JoeEvans

That's interesting - I find that my arco sound is louder than my pizz...

They look great but that's the strangest name for a bass model.... What's the Precision model called, Geoffrey?

Ah ok - I was wondering what the point of acclimatising was, but I get it now, if the bass was packed somewhere very dry and it comes into high humidity while it's cold, it will get condensation all over. So leave it to warm up first, then open it at room temperature.

The original use of the word 'vintage' was in wine-making - a vintage wine is made from grapes all grown in one year; also for port and maybe some other wines, sometimes a year is a particularly good one and is formally recognised as a 'vintage' year. So I feel like the word doesn't just mean 'old', it also carries a sense of authenticity and of quality.

The thing I love about his playing is that so many of his lines sound simple until you try to play them note for note, and only then do you realise how much is going on.

I think there are three different instruments here - double bass, electric upright bass, and electric bass guitar. Find a nice one of whichever type you like and accept its character, limitations and possibilities.

I think your fingers do go soft at the tips and that does affect tone. It's like riding a bike - if you want a super-lightweight bike, just ride your current bike a lot and somehow it gets lighter. If you want great bass tone, just play your bass a lot and it will start sounding better and better.

Basses are the shape they for ergonomic reasons. That one would slide off your lap.

Buy the Mustang, play them both for a while then sell the one you like the least. Or if you end up deciding that they're different but equal, keep both while promising yourself that you'll sell one of them soon.

Ibanez make great basses.

I use Spirocore Weich for jazz-type music and they're perfect for me. But I don't bow a lot. Switching to them helped a bit with high up fingering but I'd say it made more difference in the middle of the fingerboard.

If I understand you correctly, you mainly need the bridge a little higher on the E string, is that right? How does the action feel on each string? Is there much rattle on the other strings? Are there signs of wear on the fingerboard - lengthways grooves? What type of strings are on it? How do they feel in terms of tension?

I owned one bass guitar only for thirty years or so, then started coming on here for some double bass info. In the last year I've bought two bass guitars, thanks to the amazing wisdom of this forum which has taught me that buying more and more basses is an entirely normal activity.

You could do a lot worse that a Trace Elliot Elf combo. For recording I find that I get batter sounds by recording clean and straight in, then using virtual amps within Logic. But for noodling by yourself, rehearsals and small gigs, the Elf is pretty perfect (allowing for personal taste obviously). I say small gigs - I would personally take mine to any size gig, run a DI out to the PA and get whatever extra stage volume I might need from the monitors. I can't see the point of big backline.

My understanding is that you get the best sound if there's a solid connection on both sides so a shim made of something hard like wood or sax reed might be better than cork.

I'll see what I can do, I'm meant to be doing some recording for someone soon so might be able to get something.

This is my recently acquired ACG Border Revier SS4 (bought here from reggieboomboom). I wasn't going to write about it but I couldn't resist the headline... It's a really superb instrument. I'd never heard of ACG until I saw it advertised, but it reached me at a vulnerable moment. Last year I'd decided to get a small-bodied headless bass with the idea that it would be easy to take places and get out around the house, being so compact. So I picked up an Ibanez Axstar, which was unexpectedly excellent - really good ergonomics, big sound. But I was struggling with the narrow string spacing and skinny neck, and when I saw the ACG I thought 'what the heck...' The ACG is short scale; the neck is chunky but extremely playable. The back is slightly asymmetric, like many ACG necks, which makes a subtle but definite difference. Zero crown so totally flat frets. The fretboard is acrylic-impregnated American Sycamore, with a really lovely and unusual colour and figuring. The body shape gives great access all the way up (not that I spend much time up the dusty end). The body ergonomics are superb - it sits on the lap perfectly, hangs perfectly, feels completely comfortable under the right wrist. The finish is super-smooth. It's a chunky wee monkey - it feels very solid, heavy for its size, but being small, it's still actually quite light, if that makes sense... It has one of ACG's filter-based pre-amps, with a stacked volume / pickup selector then a tone control for each pickup. The tone controls are actually low pass filters, with (as I understand it) a touch of resonance on the frequencies a little lower than the filter level. The sound is superb - fat, punchy, and very versatile with loads of different sounds available. All in all it's an awesome bass, certainly the best quality bass I've ever owned and probably the best I've ever played. I'm also now really sold on small basses. Playing this one makes me wonder what all the extra timber is for on normal basses. Pics are from Reverb from a previous sale.

I would maybe try for a very clean sound on the amp that sounds good for the double bass, then a pedal that makes the bass guitar sound good - some kind of preamp or amp simulator.

What amp are you using?

To be fair I've played other Tokai basses over the years that weren't as nice as mine. My sense is that quality and detailing wasn't consistent over the years, so there's more variation than there might be with a company like Ibanez or Yamaha. I think I'd want try try a Tokai before buying.

I have an 80s Tokai jazz, lined fretless. It's a superb instrument, certainly up there with US Fenders. The original pickups were a bit dull though, Bartolinis made a big difference. Possibly also worth upgrading the bridge although I haven't bothered.

Just sold two monitors to Patrick, he was really easy to deal with, a pleasure doing business.

Recently bought an ACG Border Reiver (Amazing bass!) from reggieboomboom. I paid by bank transfer and the bass was shipped well packaged up. It was exactly as described and Reggie was helpful in answering my questions. Thanks!

I feel.like the ideal solution here long-term is going to be to beef up the PA, get yourself the IEMs and don't use a bass-specific amp or cab on stage at all. Does the PA already have a decent sub?