ASW

I also find it helps to make sure the drummer is doing their bit to fill out the sound during more intense sections of songs like the solo to the Darkness song. A few extra hits on cymbals or opening up the hi hats can make all the difference.

I was speaking to the bass player from the band The Answer once after a show they played. They had 1 guitar, bass, drums and vocals and had quite a big sound. The bass player used a delay pedal to thicken up his sound. I think it was always on and if I remember correctly, it was a very short delay (perhaps. 20-50ms) with the feedback level down to its lowest setting (i.e. giving only one repeat). It's probably worth a try along with the other suggestions.

Thanks, that's good to know. I'll have to try one out at some point.

Absolutely. If it was a 1505f, it would have Nordstrand pickups too. I've yet to try the Bartolinis but it appears more people than not dislike them or prefer the Nordstrands. On another note, I had a look at the 1005f at Peach and the weight is stated as 7lb 14oz, compared to my 6 string with frets which is 7lb 11.5oz. Still light, but interesting to me that less strings, smaller pickups and removal of frets makes a heavier bass. I wonder if it's the different woods and richlite board used or just the variations in each bit of timber.

Thanks! I do like the look of it, but also acknowledge it is certainly not a traditional looking bass! It buzzed on the higher frets of the the top two strings and the Low B did too all over the fretboard. I measured the action and it was far lower than Ibanez recommend in their manual. I raised the action and straightened the neck by tightening the truss rod and it's buzz free and very easy to play now. I'll definitely consider other Ibanez instruments in future. Perhaps a fretless EHB!

I believe this purchase which arrived today grants me admission to the club. It's the EHB1506MS. It's my first 6 string, first Ibanez, first multiscale, first headless and my first experience with Nordstrand pickups! I had tried one of these out by accident in PMT about a year ago. My friend was trying out a guitar and one of these was set up plugged into an amp. I thought it was the oddest looking bass, but was surprised how comfortable and easy it was to play. Now that I have one, my opinion hasn't changed. Well made, lightweight, easy to play and sounds great. I've read that some others have found quality issues, but no problems so far. The Neutrik locking jack is pointless in my opinion, but not a problem for me as I have a Gibson Les Paul that I bought new in 2008 which has one and has never caused me any issues. The look of the bass doesn't fit the usual aesthetic of the music I'm playing in the one band I'm in at the moment playing bass (Allman Bros, Dire Straits, Clapton, Christopher Cross, Steely Dan, Hall & Oates etc). However, I don't much care and I don't think my band mates or the audience will either. I'm looking forward to experimenting with it!

I had one of these in the early 90s as my first bass. I seem to remember struggling to get suitable strings for it in my local guitar shop. I also seem to remember it wasn't very good, but it may have just been my inexperience.

The aesthetic doesn't really fit the type of music I play in bands (bluesy rock and a punk band) and I don't need 6 strings for the other music I'm writing and recording. However, I accompanied a friend to PMT when he was trying and buying a guitar and this was sitting on a stand, so I picked it up, plugged it in a tried it out for a few minutes. It was lightweight, very comfortable and surprisingly easy to play given the number of strings and the multiscale frets. That was over a year ago and I still think about it! I should probably just buy one as they're not prohibitively expensive, but was hoping to get one used. They don't seem to come up for sale used very often at all. It is my birthday next week, so perhaps I should treat myself!

Ideal candidate for a shim the if everything else is in order. You'll be able to get the action much lower.

Assuming the relief is OK, the as others have said it is clearly a candidate for a simple shim. A bit of old train ticket or two may be enough. Fender have used shims since they started making bolt on neck guitars so there's nothing wrong with them. My 1962 Jazzmaster has one to get a suitable neck angle. Even the modern American Professional II Stratocasters have a micro tilt neck adjustment feature which is in effect a mechanical shim. Whether an instrument made in this day and age should need them with the accuracies of CNC machines is a different question! I suspect that someone has taken the neck off before and lost the shim that was put in the neck pocket at the factory (or didn't know what it was and discarded it). I doubt it left the factory with that action. Why would it when they probably have a stack of shims ready for this very issue?

Best is a MusicMan Stingray 5. I haven't had a 5 string for years (and the last one was a relatively cheap Washburn 2502) and joined a couple of bands this year that were playing songs that benefited from the lower notes. Worst was a Sandberg California TM5 purchased from a bass retailer online and within minutes of it being delivered, I initiated a return. I was after something a bit lighter than the Stingray and saw the Sandberg advertised online with a weight of 7lb 10oz. When it arrived though, I unpacked it and was shocked at how heavy it was. It was heavier than the Stingray! It transpires that there had been an error and it should have been advertised at 10lb 7oz.

Interesting. I think I'm getting it now. I'd like to hear what that sounds like.

Ah, I think that's making more sense. So it's more about patterns on the fretboard rather than music theory. So it seems the answer to the OPs question is that you can play B Dorian over a 1, 4, 6 chord progression in A major as you are in fact using the A major scale over an A major key chord progression. Is that right?

I'm not quite sure what's meant by the Dorian mode in A Major would be B Dorian. B Dorian does share the same notes as A Major/Ionian (as does C Phrygian, D Lydian, E Mixolydian etc.) but if you're using the notes from B Dorian over something in the key of A Major, you're not playing a Dorian scale at all. You're still playing a major/Ionian scale. As I understand it, the scale that is played is dictated by the tonal centre of the music. I'm not sure what stands to be gained by calling a scale something which is not, but which uses the same notes. Other commenters appear to understand though so I think it may just be me! It would be interesting to see the video if you can find and share the link!

Isn't that the B minor pentatonic?

I use the plugin a lot when mixing songs if the bass sound is a bit flat and bland. I've just bought the PSA 2.0 to experiment with it live for both bass and guitar. I couldn't pass it up at that price!

The Truetone power supplies are another option. I've used the CS12 with a Stomp and up to 9 other pedals without any issues. I also have a CS7 which is much cheaper and smaller, so probably ample for your needs.