Oomworthy

What is it you didn't like about the 505, and what do you prefer with the BB434? As I say, I was drawn to both and although I'd all but decided the flexibility of the 504 was what I wanted, it was impatience and price that won out. I live 30 miles from ANY music shops, and the ones I can get to don't have much choice - especially bass gear - so online tends to be where I sound out other players and look for my purchases.

Update: I don't get on with round wound strings so between the naturally brighter/punchier tone of this bass and my inability to get consistent non-scratchy tone (at the moment), I prefer flat wound strings. I bought a set for my T-bird but the ball is too large to fit it so they were put on the Millennium and completely changed my experience. Cue a string change on the 504... ...That's better! The passive sound is now much warmer but still with a bit of bite, and the active electronics have a punchy tone if I dig in a little but give the softer tone I was looking for. Nowhere near P bass tone, but something different, and of course I can slide around without scraping. They are just cheap flats but they do the job for this noob, and I'd highly recommend trying this bass with a set. Prior to changing them I was starting to regret not looking for a BB434.

So excited! A step up from my Epiphone T-bird, and something different to my Peavey Millennium (the one I play most while I'm learning). Only had it in my hands for a couple of hours and already enjoying the new experience .

So £20 for the weekend or £18 for a single nominated day? Seems daft not to take the basschat deal if there's even a chance your plans might change, or if you live close enough to go both days. I'll be travelling down from Dundee so I might as well give myself the chance of going twice - just in case my wife decides to go shopping one day. Time to start researching small music venues for the weekend.

I gambled with an offer of £9 - I didn’t need another set but they’ll get used.

I bought a set of [edit] Adagio on Amazon for about £15. I’m still learning but I’ve found they stay in tune, have more tone than I’d been lead to believe, and are lovely to play. The only downer was the ringed end didn’t sit well in the Epi T-bird Bridge properly so ended up on my Peavy Millennium.

So in the last week or so I bought the Zoom B1on (changed how I practice because with headphones it's so much better than my 20W practice amp), then an adaptor for the headphones, then an aux cable to connect to my Mac to let me listen to the youtube slips through it, then a splitter to allow me to run the aux through the Macs mic/phones shared socket to let me record myself (it doesn't work), and now I'm scanning Amazon for another cable. Spent £20 trying to make it do a job that a few quid more would've bought me a DI to do the job properly. Ah the deceptive process or incremental overspend.

Dude! I hate to tell ya, but that ain't a Fender bass in ya hand! Though it might still catch a bass. ;-)

Bought a Zoom B1on effects pedal this weekend as a headphone practice amp with the perk of some effects. I’ve got to say, it’s way clearer & cleaner sounding than my practice amp, and the effects are fun. Can recommend it, especially if you can get a refurbished one for £25. The difference it’s made to how I feel about my playing is huge.

***UPDATE*** 2018: So I found a teacher 20 miles away and had a few lessons but then got an appointment for a knee replacement. That should've given me plenty of time to practice while stuck at home, but that's not how it happened (2 weeks after surgery I got an infection and spent 2 more weeks in hospital plus 6 months on high dose antibiotics via a line direct to my heart). So that took care of 2018. Got a bit of practice but never really got into a groove. 2019: a new year rolls around and I start watching loads of youtube videos, sussing out online courses again, try yet again to find a bass teacher within 30 miles of home (previous one has moved on), and just as I'm getting some decent practice in I decide to sign up to Josh Fossgreen's online course Beginner to Badass on his website Bassbuzz. He's an easy going, slightly goofy/nerdy young Californian guy and his teaching method has encouraged me. There's just something a bit over the top about Scotts Bass that, although I like most of his presentation, I find it a little too 'American' - which is odd given that Josh actually is American, but there you go. I started the course right at the beginning and although the first few modules were a little slow and basic, I stuck with them and am now 1/3rd through and feeling I've learned more in a week or so than in previous months (with exception of those few face to face lessons). I feel more confident in my music reading progress, I feel freed up enough to think about muting as I play the simple pieces, and I've found it easy to sit down 2 or even 3 times a day to go through a lesson. Here's my actual bass collection (minus the acoustic that's in the shop for sale). I play the Peavey mostly and found a switch to flat wounds a huge benefit to comfort and the reduced string scraping sound is a confidence boost. My amp is a tiny cheap Starfire 20watt that struggles to get past 12 O'clock on the volume before buzzing. I have my eyes on a 1 year old Fender Rumble 40 (sub £150) at the moment. Happy to be back in this fold and enjoying the UK-centric posts.

I'm 49 and just about to start playing. If I thought I'd be giving up by 60 I don't think I'd bother. Age is just a number and it really depends on what you can manage - plenty of much younger folk wouldn't be able to play any instrument through poor health/mobility/flexibility. I'd have thought that playing 6 strings is a good indication that you can do it. A bit more practice and you'll get there. As I say, I'm a bit younger, but I'm finding the physicality needed is a surprise but with time it'll ease. I may need to change my bass as I do have lower back problems and the T-bird is a bit heavy and awkwardly shaped (nose dive anybody?).

You may well be right. He's a very happy boy despite his chronic arthritis and perpetual waxy ears. We actually went to see a 2 year old Lab called Ben with the intention of giving Posie a lively playmate, but he was so excitable (2 year old Labs tend to be) that we declined him. The staff walked us past our Ben and he just walked over to us wagging his tail and smiling at us. He's given us so much joy and love that we wouldn't hesitate to take an older dog again. He's cost us a small fortune in vet bills (thanks to a pink torpedo-up on the insurance) but we wouldn't change a thing.

Here's my dogs. Ben is our old gentleman Lab who we got as a rescue just before his 8th birthday and is now coming up to his 13th. It was 5 years ago last week that we got him. He has a Dentastix in his gob in that photo - he doesn't just have the biggest doggy grin. My wife is now on the board at the rescue home we got him from. Posie is our Cocker Spaniel who we've had since a puppy. She's almost 8 years old now but still as manic as a puppy - but sharp as a tack. Nothing gets past her, not even my cack handed upholstery techniques.

Cheers, guys. I started looking around the site and noticed some TV chat. I was about to join in then realised I'm a few episodes behind everybody else, so I bolted away. I'm keen to hear recommendations for online lessons - I've looked at SBL and StudyBass already - but I'm keen to sit down with a real bassist and get some really basic pointers. The StudyBass site has some really interesting fundamental stuff and delivered in a way that got through to me like no book has before. I'm very aware that my technique is shockingly bad and therefore stopping me from progressing. I need somebody to sit in front of me and tell me what I'm doing wrong, and how to do it right. You never know what Santa might bring me for Christmas - I've been an ok boy this year.

Thanks. I'll have to get a few pics of my actual bass, and maybe even one with my Cocker Spaniel listening to me play.

Hi. I'm a 49 year old novice returning to actually picking up a bass after so many years. Have tried to learn a few times but always get too busy or reprioritised or some such excuse. This time I've put a little money into an Epiphone T-bird (in natural wood finish) and am trying to track down a local bass teacher, rather than another guitarist making some money on the side. I want to start from the beginning and get some good habits going right from the get-go. I was briefly in a band at school - some of those guys did ok for themselves - and with a possible reunion coming up in the next year or so it'd be nice to be better than I was back then. I like all sorts of music but have always been drawn to significant bass parts and so love some funk. I'm based near Edzell, just on the Aberdeenshire side of the river. Looking forward to picking up tips from the experienced players and sharing experience with the less-so players like me. Cheers. PS. that's not my bass, but it's what I've got.