any Bassists?

[James Hart]

Hey, I've stumbled here via Google searches for some 70s HiFi gear I'm looking at to match to my Ohm Walsh 2X0 speakers...

I'm a bassist for the last 25 years, made a living at it for a while but don't now. I just quit my band last month and am looking again for some local guys for fun. I moderate @ www.talkbass.com and do webdesign for a few boutique builders, shops and suppliers.

here is my current gear:
click to see (http://lion.phpwebhosting.com/~hartsafire/images/music/rig2004/game-over--I-win02.jpg)


Benavente Fretless 6 string 51 series
Benavente Fretted 5 string 51 series
Peavey Classic 400 (loaded with 8x KT88, 5x 12AX7 & 1x 12AT7)
Schroeder 1212 (2x 12" driver plus tweeter)
Schroeder 1210 (12" & 10" drivers plus tweeter)


this seems like a cool site, I'll be lurking and reading... trying to pick a nice vintage Solid State receiver.

[RocknRoll]

It's great to have you as a member. You are sure to learn a few good things here about vintage gear. Enjoy!

[James Hart]

Thanks, I'm glad I found this little place :thmbsp:

[Rockmonton]

that is pretty cool, i've always been technically a bass player, still trying to master the slap, and i play mainly a westone thunder II and i've got an old ibanez sr500 i've been trying to unload for a while, i play through all sortsa amps, so welcome! and great for you to be here!

[James Hart]

Cool, I've got an 80s Ibanez Destroyer (seen (http://lion.phpwebhosting.com/~hartsafire/images/music/ibanez-destroyer-II.jpg) and heard (http://lion.phpwebhosting.com/~hartsafire/mp3/destroyer.mp3) ) mixed in with a few others... but they are more wall art then working tools.

My domain expired a week earlier then I remembered (on Thursday)... so my site isn't reachable by name, it should be back up in a few days. Here (http://lion.phpwebhosting.com/~hartsafire/music.htm) is a direct link to my page of tunes... kinda a psuedo CD (I made the cover as a joke... the stuff ain't that good).

I'm not that big on slapping, though I do use it when it seems to fit... track #3 is my best standard example... #2 and #12 are more how I regularly use that technique. All those are recorded with the white fretted and my old Hamer 5 string that I defretted and epoxied. My main bass is the Fretless 6 Benavente, you can hear it here (http://lion.phpwebhosting.com/~hartsafire/mp3/Secret_Echo_Helm_of_Sorrows.mp3)

[Rockmonton]

thats some pretty cool bassing, i LOVE the 80's look of that destroyer, i'd have to say this westone i have is one of the nicest basses i've ever seen on account of the whole neck-thru all wood finish, i have a univox hi-flier in pieces, and a loose sdet of EMG p/j pickups that i need to find a use for someday, i really dig that last one, and i've been wanting to really learn how to play fretless for a while, i've toyed around a bit with the upright basses at school, and it didnt seem TOO hard nothing that practise could not fix. this is cool.

[WhiteSE]

Do we let bassists without Rickenbakers join??..:-)

[James Hart]

Do we let bassists without Rickenbakers join??..:-)

mine (http://lion.phpwebhosting.com/~hartsafire/images/music/james_with_ides_winter-88.jpg) got stolen in 1989 though :rant:

[WhiteSE]

That bites big time...! :thumbsdn:

[James Hart]

thats some pretty cool bassing, i LOVE the 80's look of that destroyer, i'd have to say this westone i have is one of the nicest basses i've ever seen on account of the whole neck-thru all wood finish, i have a univox hi-flier in pieces, and a loose sdet of EMG p/j pickups that i need to find a use for someday, i really dig that last one, and i've been wanting to really learn how to play fretless for a while, i've toyed around a bit with the upright basses at school, and it didnt seem TOO hard nothing that practise could not fix. this is cool.

Thanks! The Destroyer was an eBay find... to reclaim the one I sold in the mid 80s (just before buying the Ric!). Westone made some cool basses! Over the years, I've discovered I MUCH prefer the feel and punch of a bolt necked bass. I was going for the vintage vibe with my 2 main basses... the one I have on order is gonna pull out all the stops. I'm doing some web stuff for a major supplier of fancy wood to the better builders... he's hooking me up with some 'show case' tops and boards :smoke: I've got a 2-tones figured Bubinga fingerboard being stabilized as we speak. It's pressure and vacuum treated with acrylic... it can make the softest wood as hard as rock. (close up of my stabilized birds eye maple board (http://lion.phpwebhosting.com/~hartsafire/images/music/rig2004/birdseye.jpg) )

As far as fretless, it ain't that hard! Just play with your ears and it's all good. I heard "Radioactive" by the Firm in the mid 80s and was hooked!!!

[pjweeks]

Awesome! I can't hang with you on skill but I've played for several years and I have a 5 string Squier. I dream of having a fretless someday or converting a fretted bass.

