Bassists of Singletrackworld....

The Chrome audio extension runs on the tab you’re listening to. 
Download it here and it’ll show in your extensions  folder at the top right hand corner of your chrome browser. 

https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/chrome-audio-capture/kfokdmfpdnokpmpbjhjbcabgligoelgp?pli=1

When you click on it it records any audio playing on the tab you have open, and you then save it to your downloads as an MP3  

The gruvgear solo neo (or something like that) is 4" wide. A 4 inch strap is quite wide, it could possibly press into the neck if your shoulders aren't broad enough, I think Josh from bassbuzz uses that strap, but he is something like 6' 5" 

 

I like levy's right height straps, easier to adjust than traditional straps, I have a leather 3.5" wide one, and certainly don't feel the need for anything wider. I just noticed they also do a comfort strap still 3.5"

good point, 3.5" would probably be better.  thanks for the levy link, id prefer a brown strap tho and cant see that they do one in that size/colour.  i'll keep looking but will look for a comfortable 3.5 now.

Download it here

thanks, thats sorted it.  who'd have thought that 'chrome audio capture' would be different to 'audio capture for chrome' 🙂

saved to mp3 now although opening it and stripping in moises leaves the bass very quiet.  its shown me where the tone rises and falls, but i dont think i could use it to try and identify specific notes.

thank you

saved to mp3 now although opening it and stripping in moises leaves the bass very quiet.  its shown me where the tone rises and falls, but i dont think i could use it to try and identify specific notes.

 Once you've separated the tracks in Moises it gives you the following screen: You can use the sliders on the left hand side to "mix" the volumes of various tracks, so you can lower the volume of all except the bass to make it prominent. . You can then export (download) the mix you have created, or separate tracks which you can then manipulate to your heart's content in a DAW. 

yep i used the sliders to silence everything apart from the bass, but it just leaves a very quiet 'muddy' bass sound, even with my volume cranked up to max.  the mp3 plays ok at normal volume, so maybe its just the youtube video that had a crap bass sound.

i exported that bass line to see if that file was any different but it wasnt, so ill just try again when i get another song i want to dissect.

thanks

Isn't the idea to mute the isolated bass so you can play along to the music?

isn't the idea to mute the isolated bass so you can play along to the music?

For that I would again. mute the bass in the original, and try both to see which feels right. But I am pretty bad at listening to something and repeating, I am (marginally) better at feeling what fits with the song.

Isn't it just basically root/5th anyway, with a few passing notes thrown in?

For Moises, the “best” thing to do is pay 99p for the song you want in iTunes, then upload that to Moises to split. Most of the time you will get a pretty clear bass only track. If you don’t it’s maybe more to do with way the track is mixed.

also ( & I don’t think this is the case with dirty old town) but there are quite a few isolated bass tracks uploaded to you tube already.

for example, you mentioned the ramones earlier…..

I use it to notate tricky lines. I personally find music notation more useful than tab, and if it’s much more than a repeating riff or a line based on roots or arpeggios, I can’t learn stuff like that by ear.  So I’ll slow down the song, bring the bass forward but keep the drums audible and notate the whole thing bar by bar. 

Doing it that way means I have a reference for learning it, especially where the verses have slight differences or the chorus changes or whatever. 

I  can then play the song a few times with the music before it sinks in so I can play from memory. The process of analysing it by ear also means I know most of the song by the time I’m ready to play  

Here's another-- I tried to pay it by ear, I tried to play it from tab, but just could not nail the rhythm. Once I'd split, isolated and slowed it down to notate it I could get it accurate. 

i think its about time i stopped procrastinating and bought that new wider strap.  if im going to do it id rather do it properly and buy strap locks at the same time.

there appear to be a plethora of different shapes and sizes, any recommendations?  do they generally require wider screws, or are most universal and would fit onto the 'buttons' i have on there currently?

thanks

I would buy some strap lock fasteners, although these are meant to be effective and a cheaper option, it is surprising how often a guitar/bass can slip out of the standard "buttons" for no apparent reason.

