# Sooo, i´m gunna buy a bass in a short while... guess which?



## MF_Kitten (Jan 21, 2009)

i´ve dropped the Woodo Guitars 7 string bass, because i found out that all i need is 6 strings:

4 string for E standard and drop D and drop C, for recording along with my strat, or playing with other people in different tunings and stuff

5th string for low B for playing along with any of my band´s songs, since they´re all in B standard

6th string for low f#, drop E, maybe the occasional drop D (those are the octave below the normal E )

i´ve talked to Garry Goodman about his Octave 4 Plus strings, and when i get the bass i´ll send him some pics and specs so he can design and wind the perfect strings for me. we´re talking somewhere around .184 for the sixth string 

so, what bass made me not want the Woodo basses?

tadaah!






it´s an Ibanez BTB 676-NTF.

why do i want this over the woodo stuff?

-better bridge (individual saddles)
-better pickups electronics (matter of taste, but still: Bartolini pups and preamp instead of Kent Armstrong pups and no-name preamp. both are active though)
-looks nicer, and is probably higher quality, since Ibanez has been making and improving the BTB models for many years.
-fantastic neck profile (i love ibanez bass necks!)
-looks awesomer (my opinion )
-good wood combo for the body (ash body, walnut top)

they´re both 35" scale.

i think the ibanez will probably be of higher general quality compared to the Woodo.

any thoughts on my choise?


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## TomAwesome (Jan 21, 2009)

Ibanez makes some nice 6-string basses.


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## gaunten (Jan 21, 2009)

seems like a really nice bass, hey, our bassist is thinking of a 6 string woodo as of now, I just gotta ask, whats the price difference on the woodo and this one?
maybe he'd be better of with this one, he is also thinking of doing low octave E and stuff...


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## MF_Kitten (Jan 21, 2009)

the woodo costs less, and for the price of the ibby 6 string, he can get a woodo 7 string.

the thing is, tough, i figured since i didn&#180;t want the extra high string on the 7 string bass, why not use the same amount of money on an even better 6 string?

so i&#180;m going with ibanez because they&#180;ve got loads of experience in making modern basses, plus it gives me tons more GAS than the woodo basses.

the woodo basses are great for the price, though


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## gaunten (Jan 21, 2009)

ok, well there wasn't too much price difference on the 6 and 7 string woodos, only a few hundred SEK's, actually, the one he's set his mind to (the glossy black walnut one) costs almost exactly as much as most of them 7 stringers.
I think I'm gonna have to persuade him into getting one of those Smexy ibanezes instead.


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## MF_Kitten (Jan 21, 2009)

heheh, i was drooling over the natural satin walnut ones originally.


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## demolisher (Jan 23, 2009)

THAT IS SUCH A FUCKING NICE BASS.


good pick dude.


I might have to get one. fuck an 8 string guitar I need this.


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## MF_Kitten (Jan 23, 2009)

demolisher said:


> THAT IS SUCH A FUCKING NICE BASS.
> 
> 
> good pick dude.
> ...



yeah, i´m super stoked about being able to afford it!


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## demolisher (Jan 23, 2009)

do they only have this bass available in europe?


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## twiztedchild (Jan 23, 2009)

can't you tune to F# with normal 6 string bass strings though?


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## knuckle_head (Jan 23, 2009)

twiztedchild said:


> can't you tune to F# with normal 6 string bass strings though?



Even on 35" scale instruments a F# will need to be .185 or so.

MF_Kitten - a reasonably tensioned low E would be .195 or so, and if you drop it down to D even that string will lose tons of tension. The string will shift tonally very dramatically.

Pick your battles, and I'd suggest split the difference. If you intend to switch back and forth between E and F# you might be best-served with a .190. If you want to do D then get a string that would be right for that purpose.

I'm not trying to talk you out of experimenting - you are on an awesome track and you will have huge fun with this.


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## twiztedchild (Jan 23, 2009)

knuckle_head said:


> Even on 35" scale instruments a F# will need to be .185 or so.
> 
> MF_Kitten - a reasonably tensioned low E would be .195 or so, and if you drop it down to D even that string will lose tons of tension. The string will shift tonally very dramatically.
> 
> ...



so what is the biggest 6 string bass set of string you can buy that is a gray goodman set?


