hands with what runs in my family, but at the same time they need to stay strong. Differences in "Struggle" and "Challenged". But yes, I'm done with fighting my basses, now I have my main ones play as they should do, and leave a stupidly high action one to practice on to keep finger strength up.

[quote name='Johnston' post='898633' date='Jul 19 2010, 09:16 AM']But Mike Dirnt doesn't play a squier, he has his very own big brother Fender sig as well. And a bloody good bass it is too [/quote] Ah yes indeed, this also, they HAVE to "Play Squier Exclusively". That's the rule...go find!

Thats uh...quite intricate...I just have mine setup how I like it, neck as flat as I can get it without getting excess buzz, strings low but not too low, pickups fairly high and close to the strings (I've always used em as a ramp). I gots DiMarzio Will Power on mine...friggin loudest bass I've ever played and so sensitive to the touch you can feather the string and give it a little gliss and it responds so well.

Thats uh...quite intricate...I just have mine setup how I like it, neck as flat as I can get it without getting excess buzz, strings low but not too low, pickups fairly high and close to the strings (I've always used em as a ramp). I gots DiMarzio Will Power on mine...friggin loudest bass I've ever played and so sensitive to the touch you can feather the string and give it a little gliss and it responds so well.

[quote name='BigRedX' post='898637' date='Jul 19 2010, 09:19 AM']I've been thinking about a complete what I consider wrong with Fender basses for a long time and I think it's worthy of its own thread so I'll be starting one shortly, rather than clog up any more space on this love-fest ;-) I'm not out to make friends. I'd just like people to look at instruments without the rose-tinted glasses... There's no denying that Fender basses have had an impact but 1960 was 50 years ago...[/quote] Same as with British Layland Classic cars had major issues, but people love em for it. I don't look at em rose-tinted, I came the other way I HATED Fender I would spew flames if you gave me a P-bass maybe 5 years ago, but when out of the blue I decided as a project to put one together from this and that I found that they not only fit like a glove but play wonderful and although the P-bass itself only does one kinda sound it does it SO WELL it cannot be contested. Each to their own indeed, but I started with hating Fenders and ended up loving them, problems and everything. But remember, Leo himself had not been involved with Fender for a LOOOON time now, and I do agree that they should move on and release something a tad more...inspiring, but I guess it's that old gag of if you cant beat em, join em.

[quote name='4000' post='898585' date='Jul 19 2010, 08:09 AM']+1. However if I had to nail my colours to the mast I prefer the stylists over the session types. The Nathan East types do nothing for me to be honest, much as I respect them. I like listening to guys who have more of an individual voice, so I personally would always prefer a Geddy or a Claypool. However I tend to be a bit schizophrenic regarding my own playing; sometimes I simply want to be more versatile than I am, sometimes I simply want to have more of an original voice. As above, the aim is really to be able to do both when required, and I completely agree they needn't be mutually exclusive. EDIT: BTW, came right to this from the first page. Looks like I need to read the other pages! EDIT2: I think we all know my thoughts on Mr. Miller. I wont bother reiterating. FWIW, he'd sound terrible in Motorhead. [/quote] I think at the end of the day...I fall into this when all is said and done. I CAN play different styles to a degree if need be, but haven't had time to grow in them enough to call myself 100% versatile and TBH I just play what the music calls as in, I'm not gonna force it. I found my niche, found my sound and my play style...which has WAY too many influences from the world of music and instruments to describe...but then that in itself is a feat in my eyes, even if it makes me a Stylist I'm just playing music. I too would rather listen to Les Claypool, Billy Sheehan or, taking away from Bass, a Devin Townsend or a Steve Vai etc etc, because I love what they do...They have a certain magic that my heart, soul and mind adores and by what I believe in music I shall listen to them. Sometimes the versatile players can be confusing..."oh hes doing a...uhm...no now hes doing...Ah...Boh...Baaaaah! WAIT no GO BACK I liked that...omg nope he's changing again..."...It confuses me, my passion for it wanes and you just lost a listener. I believe we need both types for music to be what it is tho, the Ying and the Yang, light and dark, good and evil (Not that either is disposed in any side of that spectrum). I don't think a "Stylist" (Beginning to hate that name btw, talk about a label) or a versatile player is neither better or worse than each other, I just know what I wanna listen to and I do it, so if that's the case and I HAVE to choose, then I listen to Stylists more than...Yeah thats enough for now. It's just music, too much Human Mechanics here and it's taking away from it.

[quote name='dannybuoy' post='897766' date='Jul 18 2010, 08:24 AM']What, like these? [url="http://www.squierguitars.com/products/search.php?section=basses&cat=precisionbass&subcat=artistseries"]http://www.squierguitars.com/products/sear...at=artistseries[/url] [url="http://www.squierguitars.com/products/search.php?section=basses&cat=jazzbass&subcat=artistseries"]http://www.squierguitars.com/products/sear...at=artistseries[/url][/quote] Higher, those are mainly just because kids would be into those artists and it works on a kids budget. I'm talking things away from Green Day and the like.

[quote name='BigRedX' post='897896' date='Jul 18 2010, 11:31 AM']Do you really believe that - or is it simply some late night/early morning drunken rambling? Fender basses are full of design compromises that stem from the limits of what Fender considered to be cost-effective back in the 1950s. Had Leo Fender really seen the future even if it was only as far forward as 1980, I would like to think that his bass guitars would have been far better designed and made.[/quote] Kinda answered yourself there "Limits of the 50's", he could only make as far as technology would allow, can't bring tech back with you.

