mcgraham Posted July 23, 2009 Author Share Posted July 23, 2009 Possibly. More than likely. I would think it's normal to play towards the strengths of the instrument, in the same way that you'd pick a particular tool for a particular job. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eude Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 [quote name='alexclaber' post='548729' date='Jul 23 2009, 11:34 AM']Regarding the scale length thing, I'm starting to wonder if the sonic difference has a significant effect upon how you play? I just feel like with my 36" scale I'm playing a bit more like on a double bass, more open strings, fewer notes, a more percussive BIG note vibe as opposed to slinking about. Like the opposite of Norman Watt-Roy on Rhythm Stick. Alex[/quote] You might be right there mate. I've always been a fairly busy player and I've always struggled with longer scale lengths, particularly a home made 36" 6 string, god only knows what I was thinking Having now moved to 33" my left hand rarely feels tired and I've never cramped up once, even without warming up properly... Eude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgraham Posted July 23, 2009 Author Share Posted July 23, 2009 I still maintain I can't really feel a difference between 33" and 34" scale, but there's no denying my W&T is a verrry comfortable beast to play Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 [quote name='eude' post='548751' date='Jul 23 2009, 11:48 AM']You might be right there mate. I've always been a fairly busy player and I've always struggled with longer scale lengths, particularly a home made 36" 6 string, god only knows what I was thinking Having now moved to 33" my left hand rarely feels tired and I've never cramped up once, even without warming up properly... Eude[/quote] A 10 year old recording of me: [url="http://www.spiderplant.net/agentorange/mp3/untitled/kickers.mp3"]http://www.spiderplant.net/agentorange/mp3...led/kickers.mp3[/url] I remember we often used to play it a lot faster live which could be fun... When I am busy nowadays it tends to be a lot more percussive and muted - always found it interesting that N-WR said the HMWYRS was because of Jaco but if Jaco had played it it wouldn't have been running about in that smooth burbling way but much more punchy with more space between the notes, if you see what I mean? Like much as I love Son Of A Preacher Man I would never play anything that smooth and subtle. Warming up? Isn't that why cabs used to be heavy, get the blood pumping before you play? Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgraham Posted July 23, 2009 Author Share Posted July 23, 2009 Just checked out HMWYRS this morning having never heard it before. I disliked the song greatly, but... gotta be honest... I really liked NWR's tone, particularly over Jaco's. Nice and round, almost 'chewy' if that word could be used to describe a bass tone. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Yes, it's much more of a P-bass kind of softer plucking mellow thick tone, hence it doesn't need to be muted as with a more aggressive 16th note (like Jaco on the back pickup or Rocco just digging in really hard). There's no doubt that as the scale length gets longer you get further from that round sweet tone and conversely, until you to the point of mud and boom, going shorter maximises that sound. Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 [quote name='mcgraham' post='549008' date='Jul 23 2009, 03:15 PM']Just checked out HMWYRS this morning having never heard it before.[/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgraham Posted July 23, 2009 Author Share Posted July 23, 2009 Hey! I grew up in another country! Cut me some slack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgraham Posted August 28, 2009 Author Share Posted August 28, 2009 (edited) Update! The time to put down a deposit is almost here! I'm ordering this through Bass Direct, so Mark, Enrico and I are just going to consolidate and complete the final specs before I put down my cash. The specs thus far have not changed much but I've added what extra info we've got. At present the current Estimated Time of Completion is Christmas provided payment is sorted in the next few weeks. I can now reveal that this bass will incorporate a 3 octave unlined ebony fingerboard, as inspired by the awesome bass that is the Zon Hyperbass. Enrico has spent some time working on a modified version of the Zoid bodyshape to accommodate the extreme extended range that this bass will have. In combination with the semihollow bubinga body, and the fantastic wood combinations of this bass, it's going to be [i]amazing[/i]! I'll keep BC informed as soon as I know more details. Mark Edited August 28, 2009 by mcgraham Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eude Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 Awesome [quote name='mcgraham' post='583606' date='Aug 28 2009, 02:54 PM']Update! The time to put down a deposit is almost here! I'm ordering this through Bass Direct, so Mark, Enrico and I are just going to consolidate and complete the final specs before I put down my cash. The specs thus far have not changed much but I've added what extra info we've got. At present the current Estimated Time of Completion is Christmas provided payment is sorted in the next few weeks. I can now reveal that this bass will incorporate a 3 octave unlined ebony fingerboard, as inspired by the awesome bass that is the Zon Hyperbass. Enrico has spent some time working on a modified version of the Zoid bodyshape to accommodate the extreme extended range that this bass will have. In combination with the semihollow bubinga body, and the fantastic wood combinations of this bass, it's going to be [i]amazing[/i]! I'll keep BC informed as soon as I know more details. Mark[/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgraham Posted August 28, 2009 Author Share Posted August 28, 2009 Glad you like it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4000 Posted August 29, 2009 Share Posted August 29, 2009 (edited) [quote name='alexclaber' post='549000' date='Jul 23 2009, 03:06 PM']When I am busy nowadays it tends to be a