PhilSpectone

thanks Fonzoooroo. It's probably my technique. The bow is about 12 months old and I use Nyman rosin which I've been told is the stickiest - keep on swimming I guess! It's a life's work! Phil

Hi all - apologies if some of this has been covered before - I've looked down the threads. I thought that this covered a number of issues and therefore hope that folks don't mind - fact is I need some help and fast! I've been playing DB for 3 years after 30 on a leccie and of course I'm deeply smitten. I have found myself in the enviable position of linking up with a wonderful young woman guitarist/singer/songwriter and a fabulous mandolin player and fiddler *( we play a kind of bluegrass/old time sound). Incredibly in a very short time we have found ourselves with a contract to start recording the first album in early October. TBH I feel the weak link in this situation. I've worked hard with the playing over the last year and the gig involves a combination of straightforward bluegrass alt/bass, some long slidey pzz passages, slapping and some (please god) bowing. I have a ply bass and experimented with strings no end and now have a combination of Innovation Honeys (E) Steel core weedwacker (A) and kevlar corsed weedwhacker (D and G). Apart from the A being a bit dead I am 60% happy live where I get away with it pretty well -people are very complimentary where I'm probably helped by a fell circle and fishman pre-amp set up. However I've [i]dreading[/i] it in the studio, particularly in the arco sections. I've put the work in on the playing but I'm not confident with the sound - tbh in the arco bits it's pretty minging.. On a plus side I have had an enormous piece of luck a neighbour has given me her uncles 100 year old German bass which will go to the menders (anyone know of Godfrey Shepherd?) at end of the October - too late for recording (ARRGG!!!). Godfrey has told me that he thinks these strings are OK, but I think I've read bad things about them on this site or TB? [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DOUBLE-BASS-NATURAL-GUT-CONTRABASS-STRINGS-SET-4-NEW-/400211535941?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Sting_Instruments&hash=item5d2e776845"]http://www.ebay.co.u...=item5d2e776845[/url] Question is - should I buy a set now which would give me a week to allow them to settle in before recording? Should I lump it? Should I switch to banjo? Any words of encouragement, advice or comfort would be a big help..thanks Phil

Thanks both - will look at the D's as you suggest Just had a look at Talkbass site where people really seem to like spirocore weich strings - the price is phenomenal

Hi - I'm a newbie and using the bass for several things at the mo as well as learning a lot. I'm doing barn dances, backing a load of ukulele players, playing with the kids, bluegrass and in a hillbilly blues band - will these suit? Are they only for rockabilly? do they suit learners Answers on a postcard..... Phil

Hi - just to start to say how refreshing I found NeonMig's posts! Really encouraging! Gusto - I'm really new to this DB thing having played lecky bass for nearly 35 years. I have lurked around these and other forums, reading advice from those who know better than me - however I'm going to let you know what I think. [size=4]Buy a funking bass!![/size] - sure buy the best you can afford and budget for a good set-up and some teaching, but just go ahead and get one. I mucked around for 5 years before I leaped in and bought a lami bass that I'd never played for £350from some bloke on ebay...and haven't regretted it. Life is full of risks and possibilities and you may buy something which is less than perfect - get the best advise you can but let's face it you don't want to be on your death bed saying to your nearest and dearest - [i]"well at least I didn't waste any money on a crap bass". [/i]Frankly I wished I'd done it 20 years ago as I'm having a great time. I've had the bass 6 weeks, played it everyday, had offers of 4 jobs including a cruise and a summer season in the med. My blisters area thing of wonder and I've got a big cheesy grin! [size=5]Just go an get one!!!![/size]

Hi folks - I recently and very happily bought a lami bass and have started on the road to transition - and really enjoying myself! I'm taking up any opportunity to play from joining irish sessions and a ukulele jam I've booked myself some lessons and practicing regularly. The bass had pickup fitted that I know to be a Shadow SHSB2. This was postion under the bridge, between the feet and the top of the bass. This looked completely wrong as the rounded shape of the pickup was stopping proper connection between the bridge and body of the bass, although it sounded OK plugged in (without a pre-amp). I have a violin maker mate who took the bridge off and re-positioned it. (He has also offered to re-do the finger board, re-position the sound post and set the bridge up properly - the action is a little high). The Shadow website is a bit vague about how the pick-up should be fitted other than by fitting it wedged between the bridge wings - unfortunately the gap hear is too wide for the pick up. Meanwhile I bough a Fishman Model B pre-amp from a well known internet bidding site. I positioned the Shadow pickups on the underside of the bridge near the strings - a la how the fishman pick-ups (which look quite similar). I plugged into my old Roland Cube Bass 60 and off I go. (I'm feeling a bit confident in this as I was playing on Friday on the same bill as one Herbie Flowers who has one of these which he has used for his db for 35 years and still likes it - on that particular evening he was lending it to his guitarist - Chris Spedding!) The problem is that the resulting sound, whilst reasonably pleasing, isn't very loud and I've got to have the amp up to 10 and the pre-amp likewise to make a reasonable noise. I'm a bit unsure if the tape holds the Shadow tightly enough to the bridge, however if I hold the pickup tighter to the bridge, things quickly get very armeggedon like.......I'm not that keen on buying the Fisham Felt U Clips as you can only get then from that German website and seem a bit expensive at £20 for a couple of glorified bulldog clips but could be wrong.... My questions are - [list] [/list] Should I put the Shadow between the bridge wings? If so what should I pad it out with? [list] [/list]Bob G recommends using mini-clips to fit the pick ups on but it doesn't work too well - should I go for the Felted U Clips? [/list] On this site I've read of people recommending all sorts of pick-ups but I've never heared of anyone recommending the Shadow - is it a pile of poop? [list] [/list] Is the pre-amp OK for the job? [list] [/list] What is likely to be causing the drop in volume? [list] [/list] I'm getting quite a lot of string noise from the bass, it lessens when shelving the treble on the pre-amp but obviously there's a cost to this at the top end - any suggestions? [list] [/list] What do you think of the amp? Is ut an oldie but goldie or do I need to put my - gulp - hand in my pocket? [list] [/list] My violin making mate has said he would do the set-up work for a mates-rate of £120 - combined with £100 worth of lessons in the new year - should I ditch all this worrying about the amplified sound and concentrate on this? (I think that I know the answer to this one...) Many thanks for reading this - I'm really happy to get people's views!! Phil