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double00

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Not a great pic but I'm too lazy to go get a good one.

View attachment 2144175

I love a maple fretboard .

the shops in my town are a bit thin on basses but I'm glad I looked around locally . so the search continues .

in the meantime I got pretty high the other nite and was watching this very interesting James Taylor interview for Guitarist , in it he lays bare some of his technique and things like his chord stacks , pretty neat to see !



and he talks a bit about his thumb approach and how he plays basslines on the guitar and how that presents a wrinkle to his bass players ( Leland Sklar being one ! ) but then it gets super interesting when he starts talking about searching for a guitar platform that gives you a bassier kind of note . the hangup is that he wants bassier bass notes but also guitarier chord feel so he is always sort of playing the bass when he wants to but also strumming on the lower 3 strings . tall order .

BUT i'd seen this other super interesting video ( remember i'm high ) where a dude is playing a fretless guitar and they have a different sort of lower and grumpier timbre . and so I think ' what about a half-fretted neck ' lmao
 

sugarbutch

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I love a maple fretboard .

the shops in my town are a bit thin on basses but I'm glad I looked around locally . so the search continues .

in the meantime I got pretty high the other nite and was watching this very interesting James Taylor interview for Guitarist , in it he lays bare some of his technique and things like his chord stacks , pretty neat to see !



and he talks a bit about his thumb approach and how he plays basslines on the guitar and how that presents a wrinkle to his bass players ( Leland Sklar being one ! ) but then it gets super interesting when he starts talking about searching for a guitar platform that gives you a bassier kind of note . the hangup is that he wants bassier bass notes but also guitarier chord feel so he is always sort of playing the bass when he wants to but also strumming on the lower 3 strings . tall order .

BUT i'd seen this other super interesting video ( remember i'm high ) where a dude is playing a fretless guitar and they have a different sort of lower and grumpier timbre . and so I think ' what about a half-fretted neck ' lmao

It's a very clacky tone. Hadn't noticed that before. Before school started my freshman year of college, I saw that he was playing at the Erwin Center. I walked up to the box office and bought a second-row center ticket the day of. Fantastic show.
 

double00

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It's a very clacky tone. Hadn't noticed that before. Before school started my freshman year of college, I saw that he was playing at the Erwin Center. I walked up to the box office and bought a second-row center ticket the day of. Fantastic show.

yeah it gives a bit of sizzle . that show sounds pretty sweet , i've talked about this elsewhere but i've only fairly recently come around to James Taylor ( and really from his live recordings ) as I really dislike the apple studio recordings .

***

i'm on the fence between a fretted short-scale bass ( either a mustang or bronco model ) or a full scale fretless jazz bass ; the idea of picking up a bass at all is about sketching grooves with my drummer , he plays on a padded kit and a lot of syncopated stuff so I feel either platform is workable

that said i'm sort of leaning fretless j-bass as it is maybe a bit more expressive in terms of timbre ( the mwah ! ) and I think would pair well with a quieter kit . I also think might be more fruitful to learn on as i'm not a bassist but I think I could figure the instrument out
 

Gus

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I'm just not playing my guitars much any more. I sold my 1963 Martin 0-18 recently. Next to go will be this 1956 ES-5 Switchmaster

IMG_9257.JPG
 

sugarbutch

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I'm just not playing my guitars much any more. I sold my 1963 Martin 0-18 recently. Next to go will be this 1956 ES-5 Switchmaster

View attachment 2153123
Mine are not nearly as nice, but they are getting a similar level of (non-) use. 😕
 
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capnwes

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Found this Renaissance Lute at one of the local antique shops. Playable condition, tuned up fine and sound nice.....though I don't know the fretboard yet. Made by Richard Wilkinson, luthier to Pepe Romero, c. 1960s.

IMG_6265.jpeg IMG_6268.jpeg IMG_6270.jpeg IMG_6271.jpeg
 

sugarbutch

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konoyaro

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so I found a deal and went with an mij aerodyne bass for a decent price . thank you for the shout . will report back when it lands .
Very cool. Hope this works out for you.

The Aerodyne marketed in the US was extremely limited - only in black and basically one config. However there were P and J bass versions in multiple configs and colors specific to Japan.

Looking forward to see what you got and how you like it.
 
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double00

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kopped a 2nd gen fender rumble 150 bass amp , I think it will make for a great jumping-off rig
 

double00

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Very cool. Hope this works out for you.

The Aerodyne marketed in the US was extremely limited - only in black and basically one config. However there were P and J bass versions in multiple configs and colors specific to Japan.

Looking forward to see what you got and how you like it.

i'd never heard of the aerodyne line before your post ( thank you again ! ) , as it turns out fender is still offering these in the US at retail

for those who haven't come across them the idea is a basswood body with additional contouring - it's not quite an archtop it's more like a surfboard . hope you can see a bit of the contouring from this pic ...

20240422_170735.jpg
I went with the p-bass for a variety of reasons :

- maple fretboard !
- simplicity , no switches ( i'm already considering removing the tone knob from the circuit )
- love the p bass pup , good presence !
- lightweight
- fancy high mass bridge
- super sexy matched headstock
- that green !!

it does neck dive but idgaf i'll be playing it standing up for the most part . dig the Japanese craftsmanship ( immaculate ) this was a screaming deal too . this reverb vendor has a bunch new in box but without warranty ( this being a Japanese fender I won't be needing the warranty ) . pretty sure this has never been opened or played and for 650 shipped out the door i'm a happy slapper . gig bag and tools included !
 

konoyaro

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i'd never heard of the aerodyne line before your post ( thank you again ! ) , as it turns out fender is still offering these in the US at retail

for those who haven't come across them the idea is a basswood body with additional contouring - it's not quite an archtop it's more like a surfboard . hope you can see a bit of the contouring from this pic ...

View attachment 2172323
I went with the p-bass for a variety of reasons :

- maple fretboard !
- simplicity , no switches ( i'm already considering removing the tone knob from the circuit )
- love the p bass pup , good presence !
- lightweight
- fancy high mass bridge
- super sexy matched headstock
- that green !!

it does neck dive but idgaf i'll be playing it standing up for the most part . dig the Japanese craftsmanship ( immaculate ) this was a screaming deal too . this reverb vendor has a bunch new in box but without warranty ( this being a Japanese fender I won't be needing the warranty ) . pretty sure this has never been opened or played and for 650 shipped out the door i'm a happy slapper . gig bag and tools included !
That's a great deal for a MIJ P Bass - well done!
 

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