EMG456

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1401701912' post='2465893'] For those not in the know, Norton Merlin Bass: [/quote] I'm obviously not in the know but I like that! Looks like slidey pickups too? Off to find out more!

He did a stunning voice and piano version of No Love Dying on BBC Breakfast last year. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6H3wAYrr_Ew"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6H3wAYrr_Ew[/url]

Truly a thing of great beauty. Well worth the wait. Ed

I only discovered Bobby Vega after joining this forum and for that Basschat, I will be eternally grateful. He is a phenomenally brilliant player!

Late to the party here but I'm fairly astonished at the number of you who have not come across this problem before - it's an inbuilt "feature" of the Fender design and knowing how well Leo planned for production, I would guess that he left the lower edge of the neck pocket open on purpose so that issues of neck alignment could be easily adjusted and at little to no cost. When I used to work in musical instrument retail, I've done literally hundreds of these - Strats, Teles, Precisions, Jazzes and all the copies too and for a quick fix I've also done the "over the knee" trick without loosening strings, neck screws or anything! Remember that due to the length of the neck, a tiny change in the angle will move the nut across by a significant amount, thus throwing the string alignment off. Because of the radius of the fingerboard, this will also have been contributing to the buzzing E. These movements *can* happen in transit but it's more likely that the bass was simply not assembled with huge attention to detail at the factory. And I say factory deliberately - the sheer volume of production of Fender Custom Shop instruments makes it clear to me that the FCS is very unlikely to resemble the carefully marketed image of a handful of careful and attentive master luthiers painstakingly creating exemplars of the guitar maker's craft. These are mass produced instruments to the Fender blueprint. Or am I just an old cynic? Anyway, glad it's sorted - looks like a nice bass. Cheers Ed

[quote name='jgmh315' timestamp='1400430655' post='2453751'] Funnily enough, I decided to learn Highway Star today. Great music. [/quote] My first real band played several DP tunes including Highway Star - great stuff! Iain Paice was/ is one of the funkiest drummers in rock and no one could make a Hammond scream like the late, great Jon Lord. Both terrific in Paice Ashton & Lord as well. Cheers Ed

To keep the vibe that I want for this bass, it needs a tort scratchplate on. one of the members here was selling a couple of different ones a while back and so I bought them on spec thinking that I would just sell one on. Needless to say however, being an Aria, neither of the plates fitted properly. So I decided to have one made. I spoke to Howard [url="http://basschat.co.uk/user/4905-the-bass-doc/"]The Bass Doc[/url] on here and he said he had a nice piece of vintage style tort he could use for a plate. Now there was just the matter of getting a template that fitted the bass without my having to send the body away to him. I'm not great with a craft knife but at one time I had about ten years involved with computer aided design so I'm reasonably handy on the PC so I decided to take a pencil rubbing of the front face of the body and scan it on my flatbed scanner. I could then tidy it up and print it out at exact size and make any adjustments to the image file. This way I could give Howard a number of copies of the template for him to work with. It took two or three iterations moving certain screwhole centres a little before I was happy that the template was correct. Here is the finished body with the new control plate and one of my printed templates during that process - mmm, of course on a 70s style ash Jazz body, a white plate would look good but I'm sticking to my guns just now!! And here's the type of image that I sent Howard as a template for the plate. Note that this is not the final version - there's still an extra screwhole in this one which had been used for a thumbrest on the bass when I got it and the cut out for truss adjustment is what's routed out on the body. The final plate will just have the little crescent Fender used to put on their plates. This means the plate will have to come off for truss adjustment but that's not a lot of bother on a Jazz and it's much easier than it was on my old Fender P or my Tokai P/J where the neck actually has to be loosened or removed before the truss can be adjusted! If anybody would like a copy of the template, PM me and I'll send you a pdf but remember, it's only for an Aria Jazz from the late 70s. I can't show you the finished effect because the body has now gone over to Jimmy Moon so that the geometry can all be checked as the new fingerboard is fitted and the neck remounted but here is the lovely scratchplate Howard made. Progress will now halt until I get the bass back from Jimmy which is targeted to be sometime this month. He's very busy and knows that I'm not short of a bass or two so I won't be holding my breath! Cheers Ed

