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Have recently just obtained a Vigier Passion11 in greenburst to go along with my Passion111 custom in funky orange (not sure what the colour is!! though the bass is a funk machine!) So comparison between the carbon neck and the 10/90 system on the go at the moment....Both a joy to play and a very happy bassist

I would correct this and say 'one of the benefits....' - another benefit you have discovered is that finding notes on or around the 5th fret can be easier without ever dipping below the low E. I would also add the extra choice of where to play the note gives you the choice of what timbre the note will have - eg E played on an open string doesn't sound like E fretted on the B string so you can play what is most appropriate. I changed to 5 strings about 2 years ago and most likely won't change back even if there was no longer a need for 5 strings. But, as has been said, do what is most comfortable for you - from what you say it sounds like you want to explore 5 strings so I'd say go for it. If it doesn't work out, go back to 4. No-one will get hurt, it is only a bass!

So I bought a Mark Bass set up comprising a head and two cabs. Then, a while later, GAS got the better of me and I couldn't say no to a couple of Barefaced cabs. As Patrick O' Brian would say I was with child to try them out and promptly did so on the evening of the day upon which I'd wrested possession of them from @Happy Jack in the car park at Newbury services. They gave an incredibly detailed account of the instruments I put through them, but I did spend much of the rehearsal fiddling with the controls of the Little Mark Tube to achieve a sound I liked. No problem I thought, new gear takes time to learn. Every set up has its foibles. Last night I gazed along the mountain of amps and cabs I've accumulated over the years, and in a fit of quite astonishing laziness decided I could only be arsed to take the smallest of the BF cabs and a couple of cables and one bass. Once the folly of not taking any amplification had fully dawned on me I trotted back into the house and on nothing more than a whim I grabbed my ageing Behringer BX4500H. This cheap and cheerful head has been with me for yonks usually coming along for the ride as a back up where it has served me honourably. In fact on more than one occasion it has stepped bravely to the fore when far more illustriously named amplifiers have croaked in mid gig. Imagine my utter astonishment when the diminutive Barefaced Midget in combination with this ugly ducking of the bass amp world proceeded to produce the most astoundingly beautiful bass sound with which I have ever been associated. My singer looked up wide eyed from her seat to comment how the bottom end of the sound had passed through her chest in such a way as to make her draw breath, the clarity and smoothness of the upper frequencies had my aged yet nimble fingers dancing up the fretboard and the mid tones boxed their way cleverly through the other instruments there present as they seamlessly and fluently held together the whole in a way I'd not previously experienced. And loud. Boy oh boy. The master pot was barely off the floor and yet I filled the room with a sonic feast both voluble and delicious. The tone knobs were set to neutral, just the shape control engaged and the bass boost button depressed. I was playing a Stingray, the infamously zingy, tingy, teeth on a metal fork quality of which I have tamed by the application of some flatwound strings. It was truly bass heaven. I look froward to trying other combinations of amp and cab before flooding our for sale section with unwanted goodies but honestly I shall be extremely surprised were any of them to match up to what I heard last night. Just goes to show, don't write off a 'cheap' brand from a position of prejudice, and don't assume amp 'A' will be amazing with cabs 'B' or 'C' without trying them first.

Well, I've gone for it! I've bought the Jazz I borrowed, and I'm rapidly falling in love with it, even though it's giving my fretting hand a different type of gyp. But the ability to just whizz across the fretboard rather than race up and down it is fantastic. And that lovely sustained tone... oh, it's gorgeous. The only downside is having to relearn all the starting points for the scales, but that's a small price to pay. Aye, it took a big chunk out of my bank balance but I thought that as I would graduate to a pro axe anyway it seemed sensible to go for broke rather than buy another cheap instrument. So, what two fives did you buy? And have you got a favourite?

I'm really not sure that apology is sufficient, y'know.

From personnal experience, the time not to move to a five is half way through your honeymoon necessitating a 3 hour detour and going straight into a gig when we got home thinking "the extra string cannot be THAT tricky".

I bought some confectionary described as mint, every single one had a bloody hole in it!

Cheers Liam, both helpful and really not helping at the same time, takes talent, that.

I went and bought a Fender P because I knew that some of the people I was playing with (and also some of the band leaders that I wouldn’t mind playing with) preferred that sound image / look. The BL was gushing about how great the new bass was and said that his bass playing mate had said “I see that Pete has got himself a proper bass at last”! Personally, I think that a lot of it is nonsense and that a decent bass will get a sound that will work in pretty much all situations. But it can’t be denied that a lot of people think that a ‘proper’ bass sounds and looks like the basses on the records they grew up with (be it Motown or the Clash) and ideally has ‘Fender Made in USA’ written on the headstock. So, I bought one because it would help me get more gigs. I heard a story of someone auditioning for Mark Knopfler who turned up with a high end coffee table 5 string. The audition obviously went well because he was asked to come back but Knopfler said to him ‘next time you come, bring something that looks like a proper bass’! So, he went and bought a 5 string that looked like a Fender for the second audition and I believe that he got the gig in the end.

