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I use Bubinga. I obviously can't a/b with other woods but I think it sounds good and has a dark, rich sound. Also, when people ask you what type of wood your bass has, you can tell them "Bubinga" while adjusting your monocle.
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Apr 22, 2011 22:35
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Exotic woods  Taking jobs away from hard-working AMERICAN (and sometimes Canadian) woods  Edit: Someone should make a bass with a translucent American Flag over quilt-maple so it looks like it's blowing in the wind 
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Apr 22, 2011 22:46
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The Big L posted:Even though this may be one of the most painfully subjective questions one can ask, I can't help but seek some some advice regarding the "best" tone wood combinations for bass guitar. I know the subject is beat to death, but I've been given a great opportunity to assemble a custom bass from scratch and I'd appreciate any opinions from more experienced musicians than myself. I'm looking to construct a passive jazz bass, but I have very little experience or opportunity to experiment with different wood combinations. http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f8/scrap-lumber-bass-vs-alder-bass-can-you-tell-difference-743932/
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Apr 22, 2011 23:53
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MancXVI posted:http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f8/scrap-lumber-bass-vs-alder-bass-can-you-tell-difference-743932/ Came here to post that link as well as this one and this one. Those threads are equal parts hilarious and depressing. It's worse than nerds arguing over Kirk vs Picard. Or this. Picard > Kirk
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Apr 23, 2011 01:43
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MancXVI posted:http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f8/scrap-lumber-bass-vs-alder-bass-can-you-tell-difference-743932/ Hahaha that's amazing. I never really care about the wood that my bass has. I bought my Spector used and it just happened to have Bubinga. I'd say pick a wood that you think looks good if you're going to have any of it showing, otherwise pick it based on cost/weight. Edit: Bubinga! It's fun to say. 
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Apr 23, 2011 18:31
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Ovangkol. It's pretty much mahogany but you get to be that guy standing around after the show saying "Yeah, It's Ovangkol. I'm told 14 West Africans died to harvest this particular tree." Also if the Warwick Thumbs are anything to go by, it's loving light and sounds sweet.
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Apr 23, 2011 18:55
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Bill Posters posted:Came here to post that link as well as this one and this one. The difference is that while Picard vs. Kirk doesn't have a right answer, "does wood matter?" definitely does. The answer is "sure, it matters because everything matters, but pickup placement, pickup type, and strings are going to be 95% of the sound of the bass."
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Apr 23, 2011 19:24
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Scarf posted:Check out Squier's Vintage Modified and Classic Vibe series of basses.
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Apr 23, 2011 19:50
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I'm trying to sell my 1998 5m Ken Smith 5-String bass. I made a post in the trade/sales thread you can check if you're interested. But I also wanted to ask if there are any other sites aside from craigslist, talkbass, and harmony central with active buy/sell forums. Any ideas? I'm staying away from Ebay.
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Apr 23, 2011 23:51
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That's a fancy-pants enough bass to give thegearpage.net a try, but talkbass will be your best bet.
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Apr 24, 2011 00:51
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DEUCE SLUICE posted:That's a fancy-pants enough bass to give thegearpage.net a try, but talkbass will be your best bet. Yeah, an actual Ken Smith bass should go crazy fast on the TB forums. Although you have to have a paid account to actual sell anything on the forum there.
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Apr 24, 2011 01:17
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I hope so. I posted it yesterday and all I've heard is from two dudes that want to trade (ugh). Also one obvious craigslist scammer. I'll check out that other site though. Thanks.
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Apr 24, 2011 01:42
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Zakath posted:Thanks for the advice! I've also been looking at craigslist and someone in my area is listing a slightly used mexican fender p-bass that he purchased in '95 for around $300. Is this a good bass? Alright, I don't have an answer for your question, but it brings up a question of my own. It used to be that MIM Fender Precisions and Jazzes ran about $350 new. Then a few years ago Fender decided to up the price of a Standard to about $575 -- what the hell happened, and why do people think all of these older used MIM P's/J's are worth so much now? I swear you could find one for $150-$200 just a few years ago.
