4 Strings

Discovering the fault is always great news. I suspect Andy will be able to fix it with no problem, perhaps even improve it. It's worth hanging onto the bass, in my opinion, you'll know what you have in the end. You could show the pics to the seller threaten to send it back to him but really be after something towards paying Andy. I have to say I disagree about needing certain string gauges, or even eq settings to make a Stingray work. I use 40s on the G with no problem and if I wind out the mid on any bass the definition of the G reduces. Wind in the treble and it'll cut your head off. I have doctored the 3 band pup a little by simply pushing the pole pieces of the A and E to be flush and leaving the G and D a couple of mill proud but this is mainly because I use the pup as a thumb rest and wanted it to be reasonably proud o the body on the E side. (Also, for some reason, the pole pieces were some 4-5mm proud when I got the bass and they were shaving skin from my fingertips!) You're nearly there, I'm excited on your behalf!

[quote name='Hobbayne' timestamp='1341502735' post='1720168'] Lord Macca of Scouse, plays some root octaves during the verses on this under rated Bee Attles song, its just a pity his bass is out of tune Great tune though! [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTNbhoHaVvE[/media] [/quote] I think its great too, great playing all round. Love focus on the police and bowler hats talking to them. What rebels we all are!

[quote name='crez5150' timestamp='1341477115' post='1719497'] Root/Octave....... Sex! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PXxPQKxggU [/quote] Expertly done to boot

http://youtu.be/ypXcLg7djl8 I think so (esp 4.30 onwards)

From 3.25 on... [media]http://youtu.be/PkxaunLybuM[/media] Actually this is different to the album track, seems to be a different bass recording, album version a much better example, really hard to do this well

Can see what you mean (although this one looks bolt-on). [attachment=112226:BC Rch.jpg] Bizarre they make them like this. Did you fix it?

so.... what was the problem?

[quote name='Bill Fitzmaurice' timestamp='1341413594' post='1718594'] Actually rosewood and ebony are brighter, being more dense than maple. More dense body woods are also brighter and sustain longer than less dense varieties. Here also there's nothing the least bit magical about it, it's simple physics. But as Clarke said any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguisable from magic, even when that technology is as simple as a block of wood. If you're a luthier you understand the technology. If not you may not. [/quote] Kind of my point, Maurice (although I challenge anyone to hear any difference even though I'm not a luthier and may not understand the technology - I'll stop, another point for/from another thread!)

[quote name='karlfer' timestamp='1341409925' post='1718527'] And fat-ist [/quote] No, I'm fattest.

Thanks. [attachment=112168:Curbow-4-MIC_hz.png]

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1341401618' post='1718298'] Sure..... You can generally tell who knows what .... Recycled guff or hand-ons knowledge, experience or thinking. You don't all need to agree on things but whilst the I net is great for spreading knowledge it is also great for perpetuating crap. And forums can also excel at this with cliques and clubs as well being genuinely a very uselful resource. IMO [/quote] ...you mean like maple fingerboards sounding 'bright'.

No, loosen to make MORE concave. Loosening the truss rod reduces its effect, the strings 'win' and the neck bows more. If the rod is totally loose its as if it wasn't fitted.

[quote name='KingBollock' timestamp='1341174936' post='1714797'] My latest Bass came with a 4.5mm action. It was 'orrible! The previous owner had put very light strings on it to compensate. The trouble is that the neck, which is a neck-through, so can't be shimmed, is flush with the body, so there is only the thickness of the fretboard to take up some of the action, which means that the bridge is twice as thick as it needs to be, even at it's lowest. I was able to take some parts out of the bridge to lower the action a bit, down to about 3mm, but will need to do something drastic to get it how I'd really like it, around 2mm. [/quote] Sounds like a badly designed bass to me. Has anybody mentioned neck 'relief' on this thread yet? Neck should be absolutely straight (easily measured by holding your string down on the first and last frets) but with a very slight bow (around 1mm or less in the middle) to allow the string to vibrate without buzzing. Holding the string down like that should reveal a gap of 1mm between it and the 9th or so fret. If the relief is too much (ie a larger gap) the action will be high (like the Marlin). Too little, or even reverse, and the strings will buzz on the frets - meaning the saddles will need to be raised unnecessarily high. If in doubt lower the taut string onto the frets slowly as you may see contact with a high fret of neck bulge before the end fret is touched which may be causing buzzing. This is the key to a low, unbuzzy action. (Often reveals the little hump that can appear around the 14-16th fret on bolt on necks)

