Stoner/Doom Bassists Thread, Part 90: Maxed Out

[scabpicker]

Please post sound samples of this! Also, those fret markers are great, including the fact that they are different colours.

Heheh, I will, but after I learn how to play the thing. I have what steel players kind of think of as the bargain basement of student guitars, a Sho-Bud Maverick. It sounds great, but it can only do E9 tuning, and only has three pedals and one knee lever. I can play that one reasonably well, but it's pretty limited and stilted toward playing country. This one has seven pedals, four knee levers and two more strings than the Maverick, in what is referred to as a Universal 12 tuning. It'll be a minute before I can wrap my head around even tuning it.

Heheh, and the fret markers on pedal steels are always pretty great, every manufacturer seems to have a signature set of them. Even my Maverick has Sho-Bud's classic card suits for fret markers.

Is SX a Texas company? Because I see those all the time on Craigslist but pretty much never anywhere else

Nope, as far as I can tell they are Chinese. Maybe they just caught on down here by word of mouth?

 

[lucas303]

Really, any kind I can afford. Mostly autocrossing (I'm totally average) and drag racing (actually pretty good at that one). I'm planning on trying out karts or time trials soon.

I spent Monday crawling around under a friend's car putting a shifter in it. After we were done, he gave me a bass he thought was broken and didn't want anymore. It wouldn't stay in tune for him. I got it home, and can't seem to get it to act up. It stays in tune for me, and sounds pretty dang nice. It's an older SX Junior Ursa, with a SD quarter pounder in it. Really inexpensive bass new, but it actually sounds great and plays pretty well, even though it's action is pretty high at the moment. I may leave the action high. The string tension's low and I can beat the strings to death with it that way.

View attachment 4430331

In non-bass related news. I'm planning on buying this monster. It ties into stoner/doom, because I plan to play that kind of music on it, instead of only country and swing. It has a built in Jordan Boss Tone fuzz.

View attachment 4430335

Have you heard the latest In the Company of Serpents album?

 

[lucas303]

Since I started my current project (and bought a new bass) I haven't played the bass standing up, only during down. I also might not be cool, but I just don't know.

I pretty much only play sitting down because I'm only playing at home. I even had to stop crossing my legs while playing because I was giving myself drop foot (seriously).

 

[kleinenenten]

He never golfed with me. I am all about having a good time while playing. a lot of times I don't even keep score, just hit balls and hang with my friends.

Don't know, not that I doubt you enjoy yourself, but there are plenty of other things I'd rather do while hanging with my friends. Golf holds no allure to me. As with everything, though - whatever works for you. Don't let me stop you!

Confession: I have my bass up high while playing. None of the cool stoner kids on line have theirs up high like I do, they are all knee-banging. I'm not cool!! (Sobs into pillow.)

Mine is solidly in the middle. I once tried slinging it low, and couldn't even pluck strings right or fret without extreme discomfort. I'm the dork that would rather play in (mostly) correct position than anything cool. It lets me play easier, and therefore better. Seems to make sense.

 

[kleinenenten]

Heheh, I will, but after I learn how to play the thing. I have what steel players kind of think of as the bargain basement of student guitars, a Sho-Bud Maverick. It sounds great, but it can only do E9 tuning, and only has three pedals and one knee lever. I can play that one reasonably well, but it's pretty limited and stilted toward playing country. This one has seven pedals, four knee levers and two more strings than the Maverick, in what is referred to as a Universal 12 tuning. It'll be a minute before I can wrap my head around even tuning it.

Heheh, and the fret markers on pedal steels are always pretty great, every manufacturer seems to have a signature set of them. Even my Maverick has Sho-Bud's classic card suits for fret markers.



Nope, as far as I can tell they are Chinese. Maybe they just caught on down here by word of mouth?

Besides "fret markers" and "tuning", I have no idea what you are talking about.

 

[scabpicker]

Have you heard the latest In the Company of Serpents album?

When you posted the question, I had not. I have now. Very nice, I like how they use the lap steel, especially in the slower parts. Thank you for the suggestion!

Besides "fret markers" and "tuning", I have no idea what you are talking about.

Hehehe, that's not unexpected. The pedal steel is a pretty niche instrument, and it's kinda complex compared to most stringed instruments. I was thinking "I'll never really figure this thing out." for the first few weeks of owning my Maverick, and it's a really simple pedal steel. But I figured out how to play a reasonable version of When the Levee Breaks on it (well, the bones and the lead), and then committed to memory where the minor chords were when I pressed the correct pedals, relative to the major chord position. And then I didn't play it for a week and had to work again to memorize what I'd already learned.

I could go on all night about the subject, but the short version is: It's tuned to a very dense chord, and the pedals and levers allow you to change the chord it's tuned to by lowering and raising the pitch of various strings. Pedals usually raise the pitch of the selected strings, and levers usually lower them, but a pedal steel nicer than my Maverick (such as that MSA) allows you to pick and choose what you want them to do.

If you want to go down the rabbit hole I did (and return to occasionally), look up copedents. I hadn't heard the word before I had a pedal steel in my living room and was trying to figure out how to tune the thing. But when you actually get a pedal steel and start trying to work with it, they kinda make sense. Probably more than you ever wanted to know is available here:
https://b0b.com/wp/copedents/

 

[scabpicker]

And so not stoner/doom in any way (ok, I get stoned to some really odd music), but: this is the weirdest shredder version of (I think) Orange Blossom Special that was ever wrought by man, and it includes pedal steel giant Buddy Emmons. The run that Emmons does around 5:28 makes my brain check out and run off in a little go kart. Danny Gatton plays some stuff too.

Redneck Jazz Explosion:



Ok, I'll stop going on unbidden about such an instrument. Thanks for the indulgence.

