Woodinblack Posted January 18, 2015 Author Share Posted January 18, 2015 [quote name='UglyDog' timestamp='1421586459' post='2662904'] You don't [i]need[/i] it as such. In my case, I read about it and thought I'd give it a try -- experimented with a piece of wood carpet-taped to the front of my bass -- and essentially it's stayed there ever since. [/quote] Yeh - good point. I have a new (to me) Sterling Sub Ray 5 coming this week (parcelforce permitting) that I probably don't have that much need for. They have to have the ugliest pickguards in creation, not sure if there is anything (like routing) under there, but the top is flat unlike my ibanez so might whip that off and stick some piece of wood on there somehow. Guessing blue tac probably won't do it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowieBass Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 [quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1421589491' post='2662941'] Yeh - good point. I have a new (to me) Sterling Sub Ray 5 coming this week (parcelforce permitting) that I probably don't have that much need for. They have to have the ugliest pickguards in creation, not sure if there is anything (like routing) under there, but the top is flat unlike my ibanez so might whip that off and stick some piece of wood on there somehow. Guessing blue tac probably won't do it! [/quote] Actually Blu Tack might work quite well - I was curious about adding a home made ramp to my Cort fretless, between the two pickups - I had a spare piece of MDF that I cut to size, painted black (to match the pickups) and stuck it on using 4 blobs of Blu Tack - they hold it on well and after a while I think it seems to become less putty like. It's stable enough to use as a thumb rest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UglyDog Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 Agreed. Blu Tac should work a treat, assuming it adheres well to the ramp wood. And if you find you don't like the ramp idea after all, it'll take all of 5 seconds to remove Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 I saw this interesting piece by Damian Erskine on No Treble about ramps. Well, I guess I saw the bass at the top of the picture first. What a pleasant surprise that was. http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2013/04/03/bass-ramps-the-how-and-why/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drax Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 I'm the unlikely owner of a Gary Willis Ibanez (the cheaper one) - I don't like his playing, and found the ramp really annoying and removed it. I found it got in the way. It's still a nice fretless for the money, even without a ramp. [quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1421496139' post='2661955'] ... in songs like 'Hit me with your rhythm stick' .. with just 'one finger like a plectrum' I can do it fine, but want to do it with two fingers. [/quote] Woodinblack - what is this - is it like a fixed finger waggle? I can't imagine playing Rhythm Stick with 1 finger? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted January 18, 2015 Author Share Posted January 18, 2015 [quote name='Drax' timestamp='1421602145' post='2663152'] I'm the unlikely owner of a Gary Willis Ibanez (the cheaper one) - I don't like his playing, and found the ramp really annoying and removed it. I found it got in the way. [/quote] I think it is a very nice fretless, but then I have a bias towards Ibanezes, they feel more like home to me than any other bass. [quote name='Drax' timestamp='1421602145' post='2663152'] Woodinblack - what is this - is it like a fixed finger waggle? I can't imagine playing Rhythm Stick with 1 finger? [/quote] Its like using your finger like a plectrum, specifically your fingernail, and using both sides (like a plectrum). I just find the plectrum gets in the way, which is odd as I also play guitar, and never had trouble with them there. Specifically I meant Hysteria though, I haven't tried Rhythm Stick with anything other than two fingers, because I only started working on it when someone posted that video on here recently, but I have trouble getting to the speed. That is the same as hysteria - I can play it faster than the original with the one finger, but it is slower with two, and after a while it starts getting sloppy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grangur Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 FWIW Anthony Wellington also uses one. To find out if a ramp suits/helps you why not make a cardboard one and fix it there with blue tack? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted January 18, 2015 Author Share Posted January 18, 2015 I have a new bass coming tomorrow, so I will put a ramp on that before i get used to it, and I think that will be a reasonable test. How high are they supposed to be? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowieBass Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 With mine I've made it so it's just about equal to pickup height - there's an argument that it should match the height and curve of the fingerboard but I never play over the neck so for me matching the pickup height makes more sense - fortunately the height of the pickups on my Cort are set pretty much equal and the volumes match (to my taste). I've also got the same situation with my Westone Spectrum LX. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funkyjimbob Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 I used to wonder what they were for too but I have suddenly realised their use.. I have two Warwick Infinity's that are amazing to play due to the lack of space between the strings and body. I never realised how much easier it is (for me anyway) to play, especially percussive techniques when there is this minimal space.I have a bolt-on Thumb which has loads of height and I pretty much find it unplayable now because of this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 [quote name='dood' timestamp='1421600012' post='2663116'] ...I saw the bass at the top of the picture first. What a pleasant surprise that was. [/quote] Hm yes... now where have I seen that before..? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 [quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1421621258' post='2663455'] How high are they supposed to be? [/quote] If you have an adjustable height ramp, you set it to how you like it. Mine for example is set as if I am plucking the string normally, then I bring the 'stage' up to meet my finger, thus providing a preset 'limiter' of movement. My ramp does match the radius of the fretboard and I am able to adjust the ramp for height and angle. The thing I want to say about the ramp is that it's just a tool, as is a plectrum. It's not fixing a problem nor is it some sort of magical machine that makes me play like Paul Gilbert. I find it rather amusing that people get so hung up on the tools we use for music like it's cheating or being elitist. I really don't care. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1421626550' post='2663492'] Hm yes... now where have I seen that before..? [/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 (edited) My main fretless bass is fitted with a ramp: When I first started playing fretless, I liked the feel of playing over the fingerboard, but some of the time the sound was too mellow, so when I had this bass made I specified the fingerboard running all the way up the the neck pickup and then a ramp between the pickups. This gives me an almost continuous surface to play on that feels the same all the way along from both a plucking and thumb anchoring PoV. When I need to dig in I move to the space between the pickup and the bridge which gives me a brighter sound which is generally what I want anyway in that situation. The system works for me on this bass. I play in different ways on my other basses so they don't have ramps fitted. Edited January 19, 2015 by BigRedX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulhauser Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 I use ramp for two reasons. - I use what one could call floating thumb technique. It is a bit similar to what Gary Willis does, so whenever I move on to another string with my right (plucking) hand, my thumb rests the closest lower unplayed string. A ramp helps me keeping my thumb securely. On some bass I use the pickup cover for the same reason (if that is close enough to the strings and is a soapbar shape. Found out the J style pickups offer not enough platform for this to me. But with the ramp I'm not limited to the pu area - By limiting my fingers movements it helps with fast 16th notes and string skipping at high speed with more ease. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 My mate has a Marleauex Diva, stunning bass with fingerboard from tip to toe, I am ham fisted but have no trouble playing it, well other than my dreadful fretless playing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted January 19, 2015 Author Share Posted January 19, 2015 So with a fretless, there isn't really much point the fingerboard stopping is there - if the wood goes over the pickup, might as well carry on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 [quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1421703142' post='2664192'] So with a fretless, there isn't really much point the fingerboard stopping is there - if the wood goes over the pickup, might as well carry on! [/quote] Shuker made a lovely fretless bass where the fretboard carried on all the way up to the bridge. edit: here: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted January 19, 2015 Author Share Posted January 19, 2015 Pretty nice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Painy Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 I believe Billy Sheehan actually covers the p pickup on his basses in some kind of resin to create a smooth surface to play over and effectively use as a ramp and he's pretty quick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 Yup! Absolutely true! I believe Mr Pastorius used his bridge pickup as a sort of ramp too? Not 100% on that one though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.