The little rubber ones do indeed work well. I got gifted some fender strap locks but they looked so massive I never fitted them.

I’ve got Fender Schaller  style locks on both the Fender and the Status. The Fender Schaller  ones need a bit of bravery to fit as the screw is slightly bigger than the standard screw. The Status came with them as a “factory fit “ option.  

I have a 4” wide leather strap from Amazon about 30 quid, on the Fender and the Status has its own brand wide leather strap. The fretless has a 3” Lekato neoprene wide strap (Amazon25 quid)  and standard buttons with the rubber grommets that came with the strap. 

nice one, i think ill probably just buy some of those cheapo jobbies then if they work well.  unless @ceepers is selling his fenders on of course 😉

as for straps, ive got a couple in my gear4music basket, just need to decide which one to delete.

this ones 3" and padded.

this ones wider at 3.5, looks nicer (to me anyway), but no padding

main aims are non-slip to combat neck dive, and comfort.

The Fender Schaller  ones need a bit of bravery to fit as the screw is slightly bigger than the standard screw.

yeah, think id be a bit frit of widening any holes, youre committed then arent you.....

If you end up with a hole too big just stick a match in (with a smear of wood glue if you're a perfectionist) then screw the screw in without the button and leave while the glue sets. Break off the excess match with the screw still in then screw the button back on. 

I don’t need them Theyve been in a bag for the last 3 years!

well i did indeed stop procrastinating, bought the 3" padded leather strap, and also bought the strap locks off @ceepers

turns out the screws were slimmer than the ones in at the moment, but rather than use the 'matchstick' method i just drilled the holes a bit wider to accommodate the original screws.

now theyre on im not sure i like them 😀 yes it makes sense to use them, but they do seem to stick out a bit dont they 😀

thoughts?

Yeh. Sorry, but they're hideous.

What's wrong with the stopper seal from a bottle of Grolsch!

Something doesn't look right there, as if you haven't attached the strap to the  "quick release" part of the strap locks.

Something doesn't look right there, as if you haven't attached the strap to the  "quick release" part of the strap locks.

durrrr.....bloody idiot.  yes, a case of RTFM 😀

looks a bit better now buuuuuut still not convinced.....

next question.  capo(e)s.  im reading theyre frowned upon in bass land but i guess thats for playing.  i want to get adept at setting my bass up, and you really need 3 hands for truss rod setting.  is a capo a good idea for that?  i think last time i tried it i was wedging something metal between the strings to hold the E down at 1st fret.

what are you all using, a capo or something else?  and if a capo, are they all the same?  so a cheapo jobbie might do?

thanks

Yep, just a cheap capo. Go for the trigger type, they're easiest to use. 

thanks, cheapo trigger jobbie ordered.

just browsing away and i saw an orange cab (OBC115) that seemed a decent price but then i realised ohhh, ill actually need an amp head to go with that.  blimey theyre a bit pricey arent they?  much as id like a barefaced cab (keep it in the family so to speak) i couldnt justify the cost of one, PLUS the corresponding head.  

idle musings....are we really spending upwards of £2000 for separates to shake the walls, when a rumble 100 or equivalent would (probably) be loud enough for a gig in a small hall?

Its a bit like bikes with added cork sniffing. You can buy a boardman or a yeti. Or a yeti once ridden by john Tomac

There are good basic amps that don't cost the earth, Solid state ( transistor ) amps generally are cheaper than valve powered ( which allegedly have a distinctive warm tone (ut the solid state stuff can sound just as good just not as "cool"))

Different brands / models often have a specific characteristic basic color to their tone.

then there are the "legacy" amps that are on lots of famous records ( ampeg svt for example)

then there are hand wired amps from legacy brands, then there are vintage amps etc etc.

Speaker size / number is as important as wattage for bass amps id suggest. 

