Manwithvan

Curtly Ambrose, former West Indies and Northants fast bowler. I've seen a picture of him playing a Steinberger Spirit headless - the extremities of scale!

And I'm another half-Austrian. Are there enough of us to have our own Basschat forum? I've used the term Krautrock quite often, as to me the term successfully represents an idea, rather than describes any particular sound. Krautrock has more in common with minimalist composers such as Terry Riley, Philip Glass and Karlheinz Stockhausen than with US/UK pop/rock. Here's a recording that embodies this perfectly:

That's a very good summary. If anyone wonders why fixed lenses are better, it's because they have a wider maximum aperture, giving less depth of field. The most obvious difference between amateur and pro video is that in former everything's more or less in focus all the time. It seems to be a feature of the Zoom too.

I don't know anything about the Zoom, but here's my view anyway. For a semi pro band where paying for a professional video isn't justified, quality sound is of primary importance. A DIY video will be recognised for what it is by most watchers, and they'll forgive low quality video, but not poorly recorded sound. You're selling yourselves as competent musicians, not videomakers. I'd even say higher quality video is a bad thing - a bit of fuzziness can add a romantic glow. From what people are saying it seems the Zoom is a decent solution. (edit: I see there's differing opinions on the sound quality) I use dslrs to make music vids, for money sometimes! There's a multitude of issues. Overheating sensors, expensive superfast HD cards, huge video file sizes in 4K. Sound quality is still poor, even if you can set levels manually. I record it separately and bring it all together in editing. It's a much longer job. Also, the latest phones do pretty decent video, and anyone can get them to work.

Thanks DaveFry My machining capability is limited to fairly soft materials like wood, but sheets of veneer is a good idea. I may well go ahead with that

Thanks John, the saddles themselves are close to clearing their slots, and the higher saddles are being pulled forward

I picked this up on eBay a few years ago for not very much and it's only now that I'm finally coming to terms with 5 strings. The bass has its problems but sounds fine and I find it very comfortable to play. I spoke to RMI about it: apparently it was a one-off prototype made in China which had some issues when it arrived and they bunged in some cheap electronics to get it going. I've invested in fret-levelling, but am thinking of going further. The main issue is buzzing: I'd like to replace the electronics. The pickups sound OK, so should I just get the Wilkinson active pickup wiring kit (£65)? I generally prefer passive tone so replacing the pickups might be more sensible in the long run. I'm not sure what to fit though? The second issue is the bridge. With a straightish neck the saddles are balancing precariously at their upper limit and I'd like to take the action up further. The only solution I've come up with is this: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5-string-Bass-guitar-bridge-BB265-chrome-black-or-gold-18mm-string-spacing/392757849119?hash=item5b72312c1f:g:wkQAAOSw2jBekVVb Thereby abandoning thru-body stringing. Is this daft or is there another solution? Opinions gratefully received.

Great thread this, but I must acknowledge that a couple of my most favourite musicians, Sun Ra and Daevid Allen (Gong etc) claimed to originate from planets other than earth. Factually incorrect, I'm sure, but it's never spoiled my enjoyment of their music.

I'm in agreement with many of the sentiments expressed here. Red basses. Urgh. (Yet I have two of them) Sunburst. Not classy. (My no. 1 bass has this finish) Gold hardware looks cheap (as it does on my Yamaha 1500A). Pointy headstocks (Fernandes PJ!) Fake relics. This seems to be the only real deal breaker for me. .....and, dare I say this, I don't like the Fender jazz body shape, and don't currently own one.

I imagine every expensive new bass I buy will turn me into a better player. Mind you, I also buy some cheap stuff just for the fun of it. Every bass offers something, none of them do everything. I agree with the OP's sentiments, but I reckon some of the enjoyment I've had over the years from guitar and bass has been tied up with acquisition of gear, swapping, part-ex etc. I'm a hobbyist. My trade is photography (40 years), and as a professional my attitude to gear is quite different. You buy robust equipment and keep using it until it can't earn you any more money. I'm still using studio flash gear made in the early 1980s (it doesn't actually get better with age). I regularly find myself standing next to amateurs using far more expensive gear than me. It doesn't worry me any more than it would my professional-guitarist mate who only plays Squiers. Hobbyists drive the market, whether it's cameras or guitars. Imagine a world where we all stuck with the first adequate bass we owned. Some of the prestige bass makers would still be working from their sheds.

Mine dives and it's about 3kg. Also, everything's fairly small scale apart from the headstock.

Thanks for the reassurance, I've had the back off before and didn't even notice it!

This seems excessive adhesive in my Ampeg. Has it always been there, do you think? The combo is working fine, apart from making farting noises at low volumes. I'm assuming the speaker might be a bit loose on its mountings?

Another Bristol bassist checking in late. Welcome, Jimmy.

Welcome Andy, I'm another Bristol basschatter. I'm sure I've seen Wasabi. A good gig, and impressive (and busy) bass playing, if I remember rightly.

Grrrr!

Lovely. I sold an MSG in the late 1990s. Everyone told me it sounded fantastic. I hate myself sometimes.

Mick and I traded a Warwick for a Spector, and I was very happy with the exchange. We live some distance apart but were able to meet up because Mick kindly travelled in to London while I was there for the day. It was great to meet him, he's a true enthusiast and a really nice chap to deal with.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I take the point one will adjust to different strings, but due to misordering single strings I once ended up mixing stainless G &D strings with nickel A& E. Not as stupid as it sounds, perhaps. Big differences in sound quality on same notes across the strings, but there was a big difference in feel too. I'll start with Pro Steels I think.

After 3 years devotion to nickels, I've decided I prefer the sound of steels. Trouble is they don't have the same feel. Any advice on steels that feel like nickel?

it's time to resurrect this project. It did get off the ground in Salisbury, but I moved to Bristol this summer. I can offer rehearsal space in Bristol BS2, and spare amplification for three extra basses (if you're not too fussy!).

Can anyone offer some advice on this technical problem? My Spectorcore 4 fretless has a much lower response from the A string. I've considered the string itself, break angle etc, but the fact is that simply tapping the A-string saddle gives a lower output than from the rest. The volume difference is quite significant, so any ideas are gratefully received.