Newark Street Starfire Bass

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Thanks! I was half-thinking I should have brought a set of flats with me and done a quick change to get this finally figured out, but as a fist time LMGer I didn't think this would necessarily make a good first impression (messing with someone else's gear).

Thank you for the use of you amp Guildman! I was mad at myself later for not remembering what brand it was, it's a really great sounding amp.
 

mgod

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Would a string change vary that opinion? I almost left it in the store because "tinny" was the word that kept coming to mind and most everybody here agrees that the comparisons would be more useful with flats.

Could be, but I've never found it to be the case with an old one.
 

fronobulax

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For Sale, Cheap. Any Bass in my SIG

Talk about an ear opener. Lousy technique and unmusical to boot. But I did promise sound clips so I will leave my ego at the door, since in spite of my playing, there are differences to be heard.

Bass into a Tascam Bass Trainer (first generation) into the sound card of a HP Pavilion. That which is attempting to be played is the bass part of a Bach Chorale arranged for guitar quartet. Same player on each clip ;-) Right hand position is consistent for the same bass but I think the SF position was marginally closer to the neck. Fingers, not pick. I injured my middle finger 40+ years ago and if you really listen carefully you can tell when it is being used. Quantity of beer consumed during recording may also be a variable that was not controlled.

Strings are the factory supplied roundwounds in the Newark Street, D'addario flats on the Starfire and TI Jazz flats on the Newark Street. Both sets of flats were provided by LTGer Happy Face. Thank you. Newark Street needs some adjustment for the flats. There is some fret buzz on the lower frets and I didn't get the intonation quite right.

Volume control was always full on. Tone control was at 0 and then at 9. Files are named xxyz where xx is the bass - NS for Newark Street and SF for the '67 Starfire, y is F for flatwounds and R for roundwounds and z is 0 or 9 for where the tone control was.

Files are WMA format. If you can't play them, let me know and I can convert and relink. Files are in my Dropbox and I reserve the right to delete them and reclaim the space although that won't happen in the near future. I was able to get them all to play in a browser by left clicking on the link. If that doesn't work try right clicking and then Save As, or the equivalents for your browser.

Newark Street, Rounds, Tone 0
[video]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/62319215/NSR0.wma[/video]

Newark Street, Flats, Tone 0
[video]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/62319215/NSF0.wma[/video]

Starfire, Flats, Tone 0
[video]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/62319215/SFF0.wma[/video]

Newark Street, Rounds, Tone 9
[video]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/62319215/NSR9.wma[/video]

Newark Street, Flats, Tone 9
[video]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/62319215/NSF9.wma[/video]

Starfire, Flats, Tone 9
[video]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/62319215/SFF9.wma[/video]
 

fronobulax

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That said. I don't think the NS with flats quite nails the '67 sound. It's close but I think there is something missing. Not sure how to describe that yet, however. I've joked about being able to dial in the '67 and imagine I have a tone close to Jack Casady's on Bless Its Pointed Little Head. I haven't been able to do that with the NS yet, although I may have to go back and recapture it with the '67 and then go for the same settings. I don't think the existence of the Newark Street is going to crash the market for vintage Starfires.
 

mikko

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That said. I don't think the NS with flats quite nails the '67 sound. It's close but I think there is something missing.

I had that same feeling with my Dark Star/DeArmond combination. I still have that feeling but situation got little better when I got my "Neutrik Timbre" guitar cable plug. It makes the sound somehow smoother and a small step closer to vintage Bisonic sound.
Neutrik demo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qYvw9J6BhY
No bass there but guitar (what a surprise…)but it gives you the idea anyway.
 

Happy Face

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"Strings are the factory supplied roundwounds in the Newark Street, D'addario flats on the Starfire and TI Jazz flats on the Newark Street. Both sets of flats were provided by LTGer Happy Face."

Just for good order, I believe the SF is strung with D'Addario chromes?

That said, my opinion, FWIW, was 3-2-1 on both. Concur with you on the comparison between the NS with flats and the SF with the tone on 9. Close but no cigar. The SF has more "chime" or overtones?

Thanks for taking the time and effort to post the clips!! That was a real service to all of us. To somewhat paraphrase Lt Kojak, we love ya, babe!
 

Happy Face

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Editorial Comment:

I was off the grid for over a week, at least when it comes to LTG. (For some reason I cannot post to it from my smarty-pants phone.)

It was surprising to me that I was the first to comment on the clips. Krikey, there was some work involved in recording and posting them, no?

Thank you for tolerating my rant.
 

Zelja

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Thanks for the clips Frono. I'm not a bass player per se, but I think one of these is in my future.
 

mavuser

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Thanks Frono but I might be speaking for other Mac users in saying I cannot play or stream the clips. any chance you can upload them to Soundcloud or convert them to mp3s?
 

fronobulax

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I just figured my playing was so bad everyone was too embarrassed for me to say anything. Maybe I was too subtle with the post burying it several pages in.

I'll check the strings on the Starfire. The package is around somewhere.

I will convert and upload mp3's. I have a real blind spot when it comes to remembering that people use Macs. No knock on Macs, I just forget how different things can be.

I am kind of tempted to run some of the clips through a spectrum analyzer. I'm thinking it is the midrange that the Bisonic has that the Newark Street lacks.

I picked up the Starfire and I could get my pseudo-Casady tone quite easily playing with the tone running in the 7-9 range. Same settings do not nail the tone on the NS.
 
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