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Yes.
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Nov 12, 2015 18:57
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Yes but buzzier and shittier.
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Nov 12, 2015 21:09
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Otis Reddit posted:Yes but buzzier and shittier. This, pretty much. It's on a short 30" scale, so even a normal E string would be at least a little buzzy, but the super-light gauge they use for that string... I mean, it's just barely playable. Put it this way: imagine a standard bass. Now make it a 30" scale instrument, so all the strings are looser. Then tune your A string down to E, because you're using medium-gauge strings. That is literally the stock bottom string on the VI -- 0.084! It's the A string on many sets.
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Nov 12, 2015 22:36
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Ever since my la bella flats arrived for the squier vi I couldn't be happier though. And a staytrem bridge solved problems.
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Nov 12, 2015 23:09
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spamman posted:Which bridge is it that isn't great? I notice there are a couple. Also why isn't it bad? Basically, "standard" bass bridges are a metal plate mounted flush on the body that has separate pieces for each string that can be adjusted for height and intonation. The 3-point Gibson bridge, however, is a metal plate elevated off the body by 3 screws. To adjust string height you have to fiddle with all the screws and make sure it's at an appropriate angle, and adjusting intonation is pretty cumbersome. It's just an inconvenient design with no advantages and a ton of drawbacks. The only reason they use it is tradition, but it seems like they learned from the complaints when making the Pro because they used a more typical bridge.
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Nov 13, 2015 03:51
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Oh OK, that does sound annoying. I went out of my way to make sure my main guitar has an incredibly easy bridge to work with (PRS SE) so I'll make sure I look at Pros only then. I know a Fender (Squier) Bass is the smart option and what not but I've just never really warmed to the look of them. Thanks for the advice though guys!
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Nov 13, 2015 15:41
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spamman posted:Oh OK, that does sound annoying. I never really liked the looks of fender basses either. I was upgrading from my first bass (Ibanez GSR200) and really liked the idea of a Thunderbird Pro, did months of reading reviews and stuff, and then went out and played one. I didn't like it so hard. The neck felt weird, it sat weirdly on me whether I was sitting or standing, the controls felt sorta crappy/cheap, and it was kinda thin and clicky sounding* compared to what I was expecting. I just couldn't see myself enjoying playing it, as much as I liked looking at it. So I played every other bass in the place, and the next place, and the next place, and realised that despite I didn't like the looks, what I really wanted to play was a fender p-bass. So I bought one and the looks have grown on me significantly. I still don't love looking at it, but I sure as hell love playing it. I'm now a huge fan of having two simple controls on the instrument too, and that was one of the things I "didn't like" originally. *I can't explain why this. It might have been the way the amp was set up, but I twiddled around with the controls on the amp and the bass for 20 minutes and couldn't get a sound I liked.
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Nov 13, 2015 22:37
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Well, you're talking of your first bass. If you do get into playing bass, it's unlikely to be your last which is why having a good resell value is good. Just get a J first and you can buy a Gibson TB later  You'll just end up with up prefering a P to everything else eventually anyway, hah. Dyna Soar fucked around with this message at 22:54 on Nov 13, 2015 |
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Nov 13, 2015 22:51
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Well, the worst I can do is try out a J! I'll give them a go.
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Nov 14, 2015 00:12
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Don't forget to try an offset Jag bass. They kinda look like an inverted Thunderbird, are more comfortable and come with P bass pickups or a humbucker. http://intl.fender.com/en-GB/basses/jaguar
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Nov 14, 2015 15:51
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spamman posted:Well, the worst I can do is try out a J! I'll give them a go. Yup, never hurts to try a bunch out. In the end, you play an instrument with your hands instead of your eyes so it's important to make sure you have something both visually interesting and ergonomically appropriate.
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Nov 14, 2015 16:23
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How do the Squier VM Jazz 5 string basses compare to the 4 string counterpart? Is it just the same but with an extra string or is the quality noticeably different?
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Nov 18, 2015 23:42
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Do long scale Danelectro Longhorn basses exist? I really want a longhorn but can't really use a short scale bass with the style of music I play.
