Chris2112

Grace Under Pressure was my first Rush album. It's actually a great centre point to their career. I can still remember the feeling as I listened to the 30 second track samples at a Virgin music store. I felt as though 'Afterimage' was the song I'd been waiting my whole life to hear, and Rush were the band.

It is certainly noticeable. They were still capable of turning out a decent tune like 'How It Is' but the real instrumental interplay was dialled back. There was a sense that collectively, they would push each other and really craft the arrangements to make the instruments work together. It seems like in the later years, they didn't bother writing like that anymore but they could certainly nail the parts live. Geddy's eventual over-reliance on his flamenco strumming technique also changed his basslines dramatically, with his tendency to write interesting fills and melodies replaced by repetitive strumming over one note. That eventual fading of creative energy must be a part of being a prog rock band, the same thing happened to Dream Theater. Their 90's output was a million times better than the rubbish they've committed to disc since.

I had actually forgotten how heavy the groove in the first chorus is. It's not the strongest track on the album but it's certainly a good effort.

I like Tai Shan and Superconductor. Superconductor has a really great middle eight with that soaring synth line. In fact, I think 'Presto' as a whole has some real bangers on it, and like RTB, is perhaps a bit overlooked as it's not as cohesive as 'Power Windows' or 'Hold Your Fire'. I do find the lyrics in Tai Shan to be a bit hokey, but their focus on mysticism and a 'romantic orient' simply reflects the western view of Asia at the time. Look at 'The Chinese Way' for another song that would probably be written differently today. My favourite Rush album is, on alternating days, either 'Power Windows' or 'Hold Your Fire'. Both are front to back quality, just utterly exceptional in every regard. Rush had really honed their craft then, bookend their best songs with the best instrument tones and perfect production.

I didn't realise The Grateful Dead were terrorist sympathisers.

What a collection. That Rogue with the Series II electronics is really something, just a gorgeous bit of design.

That is just mint. You are a very lucky lad.

I always find the sound of Les Pauls doesn't really work well for rhythm playing. The attack and decay of the notes is too slow for that really tight rhythm sound.

I will agree that the upper fret access on the NS body shape is not the best, but the overall shape and balance really works for me so I would persevere with one. You can still get around them fairly quickly if you want, this lad manages alright... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-IScNYSWuc

Just the later ones?

The Pentabuzz does have a very distinctive voice. It has the most 'mwah' and bloom of any fretless bass I've known, but it gives so much tonal and dynamic control the player just through how you attack the strings. Absolutely thunderous low end too. Do you have any pics of that Modulus?

If my Pedulla were fretted it would be a much closer bet. My brother has an MVP5 which is really something. I'm just more into frets than I am into fretless. As for competition with Status, I don't think so but they would appeal to the same sort of buyer - someone who wants more than just a P or J design, someone who likes hi-tech materials and modern tones. Stefan Heß followed his own vision for making a bass and it just happened to share some of the materials Status use. However, I do find them rather less 'obvious' than a Status, in the way that the signature Status sound tends to stand out. With the Bartolini pickups mine has, it sounds more like a Modulus. Very modern, articulate and direct but quite organic and woody. My Bogart has a headstock too, so the 1st position will feel more familiar to those unused to a true headless. Out of the two, I prefer Bogart. I do love Status basses, having owned a few, and I no doubt will own more in future.

My SKC Bogart Blackstone takes the top spot here. I've owned some great five string basses and it's a close run thing with my Pentabuzz. It just has such a great tone. The feel of it is also delightful but it's a million miles away from a 'traditonal' feel with it's wide, flat neck. The bridge pickup running solo is absolutely mint. If it has any downsides, it's that it takes a bit of practice to learn how to restring it. It's a piece of p iss once you've learned the trick, but I was fortunate to have some friends on Basschat tell me that the trick was to pull the string taut with pliers when locking them in. It's also not particuarly adjustable, as it has no truss rod so the relief is built in. The action is pretty low, but not as low as some of my other basses. The tuning is naturally very stable, the neck never moves, there are no dead spots and every note on the neck is very consistent. The strings need a change now, with fresh strings it sounds amazing but with dead strings, it sounds crap. At least that pressures you to change strings.

Hi Eude, It must surely be a set neck for me. I was really wanting to emulate the cool rear facing on my old 4 string (see TheGreek's post above). I always thought that was a bass that looked better from the back than it did from the front. The body wood I am not yet settled on but that flamed sycamore just blew me away. The top must be quilted maple with a really bright, golden appearance. That just sings of boutique quality to me. I fully expect it will make for a heavy bass, being a six string. Unless a Yamaha John Patitucci model falls into my path, I can't think of anything else that would so readily tick the boxes for me. It sounds as though the top spec electronics are the ones I would be best off choosing. I had fully expected that my specification would have put me in 'Uber' territory anyway. I had chosen a spec on a fretless Skelf model a few years ago, but ended up buying a house instead. Having just spent a tremendous amount on getting an extension built, I should have just commissioned the bass! 😂

Glad I googled Rachel Bolan before asking who she is! I love the finish on the bass but the red inlays are not to my taste.

