alexclaber

The most over-the-top (in a good way) pop basslines I have heard since Mr Khumalo blew Graceland out of the water. Nice. Alex

[quote name='Ray' post='167819' date='Apr 1 2008, 05:14 PM']1. Why? I think they are good adjectives for describing bass tone.[/quote] No they're not. In a decade of reading similar posts I have concluded that few bassists actually agree on what they consider punchy or warm. It's the inherent nature of the bass guitar to sound both punchy and warm so once you start using those same words to discuss tonal specifics you have nowhere to go. [quote name='Ray' post='167819' date='Apr 1 2008, 05:14 PM']Yes (tone control is always less than halfway and I use flats) but this isn't the issue. It's the general GK tone I'm not happy with. As I said, I'm looking for a [b]warmer [/b]tone but wondered if the Ampeg would be [b]punchy [/b]enough.[/quote] And this is where we get to the original problem. What is "punchy enough" to you? And what do you really mean by warmer? Generalising by brand name is equally suspect, it's up there with assuming all speakers of equal diameters sound the same. I suspect the lack of warmth you're suffering is due to your 1x12" being incapable of moving sufficient air whilst remaining clean. Add another matching cab and your problem is likely to be solved. Alex

I don't have much useful to contribute but I'd like to suggest the words 'punchy' and 'warm' are banned. Have you tried turning your treble down, using less bright strings and/or muting a bit? Alex

Did anyone pick up a blue Swiss Card which fell out of my gigbag? Enjoy it, I'll reclaim it at the next annual event! Alex

[quote name='cheddatom' post='167633' date='Apr 1 2008, 01:59 PM']God knows why people are talking about retaining the low end on a high C string. It's a high string![/quote] Indeed. If we wanted all our notes to have the same amount of bottom then we'd be kickdrummists, not bassists. Alex

[quote name='cheddatom' post='167584' date='Apr 1 2008, 01:14 PM']RE: Alex - You can't play 5 string chords on a 4 string bass![/quote] Actually, I can. I'm special like that. Alex

And 3015LF vs 2510 with both ports open, one port plugged and both ports plugged (giving two ported alignments and one sealed alignment): Alex

Predicted response of 1x10" bass guitar monitor (vs 3015LF/6ND410 and unfiltered 10" in same cab): Alex

[quote name='david_l_perry' post='167433' date='Apr 1 2008, 09:34 AM']Alex, Less nonsing around with the crossover and get building...!! [/quote] Yes sir! Just had a bright idea for a compact cab using the 2510-II for low SPL use. Pluggable ports for three different alignments (normal tuning, low tuning and sealed) to reduce the lows in small boomy spaces (i.e. my drummer's loft when we're recording) or gigs with big PA subs. No tweeter or midrange but some cunning circuitry to reduce the midrange and extend the treble, so it'll be pretty directional but that's what you want in a personal monitor. Alex

[quote name='RichBowman' post='167090' date='Mar 31 2008, 05:50 PM']I've a 3-door, so I'm watching this with great interest.... ;-)[/quote] Great cars, apparently unbreakable (fingers crossed)! Just had a breakthrough on the design of an improved crossover which takes into account impedance and phase variations. Alex

Right, I will get back to the woodwork tomorrow, I promise! The car is an '03 Honda Civic 5-door - very spacious for its size. Alex

Despite failing to win anything I had a most excellent time and definitely exceeded my daily note allocation. Alex

[quote name='modulusq6' post='165954' date='Mar 29 2008, 04:54 PM']I also think it's more of a 'real' instrument, like a piano or a guitar... ...due to peoples misguided stereotyping I suppose.[/quote] An entertaining few clauses! Or did you mean real as opposed to complex? Nice to be promoted from my previous status of 'mere mortal' due to being able to play basslines, chords and solo on an imaginary instrument... The only issue I'd ever have with six string is that it requires a little more work when it comes to muting unplayed strings, particularly when strumming chords. For those thinking about increasing their string count, I could encourage them to try using the very dusty end of the neck first, there is plenty of forgotten real estate beyond the 15th fret, and plenty of chord voicings available with a mere four strings. Alex

Me. Alex

I seem to be happiest, and write many a song, on nylon strung classical ones, though I don't own my own one. Alex

[quote name='The Funk' post='164210' date='Mar 27 2008, 12:42 AM']The only way to keep stage levels down is to remove power amp tubes from the guitarist's amp.[/quote] Or make him use a single 10" or 12" speaker positioned directly in line with and only a few feet from his ears! Alex

