Is there a bass guitar YouTube equivalent for Ola/Keith Merrow etc? Eventual NGD, + clip (finally)

fretmeister

@guitarfishbay

Where do you live? You are welcome to pop round and try my TM5 if you like?

guitarfishbay

Right. @fretmeister @Dave_Mc @Drew_fx

Time to shit or get off the pot. Just ruled out Stingrays - played a pretty sweet 5 string just now and the low B doesn't do it for me. Also tried a US Standard J 5, I prefer the 4 string neck and I don't reckon the 1 inch scale difference will be make or break.

There is a good US J 4 string where I am right now, or I mail order a Sandberg in either JJ or JM. I do like the US J I've found, right spec, right colour, and it sounds good (strings are new on it so that helps). Probably the pick of the U.S. Js I've tried.

Again I disliked the US Deluxe J (N3s IIRC) they don't sound as good as real singles on the Standard. My concern with the Sandbergs is I've only tried the JM with moderately dead strings. I've no real barometer for how they'll sound with new strings. But the necks are nicer and the one I tried sounded great anyway, and due to the Euro they're cheaper (and Fretmeister has alerted me to a used option in the UK too).

I have found a 5 guys place round the corner from the shop and am expecting burger and chips to summon internal wisdom. Or GAS... Lol.

guitarfishbay

I can't find anything on Haussel pickup Sandbergs, as I think those are real singles. The Delanos are noiseless but sound like beefy J's. The fender noiseless pickups I've tried sound like dull J's and the strings were fine on both deluxes I tried.

guitarfishbay

While I'm rambling - played a £14xx Fender Dimension and the fret ends were rubbish! Quite disappointing. Hope they're not all like that. Just wanted to see what the tone was like - ok, but I wouldn't be bothered about buying one.

guitarfishbay

Ah FFS I meant to order Cajun style Fries instead of regular. Too much bass distraction going on in my brain.

guitarfishbay

Christ I'm stuffed. Only thing I gained was a receipt and a feeling that my stomach might regret me mixing fizzy drinks at the soda machine.

guitarfishbay

What it basically boils down to is this - the US J here is good and I know I like it. Is it worth the cash? Hmm it is a lot of money and is less flexible than the Sandberg. But I care more about it sounding good than being flexible, and it sounds good.

But I have reason to believe a Sandberg would be better based on testing some out (just not with the spec I want otherwise I'd have got one of those) and they're cheaper by £100-300 depending on which model I pick, which can't be sniffed at.

I'm actually not arsed about active VS passive it is more I do with the tone of the instrument itself, I've got plenty of flexibility with my other gear to get a good result with a passive or active bass. But the active EQ on the Sandberg is a plus point. And the necks on the basic models I tried were better feeling than the Fender necks.

The more I think about it the more I think I want to get a Sandberg. I just wish I could go and try one in the spec I'm looking at first. But I'll have DSR if I reject it, and return postage isn't going to be the end of the world.

My final concern is if I should consider the Haussel pickup Sandberg, as those are real singles. Based on my experience with the US Fender J's I had a preference for real singles. I know I like Delanos though so they're a safer bet, I really have no clue on the Haussels.

Dave_Mc

LOL

Not sure how much help I can give, having not tried either. My feeling is there's a fair chance you know what you want, and you just need to have the courage to go with that (I'm guilty of being ultra-indecisive too, that's not a dig at all ) ).

That being said, the USA Fenders are pretty expensive, as you said- I have no experience with the basses but the guitars' prices have shot way up over the past several years and the basses seem to be similar in that regard.

I guess you could do what I do- keep a fairly close eye out in case a shop has a sale on, and if it drops to a price you're willing to pay, then get it. The flaw in that plan is that you'd have to buy one you haven't tried, and maybe the bass was reduced for a reason...

fretmeister

We are now into the land of personal taste where none of us can help!

Although I'm now thinking of getting another Sandberg! 

guitarfishbay

Decision made. NBD post later in the week reliant on it being a keeper.

Drew_TNBD

Have you considered that strings play a huge factor in the sound of a bass? Maybe some of the basses you didn't like had flatwounds on them? Flatwounds wouldn't be your cuppa tea I expect.

fretmeister

I don't know of a single bass maker that ships their standard basses with flatwounds unless it's on a signature model like the Fender Steve Harris bass (Rotosound Monel flats) or the Pino Palladino etc etc

Sandberg have their own branded strings that are no doubt made by someone else. They suck.