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Apr 24, 2011 04:28
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Bourbon posted:Alright, I don't have an answer for your question, but it brings up a question of my own. It used to be that MIM Fender Precisions and Jazzes ran about $350 new. Then a few years ago Fender decided to up the price of a Standard to about $575 -- what the hell happened, and why do people think all of these older used MIM P's/J's are worth so much now? I swear you could find one for $150-$200 just a few years ago. I always get the sense that it's just stubbornness. People's refusal to believe that their equipment isn't worth nearly as much as they think it is.
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Apr 24, 2011 04:33
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Hey, everybody, I have a couple questions! Having played guitar for a year or so yet fancied playing bass more than anything, I finally jumped into things a couple weeks back and bought a second hand bass. The thing is, it's a fretless 6-string (  ) so I'm wondering if it'll hinder my development in any way as I get used to playing. I'm asking this because I've been playing for a couple hours each day since buying it and have an ache in my fretting hand now, and having read through this thread today I see there are more requirements a beginner should take than expected to avoid long-term injury. From what I first understood, a good ear for key and a stronger fretting hand was to be required of me when playing it and that was it, and the pain was just a temporary thing as my hand muscles got used to larger frets and having to press harder. I like to think that I'm patient enough to eventually develop the additional skills required to play it comfortably rather than just get bored and sell it off, so I'm not worried about time or dedication. Still, it'll be handy to know if jumping straight into playing a fretless 6-string carries no more risks than bearing the label of over-compensating for something.Also, strings! Seeing as this thing's second hand, I'm gonna begin clean-up and maintenance on it shortly and plan on re-stringing, but I don't know the first thing about bass strings. I'm hoping to spend around £25-£40 on a set, and would prefer something that feels comfortable, but I'm more for the strings to be as non-abrasive as possible to lessen wear on the fretboard so that would be a priority. an_mutt fucked around with this message at 00:02 on Apr 25, 2011 |
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Apr 24, 2011 23:59
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an_mutt posted:Hey, everybody, I have a couple questions! I have to admit this made me laugh. Usually people don't start with a 6 string or a fretless but you went all out. The truth is anybody who tells you not to start with that instrument is talking out their rear end. A fretless 6 string is not a typical bass to learn on but there's no reason why you shouldn't. People begin on far more difficult instruments. Assuming of course you don't quit after a solid year of playing. The only problem is you might get more easily discouraged due to the increased difficulty of playing a fretless 6 compared to a regular fretted 4 string. It's kind of like skipping the bunny slope. It will hurt but if you keep at it for several years you can do it. And yes, I keep saying years because learning an instrument takes lots of time. Having played many instruments in my life I can say that a 4 string fretted bass is one of the easiest to learn (having never played a guitar either). When I transitioned to fretless I had a good 8 years with frets and it was easy enough to make the change. I already knew what it should sound like in a way. So that might be another way of looking at this. Keep the fretless but try a 4 string fretted. It might be a more gentler introduction. I personally find 6 strings to be overkill anyway. Also hire an instructor. That's the only way to ensure you don't cause any permanent damage. Although I can't imagine you injuring yourself unless you play the thing for many hundreds of hours with bad form.
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Apr 25, 2011 01:12
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Has anyone tried the Squier CV 50's Precision? http://bass-guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Squier-Classic-Vibe-Precision-50s-Bass-Guitar-?sku=519743  I was thinking about buying it and replacing the pickups but I'm not sure what to actually replace them with.
