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Fodera Club Part VI

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#462
harrybosch said:
Angus, I really like your bass for the most part. The ramp stuff looks terrible to me though. Not just on your bass, any bass. I think this whole ramp thing is a bit silly but to each their own. The wide pickup covers are too much as well. I've liked some Lane Poor's but they were so inconsistent from pup to pup I don't know if I'd feel comfortable trying them on a bass such as this. But either way, your bass is very nice.
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Haha, different strokes for different folks. The ramp stuff does look a bit silly, but I play like a classical guitar player and find that I move my right hand back and forth in the playing space quite a bit, and am very sensitive to the space underneath the strings. I used the big huge triple coil Bartolini on my Tobias Renegade as a ramp for the better part of 10 years without thinking of it that way, so if there is the option to make a smooth playing surface across the whole region then I'll take it.

The ramp isn't a fad and it isn't a silly add-on to me. It's actually the most important part of the bass...but I have weird technique and so my needs are different. When I'm playing with standard technique I don't need it, but when I'm playing with my thumb it makes me substantially more comfortable.

I'm not really concerned about how it looks. The crazy width, like I mentioned, is only because of the width of the Lane Poors + the shell. It's wider than ideal aesthetics, but I could care less! It'll blend in more once there is finish on the ramp.

As for these Lane Poors, I have them in all of my basses bar one, and I've even had these particular units in another bass before. The SBs and HBs are pretty safe. It's the jazz pickups that were spotty.
 
#464
Angus said:
Agreed completely! I'm always learning things here, too!

I hope Jason doesn't mind me posting this, but my dealer sent me an image Jason sent him to make sure the ramp setup was what I was asking for. (Let me know if you want me to remove it, Jason!)

It's EXACTLY what I was hoping for. They completely nailed it. :hyper:

I didn't ask for the matching wood grain, though- that's just an added bonus! Obviously it isn't finished yet.

These guys are incredible.
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Wow! That's awsome. Looking forward to see it done and heard it :)
 
#465
harrybosch said:
Angus, I really like your bass for the most part. The ramp stuff looks terrible to me though. Not just on your bass, any bass. I think this whole ramp thing is a bit silly but to each their own. The wide pickup covers are too much as well. I've liked some Lane Poor's but they were so inconsistent from pup to pup I don't know if I'd feel comfortable trying them on a bass such as this. But either way, your bass is very nice.
Click to expand...

Why do you think it's silly? Have you ever put in serious time with one? They are awesome and, in my opinion, make playing a bass much smoother and more ergonomic. Fantastic pieces of equipment.

I guess I just do not understand the point of expressing that kind of opinion when they are obviously loved by a great many number of people for real reasons. Silly they are not.
 
#466
BassSaxMan said:
Why do you think it's silly? Have you ever put in serious time with one? They are awesome and, in my opinion, make playing a bass much smoother and more ergonomic. Fantastic pieces of equipment.

I guess I just do not understand the point of expressing that kind of opinion when they are obviously loved by a great many number of people for real reasons. Silly they are not.
Click to expand...

To each their own I'd say.
I think his opinion is just as valid as that of those who likes these ramps.
it's just an opinion:)
 
#469
yeah, expressing an objective sounding opinion about something subjective like ramps is kinda strange. Its like saying I like alder body wood and I think ash bodies are silly. In all fairness, the poster did add "but to each his own".
 
#470
BassSaxMan said:
Why do you think it's silly? Have you ever put in serious time with one? They are awesome and, in my opinion, make playing a bass much smoother and more ergonomic. Fantastic pieces of equipment.

I guess I just do not understand the point of expressing that kind of opinion when they are obviously loved by a great many number of people for real reasons. Silly they are not.
Click to expand...

Yeah I've played many basses with them and owned one that had a ramp installed when I bought it. I play quite often with my thumb, have been playing like that for nearly 30 years. I figure out at a young age the floating thumb technique was the most economical and benifitial way to play. Back then, nobody was playing that way, at least nobody I had access to. My initial reason for floating my thumb was to maintain the same angle of attack no matter what string I was playing. Then it became obvious to use my thumb to pluck anytime it was resting on a string I intended to play. I will also turn my hand in a similar fashion as a classical guitarist for certain things. All that to say I still don't see a benefit of a ramp and I've never seen a classical guitarist with one either. Again it should go without saying but I've learned you always have to qualify everything you type on TB with IME and IMHO.
As far as wording goes, would you guys have been happier had I just said nice bass, but I don't like ramps? I'd imagine we'd still be having the same conversation. You guys are a sensitive bunch.
 
