alexclaber Posted July 1, 2004 Share Posted July 1, 2004 Originally posted by wraub: They put the treble and bass knobs there, right? Why no mids? It's not an expensive addition.I wasn't saying that bass and treble is enough, I was saying that stereos shouldn't have any EQ controls. Zip, zilch, nada. And if they do have EQ controls, there should be a direct/EQ-bypass. Originally posted by wraub: Sure, there are much better ways to reproduce music, but for the average home listener/stereo buyer, it's probably going to be the "5.1 in a box" variety, six crappy speakers and an underbuilt receiver to select from with the included remote.What a depressing thought. Those systems are becoming more popular over here though I think our smaller/older houses dissuade people from trying to squeeze in so many speakers. And for the same money as a crap 5.1 system you can buy a decent CD player, integrated amp and proper hi-fi speakers (2-way stand-mounters tend to offer the most (accurate) bang for buck). I'm not happy about this trend towards satellite speakers plus (alleged) subwoofers, the satellites never go low enough (nor, if they're single driver units a la Bose, high enough), the subwoofers sound really boxy due to a lack of deep lows and a big midbass boom and there's a gap in both frequency response (and a total lack of soundstaging due to the subwoofer having to struggle too high) in the bass (guitar) critical realm, from 150Hz-ish to 300Hz-ish. Originally posted by wraub: More options mean more possibilities to make those speakers not suck. It's better, generally, to have more control over the available freq ranges, no?No, because most people think a system sounds better if it's bassier and louder and cranking the bass EQ will do both. And generally that'll actually make it sound worse. Give them a volume knob and leave it at that! With the surfeit of high quality power available so cheaply nowadays, there is no excuse for making speaker with poor frequency response that needs compensating by EQ. But maybe I'm a purist... Alex Barefaced Ltd - ultra lightweight, high ouput, toneful bass cabs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wraub Posted July 1, 2004 Share Posted July 1, 2004 I personally place a lot of blame on the "loudness" button, or "presence" button, or the dreaded "Bass Boost" button. If it has more bass, it must be better, right? Add to this all the recent audio mixes that are planned from the start for the use of same, mixes that sound like crap at any other setting, and a lot of music just sounds like crap any way you play it. I agree that the satellite trend is generally a rush to folly, and that the best reproduction of audio comes from a more pristine signal path, and with fewer branches from same. This, however, sits blind to the real world of "louder, bassier" music reproduction, which is how a lot of people, the world around, listen to music. Especially when a "music" system doubles as a "home theater" for most. True, there are a lot of people who can't use the controls already available in a "proper" fashion. But this is true of cars, as well, and they keep making those faster no matter how many idiots think they're Fittipaldi. As pretty much all stereos have the 2 controls already, IMO there should be all three. Besides, there are a lot of real-world situations that can be gotten around by judicious use of EQ, as I'm sure you know. It's not just for making speakers specs useful. It's also for overcoming room and placement problems, just for starters. Would you be happy with a bass amp that had "just a volume knob", and no tone coloring or EQ options at all? And that's just for reproducing a fairly narrow audio range. I'd venture that most players like the extra knobs, and the options they offer. Sure, it is possible to make an amp sound precisely and accurately like ass with some EQ misuse, but just as possible to dial in the anti-ass tone we all seek. Except, we don't all seek the same tone , or the same sound, in the same way. This alone should be reason for controls offering a wider freq range, and parameters to mess with. We all hear things differently, so we should each be able make our own adjustments. That way, we each get to do as we please audiowise, and each system, potentially, sounds nicer. Options... Peace, wraub I'm a lot more like I am now than I was when I got here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted July 1, 2004 Share Posted July 1, 2004 Originally posted by wraub: I personally place a lot of blame on the "loudness" button, or "presence" button, or the dreaded "Bass Boost" button. If it has more bass, it must be better, right? Exactly! I guess a lot of it is a marketing issue - it's hard to sell a system boasting "greater midrange resolution" - "what's that?" says Joe Bloggs. Add to this all the recent audio mixes that are planned from the start for the use of same, mixes that sound like crap at any other setting, and a lot of music just sounds like crap any way you play it. Originally posted by wraub: I agree that the satellite trend is generally a rush to folly, and that the best reproduction of audio comes from a more pristine signal path, and with fewer branches from same. This, however, sits blind to the real world of "louder, bassier" music reproduction, which is how a lot of people, the world around, listen to music.But that doesn't mean they're right - maybe they'd enjoy it more without inane bass boosting. Originally posted by wraub: Especially when a "music" system doubles as a "home theater" for most.A preset 'bombastic' EQ would be a nice touch for getting quality explosion action whilst keeping the hi-fi clean when playing music. Originally posted