Iain

[quote name='40hz' timestamp='1428237145' post='2739404'] I don't believe in bad or good technique. Everyone has a different approach and whatever works, works. All that really matters is if you sound great and are comfortable IMO. [/quote] I'd add to that that you sometimes need to change/improve your technique if you find something unplayable with your current technique. My left-hand technique varies between 'proper' and 'comfortable' depending on how challenging a piece is.

[quote name='SteveK' timestamp='1428244512' post='2739513'] 37"? That would help - do you have exceptionally long arms? What bass is that? Is it one of those fanned fret jobbies? Never really gave fanned fret basses much thought, but the extra length B string would go some way to alleviate the "ugliness" that I associate with standard scale B's. [/quote] Yeah, the G is standard 34" and the B 37". Took very little getting used to and the extra length is mostly at the bridge end - hard to 'get' until you play one. I find the 1st fret easier to reach than I did on my Warwick which sat further left on the strap.

[quote name='SteveK' timestamp='1428229045' post='2739260']My (non technical) guess is that to get a B string to ring like a piano, the same as the higher strings, would require a ridiculously unplayable scale length.[/quote] The 37" scale length on my 5-string certainly addresses that to a large extent. It's not all that thick @ 0.127" had oodles of sustain and attack. Certainly better then my previous Warwick. Intonation is better than other 5s I've owned, again due to the length. Much of the tone will also depend on what it's played through. Moving from 2 small cabs (900W headroom) to a single 2x12 (1200W headroom) had been a real eye (and ear) opener.

[quote name='Spoombung' timestamp='1428160918' post='2738671'] C) and largely inaudible [/quote] You might want to go get your hearing checked out by a professional if you can't hear bass below the low E in standard bass tuning. Discounting the use of it because of your own short comings is a little authoritarian and mean spirited while choosing to dish out advice based on it is plain foolish. Debate around the purely auditory aspects of low bass is also missing the experience of live music - feeling the bass really move you is part of what gets people out and about in pubs and clubs enjoying everything from rock to dance.

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1428160050' post='2738656']I don't understand why some 4 string players have such a problem with this.[/quote] Exactly - I'd love a top quality 4 as well as 5 but, for now, I'm limited to the 5 being where the £s got spent. It can do everything a 4 can plus has a number of tricks beyond the reach of a 4 - not just below the 5th fret on the B-String. As others have pointed out (maybe Spoonbung needs to read the preceding posts?) the ability to work in different parts of the neck is one of the most important features of a 5 and the criticism of inventiveness and tonality of a 5-string are just plain odd. The E-G on my Dingwall sound great, tighter and clearer than many 4s. The B is tonally in keeping with the progression of string thickness - but not too pronounced due to the added scale-length.

Fantastic trolling Spoony! Utter bunkum but top effort.

[quote name='ubit' timestamp='1428150998' post='2738516'] I've got a k5 and find it quite hard to play, but I think that's more down to the incredibly close string spacing rather than the extra string. It's a real problem for a sausage fingered bugger like me! [/quote] Finding a neck profile and string spacing that suits you is pretty critical for any bass - more so on a 5 (and I would assume 6). I had a Thumb Bolt On 5-string and really hated the neck profile, the Z3 is prefect for me.

[quote name='Andrej' timestamp='1428149648' post='2738495'] Play until you get it right, or find a way to make it sound right. You have to do the latter no matter how you play the bassline. Most of the time we don't know what we're capable of. We only need to insist long enough until most of it becomes second nature. [/quote] Quite - I've been teaching myself Can't Stop by the Chilli Peppers. I'm not a good slapper so it's a challenge. I've a compromise that sounds just fine when there's the whole band behind it even though it's much simpler than the real line. The more I play it though the closer to correct it gets!

[quote name='kusee pee' timestamp='1428146005' post='2738454']They look cooler than 4s too 😜[/quote] Quite!

[quote name='spectoremg' timestamp='1428136206' post='2738297']I agree with the idea of getting something different from playing the same note on different strings. And I love the sound of an E detuned to open D![/quote] I de-tune the E to D for a couple of songs that play significantly easier that way even though I [i]can[/i] play them without. Slither and Killing In the Name come to mind, Killing is simple enough to play either way but Slither flows much better played open drop-d. As we play the two back-to-back it's no issue. Just need a hipshot extender on both B & E strings rather than just the B!

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1428071740' post='2737775'] Exactly, but if you're having problems playing the low B instead of the low E then it makes sense, I find a fretted low E sounds tonally better too, especially if all the other notes are fretted, it's also easier to kill the note too, especially if you're just getting used to playing a 5 string, with the added muting. Just me of course, I'm probably talking a load of tosh . [/quote] No, you make sense to me!

[quote name='julietgreen' timestamp='1428068105' post='2737703']Part of the reason it's buried is that it's in drop c tuning. Can we really distinguish pitch all that well that low?[/quote] Tried out a new cab in last night's practise - Barefaced Super Twin, rest of the kit as normal and rediscovered my love for powerful lows - all the way down to low-A. Re-worked a few covers to make more use of them just because it sounded that solid and clear so I think it can be defined depending on a number of factors.

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1428065322' post='2737656'] Play the low E at the 5th fret on the B string. [/quote] Depends on the tone/feel you're going for surely? One key benefit is the choice open(!) to you.

[quote name='timmo' timestamp='1427839842' post='2735034'] I had to look it up as i had never heard of it either. Some pretty good bass covers on youtube [/quote] including one with a reasonable looking tab in the corner. Seems like one of those bass lines that will need to 'click' to feel natural but the main riff isn't too bad - there's not much requiring special technique.

