JapanAxe

Sounds like a plan.

If you really can't get on with it you could always sell it on BC Market Place. Oh wait... I'll get me coat

[quote name='Geek99' timestamp='1375439872' post='2161279'] Pitch it up one octave [/quote] Then slow it down if you need to.

Well you've really stuck your neck out Tom - you'll now be expected to weigh in with an expert opinion on everything, including [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/213133-honest-opinions-and-views-wanted/"]cross-dressing[/url]!

I am aware that silly money is being asked for these pedals, but I tried one back in 2002 and didn't like it! I much preferred the synth options on a used Boss ME-6B costing about the same (£150), so I bought that. Obviously if I'd gone for the Akai I'd now be sitting (or stomping) on a fortune.

And if you can pay upfront for the import duty, you will avoid an extra admin charge from the UK end of the courier chain.

[quote name='funkyspuke' timestamp='1372257075' post='2123469'] Let me introduce to you to my good friends at Alpher Instruments; [font=trebuchet ms,helvetica,sans-serif][attachment=137727:903526_4559266512290_2121383087_o.jpg] They are Chris (far left) and Al (far right) and they will be building my custom Alpher bass over the next few months (yes that is Patricia Hodge in the middle haha).[/font] [/quote] Er... why? (Nothing against Patricia Hodge you understand!) BTW - subscribed!

I have a couple of these leads, but I now only ever use them between pedalboard and guitar amp. They are not very flexible, so if you start moving around the stage too much (as I used to in the guise of 'Keef Rockhard') they form big awkward loops. For bass I use a brilliant OBBM cable. I will not use PW for this application because the input socket on my TC head is board-mounted and not secured to the chassis - a silly cheapo design flaw. A PW jack would trash this in no time.

Any update on this Mikey?

Merc E280 CDI estate (automatic) - swan around in comfort, can fit my whole bass rig in the boot and still close the load cover, or with the back seats down will carry guitar rig, (small) PA and drumkit, plus drummer in the passenger seat. Loaded up it gets 37mpg, or cruising along with just driver and 1 passenger on board, I have managed 44mpg. Great stereo too. But not cheap. Coming home on the motorway from a gig, set the cruise to 70mph and have a little nap.

[quote name='leroydiamond' timestamp='1375302228' post='2159579'] Stop Now. Step back up to a 4 string!! [/quote] Too late - I'm hooked! [quote name='ambient' timestamp='1375053213' post='2156278'] I find sight-reading easier on a 5 than on a 4 string, mainly 'cos you can stay in one position and play across the neck rather than along it, concentrating on the chart and not on where you are on the neck. Pretty much all of my playing is from the 5th fret upwards, from there I can cover 2 octaves from a low E at the 5th fret on the B string up to an E on the 9th fret on the G string. [/quote] Still working on familiarisation by sight-reading my old transcriptions - I have hundreds! It's definitely easier on a 5, because you can anticipate where the intervals fall across the strings without worrying about what happens as you go up the neck.

I use digital digital calipers to measure string diameter on both guitar and bass. They are close enough that you can tell what gauge the string is supposed to be.

No hijack intended, but would the alleged higher tension of, say, the Rotosound 77s be an advantage for the low B on a 5-er?

[quote name='andydye' timestamp='1375134902' post='2157220'] Congrats matey! That bass was mine for a little while, bought on a whim and traded along with my pjb six pack for a new rig. Glad it's come back to bc and gone to a good home! [/quote] Wahey! PM'd with a couple of Qs!

[quote name='TRBboy' timestamp='1375133168' post='2157185'] Looking at your picture in post 4, this is something I've been pondering over recently....... With basses such as these, could you dial in the same (or near enough) sound with the twin pickup one if you got the pickup balance just right, or will it never sound the same as the single pickup version? I guess you'd have to a/b both to know for sure....... [/quote] I would say not. On the 2-pickup models, the bridge pickup is closer in to the bridge, and the neck pickup is further towards the neck, though not quite as far as a P-bass pickup; but if you engage both pickups, you get phase cancellation between some of the frequencies, plus each pickup 'loads' the other, so the sound is very different from one HB in the 'MM' position - though not exactly 'hollow' like a Jazz, these are monstrous pickups! Having said that, the bridge pickup on the L2000 etc still sounds quite fat on its own, but not as fat (phat?) as on the L1505. I used to own a Tribute L2000 (now belongs to dr_skitz of this forum) so I am accustomed to its workings, and the USA model that I tried in the shop (as pictured above) was not far different to that in the available sounds.

[quote name='Graham' timestamp='1375099417' post='2156619'] There's a gorgeous greenburst ash/maple version of this on Ebay in the States at the moment, looks gorgeous and I'll bet sounds brilliant. [/quote] That'll be somewhat like this one then:

Cheers Jake, I know what you mean about visualising, thanks for the encouragement.

Had a bit of a sesh on the 5-er tonight. I'm trying to wean myself off that reliance on the lower positions, which caused problems when I had to cope with higher notes, especially when sight reading. Some things end up being a lot easier too, e.g. the riff at the start of [i]Rescue Me[/i]. I will be going back to the 4-string, but I'll try and stay off it for the time being.

[quote name='skej21' timestamp='1375043529' post='2156146'] No but it may have been fine when they put it out and has gradually become in that state through constant demo use. Even without these factors, the guitar isnt going to stay perfectly set-up hanging on a wall so its expected that it will need to be maintained regularly and contrary to what you may think, they probably don't get time to play every guitar/bass in the shop all day to find out these issues themselves, likely relying on constructive feedback about the state of the instruments from customers so that they can act on and become aware of issues developing with their stock. Simply stating 'its a dog' and storming out isn't helpful. However, it would raise concerns if there were issues with multiple instruments that you tried. The odd one is understandable. [/quote] I never mentioned storming out! Not even flouncing (although I do enjoy a good flounce). And I did smile while telling the chap the bass was a dog, and he smiled back, so no bridges burned. Assuming they hadn't knowingly put out a dog, they do now have the opportunity to have another look at that bass. So far the shop's score with the instruments I have tried there has been 4 out of 4 with issues. With the electro's I mentioned, one had an extremely weak and tinny output, and the other had a very weak signal from the top E string. [quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1375043633' post='2156148'] -1 [/quote] Is that for me or the shop? I don't seem to be coming out of this very well! Trouble is I am spoiled by shopping at World Guitars.

[quote name='Stan_da_man' timestamp='1375037915' post='2156043'] How are they supposed to improve then if their customers won't say what the problem is and just walk out? [/quote] I did point out the specific problem with the ASAT. And should I really have to tell a guitar shop: 'You need to make sure your stock is in good order before putting it out'?

Cheers David. I think I've already decided that the 10th fret is high enough on the B string. I'll try your other suggestions too.

[quote name='Bassman Sam' timestamp='1375030746' post='2155959'] Nice one, glad it went well. Best take your own sarnies next time. [size=4] [/size] [/quote] Always take your own food as a precaution!

There is another Chandlers in Hampton Wick, just over the Thames from Kingston. No criticism of that one, and no idea whether or how they are linked. Which one did you use Bassman Sam?

Hi folks, apologies if this topic has been done to death but it's hard to check with such common search terms. So... Just got my first ever 5-er and trying to get used to it. So far I have been going through my pad of song transcriptions, some of which I know well, and playing along to the original tracks. I am trying to play up the neck and down onto the E and B strings rather than in the lower positions that I favour on a 4-string. Any other tips that might help me?