The fender rumbles are good basic amps i think. The 100 can be loud enough with a drummer, depending on your drummers enthusiasm / music you're playing. Its loud enough to make stuff in the room shake. The next one up is probably a better bet for a regular gigging unless you are reinforcing by using the bass DI into the pa as well

As an ex-drummer, theres an awful lot about this I don't understand, and amps are one of those things.
Ultimately, buy whatever you like, its your money, but massive amps seem a particular waste of money if you aren't gigging, and arguably even if you are.
Case in point, the bass player of my sons band doesn't have an amp. He has a wee DI thing that lets him plug into the venue mixing desk and emulate whatever tone he likes. It sounds thunderous.
Another case in point. My cousin is a bedroom player, but has a ludicrous 450 watt amp and cab setup that takes up loads of room and he can barely use.

I started with a Rumble 25. Was more than loud enough for my home use but once I could actually play, it became obvious that the low E’s were very muddy and not really defined. Not really surprising considering it was a single 8” speaker. No need for a massively overpowered set up, so traded in for a Rumble 40. Don’t run it any louder but the increase in speaker size to 10” really makes a difference sound quality wise. The low E, F and G are much more defined and you can actually feel them now, same for ghost notes. Considering it’s not much bigger overall than the 25 and surprisingly a whole lot lighter, I’m very happy with it. 

As much as I’d like one of the new Darkglass combo units, it’d just be a waste. 

I have an orange crush 50 combo amp, much more than needed to practice at home, I do sometimes wonder if I should have bought the 100 in case I do some gigs in the future as it would only have cost about 25% more, but purchasing mission creep and always wanting the next biggest or best is damaging to the wallet, and I might never actually join a band. My current goal is just to create my own bass lines for songs I like, so a bigger amp isn't on my horizon.

He has a wee DI thing that lets him plug into the venue mixing desk and emulate whatever tone he likes.

Oh, that reminds me, has anyone played bass through a FRFR cabinet with a multi effects pedal?

Anyone play a 5 string? 
Quite a few of the new tunes in Yousician have 5 string versions. I have vintage style P and Jazz basses but never had a modern style bass. Kind of fancy an active 5. Harley Benton do a reasonably priced one that looks good, although if I’m going to go modern, I could go all out with a headless Ibanez. 

Talk me into or out of it! 

My current goal is just to create my own bass lines for songs I like, so a bigger amp isn't on my horizon.

I love doing that, mixing bits of the melody of the song with bits of the original base line.

Posted by: clubby

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Anyone play a 5 string? 
Quite a few of the new tunes in Yousician have 5 string versions. I have vintage style P and Jazz basses but never had a modern style bass. Kind of fancy an active 5. Harley Benton do a reasonably priced one that looks good, although if I’m going to go modern, I could go all out with a headless Ibanez. 

Talk me into or out of it! 

Cort B5 Element bass here. Wanted to try 5 string at relatively low cost (got it for around £350 new as i recall and had some decent reviews). It surpassed expectations, especially the tight and defined low end B. Modern looking too.  I like playing it. Also had a headless 4 str bass back in the day, and like that aesthetic!

Posted by: sadexpunk

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thanks, cheapo trigger jobbie ordered.

just browsing away and i saw an orange cab (OBC115) that seemed a decent price but then i realised ohhh, ill actually need an amp head to go with that.  blimey theyre a bit pricey arent they?  much as id like a barefaced cab (keep it in the family so to speak) i couldnt justify the cost of one, PLUS the corresponding head.  

idle musings....are we really spending upwards of £2000 for separates to shake the walls, when a rumble 100 or equivalent would (probably) be loud enough for a gig in a small hall?

For my bedroom playing I have a fender rumble 40, and I love it, however for gigging it won't be enough (acoustic gigs aside in a café or something like that). I have a line 6 Helix stomp that would work better for gigging with a DI box, but it's unlikely I will gig. a 10" speaker such as that in the Rumble 40 is the minimum I think for bass, even at low levels. The advantage of the 100 is the XLR output, not sure it would be enough for a small hall on it's own.  

