DoubleOhStephan

You're right to be wary, they do have negative side effects. They also have very positive effects and can help with leveling out your emotions. Being absolutely straight, they're not the solution, they're the start of a recovery from a very serious illness which can take months, years or a lifetime to overcome. Honestly, my depression is always with me. Now, 10 years after diagnosis, it's pretty rare that I'll have a bout of depression and I can usually identify it happening pretty quickly and deal with it. That's taken time though. I needed to work through all the issues from my past as well as in my present. But I now see it as a real positive. I can now be brutality honest with myself and challenge my thinking on pretty much anything now. My mind is clear. Most importantly, I learned how to forgive because I found holding a grudge is a monstrous weight that takes you down. ^^^More important than you can imagine. Especially alcohol! Good luck dude. As you can see, there are people on this forum who have been there and can offer help. There are lots of mental health charities, some specifically for men who want to help. My advice, get to the docs, get a diagnosis to know exactly what you're up against and start from there.

Its worth a look. I was able to take another of my Bergs (with a neck I think was shaped by a pure genius) to the Gallery and have them match the profiles as closely as possible. They're not exact, but near enough and it's stopped me from having to sell it and lose a load of cash.

Exactly. I think I took them for a few months, but I was in a bad place. As soon as I felt level I binned them. Exercise, good diet and zero alcohol all help now days as did facing and dealing with the issues that got me down in the first place. Stuff goes deep, it takes time (10 years now) and every day is an unknown. But you learn to understand your moods and see a crash coming so can learn to deal with it.

Ahh close 😬 Yep! If I may give a little advice... Dont press hard with your left hand and try to pluck lightly (or if you're using a pick, don't grip too hard and use your wrist). I know its harder not being amped up as you're trying to hear yourself, but at this stage the most important thing is getting the bass in the right place on your body and your hands in the right place on bass. Oh, and don't overdo it at first. If your near East London I'd be happy to show you around the basics 👍🏻

No it isn't pathetic. Seriously, you really seem to be suffering with acute depression. That's no joke and nothing to be ashamed of. I've been there, it's dark af. I got help from my doctors with antidepressants which helped pull me out of the hole. Get to the docs mate, they're there to help.

The other option is to get the neck reshaped. I've just had my Sandberg TT slightly reshaped to take a bit of fat off shoulders. Worked a treat and is now much more comfortable for me. Got mine done at the Bass Gallery, think it cost around £90ish (can't quite remember as had a full set up too, but they also owed me abiut £40 in credit).

Is it? Saw this on FB earlier, haven't had chance to have a listen yet

Ahh so I'm moving further away... Helpful! Cool 😉

Ahh damn, that would be tiptop. I'm moving to the south coast in a couple of months if that's nearer..? I just need to figure out why my timing keeps going wrong, I must be doing something fundamental wrong, be buggered if I can work out what it is. I know it's not popular these days and I'll rarely if ever get to use it in a band situation, but I want in it the tool box. I feel like I'm almost there, just need that push to get over the edge.

East London mate

46 I'm guessing... 😉 So, how's your first day been?

Swop the necks 👍🏻

TV? Logic? Sense? 🤔

Oh God, what was I thinking?!? 😂😂

Pics or it didn't happen 😜

Thanks for this, I'll give it a blast 👍🏻

Nooooo!!! I'm looking for a shortcut, not sensible advice!! Pah! 😂

Mate, don't get me started on YouTube videos. It's the same at the London Bass Show, everyone trying to slap as fast as possible. I'm with you guys, small doses it's fine and I can pop and slap in bursts. There's no way I could play Forget Me Nots all the way through without my timing going off for example, which is bl00dy annoying. Not that I want to do it especially, it's the fact that I can't that bugs 🙄

Thanks guys! I know it's the world's greatest evil... 😂 It's more the fact that I've got the technique down (@ped I can do it quite proficiently in small bursts, like the popped run in We Are Family), it's more that my timing constantly fails me.

Good luck! Now, wheres that Love Will Tear Us Apart video too..?

You can download a tuner app onto your phone (assuming you have a smartphone) and don't worry about plugging in, I play acoustically more often than not 👍🏻

Slapping... I've been trying for at least 10 years to slap properly and still really struggle with it. I can do the slap. I can do the pop. I can even do the slap and pop together. But add any level of complexity or if I try play for any prolonged period of time (like the duration of a song), it inevitably goes pear shape. Basically, my timing goes out the window, usually my thumb work, but muting with my left hand also falls over. I also find that I start playing too hard. It's very annoying... It's gotten to the stage now where I don't even like hearing slap bass in songs, I just find the pops jarring. It's like my brain has developed a mental block against it or something. I want to be as well-rounded a bassist as I can be, but my slapping is really letting me down. Any advice please??

They definitely should have advised the couple to place it in a specialist guitar auction. A 1963 example sold by Gardiner Houlgate reached £2,400 in December - https://guitar-auctions.co.uk/portfolio-post/lot-236-1963-fender-jaguar-electric-guitar-made-in-usa/

Funnily enough I was watching that yesterday. I loved his shout out to Right Said Freds Sexy as his favourite song 😂

For sale, this beautiful 2018 Sandberg California with highly desirable Delano pickups for that classic Hifi tone! This one was made before their now abundant Super Light basses totally changed the bass world as we knew it, so has that reassuring heft you just don't get from today's floaters!