fatboyslimfast

Just a question - how do you know if you are good enough to join a band? Obv a bit of a wide open Q, but not having played in one before and keen to get "out there", are a few dozen songs enough, or do you need to be able to busk along or similar?

My main inspiration for starting to play bass. And nice to know that as long as it was in tune, he could make the bass sound like that, regardless of what it actually was.

Just bought a set of Roto strings from Loz - he was completely honest about them, posted them very quickly and was great with communication. Would definitely deal with him again - highly recommended.

[quote name='bobogib' post='1321135' date='Jul 30 2011, 10:30 AM']I'm dreading going in search of my first bass, I can't play anything so haven't a clue what to look for. I think this is the reason so many buy stuff online.[/quote] Then buy a 2nd hand one off a local basschatter - he/she'll help you see what it can do, and you'll probably get a brew to boot!

whoa fella! thats a lot of info there, but nuffin about you! Where ya from, whaddya play, whaddya play it on? Can't really help with the power Q until we know where you're gonna be playing it (bedroom/rehearsal room/1000 seater venue?) and what you're playing (jazz/death metal/gospel etc etc) Welcome along though, and hope you enjoy your stay here - we're a good bunch and there is a lot of knowledge/experience waiting to be tapped into...

Hi Kizior, from another west-countryer...hope you enjoy your stay!

Weeks max. I said one was enough. that lasted about 2 months... But welcome along!!!

Welcome Beefyeggo! With basses, I would advise caution on the ultra-budget offerings on ebay (£80 all in for a bass, stand and amp - there have to be corners cut somewhere), but there are some bargains out there. At the moment there's a few Yamaha RBX basses new for £130ish - these are a bargain, but also keep an eye on the basses for sale thread here - there's a Peavey Jazz for £30, Cort Action P/J for £80ish and a Squier P-bass for the same. All of which will play miles better than the ones included in the £80 kits. You can normally pick up a practise amp for £20-30 from either here or Gumtree/ebay - so not much more overall. The guys here in general keep their basses in excellent nick, so well worth a look. I'm a Squier fan, as they just seem "right" to me, but was also impressed when I tried a RBX170. Best way would be to pop down to a local shop and have a play with a few to see what "fits" best. I paid £175 for my VM Jazz '77, and £75 for my Affinity P-Bass. There is a difference in build quality, but I'd still happily settle for the Affinity if cash were tight - it still plays lovely. Incidentally, I originally thought a Jazz neck would fit my small hands better, but am having no issues with my Precision and that's after only 3 months or so of playing. One point about buying 2nd hand from here - if you find bass isn't for you, or you want to upgrade, you will pretty much get what you paid when it comes to sale time...whereas the £80 kit may only raise £25-30 come sale time.

Welcome Argm - yep, we're a friendly bunch on here. Not shy of our opinions on the offtopic threads mind you, but there's a lot of knowledge just waiting to be tapped on pretty much any topic you imagine!

erm...

Right, I was having a bit of issue with my Squier P neckdiving. It's probably a combination of the lightish body, the cheapy nylon strap I'm using, and the work shirt I'm wearing (it's my lunchtime practice time!). Rather than go and spend £20 on a new strap to see if it would cure it, I invented a quick, cheap and effective solution. Even if it does look a bit pants. I got hold of one of those fabric/foam mousemats that normally cost less than a quid from a supermarket, cut a 3" strip from it and cut two slots 1" from the top and bottom, big enough to slot the strap through, but far away from the edge of the strip so it doesn't tear. Result: Slightly odd look, but no neckdive and costs peanuts. Enough left on the original mat for another too...

I've got both an Affinity P and a Vintage Modified 77 Jazz. The Affinity is noticeably lighter in weight, and doesn't seem to sustain as much (and this is with rounds on, compared with flats on the VM) - the VM just seems to hold a note for ages by comparison. But, from a playability point of view, the Affinity is still great to play and does what it needs to. I wanted a P as well as a J, but couldn't stretch to the price of another VM at the moment - the Affinity fills the gap nicely (and, because of the cost, I'm a bit less precious about it than I am with the VM!) Edit - EvilUndead's P should be a bargain at that price, with the new bridge and setup!

Best of luck Wayne - sure you'll be fine!

Welcome along!

I've always wanted to be able to play music, but having tried a few other instruments never had the inclination to practise them, so invariably put them back in the loft and forgot about them. Bass is different - I just find myself picking it up all the time (and got shouted at this weekend for spending too much time with it!). As much as I hate to admit it, I got my daughter the Beatles RockBand game for her Wii last Xmas, and found myself loving the bass parts (using the Hofner replica, natch). Decided after about three go's that I needed to get an actual bass and start learning. That was about 2 and a bit months ago and I'm hooked.

At the risk of being told "go google"...whassat then?

[quote name='fatboyslimfast' post='1270342' date='Jun 15 2011, 05:12 PM']Just 1. But that's down to me not really knowing how to play 1 bass properly yet. Give it a few months (christmas?) and I'm sure multi-bass GAS will set in... ...if SWMBO allows, of course.[/quote] Scratch that. That lasted a long time didn't it.

[quote name='silddx' post='1304212' date='Jul 14 2011, 11:46 PM']I'm still 6.25 inches.[/quote] Is that the size of your hat in the recent vid, Sir?

I don't know if there is going to be a way of doing that *just* using skype - it only allows you to select a single input. You'd need some sort of mixer, either in hardware or software. Does your bass amp have twin inputs and a headphone/DI out? If so, you might be able to plug the bass into one, the mic into the other, then run the output into your soundcard... straws/clutching I know...

Doh! Just spotted a really tidy Squier Precision on the 'bay for £70 Buy It Now. Too much to resist. Hit the button. Bloody GAS...

Fingers. Can't get the hang of a pick at all.

Afternoon Guildbass. Welcome along to Basschat! You might find that splitting them into individual posts and popping them onto the forsale forum might get you a bit more interest, depending on the price for each of course!

That was what I was thinking - hide it under the scratchplate. Still prefer the idea of a 9V though, less wires to trip over... Wonder if I could just velcro the battery onto the outside. Might look pants, but would work...

Thanks for the response. The Korg does seem a good device, but I was really wanting to avoid a load of wires in and out, and just be able to plug in and play. Also at £100, it's a little too much for me at present. I was hoping to get away with less than £80ish, including the bass. It's really only for scales practice when at work.