[quote name='rogerstodge' timestamp='1341255641' post='1715941'] Whoa!!! Thats gotta be about an inch and half [/quote] If its just adjustment, bargain for someone but look like the truss rod has snapped to me. Would a Marlin be worth the repair?

Really, left handed threads? These are normally only put on rotating things (like one side of bike pedals) which would tend to loosen during rotating rather than tighten. Can't think of a good reason for left handed thread on a truss rod. Apart from hoping people will et caught out and ruin it.

Unless you're looking for a nice discussion on which is better and for what reason, have a listen on Spotify or Youtube, you can make up your own mind which cds you prefer to buy.

[quote name='flyingguitar' timestamp='1341214827' post='1715098'] Valid point! [/quote] Depends what it says on the transfer

> the feature on young "alternative" bassists are annoying, when all of them just say that 5-string basses, or slapping, or practicing, or theory, or effects, or being in tune, are for w***ers, so they don't do it, because they are real musicians with soul Ah, don’t be too hard on our Bassically Speaking section. Those pages are for young or new bassists who don’t yet have the profile to merit a full feature, and it’s their chance to let off steam. I know you used to be young and over-excited too Amen to that, I feel our youngsters are becoming middle aged too soon and if they all toe the 'sensible' line we won't be looking forward to too much new or creative music. I love young people with principles, experience knocks most of them out but let's encourage them.

Nope, there's no short-cuts, just makes you appreciate people like those you mention all the more as, despite natural skill, it's the result of long hours of hard work. Don't be discouraged though, the more you play and practice the things necessary to do what you want to do the better and easier it will become for you.

Although I was kind of hoping this thread would 't go into all this, I can't help but comment, having rather made a study of Jamerson and, to a lesser extent, Bob Babbit to play in my Motown band. There are habits and styles which, to me, clearly define these. I Was Made to Love Her is absolutely typical Jamerson, the slightly loose timing, slightly different each time, root for first beat and semi ad-lib there after, some ponderous gaps (listed to 'Once In My Life too') and a groove. Bob is a fine bass player, even if revered still under-estimated in my opinion. However he is way more disciplined than Jamerson and repeats will be just that. Listen to the 'UK' version of Tears of a Clown (and spot the mistake!). This and Signed Sealed are kind of Babbit signature tracks to me. I feel Jamerson plays with more finesse but Bob more solid. Carol plays with a pick, is probably more disciplined than either but, in my opinion, is more score orientated and, also in my opinion, plays with less of a groove, probably as a result, and sounds totally different to either Bob or Jamerson. I find it impossible to believe it's her playing on I Was Made To Love Her. She may well have played on versions of it etc but it will take a lot to convince me it's her on the track.

[quote name='Mcgiver69' timestamp='1341244857' post='1715658'] That makes sense, lowering the pickup will decrease the magnetic pull effect on the string thus letting it vibrate more freely. [/quote] On mine, I'm not sure if its actually stopping it vibrate, just gives a weaker, chorussy sort of tone if too close, like its some magnetic phenomenon rather than physical stopping.

Yep, Midget + Compact being the classic BF combination. I got that.

...or find a pre-EB! Just kidding! No, I'm not.

I have two (now!) a pre-EB, bass always full up, treble most of the way off unless I want to slap (which isn't often) then up it comes, almost like a switch. Both these tones are outstanding, very powerful. The other I have recently acquired is a 3 band, treble and mid on the detent and bass full up. I'll put up the mid if I need more definition (like last night when, unusually, I was DI'd and the tone out front was bass heavy to say the least (even for the Motown set). This bass gives a very powerful sound too despite the pups being a little way from the strings. These basses do work and, in my experience, unparalleled for tone. The Pre-EB is the better bass.