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1400148471' post='2451145'] Sorry, but I don't agree. I've tried a LOT of different brands and gauges in the last few years, and my experiences show that gauge DOES make a difference to volume and tone. So does brand and type of metal mind... but even when changing from, say, DR hibeams in 40-100 to the same string in 50-110 I noticed a discernable increase in both volume and tone. [/quote] Volume... probably. Tone... eh? An "increase" in tone? What do you mean by that? Brighter, duller, more mids? In my opinion, you choose strings for tone and feel- volume is what you have an amp for. Also I don't buy into the popular "heavier strings give a fuller tone" theory. A different tone, perhaps and a different feel definitely but I find heavier strings to sound •less• dynamic than lighter strings. How light you can go is determined by how well you can modulate your touch- I settled long ago on gauges of around 40- 100 for a four string and have not seen any reason to change since. Cheers Ed

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1400020163' post='2450049'] Well, the EMGs may be growing on me! I had a rehearsal tonight and it was pretty loose, lots of time to mess about, and mess about I did. As the initial zing of the strings starts to fade, the resulting sound is much more to my liking. Not as Jazzy, but... it's a good sound. And I love how silent they are... Hmmm. Will I convert in the end? [/quote] Yep- that's you now- slippery slope!

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1400053838' post='2450157'] If you decide you don't like the EMGs after all, I'll buy them from you! My old Geddy Lee had EMGs in it and I loved its tone. My new(er) one has the original Fender US vintages in and I'm not so keen on the sound... Fickle buggers ain't we? [/quote] I think there's an EMG J set in the for sale section just now.

[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1399991008' post='2449643'] I'd love a MIDI Wal and would be happy to sand the top off if necessary. It's just a matter of taste isn't it, there's no point getting all worked up about it. [/quote] Haha, good man- I actually did LOL there!

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1399985400' post='2449584'] Your sounds a bit further down the line than mine... mine currently looks like this.... Only a year to go! *Edit* I'm also not a postman.... [/quote] Looking good Rob! Yeah, mine came trundling out of High Wycombe in '92 or '93 - I've forgotten when exactly!

[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1399984079' post='2449565'] I don't know why you're getting so angry about a hypothetical bass you might not even order. For the record I really like Wals. [/quote] Not wishing to second guess the gent in question but it just might have been a reaction to your own diatribe above re "classic '80s cliche nouveau riche types" and "fat ex- postman lottery winners"?? I don't think you'd like my Wal probably... it's got a quilt maple top, five strings, gold hardware and midi. Oops! Cheers Ed

[quote name='Cameronj279' timestamp='1399980629' post='2449515'] Really not understanding the resentment towards people owning expensive instruments. I figure if someone can afford something and they want it then why not. [/quote] There is indeed quite a lot of that on this forum. I don't know where it comes from but it's similar to the sort of inverted snobbery shown in many threads like "no one needs anything other than a Fender Precision" or "why would a bass player even *go* above the 12th fret?!". There seem to be a lot of chips on a lot of shoulders here. Cheers Ed

Nice bass. Personally (what else?!) I like EMGs on a Jazz. Actually, I like EMGs on most anything -they're excellent pickiups - articulate, clear, full range and noise free. I once had one of the early AVRI Jazzes from the Fullerton era and I only managed two gigs with it before the electronics were replaced by an EMG setup. It was the noise and buzzing which got to me. I suspect that if you're used to it, it's less of an issue but it still bugs me. So I vote for keeping the EMGs. That means you could sell me your DiMarzios for my Aria rescue project here - [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/234069-1977-aria-rescue/"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/234069-1977-aria-rescue/[/url] Enjoy the new bass! Cheers Ed

[quote name='Roland Rock' timestamp='1399799230' post='2447665'] Speaking as an informed and intelligent player, I have yet to play any other Fender or Fender replica/copy (including JVs) that I prefer to my '78P :-) [/quote] Glad you like it! I'm just recounting the general feeling at the time. I haven't played a 70s Fender since, well... the 70s as I was so comprehensively put off them. I'm sure that those that have stood the test of time and are still being played and loved today are the better examples or have been fettled over the years. After all, all the constituent parts were there, it's just that straight out of the factory, they were not •consistently• good. Cheers Ed

