I've decided that ICBM was right.

fretmeister

Do you know what boils my piss?

Hotel room kettles.

Cranky

1-Flats are slappable.

2-Are there any rounds that don’t make that awful finger scraping noise?  If so, what are they?  If not, I say flats on everything.

3-I have a PJ bass.  So what’s the appropriate strings for that according to the canon?

GoFish

Cranky said:

1-Flats are slappable.

2-Are there any rounds that don’t make that awful finger scraping noise?  If so, what are they?  If not, I say flats on everything.

3-I have a PJ bass.  So what’s the appropriate strings for that according to the canon?

2 - Tapewounds I think.

3 -  Half and Half! Not half rounds, any fool can do that - bottom two strings with flats and the top two with roto 66s.

In all seriousness, either flats or 66s for the zing.

stickyfiddle

@cranky I mean.. it’s a bass and you’re not a monster, so flats!! 

ICBM

Cranky said:

I have a PJ bass.  So what’s the appropriate strings for that according to the canon?

Since a PJ is just a P with an extra pickup you never use, the answer is the same as for a P .

fretmeister

I really like Duff McKagan's PJ tone - and he's definitely using both.

Albeit with a 3 way switch to avoid all that insertion loss crap.

Secret_Sam

I had flatwounds on a fretless, so they didn't gouge the fingerboard.  On everything else, I find that a couple of weeks of finger grease and dead skin sort out any noisiness.  

Actually, eeuuwww.

TeleMaster

He's a good lad, our ICBM. 

thisisguitar

fretmeister said:

Sporky said:

Stingray. 

I have severe gas for a ray. But unfortunately they are too heavy for me by a long way. Even the supposedly lightweight Specials have gone up in weight a lot due to an infestation problem in the woods they wanted to use - affecting most US forests.

I would settle for the Joe Dart signature though. Smaller body, slimmer neck. Passive. It really only does one sound but it is such a good sound. Probably my favourite bass sound over the last few years.

Early 2000s Sterling could be a better choice then. I think they are a bit smaller bodied and can be picked up at reasonable money. 

fretmeister

thisisguitar said:

fretmeister said:

Sporky said:

Stingray. 

I have severe gas for a ray. But unfortunately they are too heavy for me by a long way. Even the supposedly lightweight Specials have gone up in weight a lot due to an infestation problem in the woods they wanted to use - affecting most US forests.

I would settle for the Joe Dart signature though. Smaller body, slimmer neck. Passive. It really only does one sound but it is such a good sound. Probably my favourite bass sound over the last few years.

Early 2000s Sterling could be a better choice then. I think they are a bit smaller bodied and can be picked up at reasonable money. 

Alas, they are far too heavy.

The Joe Dart's are often about 7.5lb. The old Sterlings are often hitting 10lb.

thisisguitar

fretmeister said:

thisisguitar said:

fretmeister said:

Sporky said:

Stingray. 

I have severe gas for a ray. But unfortunately they are too heavy for me by a long way. Even the supposedly lightweight Specials have gone up in weight a lot due to an infestation problem in the woods they wanted to use - affecting most US forests.

I would settle for the Joe Dart signature though. Smaller body, slimmer neck. Passive. It really only does one sound but it is such a good sound. Probably my favourite bass sound over the last few years.

Early 2000s Sterling could be a better choice then. I think they are a bit smaller bodied and can be picked up at reasonable money. 

Alas, they are far too heavy.

The Joe Dart's are often about 7.5lb. The old Sterlings are often hitting 10lb.

Ah. I just weighed mine, 8lb 13oz. I know sometimes the shoulders/back don't want the weight. 

As an aside, the Sandberg California TM2 I have is 7oz lighter. It's the easiest bass to play I've ever tried. 

fretmeister

I have a Sandberg TT4 super light that is about 6.5lb and a special order Lionel shortscale superlight that is 5.7lb.

I love them! I'll never go back to heavy basses.

thisisguitar

fretmeister said:

I have a Sandberg TT4 super light that is about 6.5lb and a special order Lionel shortscale superlight that is 5.7lb.

I love them! I'll never go back to heavy basses.

Nice choices, those are seriously light! I'm most impressed with Sandberg, my mate was an endorsee with them a few years ago (might still be) and he was full of praise for them... and he's got some serious gear! I picked one up in the sale at guitarguitar last month, the roasted maple neck and the tonal flexibility of it, on top of how it plays, meant I had to have one :-) 

thermionic

I finally took @fretmeister’s advice and bought some Ernie Ball Group III (45-100) flats. Took the opportunity to give the fretboard the Montypresso treatment, spot-levelled a high fret, and adjusted the truss rod, action, and intonation.

https://i.imgur.com/u1khfrr.jpg

First impressions are great - love the smooth feel (although it almost feels like cheating - like putting 11s on an acoustic!). Impressed by the sounds as well - it somehow sounds more like what I think a bass sounds like in my head, especially with the bridge pickup turned down a bit, along with the tone. Might be a convert.

(Disclaimer: I am a guitarist who likes picking up a bass now and again for a change.)

tone1

monquixote said:

Should we have a generic "ICBM was right thread" like the "boils my piss" one?

I think it would save a lot of time.

I vote for an  “Ask ICBM” thread 

fretmeister

thermionic said:

I finally took @fretmeister’s advice and bought some Ernie Ball Group III (45-100) flats. Took the opportunity to give the fretboard the Montypresso treatment, spot-levelled a high fret, and adjusted the truss rod, action, and intonation.

https://i.imgur.com/u1khfrr.jpg

First impressions are great - love the smooth feel (although it almost feels like cheating - like putting 11s on an acoustic!). Impressed by the sounds as well - it somehow sounds more like what I think a bass sounds like in my head, especially with the bridge pickup turned down a bit, along with the tone. Might be a convert.

(Disclaimer: I am a guitarist who likes picking up a bass now and again for a change.)

Lovely!

The strings will calm down a bit in a month or so, depending on how often you play.
Then they’ll stay the same for 10 years.

Devil#20

Without trying to blow smoke up his arse he usually is. He's helped me out a few times and I'll take his advice without question.

@ICBM I'll forward my bank details via PM presently for my fee as discussed. Paypal is fine.  

tone1

IC has helped me out more than once….so I bought him a hot water bottle a few years back 

Devil#20

tone1 said:

IC has helped me out more than once….so I bought him a hot water bottle a few years back 

He's probably appreciate that living in Scotland and wearing a dress. I've just started learning the bagpipes in the last couple of weeks. I should probably ask him whether I should buy David Nail, RG Hardie or McCallum pipes. Only on a McCallum chanter at the moment and it's going well. Can't wait to piss people off with them at full chat. 

impmann

<impmann swims against the flow as ever>

I just took flats off my Jazz Bass and put on a lovely new set of Elixir rounds - now has top, punch and grit. Previously it was like rubber bands, low output and dull thudiness. 

If we all liked the same things, it would be boring...