Conan

Get the Bass Doc to make you one!

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1374147709' post='2145756'] Rotosound swing bass strings are pretty low tension anyway. DR strings are great but expensive and IMO higher tension than Rotosound swing bass. [/quote] I would agree with this. Fat beams are not to bad in this respect (certainly less taught than LoRiders) but I wouldn't call them low tension (OK, low [i]compliance[/i]!).

We're doing a music week at my school at the moment, and the music department have just bought in a few new budget instruments (they get a very hard time from the students!). Anyway, I thought i would have a bit of a play about with one of the bass guitars. It is an Aria STB-JB in black with a white PG, so it has a kind of passing resemblance to a Geddy Lee J... (well, if you half close your eyes!). [url="http://www.ariauk.com/aria-stb-jb-bass-guitar/"]http://www.ariauk.com/aria-stb-jb-bass-guitar/[/url] I wasn't expecting much, as these things retail at around £100-120, but I have to say that I was VERY pleasantly surprised! A lovely Jazz Bass tone and extremely playable. It just feels really sweet in my hands. It hadn't even been set up, so the volume levels were a bit variable across the strings - but that was a five minute fix.Truss rod could probably do with a bit of a tweak too as there was a bit of buzz at around fret 15. No big deal. I even did a bit of recording with it and it sat really well in the mix, with a certain degree of authority! Incredible at this price, and thoroughly recommended to anyone looking for a very good quality beginners' bass or even a reasonable back-up. Even swapping back to my Spector didn't seem like too much of a downward step!! Have a try of one of these if you can

[quote name='eude' timestamp='1373880907' post='2142454'] EAD Foundation 212 [/quote] Oooh... yes please!

Isn't it about time you updated your sig then?

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1373627321' post='2139790'] I wouldn't use flats on my Spector but I think they work really well on the Fender. They're making me play differently too, which I'm really enjoying. [/quote] Exactly. It's the old "horses f*** horses" thing innit?

[quote name='Telebass' timestamp='1373613933' post='2139556'] I love basses, but they are also tools to be used. [/quote] That's how I feel. Some people get very hung up about how their basses look rather than how they sound or play...

[quote name='shizznit' timestamp='1373586018' post='2139492'] You can practice at home until the cows come home and get your parts nailed...nothing wrong with that. But, working on the band dynamic and making sure the band can perform at a good level is very important. That requires time together playing the music and gelling together. There is no substitute for that. This guy will not work out if he can't make rehearsals. [/quote] This, IME. It sounds like a very odd arrangement to me!

[quote name='FretNoMore' timestamp='1373623376' post='2139718'] Next show - back to our own crappy setup, feedback, poor sounding wedges, can't hear myself, etc. [/quote] Sadly though, for most of us, this is the norm!

[quote name='Ghost_Bass' timestamp='1373452419' post='2137683'] I can say that top mounted handles are a nightmare to sit a amp on the stack. [/quote] Yes, that's what I meant. It's not stacking one cab on top of the other that is the issue because, as WoT says, the top cab has feet that keep it clear of the handle. It is the amp on top of the vertically stacked cabs (or even one single cab for that matter) that is awkward. Just seems a silly place to put a handle of that type...

They look like some kind of bastard mutated chimaera of BF and Aguilar.... I'm guessing they are 210s? No idea who has made them though... Whatever they are, that top handle is in a silly place if you want to stack them vertically!

[quote name='Monckyman' timestamp='1373018663' post='2132792'] If it takes longer the engineer is an idiot. Which is what you think anyway so... [/quote] Ah. Now I understand your earlier post a bit better. Don't take it personally man - I'm sure you are a great engineer and that bands love to work with you, but many of us have experiences that suggest that you are unusual in that respect!

[quote name='Monckyman' timestamp='1372980378' post='2132555'] Utter bollocks. [/quote] That's bordering on trolling man. Where is your evidence for this assertion?

[quote name='jezzaboy' timestamp='1372953958' post='2132113'] If you have to drag a decent monitor around with you, would you not be better having a lightweight bass amp? [/quote] I'd have thought so too...

My band has a small PA and we only put the vocals through it. The only monitor wedge "we" use is owned by the drummer, who uses it to boost the level of his kick drum only. We also take a feed from the desk into this monitor to get a very basic (and fairly quiet ) vocal foldback... No way could we put bass through that PA and even if we did there would be no useful way to monitor it. My amp and cab form my monitor and provide the bass sound that the audience hears. That's why I need it. Every pub band I have played in did things pretty much this way. That said, if we turned up to a gig where there was a decent PA, monitoring and sound man; and he suggested DI'ing the bass straight into the desk -I would be perfectly happy to do that. I am not precious about "my tone" particularly (and it comes primarily from my bass anyway) - but I do need to hear myself on stage. As with many questions regarding sound and gear, the answer seems to be a resounding "it depends"!!

