[quote=fatbandit;18234137]I've been having a lot of joy tuning my bass to DGCF recently, it's been massively handy for two covers projects I've been doing.

As for the high C... I use the C and the F above it too. I don't do anything crazy proggy, no solos, and I don't really use it for positional stuff (it normally feels better playing that kind of stuff further up the neck for me anyway).

But listening to Glassjaw just makes me want to grind away on the low D string :([/quote]

I don't use my 8-string enough in band situations, but I'm sure I could find a use for the high F and low F# if I did.

[quote=FlamingCouch;18234360]and seeing as I never talk about bass, and I'm in the bass forum...

It seems every time I play my Jazz lately I find myself loving the tone but feeling like the neck is too thick. Trouble? Tell me about it. those necks are fairly thin to begin with and I'm finding myself worn out in twenty minutes. I've been playing my Spector a lot again lately though and am finding the neck wicked comfortable. Of course I'm now debating whether or not to keep it for sale.

Joe you asked a billion years ago (I think it was you?) about pictures of it...

[3 pics]

[/quote]
Yes, it probably was me. I'm the resident Spector lover up in hurr. I found another Spector Legend 6 for sale (majorly discounted too), and I'm highly considering selling my Schecter Studio 6 to fund it and the electronics upgrade (+ some $$ left over). The neck on the Spectors is incredibly comfortable. And aside from the neckdive that they have, my only real beef with them is the awkwardness of the bridge. Solid instruments all-around, though.

Extended range basses are cool and all as long as you can still get the job done on a four string.

[quote=gaslight;18234905]Extended range basses are cool and all as long as you can still get the job done on a four string.[/quote]

That's completely dependent upon what the job calls for. [omg, ended with a preposition!]

Country gig? 4-string.
Dream Theater cover band? 6-string.
Marching Band? A tuba.

Truthfully, I will play a 6-string whenever I can because I love the feel of it, even if I only use two strings.

I agree with what you're saying there if we can paraphrase it thusly

Working = 4 string
Wanking = 6 string
Marching band = one string fashioned into a noose

:lol:

idk, if you like the feel of them, why not use them? i'm sure plenty of punk guitarists only use 4 of their strings, but nobody rags on them for having too many strings or anything. i think of it as more of an instrument in its own right than just a bass with a bass role. and to be honest, i think give it a few decades, and you'll see more 5 string basses than 4 string basses. just seems like a logical progression.

There's nothing wrong with stretching the boundaries, I have a six and it's fun, but I've never hopped back on a four string and felt limited because of it.

I just have the strong feeling that a lot of people think they "outgrow" a four string bass and it really rubs me the wrong way because that isn't how playing works.

I'm not accusing you of having that attitude or anything, just there are some people who do and I have nowhere else to vent about it :).

[quote=gaslight;18235017]There's nothing wrong with stretching the boundaries, I have a six and it's fun, but I've never hopped back on a four string and felt limited because of it.

I just have the strong feeling that a lot of people think they "outgrow" a four string bass and it really rubs me the wrong way because that isn't how playing works.

I'm not accusing you of having that attitude or anything, just there are some people who do and I have nowhere else to vent about it :).[/quote]

Some people just crave that extended range. "If I just had one or two more notes lower/higher"...

To some degree, people can and do outgrow instruments. It's the reason most of us don't use our starter instruments, completely stock, for our entire lives as our main instruments. You outgrow the neck thickness, the electronics, the hardware, the string spacing, the paint job, the woods...why is it that the number of strings is so highly criticized, but nobody bats an eye at the other million aspects of personalization?

It's interesting you make the last point that way, because what upsets me is when I see people that seem to be criticising a four for its number of strings.

I don't know anyone who could honestly say, that they had exhausted every musical possibility on a four string bass, or even exhausted every possibility within the first twelve frets of one, because there's no such thing as doing that, it's only possible to exhaust your own creativity, because there is so much more to the "range" of an instrument than just physically what spectrum of frequencies it can reproduce is.

I never can quite distill my thoughts on this topic enough to come across as anything but a rambling fuckwit so I do apologise for starting up the same old thing again, and I want to stress I'm not putting anyone down for how many strings they want, but like, when I think about players like Mingus and Ray Brown, who spent their whole lives doing so much with four string basses, then there are people who talk down a four string bass like it's not enough for them, and it just makes me a bit sad I guess is the word.

Like, maybe someone decides they want some lower notes, and that's cool, but I just hope they aren't thinking "yeah, I've mastered four strings now, I'm moving on" because you know they haven't. It's just imagining that kind of thinking is going on, that's the only thing that rubs me the wrong way about it all, everything else I'm completely fine with.

