velvetkevorkian

I'll have mine as low as possible please

Across three strings I would play all the notes at the 7th fret with the same finger (probably the 3rd finger), in a kind of combination barre/rolling motion. If it was like this: |--------------------------------------- |------------------------7-------------- |---------------------7----7------------ |---------------5----------------------- I would play the 5th fret with my first and the 7th fret with my 3rd and 4th fingers on different strings.

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='898869' date='Jul 19 2010, 01:03 PM']Agreed. You can get everything you need in Maplins and im sure it will be cheaper than buying a kit. A 6" ruler (and 18" if doing it the Lakland way) cost only a couple of £. A feeler gauge will be helpful if setting the basses up to the manufactures spec. Not sure how much they cost but they arent expensive. All the allen keys should have come with the basses anyway and a couple of screwdrivers are all that needed IME.[/quote] I set my basses up to my spec. I couldn't care less what the manufacturer recommends!

Honestly, for a basic set up I've never felt the need for anything more than a screwdriver and some allan keys, and I like my action very low. Try reading through some of the guides online (like the Willis or Jerzy Drozd ones), apply it to your bass(es). If you're happy, sorted. If not, you can buy additional tools and resources. It's not voodoo, but the only way to learn is to try it IMO. It's pretty difficult to do any permanent damage unless you're using totally excessive force.

If you raise the C string a bit does it behave the same way?

Leave it unfinished? I've seen a DB with what seemed to be a rosewood fingerboard before- looked quite striking!

Absolutely, and especially if it was a straight trade as the SR5 is significantly cheaper!

Here's a guide from [url="http://www.garywillis.com/pages/bass/bassmanual/setupmanual.html"]Gary Willis[/url].

The photos are the least of my problems with that ad- the typography, on the other hand, is almost unreadable.

Let's just say I'd rather be Darryl Jones than Bill Wyman.

About right for the Sadowsky, but the DJ4 is about £1100 on the GG website.

Was it you that brought the rain with you? They definitely have the best selection of quality basses in the city.

I go for versatility- I started out playing DB in school orchestras where we would switch from "early" music to romantic, classical and contemporary music in the same concert, so I think we just got used to playing whatever was put in front of us.

I'm very much in the "strict alternation" camp as far as the right hand goes- I try and keep the same pattern of fingers going at all times, using 3 fingers mostly. I'd say if you have a right hand technique that works for you there's no particular reason to change it. As far as emphasis in a band context, it really depends on the rest of the band and the overall sound.

A Basslab. Or maybe a Sei. Or a Dingwall. Or...

Hmm. Two [url="http://www.swrsound.com/products//search.php?partno=4415050000"]SWR Amplites[/url] would give 400W each into 4 ohms in one rack space, and its only 9.75" deep. The [url="http://www.hevos.nl/cms/en/?Products%A0:Amplifiers:%A0%A0_800D"]Hevos 800D[/url] is 1U high, 2x500W into 4 ohms. Looks like its probably deeper than you would want though. That's all I can think of right now...

I think a picture speaks a thousand words... The highlight of a pretty tedious weekend.

I was "recruited" for a band formed by a girl I met briefly at uni. The band didn't last long (and wasn't great in any case) but we're still together three years later

Most 6 string sets would have something in the region of .030 as the C, so I would go with the .032. The .040 might work but I wouldn't feel comfortable taking it up to Bb.

If you have a combo already, why not try it with that first? It might sound great. It might not, but you'll be able to narrow down what you want a bit more. Otherwise you're kinda flailing in a sea of different options with insufficient data to make an informed choice.

Are these new models? The older ones have been available for a few years now. Anyway, it looks like [url="http://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/MTD.html"]Bass Direct[/url] are stockists.

Getting the tuning on a four isn't a problem- might need a truss rod tweak and intonation adjustment, but that's not a big job. What is a problem is trying to use the same strings to tune up to standard- you would either have too much tension on the neck from the larger strings for tuning down, or standard strings which would be totally floppy if you tune them down to drop B. Just to clarify, by drop B do you mean BF#BE?

I think the thing in the F-hole is a humidifier, to stop it drying out and cracking.