He can afford to buy another!

Rudy has an extremely long resume and a reputation for being one of the nicest guys in rock. He may not be a top player but his credentials for getting the job done in the settings he plays are up there. For his new Spector bass though, I remain unconvinced. To me, it just doesn't look right with the bridge staying where it was. Re-carving the NS shape to give more access to the upper frets seems like the ideal solution but I can imagine it would be a costly process over the usual shaping methods used at the Czech facility. Moving the bridge spoils the visual balance of the bass and I bet will make 1st position feel like a real reach. I'm not usually one to complain about 'bridge over torso' basses where 1st position is offset, but this will surely be quite a reach. Euro and above Spector basses uniformly sound great (though I'm less keen on the Aguilar equipped basses, perhaps). However, Rudy's bass didn't sound all that great. I don't know if it was just the tone in the video, or the annoying static hum that got worse at certain points. It was quite noticeable when he flipped the bass over to look at the back.

Yes, I bought it from Greeneking in 2010 or 2011. IIRC, he was selling it to but another ACG. In the same fashion, I also got a sense of what I really wanted from an ACG with that bass and that informs my current thought process. @ead I'm up in Northumberland, probably some distance away from you but not that far from ACG in Moffat. It's good to know to the luthier I am considering is only a short-ish drive away. @EMG456 Thanks for the insight. It sounds as though there are a lot to get to grips with in that circuit and surely the chance to produce lots of great tones too. I will have to write to Alan direct and discuss this further, I think.

Very cool. There is no such thing as a bad Spector!

I'd prefer to canvas the board first, before wasting a builder's time with a speculative inquiry. I'd be happy to hear thoughts from ACG owners on what they like and dislike, anything they would change when ordering in future. I quite well know what I like, but it never hurts to draw on a wider experience base.

Evening all, I have been thinking of ordering a new ACG bass (a Recurve singlecut 6 string like the one pictured at the bottom of my post). I owned the first Harlot Singlecut years ago and could quite fancy getting back into the club, only with a bass crafted to my preferred specification. I know that the pickup choices range between the B series (wooden covers with engraved logo) or the MC series pickup, with those distinctive Ken Smith-esque bobbins on show. When I was last playing an ACG, the MC series did not exist and I have rather missed out on the distinction between the two pickups. My old Harlot had the EQ01 preamp with two flicky switches that did little other than make the bass sound thinner and less pleasant. I recall a discussion with Alan when I had that bass where he had said he would probably stop fitting those switches because he didn't see much use in them. I apologise that I cannot recall what the function of those switches was. I see now that the EQ01 is now accompanied by the DFM preamp, but despite reading the blurb, I'm not convinced I entirely understand this new module. I gather that the low pass filter range has been reduced by an octave, which is supposed to give enhanced control of the mid frequencies and tame some of the high end. Whilst I was a massve fan of the preamp my bass had fitted, I did typically roll the brightest frequencies off slightly and make it a midrange burp machine, which is typically what I always do. I am one of these lads that likes to have the bridge pickup running exclusively. Can anyone in the know suggest which of these pickup and EQ combos I would be best focusing my attention on? I really just want a serious midrange presence. My speculative specification is as follows: Recurve singlecut, 34" scale, quilted maple top over sycamore body, neck of maple with wenge or macassar ebony stringers, matching headstock veneer, x2 pickups, both positioned close to the bridge. Assymmetrical neck, ebony fretboard, no radius and 19mm spacing, with a thin front to back profile, black hardware. Something sort of like this: I have a few other things in mind, maybe a Status Stealth 6 string or similar, but I really liked the last ACG so they are fairly close to being what I want to focus in on. Any advice or thoughts would be appreciated.

I've tried Mastodon's Smith and it may be the easiest playing bass I've ever held. Effortlessly low action with a super smooth, fast and shallow neck. It is certainly a keeper. Ken's philosophy of knowing what works and building what works has given his basses a tremendous level of consistency. What is notable about them is that they have been so accepted and embraced by recording and sound engineers in the US. They are about the only boutique bass around with a reputation for 'plug in and go' ease-of-use to rival that of a Fender and as much as I love boutique basses, I'm aware sound men don't always share my enthusiasm. The Smith sound has it all from the moment the power hits the amp - soft, musical highs, prominent mids and sturdy fundamental with the whole thing being wrapped in a natural buffer of soft compression.