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Do most of you live in private houses? I've only ever lived in flats as an adult and I've found that the lack of space (as well as being left-handed) is a great check on either GAS or accumulation.

He stated in his original post that he has no interest in playing 4 string basses any more?

I'm not - sorry - thought you were talking about his photo. Still - on most Telecasters the bridge ground wire has a little ring that is pushed hard into the bridge baseplate by a pickup mounting screw so the wire doesn't need a channel or hole in the wood under the bridge. It's all in the pickup cavity. One one hand that's a nice solution. On the other to swap the bridge pickup the entire bridge has to come off including the ground wire.

Many years ago I owned a Gibson Grabber G3, although you wouldn't really know I'd owned one, there's just one photo of me using it at a gig in Twickenham (incidentally just minutes before being approached by an A&R guy from Polydor). I would certainly say I had several almost-Fawlty moments with it. I'd settled on the G3 being my primary workhorse as my other bass at the time was a Travis Bean, which based on my general on-stage acrobatics was waaaay too heavy. Honestly no idea where the G3 came from, I bought it obviously, but beyond that, nada. When I was playing at home, it was fine. When we were rehearsing, fine. Soundcheck, fine. Come gig-time, it always seemed to be a crackly cutting out mess. We were recording in Surbiton - on Polydor's ££ - and when the tape was rolling it did the same. It just seemed to know when it was required to behave and just played up. In a studio in Fulham I actually lobbed it across the room, then used the owner's Jazz bass. Never did get to the bottom of the issue. I wonder where it is now?

Anyone heard any news in any updates due on the Helix. Seems like there due an update

@dmccombe7 yeah, the bass is a Rikkers Bodyline - absolutely beautiful olivewood bass, sounds amazing. Has switchable humbuckers for HB, in-out of phase and single coil, for both pickups. Serious gear! The bass has pics on the luthier's site over at https://www.rikkersgitaarbouw.nl/en/basses/bodyline/

I'd say hold on to it. Basses take up very little room: it's also a beautiful thing. If you need money, sell it: but not until then. Hell, hang it on the wall as a trophy if you want to: there are plenty of very very rare instruments which wind up in safety deposits and never being played at all. I have a number of 4 strings, but I mainly play 5: I actually like swapping back occasionally, and I've considered fitting a D-tuner on one of them. I also have a drop pedal on the board in case I ever fancy playing a 4 with BEAD without having to retune (it sounds OK in a band setting, it works). You love playing the Dingwall, but if you pick up your old warhorse, do you feel a bit of mojo? It'll feel different, too: necks feel different. That difference could be something which inspires you a little to play something different. Why not have some tunes which use 4-string which you play on that one only, just for yourself? The bass doesn't need to justify its keep unless you feel like it has to. I love keeping older basses: I've never actually sold one since I started in 1988. I have a fair number.

I am curious here and I'm asking an open question. I currently own a Mike Lull NRT5 with an upscaled body size, photo below. To be honest, it rarely sees the light of day and I have considered moving it on, BUT, I've also been hankering for another 12-string. I've approached Spencer at Lull in an effort to (perhaps) commission a 12-string neck (understandably, he declined), so this begs the question about the feasibility of whether I could get a neck made for it - the guy at ETS seems to have a bit of a waiting list so far as the two part bridge goes, so @Basvarken is a bolt-on retrofitted neck something that is doable?

Liking that wig. Better than my Amazon £25 one for the Glam band. That looks like a very nice bass what i can see of it. Dave

Hey Stoopid - Alice Cooper

I've only done my first few dep gigs in the last year, but off the back of them the band I helped out say they now consider me their go-to, and I've also been invited to check out one of their drummer's other projects with a view to joining. Pretty happy with that, tbh. It's their original material that I've been playing, so I guess it's a bit different to knowing a set of covers or standards, but turning up rehearsed, equipped and suitably attired was how I approached it all the same. I was very quick to check before accepting the gig that they were happy for me to play their songs 'as me' rather than trying to mimic their bassist's style; I just don't find that a fun thing to do, and fun plus a couple of drinks was the pay. Fortunately they were fine with that. The one thing I did which might count as advice, is learn more of their songs than they'd asked me to. As it happened, one of the gigs was on a snowy evening which stopped another band on the bill from travelling and unexpectedly increased all the other set times in the lineup by 10 minutes, so me saying that I could play them another three songs was appreciated. After the last gig, one of the singers came to apologise profusely for not having publicly thanked me on stage for helping them out (again, seems to be the done thing with originals; possibly less so with covers bands?) but said that she'd forgotten I wasn't actually in the band! I thought that was thanks enough.

American Idiot - Green Day

Neck fit check, nice and snug

Still a bit on fence with flats after a couple of months. I’m aware that you’re supposed to give them time, but does the sticky / grabby feeling ever go away? I’ve used Fast Fret a couple of times, it doesn’t seem to make that much difference. Perhaps Fender 9050L flats aren’t as glassy smooth to the touch as others. They feel ok when moving about quicker, but if I hold & sustain a note for a few seconds, the finger really gets stuck on the string. Is this just something you have to put up with when playing flats, or is it more that others are just smoother so it’s not an issue? I believe Chromes have a similar slightly grabby feel, but I pretty much ruled them out earlier anyway. Wondering about trying Ernie Ball stainless steel Group or TI Jazz. Are these smoother & less grabby? I’m sure La Bellas are nice and smooth but also ruled out as not the tone I’m after. Thanks

Just like the real thing then. I bought one once. Took it back a week later. Couldn't get a sound I liked out of it.

Wow, that G string is very close to the edge of the fingerboard!

Me too! I also like the Arc Dreamer block. The Boss OD one is too harsh for me even at low gain setting

I received mine last week - have only tested them so far but all seems good. Forgot to take them to rehearsal last night - hopefully will remember next Monday!