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Stoner/Doom Bassists Thread, Part 90: Maxed Out

#46,421
Weekend Update:
Saw Elder at the Highline Saturday night, and they were a fantastic ball of energy. I have mixed feelings about the venue itself, but zero regrets after making the trek from CO. I thought Summoned By Giants & Witch Ripper were so-so as openers. I like Serial Hawk's recordings, but I thought they were too loud live. Instead of it sounding big (a la Sleep, etc.) it just sounded muddy and everything bled together. Kind of a bummer, since I was pretty excited about seeing their live show - it's just the lack of dynamics that killed it for me. Anyway...

The three openers seemed to get progressively louder until Elder finally took the stage. They were noticeably "quieter" by comparison, but they sounded full and powerful. It also seemed like the audience energy went up about 10 notches once they got into their set. I didn't write down the setlist, but in no particular order it included Compendium, Sanctuary, Dead Roots Stirring, Blind, Gemini, and I think The Falling Veil. May be missing one?

For the gear nerds, Nick was not playing his SG anymore - now rocking a Dunable Yeti. Jack swapped the Ric for his Fender Jazz around the time of ROAFW I think. His pedal board is pretty stripped down - tuner, EHX Green Russian RI, EQD Grand Orbiter, EQD Avalanche Run, and I think that was it. Edited: There was a Sansamp BDDI on there too...
 
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#46,422
Batsquatch said:
I only have one bass at the moment and am looking for a decent sub 500$ fourstring. There an aerodyne local to me for what I’m able to pay. Was wondering if any of y’all have/had one and if it doomed. Play in C standard
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If you can find a Fender Blacktop Jazz or can vibe with any of the BC Rich body shapes (and ergonomics) the P/P pickups sound like nothing else. Set volume to 10 bridge, 9 neck and it'll grind away nicely while still giving a solid low end.
 
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#46,423
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#46,424
cornfarmer said:
Kind of a 70's potato bass, but it probably sounds pretty good.

1979 Vantage VP795B Natural Bass with Original Case
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Honestly, if I could justify another bass I'd be on that hard for my third P/P.

I'm convinced, tonewood debates be damned, that mahogany sounds sounds better than alder, medium scale is perfection, and I like the fact that the pickups are moved forward on that.

Now I want it.
 
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#46,429
Heh, I was kinda into that Curlee myself but remembered my pledge to enable others.

I just sold a jazz body, but ended up throwing that money into a Squire vintage modified-classic-whatever tele bass body with no pickup. Going to mudbucker town! I don't know what I'll put in it, but I've narrowed it down to one of the newer Guild Bisonic repros, Dimarzio Model One or a '70s Guild humbucker from a Jetstar/etc.

Need to find a neck too.
 
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#46,430
Grahams Groove said:
Weekend Update:
Saw Elder at the Highline Saturday night, and they were a fantastic ball of energy. I have mixed feelings about the venue itself, but zero regrets after making the trek from CO. I thought Summoned By Giants & Witch Ripper were so-so as openers. I like Serial Hawk's recordings, but I thought they were too loud live. Instead of it sounding big (a la Sleep, etc.) it just sounded muddy and everything bled together. Kind of a bummer, since I was pretty excited about seeing their live show - it's just the lack of dynamics that killed it for me. Anyway...

The three openers seemed to get progressively louder until Elder finally took the stage. They were noticeably "quieter" by comparison, but they sounded full and powerful. It also seemed like the audience energy went up about 10 notches once they got into their set. I didn't write down the setlist, but in no particular order it included Compendium, Sanctuary, Dead Roots Stirring, Blind, Gemini, and I think The Falling Veil. May be missing one?

For the gear nerds, Nick was not playing his SG anymore - now rocking a Dunable Yeti. Jack swapped the Ric for his Fender Jazz around the time of ROAFW I think. His pedal board is pretty stripped down - tuner, EHX Green Russian RI, EQD Grand Orbiter, EQD Avalanche Run, and I think that was it. Edited: There was a Sansamp BDDI on there too...
Click to expand...

