King Koa - Now With Nordy's! - Page 17

RocketMusic · #**321** 11-22-2011, 08:17 AM

That'd be great, Jon! And if she has a melody for it, even better!

Let me get a little further along with the tune and I'll send ya the whole thing. Danny's been working on it with his daughter for a good while, but I just got involved late yesterday...

Just for reference, there's basically a verse part (repeated a bunch of times, but some will be solos) and a bridge part. Both parts are 8-bars long (with the drums like you hear in half time for most of it). I imagine 2-3 verses and 1 bridge worth of lyrics would suffice, but don't let me limit her creativity!

JOME77 · #**322** 11-22-2011, 09:35 AM

That sound really nice Greg. Very pretty chord progression!

It doesn't really sound like it in its entirety but for some reason (maybe chord voicing’s) it had me singing the Commodores "Easy" (like Sunday morning) at the intro.

Looking forward to the finished product.

RocketMusic · #**323** 11-22-2011, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JOME77

That sound really nice Greg. Very pretty chord progression!

It doesn't really sound like it in its entirety but for some reason (maybe chord voicing’s) it had me singing the Commodores "Easy" (like Sunday morning) at the intro.

Looking forward to the finished product.

Thanks, Joe!

Yeah, I can hear the Commodores a bit - I think it's the piano chords & tone that evoke that for me.

**Pacman** · #**324** 11-22-2011, 02:49 PM

awesome! PM me when you're ready...

RocketMusic · #**325** 11-23-2011, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pacman

awesome! PM me when you're ready...

Here it is! It a pretty rough mix for sure. I'm happy wth most of the bass parts, but I may overdub here and there. The biggest things missing are the vocals and a nice droning, growling organ part in the two bridges. Oh, and the guitar part in the bridge is really hissy, we'll have to re-record that...

Check out the sax solos @ 2:55 and 4:40. That is Danny's 13-14 year old daughter. Dang, she solos better than me!! LOL. Danny captured about 20 takes from her last night, and then I pieced together 2 really nice solos from all that raw material. Both solos have pieces from 3 different takes. They're all her ideas and phrases, I just helped her sentence structure a little bit. Add a little reverb, chorus and delay, and she really sounds like a pro!! Color me impressed.

Anyway, with all that said... gulp, here goes:

"Have Time (Rough Mix 2)" (written by Daniel Dunlap)

RocketMusic · #**326** 11-23-2011, 03:48 PM

Oh, and it ended up with 3 verses and 1 bridge for vocals. The arrangement goes like this:

A (Intro)
A (geetar solo)
A (vox)
A (vox)
B (vox)
A (sax)
B (geetar solo - missing at the moment)
A (vox)
A (sax)

RocketMusic · #**327** 11-23-2011, 03:50 PM

SPOILER ALERT - Jon, don't show these to your wife until she's done! But for anyone interested, here are the lyrics Danny has written:

I don’t want money
I don’t want fame
But I don’t have patience to play your silly game
I’m half (alive) since I don’t have you
But baby I have time

I don’t have confidence
Sound body or mind
I don’t have faith in all of mankind
I’m half (a man) since I don’t have you
But darlin’ I have time

Time for cryin’
Time for self-pity
Time to heal the wounds
That you left on me
I’m half (awake) since I don’t have you
But baby I have time

I don’t have courage
I don’t have love
I don’t have faith and trust
In the stars up above
I’m half () since I don’t have you
But darlin’ I have time

bassmanRick · #**328** 12-07-2011, 05:01 AM

Roscoe Century Signature V (Koa, BEM)

[/quote]

Those Nordstrand pups sure make a Roscoe pop visually & tone wise.Count me in on the Roscoe J/Norstand combo.

RocketMusic · #**329** 01-30-2012, 08:49 PM

Today, Clint grabbed the Bart NTMB preamp that I had been using in King Koa, so I was happily forced to get around to installing a Demeter BEQP-1 premap that I grabbed from Joe a couple weeks back (Thanks, Clint! Thanks, Joe!). My initial reaction is pretty positive. It's definitely my favorite preamp that I've tried yet (Audere 3ZB, Bart NTMB and now the Demeter).

