choices, make up my mind...

All instruments that aren't guitars (or bass guitars).
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burntumber
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choices, make up my mind...

Post by burntumber » Fri Aug 04, 2017 2:20 am

A few months ago I got a Bag End SD12 cab.
The speaker is voiced for bass, guitar, acoustic, electric.
So, I want to take advantage, and learn some new instrument.

I use a ZT Lunchbox (internal speaker off) as a head.

I dunno what style I play. I like Mona de Bo, Barn Owl, Windy & Carl, Grouper, Scorch Trio...

I have some electric guitars, a Bass VI, korg monotron, and a lapsteel.


Well, the interesting gear in my city:

Home made fretless 5 string bass. $400
Has J-bass pickups, 2 vol, 2 tone, short scale.
I have a VI already, but I always liked the mwah sound.
and if I end up not liking it, I can go Piccolo Bass and rip off Jeff Schmidt and listen to all the shitheads say "Piccolo Bass isn't a real bass" >:(
the body is ugly AF, and that's what I like about it.
http://www.usedvictoria.com/classified- ... -_28674845" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Microbrute $400
I've never owned any real synth, and this seems quite easy to use.
Not 100% sure if it'll sound good with my speaker...
I'd probably end up tweaking the fuck out of the knobs and making noisy loops.
You can plug a guitar into this too, it doesn't sound so great though.


Spanish Lute $700
tuned like a guitar, but in A. Unison strings.
I played this for 30mins in the store, I thought it sounded pretty nice.
I'd get a Dean Markley transducer pickup and plop some spooky reverb on it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUuDFZKmUrM


thoughts??

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marqueemoon
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Re: choices, make up my mind...

Post by marqueemoon » Fri Aug 04, 2017 5:30 am

The bass is cooler than I thought it would be from the description, but I'd go for the synth. It's the most versatile.

Speaking as a former fretless bass owner there aren't too many musical situations where playing a fretless doesn't make you "that guy" (or gal).

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burntumber
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Re: choices, make up my mind...

Post by burntumber » Fri Aug 04, 2017 11:55 am

marqueemoon wrote:The bass is cooler than I thought it would be from the description, but I'd go for the synth. It's the most versatile.

Speaking as a former fretless bass owner there aren't too many musical situations where playing a fretless doesn't make you "that guy" (or gal).
not sure what That Guy means. I make music alone in my house, so only my neighbours judge me and they think I'm weird anyway.

I shot a message to homey with the fretless, no reply yet. It's been on and off the site almost a year now.

The Microbrute will be more of learning curve, and more versatile, more features.
Probably one will show up used for cheaper if I just wait and troll craigslist.

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Re: choices, make up my mind...

Post by Larry Mal » Fri Aug 04, 2017 11:58 am

Why choose between a lute and a bass when you can get a theorbo, and have both?

Image
Back in those days, everyone knew that if you were talking about Destiny's Child, you were talking about Beyonce, LaTavia, LeToya, and Larry.

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Re: choices, make up my mind...

Post by somanytoys » Fri Aug 04, 2017 1:35 pm

You may enjoy it, especially if you start out with a fretless. I finally bought a fretless bass about 10 years ago, and just didn't get along with it. Maybe it was me, maybe it was that bass, maybe I needed to change what it was I was trying to play on it and adapt more, but it just didn't work for me. I can make a fretted bass sound pretty close to a fretless anyway, so it felt like it was a waste for the things I couldn't accomplish on a fretted.

Good luck on your quest.
-David

It's a boost booster, to boost your boost - it makes your tone much muchier.

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Re: choices, make up my mind...

Post by marqueemoon » Fri Aug 04, 2017 2:15 pm

I gave up playing fretless because it just wasn't tonally appropriate for the music. My intonation could have been better l, but I played violin for 14 years before picking up bass, so it wasn't that bad. I decided my time could be better spent on other instruments and sold it. No regrets.

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Re: choices, make up my mind...

Post by burntumber » Fri Aug 04, 2017 6:27 pm

some good replies here!

