SoVeryTired

Nice! Let us know how it plays and sounds.

It's shiny, and you can't go wrong with shiny. (Proud owner of a Squier P Special, black with mirrored scratchplate.)

I started with fingers because, coming from guitar, it would've been easy for me to get into a rut of using a pick for everything. I probably use fingers 90% of the time but there are some songs that are just crying out for a pick - so I use one. Simple as that.

I almost got excited - then realised it was a '65. I wanted a '64. At that price you can keep it. (Funnily enough there's no 'buy online' option.)

I'm another in the "it's cool but you're about to lose" camp.

Option 1 for the experience, contacts and money, all of which lead to a more succesful option 2 in time.

One thing to consider in adding credit card debt to your mortgage - you're turning unsecured debt into something secured on your house.

Slightly disappointed - from the thread title I was expecting a hard hitting exposé of the murky underworld of pickup makers...

So, to sum up, some 4s are uncomfortable, some are comfortable. Some 5s are uncomfortable, some are comfortable. But a 4 will never have the range of a 5. Unless you tune it in 5ths and it has more frets than the 5. Yes?

As spotted on Talkbass, Fodera's new string packaging lists the gauges as 0.40, 0.60, 0.80, 0.100. (It took me a moment to spot the error.)

[quote name='Big_Stu' timestamp='1350475725' post='1839337'] I was hanging with a band of other 40+ year olds near Edinburgh & the whole pub was baying for "Cigarettes & Alcohol"; neither of the two guitarists had heard of it, so I shouted "Do Bolan's "Get It On" - a light of recognition lit his face & off they went to the crowd's roar of approval ......... up until the opening lyrics when there were 100+ faces going "Huh?" [/quote] Love it!

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1350473714' post='1839275'] It's not deliberate - it really has been played a lot, lol [/quote] Exactly - I probably like it because it looks real!

I'm not one for the deliberately relic'd basses, but that LPB is sweeeet!

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1350460183' post='1839034'] Sorry to veer OT for a minute, but why DO so many Gospel players choose a 5 or a 6? [/quote] I don't really play gospel - for the more rock style at my church a 4-string would do fine, with some parts just crying out for a lower note. I think the answer to the question may be partly function, to find space in a crowded mix with lots of keys/organ and to be able to go as low. But I'm sure there's a fair amount of fashion involved as well, just like you could ask why so many (insert genre here) players choose (insert brand here, probably Fender!).

[quote name='hamfist' timestamp='1350455871' post='1838989'] I prefer a 4 for two reasons. Firstly, my whole technique, honed over something like 30 years, is based on a 4. When I pick up a 5 my damping and control goes out the window. It feels like going from a driving a sports car to an HGV. So, yes, I admit it, it is my technique that is lacking. [/quote] I understand what you're saying but I view it differently. I thought I had decent(ish) technique after a few months playing a 4, then realised I had it totally wrong when I got a 5. I hadn't actually been damping properly (it was more luck than judgement when it happened) and it was too easy for my left thumb to start creeping round the neck. A 5 forced me into much better left- and right-hand technique, which in turn makes me a much more proficient 4-string player. Not necessarily true for everyone, but it worked for me.

I played a 5 exclusively for nearly a year (in church, but not really 'gospel' as a genre) and love the extra range of those low notes. I bought a 4-string recently on a whim and found, yes, it's very comfortable and easier to play in many ways. I still think the 5 is the most useful but I realised I much prefer the sound of the 4 - hence selling my current 5 to get a new one with the range of a 24-fret 5-string but the slightly more comfortable 34" scale and PJ pickups of my 4. I think I'll always keep a 4 around though, just for when I fancy a change.