lot more percussive and muted - always found it interesting that N-WR said the HMWYRS was because of Jaco but if Jaco had played it it wouldn't have been running about in that smooth burbling way but much more punchy with more space between the notes, if you see what I mean? Like much as I love Son Of A Preacher Man I would never play anything that smooth and subtle. Alex[/quote] Interesting. I think that's one of the reasons Jaco (and many of the rest of the "back-pickup brigade" ) were never a big influence on me. When I'd been playing a short time I heard a rock guitarist by the name of Frank Marino who was (for the time) extremely fluid sounding, and I thought "that's what I want to sound like, but on bass". That's basically what I always aimed for, and consequently the ghost-noted, staccato thing has never really been a big part of my arsenal. I always preferred HMWYRS to pretty much anything of Jaco's in terms of tone and feel. Edited August 29, 2009 by 4000 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dread Bass Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 Well this sounds epic. I look forward to seeing the progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgraham Posted September 17, 2009 Author Share Posted September 17, 2009 Deposit is down! Always a bit sad to see that sort of sum leave your account, but I know I'll be thrilled with the result Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4000 Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 I'll be keeping an eye on this one; best of luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgraham Posted September 18, 2009 Author Share Posted September 18, 2009 Thanks! People are more than welcome to come check this bass out once it's finished. Same goes for my current Wood&tronics. I'm always up for a jam and for talking bout all things bass Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 [quote name='mcgraham' post='602219' date='Sep 18 2009, 01:56 PM']Thanks! People are more than welcome to come check this bass out once it's finished. Same goes for my current Wood&tronics. I'm always up for a jam and for talking bout all things bass Mark[/quote] Oh Ours are in the same batch I think Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgraham Posted September 18, 2009 Author Share Posted September 18, 2009 Wicked! Bass brothers Does this mean we'll finally get to meet up at some point? Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgraham Posted October 16, 2009 Author Share Posted October 16, 2009 Turns out that the neck was glued on Wednesday! Crazy progress... Might even be ready before Christmas! No pics yet I'm afraid, I have asked though. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dread Bass Posted October 18, 2009 Share Posted October 18, 2009 Cant wait to see this. If it is good as your fretted bass Mark your on to a winner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgraham Posted October 20, 2009 Author Share Posted October 20, 2009 Thanks bud! It's going to be a great bass Enrico and I have been discussing the side dot scheme recently. I wanted to have a standard dot layout on the side of the neck, plus smaller more discrete dots at all of the remaining positions. The idea is to ensure that all 'fret' positions are marked out, but that a standard dot layout allows for easy navigation across the board. We've been having a bit of difficulty agreeing on the scheme and finding the right dot size without it getting cluttered up in the third octave, but if it doesn't look feasible or suitable we'll just go for the standard dot layout. Also looks like we may be going for a bubinga back as well; for functional and aesthetic reasons. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgraham Posted October 21, 2009 Author Share Posted October 21, 2009 Due to the cluttering that would occur in the 3rd octave with so many dots, we've decided just to use a standard dot layout all the way up to the 36th position. Shame, but there we go! Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dread Bass Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 Tis a shame but i feel it is the right decision. Maybe you shouldn't have ordered a bass with such a wide range Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 Yeah Mark, What are you going to do with a neck that long????? Have you seen the "infinite fretless neck" bass on the Shuker site? Side marker problems with mine too (and no pictures so no build thread ...) The grumpy and reluctant LED supplier in the UK didn't send enough LED's cos some twit can't count :blush: Anyway called them and they sent a new package, however no packing slip or LEDs in the package when it arrived... Italian postal service being what it is we assumed the worse. Plus there was an odd strip of suff in the package.. I snt a pic off to the supplier "those are the LEDs" er whaaa? Ordered a new set and they showed up this week.. no LEDs same odd strip .. So we have a neck with one less than required installed ...... On hold til I get one more LED to Erick. Called th supplier (again) and finally he worked out that he's been sending front LED's that are like flat disks.... What I need is one normal LED bulb on wire legs .. Doh! So once again a package is en route to Italy meanwhile my neck is in "set aside" .. ho hum.. Deadline Nov 29th for the Cardiff bass bash .... Fingers crossed the packet gets out of the UK before the strike, makes it to Italy and then doesn't dissapear that end.. "Signed for" is the only way to send anythuing to Italy in the post ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgraham Posted October 21, 2009 Author Share Posted October 21, 2009 Probably is for the best. I can always tip-ex small markers on later .... am I joking?... who knows ... 29 November? Wouldn't surprise me, they seem to turn things around very quickly. Although saying that, I've found that they get to 95% done very quickly, but they seem to take longer on the last 5% than the rest of it. My last one it took weeks to build the thing, and months to fit the pickups. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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