neilp

Use a bow case if you have any kind of money invested in your bow - I do, and my bows are either in my hand or in their case. Rosin is tricky, I don't normally add rosin during performance, unless there's an interval, in which case the bow will be unwound and re-rosined when it's tensioned again. No more than a couple of swipes. I have two decent bows s that I have something useable to play with when the posh bow is being rehaired

if anyone in the South East is interested in a leg-up into the Classical world I've just started a DB self-help group based in Horsham. The intention is to meet once a month and do some ensemble playing, work on tuning, blend and balance and have some fun, make the walls shake a bit. There's currently ten players signed up, all levels, more are welcome, no real limit to numbers. PM me if you're interested

If anyone in the South East is interested in a leg-up into the Classical world I've just started a DB self-help group based in Horsham. The intention is to meet once a month and do some ensemble playing, work on tuning, blend and balance and have some fun, make the walls shake a bit. There's currently ten players signed up, all levels, more are welcome, no real limit to numbers. PM me if you're interested

Just for info, I'm happy to do French bowing properly at the next Bash, assuming there is one, and if anyone in the South East is interested in a leg-up into the Classical world I've just started a DB self-help group based in Horsham. The intention is to meet once a month and do some ensemble playing, work on tuning, blend and balance and have some fun, make the walls shake a bit. There's currently ten players signed up, all levels, more are welcome, no real limit to numbers. PM me if you're interested Have fun on Sunday, sorry I won't be there

Well, it wasn't the Berlin Phil, but I've finally been offered a dep with a chamber ensemble I've been working on for years (literally!) so I'm afraid I won't be coming. Sorry! Shame as I was looking forward to meeting everyone. Next time for sure......

I don't care whether it was a synth or not. It's a fretless line. Played this on a dep the other week. It sits nicely under the fingers, not hard at all, you just have to make the groove nice and greasy and away it goes. Cracking simple little line

I have 4 basses. Two of those will never leave. Along with my DB (Meghan) my Aria SB1000 and my Wal Custom fretless are part of my musical DNA and I will never part with them. They've been with me since 1985 and 1994 respectively and are just me. Nobody has to approve, that's just the way it is. If you don't like the sounds, get a different bass player

Pops is my favourite, but it's such a cheap - relatively - item that you could feasibly try several different rosins in a fairly short time. I don't honestly see the need, the differences aren't huge and time spent thinking about rosin would be better spent thinking about technique, The gains in tonal quality would be greater

David Heyes is a superstar, you should grab any chance you get to pick his brain, whatever your standard. I'd be going myself if it wasn't for the DB Bash, but you can bet your life I'll be going to the next one. Opportunity to learn from one of the best players in the world.

I have a B4FL that deps for the Wal when I'm nervous. I love it, can't beat it for the money. If it had a decent preamp it'd be even better! What do people recommend?

I think that must be one of the most lethal loads I've ever seen in a car!

I'm sure there'll be other chances to try mega-pound bows! Shame you've got your priorities right!!! Stingray Pete has hit the nail on the head- more the merrier

Aria SB1000 fretted and Wal Custom fretless, Smoothhound wireless into GK Backline 600, mostly flat EQ, FX loop to Boss BC2 and - for the moment - Boss ME20B for experimentation. Cabs are a GK MBX410 and an Ashdown 1x15. All cables are OBBM's finest. The sound is big and deep-chested with enough top end for the Wal to cut through when necessary. No plans to change anything apart from FX, except I might be tempted by a newer 1x15 with a horn

No worries. Pete is a genius, judging from the quality of the mechanical C extension he made for me. Absolutely superb.

Isn't Pete Barnaby up that way somewhere?

Zeppelin, Whitesnake(!)

Lots of very good quality instruments come from China these days. Jay Haide labelled basses and cellos are pretty much as good as you can get for less than about £6k, and the Shen instruments are up there too. Don't know of anything of that quality from Japan though

MU subs includes £2k of equipment cover, as well as PL. All the stuff that isn't covered by that - the Wal, my DB and my bow - is insured with Allianz. Pretty good value, and includes leaving gear in an unattended car. Don't try to save money on insurance. If you ever REALLY need it, you'll be glad you paid the little bit extra

I'm a musician. I have a day job these days that's nothing to do with music, but I play music so I'm a musician. Whether I'm any good at it is another question entirely. I may well be a bad musician (or "guitarist" as they're also known) but I'm still a musician

Come to the Bash, it all makes more sense when you can see where the weight is applied and where the forces are applied

"Playing Double Bass is either easy, or it's impossible" - love that quote! Gary Karr I think. What it comes down to is finding a way to make all the movements involved in playing come from your core. There's an almost spiritual moment when this starts to make sense and everything is suddenly much easier. Michael's videos explain this better than any I've seen

Wherever I lay my Hat, or The Chain

If I've understood your question, then yes you're right. Right about the key signature too

Formerly a full-time pro, I now have a 45-hour proper job, but still regard myself as a pro, try to have a pro attitude wherever I play, still a Union member etc. I have to say, this way is WAY more fun...

I gigged my new Smoothhound over the weekend too and it's the perfect system. Small, beautifully engineered and 100% transparent - to my ears in a gigging environment anyway. I love it, and the other guys are dead right about the service. Chris deserves to get very rich.....