And it's an excellent thing to have if the monitoring is amazing.

Not exactly Behringer-levels of surprise, but an old-school/new school combination I have is fantastic: my Walkabout through my Barefaced Super Twin. The cab just delivers all the Walkabout sound, and on the upside, it goes very, very loud. I know Mesa watts vs other watts and all that, but it makes 300w more than enough to deal with a couple of 412 Marshall guitars and a shed-building drummer. And it's a verrry easy one-cab solution (40lbs and wheels? Oh, go on, then ), and with a £30 Maplin case, the amp's a breeze to carry, too. As far as backline's concerned, I'm pretty much done.

That's why I like the Labella white nylons. They can give you the vibe of flats by taming the top end a bit, but they don't sound out of place for other stuff I'd play with rounds. They do not have the metallic zing, it's a bit more top midrangey, but it's a good string to cover a variety of styles with. Especially the copper white nylons. If you want something brighter, the gold ones get you there.

Depends on who else is in the room, and how loud they are. If you're up against a live kit with a clumsy drummer and a guitarist with a Marshall stack, then no. If you play with musicians, then yes.

Why not? I often take 2 or 3 basses to a gig or whatever and select the most suitable for the sound required by the band and will ask which they prefer. The band usually has an idea of the bass sound they want. Obviously, the doesn't apply with people you play with week in week out, but with new bands. For example, I rehearsed with a band last week that I am gigging with this weekend (my first gig with them) and tried a Precision with flats and a Jazz with rounds, finger style and with a pick. We decided the best sound was the Precision with flats, but more top would help nail the sound they want, so I have re-strung the Jazz with flats for the gig. It's not people 'telling what bass to play', it's just trying to help the band to achieve the sound that they want, and not just from the bass. In my regular blues band, the guitarist will sometime suggest that the drummer use a different snare, or tune a tom differently. We are all part of a band, and the overall sound is all that matters.

IIRC, Billy Sheehan said something along the lines of "I'm still learning the 4 string & once I've mastered it, then I'll add another string". The benefit of a 5 string is having those 5 lower semitones (though you could buy an octaver & have 12 lower semitones ). If the songs you play call for the lower (or of you string it E-C, higher) notes, then defo go for it. If your playing style means the extra string will make things easier, then again, go for it. If you want a 5 string just for the sake of having a 5 string, stop. Have a think & work out why you're going for a 5 string & not a 4 or 6. I've played a 4 string for 30+ years & never needed more. That doesn't stop me wanting a 5 string fretless though.

There isn't a set probation period one is required to "have served" on a 4 string, to be allowed to move to a 5 string bass. Four strings are simply a good starting point for shaping your own preferences. ||: Try as many different configurations/models/setups as you can and always go for the one you currently prefer. And then... :||

Oh! haha I see now you're talking about my username, well I feel silly now.

If you can afford it and can keep the Ibanez too then I’d say go for whatever makes you feel enthused about playing, and hence learning and progressing. Also, have you asked your teacher's opinion? They may be the best placed person to have a valid opinion on this. Unless they happen to have a five string Fender Jazz for sale that is

Sound advice! I spent part of this evening trying to switch between the four and the five and eventually gave up. I put the Ibanez back in its case, grabbed the Fender and only stopped when my fretting hand and shoulder wouldn't stop complaining. The Fender weighs a ton! But it's such a gorgeous instrument. I made my mind up, put a big hole in my bank balance and now I'm sticking with the five.

These are fantastic strings you won't regret them. I've had them on my Sterling Ray 34CA for a month and the results have been wonderful.

He doesn't want £20 for it. He wants to start an auction at £20 and let it run for a week, big difference. Otherwise, yes it's well worth twenty squid!

Squier make a few 5s. Precision and Jazz in various guises and trim levels, also the MB-5.

Indeed.

I'm guessing... But smaller speakers are normally preferable for the reproduction of DB. However, I have full faith in Alex at Barefaced who says speakers' diameter really has no effect - and I use BF cabs so subscribe to this concept. I imagine it probably sounds pretty good no matter, it's a decent cab!

No problem - we are all waiting enthusiastically to see how it progresses By the way, in case people are inspired to use inks themselves, there are some ranges of colour that seem susceptible to fading and some specific colours that definitely do within those generalisations. Generally, the blues and purples seem to fade the most. Having said that, the blue/turquoise guitar in the example above still looks the same colour as when I did it in 2014 - and it's been hanging on a wall near the window until very recently! There is an interesting accelerated fade test of the full range of Diamine inks on one of the fountain-pen enthusiasts web sites: http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/250572-all-diamine-inks-mini-fade-test/

Find the strings you like and want to use. Base your decision on their feel, sound and longevity. If they make you sound that good then just put your hand in your pocket. It's a small price to pay.