Posted by: clubby

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Anyone play a 5 string? 

I almost talked myself into a cheap Sire V3 or V5 5 string on Reverb last month. I figured it was a low cost way to give it a try, I'm wondering what that low B string may feel like. 
It may yet happen. I've been saving for a bit, and while, officially, this is my ebike fund, N+1 applies equally to bass guitars as it does bikes.
Plus! I'm 2 weeks from the end of finishing an Open Uni degree and the temptation to treat myself as a reward is unbearable.

I tried a 5 string. It was early on in my bass journey and I found the B string got in the way so I couldn't see what I was doing. I got fed up with it in the end and got rid. A lot of the stuff I play in church  is written in Eb so I have a Hipshot D-Tuner on both basses. If I need anything lower I use the Octave pedals. 

I bought a s/h MM Stingray V about ten years ago to see if it could be useful to me. Very nice bass, pau ferro board, "Copperhead Bronze" finish, white pearloid scratchplate.

I gigged with it quite a bit over the next couple of years but ultimately, once the novelty had worn off, it just didn't really do it for me (in the same way that Fenders don't).

The hardest thing to get used to (for me) was just damping the 5th string, especially when doing any slap and pop stuff, which I don't do a lot of, mind.

Anyway, as it was pretty much mint I sold it for quite a bit more than I'd paid and off it went to somewhere in  the RoI.

As I'm still in Greece atm, I've still got that transparent violet Palaedium waiting at Bass Direct, to be delivered to me when I return. That's the one that was marked as sold and actually wasn't....

Posted by: Andy R

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I've still got that transparent violet Palaedium waiting at Bass Direct

That looks lovely Andy 👍

Posted by: Andy R

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I've still got that transparent violet Palaedium waiting at Bass Direct

 

 

That looks lovely Andy 👍

indeed it does, nice one 🙂

Posted by: luv2ride

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Cort B5 Element bass here. Wanted to try 5 string at relatively low cost (got it for around £350 new as i recall

They look really nice but prices seem to be nearly double that now. 

Those Sire basses do look like good value. 

It's not like I "need" one though, just curious. It's better than having a pedal addiction though, i suppose.

I'm not particularly after a jazz bass, even still, this Sire V5R in that finish is tempting.
https://www.sire-usa.com/products/v5r-5st?variant=43877453136010

However, I have a thing for Stingrays. Full blown MusicMan models are too dear, but I'm going to try some Sterling models out as soon as I'm finished with uni.
Sire have dipped their toe there too recently, with the Z3 and Z7. But, I don't know, they aren't quite a Stingray to me.
https://www.sire-usa.com/products/sire-marcus-miller-z3-4st?variant=44078159528074  

I have an inking for a 5 string at some time as well, not quite yet. I actually fancy building my own with body and neck from warmoth. But I should really try something cheaper first.

Posted by: franciscobegbie

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However, I have a thing for Stingrays. Full blown MusicMan models are too dear, but I'm going to try some Sterling models out as soon as I'm finished with uni.
Sire have dipped their toe there too recently, with the Z3 and Z7. But, I don't know, they aren't quite a Stingray to me.

Funny, I was watching a comparison video between the Z’s and Sterlings last week. Sires came off well in terms of finish, but I’d also kind of worry that they are just not the real thing. 

Posted by: sadexpunk

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Posted by: Andy R

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I've still got that transparent violet Palaedium waiting at Bass Direct

 

 

That looks lovely Andy 👍

indeed it does, nice one :-

It'll no doubt be getting some fettling - a good setup certainly and maybe a Babicz FCH bridge, as I have one on the Palaedium I already have and I'm very impressed with it. I'd also like to try a Tone Monster PTE varitone switch in place of the normal tone pot.