[Rockmonton]

wow, i really should get back into doing bigtime webdesign! i think a few hosts still owe me some stuff for doing sites up for them a few years back when i was an interent happy 13/14 year old...... thats a really nice fretboard, i like the sustain and just the solid tone of this neck-thru mainly because the action is nice and low, and the active circutry (i tweaked it however) made it one hell of a nice bass to play, plus it looks sweet in all natural wood,

[bigmacc]

Hi James l have absolutely no musical talent but l do love my bass.

Who are your favourites, personally l always admired the following:

John Entwistle The Who held everything together love the solo The Real Me

Noel Redding - JimiHendrix and Jack Bruce - Cream especially Jack in three piece bands the bass sets the pace.

Love the Motown guys No Where to Run, Heard Through the Grapevine etc.

As you can tell l'm a product of the 60's.

[James Hart]

Who are your favourites, personally l always admired the following:

I love all music and can find good in even the worst tracks... I've spent a long time learning lines and vibes from the players you've mentioned... LONG hours trying to get those chops!

a few critical players in my life...

1.) Geezer Butler -the main reason I play... heard Black Sabbath in 1978 or so and fell in love with bass

2.) Tony Franklin - opened my ears to the fretless
http://tonyfranklin.com/

3.) Mike Watt - changed the way I look at bass and life
http://hootpage.com/
4.) Tony Levin -nuff said, Tony is a real guy that always plays the right notes
http://tonylevin.com/

5.) George Porter Jr. -the man has said all I ever wanted to say on bass
http://www.georgeporterjr.com/ (if you scroll down a bit to the TalkBass logo, you'll see my name :thmbsp: I kinda interviewed him a while ago)

6.) Chris Wood -great lines and tone
http://www.mmw.net/

7.) Matthew Garrison -one of my latest favorites, just a great player
http://www.garrisonjazz.com/

I could go on forever :D

wow, i really should get back into doing bigtime webdesign! i think a few hosts still owe me some stuff for doing sites up for them a few years back when i was an interent happy 13/14 year old...... thats a really nice fretboard, i like the sustain and just the solid tone of this neck-thru mainly because the action is nice and low, and the active circutry (i tweaked it however) made it one hell of a nice bass to play, plus it looks sweet in all natural wood,

Yeah, it's helping me pay for a bunch of wonderful toys :smoke:

Awesome! I can't hang with you on skill but I've played for several years and I have a 5 string Squier. I dream of having a fretless someday or converting a fretted bass.


I ain't that skilled :scratch2: but I continue to learn and I enjoy myself with it! It seems the more I listen, the more I realise there are worlds of stuff I cannot grasp enough to even fake.

Your Squier, is that the 5 string P bass with the pair of J bass pickups? I've almost come home with one of those a few times... killer bass for the money!

I've got an old imported Hamer that I did the "Jaco" to. took a pen knife to the frets and used Marine epoxy on the fingerboard. took me a couple months to get all the buzz out of my awful job.

Sorry for the book! and Thanks for the welcome!!

I mentioned the "woodguy" I'm doing some work for... well I picked out the top and fingerboard for my next bass :naughty: (http://hartsafire.com/images/music/sappy-bubinga-bass/new-sappy-bubinga-bass-raw-.jpg) <-- click him to see it

[Rockmonton]

now that is some nice wood!

[pjweeks]

Yup, that's the beast. A 5 string squier P-bass body with J-bass pickups. I love the string spacing(w i d e!) BUT it has 4 string pickups. And they sound like it. :cry: The highs aren't as punchy as they could be and the low B kind of has a floppy sound. Then again, I am a tone junkie so I am picky about things like that.

When it comes right down to it, it ain't about the axe, it's about the player. You know what I mean. I just keep learning and playing.

It all started with trombone. Now I have a 5 string bass, a keyboard (teaching myself), a Squier strat, a Taylor Big Baby and a mandolin--we're like a big, happy family. I have so much more to learn... :thmbsp:

P.S.: I have heard that you can find 5 string pickups to put in the Squier without routing out new wood, I just haven't made it a financial priority.

[James Hart]

Tone is in your hands and heart :smoke:

I've got a Squier Strat myself! I also have a cheap Yamaha keyboard with Midi out but built in speakers, Yamaha Acoustic from the early 70s and an old Wurlitzer upright piano.

I'm thinking I want to pick up either Flute and/or Mandolin

as far as pickups... there are many. Take some measurements of string spacing at each and total width of each. Email or call Brian @ http://www.thelowend.net and see what he can recommend (tell him James sent you). Or you could watch the bass board classifieds and'or eBay. I upgraded my Korean import Hamer with some used Bartolini's that would most likely fit yours... cost me $80 shipped for the pair. My white Benavente has DiMarzio Ultra Jazz under the Ash covers, I think they make them for smaller spacings (my Benavente are 19mm (3/4") @ the bridge).