SteveXFR

That's the badger. An early 90's 4001 head with the GP12SMX preamp built in. Shape button is definitely off.

It sounds OK I guess. I've never really liked the pickups, even when it was in relatively normal tunings. My Thunderbird and Peavey Zephyr sound much better but both kill my back so they're for home use only.

Guitarist has a LOT of kit. Loads of amps, effects, drums, studio and recording kit.

We're all in our 40's and don't exactly look metal. Image isn't an issue

I don't think the look even comes in to it to be honest

It's just an occasional bit of fuzz. Mostly just a bit of tube gain in the preamp

I was thinking a Hoffner violin bass or Danelectro longhorn

It kind of started from me saying I need to upgrade from my Ibanez and I was thinking of a Stingray 5 or Jazz 5 and then was told I'd need fan frets an multiscale and a Darkglass preamp so should get a Dingwall NG3. Maybe it was intended as friendly advice and I took it the wrong way.

Eq is almost flat. Just a slight cut I the treble. Amp is a Trace Elliot 4001 with GP12SMX preamp and TE 4x10 and 1x15 I also have a Orange Terror 500 which has the same issues but with more dirt

I don't think it was intended in quite that way.

The amp and cabs are no problem. There's a 12 band eq on the amp. My SR300 has been properly set up with 130, 105, 85, 65 string and a suitably altered nut and truss rod adjustment.

The Ibanez I have is tuned as a drop A# 4 string. Its OK but pretty weak and the tone changes so much across the range of the instrument that it sounds like two different basses. I've never tried fan frets. I'd I'm a very long way from Oldham. I'm not sure the pitch shifter would give the sense of impending doom required for our music, not sure how it would sound either fuzz either

The Ibanez I have is tuned as a drop A# 4 string. Its OK but pretty weak and the tone changes so much across the range of the instrument that it sounds like two different basses. I've never tried fan frets. I'd be curious to try it but I wouldn't buy without trying. If I did, one of those headless Ibanez's would be a more reasonable price at around a grand

I'd never really listened to Status Quo until I saw them at Glastonbury. Now I'm a big fan of old punk rock and even I thought they could have used a few more notes. I'm guessing the guitarists a bassist must have two very worn frets and the rest are like new.

I'm playing an Ibanez SR300 which I agree needs replacing, it's not up to the job I was going to go for a Fender Jazz 5 or Sterling Stingray 5 but the suggestion is I should get a Dingwall NG3. I was mistaken on the price, its only £2k.

Is it normal for other band members to tell you what bass you need to buy? How would you react to being told to buy a £2500 bass?

The great Gerry Only of the Misfits.

It's a dead boost/eq pedal (Orange Two Stroke) Maybe I could fit a 3 band parametric eq kit

Apart from throwing at the cat or using as a door stop what can I do with a dead effect pedal to make it a useful object?

I thought it was 45 days solid playing time?

All sorted now. Turned out to be a dodgy string. They were only a couple months old but new string fitted and it's spot on plus the low A# string is now much brighter

No, it's hitting a stop before the spring is compressed

It's coming up sharp at the 12th fret. The bridge is at max adjustment and its still not close. strings are Ernie Ball Slinky 5 string so hex core.

I guess the main purpose of a $35 pick is that you can tell people it's a $35 pick.

Hi. I've joined a band who need the bass tuned to drop A#. The higher string of a 5 string isn't needed so I'd rather just use a low tuned 4 string. I've set it up with 130, 105, 85, 65 strings, filed the nut and set the action nicely but I cannot get decent intonation on the A# string. Could it be a problem with the bass or this low tuning? The bass is an Ibanez SR300, a cheap but usually solid instrument. I was planning to upgrade if I get on well with the band.