These are a very special bass, designed by the legendary Jim DeCola with masive input from Jeff Berlin - as happy ripping through lyrical fusion lines as playing back sitting into some cool laidback groove. I have never heard a better passive bass, never played a bass that can be setup with such an improbably low action. Play one and you'll never forget it - that's why I was so upset when I thought I'd missed the chance to own a second one.

It won't be immaculate, it's 35 years old, but then all my basses are.....

 

 

Posted by: clubby

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Posted by: franciscobegbie

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However, I have a thing for Stingrays. Full blown MusicMan models are too dear, but I'm going to try some Sterling models out as soon as I'm finished with uni.
Sire have dipped their toe there too recently, with the Z3 and Z7. But, I don't know, they aren't quite a Stingray to me.

Funny, I was watching a comparison video between the Z’s and Sterlings last week. Sires came off well in terms of finish, but I’d also kind of worry that they are just not the real thing. 

In my opinion the nicest MM basses are the "proper" Sterlings, from around 93 or 94. Smaller and a bit lighter than the Stingray, three band EQ, coil switching and lovely necks.

They still had the bridge with mutes, recessed neckplate and chromed brass battery cover at that time. I've got a transparent red fretless and it's a beautiful thing.

It's a pity that now people mostly associate  Sterling with the cheap versions....

Posted by: Andy R

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In my opinion the nicest MM basses are the "proper" Sterlings, from around 93 or 94...

It's a pity that now people mostly associate  Sterling with the cheap versions.... 

Well, more affordable, rather than cheap, which is objectively the case. The Sterling Ray range goes from about £300 to £1200. What's the base price for a MM? £2400 or so?

I'll be heading into Guitar Guitar in a few weeks with the intent to try examples of their Sterling Rays at various price points. Just to see what one I like most, with no preconceptions.

I don't know why Ernie Ball made such a mess of their model names. They had the Stingray and then the Sterling (smaller bodies and a bit lighter but same quality and price). Fine, and understandable - then they used the same names, in differing combinations, for a whole different line of basses. Weird marketing or what?

And now there's no such thing as a new "proper" Sterling - ie equivalent quality and price to a Stingray.

I like my Stingray very much and should have got one years ago - it's very me! But they're not cheap... We've got a Sire V7 here and apart from the excess of knobs and how close one stacked knob is to the strings, and my usual moan about balance, it's a great fake Jazz.

I appreciate that Sterling Ball was involved with Leo on the original Stingray prototypes and then led Ernie Ball for years after his Dad stepped down, but really, surely they have some more names they can use for products? It is sooooo confusing. But please, don't keep using family names, no-one needs an Ernie guitar or a Brian bass! 😉

I've only been into bass for a year and a half, so it doesn't both me. Ernie Ball Music Man Stingrays = Made in America, Sterling by Music Man = Made with somewhere cheaper labour and materials. Non bass nerds don't know about the earlier Sterling models and I imagine a large proportion of the buying public don't either and wouldn't care if they did. 

Only had one American made (Fender Elite) bass and only for three days, at which point one of the pick ups failed. Replaced it with a half the price Mexican made Fender and apart from the less fancy paint finish, I couldn't tell a difference. 

Does anyone know about drum machine applications for computers?

My current practice setup is a nuc computer attached to a screen and focusrite audio interface, a couple of studio monitors and a subwoofer. The bass plugs into an amp modeler into the audio interface. It's a pretty decent setup for playing online lessons, but I would like to get some drum beats to practice to as well, while avoiding the cost of any more kit as I have already overspent.

I'll be heading into Guitar Guitar in a few weeks with the intent to try examples of their Sterling Rays at various price points. Just to see what one I like most, with no preconceptions.

Do you not fancy having a look at Sire's versions?

I have a Stingray that a rarely play because of the weight. I'd sell it, but my son, who mainly plays guitar has said that he wants it.
I briefly had one of the short scale sterling sting rays which I really wanted to love, but just hated the tone of so sold it.