 

[Grahams Groove]

Don't know, not that I doubt you enjoy yourself, but there are plenty of other things I'd rather do while hanging with my friends. Golf holds no allure to me. As with everything, though - whatever works for you. Don't let me stop you!



Mine is solidly in the middle. I once tried slinging it low, and couldn't even pluck strings right or fret without extreme discomfort. I'm the dork that would rather play in (mostly) correct position than anything cool. It lets me play easier, and therefore better. Seems to make sense.

Right there with you. That said, watching early 90s Soundgarden live stuff is a trip. Ben Shepherd has his bass down around his knees, and he's playing some fairly complex lines along the way. Watching it makes my wrist cramp.

 

[Flamingo21]

I'm the dork that would rather play in (mostly) correct position than anything cool. It lets me play easier, and therefore better. Seems to make sense.

Me two.

 

[Deleted member 132197]

You live in Amsterdam, how could you NOT be cool?

I could be (and most probably am) part of the horde of young urban professionals, unwittingly pushing out the original inhabitants, and causing downfall of the unique city culture.

I've met some very uncool people in Amsterdam.

Hey! I can say that. If you do I of course have to take offence

 

[Flamingo21]

Hey! I can say that.

So can I.


Watch me.

 

[Novarocker]

Fair enough. Guess I don't search it out. Just feels I didn't HAVE to in the past. Regardless, FUZZ!

I get a feeling for what you mean. I've been noticing a big expansion of pedals that range in gain from low to massive borderline/even deep into fuzz territory.

I'll be honest, grit, distortion, ragged goodness, and whatnot do a lot for me. Fuzz, although I love, I use even more so just as an effect and typically look for different character in them. Although I've been a hug fan of tone benders for their range of gain. I've been digging a lot of the unique builds I've seen late. Parallel drive and fuzz is amazing, you get the slight uncontrollable nature of fuzz mixed with the fast attack you can get from OD. Very cool textures.

One thing I've noticed, is that more frequently to maintain attack with a fuzz, I keep the fuzz or gain really low and still get a lot of the goodness but not as mushy of an attack. Added benefit is clarity is usually still there.

I have a thing where I swing from one hobby to another. I ghosted this forum for a good long while because I was all-in on golf. Now, I feel that waning and my bass interest ramping back up again. So, I'll be posting in this thread more, and lurking TB a lot for the foreseeable future. Bass has become my number one again.

I know that all too well. Paintball, lacrosse, and trail bikes tend to consume me from time to time. Beyond pedal binges and bass building binges.

 

[Novarocker]

BTW, newest Idiotbox mystery effect is wild! Love that he incorporates output control above unity on most of these pedals. So nice for sticking in the mix well.

 

[Kaa]

I've met some very uncool people in Amsterdam.

Were they visiting from a country that starts with a "U" and ends with an "A"? (Hint: NOT Uganda) I can see that happening.

 

[Kaa]

Really, any kind I can afford. Mostly autocrossing (I'm totally average) and drag racing (actually pretty good at that one). I'm planning on trying out karts or time trials soon.

I spent Monday crawling around under a friend's car putting a shifter in it. After we were done, he gave me a bass he thought was broken and didn't want anymore. It wouldn't stay in tune for him. I got it home, and can't seem to get it to act up. It stays in tune for me, and sounds pretty dang nice. It's an older SX Junior Ursa, with a SD quarter pounder in it. Really inexpensive bass new, but it actually sounds great and plays pretty well, even though it's action is pretty high at the moment. I may leave the action high. The string tension's low and I can beat the strings to death with it that way.

View attachment 4430331

In non-bass related news. I'm planning on buying this monster. It ties into stoner/doom, because I plan to play that kind of music on it, instead of only country and swing. It has a built in Jordan Boss Tone fuzz.

View attachment 4430335

Those SX short scale Ps are legit, I have one. Changed out the not-great tuners for some Gotohs, the bridge for a Gotoh (I think) and the electronics from a 7ender MIM and it sound and plays well. Have about $200 in it total.

As for auto racing, since I don't do road racing any more, I'd have you check out rallying and hill climbs. Two Wild West types of racing.

 

[Flamingo21]

Were they visiting from a country that starts with a "U" and ends with an "A"? (Hint: NOT Uganda) I can see that happening.

A lot has been said about tourists, including American tourists, in Amsterdam. But no, I'm not referring to them. I meant folks from anywhere in this country, going about their business in Amsterdam.
I'm not even talking about the Amsterdam people themselves, who generally have a certain vibe, which isn't my cup of tea but it's at all events honest.

 

[Deleted member 132197]

Were they visiting from a country that starts with a "U" and ends with an "A"? (Hint: NOT Uganda) I can see that happening.

United Kingdom-a?

Not a lot of obnoxious Americans make it accros the pond.

A lot has been said about tourists, including American tourists, in Amsterdam. But no, I'm not referring to them. I meant folks from anywhere in this country, going about their business in Amsterdam.
I'm not even talking about the Amsterdam people themselves, who generally have a certain vibe, which isn't my cup of tea but it's at all events honest.

yeah, I can understand that. There's a kind of arrogance that takes over people when they move here. (full disclosure, I'm import as well ). Amsterdam food service is therefore the worst. Both the patrons as the staff act like they're above everything. Getting good service is near impossible.

 

[Kaa]

Funny, I'd thought the Netherlands would have a pretty laid-back population vibe. Shows my ignorance.

 

[Flamingo21]

Whenever you're looking for a people's laid-backness, their biggest and busiest city isn't the first place to look.

 

[Kaa]

In bass-related news, I went to the YT channel for Bass The World, and watched videos of people playing different music. (The non-gear review vids.)

Promptly after watching I burned all my gear.

There are people on that channel who do things I can't even understand.