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## MF_Kitten (Jan 23, 2009)

first of all, any bass with a decent build quality can technically go that low, the result may vary depending on how the instrument handles it. the ibanez bass is a great instrument, and should do just fine 

check this out:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/conklinseven/DSCN0435.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/conklinseven/DSCN0433.jpg one of Gary Goodman&#180;s .262 gauge bass strings 

so yeah, you can basically go wherever the hell you want with that 

and Knuckle_head, what if i like the sound and tension of something like a .127 to .130 string tuned to B at a 34" scale? i tried thicker strings, and .135 was too stiff for me. i like the sound of slightly loose tensioned bass strings. or, rather, not-too-tight strings 

i don&#180;t like it when most of the sound is fundamentals, and the strings are areally tight, the way many bassists like them. i like meshuggah&#180;s droning distorted bass tone, and i&#180;ve found that&#180;s way easier to get with looser/thinner strings than the opposite.

of course, i want the tension to be slightly above that of the B at .127 on the 35" scale, so whatever that would be, i want


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## knuckle_head (Jan 23, 2009)

MF_Kitten said:


> ... Knuckle_head, what if i like the sound and tension of something like a .127 to .130 string tuned to B at a 34" scale? i tried thicker strings, and .135 was too stiff for me. i like the sound of slightly loose tensioned bass strings. or, rather, not-too-tight strings
> 
> i don&#180;t like it when most of the sound is fundamentals, and the strings are really tight, the way many bassists like them. i like meshuggah&#180;s droning distorted bass tone, and i&#180;ve found that&#180;s way easier to get with looser/thinner strings than the opposite.
> 
> of course, i want the tension to be slightly above that of the B at .127 on the 35" scale, so whatever that would be, i want



I have talked with peeps that got to see Garry's string - I'm glad he's at a place where he can show what he's been working toward. Good stuff...

FWIW a .175 at F# would sit well next to a B string that was between a .115 and a .120. A .130 would call for a .185 as a good tension match. If you want to detune it it might be a good idea to split the difference between what would be ideal for either E or F#. Reasonable tension for the E would be .195 so having Garry do a .190 ought to be a reasonable compromise.

I realize it's only a half-step but when you have gauges this thick, the pitch-to-tension ration gets extreme.

Something else - a really strong fundamental vs overtones comes from a loose string. A tighter string is better defined, with more harmonic content.

Edit - Thought you might appreciate seeing this; 





The bass is strung up to play an octave below a grand piano - it's tuned A/.265, D/.195 G/.135 C/.100 F/.080 on a Quake 39.55" scale length. The Quake is two frets longer than a 35" scale bass, meaning that a whole step up from that D would be E on a 35'er.


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## MF_Kitten (Jan 23, 2009)

i hate you for giving me GAS for things i might never ever be able to afford 

if i ever get signed, and earn lotsa money, you better be making me one!  (though, being a picky-face, i would want a different headstock design 

as for the strings, i might have the words wrong or something, but i like the way slightly looser strings sound as opposed to slightly tighter. it&#180;s the same as guitar strings for me as well, i like the sound of thinner strings more than thicker. it has something magical going on in the high mids, and the high end sounds nicer to my ears.

i think the clue that i&#180;m looking for isn&#180;t the tension, it&#180;s the actual gauge of the strings 

and having a .190 or so made sounds excellent. i&#180;ll tell Gary when i order the strings, thanks!


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## knuckle_head (Jan 23, 2009)

MF_Kitten said:


> i think the clue that i&#180;m looking for isn&#180;t the tension, it&#180;s the actual gauge of the strings
> 
> and having a .190 or so made sounds excellent. i&#180;ll tell Gary when i order the strings, thanks!



My concern for you is that if you want to be able to switch between E and F# then picking something in between what would be "right" for either one would be a better choice. That way it it becomes neither too tight nor too loose. A .190 ought to be fine.

Btw - I think that bass will be great for what you want to do.


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## MF_Kitten (Jan 23, 2009)

knuckle_head said:


> My concern for you is that if you want to be able to switch between E and F# then picking something in between what would be "right" for either one would be a better choice. That way it it becomes neither too tight nor too loose. A .190 ought to be fine.
> 
> Btw - I think that bass will be great for what you want to do.



you mean the ibanez or your model there?

cause i know i want some knuckle head Quake bass action some day, the humongous scale length makes me drool 

and i chose the BTB because it fit perfectly with what i was looking for in a super-low-tuned bass (slightly longer scale, good pickups and electronics, great wood choises etc)


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## knuckle_head (Jan 23, 2009)

MF_Kitten said:


> you mean the ibanez or your model there?