[quote name='largo' timestamp='1372864180' post='2130876'] Who is this Jake fellow you keep referring to? [/quote] Don't you know?

And here I was believing every word you said... so what does that make me? I'll be interested to hear how this progresses Nige. One of the things I've found over the years is that learning something new seems to follow a kind of pendulum pattern, where you oscillate between manic enthusiasm for the sheer joy of learning, and the deep depression of feeling that you will never master it... You are clearly at the beginning of your quest, so keep us informed of how you feel it is progressing! Interesting comments about teachers and students on this thread too. In my day job I am a teacher (of science, not music!) and I am a great believer that there is no such thing as a great teacher for everyone. Every teacher is different just as every student is different. It is impossible to please all of the people all of the time. This Jake of which you speak is clearly a great teacher for you - whereas others may well find him less inspiring. That's the beauty of the process, but also the difficulty! How does one find the right teacher?? Sounds like you've been very lucky there (or done some serious research!). Good luck on your journey. It is one that I hope to make myself one day...

[quote name='Wylie' timestamp='1372720548' post='2129242'] I love mine ... with 'custom made' black pickguard. ('Custom' costs a lot, don't it?) [/quote] Not if you get it made by the Bass Doc (who has all the exact measurements)! I much prefered mine with a BWB plate - made the guitar look so much more classy

[quote name='LiamPodmore' timestamp='1334931024' post='1623665'] what i do know, is that the 18v pre-amp in a Musicman Bongo sounds f*cking HUGE!!!!!!!!!![/quote] So does a Spector tonepump @ 9V!

When you listen to the clip without watching, it sounds like she is really digging in - yet she seems to have an incredibly light touch!

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cISYzA36-ZY"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cISYzA36-ZY[/url]

Sometimes when new members join this forum they actually take the time to do a search of old threads to acquire information about a chosen topic. Typing in a search term such as "Fender" will lead to them finding threads such as this one. They could then learn quite a lot about why some people love them, others hate them, and the majority of us happily concede that they make some great basses but there is a wide variety of other stuff to try. I fail to see the harm in threads like this.

[quote name='miles'tone' timestamp='1372287023' post='2123986']Until Dad's nudist thread ( ) I'd never really checked out the recordings bit. Now I will as it's amazing to hear what the people we chat with sound like. [/quote] Me too! It's fascinating! But, whereas I can type out some banal comment while "busy" doing other things, I can't listen to music - no matter who has composed it. But when I get time to sit down with my pipe and slippers it is indeed very humbling to hear just how talented some of our members are. Well done you guys!! The problem with the voting is that I wouldn't feel able to vote until I'd listened to all of the recordings all the way through - and that takes a significant amount of time. But yes, in reply to the OP, the future of this forum is in peril. Once all the talented composers get busy with their music they will have no time time to popst on here!

[quote name='greyparrot' timestamp='1372252428' post='2123380'] wow i did not expect so many to agree!! ha-ha! Anyway why i thought post the tread was because i was recently in a shop bass direct, a fantastic shop, i went there to look at a mayones or whatever its called on sale at £1300.... but i also half kept looking at the fender usa p bass v deluxe at a great price (not made anymore with the Bill Lawrence P/u near the bridge) .... i seen it a few times on the site over 2 months and Wonder why on earth is that beut still for sale?? its says mint had a good price and was a 5 string ....perfect for me... so i made the trip from Essex, and looked at all the stunning eye candy (but not for long) and picked up the mayonees ... and then put the thing down again after about 2mins playing..it was a heavy bugger and looked like a gem of exotic-ness .. rather too much bordering on tacky even... then went to look at the fender.... that was that... this baby is mine had it a month now great bass... im guessing it did not get that much of a look in at the shop, but to me it was the best thing in there regardless of price tag.., after a jazz 1974 i had a while back, this is probably the best playing bass iv had..i did go to get one many years ago, but it was like £1500 then so i passed on it ....The guy in the shop Mark i think his name is said about my fender its a great bass but the pre amp is naff..and to swap it out... i thought ...what is he talking about? this bass sounds as sweet as a nut! why on earth would i wanna stick in a £300 pre amp .. its not he same fender anymore! with a slap sound out of this world, and punchy finger style why change it? ...ok i know its not the passive fender but hey i can say the same about them too, fantastic.. Reading through the posts on this tread, many have all been there high end basses, trying to squeeze out the sound imbedded in our head from years back... then as said above changing out p/u s n pre amps... (which i never did, i just got rid) only to end up selling the f***er and losing tons of dosh and swapping it back to a 2/3 knob passive bass.... haha.. It is merely my thoughts and experience over many years of playing different beasts... the 70-80s jap basses though like the arias and Yamaha they are very cool too.... they are superb. Do bear in mind its only my personal opinion after 30 years with as many and more, much more even basses i have owned in this time.. [/quote] If may make a polite suggestion mate...