The Bass Industry

[phatduckk]

interesting stuff... as far as "new idea" go... well, none of us have seen these new ideas, woods etc - we don't know if we're gonna like em or not.

i liek choices. If something new and insane comes out and i dig it, then ill play that - if not its not like all this other stuff we're used to is gonna go away.

 

[Big Poppa]

Tnx for cuttin' a bit of slack for us Canucks BP; overall, we're not a bad bunch;
some of us really dig MM basses and all you go through to make them what they are, and that's why we sell our brides to foreign investors and spend our last metric dollars to smuggle them across the line;
and if your plane ever gets shot down over the Great White North, I got friends who can drop some good beer at your campsite; and don't worry, it'll be cold

Cheers

you ever notice that when a newbie comes in a defends someone who doesnt have a problem with me, attacks and insults me and I explain myself they never apologize....even in canada

 

[Oldtoe]

Must be the language barrier, BP.

 

[tkarter]

BP I think you only have a way with women.

tk

 

[PzoLover]

Some People's Kids

you ever notice that when a newbie comes in a defends someone who doesnt have a problem with me, attacks and insults me and I explain myself they never apologize....even in canada

While I can't speak for all my fellow Canucks, and I'm forbidden by law to apologize in english for anybody from Quebec, and I'm only a WASP hiding out on the wet coast, I offer whatever apologies you'll accept for whatever about these discussions offends you.

The fact is, for years, I've dogeared to near death my old copy of Bass Player with the EBMM factory tour article (the one with you wearing a baseBall cap), and I for one feel it a privilege to pay real money for and play 'original, genuine, real deal Ernie Ball Music Man' instruments that were spawned from ground zero of the world's first electric basses, and on through the Ball Family Legacy, and are ever built hands-on by musicians, for musicians, to top quality standards and based on the kind of vision and determination you've shown through your instruments, and now, your committments to advancing the state-of-the-art, demonstrating how to run a good company and not become a watered-down corporation, and educating all us knuckleheads with these direct communications.

Before I trust anybody else's electric bass innovations, I trust your's first !

In return, about all I can say is "Thanks Very Much BP", don't let us p!$$ you off too badly, and at the end of the day some of us are ever ready to offer you a cold beer for your troubles.

 

[KennethB]

you ever notice that when a newbie comes in a defends someone who doesnt have a problem with me, attacks and insults me and I explain myself they never apologize....even in canada

Yeah, I've noticed that and it is very odd.

 

[Big Poppa]

no prob thanks for the knd words......I kind of remmember that article

 

[KennethB]

He,he...."even in Canada.".......

 

[Caca de Kick]

The fact is, for years, I've dogeared to near death my old copy of Bass Player with the EBMM factory tour article (the one with you wearing a baseBall cap)

I still have the same old Bass Player mag...Jan/Feb 1991. It was my first BP mag, I was a senior in high school. Yeah, great EB factory tour article. Back then a MM bass was way beyond reach, and nobody's parents in my town bought their kids such lavishly expensive 'guitars'. I could only afford to drool at MM pictures.

 

[Musicman Nut]

Well for what it's worth here's my quarters worth.

I have Owned many Of Basses over time and my thoughts that work for me and several Other People.
What Made Fender basses so wounderful thru the 50's and 60's was this. 99.9% of them didn't weigh a thing, secondly most all the necks seemed to melt right into your hand, and sound, man they we're a house hold tone to die for.

That was the Good In Fender Bassses.

Now the Bad, They we're nosiey for the most part, made mostly by hand so the craftmanship was not always the best.

Now the Problem with Bass Companies today is this, CNC can be good but also bad also, Most new basses feel like a Machine Made them and they don't fit your hand or Body very well.
Now if I have to convince myself that in time this bass will feel right then I WILL NOT BUY IT, BECAUSE IN TIME IT'LL NEVER FEEL RIGHT.

Music Basses from the seventies had necks that felt incredible but we're not stable, Bodies that weighed 10 plus pounds.

Ernie Ball came in and did an amazing difference with CNC, The closest to new I have found that feels humanly comfortable to play and wear. Although I still Have to hunt for an 8 pounder for my style of comfort.

To me Feel has to come first, if it feels good to play then I'm very open minded, If i grab a bass that don't feel good, it'll never get plugged in.
As an example, G&L basses to me are probably the worst feeling basses I have ever played period.

The Bongo is Probably the best sounding Bass I've ever owned, and feels very comfortable. I have a few Light ones, and Love them.

So I think New Can be good, but most bass companies worry too much about looks then tone, and I can tell you 95% of Bass Companies today no NOTHING ABOUT HOW A BASS SHOULD FEEL, That's why there's 9 million Basses companies with not a lot of decent basses.

So make New, Design New, but keep in mind of what Past History has taught us, and More companies I think could succeed.
Ernie Ball Music Man has nailed it so far so I will continue to buy Many More of these basses.

 

[Big Poppa]

cool.....Keep in mind that I have to make many models in order for us to survive and create the revenue to fund R & D, pay employees , stockpile inventory of rapidly vanishing tone woods, etc.... ...If I just made Stingrays I would have been six feet under by now. As good as it is making one bass give s you no margin for error or anything.

