LawrenceH

[quote name='Jerry_B' post='1087194' date='Jan 12 2011, 08:38 PM']Well, there seems to be a smaller, dark space behind the 'X' of the nut, so maybe that's it?[/quote] I'd spray some penetrating oil in there then (like WD40)and wait, minimum 1h - definitely won't do any harm and may well free the bolt.

[quote name='Jerry_B' post='1087121' date='Jan 12 2011, 07:42 PM']What do you mean by an 'open centre'?[/quote] On some Fenders the truss rod nut isn't capped under the cross head so you can see the end of the truss rod itself. On others it's solid.

[quote name='Jerry_B' post='1086837' date='Jan 12 2011, 03:59 PM']Aha - thanks for that! At the moment the rod doesn't seem to like being tightened or loosened, so I wonder if it's okay. I rescued the bass from years of very bad neglect so I wonder if some of that it catching up with it now [/quote] Is it the kind of nut with an open centre? If so you can get some WD40 into it and leave it to work its way in that'll help a lot getting it loose but you'll struggle if it's the closed kind and might just have to force it, which is gonna be a bit scary! Often you can help ease off screws with a change in temperature but obviously with a neck that might not be such a bright idea.

One alternative is to just buy trousers that fit properly... Seriously, I never had a problem with this (due to the aforementioned trousers not needing a belt) but when I used my Ibby sr500 as the house instrument for a jam night, it got progressively more and more mauled by the other punters! One of these would have been a good idea and I'll get something like it if I ever do something similar with my loving if amateur refinned jazz. I've just realised though, my bass has crept upwards over the last few years such that even if I wore a belt it still wouldn't scratch it At 29 I've become a sad, old man.

[quote name='Bilbo' post='1085572' date='Jan 11 2011, 03:04 PM']Fun is overated. I think it should be something you have when you are doing something satisfying and of value and not just an end in itself. Fun, on its own, can be pretty boring and aimless. I never watch comedies because they don't seem to have much point [/quote] Seriously?! Man, then no wonder you don't like Chic! But if you can see that something meets a criteria well albeit it's a different set of criteria than what you would set, then you can't really dismiss it like that - you've just gone from sort-of objective analysis to entirely subjective. If I heard it played differently in a way that didn't meet those criteria I'd think it was crap, unless it added something completely new to compensate. I'm guessing you'd feel the same if someone took a 'serious' jazz track that you like and stripped out all that made it jazz. By the way and in the politest possible way I think your analysis of the line misses the point entirely. My wife (many years of ballet/jazz/modern/fusion dancing) thinks it's a brilliant line justifying that with a totally different set of criteria related to how the rhythmic interplay between instruments creates contrast, space and emphasis for moving the body. In contrast she has no time for things like Coltrane because that element of jazz has been subsumed! It's much easier to do analyses based on harmony/scales but quite often they're just not relevant.

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='1085471' date='Jan 11 2011, 01:35 PM']Is there a wah of getting a response chart cheaply, from your PC or something, using some live level output from your amp?[/quote] You could use RTA software to generate noise/sweep tones etc that you could play through the amp and re-record after calibrating against your soundcard I/Os. A quick google reveals several programs that claim to be free, I've only ever used Adobe Audition for this type of thing though and for live PA tend to use dedicated hardware. Obviously if you want to get into measuring the cab contribution then you need a calibrated measurement mic and (more difficult) a suitable space to do the tests in.

[quote name='essexbasscat' post='1084947' date='Jan 10 2011, 10:27 PM']Pretty much agree with you Doddy. Part of the trouble with this debate is the language itself i.e. 'creative' and creative, with a sliding scale of professionalism between the two. It's a minefield[/quote] Surely it's gotta depend on the nature of the gig, and just how exact we're talking? To re-work the Clapton example more generally, what about all those bands playing their own songs live with the same broad arrangement and not putting every single note in exactly the same order as the record, maybe embellishing it with fills etc. Are they wrong? Or is no-one but the original band allowed to improvise something ever? What about solos for other instruments? Are guitarists, saxes and the like allowed some creative freedom but none for the rhythm section. To my mind there are very particular occasions when an exact copy is required (certain tribute acts, notated gigs like big band or shows) but otherwise it makes live music tedious in the extreme if covers bands are just automata, and I speak as an audience member/music lover not just from a playing perspective. If that's what you want, why not just have a disco? That way any vocal part will sound 'right' too, and the production! A busked bassline from someone who hasn't bothered listening to an original to capture its essence is mostly annoying (though sometimes people come up with something new and interesting when freed from preconception), but a part that pays musical homage to the original while expanding upon it is exactly what it's all about for me.

[quote name='gizmo6789' post='1084922' date='Jan 10 2011, 10:06 PM']im pretty sure it was quoted around £200 to get it fixed, set up and re strung. tbh i dont think i want it re strung, the ones on it have been there for a year or so but theyre still sharp coz iv never used them, and they cost £36 quid[/quote] £200? There is no way on earth that this could possibly justify £200! Ask somewhere else

[quote name='Doddy' post='1084906' date='Jan 10 2011, 09:56 PM']Is the 12th fret harmonic the same as the 12th fret fretted?[/quote] Either the fret positions are off due to poor QC, your playing is somehow bending the string around these frets or the action/truss rod are out of alignment. This last one is what I'd suggest! Check the neck relief and the action height at both bridge and nut.

