JoeEvans

Love the violin playing.

I'm in no way an expert but I'm not sure that it's possible to pin down the history of an older, solid-wood instrument. I would have thought that it was at least 80 years old, maybe older, just from the patina of the wood; something about the shoulders makes me think of some other German basses I've seen but this is all basically guesswork...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/YAMAHA-BB3000S-FRETLESS-BASS-GUITAR-VINTAGE-1980S-/272632016999?hash=item3f7a227067:g:sA4AAOSw4CFYxylQ

I would go for a secondhand Eastern European instrument with a solid wood top and plywood back and sides (hybrid). you should find a decent one, well set-up and with good strings on, for well under £1k. Boosey and Hawkes, 'Golden Strad' etc. If it's a bit scratched that's no bad thing - you can take it to pub sessions without having panic attacks, and if you look after it you'll easily sell it for what you paid for it, even after a few years of playing.

[quote][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]I'm thinking of getting a 5 string fretless. I like the Marcus Miller (I think). It has a lined neck.[/font][/color][/quote] Find a five-string fretless you really like. If it has lines, then lines are good. if not, then no lines is good.

I like the speckled, streaky ebony promoted by someone or other to ensure that all of the tree got used, rather than only the totally black bits. It has more of the quality the Japanese call Wabi.

Pair of Bartolini 9CBJS L1/S1 pickups?

If the wood is dimensionally unstable, adding carbon fibre won't help - the wood will still move, but it will be up against the rigidity of the carbon and will either bend even more or split. Carbon fibre can be designed in to wooden structures to add strength or rigidity, but I don't think that retro-fitting it would be a good idea at all.

Once you've got used to life with a sack truck, you'll never go back to actually picking objects up with your hands. It's a fool's game.

I have a Tacoma Thunderchief, which is a lovely instrument if you can find one. It's not loud like a double bass but the tone is gorgeous, and it's loud enough for some acoustic situations - I take it to the odd Irish session and it can keep up with violins, mandolins and acoustic guitars quite well. You'd want to amplify it for any gig with an audience of more than about ten people, but you'd be fine for an all-acoustic rehearsal or jam session.

If it was actual wire, it gets weakened by tight bends and angles. I would recommend replacing it with Dyneema, which is a very strong rope with very low 'creep' (gradual stretching). I think 3mm is about right, maybe 2.5mm? You need to use the right knot - a double fisherman's bend is good. http://www.animatedknots.com/doublefishermans/index.php?Categ=typebends&LogoImage=LogoGrog.png&Website=www.animatedknots.com#ScrollPoint

The double bass player in this film is one of my musical heroes - he was in his eighties when this was filmed, and still touring as far as I know... My violinist cousin pointed out that although the violin playing is impressive, there are a lot of violinists who could play this, but very few rhythm sections who could make a violinist sound this good. I like it because it gives me hope - I've still got 30 or 40 years to practice my arco playing... [media]http://youtu.be/4W7N-jEl93o?list=PL3E23BBAF840E39D0[/media]

Robbins Timber will do you 50 x 200mm ash for £23.06 a metre; I guess you could make a three piece body from 1.5m or so? But if it was me, I'd want to see the boards before buying, to make sure you got a nice straight-grained bit, preferably quarter-sawn. So I'd be more inclined to find a local furniture-maker or woodyard where you can pick the right board from a stack. http://www.robbins.co.uk/pdf/Retail_Pricelist.pdf

I'm not sure that pianos would have blocks of wood big enough for a one-piece bass body anyway? I took one to pieces once and it was all beams and panels, presumably built to allow for the seasonal movement of the wood. A lot of it was also made of very lightweight spruce (or similar), I'm guessing for acoustic reasons, but again not good for making a bass body.

You could probably also look for people making hand-made furniture. A bit of wood big enough for a bass body would count as an off-cut to someone making tables.

You always sound less in tune when bowing, because you can hear the note more clearly. That's why it's very good for your intonation to practice with the bow...

Is ash exotic? Anyway, Robbins Timber are very good for all sorts of wood.

I want a nicely battered orange one, for some reason. Just got it in my head.

You need to get on with the drummer and live near him or her. Drummers always drive.

Thanks all - might have to start looking for one then...

I have an old Tokai which I love to pieces, but I was wondering - are the new ones any good?

How about having the odd 'rhythm section' rehearsal with just you and the guitarist? Ask him if he wants to get together to really lock down the grooves of the Latin tunes. If the two of you work out some really solid interlocking parts that you can fall back on, both of you can improvise around them as and when you see fit, but if you ever feel like things are going a bit flat, you'll have something pre-arranged to fall back on. I would also work on the micro-detail of each of your own basslines, getting the feel exactly right and adding in some little ghost-note / passing note details, so that they stand up on their own when the rest of the band goes a bit quiet.

Metronome, root, fifth, and you're basically good to go for about 75% of life with a double bass.

[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][size=4]Gnomic:[/size][/font] [font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][size=4]1. Expressed [color=#2A2A2A]in or of the nature of short, pithy maxims or aphorisms[/color][/size][/font] [font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][size=4][color=#2A2A2A]2. [/color][color=#2A2A2A]Difficult to understand because enigmatic or ambiguous[/color][/size][/font]