I'm digging the Demeter's control ranges more than the Bart's. I can crank the bass knob all the way up on the Demeter, and it's nowhere near the point where I feel like I could blow apart my bass cabinet or the PA system. I was always a little wary of that with the Bart, there was just a lot of there there. Everything on the Demeter is more subtle, and I really dig that.

My only knock so far would be that it sounds pretty thin when everything is set flat. Not that that really bothers me, it just means the bass won't make a great first impression with somebody who immediately sets everything flat. Woop-dee-doo. Turn the bass up to 2 o'clock and it thumps beautifully.

I've still got the Nordstrand NJ5FS pickups in the bass, and I'm pretty sure the overall electronics are now sounding the best I've had it yet. It's all crystal clear, ever so slightly compressed, and there's no mudiness at all. It sounds VERY jazz-like, and I'm digging the tone from both pickups. I think I'm in love, we'll see on a gig. I've got one coming up in March after not playing out for the past 8-9 months, so that'll be fun.

Any other preamps out there I should try?!? Man, I'd love to have the fatness of the Bart when everything is set flat paired with the more subtle controls ranges of the Demeter...

Sigh, I'm hopeless.

RocketMusic · #**330** 01-30-2012, 08:55 PM

^^ Oh - I will have a Nordy preamp in my future, I'm pretty sure... now that I have two fretted "jazz" basses, I can mod both of them and do more A/B sort of testing.

I could see making King Koa all Nordstrand, and then doing the Delanos/Demeter in my Lull M5V...

GMSweet · #**331** 01-31-2012, 05:57 AM

The expensive route...

I replaced my OBP-3 with a 4 band Pope Flex Core. Night/Day; Black/White; Salad/Pizza; choose your favorite expression but what a difference. The only problem for tweakers like me is that it's not just 4 fixed bands.

You've got:

Bass +/- 12dB @ 46Hz or 90Hz
Lo Mid +/-12dB @ 330Hz or 473Hz
Hi Mid +/- 15dB @ 1kHz or 1.8kHz
Treble +/- 15dB @ 6kHz or 10kHz

The mids are externally switchable and I still need to add a low mid switch, but it's just flexible and musical. I'm running at 46, 473, Hi mid switch, and 10K right now and I'm amazed at the versatility. It does lack a bit of the compression so I've added that back in externally when desired.

I was just re-recording a piece with only a piano and cello in the mix and I found the Bart CB's to have too much cut. Set the hi mid at 1.8K, cut it a little bit and it fit right into the mix.

The "cheaper" route...

I've been playing with different strings lately. I'm normally a Hi Beam user which counters my over the top mids bass. When I added the Bart CB's the highs got to be a bit over the top with the old OBP-3 so I started a round of new strings. Circle-K balanced, MTD Stainless (blech for me), Sunbeams, Fodera Wootens (with a Fodera nickel .130 for the B) and I've got a few other still to try. I found that string choice makes a big difference in that last nuance, and at a lot less of a hit to the wallet compared to new electronics. It's not as fun though.

I'm looking forward to the clips and comparisons.

Matt

CrashClint · #**332** 01-31-2012, 08:58 AM

I think I may just lurk here in the dark and wait for you to realize all the experimenting has turned King Koa from a pure virgin into an adulterous Philistine whore. There will come a time in the near future, even though you are smite with penitence you will no longer be able to lay your eyes and hands upon Koa because of what you have made it. You will lust for other basses and your despise and hatred for King Koa will overwhelm you!!!, then and only then you will beg me to buy King Koa where I will bring it to the promised land and it will be loved and cherished the way Keith B. Roscoe built it to be.

mwah, mmwwaahh, mmmmwwwwaaaaahhhhhh....

cough, cough, cough.... I think I strained my vocal cords.

CrashClint · #**333** 01-31-2012, 09:17 AM

It should be an Ode to Koa.

