Recent content by direktor

I have a ‘72 Precision. Judged in a blind test, it’s thoroughly mediocre. Has a minor ski jump that was mitigated by a refret (and subsequent level). Sounds good. I feel I’m in a state of mind where I can both enjoy the perceived “mojo” and come away thinking that the bass is great because of...

Being in the "Spector Community"...I feel Spector fans are largely comprised of people who found out a certain sound they like, then found that in some/many cases that "bass genre sound" was made by somebody who used a Spector, and then they get a Spector, and the cycle continues. The sound is...

Unfortunately the Rascal has awakened something in me. Been eyeing Ovation Magnums for as long as a Rascal. I hit buy on a local on on Reverb. I get it today. Will be interesting to see the differences. From memory and as my brain “wants it to be”, the Ovation neck pickup sounded close to the...

I shouldn’t resurrect a dead thread, but: Ovation had a significant investment in very custom tooling to make those pickups and circuit boards. The cost and effort to recreate those pickups and bezel…that would be a 100% custom run with a supplier and would cost out the wazoo. I am QUITE...

I played it for about 2.5-3 hours today. While my brain doesn’t have too much trouble adjusting mentally, using whatever muscles I need to to get my right arm hanging to my left is rough on my shoulder. It’s sore as a type, a little. But damn, I love the sound of it. I was looking at Fano on...

I just got a Paranormal Rascal, and I really really like it, boy did they nail the voice of those pickups and their placement. Before I spent time with it I was thinking I’d have to replace the 3 way switch with a blend pot, but nope. 3 perfect flavors. But it feels like I have to move my...

I heard more fret noise on the cheaper basses. Not a huge problem, but could be a thing with a producer if recording. As far as the tone of any of them...the specifics of the pickup winding make the most difference, and then magnet arrangement, then magnets. if I bass sounds "thin", it's...

So I am acquaintances with a gent in Los Angeles (and I too live here) who had 80+ basses stolen out of storage, 3 years ago. (and before anybody says, why?, he had work going on in the space at home where they were usually kept, so they were out for a month). About 30% of them were very...

Find out first if you like the way it sounds with the bass cut a little. Tolerances on pots and one or two of the components in the path of the bass boost/cut circuit in the pre can make things a way you dont dig. But if you DO happen to like it with the bass cut a little, and it fits what you...

The pickup is a little hot by itself, from the modern version of it I had once. But being overwound it gets more midrange-y. Then the preamp makes it feel "hotter" by compressing it. It seems. I can nail the "Turn Me Loose" sound by simply going into an SVT model and adding a little post...

Honestly, it’s a tie between the left 4, maybe the NS-1 winning by a hair. The NS-1s sound isn’t as versatile as the haz PJs. But yeah, it’s odd how I happily circulate though all of them and each time I pick up one of them after a few days of not playing it, I’m like “oh yeah, that’s what I...

It’s very different in some ways, and the same in others. It ticks all my boxes though, and I love it dearly. I’m very very very lucky to have it, and have it be in such amazing shape. Feel wise, it’s a super slim neck with a very dense and not light body. It’s a tie between the NS-2O and the...

For months I’ve been thinking to take 30 mins and get all my babies together for a group pic, and do it before a first Fri. I only have two stands, so it takes a little effort and photoshop. Feels silly, but makes me smile a little to have it. Also, makes me a little queasy. So. For First...

I’ve realized my taste in basses comes from a confluence of a couple things: -my grandfather tinkering with wood projects when I was very young. Appreciation for mid century/euro design furniture with contours. -nostalgia for late 70s-early 80s, when I started becoming interested in music and...

Eh. There’s been worse.