Chris2112

This bassline is just "it" for me, and the classic Kubicki tone there is very nice too. Probably my favourite Stuart Hamm song, and the bass solo is incredible.

Having come to the conclusion that big, Musicman shaped humbuckers sound best I thik they should find their way into more basses!

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='1040402' date='Nov 28 2010, 08:32 PM']Fortunately I don't have to choose between X Factor wannabees and Elton John cover versions, there is a ton of actually-good music I can listen to instead.[/quote] +1 I can't help but think this whole "lets beat the X Factor to #1" thing is incredibly lame. Who cares who is #1? It means nothing these days anyway. As for Ellie, I'm not sure what she has to do with Lady Gaga, but I don't think she has anywhere near that level of talent, but then I don't think there are many women around with the musical talent that she has. Apples and oranges anyway, but I'm certainly never going to say "This is a really good cover of an Elton John song, I think I'll listen to that".

Yamaha TRB's are definitely cool, although I'm not sure they look "quite right" in anything other than 6 string guise!

[quote name='Russ' post='1039496' date='Nov 28 2010, 01:15 AM']Stu's one hell of a player, but, let's face it, he's an endorsement whore. He's changed amp endorsements more regularly than some people change their pants. Certainly, in terms of profile, when you've had a Fender signature model, where else is there to go but down? But Washburn? Surely if he'd wanted a Fender-alike, he could have gone with Lakland or something?[/quote] He's hardly an endorsement whore. The gear he has endorsed he has stuck by for a long time, see below: Amps: In the 80's he used Hartke, and he continued that for a long time. Around the turn of the Millenium, he switched to Peavey. There was never a Peavey Stuart Hamm signature but he did promotional work and clinics for them. He then went back to Harkte, again using stock Hartke stuff. He's a good friend of Larry Hartke, and loves his amps. Basses: So in the 80's he's playing Kubicki basses and is a good friend of Phil Kubicki. When Fender buy Kubicki, they recognise Stu as Kubicki's highest profile player. After approximately 7/8 years playing Kubicki basses Fender offer to make Stu a signature bass since they've been in contact through the "Fender era" at Kubicki. Stu has a big hand in the design stage (I could bore you with stories about details as minute as why they chose Pau Ferro over ebony for the fretboard but I won't) and ends up having his name on the first signature bass that Fender made. Production continues for several years before Fender decides it would like to make a second Urge bass, this time more suited to the mainstream (hence the 34" scale). The second Urge bass is created, and goes on selling for a number of years. Fender then discontinue it. In 2001, Stu started using Washburn basses, namely an acoustic that appears on "Outbound". Having had nearly a decade of enjoyment from this bass, he gets a signature model made by Washburn. Having contacts in Washburn, he's played their electric basses for a while before getting a signature model. Strings: Stu has used GHS Boomers since the 80's, no signature string, just one brand he likes. etc etc So it's hardly fair to call Stu an endorsement whore. He puts his name to products he develops himself, and he gives them many years of use. He is not picking companies out of the ether. It'd be more fair to say that Mark King is an endorsement whore, but then the term "whore" cheapens it. Whats wrong with having companies wanting to put your name on their stuff? If we were good enough bassists that companies were begging us to give them signature models I'm sure we'd jump too!

Sadly, I find it very uninspiring...the shape does nothing for me and it all looks a bit plain.

[quote name='Musky' post='1038695' date='Nov 27 2010, 11:59 AM']And he actually seems to believe that Rickenbacker are purveyors of consistently high quality, top flight instruments! [/quote] Ignorance is bliss, eh? I don't suppose he gets a chance to try much else, otherwise the Ric design would have surely improved!

It looks a bit tacky with those black blocks, I would have preferred a rosewood board with dots for that "classic jazz" look.

[quote name='Stuart Clayton' post='1038593' date='Nov 27 2010, 09:41 AM']I just interviewed Stu for Bass Guitar Magazine, and we discussed his new bass in a fair amount of detail. There's not a lot I can add to what was said above, but the pickup configuration is unusual, and there are piezo's in the bridge. I guess it may not look much, but I think the picture is the prototype - no doubt Stu will do for a nice sparkle finish like on some of his Urge basses! I've heard Stu's album, 'Just Outside of Normal' and it's really good. Some unusual stuff on there, and some great compositions. Oh yeah, the bass playing is pretty good too... Look for out for all of the above in an issue of BGM coming soon. Stuart[/quote] I would expect that Stu will have custom models made of it. After all, his Fender Urge II basses were made in the Fender Custom shop by Todd Krause, it's a perk of the job to be able to get handmade stuff! I'm also really looking forward to the new album, simply because Stu has never released a bad one! You'll be able to get signed copies from his website.

Just had word in from Stu that this is his new signature bass... It comes equipped with EMG pickups and Hipshot hardware. It's 34" scale too. There isn't much info around about it aside from the fact that it'll be on show at NAMM this year and it's been used on Stuart's new album (out on December the 1st). Personally I'm not wild on it. The shape is a little bland for me. It's not a looker like the Urge was and it'll never sound as good as a Kubicki. I'm at a loss as to why Fender have discontinued the Urge bass (it's been out of production for about 2 years according to Stu). It was always a popular model and it was also the first signature bass Fender made (in it's Urge I guise back in 1992/93). We'll have to wait and see how this does. Personally, I can't see it being a massive hit like the Urge was. I'll try and speak to Stu about it at some point and get the low down on it, see what this bass is really all about. Stu has been using Washburn basses for a few years now, starting with the Washburn acoustic bass he used on "Outbound" in 2001. He currently has a Washburn acoustic signature model and I suppose this is a natural extension of that relationship!

I use the tuning line out of my amp head to ensure the cleanest possible signal goes through into the preamp. However, I'm not really one for effects!

I really need a good compressor pedal as I find them very, very useful in the studio. They iron out those little bumps and can really get the funk flowing!

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1038012' date='Nov 26 2010, 05:22 PM']I actually find stacked nobs on stuff a bit of a fiddle to be honest although some basses would need 10 indivdual knobs nowadays I suppose.[/quote] Like I say, my ACG would have 8 seperate tone knobs and two flip switches if it wasn't for stacked controls. That could surely be a classed as a bewildering array for some!

[quote name='neepheid' post='1037931' date='Nov 26 2010, 04:18 PM']That's a fair amount of experience. Apologies for the pedantry, but I get tired of all the Gibson bashing that goes on, some of it unfounded. I wanted to know what grounding in fact your opinion had.[/quote] If I had to choose, I'd go with the RD Artist. I was fortune to be able to try a one with the original MOOG electronics. It was quite simply head and shoulders above any other Gibson bass I've tried. Sadly, it suffered from the usual Gibson issues of weight and lacklustre playability.

My VM fretless was nice but it could have been better. The Classic Vibe jazz that I bought slightly later was a much better bass, and could easily take on a real deal Fender!

[quote name='neepheid' post='1037440' date='Nov 26 2010, 09:32 AM']Played them all, have you?[/quote] Erm, lets see... Les pauls, Thunderbirds, EB series, RD, Grabber, Ripper, Explorer...I guess I've about played them all, and they've always sounded absolutely dreadful!

It's the principle of the matter though.

[quote name='topo morto' post='1037248' date='Nov 26 2010, 01:02 AM']Very nice. How do you even pick that? ring-middle-index-middle?[/quote] I just use the index and middle fingers, but I do find it's a very tricky bassline to get to grips with, even just that octave intro has a tricky feel! Then when you start moving about things get really tricky! Sometimes I'm lazy and just pluck twice on the root and once on the octave; it's a good way to learn the feel of the line over the beat before you get the fingering spot on.