by wraub: True, there are a lot of people who can't use the controls already available in a "proper" fashion. But this is true of cars, as well, and they keep making those faster no matter how many idiots think they're Fittipaldi. But you can't use a car without the controls. A steering wheel is not an optional extra, even for US roads. People watching cars go by don't need any knobs to twiddle. Originally posted by wraub: As pretty much all stereos have the 2 controls already, IMO there should be all three.But how do you voice that midrange control? Bass and treble controls are easy - just have simple and relatively steep shelving controls set at 100Hz and 10kHz. Where do you place the midrange (anywhere beween 250Hz and 2500Hz) and what Q (1/2, 1, 2, 3 octave?) should it have? Originally posted by wraub: Besides, there are a lot of real-world situations that can be gotten around by judicious use of EQ, as I'm sure you know. It's not just for making speakers specs useful. It's also for overcoming room and placement problems, just for starters.A bass boost can help with speakers that are too small for the room or vice versa. A treble boost or cut can help with overly dull or bright speakers. But midrange compensation is really complicated - the only way I'd trust 90% of home users to make their system sound better was if it had a flat response mic which you place in the listening position and a pink noise generator, spectrum analyser and fancy graphic or parametric AUTOMATIC eq. Originally posted by wraub: Would you be happy with a bass amp that had "just a volume knob", and no tone coloring or EQ options at all?Yes. But I can't justify replacing my 'all tone knobs at zero' SWR GP with a custom made single knob preamp, though Jack Read has tempted me! I don't think that listening to music should be an interactive experience. You should just press play and listen to the music represented as closely as possible as its creator intended, like hearing what the band were thrilled to hear in the big monitors in the mastering studio. Anything else detracts from the emotional connection. Creating music is a different matter. If so many sound engineers who should know better can manage to create totally kick drum heavy mixes with lost and murky bass guitar, what hope have we got if all our listeners have that degree of 'control'? But to get back to the original point - 3 band EQ is great on basses (especially if the midrange control has a few different voicings). Alex Barefaced Ltd - ultra lightweight, high ouput, toneful bass cabs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Sweet Willie_ Posted July 2, 2004 Author Share Posted July 2, 2004 I spoke with Carey today. I'm going to stick with the 3-band. This bass will have an active/passive switch, and it may be that I use it in passive mode a lot. It will also have a passive tone knob, which will allow further adjustments beyond what my hands and the pickup blend are doing. But when it's active, why not go all the way?! I am one of them... I have been assimilated... Peace. --SW spreadluv Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars. Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Sweet Willie_ Posted August 16, 2004 Author Share Posted August 16, 2004 I can almost taste the Fish and feel the Luv. I'm closing in on a complete dissertation. I've got the oral defense scheduled at the very end of this month. Carey will soon be done w/ his current batch o' fish. Mine will be in the next batch. Word. Peace. --sweet'n'low spreadluv Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars. Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wraub Posted August 16, 2004 Share Posted August 16, 2004 Originally posted by Sweet Willie: Carey will soon be done w/ his current batch o' fish. Mine will be in the next batch. --sweet'n'lowWould that be a school of basses? Or a school of bass? Or what? Peace, wraub I'm a lot more like I am now than I was when I got here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Sweet Willie_ Posted August 16, 2004 Author Share Posted August 16, 2004 Originally posted by wraub: Would that be a school of basses? Or a school of bass? Or what? Top-notch queries those. This may require an expert educator and player like Ed Friedland. spreadluv Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars. Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Capasso Posted August 17, 2004 Share Posted August 17, 2004 It would seem that calling Carey's current crop of basses a "school" doesn't truly match the attributes of schooled fish (though it has a nice ring to it). It seems that the fish in schools exhibit certain common developmental similarities (Schooling fish often have a well developed lateral line, which helps them sense the movement of their "classmates"). They also stay together. Carey's basses are more of a brood/litter/house-of-teenagers, in that they go their separate ways. I look forward to the esteemed Dr. Friedland's thoughts.. Tom www.stoneflyrocks.com Acoustic Color Be practical as well as generous in your ideals. Keep your eyes on the stars and keep your feet on the ground. - Theodore Roosevelt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Sweet Willie_ Posted August 26, 2004 Author Share Posted August 26, 2004 As I wrote in my opening post on this thread: As many of you know, I have been working on my dissertation and I've been in the hunt for that elusive PhD. My loving wife has made this bass purchase possible, but there are strings attached. I don't touch this bass until I've successfully defended my dissertation. (Everyone familiar w/ the carrot/stick analogy?) Essentially this instrument is a graduation present -- a reward for my academic toils, traveling a road that has not been easy. This defense should happen this summer, but I need to bust my ass from now until then to make sure that's the case. I have busted said ass (yes, mine). I have submitted a complete dissertation to my committee. I am scheduled to defend it on Monday morning. If all goes well and my work passes muster, nothing will be between me and the Fish o' Luv but its construction, and it's scheduled to be in the next batch (have I mentioned that yet? ) Between moving to a new state and doing this kind of academic work, I'm exhausted -- and starting a new job looms around the corner... Peace. --SW spreadluv Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars. Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McDuff Posted August 26, 2004 Share Posted August 26, 2004 Good luck with the disseration Sweets! Can't wait to see some pics of the pisces philios (Fish o'Brotherly Love) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wraub Posted August 26, 2004 Share Posted August 26, 2004 Defend well, Grasshopper. The bass is in your hand, you have but to grab it. Looks like it's a fresh order of Fish ala' Luv, to go! With a side of funk? Peace, wraub I'm a lot more like I am now than I was when I got here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PickPunk Posted August 26, 2004 Share Posted August 26, 2004 Good luck with the dissertation sweets!!I too am awaiting pics of the mighty FishO'Luv!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassplayer5217 Posted August 26, 2004 Share Posted August 26, 2004 I probably just missed it, but what is your degree going to be in and what is your dissertation on? Bass? .~. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Sweet Willie_ Posted September 25, 2004 Author Share Posted September 25, 2004 Originally posted by bassplayer5217: I probably just missed it, but what is your degree going to be in and what is your dissertation on? Bass?Dig it, G, my degree is in sociology and I wrote my dissertation about race and education. Currently working on the revisions my committee requested at my defense, so that I can turn this baby in for good. I should've written a qualitative paper about the nature and interactions of on-line communities for artists (musicians in particular) -- the development of interpersonal bonds and a sense of community through a shared passion expressed communally via the internet. Exciting news: The Fish o' Luv has begun its journey from a list of specs on paper to a real instrument built of wood, metal, bone, and plastic. Carey sent me a photo of a potential walnut top at the end of this past week. It's a nice top, definitely a real possibility, but I've asked to see one or two more possibilities for the sake of comparison. I'm not into overly figured woods, so we're trying to find something with subtle figuring. Ah, the joys of aesthetics! I will certainly keep y'all posted on the process. Peace. --SW spreadluv Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars. Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddiePlaysBass Posted September 25, 2004 Share Posted September 25, 2004 Originally posted by Dr. Sweet Willie: I should've written a qualitative paper about the nature and interactions of on-line communities for artists (musicians in particular) -- the development of interpersonal bonds and a sense of community through a shared passion expressed communally via the internet. Damn, had you posted that one just a tad earlier, I would have had a great proposal for my paper "I'm a work in progress." Micky Barnes The Ross Brown Shirt World Tour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Sweet Willie_ Posted October 20, 2004 Author Share Posted October 20, 2004 UPDATE: You can see the beginnings of my bass, as well as one for bassaddik (Access Bass), at the Nordstrand website . We're in the new batch. Mine's at the end of the 10/19 "What's New" update -- alder body, 5-pc maple and walnut neck, gorgeous rosewood fingerboard (walnut top in transit). Adrian's is the first one w/ the amboyna top. Basically the shots are of the neck and body blanks, the tops, and the fingerboards. The fun has begun! Peace. --SW spreadluv Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars. Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basshappi Posted October 20, 2004 Share Posted October 20, 2004 Dr. SW, man that is going to be one "sweet" Fish O' Luv for sure! I can't wait to see what fabulous piece of wood Mr. Nordstrand gets for the top of that thing! Cheers! Nothing is as it seems but everything is exactly what it is - B. Banzai Life is what happens while you are busy playing in bands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy c Posted October 20, 2004 Share Posted October 20, 2004 Sorry to rain on your parade, Willie, but that doesn't look like a bass to me. It just looks like a pile of boards to me. What does it sound like? Looking forward to our next visit. I'm in Columbia, Md. now, will be in Providence tomorrow and back in Berkeley on Friday. Free download of my cd!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Capasso Posted October 20, 2004 Share Posted October 20, 2004 J, you clap those boards together and it sounds like thunder !!! Better than a bass drum on a marching band field. Looked at those pictures. Damn. That's so beautiful it should be furniture. You're going to be one happy playa when that FoL comes together. Tom www.stoneflyrocks.com Acoustic Color Be practical as well as generous in your ideals. Keep your eyes on the stars and keep your feet on the ground. - Theodore Roosevelt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
