mcnach

I'm not generally a fan of pearloid... but this bass looks amazing

[quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1348476361' post='1813905'] I firmly believe in warming up and down afterwards with hand/wrist/finger stretches first, then slowly playing chromatic scales etc above the fourth fret for a couple of minutes. After this, I usually stretch the hands/fingers again, then I am ready to play. [/quote] Agreed. That's pretty much what I do. ESpecially when playing in a cold venue/outdoor... warm up is very important. I achieve that by quiet unplugged practice prior to starting the gig. But that works because I have been playing a while now and I do it regularly. When starting out, a little extra help can be good in the form of non-bass exercises. Geared towards stamina more than strength since -like you correctly pointed out- you don't really need a lot of strength to fret a note.

[quote name='chrismuzz' timestamp='1348447493' post='1813812'] Must not be a great workout then! It takes me about 6 minutes I do 4x12 reps of wrist curls, then I do another 4x12 of reverse ones (palms facing down). Doing this 2x a week equates to a total of 24 minutes of isolated wrist/forearm exercises a week and that's plenty! [/quote] It was a great workout with great results in very little time. You train one way or another depending on the objective. I started weight-lifting in my late teens, and I experienced first hand various ways of training. I can bulk up pretty fast if I wanted to, and I can develop strength geared towards sustained exercise or just short bursts... each objective is achieved more easily with a particular way of exercising. With the powerball, I only wanted to make my fingers stop tiring after a few minutes of fast playing. My first band on bass was a metal band and I tried to do with fingers what I could normally do with a plectrum. INcidentally, my forearms have always been my weak point. I never trained them much and sometimes they are y limiting factor when it comes to exercise. I chose the powerball (a climber friend of mine recommended it to me) because... I admit it, I was curious about it, the toy aspect of it and the colours etc but once I tried it I realised it allows you to make very gradual increases and decreases of strength, and the fact you were rotating the wrist seemed to do something that wrist curls etc would not do. As my objective was to improve stamina, I chose to exercise regularly, and moderately. It was a great work out because within a week or so I could notice the difference. This is not to substitute practice on the bass. I still did that. But whilst practice alone only helped me at a certain rate, getting the powerball was like turbocharging my improvement. Unlike most of my weight lifting, I did not do it until my limit and to tire myself out. I did it to sustain a moderate level of exercise, where I feel my forearm muscles work, and get warm, without getting very tired: if I got tired I'd lose dexterity. Ever tried to play guitar right after a weight lifting session? After 3-4 weeks I stopped using the powerball entirely...

[quote name='shizznit' timestamp='1348438343' post='1813733'] I had one for Xmas 4yrs ago. I used it for about 5mins for each hand for about 6 months. I didn't notice any significant change, [/quote] i used it 3-4 times everyday for longer than 5min, building up slowly each time and then reducing speed gradually. 5min once a day may just not be enough

[quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1348418658' post='1813396'] +100. I can never understand why people seem to think that you need strength like "Popeye" to play the bass or guitar. [/quote] in my case it was not strength, but stamina, for fingerstyle. It helped me a lot more than simply just playing. Good warm up too.

[quote name='gapiro' timestamp='1348396645' post='1813032'] My guitarist friend has got one of those powerball things (the gyroscope wrist strengtheners things) He [i]claims [/i] it made a huge difference to his wrist strength and helped him with guitar speed. I'm a bit sceptical (he talks a lot of crap) so I thought i'd ask the BC population of their thoughts (link to the sort of thing I mean: [url="https://www.powerballs.com"]https://www.powerballs.com[/url] ) [/quote] I bought one when I switched to bass and I wanted to practice fingerstyle, as I'd get tired quickly and my fingers would just cramp when trying to play fast. Within a week of powerball use I started to notice an improvement.

[quote name='DarkHeart' timestamp='1348334146' post='1812506'] im thinking of getting a scratchplate, do i go for A, Black - always a safe option B, Tort - could look very nice C, Dark grey pearl - could look even better D, Blue marble - Different but could work E, Red marble - Totally out of the question cos it looks like the new man u shirt thoughts please. [/quote] black black blaack... although tortoiseshell could look pretty good if not too red

[quote name='mushers' timestamp='1348251404' post='1811524'] well i was outbid at 30 notes and since i could buy a fault free one with an amp and some random stuff for 90 quid i dont think i shall bid further [/quote] pity...