I find that with a lot of things I think about, my issue is almost always with the attitude or intentions behind something, rather than the thing itself. Ah, one day I'll just learn to keep quiet haha.

If the thought starts with "I've mastered..." then that person is in the completely wrong mindset. There is no measurement to potential, creativity, and art. Sure, you can master something like Western Music Theory - it's a distinct, rigid set of rules, and it has a definitive end to its size. Mastering something that is unmeasurable is like trying to argue that you have counted all of the real numbers between any closed interval.

I don't think I've even played every fret on any of my basses, and I wouldn't doubt that many folks who have been playing for 50+ years have ever played every possible fretted note on his/her instrument (in some musical context, not just arbitrary slides or testing for fret buzz). I think 4-string basses suck [u]for me[/u], both ergonomically (large string spacing is no bueno) and for my piece of mind (oh no! less notes in any position).

I am limited when I jump back on a 4 string, but only for trying to play songs I've written in my band where I require the extra strings. For doing anything else, I'm fine with 4. There's a time and a place for every bass! I haven't outgrown or mastered a 4 though. But I do have fun playing a 7. I enjoy it. And ultimately, that's the main thing in this I think. If you have fun playing music, why does it matter what your weapon of choice is? :)


As for what covers I've been playing, it's been some wedding stuff - typical wedding songs really. Anything from Hiho Silver Lining, through Sir Duke, Patrick Swayze and more. Also been doing a kind of 90s alternative rock cover band. That's been stuff like Weezer, Placebo, Foo Fighters etc.

I also think I might be getting a soapbar style enclosure precision pickup on my 7 just in front of the big MM pickup, to make it sound more like my precision :p

The precision just sounds SO GOOD D:

If it sounds good, use it :p

[IMG]http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_f98opUNuVXc/SJ_0-2Jg0AI/AAAAAAAABrI/NPjbkHbX0OI/s400/Fridge+magnets.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://www.armyradio.com/publish/Articles/William_Howard_Japan/Pictures/OKI_Electric_PreWar_Telephone-3.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090625121521/uncyclopedia/images/2/2b/Bill_crosby_x.jpg[/IMG]

[quote=fatbandit;18235744]I also think I might be getting a soapbar style enclosure precision pickup on my 7 just in front of the big MM pickup, to make it sound more like my precision :p

The precision just sounds SO GOOD D:[/quote]

I'm having a custom pickup wound for my 4-string. It's a quad coil humbucker that can be tapped to any of these five options:

Bridge single coil
Reverse P-style
Humbucker
P-style
Neck single coil

It's going in my old Squier that my girlfriend is going to paint for me. If it works out, I may just order another in a 6-string version for my Brice.

What is reverse P?

[quote=gaslight;18236576]What is reverse P?[/quote]

Fender deluxe with a typical P pickup:
[IMG]http://www.oaktreevintage.com/web_photos/guitars_Electric/1992_Fender_P-Bass_Plus_Deluxe_Body_T.W._web.jpg[/IMG]


Spector with a reverse P pickup:
[IMG]http://www.spectorbass.com/zen2/images/spectorBassStrings_300.jpg[/IMG]


The the bottom half of the pickup is on the other side of the top half. The idea is that it gives you a more consistent tone across the strings. Thinner strings are naturally more trebly, and picking up the frequency of the thinner strings near the bridge is even more trebly. Just the opposite for the thicker strings - naturally bassier and frequencies toward the neck are even more so.

Haha cool cool, I was going to guess that it was swapping the pick-ups like that but I thought wait, that might sound stupid of me.

I've been doing xkcd on random for enjoyment and got on this one - RIP Gary Gygax for sure.

[url]http://xkcd.com/393/[/url]

Lol. That's a good one.

Today's SMBC actually was pretty good. I enjoy his math jokes, though.

I'm a bit sad. It's been a while since Randall (XKCD) has come out with anything really good. He must be doing something else to occupy his time. It seems like he's distracted.

For some reason, Mozilla isn't working, but Internet Explorer is? :/ Weird. I hate IE. Really bored though. Thinking of downloading zsnes, and playing some SNES games I've never really given the time of day, like Chrono Trigger and Super Mario RPG. Can't go wrong with Street Fighter II and stuff either :)

[QUOTE=fatbandit;18237053]For some reason, Mozilla isn't working, but Internet Explorer is? :/ Weird. I hate IE. Really bored though. Thinking of downloading zsnes, and playing some SNES games I've never really given the time of day, like Chrono Trigger and Super Mario RPG. Can't go wrong with Street Fighter II and stuff either :)[/QUOTE]

super mario rpg is my favorite game of all time

playyyy it

Super Mario RPG?

