Doddy

As far as I'm concerned, finger exercises to improve your playing is mostly bogus. You don't need that much strength in your hands to fret a note or slap a string, and accuracy really only comes when you've got the instrument in your hands. I'm sure if you've got hand problems or injuries then doing exercises can and will help with your mobility and dexterity but assuming that you're relatively healthy, I don't think it makes any difference to you're bass playing.

For just a bit of drive I often use the HBE Heamatoma, although I've been using the Earthquaker Devices Plumes quite a bit lately. I also really like the Ashdown NM2, and the Fuzzrocious Oh See Demon and Broke Richard Peanut Gallery. The EMMA Onomatopoeia is pretty cool too. It's a boost pedal, but you can push it to a nice, slightly overdrive sound.

You must have worked with some dodgy MD's, because my experience is the total opposite.

From talking to various luthiers, when a bass has a fancy top,the top wood is thin enough that it has very little effect on the tone but the glue actually adds a slight amount of natural compression over a bass without it.

Pino has done quite a bit of modern jazz/instrumental stuff over the years. He's on albums by players like Herbie Hancock, David Sanborn, Vinnie Colaiuta, Manu Katche, and PSP, amongst others.

But a lot of upright players were very hesitant to play the Fender Bass when it first came out. Those that did move to it were still playing the traditional bass role, they weren't exactly moving around and playing anything crazy. It took a good few years before it started to come in to it's own as a legit instrument.

I haven't played either bass, but I think that I would hold out for the Sandberg. Because those basses are far apart, price wise, I'm assuming that you really want the Sandberg but would settle for the Harley Benton because it's cheaper. If that's the case, you'll never be fully satisfied with the Harley Benton no matter how good it is.

I think Steve Bailey is a great player, but really.... who cares? Sure, maybe writing tied notes to show the off beat might make it easier to read but it's not a big deal. Most competent sight readers will still be able to play it fine, and most weaker (or non) readers can break it down and count. Easy. If someone is going to take the time to transcribe their own basslines from well known songs and literally give them away, there is nothing to criticise. On a side note, I've never really listened to Whitesnake beyond the 2 or 3 songs that I've had to learn over the years but I've been using these transcriptions to help keep my sight reading in shape while there are no gigs, and it's turned me on to some great music. Thanks @neilmurraybass

Yeah, it was the old DOD FX25.

I'd say that the Mu Tron really stands alone as the classic envelope filter. So many other filters are based on it. Special mention to pedals like the EHX Bassballs, the Seamoon Funk Machine, and the DOD 440. There are tons of great new filters about, by companies like EMMA, MXR, Subdecay, Mr Black, and reissues of the classics mentioned above.

I heard about this. It's a shame, pretty much all my favourite basses that I own are all Ash bodies.

I've got nothing against either brand. I play a Warwick regularly, and I was very close to buying a Sadowsky a couple of years ago (I still want to get one at some point). I just find it interesting that there is no mention of the Warwick made basses on the Sadowsky site, with the exception of the initial press release and the distribution contacts.

But he does play 6 string.

I totally agree, which is why I played a load of instruments before deciding. I knew roughly what I was going to get when I ordered mine because I had played a few beforehand, and I trusted them to make an instrument of the same quality. Which they did.

Cool. I save money in other ways so that I can buy quality equipment for my profession. Just like the difference between buying a Squier or a Fodera.

Really? Because there seems to be certain people who have an ego about playing cheaper instruments.

Why do people buy top spec BMWs or Mercedes when Renault Laguna does the same job?

To be fair, the majority of the audience don't care what bass is being played as long as it sounds good. I don't even think that bass players can correctly identify a bass purely based on sound 97% of the time. But, I do think they are more likely to identify the player. Back to woods- I do think they make a difference to the sound of an instrument, particularly the fingerboard.

The hardware on Sire basses is fine. I've used a V7 on a load of gigs and recordings, and it's done exactly what it's supposed to. Sure, it's not Hipshot or Gotoh, but it's cool. Personally, I wouldn't get too hung up on humbuckers or 24 frets, and I'd get a Sire, which are my favourite basses in their price range.

I don't think you get the 'tone is in the hands' quote. It's not about making a Jazz sound like a Precision or a Hofner or whatever. It's about how a particular player brings their individually to an instrument. It's why Pino sounds different to JJ Burnell even though they both play Precisions, or why Marcus sounds different to Jaco even though they both play Jazz Basses. Likewise, a player can play different basses, and while there will be a change in sound due to the instrument, there is still something recognizable in the tone due to the player. Look how many discussions there are about whether Geddy Lee played his Jazz or Ric.

I guess that you're assuming that people use the same gear all the time. My signal chain changes depending on what the gig is, so it would be something like this... Mostly fingers (often thumb, sometimes pick) > a Bass > Elites or LaBella strings (but sometimes not) > Spectraflex cables > some pedals > an Ashdown amp > 1 or 2 Ashdown 1x12 (or sometimes a Bergantino HS410) There are far too many variables to nail it down to one rig.

I had an F Bass BN5. I played a lot of basses, and they were the best I played for what I wanted.

The thing with Fender is that, along with Gibson, they are an iconic brand. The Custom Shop is expensive, and I would guess that most of their custom is from Blues Lawyers. Most working players with that kind of money to spend seem more likely to buy a vintage Fender or look elsewhere. When I went shopping for my last bass, I wanted to get the best instrument that I tried. As it turned out, it was quite expensive, but what I got was a high quality handmade bass (no CNC), in the configuration that I wanted. The tone wood thing isn't a gimmick and does affect the sound (IMO especially fingerboard material), and I was able to speak directly to the builder about what the best combination was for the sounds I wanted, and he knocked it out of the park. The fact that they were really nice people was a bonus. I've got a few cheaper basses which I like and gig with, but none of them come close to my high end instruments in terms of quality of construction and sound.

But even an onboard preamp will be coloured by what pickups are in the bass (as well as the wood, if you're in to all that). I always use the Sadowsky preamp with my passive Fenders. Does ot make them sound like a Sadowsky? Probably not, but I think it makes them sound 'better'. Maybe the reason they don't make outboard preamps is simply because they want to keep them for their instruments- If you want a Status preamp, you have to buy a Status. John East used to make a pedal preamp- the STMP-01. Maybe it wasn't a big seller?

You did, but I still take issue with being classed as unprofessional for not carrying a spare amp (not by you obviously). If people want to carry a spare amp, that's cool. I have no issue with that. But it in no way reflects on the professionalism of someone who doesn't, as long as they are still prepared to deal with potential issues.