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='1083511' date='Jan 9 2011, 07:54 PM']I've just started playing with a local jazz-funk band. The set is instrumental-based, and includes 'Pick Up The Pieces' and 'Chameleon'. I would never play these lines other than how they are on the record. 'Chameleon' is an example of the bassline being the song, and 'PUTP' has a bass part that complements the song perfectly. I've heard players make that part busier, but for me it adds nothing. For me, making a recorded part busier is asking for trouble. 'Sex Machine' and 'Play That Funky Music' are prime examples.[/quote] I don't know, especially with those tracks you list - they're 'jam' tracks, playing tracks like that exactly the same each time sort of misses the point of a live band for me. Plus the bassline on chameleon's a synth, and the bass plays more like a guitar part. Even the Headhunters did it totally differently live, check out the part on 'Flood' which is brilliant fun. I enjoy listening to different players interpreting these parts in their own ways. The important thing to me is that the reworked part stays in keeping with the feel the band is going for. That's especially true for the 'Good Times' example, I disagree with Bilbo in that for me it's pretty much the blueprint for disco/funk groove but I still prefer hearing people play with it, otherwise I may as well just listen to the record. Having said that, it's not an easy one to play around on without stuffing it right up! Especially swing jazz players...

[quote name='willyf87' post='1084281' date='Jan 10 2011, 02:46 PM']I would do what everyone else has said leave it at room temperature for a couple of days let it settle then adjust it to your needs again. Mine's all better now lol.[/quote] +1, if basses are anything like pianos then it's secondary humidity changes rather than temperature itself that causes the biggest amount of movement. That takes longer to re-equilibrate than just getting up to temperature. Be patient

[quote name='JTUK' post='1084300' date='Jan 10 2011, 02:56 PM']'Nearly true'... what the **** is that supposed to mean when you pile a doom gig into it. If they do what you want them to do and you think they are a good deal, then fine.[/quote] I honestly don't understand your problem with me - why are you resorting to ridicule? And what has 'doom' got to do with it?! The OP asked for flat, clean, neutral and lightweight. Pretty much the opposite of 'doom'. Flat isn't subjective, it's trivially measurable. The only realistic way to achieve something close to flat and clean across the whole audio spectrum at high volume is with multiple limited-bandwidth drivers using crossovers, either well-designed passive or active multi-amping. Most designs out there for bass are two-way, which means that the mids have to be covered by a tweeter extending lower than it would like and a woofer extending well up into the cone break-up region. That is never going to give anything like a flat response, a minimum three-way design is arguably essential (most medium-high powered PAs use at least 4-way). For instance, the Markbass and SWR use Le Son tweeters with a recommended crossover frequency of 7-8k and which bottom out at around 5k - way higher than where the 'flat' region of the (very good) B&C and Eminence drivers extend to (~3-4k). Plus the crossovers used are typically naff. The Tecamp combos, for example, despite listing for a grand and up, utilise a single high-pass capacitor - nothing else! And it's the same cap for both the 10" and 12" combos despite the Sica drivers employed giving different mid-range cut-offs, no way is it optimal in both applications. Other manu's such as Eden do at least employ two-way designs but I've not seen any where they use anything other than the cheapest components that'll do the job. Lastly, in terms of drivers, the Eminence Kappalite woofers and Beyma mid-range that I think are used in the Barefaced designs aren't the 'best' drivers out there...but show me a commercial lightweight (ie neo) bass cab that uses better.

[quote name='Merton' post='1083799' date='Jan 10 2011, 12:15 AM']That's not what he said, he essentially said it was arguably the only nearly true flat bass cab on the market. He also stated that it wasn't what he'd look for in a cab![/quote] Thank you! Glad someone saw what I was getting at I actually favour the sound of the Markbass cabs (ducks and hides) or older SWR

Can't comment on the new ones but the original SGC Nanyo Bass Collections (which the new ones must be licensed copies of) are an absolute steal at the prices they go for now. Beautifully light and well-balanced, proper decent Gotoh hardware (much better than the Squiers), and very fast, playable necks. Not entirely convinced by the pickups on the SB310/320s (but then, nor am I by the Squiers), but the soapbar models sound very nice in a modern sort of way. My fretless 330 is going nowhere! Nonetheless, if I wanted a vintage Fender sound I'd go for the (fretted) VM over all the other options. I know the CVs have better quality control etc but I don't think their core tone is up to much whereas the VMs I've tried have the potential to be absolute monsters.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1083569' date='Jan 9 2011, 08:41 PM']lesser quality body material[/quote] Aren't they both ash?

