velvetkevorkian

I use light Elixirs set on my 7 string which I tune BEADGBE- so that's .040-095 or 100 for the standard four, a .032 for the high B and an Elixir guitar string which looks like it must be a .024 for the high E. I thought it was lighter than that but that's the lightest wound single string I can see. Also a .125 for the low B if anyone's interested. Hope that helps. edited to add- that's on a 34" scale BTW. Also, keep some old string handy if you use the guitar string route- I had to thread on a bass ball end to get the top string to stay in the bridge.

[quote name='jake_tenfloors' post='737937' date='Feb 7 2010, 11:30 AM']Wow,you sound like a complete @rse. Just because some people don't have the time or inclinations to learn songs by ear or read the dots doesn't mean you can think your superior. Oh, and just because you can, its never going to put feeling into you lifeless sterile playing[/quote] Wow, talk about the pot calling the kettle black The point being made is, you could argue that tab is neither theory nor technique, so why's it in the theory and technique section? There's absolutely no need to start slagging off other people's playing, especially since he's not said the words you're putting in his mouth. Like the title says, its not a commentary on the relative merits of tab and notation. Chill.

To me it looks like you're putting too much pressure on the thumb- try keeping it arched rather than letting it collapse. That should help you ease up the tension it looks like you're putting on it, and allow you to do the "thumb off the back of the neck" trick Doddy was talking about. As he said, you shouldn't be gripping with your thumb. Hope that helps.

[quote name='bilbo230763' post='732959' date='Feb 2 2010, 02:14 PM']Why not? Jimmy Page uses a bow on his Les Paul [/quote] Because it sounds like ass? Yes, I have tried it!

[quote name='Bloodaxe' post='725964' date='Jan 27 2010, 01:36 AM']Blimey! /thread + lots squared! [/quote] Steve DiGiorgio is another excellent metal fretless player, who favours the brighter Jaco-style sound. Sean Malone is The Bomb, however. Video probably not safe for work- some language. Fretless can work in metal- I disagree about it being a radically different instrument from fretted. It will take more practice than fretted but it opens up possibilities for you. What kind of metal bass sound do you go for, clean and punchy or do you prefer the clanky, grinding sound? edit- video doesn't seem to want to embed- [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZWMGIF3b-c&feature=related"]link![/url]

The only reason I would buy a bass these days is because it can do something my current basses can't- I can't be doing with the constant buying and selling so many folk get up to. Now that I have my extended range needs/wants covered there would have to be something pretty special to tempt me again.

My girlfriend knocked a bass over at uni- took the neck off. Fortunately I wasn't there, I'd have probably had a heart attack. If its a clean break it shouldn't be too big a job to get put right.

It was posted on the [url="http://www.nin.com/?id=94514"]official NIN website[/url]- I think it's legit

I'd love a 5 string version with a reverse headstock. Metaaal!

Try it sitting down, or hold the bass in place with your right hand. It is an exercise, its not terribly practical to play like that all the time but it should be possible.

Which finger do you hold your thumb behind? If it's much past your first finger then that can cause pain IME.

[quote name='bigjohn' post='728747' date='Jan 29 2010, 02:34 PM']I [i]think[/i] I'd like to keep my cock.[/quote] Yeah, but only cause it's a Les Paul. If you're going to destroy your relationship and/or health by buying a bass at least make it a good one!

Just bought a footswitch from Ou7shined- super quick delivery. Top stuff.

Got to love the purple fretboard :wub:

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='725921' date='Jan 26 2010, 11:56 PM']Or do what I did when unemployed; go to the butchers and file one out of a chunk of bone.[/quote] Doom.

[quote name='dudewheresmybass' post='725955' date='Jan 27 2010, 01:05 AM']i never knew they used an mt2 [/quote] Our old guitarist used one of them- now forever known as the Kettle Tone.

[quote name='umph' post='725853' date='Jan 26 2010, 10:45 PM']bass and black metal?[/quote] Its OK, there's a special plug-in they use to make it sound like a wasp's nest in a bin anyway.

[quote name='4-string-thing' post='723479' date='Jan 24 2010, 08:10 PM']Why is the sound tinny on youtube? I played it through a mixing desk and a pair of JBL studio monitors, it still sounded tinny, thats the way "slap" sounds, isn't it? Again, fine if you want your bass to sound like that.[/quote] Subjective tonal qualities aside, most Youtube videos (including the ones in this thread) are done no favours in being filmed with a hand held camera with a crappy mic. That's why everything sounds tinny.

Since this has drifted into a general Lady Gaga thread I feel justified in posting this...

Since a noise gate stops noises below a certain threshold they will often catch feedback, since feedback is basically a quiet noise reamplified into a loud one. High gain guitar players often use it this way. If you have a gate like an NS-2 that has an effects send and return as well as guitar ins and outs, you can put the bass through the front end and put the send/return in the amp's effects loop- that will (in theory) stop anything coming from the guitar as well as anything produced by the amp. Having looked at the Artec you won't be able to do this, so I would try it in different places in the chain and see if that helps.

I would imagine it would put way too much pressure on one or two points on your body, around the vulnerable shoulder/neck area, rather than spreading it. I have a double bass (not nearly as heavy as a 4x10) which I use a single shoulder strap for out of necessity- it really does get painful quite quickly, and I wouldn't want to be doing it with anything much heavier. Just remember to use your knees and you'll be fine

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='717741' date='Jan 19 2010, 12:46 PM']I bet it's warm and growly and sparkly and stuff. I haven't tried that many pickups because it seems I'm not as good as telling what's so sh*t about my current pickups as the rest of you. Or maybe I just got lucky and bought basses that came with perfectly acceptable pickups - assuming they exist but only get sold to people who aren't on Basschat. [/quote] Tell me about it, ignorance is bliss eh?

...I'd settle for the shirt.

Mmm, bookmatched top! ...no thanks.

Its good for getting used to fingering long phrases that move about a lot, and sequencing.