[quote name='apa' timestamp='1348248644' post='1811476'] How do you lock this thread and throw away the key because Ive got a bad feeling about this............................ Anyone else smell GAS?? A [/quote] not me, not this time... but I'm happy to enjoy GAS by proxy

[quote name='mushers' timestamp='1348245485' post='1811403'] what these B stock instruments require is a full set up and zero fret sand blasting and relisting for a lot more ! do you think the master setter upperer has seen these yet ? could keep him busy for decades yup i bid on one ! wasnt going to risk bidding on 2 if i won both i might end up with a full set of strings and there be no fun in that [/quote] Ha ha I was thinking of that good master tinkerer myself... I wonder! Let us know what you think of the bass, if you end up buying one (or two )

[quote name='chaypup' timestamp='1348242735' post='1811356'] It was the Jazz 'Precision' that I zoomed in on and it appeared to say Vintage on the headstock. [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Brand-new-Precision-BASS-GUITAR-Green-Sunburst-B-STOCK-NO-RESERVE-1-LOT-25-/190726201787?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item2c682ae1bb#ht_3270wt_993"]http://www.ebay.co.u...b#ht_3270wt_993[/url] [/quote] erm, no it has the same headstock, which is not like the Vintage ones... and this one clearly says Benson on it

[quote name='chaypup' timestamp='1348230098' post='1811141'] Vintage brand by the looks of it, although one of the feedbacks said Yamaha. [/quote] VIntage basses have a very different and distinct headstock. Most definitely not a Vintage.

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1348224811' post='1811030'] I've just stuck some nylon tapewounds on my bass, and they've brought to light a grounding issue which was probably already there, but I never noticed it with ordinary strings. The bass has single coil alnico J pickups, the bridge is grounded and the cavities thoroughly screened with copper foil, all of which is grounded too. The problem is, if I touch the polepieces on either pickup when playing (easily done with my playing style), it hums. It's not as loud a hum as if I was touching the live side of a jack, but it's still enough to be irritating. If I don't touch the polepieces, there is no issue with hum, whether I'm touching the bridge or not. As these are typical fender-ish pickups, the polepieces aren't connected to anything, and I've verified this with a multimeter. I've also checked that the strings are grounding OK at the ball ends. I'm presuming that due to the non-conductive surface of the strings I'm not grounded when I play, and I'm acting as an antenna when I touch the polepieces. Rather than coming up with some Heath-Robinson contraption to ground my body, I suspect I'd be better off either grounding the polepieces by running copper tape across the backs of the pickups or covering the poles with something to insulate them (nail varnish?). Any thoughts on which to go for? [/quote] extra hum is a common issue with tapewounds... or rather an issue that tapewounds brings out... if you only have issues touching th epolepieces, I would try to ground them. Depending on the actual pickup design that may not be easy. If you can access the bottom of the polepieces, a simple strip of copper foil, grounded, and you are laughing. Otherwise, nail varnish works very well. I have used the Rimmel 60 secnd one (stop sniggering) which dries very quickly and you can apply a few coats in no time... and that's the problem sorted.

local time is nearly 4am. 22 degrees. I miss my bass but... this is a civilised temperature!

[quote name='tommorichards' timestamp='1348084093' post='1809145'] what about coil splitting the MM pickup? or is that already on the cards..... [/quote] I have that on my Cort GB74... and to be honest I don't care for it. If I have a switch, I will play with it, and ultimately distract me . I prefer to make a decision: series or parallel, and stick with it.

[quote name='Kostas' timestamp='1348077315' post='1809004'] I like your pickguard more than the stock one. I'm skeptical about neck pickups on basses, if I was making a new pickguard for this bass I would rout both body & pickguard for the Jazz pickup to the edge of the guard so it will be closer to the MM pickup. I'm guessing it would be more useful and closer to a stock Jazz. [/quote] and that was indeed something I thought of... afterwards It would also move the neck pickup out of the way when I slap.

[quote name='apa' timestamp='1348067412' post='1808814'] But they are in effect a single coil at the neck and a humbucker at the bridge? A [/quote] Yes. But... location location location. Move a MM pickup closer to the bridge and you lose any resemblance you may have had before to a Stingray and it becomes more "fat Jazz". MOve the J pickup closer to the neck and... it sounds like a J closer to the neck, not like a Jazz neck pickup, if you see what I mean. But they can be blended in together, yes, if that's what you were concerned about.

