ShortScale.org

Do an swap when she isn't looking

Never mind that take a sneaky pic and let's see the real thing...

I wonder how the sound compares to Fender, or even the Squier version? I think it's neat that someone makes a copy, but personally am not a huge fan of those old-style Precision basses...they do have a unique sound, but in my experience it's not well suited to many types of music. They just don't have the punch or the clarity of a typical split-coil P pickup. Noisy, too.

I can always throw in a hot rails.

dezb1 wrote: So how many and what do you own?

I guess three, technically.

Fender parts Mustang bass. The best bass I have ever played ever, holy shit. Flats on this baby, because it's a bass guitar, not a treble guitar.

Squier VI. This one's got five strings, tuned to baritone A at the moment.

Squier Vintage Modified PJ. I got this buddy because I wanted to do some stuff down in C, and the Mustang has a real hard time with that. It's still a bit too long for me to play well, but it's there when I need it.

dezb1 wrote:Do you ever go directly to the PA, what would be the best option for this?

Option 1) Work with an amazing soundperson who is in love with bass and will make it and the ensemble sound as good as humanly possible
Option 2) Plug whatever the fuck into the whatever shit and sound like a bag of farting cocks.

Of course this is based only on my real life experience. I tend to tell the sound guy "Oh, sorry my DI output is broken. No big deal though I brought a mic for my cab." and then brandish said mic with fire in my eyes.

Ankhanu wrote:Fuzz and bass are tricky, yeah.

Amps and speakers are a huge variable here, too. That's why multi track recording is the best thing ever. Live you usually end up having to compromise, or in my case, use one or two dirt effects instead of the 6 on the album.

aen wrote:

Ankhanu wrote:Fuzz and bass are tricky, yeah.

Amps and speakers are a huge variable here, too. That's why multi track recording is the best thing ever. Live you usually end up having to compromise, or in my case, use one or two dirt effects instead of the 6 on the album.

I tell ya. split the signal if you can. One fuzzy, one clean or buy a fuzz that has a mix knob on it:

aen wrote:Option 1) Work with an amazing soundperson who is in love with bass and will make it and the ensemble sound as good as humanly possible

is there such a thing as an amazing soundperson that doesn't think the only purpose of the bass is show off how great his subwoofers are?

ekwatts wrote:

Nice! How does it play / sound.

Haven't been able to plug it in (don't actually have a bass amp...) but it plays great. Action was super low out of the box, D'addario strings and a Wilkinson bass pickup too.

The cavity around the pickup is a bit messy, but not really noticeable. The neck is pretty hefty, though. Comparing it to Jasmines "proper" 51 p bass it has a wider neck at the first fret, probably slimmer round back. The pickup is smaller, massively so, and obviously it has contours which makes it infinitely lighter (probably the sort of wood, too). The neck heel on Jasmines is squared-off, Tele style, which scuppers the idea of switching the pickguard (I've been telling her I'd get her a black 'guard for hers for ages because it currently doesn't have one) while the Harley Benton is a rounded, regular P bass fitting, which is sort of good to know as it means I can replace it if I really want to. Can't image why I'd want to but you never know.

Also: OW FUCK MY HAND. Haven't played bass for any length of time since 2008-2009 or so when I played bass in a band. I'm now remembering how much it hurts. At least, the way I play. With a pick. Like a real man.

Moved:

plopswagon wrote:
I tell ya. split the signal if you can. One fuzzy, one clean or buy a fuzz that has a mix knob on it:

Uff da, no thanks. I only use distortion effects with massive bottom end. A blend would be wasted on me.

I have four basses, three short-scales and one 34". My main one is the first build I did......a 25 1/2" scale Tele, plus a 30" Hofner violin bass, a 30" 63 Gibson EB3 with two Precision pickups, and a 34" build, originally a Tele guitar-style that's currently being rebodied as a 70's Tele bass.



I've tried using a direct box and playing through the PA, but found I couldn't hear myself, and bass was getting lost in the mix. I use a Fender Rumble 160 with a JBL roadbox with two 15" K140's.

^
Dude you got some badass custom basses. Love that converted tele.

Love that EB-3.

I have two basses, an Epiphone Jack Casady and an Epi Tbird. I like both a lot; they sound different from each other so they don't step on each other's feet tone-wise. I had a Sterling SUB Musicman for a while and it sounded great in the store, it's active electronics and massive output wreaked havoc with my effects. I still want a P/J bass, as I think that design is the best for variety of sounds and modding.

I used to own an Acoustic 136 combo (100 watts, 15" speaker) and at half way volume it was too loud against a 30 watt guitar combo and an electric drum kit. At that volume it also distorted really nicely until the speaker tore itself apart. Now I have a Trace Elliot 1215 combo (600 watts, 15" speaker) and I'm done buying amps. I turn it on and in no time I sound like Peter Hook or add some distortion I'm Simon Gallup. I do wish I went with a head and got a cab separately but I will deal with that decision once I have more room for equipment.

I play with my fingers not for a tradition thing, but because I kept losing picks and now I changed how I attack the strings to get the most initial bite. Close to the bridge, and with force. Very low action helps my cause to.

Thread resurrection time...

Need strings for my P bass know hee haw aboot bass strings I think I have d'addario's that came with my Jazz bass and they are quite nice no idea what gauge, need input... what brand gauge do you recommend?