ofsalesmen

Not to distract from the OP's post, but does anyone know anything about the Daphne Blue (or Ice Blue Metallic) Jazz Bass that Geddy warms up on as shown in the first scene of the Rush doc? I have a pretty good idea of his current gear but I had never seen that bass before.

As a guy, I'm gonna have to go with 70s Geddy. That mane was awesome, especially paired with a Rickenbacker doubleneck.

Not quite sure where to ask, but is there any way I can contribute some bass?

Ninjavitis.

Do you mean composing your own stuff? I do a fair bit of that, but it's usually just riffs that eventually find their way into my band.

Haha nice names, guys. I think I might go with Tracy, since this is essentially a Jaco bass and I need a feminine name (yeah, I'll spare you the jokes about fingering techniques). After reading Jaco's biography (which I definitely recommend, by Bill Milkowski), I believe that Tracy was probably the woman Jaco loved the most. Plus she was pretty attractive!

I decided it was time to try out a fretless bass so I did some research. Squier recently came out with their Vintage Modified Jazz Bass, essentially a Jaco bass (sunburst with no pickguard, P-bass knobs) with some decent pickups and a lined ebonol fingerboard. I was surprised to see a Squier get such great reviews, but then I played one myself and saw for myself how excellent it was. This is definitely not a typical Squier, except for price.

 

I was able to talk Guitar Center into price-matching Musician's Friend's Memorial Day sale price, so this one was definitely a steal. Did I mention some guy was playing Natural Science as I was checking out? It was an excellent afternoon!

 

Here she is... I've yet to name her. Suggestions?

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a181/vapordynamyx/vmjazz.jpg

QUOTE (Jon @ May 8 2008, 03:46 PM)

Oh yes, Bangkok too! Suddenly, it's in the set. Thanks for all the comments folks. I nearly had to get a second mortgage for it...but not quite...

Sadly, this is all moot now. I broke my D yesterday so I just a new set of D'Addario ProSteels. I decided another set of DRs weren't worth the $8 premium.

 

I was always paranoid about steel strings eating my frets but I decided to try them out... all I can say is WOW.

Is it okay to use 91% isopropyl alcohol instead of denatured alcohol?

For the past couple of years, I have been boiling my bass strings to squeeze out as much life out of them as possible. I can't afford to buy new strings that often so it's more of a necessity. However, I read that soaking the strings in alcohol is better in that it doesn't rust the strings. I have a nice set of DRs and I really want them to last, so I decided to try the less-damaging alcohol method. I got some 91% isopropyl alcohol from Target and I'm going to try it out sometime next week.

 

Has anyone ever used alcohol to clean bass strings? If so, what's your method?

QUOTE (Jon @ Mar 7 2008, 08:03 PM)

One other thing if you're really after Geddy's tone at that time; instead of his normal Rotosound Swing 66s (SM66), he used Rotosound Funkmasters on his Wal basses (FM66, which are 30-90).

I also got a new amp last month, a Line 6 LowDown LD300. I had a Fender Rumble 100 for the past four years but it just wasn't cutting it. New gear is always awesome!

I've heard good things about DiMarzio pickups. They're affordable too. At one point, I was considering upgrading the pickups in my Yamaha RBX170 (same issue: I love the feel and playability but the electronics are horrid since it's a low-priced instrument). I saw a P/J hybrid set for $120 on Musician's Friend.

 

You can check out the reviews at Harmony Central to get a feel for what's out there. It's not like you can try out several models and return them.

QUOTE (mfratt @ Mar 4 2008, 03:35 PM)

Damn you people. Envy x10000. I have a $200 Ibanez, a $350 Ibanez 5-String, and a little 15W practice amp.

QUOTE (Jon @ Feb 6 2008, 06:23 PM)

Jaye, some people - including me - find that one is not enough... Larks, look away now! http://img352.imageshack.us/img352/2307/jonricksqk1.jpg

This is IMPOSSIBLE! I think Signals is one of their best albums in terms of all the songs being awesome. But of course, this applies for so many of their albums.

 

Anyway, I'd have to say Losing It, just because it's so unlike anything they've ever done.

Musician's Friend, definitely. They have an excellent reputation.

Those are called capos and you can get one for around $10, give or take 5 depending on brand. You can get it at your local music store.

 

Trains is such a gorgeous song!

Yeah, it's the Ric there, not surprisingly. I think I agree that it's the Fender. I remember those interviews where Geddy mentioned what he played for Tom Sawyer, Limelight, and Red Barchetta.

Did Geddy use the Jazz or the Ric on The Camera Eye?

 

His tone is deliciously crunchy and I want to see if I can emulate it on my new Line 6 amp.

QUOTE (TheRocinanteKid @ Feb 25 2008, 08:54 AM)

QUOTE (ofsalesmen @ Feb 25 2008, 03:48 AM) My next one will definitely be a Jazz. I thought about making the effort to save up for a Ric but in the end, I decided it's a one-trick pony. I've got one of these right now: http://namm.harmony-central.com/WNAMM01/Content/Ibanez/PR/EDA900SVF.jpg It's an Ibanez EDA, made from Luthite and with piezos. The neck is pretty much thinner than a Geddy neck! Looks... expensive. They made these guys from 2001 to 2005 and they sold new for about $700. I got one used on eBay last year for... [drum roll from Neil] $250, including a hardshell case, strap, strap locks, and tuner. They typically go for $400 used.   The piezo gives it a lot of midrange and if you balance it with the magnetic pickup just right, you can get a decent upright tone on it. I'd say it's like the bridge pickup on a Jazz bass. The luthite is very dark, however. There's no "woodiness" to the sound, just tight lows and snappy highs which are great for slapping.

My next one will definitely be a Jazz. I thought about making the effort to save up for a Ric but in the end, I decided it's a one-trick pony. I've got one of these right now:

 

http://namm.harmony-central.com/WNAMM01/Content/Ibanez/PR/EDA900SVF.jpg

 

It's an Ibanez EDA, made from Luthite and with piezos. The neck is pretty much thinner than a Geddy neck!

Just got a new Line 6 LowDown LD300 Pro...

 

This baby purrs.

Honestly, I think most people with doublenecks look like tools if they don't have a need for it. I don't own one, but they are definitely expensive no matter what you get. I would make sure you actually have a use for it.