[quote name='apa' timestamp='1348062933' post='1808710'] visa vie the pickups: Is it in effect a Jazz + MM set up? Im interested on the mix of those if it is A [/quote] Not really, The J type is a lot closer to the neck than it would be in a Jazz or usual MM/J types. I've always found them a bit difficult to balance as the MM tends to overpower the J, but it's a good sound. A bit like the MM with a bit of midscoop and the extra overtones from the neck pickup at that position. The Cort GB74 is more of a Jazz+MM, although in that case the MM is a lot closer to the bridge than on a Stingray, making it essentially a "fat Jazz". But if you're making your own bass, you can make it anything you like! ;-)

[quote name='S9_S12_Bass' timestamp='1348050225' post='1808449'] Looks good! Have you managed to have a proper play now? [/quote] as properly as I can at home. Real test will come at rehearsal/live, which won't happen for another couple of weeks. It's a grower. As I tweak it, it gets nicer. Definitely not a fan of the neck pickup, but the bridge one is decent. When I get my replacement NJ4SE from Nordstrand (I had one, it died, I bought replacement... then Nordstrand said they'd send me one FOC too) I will put it there... or maybe even disconnect the original, screw it into the body and just use one pickup. I'm very much a bridge-pickup type of person. I have it with mid/low action as I like it, and one of these days I'll get around to applying some oil on the neck, which will remove the slightly "raw" feel it has... I'm quite happy with it, I just cannot make up my mind about the esthetics: red or black guard, ric-esque or Stingrayesque with metal plate? etc etc... but none of that changes the basics of the bass, and I like it.

[quote name='Kirky' timestamp='1348056010' post='1808547'] I like this thread a lot, but I've just got nothing to say right now. If its still here in a couple of weeks, I might have something to say then. [/quote] beautiful! I used to have a thread just like this one. Great value. I sometimes wished I hadn't closed it.

and here it is: two screws have not yet been installed: they were moved from the original position and I haven't drilled them yet. I also had these other knobs from an old project, and I think it looks nice. Perfect match, the Bass Doc has done a wonderful job... yet again! (pity about the reflection... I've only just noticed!!! )

If you haven't sorted it out yet, and you can bring yourself tomorrow (Wednesday 19th) to the Comely Bank area of town, before 12.30pm, I can fix it for you in 5min.

[quote name='Dave Holden' timestamp='1347918547' post='1806757'] First off, I just want to say that I think this site is fantastic and has opened up the bass market for me which, before, was only filled by ebay and I know how we all feel about that. What I don't get about this site is why people feel the need to comment on my 'for sale' topics and state that they have no money. I'm thinking this should be banned. Some people have an appreciation for the items on sale but there is no need to write things like "love this bass but totally out of funds right now." I see these posts every day and they are just pointless. The sellers are seriously trying to make some money by advertising their items but the forums are plagued with people who have this inherent desire to tell you how broke they are. You wouldn't walk into an estate agents and say "excuse me sir, I really like the house advertised in your window but unfortunately I have no money" and then walk out... These people come in to the same category as those who seem genuinely interested in your item, you send them a billion more photos which they have personally asked for, then they disappear off the face of the planet without so much of a thank you. Okay, rant over. I appreciate forums are places where people can post what they like, it just seems a bit much sometimes. Thanks for reading, Dave [/quote] well, I think they show appreciation for what you're selling and everytime they do that they bump your ad to the top. And you complain? free bumpage at the very least! like others already said... it mostly just reflects the social side of the forum.

[quote name='Len_derby' timestamp='1345919574' post='1783200'] A pub near to me has, over the last couple of years, become a regular venue for bands. The landlord has built the pub up nicely, with good ale on offer too. He's just put out a message on the pub's Facebook page saying that any band that attempts to play the following songs will be fined £40. Wishing Well, Sex on Fire, Teenage Kicks. I laughed when I read it and I suspect it's been done tongue-in-cheek. I know, from conversations I've had with him, that he's a genuine music fan. Maybe some of the regulars have been grumbling to him, I don't know yet. What do you think? How would you feel if the landlord asked you to knock certain songs out of your set? [/quote] well, judging by how I have heard most bands play them... I can't say I disagree with him!