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Apr 25, 2011 07:08
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Not Eek posted:Has anyone tried the Squier CV 50's Precision? Here's Ed Friedland demonstrating the Classic Vibe series. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6Cd98DH__U I'd recommend giving the stock pickup a chance for a while at least. You might not end up wanting to change it. If you're still bent on changing it though I hear good things about the Seymour Duncan antiquity series. http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/antiquity/bass/
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Apr 25, 2011 08:23
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Not Eek posted:Has anyone tried the Squier CV 50's Precision? I've tried a couple of these. Didn't dig the pick-ups nor the feel whereas the CV 60's P and VM J (the latter I own) have been great every time I've picked one up. Also, the somewhat new Jaguar models with P/J pick-ups are really worth looking into - great tone! All in all, I would never advise buying without trying. Even if you liked one of the same model in the shop, the one you receive may be a different beast. Finally upgraded from our guitarist's old Fender 100W solid state amp to Marshall MH450 and MBC410. I can get a really warm and moderately rough tone out of these. Still have to twiddle with the knobs a bit to cut clearer through the mix.  Inspired by one other bassist at the same gig I played, I bought a Whirlwind Orange Box Phaser. The effect is more subtle than the MXR's it's based on but that's just a plus in my opinion since it doesn't drown the actual notes you're playing into Starship Enterprise like swhoops. 
These Loving Eyes fucked around with this message at 14:11 on Apr 25, 2011 |
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Apr 25, 2011 10:39
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Cheers guys, the only reason I asked if anyone has had any experience with it is because I've yet to actually see one in any of the stores I've been to. I don't know if it's any different in the States, but I'm pretty used to seeing guitar shops with something like a dozen basses and the rest of the store full of guitars. I've yet to actually see a Squier Jaguar in person.
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Apr 25, 2011 10:54
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an_mutt posted:Hey, everybody, I have a couple questions! Long story short: It MAY be tougher to learn, but in the long run you'll be ahead of the game. As for strings, look into some flatwounds. D'Addario Chromes are great, less-expensive flatwounds, I'd start with those. You can certainly string up a fretless with regular roundwound strings, but they can possibly eat into your fretboard after extended use (depending on the type of wood of the fretboard as well). As for the pain in your hand, make sure you're keeping your wrist as straight as possible. There really shouldn't be any physical risks in playing a 6'er. The string-spacing is obviously going to be greater, creating a wider neck, which may result in some discomfort... but you shouldn't really be experiencing any real pain with it assuming your form is decent. Scarf fucked around with this message at 17:03 on Apr 25, 2011 |
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Apr 25, 2011 16:53
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I'm afraid to ask this on talkbass, as a lot of people love the VT Bass A LOT. I find that while it's great to get a certain sound, it seems to suck my mids out a bit too much. I wouldn't mind using it as a stompbox for certain moments - if I have my signal going through it, but the box is "off", even if the box isn't true bypass, would the mids still get sucked out? Would my signal, bass to amp be the same as bass to amp to pedal, pedal turned off?
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Apr 25, 2011 20:17
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golden posted:I'm afraid to ask this on talkbass, as a lot of people love the VT Bass A LOT. I find that while it's great to get a certain sound, it seems to suck my mids out a bit too much. Wow, really? Do you own one or are you just listening to some demos? I've had nothing but the opposite happen with my VT Bass, but then it may just be the settings I'm using. I hear no additional coloration of my tone when the pedal is off. I don't think you'd experience any either.
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Apr 25, 2011 20:23
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Yeah, don't be afraid to turn the knobs and don't think that all knobs in the middle = flat EQ. For me the every knob has enough adjustment to be unusable on both sides, so I can't imagine a situation where the VT Bass is too anything. If you just aren't a fan of the Ampeg sound I know a lot of people also like the Hiwatt version.
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Apr 25, 2011 20:30
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I think it might just be the gear I was using. I was using a gibson grabber into a markbass amp, and for some reason, couldn't get the VT Bass sounding like anything other than just a midsuck. It was especially confusing, as my grabber is basically nothing but mids on its own. There are a bunch of cool pedals that I want to try out, but I am just worried that having 5 pedals, all turned off, will still color my tone a bit. I'm thinking its the effect itself, in some case. Either way, I think having a VT Deluxe at the end will even everything out ANYWAYS.
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Apr 25, 2011 20:36
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golden posted:I think it might just be the gear I was using. I was using a gibson grabber into a markbass amp, and for some reason, couldn't get the VT Bass sounding like anything other than just a midsuck. It was especially confusing, as my grabber is basically nothing but mids on its own. There are a bunch of cool pedals that I want to try out, but I am just worried that having 5 pedals, all turned off, will still color my tone a bit. I'm thinking its the effect itself, in some case. Either way, I think having a VT Deluxe at the end will even everything out ANYWAYS. Well yeah, the VT is an amp-modeler, it should be at the end of your chain. And as to Narwhale's comment about knob position... It was actually shown w/ a frequency analyzer that noon on the knobs on the VT did NOT result in a flat EQ. And for the love of god, do NOT go by the suggested settings in the manual or whatever that came with it. They are complete garbage. Here's how I set mine up: Level: To unity Low: 1oclock Mid: 1-2oclock High: 10-11oclock Char: 10-Noon depending on how much bite I want (The Character knob is essentially an upper-mid adjustment) Drive: 10-11oclock
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Apr 25, 2011 20:42
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I'll definitely try those out next time I'm by my amp. My problem is this - I used it a lot with the markbass because I needed a dirty tone, and the markbass was squeaky clean. I now have an Orange Terror Bass, which gets exactly what I want. As the VT Bass seems to go towards that SVT tone, would it even make sense for me to try to get a SVT tone while running through an Orange amp? Or am I able to use it just as an EQ pedal, seeing as the Orange's EQ options are very limited?
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Apr 25, 2011 22:03
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Hey all, I'm a long-time casual bass player (electric bass for a little over 10 years, and double bass for 14) but have not, until the past 6 months, been giving consideration to taking my abilities beyond this point. I plan on getting a tutor, but in the meantime, I'm interested in improving my skill on my own time (I have to be as good as I possibly can be, before I am willing to subject myself to a tutor, you see). As such, I've noticed that I am having difficulty stretching my fingers out such that each finger can position itself immediately behind the frets while in half-position. I can successfully place the index, middle and pinky fingers, but whenever I try to place my ring finger, my middle invariables slides down the neck slightly. Does anyone have any suggestions for how I might be able to most effectively learn to stretch my fingers apart further?
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Apr 26, 2011 00:42
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Nosy_G posted:Does anyone have any suggestions for how I might be able to most effectively learn to stretch my fingers apart further?
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Apr 26, 2011 01:02
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So I've got a problem with my Jazz. The 10th fret on the A string buzzes like loving crazy. The rest of the neck is perfect. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbEReQGdHaM& - Here's a video of it. Is this something I can easily fix myself somehow, or do I have to take it to the shop?
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Apr 27, 2011 17:12
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Geisladisk posted:So I've got a problem with my Jazz. The 10th fret on the A string buzzes like loving crazy. The rest of the neck is perfect. Has it always been like that or did it just start doing this? From just listening to it, and that being the ONLY spot, I'd say a fret-dressing is in order.
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Apr 27, 2011 18:01
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Scarf posted:Has it always been like that or did it just start doing this? It's always been like that, but it was not this bad (Not really audible through a band playing, especially since I play metal, mostly), until I put some heavy gauge strings on. It never really bothered me until now. Is fret dressing something that I could do myself? Do you know of any good tutorials?
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Apr 27, 2011 18:26
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I wouldn't try learning fret dressing on a bass you care about. Spend the $30-50 on a proper setup by a professional.
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Apr 27, 2011 18:33
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Geisladisk posted:It's always been like that, but it was not this bad (Not really audible through a band playing, especially since I play metal, mostly), until I put some heavy gauge strings on. It never really bothered me until now. Not unless you've got a good bit of experience with it. It'll involve some filing and shaping. Get it wrong and you'd potentially have to replace the fret.
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Apr 27, 2011 19:14
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Okay, so I am pricing an SVT Classic, a new one with a warranty and everything. Everyone online (I am going to buy it from a local shop that just became an Ampeg dealer late last year) has it for around $1699 EXCEPT Guitar Center, who has it for an astonishing $2099 (or the ultra-goofy "Used at $1899!") What gives? Did these things go up $400 in the last month and everyone else is late to the party or is Guitar Center high on drugs? I have my suspicions, of course.