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='897459' date='Jul 17 2010, 05:59 PM']I like my strap adjusted so that the bass is in roughly the same place standing as it is when I am sitting down but sitting up straight and the bass is resting on my thigh.[/quote] I'm with this, the same boring rule of thumb...It works! Practice sitting down? no problem, same as standing up! I used to have my strap at about leg height when I started playing...god knows why, I just slung it like that. Then when I got into slapping and bettering my technique years later the strap went up, up to about chest height once and whereas I could play and see my bass clearly, I too felt hunched up, like I was screwed up into a tight ball. Now I have mine as I typed at the top. It's nice and snug to my torso and feels the same sitting or standing.

[quote name='danbowskill' post='897726' date='Jul 18 2010, 12:31 AM']thats what i was thinking(by the pickups),just got a bit of j bass gas(but not the j bass bucks) i dont need this and know it wont be truly amazing. but i am drawn.ill let you know if its any cop if i gets it?[/quote] It'll be a great bass, Yamaha build is way better than the price, even the low end. If your lookin for a Jazz bass then this ain't for you, the neck yes but the tone, no. It'll give that classic meat and potatoes tone with a bit more kick thanks to the pups in it. Worth gettin if you want a P-bass tho. Certainly is unusual.

Wonder how long it will be until a big artist is "Playing Squier Exclusively"...or getting endorsed by them!

Indeed, it's the one thats furthest removed from the actual Sheehan model, the Special is more closer, but both have a Jazz neck so for those that like the thick P-bass neck on the full blown model won't like it. However, lookin at the colour those pups can only be DiMarzio so the sound should be great, and the controls are WAY away from obstruction.

[quote name='Ham fisted Bass' post='205768' date='May 24 2008, 11:48 PM']Given that the P-Bass has been around for 50+ years does anyone in the world of BassChat disagree with this sentiment that, whatever your 'vibe' that the P-Bass will deliver...?[/quote] Leo Fender was a time traveler. At first he perfected what he could in the present time, say 2010 for arguments sake (No one knows the real era he came from), Bassists were still lunking around the Doghouse and various ideas that never really worked. Then he went back in time to see what was going on and what he could do, he made a prototype P-bass but it never worked the way he wanted, but he put it out there anyways as it was the 1st of it's time. Then, with the seed planted, he jumped even FURTHER into the future than he started at, looking at what other companies were doing at this time and what tech he could reverse engineer. He then jumped back in time once again and to keep it as it should be, released the 1st P-bass but then worked onto making a monster with what primitive tools he could, what we come to know as the 2nd generation P-bass and later the J-bass. You can guess the rest, when he found out about passive electronics and put them into another Archetype bass, the Stingray, but that's for another time. Conspiracies aside, indeed the P-bass does so much, I can't use on in my ATM but I'll find somewhere to squeeze it in, maybe a passage where I only use 4-strings perhaps. Nothing does that beefy, meat and potatoes woody wood wood walk the plant kinda tone a P-bass does, and IMO nothing plays better than a THICK CHUNKY neck that you can grab and place as much force as you need to on the strings. It's just a simple "Turn up and play" kinda bass, not much knob twiddlery here to keep you away from your hands. I built mine out of various parts, Squier body (black), Maple / Maple neck (P-basses HAVE to be maple fingerboard for me!), Pearloid scratch plate, chrome hardware on black, Black hardware on white (other than neck, never could find what I wanted), and DiMarzio Will Power in the middle...the fattest LOUDEST pup I've ever installed in a bass, I have to turn RIGHT down with this one, at live level my amp is set around 2 instead of 5 for this one...it is friggin LOUD and sensitive to the lightest touch. I love P-basses, and for all of you out there rocking the P-bass, I salute you!

Wow that's something you don't see everyday! Musta been some work I mean, BTB's don't have parts made for them like say a P-bass would...and you never see anyone touch them, even though they are awesome! Own one of those myself, Quilted Maple top in a Cherry Red finish, and the 6-string up from it, the BTB556MP. Solid built basses and the 5-strings keep the same spacing as a 4-string for those picky about spacing. Let's see some more interesting stuff like this!

[quote name='Mykesbass' post='896961' date='Jul 16 2010, 11:05 PM']Looks like you're already answering your own question - you fully intend to leave the door open, so keep the gear. In the grand scheme of things the money you'll make on the rig will not exactly kick off a pension fund but on the other hand, when you need to find the money for new gear that will be really hard.[/quote] Indeed I'm with this! Besides, no one knows what the future holds. [quote name='tony_m' post='897050' date='Jul 17 2010, 01:39 AM']While dreams and aspirations don't pay the bills, all roads eventually reach a corner - just make sure you're ready for it and are certain which way you want to go when it comes along.[/quote] ...Sounds like a guitar technician I know of... "Well, music certainly won't get you all the material things in life you want, but it certainly will give you a lifetime you won't forget". Wise words, I never forgot them. Learn from your elders they say...this guy went on the dole just to play guitar in his youth!!!

Looks like Fender love modders and home DIY Bass tinkerers. Thumbs up for me, if it's good quality I'm not bothered what MIM Fender does. I'm droolin over this! New Squier P-bass for me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHOOHOO!