4 Strings

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1366639030' post='2055256'] Oi, I'll have you know I work very hard to appear immature! [/quote] You have failed to be unsuccessful in that

[quote name='Dave Vader' timestamp='1366642945' post='2055335'] I like the arguing, and the bickering and the fighting. it's why i come here. Possibly the only place on the net where after the dust has settled everyone shakes hands and readies themselves for round 2... [/quote] No it isn't

Just to add the numbers, I'd like to thank all the moderators for their time and efforts in keeping this forum going, in the atmosphere it has and the culture it has generated. Any personal contact I've had with any members has not just been acceptable, it has been fun and, I hope, beneficial both ways. I regret it when things go wrong, often due to misunderstandings, but tip so many people into a pot and it's bound to happen. On the odd occasion I have seen this the moderators have appeared to be mature and fair. Regarding the fee, I have recently sold a bass >sniff< and the fee allows me to continue guilt-free as I never got round to making a donation last time. That's me feedback.

[quote name='marcus bell' timestamp='1366450335' post='2052704'] I think it's just to see what a real one is like... But in deifnately going to modify my sub series myself with a status neck, east mmsr 2 band pre and some sort of alnico pickup [/quote] Find the type you want. Pre-EB basses have a wonderfully slim (front to back) neck, are fairly heavy and sound like a proper Stingray but have only bass and treble controls. Recent MM basses seem to be very heavy and have a much thicker neck but can offer the 3 band eq - good for me, others don't like them as much as the 2 band. In between these the basses seem to be, well in between, not so heavy and with a neck between the two. This last group may be the best value.

If things are bolted together (as opposed to glued) they should be unboltable too. Otherwise what's the point in using the bolts, just make a permanent connection? I've not pulled the spark plugs in my car either (yet). I hope nothing else falls apart when I do. If I want to pull the headlining off I'm going to expect to make some repairs.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1364132834' post='2022207'] I like to point out the flaws to anyone that has an interest in Rays rather than them spend money on a bass that can be heavy with a clubby neck for example, best bet is to go for a pre eb and avoid the ebmm site imo. [/quote] This. My 'new' 'Ray is just such a catch. Heaviest bass I've ever had and neck like, well, a club. Great action but a bit of a monster. I'm going to have it shaved to the pre-EB profile, or at least something like it.

Marcus, get on with it! In less than this time I've found a 'Ray, sold mine to pay for it, bought it and ruined it!

[quote name='AndyCleaver' timestamp='1366387415' post='2051995'] My poor old bass, I bet it thought it was off to pastures new, were it would be loved and cherished and then.... [/quote] I clearly can't be trusted near a bass with anything more than a tiny Allen key. If I was the great JD Phillips I could pass it off as the 'new textured surface' to help feel which way round it is on a dark stage.

I bought his bass. I think he'll regret it one day, but it didn't show. Nice guy to deal with.

I think I'll be thinking twice in the future too. This one certainly isn't vintage (6 years old at the end of this month!) but, yeah, wanted to see the date stamps etc. (Half the necks I've removed have revealed either stamps missing or so feint as to not be readable. Stripping and cleaning etc somehow helps to make it 'mine'. I did think about superglue, Oli, but because there were two pieces to get in back place I wanted a couple of seconds to manipulate. There are a couple of other little digs from it's previous life and this trans lacquer doesn't flex at all, each has caused a bit of chipping. I'm getting over it, more into getting it playing right now. (Glad it wasn't brand new!) So, amid the joviality further up this thread, have MM come on this list and asked for posts to be removed because they criticise Musicman products? I know they do that on their board, but have they influenced this one?

I've found boosting the Gain gives a deeper sound. I'm not interested in distortion so I'm short of that (and have an old ECC81 in V1 to calm things down a bit) but giving the Gain control a bit of wallop does seem to give a deeper sound.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1366304410' post='2050851'] Why would anyone use anything else? [/quote] Too many strings?

[quote name='Dave Vader' timestamp='1366360329' post='2051364'] Pop a single coil pickup in a solid bodied electric and record the output from the pickup alone, everything on full, then do it again with the pickup in a hollow bodied guitar and do the same. They are different, very different, thus the wood is affecting the amplified sound. reasonable? [/quote] A good example, but that's a totally different construction, not just a marginal change in the qualities of the wood. Pop the same pup (quite like that!) on an upright and it will be different again as it has a great big booming box to affect the way the strings vibrate and create natural harmonics. Pop it onto a MM bass with an ash body, then one with an alder body and, well, with all else the same I'd be very surprised if I could hear any difference in sound due to the different wood. Use chipboard for your speaker cabinet, then the same conditions with solid oak or something, I'm sure I'll be more likely to hear a difference but this is rarely talked about. I may also be wrong about that as BF use the lightest of woods for their cabs which sound great!

Just picked up this rather beautiful Stingray HH from AndyCleaver and, as I always do, stripped it to have a good look at what I've got, clean it, set it up etc to make it mine. After cleaning the neck and putting on the recommended gunstock wax etc my attention went to the body and my hand lightly brushed something. It was the edge of the neck pocket and off came a chunk of red lacquer! Seems it was overhanging the edge my a molecule and I had just caught it. [url="http://s1341.photobucket.com/user/4Strings1/media/2013-04-18233644_zpsebe3ce85.jpg.html"][/url] Never one to panic I screamed the house down. I have heard of this sort of thing happening when breaking a neck joint, but I've had necks on and off Fenders and MM basses plenty of times with no issues. I found the two bits of lacquer and some wood glue (as that goes clear when dry) and stuck them bak in place. Unfortunately they curled a fraction and so despite a large pile of heavy books and 3litre bottle of cider pressing them as the glue dried there is still a mark. [url="http://s1341.photobucket.com/user/4Strings1/media/2013-04-19080218_zpsf81bc5f6.jpg.html"][/url] Oh, well, it's certainly mine now.

I think the key is in small adjustments. Some bass preamps are very powerful and almost uncontrollable. I found this with a John East preamp with an 18V supply. Wildly varying tones are available but with such a variety you find some 34.5% type adjustments are required. (It's on a Jazz, a tone monster!) Perhaps, like me, you can't be bothered with that sort of thing. Stingray 3 band controls are fine for me, bass up, treble off (unless I'm slapping - treble off then) and mid gets sometimes tweaked to bring me up in the mix.

[quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1366293788' post='2050638'] eh? It's just toast... Norwegians are weird... [/quote] I think you missed the innuendo first time

[quote name='iceonaboy' timestamp='1366290309' post='2050564'] To is a preposition eg- give it to her, or is used to show the infinitive part of a verb e.g.- I want to run Too means as well or conveys the meaning of excess Sorry mate, one of my pet hates [/quote] Ooer, you realise your future posts will now be under scrutiny, I hope you never end a sentence with a preposition (there's always something better to end it with!)

Hooray! Can sell all that other stuff now.

Goodness, must have fallen out somehow. That'll make a bit of a hole, although they sell so much other stuff it's probably only a small proportion of total sales. Could phone and ask them I suppose (Just had a quick look, sho' nuff, but they still have loads of Squiers)

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1366110239' post='2048341'] Good afternoon, all... We all have our own way to reply when we see help being asked by beginners. I would assume that all beginners would have their own reactions to the help proffered. What, in your opinion or experience, is a good method..? Should one cajole and flatter (Come on lad, I'm sure you can make it...), or instead take a more robust attitude (Blisters..? You call them blisters..? Nah..!..)..? No fighting, please, but contradictory insight welcome... [/quote] I have yet to read through all the posts on this one, but having brought up two boys who, once they've finished their musical degrees, will be in music professionally and I have learnt two important things; 1. They must enjoy playing bass (or whatever it is) 2. There are always higher standards to which they should aspire. I hate the 'that was very good' when it clearly wasn't. I also hate any negative criticism of people learning. Affirming good work and positive criticism is the key in my experience. I have found things most satisfying and encouraging when I surprise myself with a good performance so coaxing that out of beginners will help them stick with it. (Just a note which helped me in bringing up kids, I once asked a dolphin trainer (in Fake Florida!) how she would even start training an animal, she said if the dolphin does things they don't want them to do, they ignore it, but reward them greatly for doing things they did want them to do. It works on a number of levels!)

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1366222778' post='2049880'] If you can afford a USA bass, demo both side by side; if the USA one is 'better' in your mind then you've bought within budget for what's right for you - if you prefer the Mexican bass, you've saved yourself £500 ish and come in under budget. and made in California anyway and sent to Mexico for assembly in the bass? [/quote] This only works if you're blindfolded or otherwise kept unaware of which is which.

[quote name='Dave Vader' timestamp='1366199797' post='2049461'] Just out of interest has anybody ever actually blown up a speaker/amp by plugging/unplugging whilst it was on? I've been doing it for 25 or so years now, and never broken anything (except a couple of nervous types hearts) [/quote] Great question! Neither have I now I think about it. Nor have I seen any damage to PA systems from clunks and things that occur. (Bit like knowing someone who's had their arm broken by a swan!) Apart from sounding like it'll never work again, does this really cause any damage?

[quote name='Graham' timestamp='1366214369' post='2049724'] I'm finding something similar with my Streamliner / BF Compact combination, it does seem a bit too bottom heavy, even with the bass rolled off and midst boosted at 3k, I suspect the answer is to add a Midget T, but can't afford one right now. [/quote] If you're using an active guitar would it be worth experimenting by sending a lighter tone to the amp? Do you use flats?

[quote name='cloudburst' timestamp='1366153726' post='2049146'] Ref the green SR above - please let's not start a "Why can't you get green guitars?" thread - we all know what happened when someone made that comment on a certain manufacturer's forum a few years ago. [/quote] All except me, what happened? Trans teal, maple neck, one of the nicest finishes to any bass.

Would it be unfair to suggest that ERbass players generally tend to work alone and so a looper is very useful to give them something to play against? I know there are ERbass players in bands, the world is so large there's bound to be, but in general. (Perhaps it would be unfair if I used the 'bedroom word'.)