First off, thanks D for giving us a new category to populate, I think it will be fun-

This thread's main focus would be guitars you'd like to have or have played that made you go "wow, I gotta get me one of these" like Will Smith said, when he was flying the alien craft in Independence Day.....

At church today, I had the day off from playing, so I went to our "Video Cafe" room, which is sorta more contemporary, guitar oriented, more "rock" style of music venue, with live feed for the teaching time. (The large screen TV's, BTW, make for great football watching!! )
Anyway, one of our newer bassists was playing today, and had this really pretty 4 stringer. Turns out it was a Peavey Custom, neck through body. Played great, excellent tonal quality, basically a surprise to me. Now I know, Peavey has a bargain basement reputation on their more affordable (ie cheap) stuff, but this was one primo axe for the bucks. Peavey Cirrus Bass

If I had unlimited funds, maybe I'd go for an Ambush Bass, or a Warrior.... what turns your head?

Later
TonyY

PS had posted this link elsewhere, check this out- It's Chris Squire of Yes's triple neck Wal bass.

Chris Squire\'s Bass

If I had the money, it'd be an Ambush bass for sure! I also played a Modulus Quantum 5'r once at a Guitar Center that I drooled over for months but the $3K price tag was/is quite a bit much for me!

Ditto that. Ambush bass hands down. Other than that I recently got a Stingray 5 so I'm pretty content right now.

Cool Rob, I've looked at Stingrays but never played one- time for a trip to Guitar Center I guess.....although it's tough to find a time when there aren't some star wannabes in there thumping the same note over and over on ten different basses :rolleyes:
How's the Stingray set up? Is the action low and fast, or more standard? Are you a slapper, and does it work on that one? (I've come to see that not all basses are suited for that, not that I do it much, but some are far easier than others.)
Just curious.

Are you guys familiar with Warwick? GT has them on sale during Feb for 899 with bag for a Corvette standard...not sure what a 5'er would cost, but they look like really well made instruments.

DW, didn't you go for some bass gear for your b-day? If not, you may be recovering from the addiction, time for a fix....
Later
TY

I am very familiar with Warwick basses. Unfortunately, I do not like them! For me, the body shapes are not condusive to the way I play and are very uncomfortable. I prefer more traditionally styled instruments. Warwicks are just too small for me.

G.A.S. = Gear Aquisition Syndrome

I'm 'gassing' for a Hotwire 'Jazz style' 5 string custom instrument.
How about one of these??!

Or one of these.....

How about this Marcus Miller influenced instrument??

Now, is this a sight to behold or what?????

Ooohhh! Soapbars on a jazz styled instrument?? I'm so 'gassing'!!

I present to you Hotwire Basses!

TonyY,

Happy to do it, thanks for the suggestions.

D

Tony,

The Stingray is known as a slapper's bass, but to be honest I don't slap very much. I really enjoy it though - it seems really well balanced and very comfortable to play for me.

The setup from the factory was very low. I've raised it a couple times since and I'm getting ready to raise it again. But of course that's just personal preference.

Rob

Rob- was the original so low that it was buzzing? Just wondering why you'd raise the action that much (or are you doing this in tiny increments)-
my bass (Yamaha 6 string John Myung signature) has the string spacing so close that slapping is a real challenge, but I can do it when I have to....I'm not really proficient at it so I don't use it as much as some players I've seen.
I like the lower action myself, for speed and ease of fingering, but it can get noisy, particularily the low B. Sounds like you play a lot more than I do, so your endurance is probably better anyway- I like to make it as easy as I can fingering and plucking wise, then use volume for presence.....of course that means if you screw up everybody hears it!!
Later
TY

It wasn't buzzing at all - just a little lower than I prefer. It's probably a technique issue, but I always feel like if the strings are too low when I slap I get all attack and no tone.

And yes, I'm adjusting in very small increments.

I've actually been working on my own bass for, oh, 3 years now.

isnt john myung the dude from dream theater?
im sure its him, well im sure his surname is myung, cant remember his first name though
respect if it is him!
i shall share with you that my dream guitar is a ibanez rg1077xl 7 string, but im afraid its not a bass

We'll forgive you this one time. Make sure you list a dream bass next time though.

I've often wondered why so many bass players on this forum. I think we're drawn to this style of music because the bass often plays a bigger role than in other genres.

Rob-
I think you've hit on something- most modern music doesn't even need a bass player, it can be programmed in a lot of cases, and when there is one they aren't of the calibre of a Kim Stone or Victor Wooten, or Scott Ambush. I also think it's a more expressive outlet for a bassist; since usually there's not a vocalist, each band member gets to have a lead role at some point, including the "lowly" bassist.
Reality is, there's a lot of really great bassists playing in pop bands that are paying the bills doing that, but their passion is playing more cjazz stuff...look at Woody Lingle (too bad there's not an mp3.com anymore, he had a ton of tunes on there), Bill Lawrence, Keith Horne, etc. Of course that's from an older guy's perspective, I don't know much about the newer alt-rock bands and such.
One bassist I have always respected was James Jamerson-he's on most of the big motown recordings- even though it sounds like a simple groove he's laying down, if you listen closely there's a lot more going on under the radar- his fills were flawless and his sense of time astounding. We all owe a lot to that guy....he raised bass playing beyond a rhythm instrument to a voice to be heard.

Must come from the mainstream rock/pop mentality that the guitar is usually the dominant instrument...the one with the lead solo's, etc. whereas in most jazz, I think the guitar takes a backseat to the basses.

i dont think they take back seat to basses.. its just that jazz is more 'free' to do what ya like. so there are many artists who play bass as the lead instrument like marcus miller or stanley clarke n friends.

Some here might recognize these from the harmony central or talkbass forums.

http://www.pointbeing.com/jaf/home.html

Rob, that's a great looking bass for the money-

I had posted this link in the dream axes, but it probably should have been here, these are absolutely beautiful works of art....I'll not be buying one, but I'd love to try one one for size!

Warrior Basses

check out the sound samples in the listening room...if Adam Nitti was the one doing them, I think they would have given him credit for it, but whoever it is is smokin.

Yep, that would be him- I'm not very familiar with his range of playing, but he's very good, very prog-rock, from the one CD I've heard; it was a live one, don't remember the name of it.
He apparently doesn't slap much, like I said it's tough on this one, but with the action set right, it would work well for two-handed hammering and tapping, which is more of what I've heard him do.

If you want to be amazed, check out Adam Nitti's samples-
www.adamnitti.com

Later
TY