Chris2112

I have a distortion pedal and a Boss delay pedal that have probably seen no more than 2 hours use since I bought them a few years ago! In the studio I may use a very slight touch of chorus and compression, but I certainly think that less is more with effects.

Well, you may have a point if your band mates are tone deaf or not particularly interested in the sound of the band as a whole. If I bring the guys in my band a click track with me playing a bassline over the top they can instantly tell which bass it is I'm using, and I'll choose which bass to use based on the way it sounds. My Kubicki and ACG both have "modern" tones, but they're both very different. The Kubicki is definitely a "one of a kind" type bass which sounds unlike anything else, it's very bright and full of click and punch with a "honk" in the upper mids. The ACG is closer to what you'd find from a Wal, with a crisp and burpy sound that extends right through the midrange. Essentially, the ACG can do anything because of it's filter based preamp but I tend to keep it settled around a bridge pickup focused burpy tone; think Geddy Lee's sound on "Hold Your Fire" or thereabouts. I would agree that these things would probably be less important if I was playing in a pub rock band or something like that, but since I've retired from live playing and the band is now 100% studio based, making music for our enjoyment, tone is more important than ever for me. I'm not going to sit around for ages recording, mixing and mastering songs if I'm not happy with my tone!

At the moment I think a Jaydee represents far better value. Status basses are suffering some pretty severe inflation now, both in the used market and as new builds. For instance, a Kingbass Standard will set you back some £1600 at the very least. And I've got to say, thats a big hit, especially considering that the woods being used in the Standard range seem to be looking more and more uninspiring. Add to this the bolt on neck and satin finish and you seem to be paying an awful lot. I can't remember the list prices for new Jaydees, but I do recall a thread here where people were stunned at how cheap they are. Your money will go further there than at Status (and the Status prices will further increase with the VAT rise). It's a shame that the Status market is so vastly overinflated at the moment, which means that the tattier stuff like S2000 are pitched at £1000 used and even things like S4000's turning up for £700 used. Furthermore, Status certainly don't build them like they used to. Anyone who has played a 1980's S2 with the proper graphite "paddle" through neck will be able to attest to how they feel, sound and look better than the new ones. I don't know if I've got Statii fatigue from owning them over the years, or if it's the dire state of the current Status market that is turning me away from them. I once thought that they represented fantastic value for money, although this is not so much the case now.

[quote name='obbm' post='1061911' date='Dec 17 2010, 07:01 PM']Neck is Maple/Wenge with a Flame Sycamore fretboard[/quote] Alan is one of the only luthiers I can think of who appears to be regularly using flamed sycamore in his builds, and it is used to typically stunning effect here!

They've got some nice looking custom basses there!

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='1059340' date='Dec 15 2010, 09:59 AM']That is one of the most gob-smacking, awe-inspiring threads I've ever read. Out of sheer idle curiosity, I've emailed Gil Yaron to ask roughly how much he charges ...[/quote] And did he tell you how much he charges?

[quote name='EBS_freak' post='1061318' date='Dec 17 2010, 09:05 AM']I know. You can't knock Mark King as he is an exceptionally talented bloke... but as with most things, there is a time and a place. This wasn't it.[/quote] Well given the fact that he's done a version of the song which is clearly miles better than the other effort, surely this is the place? Two threads about the same song would be clutter, and there is no shame in being bettered by Mark King.

And here was me thinking this would be about the Public Image Ltd classic!

[quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' post='1060451' date='Dec 16 2010, 12:02 PM']Watching those vids one after the other MK looks like he's thinking "Ha! I've got a thumb and you haven't. Look what I can do with it" [/quote] And he's showing that he can quite easily play the other lad under the table, although this clear display of mastery was not intended as an offence, as Mark did this video last year and created something incredible - a christmas song you'd actually listen to.

[quote name='casapete' post='1060348' date='Dec 16 2010, 09:51 AM']Am I the only one who prefers the version in the OP.......??[/quote] I decided to watch that one, but it was a right plodder. As for him "single handledly" owning Mark King, I don't think he quite does that...in any sense!

This how you do a christmas song...listen to the amazing bassline!

In one of these places...

I do like that Jazz bass. I never thought Victor sounded that great on them though, his tone have never really blew me away. Having played one though, I am quite certain it is the best jazz bass Fender make!

[quote name='molan' post='1058953' date='Dec 14 2010, 08:28 PM']I couldn't really place the exact colour, I think he referred to it as a 'new' blue colour but again I could be wrong![/quote] Seafoam Green is the best colour!