I'm excited to see Elder at Psycho Las Vegas in a couple days; They are one of the bands I'm most looking forward to.
 
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#46,431
I kick myself for not buying one when they were new. I’d just pulled my Mockingbird from storage for the first time in like 15 years and wanted something more ergonomic.

I let someone talk me out of it because it was medium scale and by the end of the month they were gone, baby, gone.

Personally, I’d do the Artec mud bucker or Model 1 and a Dimarzio Model J.
 
#46,432
gfen said:
If you can find a Fender Blacktop Jazz or can vibe with any of the BC Rich body shapes (and ergonomics) the P/P pickups sound like nothing else. Set volume to 10 bridge, 9 neck and it'll grind away nicely while still giving a solid low end.
Click to expand...

I've been dying to try one of those blacktops, might just make one. Every time I see one for sale they're asking like $800 compared to the $400-450 that the P version goes for. That's too high of a start to talk em down into reality, unless they are somehow that much better made...

mbelue said:
There's a couple real awesome basses near me I'd be drooling over if I hadn't just bought a truck.
Vintage Ibanez, Peavey, Guild, even a 12 string Hamer.

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I've always liked the looks of those guilds, wonder how they sound.
 
#46,433
Novarocker said:
I've been dying to try one of those blacktops, might just make one. Every time I see one for sale they're asking like $800 compared to the $400-450 that the P version goes for. That's too high of a start to talk em down into reality, unless they are somehow that much better made...
Click to expand...
I've kinda wanted to pick up one of the 80s Fender BP555 Boxer basses with the dual split single coils.
 
#46,434
Novarocker said:
unless they are somehow that much better made...
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The Jazz and the Precision are, in my mind, probably exactly as well made as each other. I did my research, and lots of people said the Blacktops seemed to be above average vis-a-vis MIM Standards, but I don't doubt that's just confirmation bias.

I don't play a lot of other people's instruments. I don't gig out, and I don't' go shopping. When i do, I'm still sort of too apprehensive to play in front of people (even though my neighbours have heard me plenty), so I don't have practical experience to back it up with.. but the fit and finish on mine seems to be perfection. The action is probably "high" by most people's standards, but it's fine for me.

If you can get a MIM standard for $350-400, I don't think the BTJ premium is worth it at $800. It really is just a J bass with two Precision splits with their centerlines set a J position and a different bridge (Fender HiMass). The pickups had unique Fender part numbers, but I don't think they're any different than their other MIM precision pickups.

I'd buy a MIM Jazz and route it for P/P. You can buy a pickguard for $10 on Ebay and like a Yamaha pickup surround to cover the rear route and be done.

Or, as I've said before, I really think my poopy Indonesian Mockingbird sounds better, even with the upgraded pups in the BTJ and the crappy BCR branded ones in the 'Bird. Pickup positions there are like a traditional P and then a touch closer to the bridge in the back by 1/4" or so. I'm convinced that all that mahogany makes the difference.

The Boxer bass makes me want, too. It's what I like with a little something extra going on, different enough that it's not like what I already have. Again, probably easy enough to produce with a MIM Precision, a router, and a blank pickguard.

I really think that more people would embrace the sound of these if they knew what it could produce. "Best bass for metal" threads sound uniformly be answered with P/P.

OK, I've evangelized enough here.
 
#46,439
PaulWeapon said:
I opened for them a few years back and I agree. It was a small club, and they were just painful. And I played a nearly dimed Mesa 400+ through a pair of 4x10s, so it's not like I was quiet.
Click to expand...

You know, it's weird too because I just saw Sleep in June. They were the most insanely loud band I've seen, but there was still separation & clarity. My issue with Serial Hawk is that things just turned to sound-soup with no real defined instrumentation.

Anyway, I've got no qualms, because I made the trek to see Elder and they delivered (and then some).
 

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