EDIT - that being said, strings make a massive difference on bass.

My Marleaux came with Marleaux strings. When I bought it I played it acoustically and through a little praccy amp.

When I got home to my monster GenzBenz & Bergantino stack it sucked so badly. In the case there was a fresh set of Marleaux strings so I put them on. Still sucked. I was gutted beyond belief.

Then I put on some D'addario Pro-Steels and it was amazing.

Dave_Mc

guitarfishbay said:

Decision made. NBD post later in the week reliant on it being a keeper.

Sweet

guitarfishbay

Drew_fx;561451" said:

Have you considered that strings play a huge factor in the sound of a bass? Maybe some of the basses you didn't like had flatwounds on them? Flatwounds wouldn't be your cuppa tea I expect.

Absolutely, but the Us Jazz, J5, and MM Stingray 5 I tried at the weekend had pretty new strings. I'd wager I was one of if not the first person to test those basses. They were plenty bright.

In fact I tried 3 US Jazzes there, one had a maple board, two were rosewood. One of the rosewood boards had dull strings and it was heavier so I rejected it straight off as the other one felt better even ignoring the strings.

Between the maple and rosewood board J's that were left the bridge pickup on the maple sounded punchier... But I'm enough of a nerd to have carried a ruler with me, and the pickup was around 1mm closer which is enough to make it subtly louder.

I also briefly tried another Ibanez SR, and MIM 60s... but I don't fancy either.

I tuned all the basses before starting - pretty easy to forget to do that but if you don't the comparison is less fair.

Given I've tried multiples of most things I'd be surprised if I'd overlooked something like a bass having flats. In PMT (Manc and Leeds) all the expensive basses are stored high up out of reach so you need a salesman to get them down - most of them have had pretty fresh strings probably due to that.

I'm sure I prefer steel strings but regular nickel round wound are ok too. I think pickup style and position are major contributors to why I like some basses and others less so.

I did plenty of experimenting on my own gear and have also tried a thinner low B as you suggested. It helped, but having heard the low B on some of the 5 strings I've tried out (both acoustically and amplified) I think it is clear I'm best off just getting the 'right' bass to start off with.

guitarfishbay

Also @fretmeister I've got a fresh set of 45-105 pro steels coming to try the bass out with. If I keep it then I'll need another new set, to cover me for down tuning. But if I reject it then it is still £20 well spent.

I just don't reckon I'd get away with filing the nut out for big strings, then sending it back. It would be a dick move if I got away with it anyway.

fretmeister

guitarfishbay said:

Also @fretmeister I've got a fresh set of 45-105 pro steels coming to try the bass out with. If I keep it then I'll need another new set, to cover me for down tuning. But if I reject it then it is still £20 well spent.

I just don't reckon I'd get away with filing the nut out for big strings, then sending it back. It would be a dick move if I got away with it anyway.

Quite right. It has to go back in the same condition.

I've got a .130 B on my Berg, but then 100, 80, 60, 40.

fretmeister

Funnily enough, although I usually like D'Addario Prosteels on my 'Ray5 I prefer the EB Nickel set.

Even more odd is that I prefer a heavier gauge on the bass. But I also like D'Addario Chromes (flats) on the Ray - they are very bright for a flatwound and sound brilliant.

On my fretless status I like Chromes or the excellent La Bella White Nylons if I want an old fashioned sound.

guitarfishbay

Well I'd guess that set would be similar to what is stock on the 5 string Ray I played. I liked it but it is a pretty beefy/aggressive sounding bass and this time round it wasn't what I was looking for.

Maybe some of my ramblings make it sound like I'm saying some stuff isn't good, whereas it is more like I'm looking for something specific. The only thing I was majorly disappointed with were the fret ends on the Fender Dimension - no idea how it passed QC as it felt rough and uncomfortable.

I liked the Sandberg Basic 'Ray' I tried too, but again on reflection I'm pretty sure I'm after J type this time.

fretmeister

Bass strings survive being taken off and putting back on again far better than guitar strings.

I have boxes of used strings that I keep for different purposes.

I've been playing a lot of Motown lately so I've had some ancient Thomastik flats on my Ray. It just sounded right, fitting in under the horns.

PolarityMan

I have a pretty cheap crack converter bass, but the thing i most struggle with is in the box VST bass sounds. Even with my cheap guitars i can get a halfway decent guitar tone but i jsut seem to have an inability to dial in bass tones.

anyone got any starters?