BassBus

Will you ever want to post on a humble forum like this again? Have a great time.

Yeh, and I'm just listening to Horace Silver who died last month. Two greats of jazz even if they aren't everyone's cup of tea.

But it does have a genuine Levi's strap and new battery. That must account for nearly £1600.

It really depends what kind of tone you are after. Sparkly bright or dull and life less. There is no doubt you get what you pay for in life so it goes that a cheap bass might come with cheaper strings. There is more to it than just strings. If the bass is shop bought it might be worth your while taking it to a local luthier for a professional setup. He/she would probably recomend new strings anyway. Factory setups a usually a compromise so having a luthier set it up to your requirements will make a big difference.

I suppose it depends also on what you want to use it for. I like to play tunes on the bass and I don't like the sound of a low B. If you want to play chords then a C string opens up possibilities for clearer sounding chords. The lower you play chords on a four string the muddier they become.

Aye, right!

The B string sounds quite good on the Fender. [size=4] [/size]

As all of the above. I had a break from bass for seven years at one point. Came back to it 13 years ago and never regreted a minute. I'm also on a break from band playing at the moment, my heart just isn't into it right now, but still playing bass most days and learning lots about music theory. Don't look on it as a negative. Sometimes you need time out. You go away do other things that are more important at the time and if you are going to come back to bass you will. Only you can decide whether you have to sell your gear.

For those of you not subscribed to Scott Devine in any way here is an interview he has done with a man who apparently makes basses. http://youtu.be/7_VdyJ9OnwU

By saying guitarists must behave themselves, does that mean no Stairway to Heaven, Paranoid and Smoke on the Water? Or is that just those over 45?

Oh my goodness! I've just gone all wobbly.

I looked at the stagepas range for a band I used to be in. I was advised that they were not that great for band use. The power rating that is advertised is nowhere near what they put out. We eventually went with QTX individual powered speakers. They have their own amp in each speaker. They are rated at 150W and put out every bit of that. It turned out to be a good choice.

I had similar done last year on a wrecked Bass Collection bass. Top 6mm was planed off and new face glued on. You could have the same done and route out cavities before putting the new face on. No problem for any decent luthier.

How much do you want to spend? Yes to the VM Jazz but might be worth your while looking at ESP LTD basses. You get a lot for your money with them. Mind you they will more than likely be made in the same factory as the VM Jazz. Ibanez SRs are always worth a look as well.

[quote name='3below' timestamp='1402860296' post='2477372'] My first ever set on G&L SB1 now 8 years old, still going strong. Although they are a little pricey (new), the lifetime makes them excellent value. [/quote] ...and I'll raise you two years on that. Probably some of the best value strings on the market.

[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1402469283' post='2473729'] I know many of you wont understand the reasons fully, but thanks for the encouraging words. After spending quite some time praying that I'm doing the right thing, I've found it's because music has always been an idol to me. One of the first things I do in the morning & last things I do at night is read about music & come on here (still doing it too!). Every spare minute if I'm not on here, I'm playing my bass or playing about with something related to music. It needs to be broken so that I have no idols. Once this has been done, then maybe music can be part of my life & not be idolised by me. Doing this has a strange feeling with it, very similar to when I quit smoking. I feel like I'm breaking free, but there's a part that is sad that the good parts shall be missed. It's not about the playing of an instrument, but my relationship with instruments. If I'm to be a musician, I'm sure it will be. I can always buy another bass/pedalboard/rig, I might come back to keys or to an instrument I've never played before like cello or sax. If it's my calling to praise God in worship songs, then most churches have their own instruments. Maybe God is just like the rest of you & hates it when I play a bit of slap bass & he's had enough. [/quote] I think you have exactly the right attitude. All power to you. And, yes, Your God will hate it when you slap a bass.

I will say don't just listen to your God. Listen to yourself as well. It sounds to me like you are doing that already but maybe not completely aware of it. There comes a time in most peoples life when change is needed. 34 years is a long time to be playing music. Take a step back and give yourself a rest. Don't sell all your gear. I am speaking from experience. 1994 I found there was nothing musical that was influencing me. Stopped playing bass altogether for 7 years. Changed instruments and musical direction and was reborn in a musical sense. 2001 and a whole series of coincidences happened. Long story short, I ended up trying out with a jazz band on bass no less. That first session with them was one of the best sessions I have ever had. I have learned so much more about the bass in the years since them and am enjoying it as much now as ever. More change last year when band playing ceased to give a buzz. Playing on my own and making up my own music and learning even more about the instrument. Point is, after a long ramble, change is sometimes needed. Go with it but always keep one eye on what has mattered to you for so long.

This might help. A whole thread on the subject. http://basschat.co.uk/topic/230948-ios-for-the-gigging-bassist/page__st__150__p__2469682__hl__ios__fromsearch__1#entry2469682

I've always liked DSL straps. Available from guitar guitar and strings direct. Come in different widths and slightly padded. Schaller strap locks on the straps for my custom basses. They use the same screws as standard strap buttons.

Blimey! That is particularly pretty. Mmmm!

Nice looking job there. I'm thinking of doing something similar but slotting in a TC BG250.

Impressive work

Ah, a 15 string P bass.