Mmmm... with the passage of time, the memories become clouded and then other, possibly younger, people come along and take bits of the story, embellish it and before you know it we have genuine mythology. By the late seventies, Fender couldn't make a decent guitar in the states. Under CBS's ownership, standards had fallen and the focus on what their products were actually for had been lost. Most intelligent and informed players preferred the replicas or copies which were being made by the Japanese companies such as Tokai, Fuji Gen and Matsumoku. It's not difficult to manufacture a good Fender style instrument - it's a simple, industrial design intended for mass production - but care has to be taken and things have to be done properly and this is where Fender US had lost its way. When CBS sold what was left of Fender in a management buy out, the new owners decided to go to the competition and ask them for help. By licensing the designs to one of these companies, they could introduce instruments at competitive price points, keep the name alive and buy time to get their own domestic production up and running again. And this is what happened. The Squiers were a runaway success and the lessons in manufacture were transferred back to the States. Apart from some pickups in certain early Strats, the components were *not* US manufactured. Neck blanks may well have been sent to Japan, but they're just blocks of wood. All of the skill and craftsmanship was Japanese. In fact, if my own now clouding memory serves me well, when the much lauded American Vintage Reissue series was initially launched (now known as Fullerton Era AVRI) the production line was not quite ready in the States and the first batches of instruments were Japanese necks and bodies finished and assembled in the States with American components! The strategy worked. Fender which could well have just disappeared is now a dominant force in the guitar market. So are the JVs worth the money? Yes and no. they were unquestionably better quality than the domestic Fender production at the time, but no better than Tokai, Ibanez, Aria, Greco etc. etc. But look at the prices that 70s US fenders are achieving now and once again, the JV seems like a good deal. Me, I prefer the Tokais. Cheers Ed

Are you not answering your own question here? You don't like nylon tape wound. (The dullest) You don't like the sound of the flat wounds. (2nd dullest) The half rounds don't have enough growl. ( can you see where I'm going here?) So it would seem as though you need to be looking at round wounds. Nickel wound would be the next step up in brightness with stainless steel being the ultimate. I wouldn't worry about the boards marking- it's under the strings anyway and provided you refrain from string bending or side to side vibrato ( both pretty redundant techniques on a fretless) it will take a long time before the board needs attention. When it does, a quick trip to a decent luthier will see it sorted out for another few years. I find rounds much more responsive and alive on the fretless and wouldn't consider fitting any other type of string. If you don't want to sound like Pino or Jaco, roll off the high frequencies. Also control exactly how much mwahh you want by varying the action- lower = more mwahh. I use stainless Elites on all my basses but long ago I used Rotosound RS66 Swing Bass. Strings all sound different but it's an expensive exercise so once I find a string I like, I tend to just stick with it unless the quality goes down. One less thing to think about. Cheers Ed

Fabulous bass - enjoy!

Pretty much agree... Leo, then Ned - two professional designers who were not players and perhaps because of that brought huge "outside of the box" thinking to the party. In terms of influence over many years, mention must go to Rick Turner and Ron Wickersham of Alembic - multi laminate wood construction and active electronics. Rick Turner also developed the first graphite necks with Geoff Gould who started Modulus. And Roger Rossmeisl - like 'em or loathe 'em the Rickenbacker 4000 series is still one of the design icons of the electric bass world. Rossmeisl also gave Phillip Kubicki his start when he was working for Fender. Cheers Ed Apologies Kiwi - didn't notice you'd already made the case for the Alembic/ Modulus guys!

