Gwilym

what does the B string sound like acoustically? i've always found it a good yardstick to have a listen to the bass unplugged with my ear up against the body of the bass. if it still sounds iffy, you'll know it's either the string, setup or the bass itself. personally, i've always found that the string makes the most difference, not that i've experimented that much. as others have mentioned, make sure the string breaks properly over the bridge and nut. EDIT: I wouldn't get bogged down with amplification either - like many things, it's garbage in garbage out. a decent B string would sound better through a Behringer (which I think are quite decent amps I might add), than a crappy B string through a boutique amp - probably!.

i think your Custom Nouveau 5 looks fantastic. visually it has elements that remind me of a few other bass designs but still very much has its own character and it certainly appeals to me

i got together with Ari once and played the Celinder J Update 5 that he had at the time back to back with a Atelier Z 5 and what was then my Sadowsky Tokyo 5. Each bass I think intended to be a "70s" style jazz. I thought the Celinder was just too bright in comparison to the other two basses, definitely more modern/hi-fi sounding. Sound wise the Atelier was my favourite, marginally, over the Sadowsky, and I preferred both quite a bit more than the Celinder. The Celinder was still a great bass, and well put together, but I'm not sure what all the fuss is about

Anyone around Picadilly Circus on Friday night? We're playing at Bar RUMBA, so if you're stuck for something to do, why not come along? Live at Bar RUMBA Dead Or Alive Promotions presents Friday 3rd April 2009 36 Shaftesbury Avenue London, W1D 7EP (opposite The Lyric Theatre / Shaftesbury Ave. side of the Trocedero) Tube: Piccadill y Circus / Leicester Square [Take the Trocedero exit from Piccadilly Circus tube station] Buses - 14, 19 and 38 stop ou tside the club !! [b]Onstage 8.30pm[/b] A bit cheaper with this flyer [attachment=23183:BarRumbaFlyer.pdf] Tunes and stuff here: [url="http://www.chimovski.co.uk/"]http://www.chimovski.co.uk/[/url] [url="http://www.myspace.com/chimovski"]http://www.myspace.com/chimovski[/url] cheers G

hey Ash, I forgot to check back to see the pics - that bass is awesome, glad you are happy with it! cheers G

Anyone around Camden on Thursday? We're playing at the Bullet Bar, so if you're stuck for something to do, why not come along? Date: 26 February 2009 Time: 20:00 - 23:30 Location: Bullet Bar Street: 147 Kentish Town Road Town/City: London, United Kingdom A bit cheaper with this flyer [attachment=21035:bulletbarflyer.jpg] Tunes and stuff here: [url="http://www.chimovski.co.uk/"]http://www.chimovski.co.uk/[/url] [url="http://www.myspace.com/chimovski"]http://www.myspace.com/chimovski[/url] cheers G

The last couple of band rehearsals I've ended up having 2 1x15" cabinet stacks at the studio (Survival in Acton if anyone is interested). I took my Mark Bass F500 with me in my bag - one of the reasons I bought it actually - easy to carry on public transport and guarantee that I can have at least a decent amplifer at reheasal studios which tend to have equipment that I don't like the sound of as much. The first time I had a Trace Elliott stack of 2 1x15" - dunno which models. The second time I had a similar Behringer stack. The main difference I found was that the TE's were much less sensitive. But generally I **REALLY** like the sound of 2 1x15" cabs paired with the F500. Both the TE's and Behringers sounded great and I don't think there were any tweeters in any of the cabs. Now what will give me that tone in 1 (not much I suspect) or 2 light boxes? Normally I only have one cab at ground level, so how much of the sound comes from having a second cab at ear level? How much comes from having a vertical array of similar speakers, rather than a mix of difference speaker sizes? My next experiment will be to take my EBS Neo 212 and place it at ear level and see how that sound compares to the 2 1x15" cabs together. One thing I know is that the last thing I need GAS for is large speaker cabinets!

[quote name='Snakey Lane' post='409896' date='Feb 15 2009, 09:18 AM']Thanks for everyone's comments. I take the point that it comes down to technique and feel rather than a specific bass. But the suggestions on what to look for are really helpful, too.[/quote] my first reply was a bit terse - and I'd had a few beers at the time - come on Wales!!! So, what I'd look for in a bass: i) It's got to be able to be set up with a decent low action - (although I'd argue the case for that whatever style you wanted to play). ii) IMO, 21 frets rather than 24. I find with 24, there is less space between the neck pick-up and the end of the finger board. Also the (slapping) arm gets pushed back toward the bridge because of the longer finger board, which I think (especially if you're learning slap) might be a bit of a hinderance. iii) And strings that are medium/light gauge. iv) Maple neck and finger board. v) probably worth starting of on a 4 stringer too. You're tastes might differ of course, but thats my 2 pennies worth. Good luck! G

you can slap on any bass - so it boils down to what kind of tone you like. i would suggest just getting a decent bass for your money, and then worry about the technique