TheG

Great Stuff! Thanks for posting this Shrigg.

Is this video still available I cant see it. Cheers.

I like the look of the StroboClip looks excellent. I use a PolyTune for my double bass which I really like. I use the Strobe setting on it so I can get accurate results. i love it. As stated above it is only plug in though but that doesn't bother me the way i use it.

Hi Pete I have recently gone from a laminate bass to a full solid bass (6 months ago) and I love it for various personal reasons. Some people do infact prefer laminate basses for acoustic and wear & tear reasons. So that is going to be your choice in the end. There are so many reasons why one would be preferred over the other that it may not be one single reason and so you end up going with your own personal gut feeling. I feel myself that if you compare 2 basses side by side in a room it can be difficult to tell differences (within reason) BUT I feel that the best way to test a bass is on a gig with other musicians. (not always possible I know) Looking at those 2 basses above one is a lot older than the other and will therefore have been "played in" more which can give it more of a natural organic sound. It looks cool as well, from the back. My experiences of changing from my old bass to my new bass is that I have more consistent notes all the way up the fingerboard rather than the notes becoming deader as you go up. I never really played up that end but now I do a bit more "because I have the choice to do so as it doesn't sound horrible". When things get loud on stage I used to not be able to hear the notes very well. I just thought it was a volume thing but it seems that now I can still actually hear what notes Im playing even if it gets loud. This means I don't have to thrash around trying to pluck harder and getting nowhere fast therefore less hand fatigue. Thankfully I don't do too many of those kinds of gigs. The sound of my solid body bass also has more of an organic sound to it too. Organic as in when I play louder it sounds nice and when I play quieter it sounds nice but in a different way. My plywood bass used to have one nice sound when it was plucked hard but thats about it. I have another laminate bass with a solid top but acoustically it doesn't sound as good as my full laminate or solid body bass. I don't see this as an open and shut comparison though but as a lesson that things aren't that straight forward to compare in that way. I'm planning on seeing what I can do with this bass in the future by way of changing strings etc to see if I can make it more viable for myself as a spare bass. In the end you need to match the bass with the player whatever that bass ends up being. I tried 40 basses out when buying my new one and only 3 stood out to me as being possibles. It wasn't that the other 37 basses were bad its just they didn't fit with me personally. I did use to throw my very sturdy plywood bass around (not literally) but now I do tend to be a lot more careful with my solid body just incase. I spoke to "THE" Dave Holland a few years ago who said to me "it is the player that makes the sound not the bass". He also pointed me in the direction of his bass tech who said he set up a bass and amp on stage for Ron Carter and Rufus Reid, they each played half the gig each. The bass tech guy wasn't in the room at the time of the performance but just outside. He said you would have thought they sounded like 2 completely different basses but when he went in to pack the gear away he noticed the amp setting hadn't been changed from what he set them on before the gig started. Anyway those are my own personal experiences and may not fit in with others because as I say its a personal thing. Listen to your gut feelings. This was only supposed to be a quick reply sorry.

Very Cool. I love it!

I experimented with one of these. As mentioned above it is meant to follow the arch of the bridge with double sided sticky tape. Mine came with a microphone and a battery powered pre amp/blender that both plug into. The pickup had a small jack on the end that went to the preamp (not your usual size jack plug). The output wasn't that low really for me although it did have the preamp. The sound wasn't too bad really. I also had a Shadow (Underwood copy) and felt the sound was similar to this pickup although perhaps slightly softer sounding. In the end the Shadow was much more convenient and so went with this. I do hope to try the Full Circle one of these days.

Got the clips transferred the money. Thanks very much indeed Clarky. You're a Star!

Just re-read my last post. [quote name='TheG' timestamp='1353501731' post='1875226'] The Hiscox Case is around an inch thicker generally than the Protection Racket case. [/quote] I meant to say The Hiscox case's depth is around an inch thicker. The rest of it is similar in size. [quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1353174663' post='1872452'] I have a couple of gig bags with rucksack straps, and the big danger with them is smacking the head of the bass when going through ornery people-size doorways. [/quote] I once had the PR case on my back in rucksack mode ie over both shoulders whilst riding a bike. I was in a rehearsal room and rode down 2 steps to get outside via the "people sized doorway". The top of the bass case got stuck on the doorway as i was half way down the steps and I was completely stuck still on the bike. I had to devise a sideways manoeuvre to get out of it! Very embarrassing as there were people both waiting to get in and out as they waited for me!!! Its all Character building stuff isn't it eh!