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Nov 19, 2015 17:24
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Dyna Soar posted:Do long scale Danelectro Longhorn basses exist? I really want a longhorn but can't really use a short scale bass with the style of music I play. As far as I know only the short horn came in a 34" scale.
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Nov 19, 2015 20:36
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Are Bass Mods basses reasonable for the asking price? Also where are they made? I asked Bass Mods directly via Facebook a couple of times but they never answered me.
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Nov 20, 2015 08:23
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I have come into temporary possession of a bass and as such have been doing nothing but play bass for the last few days. The neck is battered but feels good enough. It has a great many dings and chips, but no structural damage. For reference, it's a Series 3 OLP MM2. Actually a nice enough bass if a little abused. The main reason I grabbed it from my friend was to evaluate it for potential repair/fixing up as it's his first bass and we're both a bit attached. It's not really worth the money but the choices are to fix it up, let it sit and rot (Which is a sad fate for any guitar) or sell it (Which he won't and probably couldn't). So I've been playing and inspecting it. One thing I found was that while the neck is fine enough the action was absolutely killing me. A mile high. Well I just cleaned it up and found out that the saddles are so high because one of the hex screws for the saddle is actually just a normal screw, installed upside down. So the only way to adjust it is to take the saddle off the bridge, screw it in and put it back on. Crazy. The plan is to grab a replacement bridge, pickup, tuners (One rattles like mad) and pickguard from GFS or whatever else and replace it for as cheap as possible. I'm figuring about AU$150-200. I'll be doing this even though it's not worth it logically. The question is, when I can afford the parts is anyone interested in the procedure and photos and all that?
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Nov 25, 2015 11:54
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syntaxfunction posted:I have come into temporary possession of a bass and as such have been doing nothing but play bass for the last few days. The neck is battered but feels good enough. It has a great many dings and chips, but no structural damage. For reference, it's a Series 3 OLP MM2. Actually a nice enough bass if a little abused. I'd definitely be interested in seeing some before and afters. You might not want to bother with replacing the pickup, the GFS one probably won't be much better than what's in there (unlike with strat pickups and guitar humbuckers, there's not a lot of instruments out there with MM pickups. They're probably just selling an off-the-shelf pickup almost identical to the existing one instead of speccing out their own design). If you're handy, you might look at replacing the nut. Cheap instruments usually have bad nuts. Best of luck!
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Nov 25, 2015 15:43
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What's the action looking like on others Squier VI? Mine is about 1cm consistently from fifth to last fret. I've lowered my staytrem bridge as far as it goes and adjusting the saddles hasn't helped.
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Nov 26, 2015 08:59
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Shim the neck.
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Nov 26, 2015 09:12
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UncleBlazer posted:What's the action looking like on others Squier VI? Mine is about 1cm consistently from fifth to last fret. I have the stock bridge and my action is not that high. Hang on... ... ... OK, according to my Stewart MacDonald String Action Gauge, at the 21st fret, I'm looking at 0.125" on the low string about 0.110" on the high string. Going by the 64th scale, it's 8/64ths and 7//64ths, so that checks out. I usually measure on at least two of the different scales to make sure I'm not looking at it wrong. In the Devil's System of Weights and Measures, that figures to 3.18 mm (low) and 2.78 mm (high). I cannot fathom how you'd get 10mm. That's preposterously high. Are you measuring from the bottom of the string to the top of the frets? Because that action can't be right. But, before shimming the neck, try doing something with that bridge. I can all but guarantee that your instrument didn't leave the factory with 10 mm of action, and you're using an aftermarket bridge, so there's a possibility that it hasn't been properly installed and/or set up.
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Nov 26, 2015 19:26
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Is the neck bowed?
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Nov 26, 2015 19:52
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I'm not sure really, here are some images, it's my first bass in 10 years, I can't tell if it's bowing Up close look at the action  And it's a staytrem bridge that I'm sure is fine, it just slotted in right? 
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Nov 26, 2015 21:57
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That neck looks fine it just needs a shim
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Nov 26, 2015 21:59
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Staytrem bridge here, 3.19mm and 2.62mm. 96' to 24' Labella nicklerounds.