[quote name='Evil Undead' timestamp='1399378068' post='2443550'] Hey Ed I've heard of the Phil Jones briefcases, but never had chance to try one. I should look into that as they seem to get great reviews. My practice amp is only an 8" and it sounds a bit... woody I think is the best explanation. I really like 10's so I'd love to find a 10" combo with a versatile sound. Been looking for an Ibanez Promethean combo but someone always beats me to the ones that come up for sale here Bass-wise. I think it's the action - I know this is going to sound utterly ridiculous because the action is way under 2mm at 12th fret, and the relief is fine, but my hands are pretty weak and I think even this is too high. Strings are 40-95 which I think are ok - they're bordering on being a bit "flubbery" so I don't know if I'd want to go lighter than that. The neck shape is a jazz width but a fairly hefty profile. Feels pretty comfortable in that respect, and it's got J pickups which is fine. Balances well, weight isn't heavy by any means, so it must be the action. My other (much cheaper) bass has an action that's barely above 1mm and that's great for me. But it doesn't sound quite as good. [/quote] If by "woody" you mean kind of "boxy", "middley" ( it's difficult to describe sound!) then that's exactly what most practise amps always sounded to me. The Briefcase actually has two 5 inch speakers but still provides that nice sound so yep, it may be worth while checking out. Also, just out of interest since you say you like 10's, I noticed the other day somebody on here selling an Acme Sound Low B1 cab. That's a very small full range cab with a 10, a 5 and a tweeter and it will sound fabulous although you'd still have the head/ cab thing. Re the basses, it's more difficult. If a really good fret dressing would be able to get the action down on your better sounding bass then it may well be worth trying that. Of course, you could find that the higher action is a contributing factor to the better sound so perhaps as an experiment, raising the action on your other bass temporarily to see if the sound improves would incur no expense. If you do it yourself carefully, there's no need to worry about getting it back again if you don't like it. For each saddle height adjustment screw, turn it by the same number of exact turns - I would suggest 1 full turn as we're dealing with quite low actions here. Retune the bass as increasing the height of the saddles is likely to increase the tension on the strings and then try it. If you don't like it, one full turn backwards for each saddle adjustment screw takes you back to exactly where you were. I'm with you on the 40 - 95 gauges but my ears tell me that others can use much lighter strings and still produce pleasing, excellent and punchy bass tones from them. Yes, they will feel odd at first but once you adjust to them, you would be producing the same sounds but with less physical effort so for the cost of a set of strings to go on to your "better" bass to try, it may be worth a punt? And finally, there's thinking out of the box... the Ashbory bass, with it's ultra short scale length and silicone strings is physically extremely easy to play but still produces a great tone - very double bass like. Cheers Ed

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1399369703' post='2443430'] Well I would, for one. The book 'The John Entwistle Bass Collection' is proof. The clue's in the title of the book. A lot of those basses he didn't play on a regular basis, that's for sure. Edit: Of course, the ones he DID play, he played A LOT. [/quote] I do understand that, but you would view him primarily as a bass collector rather than a bass player? Simply based on the number of instruments he owned? I think he obviously was a collector but I would first and foremost characterise him as an excellent bass player. If you're interested in nice photography of vintage basses, it's a good book but there's too many guitars included for my liking! Cheers Ed ( bass play... er, collect...errmm... ach- who cares!)

Just reading up on your other thread - best of luck with it all. I always think that you have more connection with the instruments than the amplification so I guess I would sell the big rig and the practise amp, which you say sounds just "ok" and buy a small combo which sounds really good. My only direct experience is with my own Phil Jones Bass Briefcase amp. It's the first practise amp I ever found that actually sounds exactly like a really good big rig - only smaller and quieter. They now do even smaller ones as well and they come up secondhand occasionally. It's always sitting ready to go in the room and is loud enough for acoustic type gigs. Re the basses, do you know exactly why the heavier bass is more difficult to play? Is it neck shape, action, neck placement, pickup positions, body shape, balance? If its just needs a really good setup, it may be worth having that done by a trusted luthier. Also, don't be scared to move down string gauges - the commonly held belief that lighter strings somehow don't have as good a sound as heavier is a complete red herring - in many ways they can actually sound fuller and more dynamic, all with the added benefit of encouraging a lighter touch generally and easier fretting. Cheers Ed

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1399366982' post='2443389'] I never see the point of too many basses as that makes you more of a collector of them rather than a player of them. [/quote] I never understand this argument at all. Too many for what? If you are playing for the public then to my mind at least you should have a backup instrument so that if something goes wrong, you don't let anyone down. What if some tunes require fretless? Do you also need a backup fretless? Extended range needed? Mmm... 5 string, 6 string... should I have fretless versions of those as well? And so far this ignores the fact that a Jazz sounds/ feels different to a Precision or Ibanez or Alembic or Wal or Musicman etc. etc. In my opinion, owning and using lots of different basses makes you more rounded as a player. You are more able to cope with all of the different idiosyncrasies of tone, feel, action etc. and that can only be good for you as a player. Your only restrictions should be the practical ones - can you afford it, do you have room to store it? The others like can I justify it, do I really need it? etc. are purely imaginary constructs of your own making. Who here would claim that John Entwhistle was more of a "collector" than a player? Not that I'm opinionated or anything... Cheers Ed

[quote name='KingBollock' timestamp='1398865400' post='2438425'] For the pickups, couldn't you make a spacer for the top? Perhaps even make one out a nice wood? Or even cut out of an old scratch plate? [/quote] I hadn't thought of that - it's a possibility. I'm trying to keep it "old Fender" appearance so a cut out of a piece of black plastic would certainly do the job. It seems obvious now that you've pointed it out- thanks. Ed