Stub Mandrel

As basses don't (usually) have tremelo bridges, I think string pull angles are aesthetic rather than a real issue (in fact the geometry is such that a sideways pull can be used to make up for a low break angle. I always use a finger poke beyond the nut before being happy with my tuning anyway. That said, parallel strings do look nicer, although it's not a killer issue for me. I really, really struggle with droopy tuners though - I like them ideally all parallel to each other, or 90 degrees to the sides of the headstock. If a convex edge means they angle in, they can look a bit crowded, but better than a random angle with no relation to the other aesthetic elements.

If you make a guide using masking tape or card, it's surprisingly easy to cut neatly with a hand saw.

Try some music you enjoy listening to but wouldn't normally play along to. Funk classics are a good choice I find, something like Ball of Confusion or I Feel Good is a joy to play but challenges you to get in the groove.

Or anything with a rosewood fingerboard - how do prove that even an early 00s Squier is legal?

I was thinking Summer Breeze, but it made me go hunting more 🙂

Maybe not?

Much prefer fingers. Pickwise, for bass my favourites are my 'Lemmy' branded ones that measure up as 1.17mm, held fairly loosely. Thinner ones just don't seem to deliver much more snap than I can get with my fingers. For guitar ideally 0.5mm Dunlop nylon picks for strumming, small hard picks for lead.

That's possibly the issue if they are pickups with strong magnets. What happens is that the pickup 'retransmits' the signal from the plucked string into the others and this can produce a surprisingly noticeable effect (I've had it before, always cure by dropping the pickups 1 or 2 mm).

That's impressive. Channelling the Isley Brothers with that guitar?

I took one bass lesson some time ago, hoping it would help me get back into things. I was clear I wanted advice on my technique, but I just got modes and scales. I've made massive progress just by learning loads of songs, most of which were beyond my skills two years ago.

This is something you are doing chiefly for pleasure and the satisfaction of progressing. So follow your heart and your inclination and don't be ashamed to stick to the music you enjoy. My only advice is a change is as good as a rest and keep a bass somewhere - especially as changing between instruments, even just for the odd twiddle, helps improves skills on both! 🙂

Funny how we all differ, I'm way faster with my fingers than a pick.

Twerp!

Put a toilet seat around your head while playing your 'Ray and enjoy the experience without lower cost and less embarrassment...

Yep, shame Flea didn't write the lyrics...

Interesting short article. Flea is always thoughtful. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/jan/02/flea-there-is-joy-in-obsession-but-im-not-sure-its-healthy Funny how we don't have a 'bass players' topic...

No love for the MM Bongo headstock? That's a surprise...

Some new strings (wound on the right way) would be a kindness 🙂

I don't really like playing with a pick but the thing I've found is that for bass I need a heavier pick and for guitar and to hold it looser - you don't always need to smack the strings as hard as you expect to get the attack you want. But it is like playing a totally different instrument!

Believe i am a fan. But whoever strung that up should be... strung up?

A mashup that works:

<USER ERROR> ... FZZZZTTTT ....

I've had to move my 'office' into my workshop. This is good as it means I have my TE combo set up and switched on all day and, presently, a jazz bass in reach from my chair. I have input gain nice and high, the pre-shape in, balanced by a gentle 3db lift centred on about 2kHz, usually no effects. I find I can spend ages just playing simple riffs or just single notes, especially on my Jazz where playing with the volumes (I generally leave the tone right up unless playing reggae) and moving my playing position gives me a huge range of wonderful sounds. I am very, very happy with the tones I am getting.

A mate of mine imports, mostly from China, but also from EU and other sources. He also sells significant amounts to the EU. He's looking at an investment in five figures to get an EU based office (in a cheaper eastern EU country) as a cheaper-in-the-long-run alternative to registering for VAT in each individual EU country. Painful private purchases is that the import duty + vat + handing fee we had to bear on US imports now applies to the EU as well. Presence or absence of an EU deal is/was irrelevant to these issues as they are unrelated to tariffs. Oh, and CITES now applies to UK <-> Europe so be careful taking your rosewood fingerboard overseas...