[quote name='JTUK' post='1083487' date='Jan 9 2011, 07:36 PM']Are you joking or on commision...??? [/quote] Have you ever actually measured the response of a bass cab? How many bass cabs sound anything but terrible when used for full-range PA? That's a mark of a flat-response, 'neutral' sounding cab to me, and it's not easy to achieve at all while maintaining decent low-end. A 3-way-type design is arguably essential.* Whether it's really what a bassist wants at a gig is another matter entirely - I certainly don't, I like a bit of growl in the mids! *Edit: Checking back, unlike the similar DIY Fearful cabs the BF cab doesn't actually bother with a tweeter, but the point still stands I think - you need a separate mid-range driver rather than woofer-tweeter set-up.

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='1083389' date='Jan 9 2011, 06:18 PM']Barefeced Big One or the 12" version, a PA tpye power amp and a really simple clean preamp, possibly one not intended just for bass.[/quote] I doubt there's anything else out there that could compete with these Barefaced cabs due to the 3-way design and I remember Alex put a lot into the crossover, which often lets commercial bass cabs down. However...have you ever actually heard properly flat and clean at gig volume? Amp-wise the PA suggestion is great for clean, but to get one that's genuinely good at bass is either heavy or very expensive, especially if you factor in the need for a separate pre. If you want light then unfortunately something like the Markbass F1 would be a good call as it has a clean, quick pre. Dunno what the alternatives are like in the lightweight head market, though the Tecamp Puma might be an option. There is a Tecamp 112 for sale in on here, I had one of these for a time but it was a bit too clean for my tastes! Like the Barefaced it has a dedicated mid driver and for a lightweight, all-in-one solution it might be just the ticket. EDIT: Just remembered the Tecamp combo only uses the 350w head rather than the 500w version...however I'd say that's not really important with respect to volume.

If you're planning on mixing pickup types then you might find the overwound pickup is lost when the pickups are both on full (despite being hotter output on its own), unless you used a buffering pre-amp. Best to check with Wizard if that's the route you're going down, I'd guess a single 64 would be a better match both tonally and resistance-wise than the 84 but I've not used them myself.

You could rewire the 8ohm 210 to 2ohm.

Based purely on spec, this seems like you get a lot less than with the HW1 basses for a fair bit more cash. May as well buy a Mexi and upgrade the pups. Not impressed.

I do think a lot of people associate 'valve' with 'dirt' but that for me misses a lot of the magic of really nice valve processing. I really didn't like the bass terror due to it's lack of subtlety - I'd go for a pre-amp gain that was capable of driving from clean to moderately distorted... and a nice warm optical compressor. Yeah!

I suggest practicing a pattern on a single fretted note to start with, alternating full and ghost notes in swung 8s because the swing helps emphasise which notes should be ghosted, da-dum da-dum da-dum etc. with 'da' being the ghost note One thing to remember is that for a really cleanly muted note you really need fingers on the left hand to mute the string at more than just a single point or you get problems with ringing harmonics. So in the example about I'd fret firmly on the LH index finger for the full note but for the ghost I'd raise this off the fret, keeping it on the string, at the same time as resting my LH ring finger on the string a fret or so up.

[quote name='Grand Wazoo' post='1078464' date='Jan 5 2011, 12:29 PM']The Ashdown head was plugged back into its own 1 x 15" cab and it worked fine I'd just like to know why it wouldn't work with the Mark Bass cab. Is it because both the Mark Bass and the Promethen are "class 5" amps whereas the Ashdow it's a based on an old fashion design all on tubes? Thanks[/quote] If the MB cab is 4 ohms then you definitely need to use the 4 ohm output, don't use the 8 ohm or you rist damaging the Ashdown head. There's no reason why an all-valve amp couldn't power these speakers, getting the ohm load right is pretty much all that matters. Given that both the Markbass and the Promethean use speakon outputs (I think?) as opposed to the jack on the Ashdown, I'd suggest that a dodgy speaker cable is your most likely explanation.

[quote name='Clarky' post='1078677' date='Jan 5 2011, 03:39 PM']I've not tried that so its a possibility, thanks. First I will try a splash of [s]Brut 33[/s] 3-in-one oil. I had a similar problem with my Fender Pino but that just required a bit less pussyfooting with the truss rod. In this case I am at bicep-busting level and the truss rod will not turn further. It just seems wrong to me, hence I wondered about just going to the expense of having it professionally seen to[/quote] Definitely sounds like it's maxed out, don't force it any more or you risk shearing the end off the truss rod. Get a washer or several underneath as suggested, my jazz needed at least 5mm to get it into a good range again and it's fine now. If that doesn't work, get it looked at, but I bet it does the job.

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='1075490' date='Jan 2 2011, 05:16 PM']Jeff Berlin once said he doesn't bother with fretless because everyone just ends up sounding like Jaco. For me though, Pino's playing is unbeatable and original.[/quote] Yeah, Graceland sounds just like Weather Report with vocals.... It's hard to think of a bass player with a more distinctive 'voice' to his playing than Kumalo. [quote name='crez5150' post='1075689' date='Jan 2 2011, 08:36 PM']What you're forgetting is that Jeff Berlin is a Cock![/quote]