[quote name='jezzaboy' timestamp='1427919935' post='2735970'] Well, the guy Mark who owns Bass Direct said in Guitar and Bass magazine last month, "The reality is that, if you are playing contemporary pop/party music from the 70`s onwards, you really benefit from using a 5 string bass." He also says he can see the 4 string, e-g bass becoming obsolete. A bit of a sweeping statement in my view but everyone has their own opinions. The five string seems to have a bright future but not for me. [/quote] Had an interesting chat with Mark (I think - terrible at remembering names) on the merits of 4 v 5 v 6 when I bought my Dingwall from them. He made some very good points about a 5 giving you more vertical options without the need to move along the neck so much. When I moved from 4 to 5 I still played it like a 4 - only really used the B string for the extra 5 notes which was to miss the real point of the thing. Didn't take me too long to retrain myself and it's still not totally fluid but getting better. When I pick up my old 4-string now I find I miss the flexibilty. It did take me a while to find the right neck profile though - really didn't get on with the thick D of the Warwick I had but the thin flattened C on the Dingwall is sublime. I can see the point about a 4 becoming less common than 5 eventually - it already is for much metal genres and dance/pop.

Thanks Alex - I think I'll pop up and see the stuff Drew @ Great British Bass Lounge has in stock and go from there. Advice very much appreciated!

[quote name='alexclaber' timestamp='1427577440' post='2731996'] What cabs are you using now and what do you like/dislike about them (other than the clarity when pushed)? If they have tweeters, how do you set them? What strings do you have on your bass(es) and how new/old do you like them best? [/quote] I'm running a Markbass 121H and 151P - generally have the horn on the 12 fairly high and the piezo on the 15 off/low. I've Dingwall brand steel strings on my bass and prefer them brand new. Amp head is Markbass Big Bang, generally doesn't get over half on master with no clipping on input gain, eq run pretty flat as I handle that side in my Avid Eleven Rack. At lower volumes the sound is perfect from the current rig - for quieter gigs (not my main band!) the 121H is absolutely fine but the bottom end seems to lose it's way in louder situations...

Hi, Been pondering a change in cabs and like the look of both the Big Twin 2 and Super Twin and was wondering how much the smaller Super Twin loses out in top and bottom-end to the bigger unit? Ultimately I suspect my choice will be forced by if the BT2 fits in my A5s boot or not but wanted to get people's experience on tonal differences? Mostly playing rock and finding my current kit loses clarity when pushing it a bit.

Beautiful Bass colgraf!

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1426023539' post='2713630'] Call me sexist but check out this girl playing bass. [media]http://youtu.be/H_X7mMU6Gb0[/media] [/quote] Bloody genius.

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1426961384' post='2724133']If money is of no consequence to you, then it might be time to move onto something you like and enjoy playing. Blue [/quote] I count myself as very fortunate - I earn a really good wage in my day job and the music's just for fun. All the band earns their living outside of music barring the singer who's a drummer/actor. As such we pick songs through blind voting after putting suggestions for additions to the set. This way we play stuff we all like, you might have to 'take one for the team' but so far it's not worked out too badly. We focus learning and practising on songs that got 5/5 or 4/5 votes. We're also lucky enough that rock (we play old and new punk and classic rock) has enough places that gigs aren't too had to come by.

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1426891720' post='2723288'] [url="http://www.videomaker.com/article/14680-youtube-copyright-rights"]Youtube and copyright ...[/url] [/quote] Worth noting that the article is from 2010 and I'm fairly certain there was some fuss recently over a recent set of changes to their agreements that gave tehm more control over what you do with content posted to YT and who can make money from it.

They do vary a lot as does the price. Used to use Greenhouse in Stockport before it closed - after the winter before last we never went back though - I don't mind the occasional damp spot but all in the right context. 8kw PA was a bit overkill too. Main band uses a small place in a Mill - PA is shonky but we store our own gear there including a mixer and the sound's much better that way. @ £30/week it's a bargain as they're not charging storage. Other band I'm in started in Trackside, Macclesfield and that place is clean, warm, has a vending machine and everything works. A bit pricey though so we now use a space above a tyre-fitters in Congleton that's run by a local punk outfit. Not so tidy but really cheap and friendly. Main band is on the look out for our own permanent space though so we can be really lazy and just leave everything set up!

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1425584541' post='2708891'] On a strict 8 pattern, you have to be so precise using both fingers so 1,2,1,2 it has to be..otherwise it is a mess. Even strict rotation between both fingers will easily sound odd unless you really have it down... which too many finger style players don't. Using 1 finger or double stroking may get you round this..and it is legitimate but then it might impact on your technique at some later point with faster 16's.. I'd really recommend using both fingers to students and play it very strict and regular...almost as an exercise...and then use the 1 for the sound, but not because you couldn't play it otherwise. Dakota is an example where you should be able to play alternate fingers but you might go to 1 digit ONLY for the more regular consistent sound. Check out the next band you go see..they'll very likely do it... and see how rigid it is..or should be..?? [/quote] Good points, it'll depend on what feel you're going for but on a very strict 8 pattern I'll generally use index only if I want a really tight sound and the bpm isn't too high for consistency. I will swap to a pick in some scenarios but I prefer the connection I feel with the bass using fingers. I'm also pretty happy with my ability to play with consistent tone, attach and volume with 1212 style, galloping 12 3 and 1 23 (think maiden) is ok but I really need more work to get the 3rd finger as solid. It's all about time spent drilling the technique and resisting the urge to 'noodle' when practising.

Fairly regularly have the 'get the f*** out of my frequencies' conversation with my guitarists. All in good fun and they realise that what sounds good solo isn't what works as a mix. It's tough though but my rig's way bigger than theirs so they know they lose if we start an arms race.