Yes Ive got a Protection Rack Semi-Rigid Case and a Hiscox Case and just tried the difference in weight. Just by hand I haven't got any scales sorry. Anyway the results are that like Vampire Man says above there isn't much difference between them with the Protection Racket case being slightly lighter. The Hiscox Case is around an inch thicker generally than the Protection Racket case. The PR case has accessory pockets whereas the Hiscox case hasn't and the PR case has back pack straps (as mentioned above) whereas the Hiscox case hasn't. I have used the straps (just one strap over a shoulder) to give me an extra hand when loading from the car and I have also used the accessory pockets for music and leads/effects etc. Saying that I know a guitarist who has a guitar strap system fitted to his Hiscox (not sure if thats a DIY job). Saying all that the Hiscox is the ultimate case for protection and if you are going to be loading the bass into the back of the van with a load of other gear that could potentially crush it this is the one for you. I usually load into the back of my car and so for convenience of size, weight, pockets and straps I chose the Protection Racket which I personally prefer. Both are excellent cases though and so you wouldn't be disappointed by either.

Thanks a lot Clarky your a star! You are really doing us a favour. I too have seen these clamps but the logistics aren't straight forward to get one I don't think so thanks. As Clarky is doing this for us out of the kindness of his heart we should really make it easy for him to get the clamps to us and more importantly reimburse the money to him as soon as he lets us know how he wants to go about it. I know most people on here will be doing that anyway but Im just putting it out there.

When reading on a gig you only get one chance. Thats sight reading! ie you may have never seen the music before perhaps. To get as close to this as possible (practicing sight reading), as touched on above, is by setting a metronome and playing some unfamiliar music once without dwelling on mistakes or inaccuracies. Then going on to the next piece. Obviously you need to practice a slow and more methodical approach to get your accuracy up as a separate exercise but on a gig you don't get this sort of luxury. I always say the best way to practice sight reading is by sight reading. One tip I can share is first look at the key signature and keep it in mind as far as hand positions/fingering go. Although the music may stray from this often it is a good common ground to start from and come back to as at least some of the notes will fall comfortably.

I too have a thing about bulky hard cases and soft cases. One day i dreamt up a case half way between and a quick search on the internet produced excellent results to my surprise. The Protection Racket Semi Hard Case as mentioned above is excellent.

Sorry just found this post any chance of 2 jack clamps. If not or I am too late no worries. Great that you have thought of this for everyone. Thanks regardless.

Phew!

Just spotted this on eBay. [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DPA-Double-Bass-Mic-/230842704172?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Sting_Instruments&hash=item35bf4c212c#ht_726wt_1189"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DPA-Double-Bass-Mic-/230842704172?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Sting_Instruments&hash=item35bf4c212c#ht_726wt_1189[/url] Looks a good price too and possibly open to offers.

I would be tempted to keep your old bass and have it repaired myself also. Just a thought though. If you did buy a new bass, have you seen a bass you would buy to replace it? I say that because it can take a good deal of time to actually find one you like. I just bought a new double bass and I selected it from 40 basses that i had to try to get to it. Im sure others have had swifter searches but that was just mine. Also it will take a while to sell your bass. The whole process could cost more money and take more time?

Recently bought my bass from Helen at Tim Tofts they are Great.

Excellent book. I have a copy already but this is a must have!!! Even if you don't win go and buy a copy direct from the man himself.

I got my bass in a Fiat Ciquencento years ago and more recently in a Peugeot 107. Here are a few links to previous discussions on getting basses in cars: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/136782-will-a-double-bass-fit-in-my-car/page__hl__fit%20in%20car"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/136782-will-a-double-bass-fit-in-my-car/page__hl__fit%20in%20car[/url] [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/74060-double-bass-in-a-ford-mondeo-hatchback/page__p__1593759__hl__fit%20in%20car__fromsearch__1#entry1593759"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/74060-double-bass-in-a-ford-mondeo-hatchback/page__p__1593759__hl__fit%20in%20car__fromsearch__1#entry1593759[/url] and [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/176581-stupid-question-double-bass-and-saloon-car/page__p__1656221__hl__fit%20in%20car__fromsearch__1#entry1656221"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/176581-stupid-question-double-bass-and-saloon-car/page__p__1656221__hl__fit%20in%20car__fromsearch__1#entry1656221[/url] and

As far as I saw it just slipped in. Those screws on it are for adjusting how far out you want the tail piece they don't screw into the actual bass, I wouldn't be too keen to do that. Looks like there are 2 sizes? Also just thought, I would need a longer tailpiece wire as well wouldn't I.

Hi there I was chatting to a fellow bassist last night who had a Clifton Tail Lift device that made the tension of his strings lighter. I have tried other basses with various strings on that are very easy to play so know its not just about strings. I don't really want to go down the gut route and trying lots of strings can be very expensive. The idea sounds Great but just wondered if anyone else had any experience with them or know any Pros/Cons to the idea?