Next step wikipedia

Here's a live video of us from last week. It's a song from the new album. Let me know whatcha think.

[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Rnx6-3qxNE[/url]

[QUOTE=gaslight;18237471]Super Mario RPG?

Next step wikipedia[/QUOTE]

It's amazing.

better than Cats. I would see it again and again.

wtf where's my avatar?

[QUOTE=Jimbobntnr;18238482]better than Cats. I would see it again and again.[/QUOTE]

Was that directed at me?

You've stolen my heart.

[QUOTE=Spaceman Spiff;18238846]Was that directed at me?

You've stolen my heart.[/QUOTE]

you guys could sure use some backing vocals. get on it.

The bassist generally does them, but he was sick that night. I'm incapable of it, at least at the moment.

I think I would like it better if you weren't just a four piece.

Like expand your sound with a keyboardist, second guitarist, percussionist and maybe a sound guy to do crazy effects.

I think there's just more wackiness lurking somewhere in your sound.

And your singer is a fuck load better than your last one, so you have a lot to work there.

But from that video I would tell her she doesn't need to have continuous phrasing all the time. Take a breath!

She's learning to play stuff on synth, so that will be incorporated into our shows very soon.

Ideally, many members would be excellent, but we have to make do with what we have for now. It's not easy finding people that are on the same page.

I'm gonna do more backing vocals when we start playing shows again.

Infact, I'm gonna listen through our album now and find places where our songs sound like they need them ;p

Man I wish I wasn't so poor/have to try take over the lease of our place or move out, I'd so buy your album, need to hear it.

It won't be going anywhere :p

[QUOTE=FlamingCouch;18234374]Were you not the guy who put some kinda crazy design in his fingerboard?[/QUOTE]

Err... no. My Bongo has a pretty crazy design, but i didn't put it their. I did defret one of my basses, but again no crazy design...

[URL=http://img534.imageshack.us/i/img6134n.jpg/][IMG]http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/6130/img6134n.th.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

Uploaded with [URL=http://imageshack.us]ImageShack.us[/URL]

That's right - you have the Dargie Delight. I love the color scheme. I always wanted a 6-string versions of that bass.

[QUOTE=Convectuoso;18239132]I think I would like it better if you weren't just a four piece.

Like expand your sound with a keyboardist, second guitarist, percussionist and maybe a sound guy to do crazy effects.

I think there's just more wackiness lurking somewhere in your sound.

And your singer is a fuck load better than your last one, so you have a lot to work there.

But from that video I would tell her she doesn't need to have continuous phrasing all the time. Take a breath![/QUOTE]

That song is also especially wordy and with lots of vocals. They're not all like that.

As I was saying before, it would be great to have additional band members for other instruments, we've talked about it for a long time. It's exceedingly difficult to find people who like the same music we do and want to play the same music we play. And we don't have money to hire goons to play with us.

If we had our way, we would be a 7 or 8 piece, but at the same time, I love keeping it to as few people as possible. Our singer has played some piano over the years, so it's no stretch for her to start playing synth live. She's picking it up very quickly since we've started using it in practice. It'll definitely help to fill out the sound when I do some lead stuff to have the synth there... and in general, but especially during those times.

Just as long as you don't go all Metric on our asses, Spiff.

Their last album was pretty much Emily Haines and generic backing tracks. :\

[QUOTE=FlamingCouch;18241000]Just as long as you don't go all Metric on our asses, Spiff.

Their last album was pretty much Emily Haines and generic backing tracks. :\[/QUOTE]

That is something you don't need to worry about. Collapse was covered in synth, and that sure doesn't sound like Metric to me. The synth will only help us in achieving what we want to do, it's not hindering us or changing the way we write.

If we start sounding like Metric, you can kick me in the dick.

Oh for sure. Just wanted to make sure, you know. With a girl singing, playing synths and the band hailing from Toronto... you've just gotta make sure.

[QUOTE=FlamingCouch;18241030]Oh for sure. Just wanted to make sure, you know. With a girl singing, playing synths and the band hailing from Toronto... you've just gotta make sure.[/QUOTE]

You're right. So very right. I mean, Metric [B]is[/B] our biggest influence, we really need to be careful that we don't rip them off. We've done all we can up until now to emulate all of their career moves, but we can't let it get out of hand.