neilp

I know it's not in the spirit of things, but I have to disagree. Quite a lot of basses actually benefit from the extra weight and rigidity of a good set of tuners, just as they can benefit from the extra mass of a C extension. Not all, certainly, but not none, and the mass doesn't stop the neck moving, just moves the resonant frequency of the neck. That isn't necessarily a bad thing either! I have known a horrible wolf tone to be almost completely eliminated by a new set of tuners!

If you want tuning machines, Martyn Bailey's are as good as any on the market. He will customise them within limits too. Look no further, they are beautiful

Nor mine. Herbie Flowers might though

Bigger wheels would make a huge difference, as would pulling rather than pushing

The amount of work really shows!

I always liked the forked alloy Kramer headstock (have a hankering to this day for an 8-string. No clue what for!), but for me, this:

That bib is a work of art! Don't let Meghan (my bass) see that.....

Bear in mind that the Kaplans are an arco string - not a hint of that hybrid nonsense, entirely designed for orchestral/chamber music. That's all I do on double bass, so it's not a problem for me. As such though, they do need a fair bit of playing in before they settle. However it may be that they just don't like your bass!!

All 3 sets I have bought have been almost identical in sound and feel. I wonder if maybe there's a difference in the way they're wound on the tuners? or whether the notches in the bridge are different sizes (or the nut, come to that). It's very easy to damage strings when fitting. All my experience of D'Addario strings is that the quality and tone is very reliable. BUT if there's no obvious problem with the bass or the fitting of the strings, I'd suggest you email D'Addario. Their customer service is first class, in my experience

Do people really worry about this stuff? I have 2 Aria SB1000's, a Wal and a Thunderbird. The Tbird is the lightest, but I've never been sufficiently bothered to weigh any of them, although the Arias are as heavy as anything I've ever played. The answer is almost always a wide, well-padded strap and try not to worry. It's another of those things some people use to justify endless swapping of gear - think of all those ads saying "fantastic bass, sounds amazing and plays like butter, but I need something lighter/heavier/passive/active/thicker neck/thinner nek/5 string/4 string/more like a P/more like a J/pointier/less pointy/cheaper......"

Well, in that case all the pro orchestral bassists I know and play with are being equally unrealistic. We all insure on the same basis. Up to you, no problem either way

I used Bel Cantos for a few years, but I'm now on my third set of Kaplan Light. I love them, they seem the right tension to make my bass come alive. Gorgeous rich and sweet tone all the way up to the rosin dust. Really great strings, very resposive and complex tone. D'Addario have really nailed it with the Kaplans

This is a red herring. If you're really bothered, buy a van. In legalese, the instrument being "unseen" is impossible to define and therefore almost irrelevant. If you put your bags and stool, music stand etc around it then cover the whole lot with a blanket, the instrument cannot be seen. Be sensible. Your bass is very very unlikely to be stolen from your car, and even more so if you cover it up. I'm comfortable that my bass is insured when it's in my car, just as anything else that is not in plain view is insured.

I don't know of anyone who worries about this, even those with £30k or £40k basses leave them in their cars. It's not an issue as far as I'm aware, as long as you have cover for an unattended car.

That's exactly the point, isnt it? Basses vary so much anyway, what difference does it make? You wouldnt buy a bass based solely on string length, after all....

Most players start on basses with D necks, and have no idea how easy it is to switch. It takes about 5-10 minutes for my intonation to get secure again after switching. I bought a bass with an Eb neck, not because of that, but because I fell in love with the bass. I don't care that it makes it harder to sell, because it's never going to be for sale

Funnily enough, Martyn did my extension, a couple of years ago (maybe 3 years). Mine is a Barnaby mechanical extension which Martyn fitted, and a fine job he did of it. Great luthier, one of only two who work on my bass

Bring popcorn............

Now that's dealt with, I can start my crusade to stop people spending so much time and money worrying about strings....

The only issue I see with an Eb neck is that in most keys it makes the transition through to the thumb position slightly awkward for most people (by which I mean people brought up on a D neck!). My bass is an Eb, and like Nick's has a 44" string length. I find no real problem adjusting to a smaller bass with a D neck, apart from the aforementioned transition. It's part of the modern obsession with having EXACTLY what you think you want, rather than going with what you're given to some degree. Strings, pickups, bows, rosin, blah blah. Spend less time worrying about all of that, and D or Eb necks, and just play. Time spent playing will have far more effect on your musicianship than converting your bass to a D neck

I think I should point out, Allianz say that "the instruments must be concealed from view". When I asked if I could chuck a blanket over my double bass, the answer was "if its concealed from view, yes". Levels of cover vary widely, so make sure you check, but it's only fair that they ask you to minimise the risk. It is your gear, after all!!

Any fretless can be set up to do the mwah thing. Usually a combination of cutting the nut slots deeper and less relief. Don't overdo it with the truss rod though, or you'll choke the notes.

Yes. As has been said, it makes no difference, you can't see the lines, and you don't tune with your eyes...

There is a significant sum to be spent there - well into 4 figures, maybe even 5, depending on the condition of the bits we can't see (neck, back, rest of the ribs, blocks etc). It might have value, but equally it might be a Bohemian factory bass on an Italian model - not an English shape, not a Hawkes in my opinion. Risky purchase with no provenance

I love sounding like me, in general, but I would dearly love to be able to sound like this: The song that brought the bass to my attention, aged 13. JPJ is still my favourite bass player, and probably, for me, the finest musician ever to work in rock and roll