Grimalkin Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 2 hours ago, martthebass said: lemon oil or not to lemon oil .... “Matters of great concern should be treated lightly.” Master Ittei commented, “Matters of small concern should be treated seriously.” Yamamoto Tsunetomo, Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai. Decorum please. That is serious business. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewebow Posted June 2, 2022 Share Posted June 2, 2022 (edited) I think one also need to consider whether we are talking about the ‘one’ true bass that represents one’s personal sound and search for True Tone.. or a collection of instruments that embody the sound of ‘western’ music in terms of certain vintage or modern Precision or Jazz or musicman or whatever ( hofner, Ricky etc etc).. what are we getting from a return on investment from a bass? Are we getting a true recreation and experience from an instrument of a certain album, period or song? is it the playing experience ( the neck feel, the pickup/preamp sound sculpting ability) or is it the amount we can expect to get back from the instrument at resell? Also to be noted the above quote is so true the more you spend the more subtle the differences appear.. Edited June 2, 2022 by thewebow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted June 2, 2022 Share Posted June 2, 2022 Is this why I'm such a mediocre player, because I have all this superfluous stuff swimming around in my head instead of important things like "what comes next in this song I'm playing?" 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewebow Posted June 2, 2022 Share Posted June 2, 2022 21 minutes ago, neepheid said: Is this why I'm such a mediocre player, because I have all this superfluous stuff swimming around in my head instead of important things like "what comes next in this song I'm playing?" Totally agree. If I spent the same amount of time worrying about theory and technique I’m pretty sure I’d pay for the more expensive basses I have lusted over! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilp Posted June 3, 2022 Share Posted June 3, 2022 On 22/11/2021 at 15:36, Boodang said: I've got a custom Sei, not cheap, and a Squier Jazz, cheap. One doesn't play or sound better than the other but obviously with the Sei it's made to my custom requirements and that's going to cost. And the Sei's attention to detail is way beyond the Squier but that doesn't make it sound better, it's just nice to have. I think what I object to is something like the Wal bass that's currently up for sale at £6500!! There's no way a bolt on neck, solid wood bass is worth this (don't get me wrong, they're great basses, I've owned a few, but they're not actually worth this kind of money). If I went to a luthier to have a bass made I don't think it would be possible to make it cost that amount no matter what spec I ordered. As for the £400 theoretical limit, well, my Squier now has custom pups, huge improvement, custom electronics, and a new bridge and nut! Diminishing returns of investment but does sound better than stock (sounds great actually) and way less than a Wal. I own a Wal Mk 1 fretless, and its a phenomenal instrument, and in my opinion worth every penny of what I would have to pay to replace it. If you want a Wal, you have a choice: order one today and wait the 3 years that I believe is the current lead time, or pay what the second hand market wants. It's not logical to say a second-hand Wal "isn't worth it", because by definition it's worth whatever it sells for! You could argue that a new one is overpriced (I wouldn't, but you could), but the market sets the price for a used one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Downunderwonder Posted June 3, 2022 Share Posted June 3, 2022 4 hours ago, neilp said: I own a Wal Mk 1 fretless, and its a phenomenal instrument, and in my opinion worth every penny of what I would have to pay to replace it. If you want a Wal, you have a choice: order one today and wait the 3 years that I believe is the current lead time, or pay what the second hand market wants. It's not logical to say a second-hand Wal "isn't worth it", because by definition it's worth whatever it sells for! You could argue that a new one is overpriced (I wouldn't, but you could), but the market sets the price for a used one One could also argue that the price of used ones goes some way to underpinning the price of the new ones. Same with crazy high priced Fender Custom Shop offerings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buddster Posted June 3, 2022 Share Posted June 3, 2022 Does paying more than £400 mean i avoid getting a 'Friday afternoon' bass? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted June 3, 2022 Share Posted June 3, 2022 2 hours ago, Buddster said: Does paying more than £400 mean i avoid getting a 'Friday afternoon' bass? No. Friday happens, and people are fallible regardless of how much you spend Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted July 26, 2022 Share Posted July 26, 2022 Tone concrete anyone? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted July 26, 2022 Share Posted July 26, 2022 Gonna need a wide strap with that! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted July 26, 2022 Share Posted July 26, 2022 9 minutes ago, Woodinblack said: Gonna need a wide strap with that! I can certainly see the strap pin holes becoming quite stretched. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tegs07 Posted July 26, 2022 Author Share Posted July 26, 2022 Just now, ezbass said: I can certainly see the strap pin holes becoming quite stretched. A real man would use a length of barbed wire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted July 26, 2022 Share Posted July 26, 2022 Just now, tegs07 said: A real man would use a length of barbed wire I was thinking thick chain, screwed into the body with eyelets (I’m sure some metal guitarist has one of those, maybe Zakk?). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted July 26, 2022 Share Posted July 26, 2022 Like this? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted July 26, 2022 Share Posted July 26, 2022 1 hour ago, BigRedX said: Like this? That’s the kind of thing. Looks like that fretboard has been oiled way too much, it has truss rod sprout! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Downunderwonder Posted July 27, 2022 Share Posted July 27, 2022 Who needs glue when you've got a strip of tin and some screws? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted July 27, 2022 Share Posted July 27, 2022 On 23/11/2021 at 00:28, MacDaddy said: A CNC machine in China, a CNC machine in the USA. With the same materials and parts what is the difference in quality? But as with @Boodang and their Sei's, my Shuker's have been built to my custom designs and body measurements, and will last a lifetime It helps if the CNC operators know how to place the wood on the platform accurately so that it's centred and square. I have a couple of mahogany/maple laminated guitar necks where the laminates are maybe 3mm out of true to the centre line of the neck. It probably won't affect playability but it's irksome anyway. I also had to send two strat necks back because the twonk who had cut the fret slots firstly recycled an old ebony fingerboard that already had slots in it, he just flipped it over after thicknessing and glued the old fretted side to the neck. Secondly the new slots were cut perpendicular to one side of the fingerboard, not the centre of the neck so the frets were out of true with the nut. Luckily for me the sales rep was honourable and sent through two more necks that were made correctly to spec. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zbd1960 Posted July 27, 2022 Share Posted July 27, 2022 Imagine the endless debate over the choice of aggregate for a concrete guitar... "Hey man, it's got to be MOT for that real hardcore sound...." 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted July 27, 2022 Share Posted July 27, 2022 1 hour ago, zbd1960 said: Imagine the endless debate over the choice of aggregate for a concrete guitar... "Hey man, it's got to be MOT for that real hardcore sound...." Jaco didn't need 5mm screened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor J Posted July 27, 2022 Share Posted July 27, 2022 Only granite is real. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Downunderwonder Posted July 27, 2022 Share Posted July 27, 2022 (edited) Beats me why hollow composite e' guitars and basses aren't deriguer by now. Clearly ''tonewood'' is a crock in a solid body. So long as it can hold up the neck and the bridge it doesn't make a blind bit of difference. There's an old saying that translates to "you can't fool all of the guitarists and bassists all of the time''. And yet here we are nearly universally literally lumbering under timber basses and guitars. Edited July 27, 2022 by Downunderwonder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted July 27, 2022 Share Posted July 27, 2022 4 hours ago, Kiwi said: It helps if the CNC operators know how to place the wood on the platform accurately so that it's centred and square. I have a couple of mahogany/maple laminated guitar necks where the laminates are maybe 3mm out of true to the centre line of the neck. It probably won't affect playability but it's irksome anyway. I also had to send two strat necks back because the twonk who had cut the fret slots firstly recycled an old ebony fingerboard that already had slots in it, he just flipped it over after thicknessing and glued the old fretted side to the neck. Secondly the new slots were cut perpendicular to one side of the fingerboard, not the centre of the neck so the frets were out of true with the nut. Luckily for me the sales rep was honourable and sent through two more necks that were made correctly to spec. Those sorts of mistakes can happen anywhere in the world as soon as you take away the need for the people running the machines to actually understand the basic principles of luthiery and why certain construction decisions are being made. Leo Fender started it all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted July 27, 2022 Share Posted July 27, 2022 54 minutes ago, BigRedX said: Those sorts of mistakes can happen anywhere in the world as soon as you take away the need for the people running the machines to actually understand the basic principles of luthiery and why certain construction decisions are being made. Leo Fender started it all. Kind of, it doesn't take an understanding of luthiery to make sure something is aligned properly. This kind of issue is due to willful ignorance or poor training. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tegs07 Posted July 27, 2022 Author Share Posted July 27, 2022 (edited) 1 hour ago, BigRedX said: Those sorts of mistakes can happen anywhere in the world as soon as you take away the need for the people running the machines to actually understand the basic principles of luthiery and why certain construction decisions are being made. Leo Fender started it all. Arguably Henry Ford started it and allowed the masses to get their mitts on expensive luxury items. Generally quality goes up and prices come down. Occasionally there are mistakes and companies reputations can suffer if they aren’t rectified. There are obvious environmental issues as well as alienated and low wage workers as a result but that’s another issue. That said in 2022 an aspiring muso can head out with less than £200 in their pocket and pick up an instrument that with a basic setup would be good enough to record and gig with even at the highest level if no snobbery was involved. This is the legacy of Ford/Fender. Edited July 27, 2022 by tegs07 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted July 27, 2022 Share Posted July 27, 2022 Things have changed. In the 70's I had years when I didn't earn the price of a bass out of my playing. These days I can buy a bass with what I earn on some gigs. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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