SubsonicSimpleton

These controller keyboards are great for using with software like Reason, but is your wife interested in faffing about with technology, or would she prefer to just switch one thing on and play? At the bottom end of the keyboard market nothing feels like a piano to play regardless of brand(they all feel like 80s synths to me), so maybe it would be worth considering a self contained option - lots of portable keyboards available for free almost on the used market, and even though the built in speakers aren't up to gigging, and the sounds won't be as good as a multisampled steinway grand, not having to lug amplification, invest in additional software or be restricted to headphones only can be advantageous.

Wow thats some fugly repairwork, and interesting bridge positioning. Does it sound any good? I think both your friends need to take it to a luthier together and get a quote on how much it will cost to put right, and take this into account when negotiating the price. If you broker a sale and further issues come to light when the buyer takes it for setup, it's going to get really awkward.

This thread has a bunch of interesting discussion and information about sitting positions http://www.talkbass.com/threads/finding-a-comfortable-seated-position.1153835/ I just looked at a load of different players and tried their approaches to see what was most comfortable and efficient for my bass and body mechanics. I'm not sure exactly when it started, but most musical institutions at some point introduced alexander technique, and training musicians to avoid work related injury as part of their education programs.

If you have issues with your EUB rotating, you could try something like this modified endpin which prevents unwanted rotation. http://www.talkbass.com/threads/stagg-eub-megathread.344951/page-14#post-10319425 There are a bunch of interesting solutions to making EUBs behave more like a DB when it comes to playing them on the various megathreads. [quote name='Marc S' timestamp='1455012533' post='2974921'] However, I've had a very painful problem with my foot, which precludes standing in a fixed position for too long So I hardly play my DB now - as it causes pain if I do it for too long [/quote] Try playing sitting down instead - I started off only playing standing up, but my arco tutor has converted me to the benefits of sitting down on a lowish stool with both feet flat on the floor, it makes everything easier as the bass is completely stable with no input from either hand. Might take a little experimentation to find a seat height that works for you.

Look at the assessment criteria and marking scheme first, and have a chat with one of the tutors that assesses these performances to make sure that you are not misinterpreting the assessment guidelines. They might have some important insights into what makes the difference between fail, pass and distinction from a marking perspective.

Given that there are publicly accessible feedback threads, and the request was for a forum nickname, and not the personal details of the buyer, is this really a big deal? There have been instances where disgruntled buyers post threads about being disatisified with a deal and half the forum immediately knows who the other party is just by playing follow the feedback...

Fifths tuning spiros are tuned lowest to highest C,G,D,A,E, they are not the same as a five string set which would be tuned lowest to highest E,A,D,G,C. The go to solution for modern jazz guys who want to shred with low action is usually spirocore solos(F#BEA) tuned down a tone to regular EADG.

Try altering your tuning, take everything down a semitone to Eb,Ab,Db,Gb and see how the bass responds, then repeat in semitone increments until you get to BEAD(which will be a similar amount of tension on the top to the other bass you looked at). Different basses respond differently to the amount of tension on the top. If you find a sweet spot like this, then it should give a rough idea of what will be a good match tension wise.

Are you tensing up without realising it when playing these repetitive parts?

There are lots of ways to do this - PC/Mac,tablet/smartphone,dedicated digital recorder. The PC/Mac/tablet/smartphone options would require some sort of audio interface and using something like audacity (or a full blown DAW) to playback/record. The digital recorder option gets potentially very interesting if you have ambition to record good quality demos, from the desk at gigs or micing everyone up in the rehearsal room - there are small portable units with capability to record between 1 and 16 tracks simultaneously at very affordable prices (but feature sets vary enormously, especially connectivity - the Cymatic LR-16 offers full 16 track recording at under £300 but is specifically designed to run from the insert points on a mixing desk and has no preamps of its own) depending on your needs, take a look at what the Boss BR-80, Tascam-DR40/Zoom H4N and Zoom R16 offer at their respective pricepoints.

Well done, congratulations.

The OEM steels that are fitted to most of the cheap DBs are pretty similar, so if someone donated you a set then they should be a good fit for the existing slots in the nut. What is going to work for you is going to depend very much on the sound you want to hear, your bass and your physiology - get it up and running with what you have to hand, then make an informed decision once you can play and hear it.

Might be worth spending a little time with the stock strings (assuming you still have them) - they will give you an idea of the character of the bass itself, and how comfortable you feel with that level of tension/stiffness, and whether there is any issues with the setup that need to be addressed - the couple of stentor 1950s that I've played both had rather a lot of relief in the fingerboard, which made them very hard work with steels, and in such a situation if you can't afford to have the fingerboard planed (or don't want to) then you might want to revise your string choice for something that will be easier to live with.