[quote name='Conan' post='1058363' date='Dec 14 2010, 11:38 AM']You're talkin' my crack-a-lackin' language!! [/quote] I can tell you, your S2 through my Ashdown MK500 was even more growling and fierce than Mark's Kinbgasses sounded through his Ashdown rig...what a beast! Heavier than the newer Status basses too, but it felt bombproof and all the better for it!

The thing that appeals about the Kingbass to me is it's single mindedness, and it's sounds. It does sound (IMO) considerably better then the rest of the wooden Status range at the minute. I know Rob thinks the Artist has more high frequency sound and attack, but I think both the Standard and Artist Kingbasses sounds fairly similar. They are both the most aggressive sounding basses in the Status range at the moment, and I think that is something that has sadly been lost from the Status sound. You will of course know exactly what I'm talking about, and Status fans regularly look back at the 1980's S2's with the huge carbon fibre "paddle" neck which formed the centre of the body with wooden wings attached. These Status basses had that fierce, almost uncontrollably aggressive sound. Sadly, given that the S2 now features considerably less graphite than it did, even in the neck through construction, they don't sound anywhere near as aggressive or as good. I suppose this is due in part to new electronics too. I still love the sound of Status basses, but the Kingbass stands out as being the real star at the moment.

For me, these are the best: Status Kingbass Alembic Mark King And both of the Urge bass models I've never been one for people going to luthiers, having a high end bass made and then calling it their signature model. It has a touch of the "who are you" about it.

[quote name='JimH' post='1057691' date='Dec 13 2010, 07:23 PM']+1 for these if the budget allows :- [url="http://www.status-graphite.com/status/frames/streamline1.html"]Status Streamline[/url][/quote] As much as I love Status Graphite stuff, I can't help but think this bass looks clumsy and sub-par. It has the look a melted lolly pop or a poorly carved boat paddle. Tone wise, it's got the modern Status sound nailed, but next to it's "cousin" the classic graphite Steinberger, it just looks sloppy. I know the classic paddle shaped Steinberger, so stark and aggressive, is not something Status can directly copy, but I had hoped their ultra-compact offering would be more attractive. I know these basses are typically chosen for convienience, not looks, but it really should be more aesthetically pleasing. They're also very expensive given Status's skyrocketing prices! I have always looked to Status Graphite as being one of the best companies around, they should have been able to do a better effort than a Steinberger creation almost 30 years old!

Yes, it'll be an L-1500 I'm after then! Leo thought of everything!

The thing that always struck me about the L-1000 though was the fact that the pickup was too close to the neck. Had it been in the Stingray position it would have sounded amazing!

[quote name='Schnozzalee' post='1054799' date='Dec 11 2010, 11:02 AM']Kubicki, best slap bass - check Vail Johnson[/quote] I'd have to say the best slap bass on a Kubicki came from Stuart Hamm - his chops are certainly the most phenomenal and IMO he is the best slap player of all time! The slap solo from the "Country Music (a night in hell)" section of this video is particularly explosive... and at 03:43 here there is another nice slap section... I also particularly like these two videos, not only does the bloke have one of the Ex Factors with the awesome wood tops but he is a great player and the videos show how effortless Kubickis are to play. You also get a feeling of that typical Kubicki slap tone, with it's compressed bite and brilliant percussive click. Nothign sounds better in a band or on it's own IMO!

[quote name='neepheid' post='1057059' date='Dec 13 2010, 11:12 AM']THE FOLLOWING TEXT REPRESENTS MY OPINION, NOT FACT: The perpetuating of the ridiculous "pre-whatever company came in and messed things up in my (attempt to influence popular) opinion" nomenclature will not help. While CBS arguably dropped the ball a bit in terms of quality control, this pre-EB and pre-BBE nonsense is just bandwagon jumping ridiculousness perpetrated by people wishing to see an artificial inflation of prices based upon something completely arbitrary (being the ownership of a company) and trying to make out that their older instrument is somehow superior because of this. The value of "pre-Volkswagen" Skodas must be going through the roof by that logic. They just don't make 'em like they used to.[/quote] I think you're exactly right. It's like the old Stingrays, pre EBMM. They're nice, but nowhere near as nice in general as EBMM basses. EBMM were able to make an absolute science of their quality control and raised the bar for the basses as a whole. Nostalgia seems to have attached a massive surcharge onto the price tag of a pre-EBMM bass but in truth, the second hander 90's or 00's 'Ray will likely be a better buy!

There is no doubt that G&L make fantastic instruments. After all, the managed to capture the Stingray tone whilst expanding on it quite nicely. That said, I like the Stingray because it strikes me as so abrupt and simple. Everything that the clumsy, awful sounding P bass that preceded it should have been!

Just getting the "Girls on Film" bassline tight, it's surprisingly tricky!