4 Strings

Just been learning this one myself. Find it necessary not to panic more than anything. It is a pretty simple thing when you listen but really hard to get sounding anything like right.

The bit sawn off the headstock would make no difference to anything apart from what it looks like. Its a cheap bass, the body is made from a number of (8?) pieces (Fenders are often made from three!) as its cheaper to glue small strips of wood than it is to buy a large piece of wood. This is unlikely to be an improvement on your Stagg (what's wrong with the Stagg - apart from the name not being Fender?) You'd have to try it out and see if you like the way it plays and sounds. Check the neck is straight and that it all works and fits together nicely. If you still want it knock a big lump (half) off the price. There are loads of sub £100 brand new basses to be had, all, like this with cheap pickups, tuners etc but all work fine. Personally, I don't think there is anything special about this one, its a cheap secondhand bass that's overpriced.

Bass player failure here. Student guitarist with no car so I said he could use a little Crate Powerblock amp and a 112 i have kicking around at home. No effort, little set up sounds fine too. Get to the gig, of course I'd forgotten it. He ended up using two powered vocal wedges in series to get enough power. Clean sound all night then? (quite liked it!)

Well done, let's hope its all you wish. Now, about that cab.....!

I thought you hated this discussion?

[quote name='Russ' timestamp='1339004945' post='1682337'] I hate these sorts of discussions. For me, it's pretty cut and dried. A 9-string bass is a bass because, a) it shares a very similar scale length and form factor with the regular bass guitar, b ) it's played with the same techniques, c) they feature similarly voiced electronics, and d) they're primarily played by bass players who have graduated from the 4-string instrument and are hence played with the sensibilities of a bass player. [/quote] Not as cut and dried for the rest of us, hence the discussion. I've found it interesting. Not sure 'graduating' is the right word. I'm yet to challenge the likes of Jaco, Stanley Clarke, Geddy, Wooten, Miller, Jamerson so I suppose if they haven't graduated from 4-string instrument then I never shall. Funnily enough, for me, the discussion is more interesting than the music I've heard performed on these amazing instruments.

The bass guitar was a term coined to reflect that it was intended to replace the bass viol (or double bass) but was constructed and played like an electric guitar and so 'bass guitar' was apt. This from Wiki (so MUST be right!):[i] The names [b]contrabass[/b] and [b]double bass[/b] refer the instrument's range and use in the contra octave below the cello, also called the 16' octave relative to the church organ. The terms for the instrument among classical performers are [b]contrabass[/b] (which comes from the instrument's Italian name, contrabbasso)[/i] So, I suppose the 9 stringers et al would comply with this as their range extends at least as low as a bass guitar. They are constructed in the fashion of an electric guitar and have their root in bass guitars by the way they are played and their range seems to extend from that expected of a bass guitar rather than a 'normal' guitar. So, boringly, 'extended range bass guitar' would seem to be the most apt. I suppose we all have our views on them, for me they seem to be popular in the US where bigger is better and they have the money to spend on beautifully crafted, over-specified instruments with ever more features and, in this case, ever more strings (17 and 18 strings are now de rigueur, no doubt the first 20 string 'erbg' has been made). What you do with all those strings appears yet to be decided.

[quote name='Gust0o' timestamp='1338993247' post='1682099'] I've got an equally silly question... so, I now use my Musicmans/Musicmen for live work; but my Jazz is still a delight to play... but is now very much lacking the punch.is I was considering putting something like a Sansamp Bass Driver into my effects chain to "beef up" the Jazz - so I can still enjoy playing it, but get a little more oomph from it. I hadn't considered fitting a pre-amp. Something I should look at, perhaps? This sounds a little refined, considering I'm a dirty rock player - would people have suggestions for where to look for more information? It's a Lakland DJ4, for information. [/quote] Musicman basses have a tendency for making all around them seem wet! I used mine for a month or so for no particular reason and struggled to become comfy with any of my other basses as a result (oh, that neck too!). I have a Retro in a 2006 Jazz which has Dimarzio pups and its pretty nearly as powerful sounding. I can get more grit more easily from my Jazz Deluxe which is my only other real experience on an active Jazz. Some people feel they have lost the original 'Jazz' sound by fitting a preamp, I'm not sure I'm familiar enough with that sound to really know, but I know that with the preamp switched 'off' the sound is a Jazz to me, with it 'on' I can enhance that sound or, if you go mad, its powerful enough to stamp on its own sound.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1338939106' post='1681557'] It's all in the fingers! That and the skill, dedication, practice, talent, and so on and so forth. [/quote] Not the pearl blocks? So hours of practice and dedication could save a couple hundred quid then!

[quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1338915564' post='1681046'] Sounds nice and has huge amounts of extra beef for the reggae line. But I have to say the passive Jazz sounds really nice in that guy's hands! [/quote] Totally, first time I saw this I thought he was playing with the pre to begin with. I can't make any bass sound that good!

[quote name='merello' timestamp='1338912821' post='1680977'] ps - BBC camerawork was terrible - like the Cream Concert in the Royal Albert Hall in the late 60s. [/quote] Too many camera changes, yes, absolutely. It was virtually every bar. Normally love BBC production but there were too many changes too often could n't really get to grips with what was going on. Certainly had the feel of being put together for a tv programme rather than for the masses there. But, then it was.

[quote name='stef030' timestamp='1338848845' post='1680122'] lee pomeroy,bassist with take that, but more importantly the new it bites album map of the past, very very good [/quote] It Bites have a new album? Going to look it up!

I remember when the Antiguas came out, thought they looked like fish. Even with their now older looking colours I think they're a horrible colour scheme, rare for good reason!

[quote name='skidder652003' timestamp='1338882457' post='1680326'] [i]may now have to join mentioned facebook page for a little discussion..... [/i] [/quote] Heh, similar thought here. Could all join it and mention other basses. Bit like saying 'bum' on the radio! How about we run a little competition on there, to see who can mention a bass and get away with it? eg '..that colour is hard to defend. Erroneously, my screen made it look less pink...' 'Looks like it's precision made...' '..thought the colour way bright so I showed it to my mate Rick, and back away he did!' etc

Goodness. I think I'll be able to continue my life quite normally without that bass let alone a Facebook page devoted to it.

If you have a look, his strings are upside down. 'Mazing.

Just come back from my one, supposed to be a garden party but ended up as an in the hall type party thanks to the rain. Went very well, everyone up for it!

To be honest ours isn't that bad just that the drummer (see, I'm blaming him now) occasionally gets it not quite right, but it needs to be.

Here's me in the Motown tribute 'The Motown Sisters', live sound version [media]http://youtu.be/UNA0QeAFUM0[/media]

Yes, that little interminable 5 second gap, know it well! Fortunately for us three of our last four numbers are sort of medleyed together (for that reason) so there's no stopping. He get's time during the 'This is our last song' groan bit.

Try a Streamliner if you like valvey sounds. Lots of valves and lots of sound - especially if you go for the 900. Very potent. (Also comes complete with a hpf, Thumpinator style, to get the most of your cab(s).)

Yes, the second case is more the thing. I hate it when a groove number goes too fast, people don't really get into it to dance. Its normally early in the gig when the band has yet to settle down. We've had it the other way round too when a song slogs and the singers are giving all sorts of 'Giddy up' signals. I know the tempos are very carefully selected (there's a lovely youtube thing - only sound - of 8 takes of River Deep with Tina Turner at slightly different tempos until the producer was happy) and when things are right the performance really sits nicely.

I've been in a rock band which used a click for the drummer for some tracks to stay accurate with pads etc on backing tracks, this isn't my point. I've long held the view that I don't know how good a drummer is from his warm up but need him to hold a tempo after fills/changes etc. But, more recently, I think I must be getting old, I'm noticing changing tempo more and more and also getting irritated by songs being played at the wrong tempo. Fortunately my drummer is sympathetic (well, in that he is also irritated by it but blames me) and he has started to use a metronome (in flashing mode) at rehearsals and gigs for counting us in. This has brought me great joy. Does anyone else use a metronome for simple tempo setting or are we anal (or simply crap)?