Conan

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1357691120' post='1926980'] 'I tend to play harder when I'm buried in the mix.' Seems to me that there is a lot of learning to be done with respect to expression. Every note should be played differently. With a good instrument you should be able to control the subtleties of tone using your hands only. If you're buried in the mix then it's not your playing, it's your level and EQ that need sorting. [/quote] Yes. Thanks for the lecture but I am well aware of this! It was me who made the comment about being buried in the mix. But I was actually referring to a specific situation that occurred last weekend. We were recording in the guitarist's house and all the instruments were DI'ed. It had taken ages to get a "reasonable" mix for the five of us through headphones and although I was happy with it at the start, once we started playing I found that I was too low in the mix. I couldn't just wander over to my amp and turn up, and the only way to get my level boosted was to stop playing, halt everyone else, and adjust the level at the desk. I didn't want to do this so I just played a bit harder!!

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1357650411' post='1925930'] I think it's more of a wake-up call to shops to start setting basses up so they're vaguely playable before hanging them out on the wall. That way, if a bass is a dog, it's because it's a dog. Send it back. The internet is killing you all. Put some effort into it. [/quote] Bloody right! Good old-fashioned customer service is what we want!

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1357654184' post='1926046'] I'm not sure about you finding something "more desirable to play" [/quote] Yeah. You can't pre-judge the feel of a bass, or even a neck, purely based on the measurements. Some people that say they prefer J necks give the reason as being that they have smaller hands. Well, I am a big guy with big hands and the neck on my Geddy Lee Jazz is one of the most comfortable ones I've played! The fact that it is a J neck means that it is narrower at the nut, yes, but it is also very shallow from front to back. The material used to coat the wood (or lack of it) is another factor in whether a neck feels comfortable to you or not. I hate the over lacquered "glossy" ones, but don't much care for bare wood either! The Geddy seems to get that right too (for me). Neck radius is another variable - some are nearly flat whereas others are almost cylindrical! Take your pick!

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1357649475' post='1925900'] Haven't read the thread, but I'd just like to say that it's the mastering that's boils my p*ss. It's all mastered for tin-pot car speakers or earphones bought from a market stall. It's like listening to wallpaper. [/quote] Yes. I notice this particularly on the last few Rush albums. i find them almost unlistenable at times.

[quote name='bremen' timestamp='1357648388' post='1925868'] Kids nowadays probably wonder how we used put up with poor TV reception or having to find porn in hedgerows . [/quote] Yeah. I never understood how it got there.... does it grow on trees?

[quote name='Stan_da_man' timestamp='1357643336' post='1925718'] I firmly believe that the three main factors in 'your' tone are the way you hit the strings, the pickups on the bass and how fresh/dead the strings are. That's why I always sound like me whatever bass/rig I play. [/quote] I would say that it is pretty much just the first one! But the way you hit the strings will vary depending on the feedback that your ears are giving you. I think this is most noticeable when I am too low in the mix (IMO). As a result I try to dig in more in order to be louder, and therefore the sound changes... Fresh strings tend to be a bit louder than old ones, but can also be a bit scooped in the mids - which again gives a perceived volume drop. Weak pickups are easier to deal with as you obvioulsy just up the gain on your amp. So many factors. So many variables. But the biggest one is the player themselves (IMO of course!)

[quote name='Inti' timestamp='1357595154' post='1925193'] Are you implying that a musician who improves the whole paying attention to the details is egocentric? [/quote] To a certain extent, aren't all musicians egocentric?

[quote name='Mudpup' timestamp='1357601389' post='1925358'] It sounds like a very resonant growly jazz with both pups on but if you back off the bridge it turns into a pbass and the bridge pickup on its own sounds like a thicker hotter jazz. I tried it out right next to a few other jazzes, precisions and a Lakland including actives and it was much stronger sounding. Its pretty in your face but has a lovely depth to it and seems incredibly versatile. You can make tiny changes to blend and tone and it really changes the character. Its a floorshaker with real definition and cut. Bloody love it! [/quote] Hmmmmm..... Sounds good!

[quote name='lettsguitars' timestamp='1357596210' post='1925228'] I would say it's a status thing [/quote] Hmmmm, yes. A [i][b]Status[/b][/i] thing.... now there's an idea!

"We’ve developed this new 10" loudspeaker to better handle the riggers of bass reproduction." Heck of a deal though, but it's a big MOFO of a cab...

