Neckdive or not, I am not impressed with the tone of the Devon bass Andy is playing!
The tone sounds flat and non organic!
The tone sounds flat and non organic!
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Devon with Sadowsky Preamps
- Thread starter Dr. Cheese
- Start date
To me it does not look comfortable, but as has been said before, that may just be bad habits.
I also don't like the tone at all, but that may be settings decided on and liked by the guy seen playing here.
The video does not ask me or tell me to try one of these basses. It doesn't tell me or ask me to do anything.
I also don't like the tone at all, but that may be settings decided on and liked by the guy seen playing here.
The video does not ask me or tell me to try one of these basses. It doesn't tell me or ask me to do anything.
I don't know. To each his own, but basses with preamps just sound too "processed" or something. To my ear they lack an organic quality that I can relate to. I don't know how else to describe it. Not to say they are inferior - they are just not for me.
3 Devons, no neck dive. 7 Jazz basses, no neck dive. 1 Sadowsky Will Lee, no neck dive. Must be my good luck . . .
Processed is a good word for it; when I was playing back in mid 90's tried an active Jazz[a friends] and I could get some fun sounds but playing a Gig by end of first set the 'un natural sound' started annoying me. Many Active basses I auditioned had this same 'processed sound' I could easily recognize by then.
Recently[2012] I bought a Musicman Reflex it had active/passive and last December bought a Fender Ultra Precision also with Active/Passive. Passive capability is a must for me with Active Bass.
Both Basses Active preamps are significantly more musical than what I heard in the past and come in handy at Gig's and rehearsals. When I practice at home solo or through preamp along with a song with headphones I go passive but live it is 60/40 in favor of active without annoyance of 'processed' sound.
Preamps have come a long way. Nowadays most of them sound phenomenal without those artifical sounding highs.
Gee, all you experts watching this video and can’t recognize when a player has to shift the bass around a bit when playing in the upper register (that means way up high on the neck...
). I have to do that when reaching up high on about any bass I play including my Mike Lull. I’m guessing it’s either because my arms are kinda short and/or I have to work my forearm around my gut on that side of my body (I’m working on that!). Or both, of course....
And it’s worse when I’m seated to play. I have to move the bass to the flamenco position in my lap if I’m playing high passages. I would surely hope that one isn’t thinking “there’s that neck dive move again!” if they see me doing that.
Don’t pretend to think you always recognize neck dive when you see it, especially if you think that’s what is going on in that video. And don’t even...even...think you can tell me what I’m used to or not. Takes a lot of gall for that.
Spend several years with an Alembic Series Two 34”-scale bass. Then you might be qualified to talk to me about neck dive.
Oh, about the tone of the bass. Great playing in the video, but wasn’t crazy about the tone of the bass. Which just makes me reserve judgement unless I had the opportunity to play that bass and explore the tone options. It seems that it would have several.
). I have to do that when reaching up high on about any bass I play including my Mike Lull. I’m guessing it’s either because my arms are kinda short and/or I have to work my forearm around my gut on that side of my body (I’m working on that!). Or both, of course....And it’s worse when I’m seated to play. I have to move the bass to the flamenco position in my lap if I’m playing high passages. I would surely hope that one isn’t thinking “there’s that neck dive move again!” if they see me doing that.
Don’t pretend to think you always recognize neck dive when you see it, especially if you think that’s what is going on in that video. And don’t even...even...think you can tell me what I’m used to or not. Takes a lot of gall for that.
Spend several years with an Alembic Series Two 34”-scale bass. Then you might be qualified to talk to me about neck dive.
Oh, about the tone of the bass. Great playing in the video, but wasn’t crazy about the tone of the bass. Which just makes me reserve judgement unless I had the opportunity to play that bass and explore the tone options. It seems that it would have several.
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I must have watched a different video.....Yes, love the tone but..... it sure looks to me like he's really struggling with that instrument. He's throwing it around in exactly the way I recognize... when I was gigging with neck-diving basses I tossed em around like that too...
It's a 5 string so that's kind of an excuse, since 5+ strings are notorious, but.....
Otherwise yes that's a lovely tone.....
L
Here is an extended vid of the same bass with a detailed explanation and demo. Check out how different the tones are from the op video. Also, notice how he jerks the neck now and again even though he's sitting. From other vids of his that I've seen, that's part if his thing in getting vibrato. Also, he mentions in the vid that this Devon is among four basses he always takes out live, so I really doubt the neck dives. He would probably have mentioned it as a caveat since he clearly loves the instrument. I too didn't dig the tone on the original posted video, but this vid definitely shows the bass in a different light. I like it.
If it's the bass in the OP it does, but you've just gotten so used to it you just think it's balanced.... In fact, most Fender style instruments are infamous for their poor balance, though there are ways to make it less bad. G&L has the saddle lock bridge on the butt-end and aluminum tuners in the headstock. Even Fender's higher end basses have their smaller lightweight tuners on them as a way to help treat neckdive.
