jrixn1

I'm going to guess that the bass came with generic steel strings and a medium string height? Lower string height isn't necessarily better - it depends what works best for your particular bass, technique, tonal aspirations, and string choice. Spirocores with a lower string height is likely the most popular choice for jazz musicians; but some people like me prefer gut substitute (or real gut) with a higher string height for the tone and easier playability; or a combination, or something else. There is not just the one way to go. So as long as the setup currently isn't so bad that the instrument is holding you back, I would leave everything as it is, and concentrate on learning to walk. Then revisit this topic after some time (more than a month). Not sure about this. I've had my current modestly-priced hybrid Chinese bass for 10 years, and if the tone has improved it's because I've got better at playing it rather than the bass itself ageing like a fine wine.

Yes, it's a beautiful line! However I think I've distracted things by mentioning the leading line - which was really just an aside and not the point I was trying to make, which was that a chord with the 3rd in the bass is likely to sound good, not bad. Perhaps here is a better example, which isn't part of a leading line and is your bog-standard ii V I (there's your cycle of fifths). James Jamerson on Reach Out I'll Be There: In the third bar, he delays the root for a bar with the first inversion - sounds amazing. But JoeEvans reckons this is a clash, which is a part of his post I don't understand.

Yep absolutely - I'm just trying to understand what he's saying about an E note being a clash on a C chord.

I have read your post a few times and it doesn't make any sense to me - perhaps I have misunderstood. If the band is playing a song and the current chord is C, you as a bassist can't play the note F here as that will sound like a mistake. Likewise for playing Bb and Eb - those notes aren't even diatonic. Then you say that playing an E is going to clash - but if anything that will sound quite good, because you're creating the first inversion. An example is in "Dancing Queen", when they sing "You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life" - on the word "life", Rutger on bass plays D# when the chord is B7. Sounds great, and leads to the next chord (D) really nicely.

Do you mean you play one set which is 2.5 hours long? Could try tuning your bass to DGCF. I did this for a while to access lower notes without using a five-string, but a side effect was it kept me on my toes.

The RCFs have just one input. If I want other instruments, I take a monitor feed from our mixer - depends what mixer you have though (if it has enough monitor channels). Or for more input and routing options built into the powered speaker itself, I'd look at the QSC K12 or Yamaha DXR12.

Ok great - as a reference point, I previously had a Shuttle 9.2 with a Big Baby 2, and when I moved to powered speakers I was very happy with an RCF 732-A (which is a 12" speaker) - it was just as good in terms of sound quality and volume level. Can handle a 5-string bass no problem. If anything, it was overkill for the 10-piece wedding and function band I'm in, and I ended up getting something smaller and lighter (currently using a QSC CP12). If on the other hand you need louder, their 15" models are the 735-A and 745-A, as recommended above.

There are many good options and so it depends on the following... What is the genre and volume level of your band? What rig do you currently use? Is this powered cab just for stage monitoring (i.e. the bass is going through the PA) or do you need to fill the room? If you need to fill the room, what capacity venues do you play? Do you have a max price in mind? Do you care how much it weighs - would it make a difference if it was 15kg vs 20kg?

I'm not saying don't ask - apologies if it came across like I was discouraging discussion. You received good suggestions, including: variable HPF, powered speakers, GK combos, a larger Phil Jones, Markbass - I'm wondering if you had any luck with any of those? Otherwise you might just receive the same suggestions each time. There are indeed some new killer combos out there like carbon GR Bass and Markbass's MB58R lines, but they won't solve your problems of boxy sound and feedback - they still have the same EQ options and limitations as less cutting-edge combos. They are just lighter in weight.

You asked about amps last year and received a few replies - but I'm not sure you followed up. Did you try any of those suggestions (just so we don't go round in circles)? https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/467819-boomy-amp-issues/?do=findComment&comment=4833787

+1. Many people go by a specific frequency or number on a dial - but yours is the correct way! Francis Deck (designer of the Rafferty) puts it like this: "Flip the phase switch. The feedback will get worse, or better. You want it to be better." 🙂

Same company (or same person) as Jack's Instrument Services - I've only ever seen good feedback here, and I too was really happy with the pickguard he cut for my Yamaha BB. Photos of the Mustang with the new pickguards...?

To follow up on myself, Will emailed me back today - my message was in his junk folder. I think people must know that legit stuff does sometimes end up in junk and it's something that you need to keep on top of more than once a week. Anyway, I'm not enraged or anything like that.

