miles'tone

The Sterling Stingray is also great (obviously - Julia kills on one). I used to play a Stingray years ago which was fab but I ended up selling it to get a Jazz as I missed the sound of the Fender middle pickup tone (P or J) that I love on my favourite records. So if it's just about having one good bass then for me it's either a Precision or a Jazz. Lucky enough to have a second good bass? Definitely a Stingray. Hope that makes sense!

Hello and welcome! Ahh, juliaplaysgroove... When my friend sent me a vid of her playing Aeroplane by the Chili Peppers I couldn't believe it. I told that I want to play like her when I grow up (I'm only 48 so there's still time! 😄). Regarding your bass question - I did indeed play the new Classic Vibe 70s Jazz and found it to be amazing, and not just for the money. It did play and sound as good as it looked. The neck felt lovely and easy to play. Sounded so funky! One of those would be a great companion to have in any musical situation. Personally I would go for a black one, the sunburst was only let down visually by the miss matched grains of the wood showing through the burst. The black looked cooler to me anyways.. I can't comment on the contemporary Jazz sorry. One thing is certain though, a cool assed funky 70s Jazz will NEVER go out of fashion! Have fun on your musical journey, good luck!

Sorry to hear that you're isolated away from your family mate, that's a toughie. Have you tried working them out by ear at all? I don't know your level of ability but it will help no end to pick things out by ear. A lot of Northern Soul records were US imports from Tamla Motown (the label name we got on these shores) and the bass was mixed well and pumping! Should be easy to pick out. Great idea for isolating /lock down by the way. If we can't go out, stay in and dance! Uplifting vibes needed now more than ever! Dancehall Ska would be a another positive style to get bopping to. Good luck friend.

Interesting concept, keeping my mind open about these, although fwiw Piano bass strings do 'lump' up but stay that way along the whole length of the string, instead of 'lumping' down again like this idea though. Different instruments though of course. Whilst discovering how piano bass strings are constructed (hey I'm self isolating/educating!) I had a thought - If piano bass strings are bronze wound (on round cores too if they're good ones) and Acoustic bass guitar strings are mostly bronze wound, then why are metal double bass strings not bronze wound? Why? It would make sense, no? Anyone know? I have a double bass and more than enough things to be worrying about as it is! 🧟‍♂️🧟‍♀️🧟‍♂️🧟‍♀️😷⏳👩‍👦‍👦

I recently put a set of the new GHS Bronze Pressure wound strings on my acoustic and I'm VERY impressed! Perfection actually. No horrible scrapy finger noises either!

Hold tight @AndyTravis. It's been a crap winter, pissing it down pretty much since October and I reckon we're all at the end of our tethers. Not long now til we start getting some sun on our backs and a spring in our steps again. I'm sure it will make all the difference to our outlooks on most things.

Yes Yes Yes Very important, but mainly due to the moisture content. A well dried body wood makes for a pleasingly resonant bass IMHO. Wood type is secondary to me. Simple aesthetics every time.

I really wanted a double bass. REALLY wanted one. I got an extra evening bar job and stopped smoking to fund it. 2 years later I got that double bass. Go fund yourself, it's perfectly doable.

Thanks man. My son is also autistic which is how I ended up taking this path. I found myself needing a career change (self employed plumber, long hours, weekends..) as I hated my job and wanted to be more present at home. Now I actually feel useful and fulfilled at work, finish at 3.30pm and get the school holidays off with my family. Although I will never have that retirement nest egg to look forward to, it's worth it.

I'm a teaching assistant at an autism resource base within a mainstream primary school. The money is crap but I do actually enjoy going to work in the morning. It's the first job I've ever had where I don't have to pretend to be a something or other, I just show up as me and it's valid.

These days 9lbs and over is much too heavy. 8lbs is perfect for me if it balances nicely.

I saw the band James a few times years ago and their bass player played a Sterling. Simple basslines but you could actually hear every note as well as feel it.

Oh I could live with that 😍

Two tone but with cream bits instead of white. If you can't find cream the white still looks more interesting then the usual!

I just try and see the positive and embrace the times we live in. True we didn't have youtube when we were learning in '89 but we do now, great! I'm learning a lot from watching ' 'juliaplaysgroove' on yt and I'm probably nearly old enough to be her grandfather. I'm digging her energy and brilliance playing ace covers and it's inspiring me to practice more and more. On the other hand I pity the youth of today in that they will never know life without the Internet or smart phones, when human interaction was more social, natural and done in real time. Video added for extra grump factor..

I use 'Amazing Slow Downer' app on my phone. You can add a song and, as it says on the tin, slow it down while keeping it in the original key. You can then loop different parts of the song if you wish until you get it down. There is also an inbuilt graphic equaliser to fiddle with to get the bassline to pop out even more. Also you can whack the whole track up an octave which really makes the bassline jump out on hard to hear parts if you can stand the Alvin and the chipmunks effect! Really useful little app. https://www.ronimusic.com/asd_android.htm

It's a song writing technique as old as the hills - sing a sad song happy and a happy song sad.

HIP HOP Evolution on Netflix is an outstanding lesson on the story arc of the genre. I've been picking out tunes along the way to play along with. A great lesson in playing simply and getting right inside the groove. It's making me pay such close attention to note execution, note length and picking hand technique that I can almost hear the crowd booing if I'm even a touch out 😄. It's really satisfying to totally lock in with a solid cool groove for 7+ minutes and eventually not hear yourself because you're playing so tight. It's like meditating. Good for the soul!

Aja is one of those albums I have tried to like because my friend whose musical taste I respect has banged on about it for years. He's a remarkable drummer btw. It's just not my thing. That and Night fly.. To me they just sound corny and sterile.

My favourite in many ways..

I've got one of these and it's fab. The neck is lush and so easy to play. I have mine strung with D'addario tapes now. Ridiculous bass for the money. I've spent more on pickups in the past! https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_b_550fl_bk_progressive_series.htm

😂😂😂 I love it! In the same way that a trombone makes me laugh. To be fair there is a great sound lurking in there. Some parts sound like it's being bowed rather than pizz (and would sound less bovine in the right hands). His buddy not tuning his guitar certainly adds to 'the vibe'.

Forgive this observation of mine as I don't wish it to be taken the wrong way. I've noticed that on the BT Profile basses the pole pieces of the pickups are routed out of alignment. All the pictures of different basses online show the strings passing over just one of the pole pieces rather than between the two per string. I imagine that the thinner strings may function ok but I expect the larger E string may be moving out of the magnetic range of the one pole piece it has under it. I wanted a Profile Bass myself, REALLY wanted one, but I couldn't bring myself to spend £500 on a bass that I'd have to buy a custom pickguard for with correct pickup routing and have to move the pickups over myself, possibly removing some wood to do it. Strangely, the Power and Detroit Ps don't have this issue. Check it out, I'm very happy to be told I'm wrong! Again no offence intended. They are otherwise beautiful looking P basses in the best colour. ✌️ EDIT: I just checked again and it is just one side of the pickup that will be out of alignment. If the E and A are OK, the D and G will be out and vice versa..

Edit for one tune only: