Ramp

jazzbass72

jazzbass72

Jun 26, 2003
441
123
4,816
New York, NY
#1
Yo,
my man, Janek! Great running into you again at Bass Player Live...you were tearing it up on that rendition of Giant Steps, just like I thought you would when I saw you counting it off *that* fast. Not sure if I told you I ran into Hal Crook a couple of weeks ago, and we were chatting about dem good ole Berklee days...

I am not sure if this topic has been discussed before, (I spend way more time on the DB side of this forum), but I meant to ask you, what's the advantage of having a ramp on the electric bass? Who inspired you to get one? I understand it must make sense to have one, but I need to be convinced more before I decide to have one installed on my Mike Lull. Best of luck on the recording in Austin, and reply when you have a minute, no hurries...

your fan,
Marco
 
#3
Here's a link to a synopsis I wrote a while back about ramps:
http://www.bryanrtylermusic.com/ramps.html

It's also stickied in the Technique forum. You don't need Mike Lull to install one for you- after it's built, you can attach it with foam-style double stick tape. It's non-marring, removable, and doesn't leave holes in your bass as drilling one in will do. You can also experiment with what height works best for you by using differing amounts of tape.
 
#4
They really do help improve your playing, especially in the area betwen the pickups, my playing is far more fluid since I had one fitted.
I made one from a piece of macassar ebony, that I bought from ebay for £4.99, it's just stuck on to my bass with double sided carpet tape.

As an experiment, try just sticking a piece of wood on to your bass, between the pickups, it just needs to be the thickness of your pickups.

I'm having one made for my new 6 string, so that it matches the bodywood facings.

Kevin
 
#5
Bryan R. Tyler said:
Here's a link to a synopsis I wrote a while back about ramps:
http://www.bryanrtylermusic.com/ramps.html
Click to expand...

Hey Bryan,
thanks for the link, I started reading your page and it seems very informative. I am not sure I'd want to drop $200 on a ramp at Fodera's shop, so I would welcome any other leads in the NYC area that won't break my wallet as much.

Sometimes I wonder if Gary Willis came up with the ramp concept from an upright bass perspective. I can't picture playing my upright in the bare section between the end of the fingerboard and the bridge...definitely need the fingerboard support under my fingers in order to be able to play. Well, just a thought...

-Marco
 
#6
i think im gonna be sending a pic of my bass off to Fodera so they make me a ramp, if that is the price i have to pay so that it looks like it was there when it was made then fair enough


Dave
 
#7
hey guys,

marco, thanks for your kind words, it was great to see you at BBL, I had a lot of fun on that clinic and Giany Steps was way too fast!! DOH!.

I was inspired by Laurence Cottle (my mentor and incredible bass player from the UK) to get the "ramp" as it's now being called fitted. He had a clear one fitted when I saw him and it made total sense to keep the feeling of playing on top of a pickup consistent throughout the bass. I didn't even know who Matt Garrison or Gary Willis were at that point, I just thought it was a hip idea that Laurence had.

Grady - no you haven't missed the gig in Oswego with Mike. It's coming up this weekend. Sat as far as I remember. check out my myspace page for all the info.

I fitted a ramp to a Yamaha TRB5 that they sent me. I went down to a perspex place on canal street I think and had them cut me a piece to my measurements. Cost about $5 as far as I remember.

Fodera fitted my current one when they built the bass and I'll probably have them fit one on my next bass too.

in the context of playing technically demanding music my whole concept is ecconomy of movement. The less you have to exert yourself to get the result the better. Your muscles, bones and mind will thank you for it. The wood plate between my pickups and at the end of my fingerboard helps this concept and stops my fingers falling through the strings. it works for me. Might not work for everyone, or for every style. I just spent a week in the studio playing a P-Bass with no modifications to it at all, and it was some of the best playing I ever did, and it's stuff that I'm most proud of.

It's all personal, don't forget that.

Easy,

Janek
 
#8
after you say that i might as well just get the guys at the bass Gallery to make me one up.

one a side note, are you gonna be playing with Mike Stern anywhere in the UK?


Dave

janekbass said:
hey guys,

marco, thanks for your kind words, it was great to see you at BBL, I had a lot of fun on that clinic and Giany Steps was way too fast!! DOH!.

I was inspired by Laurence Cottle (my mentor and incredible bass player from the UK) to get the "ramp" as it's now being called fitted. He had a clear one fitted when I saw him and it made total sense to keep the feeling of playing on top of a pickup consistent throughout the bass. I didn't even know who Matt Garrison or Gary Willis were at that point, I just thought it was a hip idea that Laurence had.

Grady - no you haven't missed the gig in Oswego with Mike. It's coming up this weekend. Sat as far as I remember. check out my myspace page for all the info.

I fitted a ramp to a Yamaha TRB5 that they sent me. I went down to a perspex place on canal street I think and had them cut me a piece to my measurements. Cost about $5 as far as I remember.

Fodera fitted my current one when they built the bass and I'll probably have them fit one on my next bass too.

in the context of playing technically demanding music my whole concept is ecconomy of movement. The less you have to exert yourself to get the result the better. Your muscles, bones and mind will thank you for it. The wood plate between my pickups and at the end of my fingerboard helps this concept and stops my fingers falling through the strings. it works for me. Might not work for everyone, or for every style. I just spent a week in the studio playing a P-Bass with no modifications to it at all, and it was some of the best playing I ever did, and it's stuff that I'm most proud of.

It's all personal, don't forget that.

Easy,

Janek
Click to expand...
 
#9
not sure about the UK with Stern right now. We're out this weekend, but that's in the states. I haven't seen him for a minute cos he's been out of town, but I'll see what the schedule is looking like for the new year and post some info in here.

Easy,

Janek
 
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