The Mediocre Bassist Club, pt. 4 - We can count to four!

[Holdsg]

You too Tat

[BayStateBass]

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Well, I'll be playing my first show on Sunday with the new 5'er.

Honestly, I think if you play a lot of mids and highs, the 6 would be more of a benefit. And chording would be mint. But for a player like me, the 5'er is the way to go. I primarily play a lot of low notes and I don't live much above the 7th fret for most anything. Having the ability to hit 3rds/4ths/5ths in the lower octave for notes on the E string is really what I wanted it for. A lot of the songs we do were originally recorded with a 5 string bass anyway.

I think I've found my bass soulmate with the new Carvin. Of course I say that now, who knows what will happen in the future.

Now, along with my mediocrity of playing, I also enjoy being very mediocre in understanding the technical aspects of things like strings, hardware, amp settings, etc.

One thing I know for sure is that I am not a fan of roundwound strings. Too bright and "boingy" for me. Of my three other basses, two have nylon tapewound strings (which I really like), and the third has groundwound strings. I'm so/so on the groundwounds as well. But in looking to change out the strings on the new bass, I had some difficulty selecting a new set. First of all, the choices for 5 string sets are not as varied as 4 string sets. In addition, my Carvin came with Labellas sized at 40-60-80-100-128. And by looking at it, the nut was cut to accept these, or something very close. So I went with something different. Ordered a set of D'Addario Chromes flats in the 45-65-85-105-132 size. Should work okay with the standard nut I would think.

Anyone else try these out and what do you think?

[My name is Mudd]

Couple of years ago, Fender redid their 9050 stainless flats...there were rumors that they were just re-packaged Chromes. If so (and imho), they were wonderful for about an hour and a half and then went dead. Note tho that in general I decided that pressurewounds were/are a better choice for me, rather than flats.


-edit - gobble gobble to y'all too!

[rust_preacher]

It's Friday here already, but I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving anyway, wherever you are. Any Black Friday Bass Plans?

Regarding string choices and tunings, I put the Fender taperwound 110 set on my SB-2 and tuned to D. I played a couple of songs on it, and for some tunes in D, it was great to hit the low D once in a while. For tunes in E, it wouldn't work that well. Anything in A I could move two frets up.

For some songs, even when I could have played low, the sound wasn't what was expected as a part of the song. For instance, a riff starting at G played an octave lower just sounded too doomy... (Wooly Bully is the case in point)

For familiar tunes that I had learned already in standard tuning it was sometimes hard to think two frets up. For those I used the 1974 Telecaster Bass.

Well, it's good to have this tuning for learning new covers, and I don't need a fiver to play our classic-rock set list. The nickelwound roundwounds were NOT too zingy at all, ready to play. They seemed to be some old stock, as the newer Fender taperwounds have a thicker bridge section than what I now have in this set (very thin section). Furthermore, I was thinking of getting a new nut as this bass has a worn one. Putting on this string set seemed to cure the problem, so all in all I think I did good.

I think I will replace the DR Lo-Riders in my L-2000 with the TI Flats set I took off the SB-2. It's nice to be able to experiment!

[darrellj]

Well, I just got back from buying/trading for an amp. I wound up with a Tubeworks 7200 (rated at 400 watts) -- traded a bass and some cash.
Tried it out at home, and it's loud, even at 2. Stuff was shakin' in my house!
Now to find some folks to jam with that want to play *loud*...

[Roadkill]

Originally Posted by darrellj

Well, I just got back from buying/trading for an amp. I wound up with a Tubeworks 7200 (rated at 400 watts)

130 watts @ 8 ohms or 200 watts @ 4 ohms actually:
http://www.genzbenz.com/img/manuals/...UserManual.pdf
http://www.genzbenz.com/img/manuals/...UserManual.pdf

[darrellj]

Hi Roadkill,
Yeah, I found the manual after I posted. I'm guessing the references on the web to 400 watts is peak? Either way it's *loud* and I like the tone I get in 'tube' mode.

I answered a couple ads looking for a bassist. Lets see where that goes...

[Warmuth]

I have no bass playing ability beyond 5 months of my finger goes on this fret. I cant improvise or slap or play with my fingers. I know no theory. I cover it all up with plenty of practicing so that I can play any song on the setlist, and any new ones, correctly and in time. I can't accuse the rest of the band of the same dedication so it gives the illusion that I actually know what I'm doing.

Life is pretty damn easy for the mediocre bassist.

[sgiacomo]

1&2&3&4. Can I join please?

[Adam Bomb]

Hubbi, Frubbiends:

I am in New York again, partying like 1999 was 13 years ago. I will be home in a few days and one of the things I will comfort myself with as I go through partying withdrawal will be this board. Party on, Wayne; numbers etc. to be issued presently.

--Bomb

[My name is Mudd]

Enjoy!

[Roadkill]

Originally Posted by darrellj

I'm guessing the references on the web to 400 watts is peak?

Actually the only watts number on the amp is the 400 by the power cord which is the maximum draw from the mains. I just bought a RT-3300 head off of eBay, I already have a RT-3175 and RT-3100 combo. I think the 7200 is a newer model designed by GB after they bought out Tube Works. The older RT-3175 and RT-3300 were 2 ohm capable .

These amps have MosFet outputs so sound very "tubey" and louder than the same watts in a solid state amp with bipolar output transistors. The RT-3300 is about as loud as an SVT .

[Adam Bomb]

Originally Posted by graver555

I would like a number.

I cant play something by listening to it. I am pretty good at reading sheet music and great if someone plays it with me the first time so I can see and hear it but I cant memorize or hear anything more complicated then seven nation army. Cant slap, can almost pop. Im pretty mediocre....

Great! Pretty mediocre = very mediocre!

Originally Posted by Warmuth

I have no bass playing ability beyond 5 months of my finger goes on this fret. I cant improvise or slap or play with my fingers. I know no theory. I cover it all up with plenty of practicing so that I can play any song on the setlist, and any new ones, correctly and in time. I can't accuse the rest of the band of the same dedication so it gives the illusion that I actually know what I'm doing.

Life is pretty damn easy for the mediocre bassist.

Yes, it is.

You didn't ask for a number, but, since you are basically me, you are getting one.

Originally Posted by sgiacomo

1&2&3&4. Can I join please?

Of course! You just passed the written test.

graver555 - #877

Warmuth - #878

sgiacomo - #879

Welcome!!!

--Bomb

[Adam Bomb]

This is one of the things NY did to me...

I'm in the Order of the Hat! Quite by accident. My hat found me. Black fedora.

No gigs in NY (this is a pic of me working the door at a burlesque show - don't ask), but I've got one two weeks from today. I suspect it will be hat related. I'll get a better shot of it then if I can.

Yours in Hats,
--Bomb

[sgiacomo]

Thanks Bomb.

[My name is Mudd]

I want the other dude's sunglasses!

[BayStateBass]

Bomb, you are the MAN!

Seriously, you'd be an awesome dude to hang out with. You're one of many TB'ers I'd love to meet one day.

Due to my current band situation, I also am of the "hat brigade". It wasn't what I envisioned myself wearing but I'm becoming fond of it, actually.

See if you can pick out which one is me.

Hint......I am the youngest in the group by about 10 years.

[jasongil1]

1&2&3&...hold on, let me try that again. Can I join?

[rosanne]

Bomb, the hat reveals a whole new you!

[BeJay]

I'm a Mediocre Bassist... Can I join!

Keeping the roots and blues alive!