What the heck, just bought these...

Like many others before me on this thread, I would recommend thinking long and hard before parting with your Wal. I long for a Wal every time I hear Alan Spenner playing Roxy Music. Takes me right back to those days! If you fancy trying something a bit different from what you already have, what about a used Yamaha BB2024 or 2024X? I have seen them for sale at very reasonable prices on Basschat, and in my opinion they are instruments of the highest order ( I own both). They are similar to a Wal in so much as they have a very strong and consistent midrange tone, although both basses have a distinctly unique sound all of their own.If weight is a priority, the 2024 is significantly lighter than the X version.

If no one here can help then there's a long and active thread on TB about Ampeg scroll basses - https://www.talkbass.com/threads/love-of-ampeg-and-other-scroll-basses-part-2.1044767/page-68. Lots of AEB-1 owners on there who may be able to help. Visual comparison with P-bass below might be useful as a guide.

...a great way to pop your bass builder's cherry!

OK For sapele, I would use this - Diamine Wild Strawberry At less than £3 a bottle (and 30ml is plenty) you can afford to buy a shade darker and a shade lighter just in case your wood requires it. Pete's EB3 tribute was done with it - figured mahogany top, sapele back, mahogany neck: Pete plays it every week and keeps it on a stand next to a picture window exposed to full light. Two years later, it's still this colour. And I used the same ink on this mahogany double cut junior, that has been hanging on my wall for nearly three years and, again, it is still this colour: Personally, I think a Thunderbird would look great in this colour....

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But rarely on purpose.

I have asked the guitarist several times to pour petrol over his orange combo and set fire to it. Still hasn't happened!

I had one of those Behringer heads too. It was my first amplifier head. I always remember liking the sounds it made. I paid £100 back in 2007 for that and a Behringer 210 cab, used but in great condition... apart from a noisy fan (which was only really noticeable playing at home), I thought it was great. I sold it and bought a TC RH450 which, in hindsight, was not a better amp. Yes, more bells and whistles, and small, and light, but... it didn't sound better. I should have kept that amp.

I've been using Legacy strings lately which are apparently rebadged, rotosounds at under £12 a set. No complaints at all there. Having seen Lozz's post though I've searched Warwick Red Label, which I've used in the past and seen that they're available at Gear For Music at under £8 a pack. Think I'll get some of them.

The various EB groups refer I think to the tension. Group 3 is on a par probably with TIs and Cobalts and certainly roundwounds. Ive never used chromes so am not familiar with how close they are to the EB group strings but I think I recall some reference to them being very similar. Best of luck with this - flats can be a bit of a lottery as they're all so different and none of them are particularly cheap.

I felt exactly the same, love em on a p but not on a Jazz I didnt get on with them on a stingray either.

The ABM head and cabs I had sounded really good generally, very much classic 70s bass sound when combined with a P bass. I moved them on due to lack of volume to weight ratio. It depends what you’re after I guess.

Here's the new 16mm assembly. A real pleasure to play now.

I almost had the same thing. Quit a band where I’d lent the guitarist an old Marshall combo (70’s 50w, grey fronted super lead II - lovely sounding amp that I used for years afterwards). It hadn’t actually cost me very much (from the days when old Marshall’s were two a penny, well, maybe £100 from my local junk shop I think). He didn’t have an amp of his own, and at that point was under the impression that the band was going g to continue (in fact I was the first resignation ahead of the rest of the band - we couldn’t sack the guitarist as he was the BL) I see out the gigs we have booked and tell him that I’ll take the amp home with me after the last booking. On the night of the gig he produces a no name, no value bass that he’s had knocking about and suggested that either we could swap, or maybe I could let him borrow the amp for a bit longer and perhaps keep his bass as some sort of security. er...no thanks mate. Got the amp into the back of the girlfriends car as soon as we packed down, leaving him looking sadly at the amp I the back seat as we drove off

Tomorrow, I'll be picking up my Status Energy 5 string from my luthier. I bought it as it weighed 8lbs but ended up not using it due to string spacing. Just had a set of the individual bridge pieces fitted. Placed in contact with each other, gives me 16mm spacing. Cheaper than buying another bass.

I've converted a couple of my 4 strings (also had one built) with the Schaller 2000, for similar reasons but not drop tuning. Excellent bridge. Some of the Ibanez BTB four strings are 35" scale, so great for unflabby drop tuning.

It is very easy to sand the holes too large ( i know this to my cost) so ever since that mistake I use a bolt with large washers as a clamp and slowly tighten the nut on the bolt thereby pushing the bushes in. On the bolt which is almost the the same diameter as the inside of the bush I have 2 rubber tap washers and 2 steel washers and a nut. The rubber washers cushion the steel washers and prevent them cutting into the wood or scratching the bushes. Go slowly, keep everything square and squeezing bushes in is simple.