KingBollock

Drop tuning doesn't bother me. What bothers me is when people lump all of metal music into one group. It is a massive and many varied creature and to dismiss it as any less than that shows a huge lack of understanding.

I play with my Bass hanging between my legs, only the tip of the bottom horn rests against my left leg, the Bass neck angles up in the classical position. When standing the Bass sits in the same place at the same angle.

I have no live shots, but I do love me a good hat. Unfortunately, due to the humongous proportions of my noggin, most of my hats are woolly ones. Though I do have a couple that fit, even if I did have to make a stretcher to get the leather one to fit. This used to be my favourite: Please excuse the abomination that I am holding in my hands, terribly sorry it's not a Bass. This is now my favourite: I can't remember how many times I've posted this picture on here now. I took it to show off my beloved Warlock when I first got it. Quite partial to a Buff too: And then there's my dead sexy fishing peak: Blimey I've had to trawl back through some years to find some of those.

I used to play in metal and thrash bands. Would love to do something more extreme, blackened death metal would probably be ideal. Unfortunately, the chances of finding anyone around here that would be interested are very very slim. When we moved here a few years ago I went into a guitar shop in a relatively large town, where I mentioned the sort of music I would like to play and the chap behind the counter actually said "Yeah, we had a bloke in here talking about that stuff a few years ago."... Really enjoying the OPs tracks, especially the vocals.

This question keeps bouncing around me bounce, too. Wish someone would do a YouTube video where they wind their own pickups and then compare them. Starting with different amounts of winds, different kinds of winds and thickness of the wire, then going on to different types of magnets. I would love to have a crack at winding my own and something like that would help me to choose what to have a go at. Edit: Thanks for that xliddx, that goes a long way to helping me understand the differences.

[quote name='icastle' timestamp='1365715689' post='2043531'] Don't tell us. Tell him. [/quote] Fine, I will! After I get Liam Neeson to hide all the guns he's got under his bed...

Bah! When Chuck Norris goes to bed he checks under it for Liam Neeson! And Chuck Norris is a rightwing, bigoted fruitcake...

I can't believe that I missed Rammstein out!

I am a failed guitarist, though I didn't take up guitar until a few years after starting to play bass, I am, however, rubbish at it. I tend to play it like a bass, although having been without a band for the best party of 20 years I tend to play the bass as a solo instrument (please don't throw rocks at me!). If you we're to see or hear me playing my banjo or my ukulele, you definitely recognise me as a bass player. I HATE the "Bass is easier because it only has 4 strings!" Thing. OK, here play this violin, cello, banjo, balalaika... Incidentally, what's the best way to differentiate between a bass and a guitar when taking about them on BassChat? See, I've done it in my question, but not everyone does it the same way, there's no standard. It was easier for me because I mentioned both in the same sentence. Some would say that the bass is a guitar and you can't just say 6 string because there are 6 string basses. Perhaps "the thin stringer"? Though it's rather inelegant.

A couple of years ago I popped into a guitar shop in a town just up the coast. I commented, quietly but not quietly enough, to my wife that the place only had one bass in it. The shop owner, having heard me, commented that he knew I was a bass player the moment I walked in. I took it as a compliment, whether it was meant as one or not.

Got to add some more. Carcass or Arch Enemy. Cradle of Filth. Bolt Thrower. Would love to tour with Willie Nelson too.

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1365254444' post='2037248'] I'm sure it's a given that we'd all like to play in our favourite band but, for me, the ultimate fantasy would be to have played at some of the milestone gigs. So, off the top of my head: Woodstock - playing with Santana, The Band, The Who or Jefferson Airplane IOW - playing with Jimi Hendrix The Beatles at Shea - just to have been there Queen at Live Aid Playing to 1m+ people with the Stones in Rio The Wall - with Roger Waters in Berlin (er, OK, we'd have to fight over the bass parts ) I think that would be enough for a decent memoir. [/quote] Jefferson Airplane at Woodstock is a cracker, though I'd probably go with Canned Heat.

WASP if Blackie didn't so desperately need a slap. Megadeth if Mustaine didn't so desperately need a slap and a kick in the balls. Or maybe Slayer, which is odd because I rarely listen to them but I just love the riff basedness of their music. Or Pearl Jam. I can't say Motörhead for obvious reasons. Actually, the ultimate for me would be The Vision Bleak if only their live shows matched their music. A frilly shirt and a waistcoat, on just the singer and lead guitarist, just doesn't live up to the grand theatre of their music. I'm not very good at this.

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1365067462' post='2034711'] 4x10s are seriously out of date now. [/quote] And that's why they're so great. The more out of fashion something gets the more likely I am to be able to afford to buy one. I love my 4x10, it sounds great and cost me £40.