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Nov 26, 2015 22:03
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UncleBlazer posted:I'm not sure really, here are some images, it's my first bass in 10 years, I can't tell if it's bowing http://www.guitarrepairbench.com/electric-guitar-repairs/adjust_truss_rod.html
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Nov 27, 2015 01:01
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I wouldn't advise shimming the neck until everything else has been ruled out. So far, we only know that the action is "about 1cm consistently from fifth to last fret," and that's so far off that I am having trouble believing it. Uncle Blazer: do you have a ruler that measures to 64ths of an inch or half millimeters? Many online guitar gear shops sell these. Even if you live in a metric-using place, I'd go with the inches version, since 1/64th of an inch is smaller than 1/2 mm and converting to metric is so easy. Here's a 6-inch ruler from Stewart Mac, and a metric version is available. Specifically for string heights, I find this one more useful. Since it's bigger, you can lay it across several frets, ensuring you're measuring perpendicular from the top of the frets. The metric version goes down to .25 mm, which is really good. First, look for neck bow. Capo the first fret and press down at the last fret, and measure the string height (distance between top of fret and bottom of string) at the 7th or 8th frets. You're looking for about 0.012", or 0.3 mm. This should be across all strings, but checking at the top and bottom strings is sufficient. If it's much higher than that, then most or all of the problem could be neck bow, and you can correct that with the truss rod. This is usually the cause of super-high action, and when going to heavier string gauges, it's all but guaranteed to happen. If the neck bow (relief) measurement is in spec, then measure the action (string height). I'd start at the 17th fret, which Fender recommends. The spec is 6/64ths on the low E and 5/64ths on the high E string (2.4 and 2 mm), which is, honestly, too low for most folks. My own instrument is set up with action of 8/64ths and 7/64ths, and that works for me. You can go even higher if you want, but 10 mm, if that's accurate, is way too high. Since you are probably using heavier strings than stock, it is also possible that your strings aren't seated fully in the nut slots. That shouldn't be messing with your height that much, though. If the neck isn't bowed and the height can't be adjusted by lowering the bridge, then you may need to shim the neck. Was this a problem back when you had the stock bridge?
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Nov 27, 2015 17:51
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tarlibone posted:I wouldn't advise shimming the neck until everything else has been ruled out. So far, we only know that the action is "about 1cm consistently from fifth to last fret," and that's so far off that I am having trouble believing it. I'm not home right now so I can't really have a dick around with it  I've got a few decent music shops in my town though so I'll take it to them in the morning and see if they have the tools/can spot anything immediately with it.I don't remember much of the stock bridge, I replaced it fairly quick and also put la bella flats on so can't remember.
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Nov 27, 2015 22:03
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I had to get some strings for my guitars and on a lark I decided to try Dunlop's "Super Bright" line of strings and boy howdy they aren't kidding with the name - the notes really pop out when you play and the tone is well, super bright. I think they're even brighter than DR strings, which is what I've usually been using. So if you're using roundwounds on any of your basses, you might want to check 'em out (these were the nickel ones, not stainless steel). Also, thanks to Scarf for his recommendation of the Ken Smith "Slick Rounds" on my Lakland Skyline - it seems to be the perfect comprimise between rounds and flats - bright enough for clarity, but still with some muddy flatwound 'thump'!
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Nov 30, 2015 17:16
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Seventh Arrow posted:I had to get some strings for my guitars and on a lark I decided to try Dunlop's "Super Bright" line of strings and boy howdy they aren't kidding with the name - the notes really pop out when you play and the tone is well, super bright. I think they're even brighter than DR strings, which is what I've usually been using. So if you're using roundwounds on any of your basses, you might want to check 'em out (these were the nickel ones, not stainless steel). No problem! They also have a pretty unique sound when they start to go dead/age. They don't necessarily get "better" like flatwounds do, but they're definitely don't go completely dead like rounds.
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Nov 30, 2015 18:11
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Seventh Arrow posted:I had to get some strings for my guitars and on a lark I decided to try Dunlop's "Super Bright" line of strings and boy howdy they aren't kidding with the name - the notes really pop out when you play and the tone is well, super bright. I think they're even brighter than DR strings, which is what I've usually been using. So if you're using roundwounds on any of your basses, you might want to check 'em out (these were the nickel ones, not stainless steel). I put them on two of my basses (when bassstringsonline had them for sale for super cheap) and it's the first time I ever turned down the tone knob from all the way up on a passive bass. I like 'em.