getz out Posted October 20, 2004 Share Posted October 20, 2004 What good are highly figured woods when you're going to paint it black? You are painting it black, right? Black IS louder and more rock than any other non-color, you know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wraub Posted October 20, 2004 Share Posted October 20, 2004 Will, that is indeed a sweet looking piece of rosewood, mucho tasty-o. But Maury's right, black is loudest, and therefore best. So I think you should go with ebony, it'll go much better with the black paint. And the bass will be even that much louder still, and, again, that much better, for your having done so. Thank me later. Peace, wraub P.S. Adrian-nice looking bass you've got goin' on there too. I mean, someday. I'm a lot more like I am now than I was when I got here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Sweet Willie_ Posted November 2, 2004 Author Share Posted November 2, 2004 Yikes! Carey has been busy gluing tops and cutting bodies... An update on the Nordstrand site! Oooooh, walnut! By the way, please note the supa' fly top on bassaddik's bass. Can't wait to see what Carey does for the headstock cap on that one! Had enough Nordstrands come thru your hands yet, Adrian?! Peace. --SW PS: Jeremy, it sounds great. Can't you hear it? Perhaps I'll have to bring it by sometime so we can listen to it together thru an SWR amp and some AccuGroovage. Whaddya say? spreadluv Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars. Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WCunha Posted November 3, 2004 Share Posted November 3, 2004 That looks like that is going to be a mighty nice looking bass. I can't wait to see when it is done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PickPunk Posted November 4, 2004 Share Posted November 4, 2004 Damn that fish looks sweet already! peace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Sweet Willie_ Posted November 9, 2004 Author Share Posted November 9, 2004 The Fish o' Luv now looks like a fish. CLICK ME!!! and check out the 11/8 update at the Nordstrand site... We're getting closer. The excitement's building. Keep up the good work, Carey! (Although hopefully you're busy sanding and cutting the wood pickup covers and not reading the forum! ) Peace. --SW spreadluv Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars. Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rumpelstiltskin. Posted November 9, 2004 Share Posted November 9, 2004 dang, dude. it's looking nice. it's funny how fast the build time appears to be after such a long lead time. we're coming to NYC in 2007, so i'll stop by and play it then. robb. because i like people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Sweet Willie_ Posted November 9, 2004 Author Share Posted November 9, 2004 2007? Why the delay? Let's meet in France in 2007 for the Rugby World Cup. Trust me -- it'll be too cool. Yup, I'm definitely pretty psyched up about how fast things are moving right now. Peace. --SW spreadluv Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars. Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisOfDoom Posted November 9, 2004 Share Posted November 9, 2004 sweeeeet..... -Chris Hobo Libido on MySpace Bipolar Express on MySpace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coyote Posted November 9, 2004 Share Posted November 9, 2004 Latecomer to this thread, sorry if my idea has been discussed already. I'm not sure thinner frets allow for much more precise intonation, at least until you get into the 17-24th frets where they allow more room for your fingers. I think one could use very broad frets as long as the side oriented toward the bridge were fairly well-defined. Are there any builders who do 'progressive' fretboards, with the frets getting thinner as you go higher on the neck? Originally posted by Sweet Willie: OK, Tom, "banjo frets" are both thinner and lower than "medium" or "jumbo" or many other fretsizes. They are larger than the tiny "mandolin" frets that Lee Sklar favors. Thinner frets allow for more precise intonation. Lower frets make it a bit easier to fly around the fingerboard (blazing basser that I am! ).--Dub $$ I used to think I was Libertarian. Until I saw their platform; now I know I'm no more Libertarian than I am RepubliCrat or neoCON or Liberal or Socialist. This ain't no track meet; this is football. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted November 9, 2004 Share Posted November 9, 2004 Originally posted by coyote: I'm not sure thinner frets allow for much more precise intonation, at least until you get into the 17-24th frets where they allow more room for your fingers. I think one could use very broad frets as long as the side oriented toward the bridge were fairly well-defined.As it's the centre point of the fret that represents the witness point then I think a smaller fret is more likely to have a more clearly defined break angle at that point, whilst a broader less steeply crowned fret could be prone to the effective witness point shifting back and forth as the string vibrates. Originally posted by coyote: Are there any builders who do 'progressive' fretboards, with the frets getting thinner as you go higher on the neck?Not that I know of - I can see it being too costly to require so many different sizes of fretwire to get the smooth size decrease as you head up the neck. I'm definitely in the low small fret school - jumbo is one of those buzzwords that really puts me off an instrument. Just another reason why I get occasional Dingwall desire... Alex Barefaced Ltd - ultra lightweight, high ouput, toneful bass cabs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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