I've noodled around on a few fretless basses before.
as long as there's markers to tell where I am, I'm fine.

the seller got back to me, I'm supposed to check it out tomorrow.


This morning I shot an email to Bag End, asking if my speak would be able to handle the Mircobrute. They replied right away.
Hello,

The S12-D was originally designed for electric guitar and has a
frequency response of 52 Hz to 5 kHz. While it will work with the synth,
it won't be able to reproduce the very high and low frequencies. A full
range (up to 20 kHz) PA speaker or monitor should be able to cover the
full range of the synth.

so, I guess I'm gonna pass on it. :/

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Re: choices, make up my mind...

Post by marqueemoon » Fri Aug 04, 2017 7:02 pm

burntumber wrote:some good replies here!

I've noodled around on a few fretless basses before.
as long as there's markers to tell where I am, I'm fine.

the seller got back to me, I'm supposed to check it out tomorrow.


This morning I shot an email to Bag End, asking if my speak would be able to handle the Mircobrute. They replied right away.
Hello,

The S12-D was originally designed for electric guitar and has a
frequency response of 52 Hz to 5 kHz. While it will work with the synth,
it won't be able to reproduce the very high and low frequencies. A full
range (up to 20 kHz) PA speaker or monitor should be able to cover the
full range of the synth.

so, I guess I'm gonna pass on it. :/
Not ideal, but that's more than adequate frequency response to get a good sense of what you're playing and you can always use headphones if needed.

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Re: choices, make up my mind...

Post by Zork » Sat Aug 05, 2017 3:38 am

You can get a Minibrute for not much more than the Microbrute and it's much more versatile. I'd go for a Mini, it's a very cool Synth. Or look for a used Bass Station II.

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Re: choices, make up my mind...

Post by burntumber » Sat Aug 05, 2017 8:44 pm

yesterday I made plans to check out the fretless bass.
Went to his house today as planned and no answer at the door.

Went and trolled a few guitar shops at ended up noodling for another half hour in the store on the Spanish Lute.

and it came home with me. :w00t:

I sat outside a cafe and had coffee and fiddled around.
People passing by "is that a bouzuki?" "octave mandolin?" "...dude, it's like...a high guitar or some shit" :fp:

I'm not so impressed with a Dean Markley transducer. I plan on getting a cheap beater acoustic guitar, maybe it'll sound better on that.
But the Lute is pretty fun as it is.
Made by Almansa, in Spain who make classical guitars

I'm gonna wait until a used Micro or Minibrute show up and try to grab it for 250-300.
and I shot homey a message asking what was up, if I can check out his bass or if it sold already.

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Re: choices, make up my mind...

Post by burntumber » Tue Aug 08, 2017 9:00 pm

Guy with the fretless finally got back to me.

He didn't give any excuse for not being home that one day. Just said to meet him in a parking lot in a sketchy part of my city.

I told him I needed to test it plugged in, and he kept on insisting to meet at the parking lot.
Also noticed that the tuning key of the D string is off centered and asked him what was up with that, he ignored the question and kept pushing to meet and that the price of $400 was firm.
http://www.usedvictoria.com/ReportSelec ... ion=4&hb=1

the bass has been listed over and over for almost a year...now I can see why.

Microbrute at full price is looking pretty good now :whistle:

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Re: choices, make up my mind...

Post by sears » Wed Aug 09, 2017 11:44 am

don't buy that bass
maskedsuperstar.bandcamp.com

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Re: choices, make up my mind...

Post by marqueemoon » Wed Aug 09, 2017 2:35 pm

String spacing looks off too.

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Re: choices, make up my mind...

Post by burntumber » Wed Aug 09, 2017 7:30 pm

haha, nope. not buying the bass.
or anything from that guy.

I'm thinking that thing started as a 4 string and he tried to convert it to 5
and fucked it up.

I tried reporting the ad, but it's still up :/
hopefully no one gets suckered into buying it, but it has been listed about a year or so now.

Gonna shop around for another fretless 5, and a used Microbrute.

still enjoying the Spanish Lute!

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