Also, I don't mean to imply that neckdive is a reason not to get a particular bass. Unless it's really bad, it's something players have lived with forever, going back to the days when Fenders and Rickenbackers were the main kids on the block.
Even I now play a jazz bass, even though it's generally a replica of a '62 JB with the humungous tuners on it that weigh a ton. So it has pretty decently bad neck dive. Its otherwise an instrument that I really like playing so I just sit on the strap when I play it seated. And when/if I get round to playing it standing up, I'll just break out the strap and the sew-in weights like back in the Good Old Days...
Anyway, just so guys don't get the idea I'm condemning the bass just because of neck dive. Only that it's kind of painful to watch the OP, and would suggest he sew some weights into his strap
L
‘I’ve been playing Fender Basses for over 40 some years. I have yet to play one that has neck dive issues. Don’t have an issue with my Warwick Corvette Std. either. Most of the time the neck of my bass is almost parallel to the ground. Secondly, I use knitted or woven fabric straps with no sliding pads, at a minimum 4” or wider. The only time that neck changes up or down is when I move it.
That said, I’m a little more than uncomfortable letting go of my of the neck with my left hand having seen other players have their instruments hit the floor due to strap and or strap screw failures. Fortunately, while I have had both failures, my hand on the neck has prevented more than one calamity.
I agree. I’m bad about letting my left hand off of the neck of my basses, but with the Mike Lull and the Stingray, they are pretty well balanced, so there’s no real harm.
But boy, I’d never do that with the aforementioned Alembics I had. Keeping the left hand on the neck was a must, no doubt.
If I had an Alembic it would be in a case that I would open once or twice a year, look at it, sigh, then shut the case. LOL!
!I owned those back in the 80s when we thought it was cool to play Alembic basses in bars and nightclubs....
(actually, I think it still is, but 35 years later, some common sense has kicked in....)
Yes, the bass sounds great and Irvine clearly says he loves the bass because it has no neck dive.
Passinwind
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- Dec 3, 2003
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Thanks, sounds really really good to me. Devon Smullen is a super cool guy too, his NAMM booth has been a great hang every time I've been able to get there.
My Jazz Basses also do not suffer from neck dive for the most part.
But, look, this is not rocket science. It’s a pretty simple Mechanics question. Statics, BTW. Here’s the deal - the rotational moment on the shoulder is a pretty straightforward balance of the forces about the fulcrum. For your garden variety Jazz Bass, at about 9 pounds +/-, the instruments tend to be very well balanced. The big variable, though, is the weight of the body. When you get the super featherweight versions; then yes, the neck can start winning the balance battle.
I have a 7.8 pound Sadowsky, which is perhaps the finest Jazz Bass type of instrument I’ve ever played. But, it does have a bit of so called “neck dive,” simply because the body mass just isn’t there. No big deal, because there also isn’t much force on my shoulder. So a decent leather strap easily holds it at the ready; and playing it just feels like standing there breathing.
Don’t think this is worth getting caught up in. Most of us understand what’s going on.
And, props to @Dr. Cheese for a nice clip, I absolutely use Sadowsky preamps as my standard go-to Jazz Bass preamp for just this reason. Practically perfect in every way for Jazz Basses, as Mary Poppins might have called it.
But, look, this is not rocket science. It’s a pretty simple Mechanics question. Statics, BTW. Here’s the deal - the rotational moment on the shoulder is a pretty straightforward balance of the forces about the fulcrum. For your garden variety Jazz Bass, at about 9 pounds +/-, the instruments tend to be very well balanced. The big variable, though, is the weight of the body. When you get the super featherweight versions; then yes, the neck can start winning the balance battle.
I have a 7.8 pound Sadowsky, which is perhaps the finest Jazz Bass type of instrument I’ve ever played. But, it does have a bit of so called “neck dive,” simply because the body mass just isn’t there. No big deal, because there also isn’t much force on my shoulder. So a decent leather strap easily holds it at the ready; and playing it just feels like standing there breathing.
Don’t think this is worth getting caught up in. Most of us understand what’s going on.
And, props to @Dr. Cheese for a nice clip, I absolutely use Sadowsky preamps as my standard go-to Jazz Bass preamp for just this reason. Practically perfect in every way for Jazz Basses, as Mary Poppins might have called it.
That specific bass has 24 frets and the upper horn is short from being at 12th fret, and it has a somewhat a large headstock so it looks like it might neck dive.
I've not played a straight p or j that has neck dive yet. I'm not saying they don't exist.
Edit: the tone is not my thing, but I see why some pople like it.
I've not played a straight p or j that has neck dive yet. I'm not saying they don't exist.
Edit: the tone is not my thing, but I see why some pople like it.
Still hellacool
I owned those back in the 80s when we thought it was cool to play Alembic basses in bars and nightclubs....
(actually, I think it still is, but 35 years later, some common sense has kicked in....)