I meant the Ibanez - it's a good bass and a great choice.


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## MF_Kitten (Jan 24, 2009)

knuckle_head said:


> I meant the Ibanez - it's a good bass and a great choice.



does that mean i´m good at looking for specs? 

awesome


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## yingmin (Jan 30, 2009)

If I ever needed a bass, I'd definitely get a BTB 6.


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## MF_Kitten (Jan 30, 2009)

well, it seems like the only place that carried this bass with a humane price tag and shipping and stuff don&#180;t carry it anymore...

also, it seems NO-ONE carries it anymore, except for the once that charge a gazillion bucks for it...

so i&#180;m considering Woodo again, but since i&#180;ve got the dough, i might go 7 string bass 

anyone with better suggestions? 35" scale etc... i&#180;m kinda hanging between choises now, with the most likely one having been snatched away in front of me...

so yeah, should i go for the woodo bass, or should i pay out of my ass for the ibby IF i can find it anywhere at all?


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## MF_Kitten (Feb 1, 2009)

something went BUMP in teh night!?

i need to know if i&#180;m making a crap decision here:

instead of a 6 string ibanez (cuz i can&#180;t actually get one now), i&#180;m getting a woodo 7 string with walnut body, maple neck thru, kent armstrong active soapbar pickups, active electronics, passive/active switch, 35" scale.

yay or nay?


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## demolisher (Feb 1, 2009)

MF_Kitten said:


> something went BUMP in teh night!?
> 
> i need to know if i´m making a crap decision here:
> 
> ...




Dude, just my two cents, go for the woodo and save your money for now, the ibanez is better but with the money you save you can buy a huge string and have it set up by a nice tech to work with the massive strings.


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## MF_Kitten (Feb 1, 2009)

yeah, you&#180;re probably right.

and, what&#180;s better, is that woodo guitars has their own youtube channel with videos of their basses, and low and behold: they sound fucking amazing!

all reviews i&#180;ve read by users have been super-positive, saying the low strings sound really "high tech" 

so yeah, it seems like a good idea...

and with the garry goodman string, i&#180;ll be grinding the low end in no time hahaha


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## demolisher (Feb 1, 2009)

MF_Kitten said:


> and with the garry goodman string, *i´ll be grinding the low end in no time hahaha *



this forum needs alot more of this.


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## arktan (Feb 2, 2009)

MF_Kitten said:


> also, it seems NO-ONE carries it anymore, except for the once that charge a gazillion bucks for it...



IBANEZ BTB676-NTF - U.K. International Cyberstore

Looks like they still have it.

Well, at least for sweden. IBANEZ BTB676-NTF - Svensk International Cyberstore

or denmark: IBANEZ BTB676-NTF - Dansk International Cyberstore

I'm sure they'll ship it to norway.

EDIT: But woe to you if you catch the last one and my bassist doesn't get it (he wants it too)  

I think we'll get new models here in Europe because the BTB676's are going out of stock everywhere...
We could get something along these lines Ibanez :: Basses :: BTB576FM or this Ibanez :: Basses :: BTB776PB or both...

Just my SUBJECTIVE opinion though, take it with a grain of salt

pics:


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## MF_Kitten (Feb 2, 2009)

i know they&#180;re changing the btb line, but i don&#180;t like the new models... they&#180;re not as pretty, and they&#180;re MAHOGANY... not ideal for what i want to do with it!

also, the only site i found that sold them for a price i could afford was Playback Europe. unfortunately, they sold out before i could muster the cash.

Thomann has them, but i don&#180;t have that kind of money, plus the shipping to norway adds another 30 euros, which i can&#180;t afford either.

so basically, i can&#180;t have one at this point. which is why i&#180;m going back to my former choise. which is also awesome 

your bassist can have it if you promise to post pics of it


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## arktan (Feb 3, 2009)

MF_Kitten said:


> your bassist can have it if you promise to post pics of it



I can promise that i will try to put up some piktscharz.


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