I don’t want money
I don’t want fame
But I don’t have patience to play your silly game
I’m half (alive) since I don’t have you
But baby I have time

I don’t have confidence
Sound body or mind
I don’t have faith in all of mankind
I’m half (a man) since I don’t have you
But darlin’ I have time

***Edit
I don’t want Bartolini
I don’t want the Pope name
I don't have patience for this silly tone game
But baby I have Koa

I don’t have confidence
But I have a wallet full of Bones
spending too much money to buy my tone
Crash please rescue King Koa from it's pain
and darlin' I'm coming home

All I could come up with in between phone calls.

RocketMusic · #**334** 01-31-2012, 09:50 AM

Very nice, Clint. But you're dreaming, my man!!

I've been playing my Lull pretty much exclusively since it came in. The other night, I wanted to take a bass home so I could practice a little. Since I still haven't told my wife about the Lull, I grabbed King Koa instead. As soon as I took it out and put my hand on the neck, it was like "Oooooh - I'd forgotten how wonderful your are!!"

I am going to have to seriously consider another Pope preamp. I haven't tried one of those in King Koa yet...

CrashClint · #**335** 01-31-2012, 12:56 PM

Lull does make a sweet Jazz bass. I am sure your wife has already detected a disturbance in the force. She is just waiting to see how long you will try and hide he new bass. It is definitely to close to Valentines Day to break out a new bass. Unless that is, you bought her a really nice gift and we are talking Jarred and not Lull.

On the other hand if you don't buy her a gift and she finds out about the new Lull, you could be forced to part with King Koa.

I would give a dastardly laugh, but my throat is still sore from the one earlier.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RocketMusic

Very nice, Clint. But you're dreaming, my man!!

I've been playing my Lull pretty much exclusively since it came in. The other night, I wanted to take a bass home so I could practice a little. Since I still haven't told my wife about the Lull, I grabbed King Koa instead. As soon as I took it out and put my hand on the neck, it was like "Oooooh - I'd forgotten how wonderful your are!!"

I am going to have to seriously consider another Pope preamp. I haven't tried one of those in King Koa yet...

CrashClint · #**336** 02-24-2012, 08:20 AM

Hey Greg, just curious, if the preamp swap doesn't give you the tone you are looking for I will give King Koa a good home.

RocketMusic · #**337** 02-24-2012, 08:36 AM

I'm not selling King Koa, but I am going to sell the Demeter onboard preamp. I like the controls and their range of operation, but the basic color of the Demeter does not seem to work well with the Nordstrand NJ5FS pickups.

I've ordered a Nordstrand preamp, we'll see if that finally makes me happy once and for all...

**nostatic** · #**338** 02-24-2012, 10:58 AM

fwiw I *love* the Fodera/Pope preamp.

CrashClint · #**339** 02-24-2012, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RocketMusic

I am going to sell the Demeter onboard preamp. I like the controls and their range of operation, but the basic color of the Demeter does not seem to work well with the Nordstrand NJ5FS pickups.

I figured you weren't selling King Koa, but hey if you don't ask you won't know. I will check back in two weeks.

Ok, pm me to let me know what you are asking on the Demeter. I assume you will wait until you have tried the new preamp?

RocketMusic · #**340** 03-22-2012, 02:09 PM

Oh, lord. My sickness has now spread to my fretless Century Signature V... speaking of which, did we ever come up with a nick-name for this bass?!? I can't recall. He/she/it needs a name.

Anyway, since I was already planning to head down to Greensboro on Monday to meet Jeff Moote as he picks up his new bass right there at the Roscoe shop, I figured I might as well kill two birds. I'm going to let the good doctors at Roscoe General Hospital perform a Bart-otomy on my fretless. I'm going with a set of the Roscoe Barts and the NTMB preamp. I want my fretless to leave sicker than it arrived, with a serious case of ass-itosis!!

In preparation for the trip on Monday, I just yanked out the Nordstrand DC's and the Audere 3ZB. The 3ZB preamp is officially up for sale, but I'll probably hang onto the DC's. I still like me some Dual Coil action, and may come back to these in the future.