Silvia Bluejay

Er, can I join the list by saying that Iron Maiden have lived here in Chiswick W4 for at least as long as I have been a resident (around 20 yrs). They are often spotted going about their business with their families in local shops and pubs. Nobody bothers them, luckily, or they wouldn't feel so relaxed about having a 'normal' life when they're not on tour.

Welcome fellow bassgirl! Lots of nice people here, knowledgeable, helpful without being patronising, and also genuinely funny. Get stuck in and post!

Great stuff you've got there. Keep up the good work!

This thread is an excellent idea, thank you.
It would be great if we could have either links to websites or text that's formatted so that it's easier to read, with addresses and email as opposed to just phone numbers.

[quote name='daz' timestamp='1322144197' post='1447148']
[center][u][size=4]I have an announcement to make. [/size][/u][/center]

[size=4]I have been reliably informed that if i book a month ahead, that I can get a train ticket to London for under £20[/size]


[size=4]If this is correct then Daz [i]will [/i]be going to the London bass show. [/size]


[size=4]If i become famous between now and then, I will [i]not [/i]be signing autographs, but may pose for photographs [size=3] (for a[i] consideration)[/i][/size][/size]


[size=4]Anyone wanting to accompany me on the journey let me know. If, as expected their is an over subscription, I will draw just ten names out of my top hat [i]. [/i][/size]


Seriously though I didnt know you could get train tickets for that cheap. A normal day return to London/Chester is maybe £250 so its a huge difference. I know you can get coach tickets a lot cheaper, but i loathe coach travel. ( Its mainly for peasants, students who dont have Mumsy and Daddy to buy them a car and a weekly petrol allowance, and chavettes who are too thin. I'd rather Walk.)

I love the train but cant afford it these days. Sitting back for a long journey with a book and a few cans is luxury for me. The journey along the south devon coast was a favourite. If you timed it right at high tide and a storm blowing in, the train would get properly bufetted by the sea as it flew along the top of the sea wall at Dawlish. You also used to get ticket collectors who would let you go into first class, and annoy the snobs just by exsisting in their air space. But they are all jobsworths these days.

At that rate I might just go to the London [url="http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/leonardo-da-vinci-painter-at-the-court-of-milan"]Leonardo Da Vinci exhibition at The National Gallery [/url]as well

[size=4](ooh when i read this back I had a weird deja vu, and then a deja vu of me realising it was a deja vu. That must be significant. I am now determined to go to the show, even if the train ticket is as much as £25)[/size]
[/quote]

What a beautiful post, Daz. I hope you'll come along and meet us.

The Leonardo exhibition usually requires queueing in the morning for the daily allocation of non-prebooked tickets. I think normal booking is sold out.

[quote name='Monckyman' timestamp='1324388848' post='1473713']
I don`t touch my knob, it might lower the tone..
[/quote]

That's a good one, Mr Monckyman.

I think I may have paid to see more than one man fiddle with their knobs on stage, possibly all at the same time. Many bands have two guitarists, and Maiden actually have three

[quote name='Monckyman' timestamp='1324377062' post='1473482']
>Coat pre-worn for speed.
[/quote]

*hands Monckyman an extra coat*


Wonder why the song is in Amaj as opposed to, dunno, Abmin that has all those appropriately fat flats?

Heh....

Been subjected to knob jokes good and bad since I started dating a bassist 25 years ago, then throughout my life with a guitarist, and now as a bassist myself. Heard them all, but still happy to see if anybody can come up with new, funny ones

LOL @ "Tempo da asporto" = Take-away time

Big hello back atcha, Si! This is a great place, so do stick around.

Heh...! I guess my question was mostly to Jojo who is a leftie, and anyone else in the same predicament.

My HB upright has a metal plate at the bottom, a wooden bridge like that of a "real" double bass, and obviously a nut at the top. I had to file the holes in the bottom plate so that the big E string would fit into the smaller hole that used to hold the G string, etc. I also had to turn the bridge upside-down and file the grooves so that the strings maintained the correct angle, then I had to file the nut to fit the re-arranged strings. And set everything up properly.
The bass is all right but, understandably, not 100% as good as it was originally. I'm fine with it to practice etc. but I would love to buy a good L/H 5-string upright that's not a home-made patch job this time

Welcome Si-Fi, and also Jojo (belatedly).