Yes - I emailed Bass Bros at the weekend and haven't heard back. This is the second time I have posted on this thread, having had a similar lack of reply last time (January). I feel in the minority as there is so much good feedback here, and I would like to do business with BassBros - but if he doesn't reply than I can't, so again I have gone with a competitor. I just looked on their Facebook page and he seems active within the last couple of hours, so I don't know what's going on 🤷‍♂️

Do you play upright? It opens up a lot of gig opportunities. As for non-musical work - I did some van couriering back in the day. I don't mean parcelforce/amazon; but business to business, same-day work - lots of goods on pallets which needs delivering immediately straight from the printer/factory to their clients. I was self-employed and could work however much or little I wanted each week. There are upfront and ongoing costs to owning a van, but it's really useful for your own gigs too, and you can also pick up other man & van work e.g. light removals.

The 'Do Not Track' idea failed years ago. "DNT is not widely adopted by the industry" - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Do_Not_Track Hardly any websites pay attention to it. In fact here is a list... (it's very short!): https://allaboutdnt.com/companies/ You can read about your right to erasure here: https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/your-right-to-get-your-data-deleted/

I think skipping a string will get easier over time. Are you able to mute the unwanted string with your fretting hand, in case you do brush it with your plucking hand? Or can you play some of notes in a different position, so that you don't need to skip a string in the first place? So in your G, D, E example that would be G at the fifth fret on the D string, D at the fifth on the A string, and then the open E.

You don't generally get time signatures like 14/8, 16/8, or 2/8. The version I listened to was https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhzmNRtIp8k 0:00 The intro starts with four bars of 4/4. 0:07 The drums come in and you have two bars of 7/4, then two bars of 4/4. (Some people might write each 7/4 bar as a bar of 4/4 followed by a bar of 3/4.) 0:16 Four bars of 4/4 (a bit like the first four, but now with the full band). Perhaps a metronome at 145bpm could help the guitarist hear where the parts sit?

What size are the control plate holes? I recently needed to replace the electronics on a CIJ jazz bass (broken pot in my case). The control plate holes are smaller than the standard size. I took advice from basschat's KiOgon whose concern was sourcing quality pots in the smaller thread size. Instead, he enlarged the holes so they could accommodate standard pots. In terms of increased tonal options: by default, jazz bass pickups are wired in parallel, but one option above the usual volume-volume-tone is a pull-pot to connect the pickups instead in series. This gives a meatier tone and volume boost. I'd recommend contacting KiOgon if you want a drop-in solution; or http://www.ak-line.com/medium/Bassschaltungen.pdf if you want (many!) diagrams to do it yourself. There are an inspiring - or perhaps overwhelming - number of options... I think #333 is the series option mentioned above. I liked the stock pickups but changing them is always an option. One approach is to do the electronics first and see what difference it makes, and then you can always switch the pickups later. Using solderless connectors makes pickup experimentation hassle-free.

If you've decided you want a Sire and you're asking which model, then based on your requirements you've really only one decision: V7 or V7 Vintage. The difference is the pickup construction, pickup spacing, and bridge. The Sires I've owned were well made, looked good, played well, and sounded good. The necks are really nice. I personally found the preamp too fiddly with its three normal knobs, two stacked knobs, and a switch. Also they are generally on the heavier side - Sire's own FAQ has the V7 at 4.67kg - if that's a concern for you. I don't know what other basses you've played, but what I've found is the split between 'good' and 'not so good' is not necessarily along the passive-active line. I had a G&L L2500 Tribute with an extremely good B string, and I only ever played that bass in passive mode. Currently £449 at Andertons.

Sold some pickups to Dave - thanks for the fast payment and great transaction!

Gut substitute (or actual gut of course) will give the better tone for those styles of music, which predate steel strings. They are a lot easier on the fingers too. You'll likely have to raise your string height (assuming you currently have a relatively low action for your Spiro). The ones I can personally recommend: For a lower price you could try one of the cheaper Gut-a-Like sets https://www.thomann.de/gb/gut-a-like_strings_for_double_basses.html Or better, but more expensive - about £200 incl import costs - I am really liking Aquila Gold Springs. https://aquilacorde.com/negozio/corde-musica-moderna/contrabbasso-corde-musica-moderna/g-d-set/gold-springs-synthetic-set-g-d/ You can sell used strings in the marketplace so you will get some money back if they are not the ones for you.