Really enjoyed listening to all the entries, thanks to all for sharing.

Can't speak for anyone else, but I'd much prefer to collaborate with others creatively than live in my own little bubble - I discovered (just as it was ending ) a project on gearslutz where members were recording on 4 track cassette and posting the tapes on to someone else after adding a single track, and then passing round the filled tapes for mixdowns. Would it be worth considering a pass the parcel project using something like audacity that everyone can access for free, and then make the finished multitrack available for those interested in mixing?

Might be worth checking the fit of the pickup in the bridge wing, some piezos are very picky about how they are positioned and how tightly they fit into the bridge wing slot. Some good info on dealing with feedback here http://www.talkbass.com/threads/stopping-feedback-in-loud-settings.413725/#post-5450657

If you want to mix a load of sources, individual gain trim controls are pretty important as a minimum IMHO. I have one of these http://www.gear4music.com/PA-DJ-and-Lighting/Behringer-Xenyx-1002B-Mixer/AM5 Of the budget mixers, it has a lot of genuinely useful features, most notably insert points on the first two channels, and gain/eq/2 aux sends/pan on every channel/channel pair, and it can run on battery power. The extra control is worth paying for if you want to work with multiple instruments/mics, and if you intended to use it as a portable mixer for small gigs/busking then the aux sends become important as they allow you to make a monitor mix that is different to what is going to your main speakers. There are better quality mixers without a doubt if you have a bigger budget, but I spent a lot of time trawling the web when I bought mine and didn't find anything with the same feature set in this price bracket.

You could use a small format mixing desk to blend the signals - probably the best price/features balance would be something along these lines (there are similar products from other manufacturers) http://www.gear4music.com/PA-DJ-and-Lighting/Behringer-Xenyx-802-Mixer/2A9 There are cheaper alternatives that come with only a single mic input, but the extra inputs tend to be line only, and you usually lose any input gain trimming facility on these inputs so you might have problems if the output level of your bass is on the low side. If you spend a few extra quid, you can get the same functionality with the addition of USB connectivity which gives you recording direct into your PC/Mac as well. http://www.gear4music.com/PA-DJ-and-Lighting/Behringer-XENYX-Q802USB-USB-Mixer/IPH You don't get ultimate audio fidelity at this price point, but you do get genuinely useful functionality - the main issue with these inexpensive small format mixers is self noise, which is acceptable if you remember to turn the volume right down on any inputs that you are not using.

Maybe you should hand the guitarist your bass and politely request that he demonstrate playing the part exactly the way he wants it played throughout the whole song, or invite him to provide you with a quality short scale bass at his expense.

Have you considered playing the C# and G# arpeggios slightly differently? I gave it a try, and found that if I played as legato as possible but didn't try to hold hown the root note(but did hold the fifth and added 9), that as long as everything was smooth and even, then the root note not sustaining throughout wasn't a big deal (IMHO anyway) as the upper notes of the chord draw attention of the ear directly. Took me a few tries to get the shift really smooth so that there wasn't any discernable gap between the root and fifth, but it made it really comfortable to play without sounding much different.

Find a good teacher even if it means you have to make a serious effort to go for a lesson. Get yourself a full length mirror to practice in front of. Make sure your strings, bow hair and rosin are up to the job and not holding you back or fighting you. Local amateur classical orchestras might be worth investigating - the more experienced players might be willing to give you some pointers, or know who the best teachers are in reasonable travelling distance. At the very least, anyone who is good enough to play in a section should be able to help you identify whether there are serious problems with your bow hair or string choice that need sorting out to give you a fighting chance. big list of amateur and community orchestras near you can be found here http://www.amateurorchestras.org.uk/oeanglia.htm Good luck and enjoy.

My boiler just died, so a set of free strings would cheer me up

DB is pretty physically demanding, and the risk of injury from bad technique is high, it would definately be a good idea to have a couple of lessons in person with a DB tutor - it takes a lot less effort to learn good habits than to unlearn bad ones that have become ingrained, and a tutor can give you feedback in a way that books/videos can't. I have one tip - upright bass is a completely different instrument to electric bass, so be patient with yourself and have fun.

Expected to find this here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEqZbDRj64U

I would guess that Mike Dirnt probably fuels a lot of sales as he has both Fender and Squier sig models and doesn't come with 'massive tw@t' baggage unlike some other high profile endorsers.