#473
Angus said:
Haha, different strokes for different folks. The ramp stuff does look a bit silly, but I play like a classical guitar player and find that I move my right hand back and forth in the playing space quite a bit, and am very sensitive to the space underneath the strings. I used the big huge triple coil Bartolini on my Tobias Renegade as a ramp for the better part of 10 years without thinking of it that way, so if the option to make a smooth playing surface across the whole region then I'll take it.

The ramp isn't a fad and it isn't a silly add-on to me. It's actually the most important part of the bass for me...but I have weird technique and so my needs are different. When I'm playing with standard technique I don't need it, but when I'm playing with my thumb it makes me substantially more comfortable.

I'm not really concerned about how it looks. The crazy width, like I mentioned, is only because of the width of the Lane Poors + the shell. It's wider than ideal aesthetics, but I could care less! It'll blend in more once there is finish on the ramp.

As for these Lane Poors, I have them in all of my basses bar one, and I've even had these particular units in another bass before. The SBs and HBs are pretty safe. It's the jazz pickups that were spotty.
Click to expand...
I realized decades ago that I preferred plucking over one of the pickups, and realized it was because it stopped my fingers and allowed me to play faster.

Since then I've noticed that the vast majority of players I've watch play, regardless the fingerstyle technique they use, likewise pluck mostly over a pickup.

In other words, most bass players I've observed use a finger ramp, whether they realize it or not.

Even a skinny, J style single coil pickup is an adequate ramp if you play with a two finger plucking style.

If you don't, then wanting a ramp is totally understandable.

I'm currently having an acrylic ramp made for my Emperor. It's not done our I would post a photo of it. Meanwhile, I post a photo of an acrylic ramp on another of my basses.

I'm surprised more guys don't go for them.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
 
#474
Tom7 said:
I realized decades ago that I preferred plucking over one of the pickups, and realized it was because it stopped my fingers and allowed me to play faster.

Since then I've noticed that the vast majority of players I've watch play, regardless the fingerstyle technique they use, likewise pluck mostly over a pickup.

In other words, most bass players I've observed use a finger ramp, whether they realize it or not.

Even a skinny, J style single coil pickup is an adequate ramp if you play with a two finger plucking style.

If you don't, then wanting a ramp is totally understandable.

I'm currently having an acrylic ramp made for my Emperor. It's not done our I would post a photo of it. Meanwhile, I post a photo of an acrylic ramp on another of my basses.

I'm surprised more guys don't go for them.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Click to expand...

Who is making your acrylic ramp? Sounds interesting. Want one for my Fodera.
 
#479
harrybosch said:
All that to say I still don't see a benefit of a ramp and I've never seen a classical guitarist with one either. Again it should go without saying but I've learned you always have to qualify everything you type on TB with IME and IMHO.
As far as wording goes, would you guys have been happier had I just said nice bass, but I don't like ramps? I'd imagine we'd still be having the same conversation. You guys are a sensitive bunch.
Click to expand...

I didn't mind the wording because I'm not particularly sensitive about my needs, so it didn't bother me.

No, classical guitar players don't need one- and I don't use one when playing classical guitar. But the situations are not exactly analogous. I hate having nails and I hate the sound of them even more, which necessitates using more of the pad. Not a big deal on a tiny guitar where the depth of finger travel is somewhat limited due to the string spacing, but on bass, the strings are bigger, spaces wider, and the attack is different. It's much more difficult, IMO, to get even dynamics across all four fingers on a bass than it is on a classical guitar, particularly without nails.

I've gone without a proper ramp on any instrument for most of my playing life, but I've found that having one really smoothed out the tone and volume differences between my fingers. Maybe I just have bad technique. But if the option is available, then I'm silly if I avoid it on the basis that dudes on a different instrument don't need it.

It's not absolutely necessary, but theoretically neither are any of the options that differentiate this bass from a p-bass.
 
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