In other words a great one legged chair is a lot lke a pogo stick.....Deep thoughts for you kids......

 

[cliff78]

its great that ernieball still makes basses with great woods. other bass makers in the world use not so good sounding woods and put as high price on it. the musicman basses are really worth the money. i tried different bass guitars when i was there in usa. only the musicman bass stands out with its price.

 

[Psycho Ward]

Well this has been an interesting discussion and I hope my mindless dribble isn’t off point...to far.

The electric bass guitar in still a very new instrument, fifty years or so is mere infancy. If you look around the orchestra, every instrument around you is wayyy older. The saxophone would be one of the newest. The Grand piano is hundreds of years old, but there were many strange variations of what would become the modern grand. Who’s to say what we consider to be the modern electric bass in 2006 isn’t one of those strange variations that someday will become the true modern electric bass. The standard, the dictionary description of the electric bass guitar, the instrument that sets the standard and doesn’t go thru radical changes anymore… like the grand piano or the oboe.

But I do have some experience with “new” instruments; I’ve been playing the wind controller since it came out in 1987. Since then the wind controller has went through many changes, refinements, and more capability added in every new version. I think the electric bass guitar is still in that same stage as well. I applaud BP’s efforts to keep innovation alive, the bass guitar ain’t done yet!

Here are a few ideas I’ve pondered during my still brief life trying to learn the bass guitar. I think future basses will far different electronics, I think there will be, dare I say it, computers in the bass. I think there will be ways of storing multiple eq settings, pickup panning, the whole machine state. I think there will be some sort of new articulation methods designed in; some way to mimic bowing I feel would open up great possibilities. MIDI, that tracked well, opens up so many doors I don’t know where to start!

The use of new materials will happen, BP will find them, it’s a great idea. I think about the only thing established so far with the electric bass guitar is that “it shall have strings, it shall be heard and it must go low”

Now back to intelligent discussion, I have to take a nap!

 

[adouglas]

Well, son of a gun...lookee what I found:

http://www.harmony-central.com/Events/WNAMM00/Yamaha/YamahaBambooGTR.html

 

[richbriere]

Lots of interesting thoughts and ideas. I've been enjoying seeing some old, familiar names. During the mid eighties I was the rep for Tobias, Spector, Eden, Steinberger, SWR, Modulus and several accessory companies--all at the same time. As a bass player, I was in heaven and loved my job. All of those companies had rather unique approaches to what they were doing and all followed a similar road.

I've been a Music Man dealer for about 5 years and have really enjoyed the ability to introduce my customers to the company. I became a Music Man fan when, as the Fender rep for the Northeast, I asked one of my dealers (Dicks Country Store) why he purchased so few of my basses and so many Music Man basses. He asked if I'd played any of the "New MM" basses. I sat down, played for awhile and I was hooked.

I look forward to a long relationship with MM and always appreciate the innovative instruments that the company builds. Thanks Sterling!

 

[PzoLover]

Bass Bass(ics)

I think future basses will far different electronics, I think there will be, dare I say it, computers in the bass. I think there will be ways of storing multiple eq settings, pickup panning, the whole machine state. I think there will be some sort of new articulation methods designed in; some way to mimic bowing I feel would open up great possibilities. MIDI, that tracked well, opens up so many doors I don’t know where to start!

Psycho Ward,

You're reminding me of waaay back when, in university (pre1980); a 'filler article' in the dorm copy of 'Play O'Boy' was about the city of the future and there were some fancy illustrations and promises of all things miraculous, including sleek looking cars that rode on magic highways, and girlfriends that wore a bathing suit whilst doing math, cooking supper and cutting the lawn.

What did we get ?? Minivans, cranky soccer moms in baggy sweats, and transfat food from the drivethru

My present day picture of electric bass paradise is about headin' out on a sunny afternoon to a good ol'fashioned country blues jam with an SR5 Piezo on the backseat of the Buick Wildcat; and the sounds I'm hearing are "Canned Heat" and Thrush mufflers.

Program 'That' into your presets

 

[strummer]

no prob thanks for the knd words......I kind of remmember that article

 

[Big Poppa]

Actually pzo and physco

I really envision more switching and programmability. WE spend a fair amount of time working on that. The usual problems are noise, slow reaction and the circuit affecting the sound.Right now we are hamstrung by of the shelf 3 ways and 5 ways. the cost of tooling on the switches make it really tough to do something else. We have to pick the 5 best sounds but what if you could change the five or so main settings for a diferent gig/room/band? Right now it is like a car with a limiter.

 

[tkarter]

BP don't you think you hit such a home run with the Bongo that you are hard pressed to create something to better it?

In a short amount of time it has proven to provide the sound bands need underneath them and it is still really in it's infancy.

I reckon Dudley and you still have some ideas.

Keep building the bongos we will come to wake up and buy them.

tk

 

[Lazybite]

I like what matt bellamy from muse did with his custom guitars.. built effects into them... and could control them with his fingers ... practical/affordable for the average user?? nope.