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Dec 1, 2015 13:55
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Actuary X posted:I put them on two of my basses (when bassstringsonline had them for sale for super cheap) and it's the first time I ever turned down the tone knob from all the way up on a passive bass. Ha, that's pretty neat - what kind of bass was it? What's weird is that I couldn't get them from bassstringsonline because there was an error saying that they couldn't deliver them to Canada, but I was able to get them from Just Strings.com just fine. I wonder if there's some merit to that, because I've never seen Dunlop strings in any Canadian music store. In other news, I had a skype bass lesson with Jeff Berlin yesterday  They're expensive, but the guy is extremely adept at finding out the weaknesses in your playing and finding ways to fix it. He's a cool guy, too - not harsh, just very encouraging. He really understands that making mistakes are a part of the process of improving.
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Dec 1, 2015 19:26
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Seventh Arrow posted:Ha, that's pretty neat - what kind of bass was it?
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Dec 2, 2015 22:07
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I'm wondering... this Squier VM Jag bass I got has a bass boost circuit. Its not really active as far as I know. If the batter is out it doesn't work, but I guess I could try connecting the battery terminals together to see if it completes the circuit. I was thinking having a real switch to bypass it would be decent, but not sure what the best way to put that in (an actual switch, a pull knob maybe but I kinda like the knobs on there). Not sure if its worth messing with cause I am happy with the thing otherwise. From what I read when you unplug the instrument the electronics aren't doing anything. It still has the battery that was in when the thing was sitting on the wall at the store at this point. I bought some rechargeables to have and use in guitar pedals etc. so not the end of the world. I don't use it gigging or anything but just curious since I never really owned any instrument with electronics in it active or otherwise.
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Dec 2, 2015 22:26
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JHVH-1 posted:I'm wondering... this Squier VM Jag bass I got has a bass boost circuit. Its not really active as far as I know. If the batter is out it doesn't work, Hold up just a second. You do have active electronics. Passive electronics don't ever require batteries, and passive controls cannot boost signals--they can only cut them. Well except for the Black Ice guitar mod, but that's witchcraft so it doesn't count. If you remove the battery and something quits working, shorting out the battery terminals won't make it work in passive mode, because there isn't one for the circuit in question. Now, back to your message.... JHVH-1 posted:... but I guess I could try connecting the battery terminals together to see if it completes the circuit. I was thinking having a real switch to bypass it would be decent, but not sure what the best way to put that in (an actual switch, a pull knob maybe but I kinda like the knobs on there). Not sure if its worth messing with cause I am happy with the thing otherwise. From what I read when you unplug the instrument the electronics aren't doing anything. It still has the battery that was in when the thing was sitting on the wall at the store at this point. I bought some rechargeables to have and use in guitar pedals etc. so not the end of the world. I don't use it gigging or anything but just curious since I never really owned any instrument with electronics in it active or otherwise. Most active electronics systems have a switch built into the output jack: if something's plugged in, it's on; if nothing is plugged in, it's off. So, always unplug these instruments when not in use. I recommend using alkaline batteries. They'll last longer than rechargeables and are more reliable and predictable. The batteries in these instruments should last for at least a few years unless you're a professional player who always has it plugged in and in use. Some active instruments can be used in passive mode. Sometimes there's a switch for this--I have a cheapo Rogue 8-string bass that has a volume knob you can pull out, and then it's in passive mode and will even work without a battery installed. But, the output will likely be lower, and some circuits won't work at all. For example, on my bass, in passive mode, I end up having a passive volume and tone control, and a pickup balance, but the bass and treble boost circuits no longer work.