[quote name='Adee' timestamp='1357602035' post='1925368'] Not sure how old or fit you are...[/quote] This is a major factor! In my twenties and even thirties I would happily heft a Trace Elliot stack in and out of pubs, but not now! In fact Even after a one hour set I feel it the next day Definitely invest in a good, wide, padded strap. Even then, as you will be earning from every gig, maybe buy a cheap lightweight bass (Squier, Ibanez, that type of thing) that will be easier on your shoulders and back. IME different pubs have different expectations of how many sets and how long they should be. Try to speak to the venue first so you know what to expect. If it's in a town centre they may prefer one longer set to avoid losing punters at half time. Out in the sticks it is often more flexible. Some bars have curfews, so check out what time you need to finish. No good saving your show-stopping tunes till the end and finding out that you can't play them!

I think we also have to be careful in suggesting that touring is a way for bands to make money. There is a certain economy of scale involved there, and many bands/artists are currently scaling down their live appearances for the very opposite reasons. Too many people trying to take a cut of the profits! An example, for those of you who remember eighties neo-prog outfit Marillion, comes from their original singer "Fish". I have copied this from his recent blog - the whole thing can be read here: [i][url="http://fishheadsclub.com/2012/12/22/not-the-end-of-the-world/"]http://fishheadsclub...d-of-the-world/[/url][/i] but this part is pertinent to this discussion... The "FishHeads Club scenario of which he speaks refers to a three-piece acoustic stripped-down version of the material, toured with minimal personel and therefore expense. [i]"(Stage and tour manager) Yatta has booked around 6 weeks of electric band touring from September. Dates will be released as soon as I have full confirmations. This will be the limit of our touring capabilities this year. Costs have increased and promoters are nervous with guarantees in this economic climate. It’s been tough for Yatta to get the routing together and to make financial sense of it all. Everyone wants to tour these days and venues are getting booked up and are in the driving seat re deals and percentages being taken on merchandise. I refuse to play venues who take percentages. They are just becoming retail outfits where we bring in the customers. Everyone concerned with touring wants bigger slices of the pie but there is just not enough pie to go round these days. I may go back to a more affordable Fishheads Club tour scenario in 2014 but the full electric outfit is doubtful. It’s time to examine other options."[/i]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1357560393' post='1924383'] He's just calling a spade a spade. [/quote]

[quote name='redstriper' timestamp='1357564968' post='1924487'] I suggest closing your eyes and opening your mind. [/quote] Excellent advice! Especially when it comes to Fenders and their clones.

Sounds like there is a problem somewhere - maybe with the amp itself if both cabs are "farting" at low volume. Could it be the bass? Does it have an active circuit and if so, are the batteries fresh?

[quote name='Rick's Fine '52' timestamp='1357560033' post='1924370'] Of course, I forgot to mention those snow shovels[/quote]

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1357559356' post='1924342'] virtually all headless basses....[/quote] Aaaw, come on!

Greetings! The "North East" is a big area (especially in the minds of southerners...) - so where are you exactly? There are a lot of us in the Newcastle area...

[quote name='Spoombung' timestamp='1357553123' post='1924216'] If only I could! God, these [i]ugly basses[/i] threads are boring.[/quote] You don't have to read them man...

[quote name='machinehead' timestamp='1357338285' post='1921462'] Like everyone else will do, I'll recommend a bass that I own. [/quote] Although presumably we own them because we tried them and liked them enough to buy them... But of course everyone is different, and my personal preferences may not suit anyone else - which is what makes these "recommend me a ..." threads so interesting but ultimately so useless.

It's a lovely looking bass... but I just can't get used to those pickups! Does it sound more like a J or a P? Does it combine the best of both or the worst of both? The bridge pickup in particular seems to be oddly positioned - it's [i]very [/i]close to the bridge. How does that sound compared to a J in that position?

[quote name='1970' timestamp='1357406574' post='1922253'] why do YOU play a fretless?[/quote] This is why... [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpzAO73rqNc"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpzAO73rqNc[/url]

Can't decide if I love or hate this... but it sure is ugly! [url="http://www.gak.co.uk/en/danelectro-wild-thing-bass-blue/57711"]http://www.gak.co.uk/en/danelectro-wild-thing-bass-blue/57711[/url]

The cab on the right (as we look at it) looks like an earlier version of this? [url="http://www.eaamps.com/products-detail.asp?REC_ID=7"]http://www.eaamps.co...il.asp?REC_ID=7[/url] Actually, hang on - there seem to be three speakers in there! Maybe a flightcased Ampeg 410 next to it. Can't see what the amp is...

[quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1357126923' post='1917703'] One thing that always surprises me is the misconception amongst loads of bassists that Maple is harder than Rosewood. It is much brighter...but certainly not as hard. [/quote] I'm surprised at your surprise! To those of us with no training or experience in woodwork, maple just kind of "looks and feels" harder. Maybe it's because of the closer grain, or maybe the colour has an influence? I dunno. But I'd always assumed that maple was the harder of the two woods!