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Apr 27, 2011 23:26
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black_mastermind posted:Okay, so I am pricing an SVT Classic, a new one with a warranty and everything. Everyone online (I am going to buy it from a local shop that just became an Ampeg dealer late last year) has it for around $1699 EXCEPT Guitar Center, who has it for an astonishing $2099 (or the ultra-goofy "Used at $1899!") What gives? Did these things go up $400 in the last month and everyone else is late to the party or is Guitar Center high on drugs? I have my suspicions, of course. Those new SVT Classics are crap in my experience. They have almost none of the magic that old SVTs or even VRs have. I definitely wouldn't pay 1700 bucks for one.
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Apr 28, 2011 00:18
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Hi there. I posted a couple of weeks ago about a potential craiglist buy - a Fender Precision Bass. That didn't work out. I continued to search craiglist and today came into possession of this:  It is, I understand, an Alvarez Dana bass. There's surprisingly little about it to be found on the internet, but a couple of forum topics I read come to the conclusion that it's nothing amazing, but still pretty good. I also got this 30W Washburn amp:  and the case you see as well, for $200 all together. I hope I wasn't ripped off. It feels nice to play. I have no idea about the knobs. I can't find a manual on google, unfortunately. From a little searching it sounds like the switch is for the pickups (it has three positions), and then the knobs are for volume and tone.  I'm probably going to have lots of questions for you guys. oldy fucked around with this message at 02:46 on Apr 28, 2011 |
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Apr 28, 2011 00:53
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black_mastermind posted:Okay, so I am pricing an SVT Classic, a new one with a warranty and everything. Everyone online (I am going to buy it from a local shop that just became an Ampeg dealer late last year) has it for around $1699 EXCEPT Guitar Center, who has it for an astonishing $2099 (or the ultra-goofy "Used at $1899!") What gives? Did these things go up $400 in the last month and everyone else is late to the party or is Guitar Center high on drugs? I have my suspicions, of course. Are you sure you weren't looking at the SVT-VR? Or maybe the Heritage SVT-CL? And yeah, the Classic falls pretty short of the original SVT tone. The VR however, is spot on. Still incredibly overpriced, but it's got the Tone.
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Apr 28, 2011 02:18
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Nope, check it out: http://www.guitarcenter.com/Ampeg-SVT-CL-Classic-Bass-Head-100226060-i1146117.gc I actually didn't have too much in the way of complaints with the Classic. I borrowed one for the last recording session we did, and it sounded great. Infinitely warmer than the SWR SM-900 I play through currently. Also, I like a master volume and the VR doesn't have that. I had a boner for the Verellen Meat Smoke but over the last year the price went nuts. I have heard nothing but good about the Reeves Custom 225 but they are big money as well and available from Reeves only. I figure I could buy used, but chances are super good that I will immediately have to dump money in to it and not to mention it is shipping an 80 pound thing with glass in it, or I could buy a new one and support the guy down the street and have a warranty. I looked at the new Peavey tube heads but the chances of me finding one in real life are slim to none and also the bigger one is loaded with knobs and looks like it was in TRON.
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Apr 28, 2011 03:06
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oldy posted:and the case you see as well, for $200 all together. I hope I wasn't ripped off. Looks like it has some weird offset neck? Check the ads near the bottom of this post: http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f8/alvarez-dana-bass-302074/ $200 is all right for an entry level bass and amp. I'd get a basic setup right away to make sure you're not practicing on something with a warped neck or really high action. It slows down your learning a lot and develops bad habits. I always give this advice when people are getting into bass/guitar/any instrument: buy a used mid-level more expensive brand name bass. If you end up liking the bass, you don't have to upgrade as soon and learned the basics on a superior instrument. If you hate it and don't stick with it, you'll be able to sell it on Craigslist for almost the same amount that you bought it. Unless you're really careless, good instruments don't depreciate. Bad instruments or unknown/discontinued models are almost impossible to sell. That said, I own a Spector which is pretty hard to sell (I'm never selling it).
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Apr 28, 2011 03:10
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