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Dec 3, 2015 00:04
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tarlibone posted:Hold up just a second. You do have active electronics. Passive electronics don't ever require batteries, and passive controls cannot boost signals--they can only cut them. Well except for the Black Ice guitar mod, but that's witchcraft so it doesn't count. If you remove the battery and something quits working, shorting out the battery terminals won't make it work in passive mode, because there isn't one for the circuit in question. You know what that make sense. I guess what people were saying is its a bass boost vs having actual active pickups. (Its been a busy work week and my brain isn't working too good). This is the one I have http://www.fender.com/squier/basses/jaguar/vintage-modified-jaguar-bass-special/0328900500.html The weird thing is they don't include a manual, and they don't have one online. As long as the battery lasts a pretty good amount of time, I probably will just not worry about it. The thing was $200 and I was surprised it even had any electronics in it. I picked it up and loved the way it felt and liked the sound of it. I already made up my mind pretty much at the store before I looked at the back and noticed the battery compartment. It has a knob to control the bass boost instead of a switch. I don't know if turning it down would use less power... I have no idea what the electronics look like inside. Maybe I should take off the control plate sometime just to learn more about it.
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Dec 3, 2015 00:31
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Hmmmm. Well, I can't remember the last time I got an instruction manual for an instrument. Sometimes I get a little map of what the controls do because gently caress labeling things (Ibanez, I'm looking at you), but yeah, Fender mostly is good for giving you a really generic set of instructions for upkeep and that's it. They're very Gibson about instructions. I'm curious, though: does the bass work at all if there is no battery in it? I'm sure the bass boost won't work, but lots of things are passive and active these days. Personally, I leave the bass boost up to my fingers, my heavier string gauges, and my amp. Even on my active instruments, bass and treble response is usually flat. But that's just me. If the bass sounds OK without the battery, then you don't have to worry. You won't loose bass by not having it powered up (assuming it runs in passive mode). You just won't add any. Not at the instrument end, anyway. The main thing is, it's gotta be fun to play.
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Dec 3, 2015 02:15
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Hopefully this is the right thread, but I was looking for advice on pedals. I'm looking for a pedal that provides a low, growling, chugging sound. Hopefully one that will go together well with a fuzz pedal? Does this even exist?
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Dec 3, 2015 19:08
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Kvlt! posted:Hopefully this is the right thread, but I was looking for advice on pedals. I'm looking for a pedal that provides a low, growling, chugging sound. Hopefully one that will go together well with a fuzz pedal? Does this even exist? the Boss ODB-3 bass overdrive is a great pedal with a great degree of tone control that can take you from mild OD to extreme, feedbacky metal distortion. i bought the thing twice and had it lost/stolen both times, thought about buying it a third time but switched to a Bass Big Muff since it better fits the music i play now. but if you're looking for a metal bass sound, i'd def reccomend the ODB-3. if you're willing to shell out the money for it, combine it with a Sansamp Bass DI. my current setup involves the Sansamp always on with fairly hi gain/presence settings and mids boosted, with the Bass Big Muff kicked on when i want fuzz (and occasionally a Noisemaker Cold War Fuzz when i want to just get obnoxiously loud and noisy). the Sansamp will definitely give you plenty of growl on its own, it's an essential part of my rig.
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Dec 3, 2015 19:17
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Kvlt! posted:Hopefully this is the right thread, but I was looking for advice on pedals. I'm looking for a pedal that provides a low, growling, chugging sound. Hopefully one that will go together well with a fuzz pedal? Does this even exist? I like my Proco Rat. A little much for most of the music I play but it can really chug if I run my bass big muff after it with the bass boost.
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Dec 3, 2015 20:36
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| # ? May 22, 2024 11:07 |
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Uncle Boogeyman posted:the Boss ODB-3 bass overdrive is a great pedal with a great degree of tone control that can take you from mild OD to extreme, feedbacky metal distortion. i bought the thing twice and had it lost/stolen both times, thought about buying it a third time but switched to a Bass Big Muff since it better fits the music i play now. but if you're looking for a metal bass sound, i'd def reccomend the ODB-3. I really like this one, this was pretty much exactly what I'm looking for. I have an EBS metaldrive but i find the sound gets a little too distorted when I combine it with a fuzz pedal, this should be perfect thanks! Chimbley Sweep posted:I like my Proco Rat. A little much for most of the music I play but it can really chug if I run my bass big muff after it with the bass boost. Which one do you use? The website has a bunch of them.
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Dec 4, 2015 15:57
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