Bolting stuff to your bass

[mica]

Just touch your peghead to the wall (or the sofa) and add lots of mass if you want to see how that sounds. Even changing how hard you grip the bass will change the mass, since it's coupling too. Since you change your fretting hand position while you play, usually dead spots aren't exactly where you are fretting, but there are exceptions. You don't have to move it off the neck, just to not exactly where you are playing.  
 
I even know a person that can make a dead spot happen when nobody else who plays the bass can. He did eventually teach James how to do it sometimes.  It's not exactly a marketable skill, but it does help show that since the bass isn't playing itself, the player can make a difference.

[yogalembic]

@ jacko....made me LOL!  Just buy an Alembic = problem solved.  Too good!
 
@ briant....tone is quite subjective.  Billy, Jeff Berlin, et. al.  Some might complain that Jamerson's tone sounds like a goose fart on a muggy day.
 
All monster players, all have a nitch, all get it done.  I love listening to all of 'em, not only for the tone, but the Spirit of the player..   And the world continues to turn......

[Bradley Young]

Mica,
 
For my next neck, can I get channels of hot lead poured in ala Pinewood derby cars? Because, you know, mass?
 
Wait, nothing so banal as lead would suffice... could I get a bronze-palladium-rhodium alloy?
 
Oh wait, let's go whole hog and just embed a fuel cell in the neck-- that way no need for ds-5.
 
Bradley

[bigredbass]

Sheehan's always been a conundrum to me.  Obviously a talented player, nice guy, but it just makes my skin crawl that a) he had to add that EB-O neck pickup to his old beater Fender, and then b)had DiMarzio make a custom version of that beast to add to his Yamahas since then.  They market it as a 'subwoofer pickup (!)'.
 
Well, at least I know what a submarine woofing sounds like.  I can only imagine what it sounded like when he was using those motor-driven subwoofers in his rig.  Must have kept lots of Immodium in the bus . . . .
 
It went to one-hundred nine degrees F here in the Peoples' Republic of East Nashville last Friday.  I tried to fry an egg on the sidewalk, but it burned.  Really bummed as it's TOO HOT to ride the moto-psychle.
 
J o e y

[terryc]

byoung..I like your humour!!
Okay the full 'no money spared' custom
maple with three ebony laminates in the neck, AAAAAA quilt maple top & back facings with 7 piece hippie sandwich body(ebony and purpleheart laminates) Series II electronics with additional bass & treble controls, 24K gold plated hardware, elaborate neck inlay(dragon or planet or zodiac symbols made with gold wire, precious stones etc)
Initials in gold plate or wire, solid gold Alembic logo with swarski crystal back.
Cost: more than a house mortgage
Oh yes the final custom touch...can you screw this rusty truck wheel bearing to the back of the headstock with some self tapping screws for me
Priceless!

[jacko]

I saw Mr Big in Glasgow last year and Billy's tone was fantastic during his ensemble playing, every note coming across loud and distinct. Trouble was he spoiled it all during his solo - kicking in way too much distortion to come across well. I have several Mr Big vids and the same thing happens on just about all of them.
He's now endorsing and using Hartke and I emailed him straight after the gig(via his website) to ask why. Amazingly, he got back to me pretty much straightaway saying that He'd still be using Ampeg if they hadn't stopped making them in the USA (and obviously, a load of free gear isn't to be sneezed at either).
 
Graeme

[darkstar01]

...why does this matter? i'm not a sheehan fan, but i don't think his tone is awful. no one is forcing you to bolt anything to your instruments. i don't get it. and it's really hot.

[terryc]

jacko..china rules eh??
I wish it was hot in the UK..more rain to come

[811952]

@Dave - Looks like we're heading to the U.P. instead to spend some time riding forest roads and soaking in Lake Superior.
 
@J o e y - Moto-psychle is going to be my new word for the day.  Excellent.  
 
And as for Sheehan, the one time I saw him/them 20 years ago I was not impressed.  His tone was unbearable (to me) and he seemed to not care in the least where the bass drum was..  Of course, they opened for Rush and Geddy was completely lost in the mix as well.  It may have simply been an off-night (in Lubbock, Texas) for all involved.  Perhaps someone fat-fingered the some crucial knobs and faders out front..
 
John

[bigredbass]

Following the passing of ownership of St Louis Music after Mr. Kornblum's death, the new owners folded the production facility for Ampeg in Arkansas and shipped production to Viet Nam.  Lots of retailers passed on re-upping with Ampeg as their net prices did NOT go down, and in some cases actually increased, in the face of this supposedly cost-cutting move to offshore production.  The current Ampeg has resumed production of some pieces back here once again, but it's a hodge-podge.
 
This is not uncommon, but probably was mis-handled vis-a-vis their dealer relationships.  There's only so much mileage you can get out of free drinks and strippers after hours at NAMM.  Didn't get lots of takers for the factory tours . . .
 
J o e y

[terryc]

I guess old USA Ampegs will be come more expensive second hand and owners of such equipment will hang onto them and repair rather than sell. I am all for buying within the country but it is getting harder as manufacturers are moving production to China/Vietnam/Malaysia. But remember when the Japanese began selling motorcycles and hi fi, tv's, cameras etc..they took over the world but even they have production facilities in the aforementioned countries
 
Sheehan..his style doesn't float my boat

[white_cloud]

I admire Billy as a player, his playing is what it is, and I personally dont dig that kind of thing - but he is an amazing talent none the less.
 
I also think that, for the kind of circumstances that he plays in, his tone is absolutely killer. I own an old Yamaha Attitude bass that I dont really play...and it is built like a sherman tank. A P bass on steroids.

[David Houck]

In case any of you have never heard any Niacin, here's a live video.  Niacin is John Novello on keyboards, Dennis Chambers on drums, and Billy Sheehan on bass.

[terryc]

Well Mr Houck that was Billy Sheehan as I have never heard him before, pretty damn good, as the vid notes say Emerson, Lake & Palmer with steroids!

[jacko]

I have a couple of Niacin CDs. They do a great version of Birdland. Haven't listened to them for ages so I know what I'll be digging out this weekend.
 
Graeme