No help at all but I have the T35 and it's a lovely Bass. Even though it only has a 2 band eq I find it very versatile. I wish my Warlock sounded as good. Actually, one thought, have you tried different kinds of strings on it? You might be able to get the extra sparkle you're after that way.

[quote name='OBT1000_S12' timestamp='1364763973' post='2030706'] Frustrating isn't it? What do you mean by a lower profile bridge something that's smaller? Its got a BA2 on at the moment. Have you got any ideas so I can look into it? [/quote] Yeah, just a bridge that is thinner/lower, so it doesn't hold the strings so high off the body. With the standard Fender style bridges sometimes people grind the bottom of the barrel saddles flat so they can lower them more than normal, but you can't do that with your bridge, if it's the one I am thinking of. To be honest, I think that if you can get your neck problem fixed, so the screws hold the neck properly, it will make a huge difference to your action and may not even need any other work done to it.

Another alternative is to either get the bridge routed and sunk into the body, or replace it with a lower profile bridge. I am having the same problem as you, but mine is a neck-through so I can't shim it.

[quote name='chrismuzz' timestamp='1364613861' post='2028926'] It sounds like it COULD be due to non-straight wrists as mentioned above, so taking some time to focus on just that every practice session will probably make a difference. You'll find when you do play with straight wrists the effort involved in fretting/plucking is a LOT less too Cod Liver Oil supplements are great, I've been using them for the last few months and my joints seem to be a lot healthier. One other thing that's really helped me is going to the gym and lifting weights. I do 'wrist curls' once a week to target those specifically, but pretty much any exercise which involves holding a weight in your hands will strengthen your hands and wrists! Again, with those being stronger, you will be working a lot less hard when playing and your stamina will improve! I [b]played bass for 8 hours one day[/b] this week which I would never have been able to do this time last year! [/quote] I once took some naughty go-go powder and played guitar for 12 hours without a break. It left my fingers so sore that I couldn't touch anything for a week and couldn't pick up a guitar for three weeks. Mind you, it was a guitar not a bass, I don't know if it would have been the same if it had been a bass.

[quote name='Count Bassy' timestamp='1364581398' post='2028525'] Thumb and four fingers here, but tend to use a digit per string and only resort to 'classic' two or three finger technique when speed demands it. Bit of a weird technique I know, but comes down to living in the sticks when I first started and having no teacher or external reference (no internet in them days) - and to having played a bit of finger picking guitar first I guess. It works for me, but I wouldn't recommend it to others necessarily. [/quote] On the rare occasions I decide not to use a pick, I will often use my thumb and either two or three fingers. I picked this habit up from playing the banjo. I find I can get a much more consistent sound when galloping with thumb and first two fingers than just using three fingers.

[quote name='Lynottfan' timestamp='1364559589' post='2028136'] Timmy C is a carpet man isn't he? [/quote] He's a lesbian??

I remember seeing Dragon Force live a couple of times with their original Bass player and he had a very impressive, clean three finger style.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weER9k7crgg[/media] That's not me by the way. It's the first video I found by typing Machine Head Audition into YouTube.

Sorry to bring this back up again. I am going to do a few experiments to work out how best to get the foil marker onto the fretboard and feel sure one of them will work. What I am really stuck on is what to use to cover the design so that it doesn't wear off. I need something that is going to be clear, thin and hard wearing. All I have at the moment is some generic wood varnish that claims it doesn't go yellow but I imagine there's got to be something more suitable or would it work? I suppose if it doesn't i could always sand it off again, but I don't want to be doing that too much, I don't want to harm my lovely ebony fretboard. Any ideas? I think I'd rather not use epoxy because it looks difficult to work with, but if it would be the best thing I am sure I could learn how to use it if I have to.

I need to replace parts of the bridge saddles on my Warlock but I am having trouble finding out what these particular parts are called never mind actually finding them to buy. It's the smaller part that sits in the larger part (I have taken to calling them the saddle and sled). I want to replace them with something quite specific. 11mm wide, 4mm deep and 5mm high (so half as high as the current ones), in stainless steel. Anyone have any idea if there's even a chance of buying them, or how much it would cost to get some made with the screw holes drilled and tapped? I'd have a go at making the myself if it wasn't for the screw holes, I don't have a precise enough drill or a tap and die set. My only other option is to grind the current ones down, but I would like to get them in stainless steel to match the frets and I am planning on having a go at making a stainless steel nut, too.

[quote name='lefrash' timestamp='1364117861' post='2021974'] Thats a very interesting thought actually. Never thought about that! [/quote] When money's tight, you have to get inventive.