[quote name='P-T-P' post='164389' date='Mar 27 2008, 11:46 AM']In the end, the conclusion I've come to for me is that the profile of the neck and the way the bass sits on a strap is far more important to me than the scale length.[/quote] I suspect that is the same for most bassists but they don't realise it. For instance Warwick Thumbs seem to have incredibly long necks but they're just 34" scale and often quite narrow at the nut. Get the top horn close to the 12th fret so you can reach the 1st fret without stretching, combine that with a left hand friendly neck profile and scale length becomes almost irrelevant to technique. Bear in mind that we're only talking about 1" which is less than the difference between moving a fret higher. I'd be amazed if you can perceive that difference in fret spacing. Alex

[quote name='Scoop' post='164422' date='Mar 27 2008, 12:38 PM']Then someone asked me to play and sing Politician by Cream. Well, I thought, Jack Bruce can do it so mebee I can too.[/quote] I can sing and play pretty convoluted things simultaneously but Politician is very tough indeed. I must revisit it now I have more experience as a singing bassist. Alex

Probably not long after someone trod on their lead mid-gig and had their sound cut out! The Strat's angled top jack encourages this, so many it was one of Leo Fender's many bright ideas? Alex

[quote name='ped' post='164347' date='Mar 27 2008, 10:31 AM']Nothing to add here other than the fact that on a bass I don't think scale makes much difference.[/quote] That hypothesis is easily testable with retuning and/or a capo. Once you're comparing significantly different basses with different scale lengths then there are too many variables to make an accurate judgement. Both my basses have wenge thru-necks so the variability should be less. Alex

Personally I wouldn't go shorter than 34" with a low B string, the tension is poor enough at 34". However, lot of people are happy with 34" B strings, which I'm not! Before you make any decisions I would recommend finding out how a 33" scale low B feels - you can simulate this fairly accurately by tuning a 34" scale B down by about 2/3 of a semitone. I did the opposite with testing a 36" scale (tuning up by a semitone) and really liked the result. The other issue is one of technique - I calculated that playing a 36" scale is like playing a 34" scale a fret lower down (so a 33" scale will be like playing a pattern not quite a fret higher). To me that seems an almost imperceptible difference and I don't think I have big hands, pretty average in fact - I do have quite nimble left hand technique though. I actually find my 36" scale 5-string easier to play than my 34" scale 4-string, despite having played that four for almost nine years and the five for only six weeks. The wider neck (though nothing like a six) has a flatter profile and the combination of width and flatness makes my left hand technique much more fluid, with thumb almost always in the 'right' place and hand pivoting around that elegantly. I am amazed by this, I expected the 36" five to throw up some big challenges but it hasn't at all, apart from a bit of muting fun when strumming chords (not an issue for 99% of bassists!) The tone is a whole other thing - for my tastes I hugely prefer the BIG sound of the longer scale but some people like the tone of 30" scale basses, so horses for courses and all that. Alex

[quote name='G-bitch' post='163617' date='Mar 26 2008, 10:33 AM']a wenge obdy(sic)[/quote] Now that must be heavy! My wenge/ash thru-neck 36" scale RIM Custom 5 weighs almost exactly 9lbs, an ounce or two lighter than my '87 Warwick Streamer 4. Alex

[quote name='Merton' post='163619' date='Mar 26 2008, 10:35 AM']Alex, re. tension, surely each different string make has different tension inherent, so the "unbalanced" 45-105 depends on strings? Or am I a sucker for the marketing guff?[/quote] It does depend on the strings but within a given type of string (round, flat, etc) there's not that much variation in tension. There is more variance in stiffness which is a key contributory factor to feel. D'Addario have an excellent pdf document with tons of data on tension vs scale, gauge and tuning. Alex

33% more neck and 25% more hardware? Alex

[quote name='bass_ferret' post='162880' date='Mar 24 2008, 10:20 PM']The TI's are not far off then. Are you getting the 38-58-78-104-134 set custom wound?[/quote] Indeed they're not, though I believe the gaps between the winding on the thicker strings makes the mass per unit length and thus the tension less than expected. I did get a 40-55-75-100-130 set from Ken Smith but the low B was too short for the 36" scale. The set I'm now getting are the light gauge Overwater nickel rounds on G, D and A, and medium gauge on E and B (currently have medium gauge on all strings). I can't speak highly enough of the positive effects of that extra scale length on tone, it is quite magical. Alex