That is exactly how I am looking at it. A sign.
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Here’s a shot of the stormtrooper rig at my Thursday gig. Fits the theme of the bar pretty well too funny enough. I’ve been having a ton of fun playing this bass and people compliment me at every show!
It’s holding up pretty well, and while I’m still missing roundwounds, it sounds pretty great and is making a decent case for flats for me. It’s not beating the allegations of basswood being soft so far though. I played two 3 hour shows out of state this weekend and had a small equipment failure. About 4 hours into playing, the screw holding the bass side pickup cover down popped out of place, causing the pickup cover to rest against and mute my D string. Luckily, I had just packed a screwdriver in my bag and fixed it between songs. Rather minor failure, and the screw may not have been very far down to begin with, but I’ll have to remove the pickup entirely to check out the hole and see if it’s messy from the screw tearing out or not
It’s holding up pretty well, and while I’m still missing roundwounds, it sounds pretty great and is making a decent case for flats for me. It’s not beating the allegations of basswood being soft so far though. I played two 3 hour shows out of state this weekend and had a small equipment failure. About 4 hours into playing, the screw holding the bass side pickup cover down popped out of place, causing the pickup cover to rest against and mute my D string. Luckily, I had just packed a screwdriver in my bag and fixed it between songs. Rather minor failure, and the screw may not have been very far down to begin with, but I’ll have to remove the pickup entirely to check out the hole and see if it’s messy from the screw tearing out or not
If I was worried about the body wood being soft, then I'd be terrified of using that particular strap attachment method! But...that's just me.
If I was worried about the body wood being soft, then I'd be terrified of using that particular strap attachment method! But...that's just me.
Is that a pedaltrain strap??? It kind of looks familiar...
I’m still struggling with the weight of my new Dolphin J. A bit bummed that it’s heavier than most J’s (9 lbs), but wonder if the heaviness comes from a denser basswood body??? It’s got to be either body or neck (or both) since hardware is same on all of these new models.
Could it be the recent 2022-23 P & J models are maybe heavier in general?
Routing differences? Different wood supplier? Who knows…Thoughts?
Could it be the recent 2022-23 P & J models are maybe heavier in general?
Routing differences? Different wood supplier? Who knows…Thoughts?
This is odd because basswood is usually a lighter grade wood (lighter than alder or ash). I don’t have a reason for you. Possibly a different cut of wood. I just put mine on the scale, and it reads 8lbs 10oz. So, a difference of 6oz, which is probably well within varying weights for this bass.
Any idea why my E string is rattling so much by the bridge? I brought it to my local luthier on Saturday to look it over and he tinkered with it a little bit and said it looked great.
I can’t really see what is rattling and causing that sound. If I hold down the string on the bridge it stops it/dampens it greatly.
edit - I think I got it to stop. I jerk the string a bit. Maybe it wasn’t seated properly.
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In my experience, wood is weird. It’s variability is why you can have two identical instruments, but one is about nine pounds, while the other is ten pounds or more.
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Instruments are like women. They come in many shapes and sizes. They're fun to look at and even more fun to play with. Some have more quirks than others but you have to pick and choose which you're able to look past and comprise on. Ultimately they'll all get you the same end result. In trouble and most likely some of the best experiences one has.
Hmmm... I haven't actually weighed mine but wearing it, it "feels lighter than my other J's.
Tim
The original MIJ Aerodyne basses (export & non-export) were all PJ’s and, from TB posts, were all fairly lightweight (some even under 8 lbs). Could the cavity routings in the newer J and P bodies possibly be not as extensive (due to single P pickup and double J pu configurations), leading to added body weight?
lol it is the strap from my acoustic image bag I believe. I offered my strap to another member of the band with a much more expensive instrument. It wound up fitting surprisingly well, but I managed to find an extra strap before we went on and it all worked out
Picking up my P-Bass today from the luthier. He set it up and put on La Bella LTF's on it. I'm quite excited to get my grubby mitts on it.
That said, I'm going to bring my Jazz with me to see if it needs a setup. If I do get it setup, do you think the stock strings suit the character of the Jazz bass well or should I consider getting some new strings while I'm in the shop? To me they sound fine, but I'm relatively new to bass so I'm quite ignorant. Many have mentioned they are quite bright so perhaps they work well with the Jazz tonal characteristics.
That said, I'm going to bring my Jazz with me to see if it needs a setup. If I do get it setup, do you think the stock strings suit the character of the Jazz bass well or should I consider getting some new strings while I'm in the shop? To me they sound fine, but I'm relatively new to bass so I'm quite ignorant. Many have mentioned they are quite bright so perhaps they work well with the Jazz tonal characteristics.
Of course, tone and strings are always a personal choice but I found the stock NPS strings way too bright and zingy for my taste. I should qualify that with the fact I am pretty much a "flats" guy to begin with. I changed my Aero J strings to Fender Pure Nickel rounds and am much happier with them. And I think they are still true to a "modern" sound niche that bass is looking for. They still have the "pop" of rounds without being harsh.
Tim
I have to agree with Tim; "strings" are a very personal choice. It is quite possible that your preferences change over time, but that requires experimenting, just like I did.
I will say this; my Aerodyne was my first-ever bass. I bought it used for a fantastic price, despite the wear & tear the finish had. Shortly after receiving it, I brought it to a Mom & Pop music store to ask them if they could check it out and make sure everything was working.
Their guy said, "So, you want us to give it a setup and...", after giving it a couple of plucks, "...some new strings? These are pretty dead."
I said, "If that's what it takes? Sure."
He followed up with, "I'll send it out to our tech who does setups. She only comes through about once a week, so it'll take a while. In the meantime, let me have her throw these on."
It was a set of D'Addario Flatwound Chromes of the .100-gauge persuasion. In the long-run, I agreed with him...slightly thinner flats were great for a beginning bassist...easier on the fingers, plenty of bottom-end, but still had a bit of "zing" when I'd dig in.
All that being said, if you're already fine with the nickel-plated steel rounds, keep up with them. Right now, it's more important you learn the instrument first, then you can start experimenting with other strings. I only started with the Chromes because my 'Dyne needed new strings at the get-go.
Side-note: I've since tried out lots of different strings. Nowadays, I try matching up the right brand/type of string to bring the most out of each, individual bass. For example, I just got a set of LeCompte Triple-Threat Split-Coil pickups. They're supposed to be P-bass-like, but until I install them, there's no telling what they truly need. I'll probably start off with this-or-that brand of rounds, then try however many more I need until I like the finished product.
For the record, here are the pics that sold me on my Aerodyne. Sure, it was dusty and the finish was cracked a bit, but for $376 shipped back in 2011, it was too good of a deal to pass up. Mind you, it was a big leap of faith on my part, 'cuz I hadn't even touched a bass guitar, like ever, and I didn't want to spend quite so much on my first one. In the long-run, I'm glad I snagged it! That black beastie is still a fantastic player!
Dropped Jazz off. Will keep stock strings on for a while.
picked up P Bass with La Bella LTF’s on it and HOLY COW these strings rock. Never played flat wound. Me likey
picked up P Bass with La Bella LTF’s on it and HOLY COW these strings rock. Never played flat wound. Me likey
