Len_derby

[quote name='Andyjr1515' timestamp='1474807606' post='3140630'] Happily he did And more to the point, so did his wife who is paying for it ('special' birthday in Nov) . [/quote] Shame, because if he didn't want it....... Seriously though I'm looking forward to seeing it and hearing him play it. He's a great player and really makes that fretless you made him sing

Congratulations on your purchase. I love Squiers too. Perhaps we could turn your question around. How do some manufacturers get away with charging so much?

I'd love to try some Gibson basses and see how they feel and sound, But there are comparatively so few around.

I use an unplugged electric bass, and various bits of paper if I'm learning something new. I do live somewhere that's very quiet most of the time though.

[quote name='darkandrew' timestamp='1473017859' post='3126143'] https://www.gak.co.uk/en/fender-8250-5m-nickel-plated-steel-taperwound-5-string-45-130tw/41253?gclid=CKSEy7i69s4CFRaNGwodaqYELA Do you think these will be OK? GAK describe them specifically as being 34" scale - will they be OK on the 35" Spector Euro? [/quote] My advice is contact Newtone and tell them what you want. I've gone over to using their strings on all my basses and they provide tapered B strings for my Warwick Corvette 5. The owner/manager Neil Silverman is a good guy and an active supporter of musicians. A British specialist manufacturing company. Well worth supporting I think.

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1472988455' post='3125758'] Len is spot on except as regards the settling. Thunderguts don't so much "settle" as keep stretching for ever. It's a feature, sir ... [/quote] I was trying to encourage him Jack by sugar coating the bad news 😂

Welcome to the Uke Bass world! There's two things I'd say. Firstly, in my experience the silicon rubber strings on most Uke basses need a lot if settling in due to the initial stretching period they go through. So, just keep at it. Secondly, the intonation of these things never seems to particularly good. Even on the expensive models. A lot of players seem to gravitate to fretless to mitigate this.

I tried a set of cloth-wrapped metal strings on my bass Uke. I think they were Pyramids. It didn't work for me. The Uke is a Countryman cheapy and doesn't have a truss rod. Maybe they're all like that, I don't know. Anyway, the extra tension of the strings bowed the neck enough to knacker the already slightly dodgy intonation and also make the action too high. I've still got the strings, if you want to give them a go let me know.

It must have been quite a thing to sit in the congregation when JS Bach was pumping that big old organ of his.

[quote name='steve-bbb' timestamp='1472461703' post='3121192'] avoid greasy nibbles and knick-knacks before the gig too - i once had some pork scratchings or something and just licked my fingers clean and wiped them down my jeans then spent the whole gig with my fingertips feeling like they were sticking to the strings [/quote] I played a pub last year where I tucked in to the free samosas offered at the break. They turned out to be very expensive as I forgot to wash my hands and then covered a nice new set of strings with stinky grease!

Funny, I was dealing with this yesterday in a hot and humid pub. Apart from always trying to make sure my hands are clean and dry before I go on (not always possible, I know), I wear a towelling wrist band on each hand and give my fingers a wipe between songs.

I've played with several drummers who never do any drumming outside the rehearsal room or live venue. Usually because they said their domestic circumstances made it impossible to play or even set up the kit at home. It wasn't surprising that development of technique took a long time.

[quote name='M@23' timestamp='1472282667' post='3119986'] The usual: hot and sweaty cocktail bar. the unusual: 'mod' weekend on the Isle of Wight, meaning there were 5000 or so scooterists in the space of a square mile, so it was absolutely heaving. Also, I borrowed a Roland Bass Cube 100 as there was no parking and I had a bit of a walk. I'm really impressed by it, no PA support, volume on half and it filled a decent size room. It was a loud gig too. [/quote] Yes, great piece of kit. I've been very impressed with mine after 10 years of service. If it had a built in tuner like the Roland micro cube it'd be perfect. Never been fashionable though.

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1472259793' post='3119936'] This is one of my, so far, unfulfilled dreams. I'd love to play with 2 drummers. The Tedeschi Trucks Band, The Allman Brothers Band and the Doobie Brothers all sound great with 2 drummers so it can be done. [/quote] Plus the Miles Davis band in the Bitches Brew era.

I think it's just another confirmation of the mind-state of people who spend a lot of time on the Internet! They can't be watching Glasto on the tele either!

Funny you should mention this. I used my Mexican Fender jazz 5 string last night and wondered how much of its weight was due to the thick paint job.

I have a 2003 P deluxe with a DZ serial number. Looking at your photographs I can see the following differences. Mine says 'Precision Bass' on the headstock, the plate fixing the neck to the body has 5 bolts and a curve at the top. It is also stamped with 'Fender Corona California'. The control layout and pickups look the same. Mine has an 18v preamp and consequently 2 9v batteries. I don't whether this info helps or not, but it migh be of interest. I know very little about the variations or vagueries of Fender production.

A classy player for sure. I first heard him with a band called Mogul Thrash. Anyone else remember them?

I'm more or less in agreement with the Japanese Axeperson. In my experience the cheaper Uke Basses have poor intonation, with little option for adjustment. If I was buying again I'd go for Kala. The feel of the rubbery strings needs getting used to as well. What about a semi-hollow bass? Their looks might be acceptable to your band and if you're going have to use amplification a bass of that kind would be versatile for other ventures. Options; Chowny, Yamaha BEX, Fender Coronado, Ibanez, etc. Usually something good for sale on this forum!

[quote name='dannybuoy' timestamp='1470901537' post='3109186'] You CAN get a decent low B in a cheap instrument. I've owned a few 5ers up to the £1.2k price range, and the £280 Warwick Rockbass Streamer I have blows them all out of the water and can seriously hang with the super expensive stuff I've tried out. It has a stiff multi laminate neck and very tight neck joint. There are tons of expensive boutique basses out there that just use standard woods and traditional construction methods, so price isn't always an indicator of how well the low B will perform. The most important difference is the right strings, and making sure they are fitted properly. I've had bad Bs made great, and great Bs made bad, just by changing the string type. [/quote] Which strings have you found good?

I've got aYamaha TRB 5 which is 35" scale. Very good instrument, but it might b a struggle to find one within the budget. However MrMcgoo1964 has, on this very forum, a Yamahs BB425 5 stringer for sale within your friends budget. You'll see from the photo that this model has an extended length B string at the bridge. I'm not sure if it takes it to 35".

I used VistaPrint. 2.5 metres by 0.8 metres, PVC, metal eyelets. Just the band name in a fancy font (bear claw font), black on white. £40 including postage. Cheap and cheerful, but it does the job without us needing to get precious about it.

Another successful gig last night with 5 Hills Out. It was at a rural pub in Derbyshire, The Yew Tree in Ednaston, that has a young landlord who is a big music fan. We picked up a nice follow-on job, a private birthday party for the end of September. Not bad for a folk-punk band playing only originals. The only downside of the night was that we playing next to the pub's pizza oven. We were all wringing wet by the end.

The originals band I play in do songs in various tunings so I found sticking to a 5 string bass in concert tuning suited me best. Plus, if you're trying to build up a flow and momentum in a set I think swapping instruments and/or retuning is best avoided.

Great news. Thanks for the update.