Bass query

[Haole Jim]

The Semie-era Mosrite basses as many others of the vintage, had expanded polyurethane foam pads glued to the underside of the bridge cover to act as somethng of a strings-damper.

Is it common to remove the "mute" or moreso, to leave it on?

"WWBD?" (What would Bob <Bogle> do?)

Thank you.

[jfine]

It depends on what kind of sound you want to get. When the bass guitar came along, a lot of upright bass players felt it had too much sustain, so manufacturers started using foam pads at the bridge to get more of an upright-bass thump from an electric. I'm a guitar player, but I play bass too, and I feel that if I want to mute, I'll use the heel of my right hand at the bridge, but I use a pick so that works. When I lived in Nashville in the late-'70's, I worked with a bass player who would simulate an acoustic bass by laying his right-hand pinky across the strings at the bridge and picking with the index and middle fingers...on a Rickenbacker no less! Worked great, and all he had to do to open it up and get a more electric-bass response was to lift that little finger off the bridge. Who needs a pad on the bridge??

[Haole Jim]

Thank you, the foam shall come off.

Now, query number two...what are your fave strings for a Mo bass, flats or rounds?

[Dennisthe Menace]

Jim,

More than likely, you will probably have to experiment with the flats and the rounds, (actually hear with your own ears) and see
which ones sound best to your style of playing.