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StingEye

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One thing that first strikes me about stingrays are how even all the strings are in vloume. It is a very loud bass. I've played Carvin's, Tobias' and Fender's through cabs, but the stingrays always seem louder without touching any knobs between basses. However the Warwick Corvette is not only louder than the stingray...but at full level on all the knobs it will put so much bass and punch through the speakers that it will distort. So what exactly determines definition and volume? I mean the corvette is made of alder, and it is louder than basses that are made out of bubinga, ash? Is it wood? electronics? Both? Construction maybe?
 

bovinehost

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No, the grammar and spelling is good - can't be Nick.

I don't think, personally and everyone is free to disagree with me, that there is much the wood will do for volume.

Volume is all about strings, pickups and electronics.

Now, have a go at me, I'm ready.
 

jeffsixx

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brooklyn, new york
i feel the wood does help with volume. thats why some basses are louder than others when not plugged in. i use ernie ball strings on all my basses, and some are louder than others.
 

bovinehost

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Well, unplugged is a different discussion.

But now I don't know about the rest of you guys, but when I play music, live or recording or whatever, on an electric bass, I almost never leave it unplugged.
 

cgworkman

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bovinehost said:
No, the grammar and spelling is good - can't be Nick.

I don't think, personally and everyone is free to disagree with me, that there is much the wood will do for volume.

Volume is all about strings, pickups and electronics.

Now, have a go at me, I'm ready.

I agree with Bovine on this one.

I understand about being louder when "unplugged" - but I've seen the louder when "unplugged" basses have less volume than others when plugged in.

Two identical basses can have different volumes due to string height and other factors.
 

jeffsixx

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brooklyn, new york
that is true as well. i think the wood helps with plugged in volume aswell. i think, wood, strings, pick-ups, eq, all add up to the volume of the instrument.
 

StingEye

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Fremont, CA
Please forgive me in regards to the initial spelling of volume...I assure everyone that it was a fluke thing and nothing more...
But it;s weird how a bass made of seemingly less costly woods etc. can sound so much better than one that is made out of really dense wood with supposed "high quality" electronics. Maybe it's just a personal preference.
 

StingEye

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P.S.
"props" (to borrow a term from the "hood") to bovine...
I am not Nick nor do I intend to be. No offense to whoever Nick is.
 

bovinehost

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weird how a bass made of seemingly less costly woods etc. can sound so much better than one that is made out of really dense wood

It's common. Alder and ash weren't considered "tone woods" when Leo first started making guitars and basses out of them. They were cheap, easy to get and there were huge supplies available. That was what Leo wanted - "tone wood" wasn't something he knew anything about, nor would he have cared - that's my guess.

The wood issues on electric instruments is WAY overvalued by people who have more money than sense, or who want to have pretty furniture basses.

Best sounding bass in my house? Bongo. Which, of course, is basswood. Cheap, easy to get and huge supplies available. I think Leo would approve. Both ash and alder are prettier woods, but you can't beat basswood for tone.

Okay, now bash me, I can take it, really.
 

StingEye

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Fremont, CA
Thank you for confirming this issue. I go the practical way when testing a bass to see if I like it or not... I play it and then I listen to it. If both pass the test, then I consider worth buying...or stealing.
 

Mobay45

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Home of the Bongo Birthday Bash '06
bovinehost said:
It's common. Alder and ash weren't considered "tone woods" when Leo first started making guitars and basses out of them. They were cheap, easy to get and there were huge supplies available. That was what Leo wanted - "tone wood" wasn't something he knew anything about, nor would he have cared - that's my guess.

The wood issues on electric instruments is WAY overvalued by people who have more money than sense, or who want to have pretty furniture basses.

Best sounding bass in my house? Bongo. Which, of course, is basswood. Cheap, easy to get and huge supplies available. I think Leo would approve. Both ash and alder are prettier woods, but you can't beat basswood for tone.

Okay, now bash me, I can take it, really.

Now this I agree with! I also believe that the wood on an electric guitar has very little to do with the sound it produces. That's probably why EB found that there wasn't much difference between string through bridge and string through body. Sorry, I can't bash you for this. Maybe next time.
 

tkarter

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The only thing wrong with bongo's is the fact bovine gets them faster than they can build them.

:)

tk
 

spectorbassguy

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Feb 19, 2004
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Central Iowa
bovinehost said:
Well, unplugged is a different discussion.

But now I don't know about the rest of you guys, but when I play music, live or recording or whatever, on an electric bass, I almost never leave it unplugged.

Absolutely LOL!:D Ha!:p Good one Bov!:D
 
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