Fellow upright bassist here, and fellow leftie. I would love to know how other leftie double bassers fare with getting their instruments. So far, what I've gathered is, I either buy a horrendously expensive - if nice - ready-made left-handed upright from Warwick, or I buy a rightie EUB from one of the other manufacturers (Harley Benton, NS Design etc.) and get it modified by a luthier.

Anyone else know of other solutions? Have you ever had an upright turned from rightie to leftie?

Edit: forgot to say that I have turned my cheap 4-string upright left-handed by myself, but I guess I wouldn't want to risk and expensive 5-stringer.

Very interesting, thank you. I tend not to hit too hard - except when the song requires being played in a ballsy way - and my fingers are little, so I prefer low tension. I will eventually get round to try one of the sets mentioned in this thread and report back.

Thanks Robin - I'll keep those in mind as well. I've looked up the makes of strings suggested above, bookmarked the best websites selling them, and will eventually choose and order when I'm ready to proceed - that is, not at the moment, as things are a bit hectic and I only manage a few minutes playing bass/double bass every day, let alone a free afternoon to install, test, set up and adjust

Hope all's fine with you!

Silvia

@stef - I'm going to pester this community so that we organise a meetup of Basschatters at the show. You won't be forlorn or lost for long

A cautious yes from this leftie! Since I don't gig, and haven't got a car, I doubt I'd be able to bring any of my admittedly limited gear (2 Warwick Rockbasses, 4 and 5 string), but would happily come along on my own if the journey wasn't too long.

I was there on the Saturday this year and I agree with the above comments about noise and slow entry, although the latter wasn't too bad at the time I arrived (it apparently got much worse later).

I loved the show itself and the masterclasses and gigs. I found the seating at the cafe to be insufficient for the number of people there, and also wasn't impressed by the limited choice of food and, if I can be honest, its quality.

Edit: forgot to say I'll be there again next year, on the Saturday.

Oh, is it 2011? Sorry, hadn't realised - I'm still living in 1979 (when I'm on a disco day) or 1993 (when I'm in a metal mental mood)...

Great, Jack. I've checked the link in your siggy too, good to see you have lots of dates at the George. Will pop down!

PS More apologies for hijacking the thread.

Ancient Mariner, will check that thread. Thanks.

I will stop posting off topic on this immediately. Sorry for this.

Friday 23rd, what time? In diary - will do my damnedest to be there. Thanks!

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1323614852' post='1465030']
My OTB refuses to work properly at the George IV in Chiswick High Road, and ONLY at that venue. Every other place I've played since I bought it, the amp has worked fine.
[/quote]

Sorry, going OT but if you play there, we must be neighbours then. And Maiden live in the area too.

Thanks for that Chris, and well done.
Despite being female, Lakeside is my idea of hell - together with the various Westfields and Oxford/Regent Street etc. - so if I make the trip from West London when I'm (eventually) ready to buy, it will be to see you guys and the basses only

Edited for typo - can't even spell Westfield correctly, let alone entertain the idea of shopping there.

*reads above post and smiles with Zen-like serenity*

Heh, not being sexist - I guess most women's hands are just too small for a 6-string bass...

[quote name='dmccombe7' timestamp='1323448319' post='1463573']
In my day you only had 4 strings.
How i managed to have 6 strings I'll never know.
Don't even know what the other two are for

Dave
[/quote]

LOL probably some weird stuff more suitable to guitarists - but their 6 strings are puny and tuned stupid

I think you can remove and replace the knobs easily by either unscrewing the small fixing screw on each knob or by simple push-and-pull action if they have no fixing screw. I guess it is possible to mask the pickups; I'm not sure whether you'd be better off removing the back plate and carefully masking and protecting the electronics inside, though, rather than leaving the plate in place.

Afterthought: if you remove the knobs, you will still be left with the potentiometers' stems to mask.