Silvia Bluejay

I was talking to a pianist friend the other day, and I've ended up with a couple of questions I wasn't quite sure how to reply to. I know I could google myself stupid - and in fact I've had a quick look for an answer to No 1 without much success - but I'd rather hear your voices 1. Any idea when the 5-string electric bass came into common use in pop/rock music? He thought it must have been in the late 1970s or early 1980s, but I swear I've charted the bassline to several songs from the 60s that used the notes on that B string in a big way.... 2. Although each string of the 5-string bass guitar covers 'only' two octaves, the range the instrument can actually play goes from its lowest B (B0) to its highest G (G4). How does that compare to the 'full' range offered by the piano? Thank you in advance! Feel free to go off topic and/or off on a tangent if you feel like dissing the piano or the 5-string bass guitar, ranting or raving etc.

Sounds fantastic! Hope you'll join us, Seashell. I don't think we'll use passwords or secret handshakes! Probably best to stick to something like 'at 4pm at the cafe' and bring a piece of paper with 'BC' written on (as long as some smart alec doesn't come carrying another that reads 'AD' or sumfink...). At the moment I have a ticket for the Saturday, and will try to organise a meetup for that day. However, I may either buy another ticket or come after the show if we decide to meet up on the Sunday too. Emmett, the show isn't like a shop, in that it's more noisy and more crowded, and it's not that easy to hear the instruments, amps or effects you're trying out properly! But it's good for seeing a wide range of instruments and equipment, many of them newly released, in one place, getting info from the people manning the stands, and of course checking out masterclasses, auditorium gigs and demos/minigigs offered by musicians at some of the stands. It's yours to decide if that makes it worth a trip from Edinburgh. I hope you'll come along.

Or 'putting faces to names' as they say - in our case, putting real names to screen names as well. I've met two BC members in person so far, and they are lovely. Looking forward to the Bass Show in March

Actually I think we should organise a place and time for us to meet up at the show and/or after it. We'll think about it in more detail a couple of weeks before it starts. In the meantime, a happy new year to all!

... except when they look at your little girly hands and can't hide their disbelief, as in "what, YOU play bass? Double bass even??!!?? Left-handed? Naahhh." Not a good chat-up line, really.

Thomann sell good upright electric basses as well - lighter, smaller and more manoeuvrable than 'real' double basses, and they sound reasonably good even when plugged into a small amp. I got mine for slightly over 300 quid last year. Once you start on double bass, you'll be hooked! I'm now dreaming of/lusting after a 5-string upright.

[quote name='Slipperydick' timestamp='1324663524' post='1476877'] Hello Emily from Beatleland. I'm originally from Birmingham, home of......... Ah well - not enough space really. [/quote] Black Sabbath and Judas Priest. Nuff said. Rest of the world simply not remotely worthy!

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.