TheLowDown

This is quite true. Anyone that could answer the question easily could easily sell their others because they're not needed, and the only reason why the other basses are kept is ONLY because people want to own them. People like to own things. People keep basses, ornaments, pens, figurines, and so on because they want to own them for the sake of owning them. It's how I get rid of anything when I'm thinning the herd of things that I may have too many of. I may mass buy things up to a point, BUT only for the purpose of learning from them. Once I've learnt from them and have decided on what I like and don't like, then they have outlived their usefulness. I then sell everything until I have the minimum number. I'm really quite ruthless like that. I always ask myself the question: "would I be happy if this [item] was the only one I had?? If the answer is no. I sell it because it means that I don't need it, but I only think I want it. Honestly, before selling it I think that I will miss it. Some things seem so beautiful and precious, but it's usually an illusion. In reality, after I've sold them, I never think about them even once! I see the bass as a tool to achieve something, so I didn't answer with just 1 bass , but 5. Those 5 basses include: a 4 string fretted and fretless, 5 string fretted, and a 6 string fretted and fretless. Brand, colour, electronics are unimportant, but weight, balance, and comfort are. My ultimate aim is to always get down to owning only one of whatever it is. I may be related to Marie Kondo.

There needs to be a Channel Tunnel Deux for your Harley Benton deliveries, Stew. It needs to be made large enough for such throughput, and tariff/VAT/handling charge/custom charge-free.

I see the bass as a tool to achieve something. While I can't understand the point of owning lots of different brands with the same number of strings, I wouldn't have "just one" bass because the basses that I have serve different purposes. I currently have 8 basses, but one is old and senile, one is back in its packaging to be sold in the future because it weighs more than a house, and the other is an unsellable 5 string fretless that has no use (I have a 6 string and a 4 string fretless, so the 5 string is no use). The 5 basses I have and need are a 6 string fretted and fretless, a 5 string fretted, and a 4 string fretted and fretless. The policy is one in one out. They have different needs and they're the minimum that I need. I use a 4 because that's a standard bass, but on rare occasions I need a C or a B string, but it's a bad idea to use more strings than you have to so I only use what is necessary. I'm not a collector and I don't believe in pretty things. Basses are tools like a hammer or a wrench, but I don't see myself supercharging any of my hammers or buying a screwdriver in blue any time soon.

Knowing the fretboard intimately, awareness of scale shapes and how the intervals(chord tones) relate to the root over the fretboard. After that it's just developing confidence from practice and jamming to a metronome or backing track by yourself.

Np. Scales are best for musical context and ear training, chord tones always are where it's at. As for slap, I'm allergic and it will never be on my agenda.

"out of stock". This seems to apply to around 99% of everything on Andertons website at the moment.

if it's made in Indonesia, the chances are it's made by Cort. Nice basses. I think Cort makes some great basses and I very nearly bought one as my first bass, many moons ago.

I think the 4 string P bass is the perfect bass. It's got that one perfect tone that sits in the mix better than any, and the passive pups with "only" volume and tone is all that's necessary. Lots of basses these days have controls for mid sweep, bass crunch, treble pizzazzz, and mid-bass whump, but I have never found a reason to change the dials after I've found a tone I like. In a gig or a recording, it's the sound man who's going to be largely responsible for the sound, so as long as I have 1 tone I'm happy with during home practice I don't need anything else. Active pups just increase the chances of something going wrong so that I can have my amp attached to my bass. That's how I see it.

Welcome to the world of 6 string, Stew. As a daily exercise it's useful to go up and down each string singing each note immediately before you play it. There is also a scale exercise by Jon Packard that many find useful, but it's time consuming and not much fun. A much better way of doing the exercise though is to only play the root 3rd, 5th, and 7th of the scale. It's more difficult, but it's a good way for getting to know the 6 string fretboard in its entirety(rather than seeing it as a 4 string with 2 strings either side) and for learning the inversions and intervals around the neck. Doddy is right about the fret wrap. It's a crutch and diverts attention away from developing the best technique you can. Even on 4 string, it's ideal to develop good muting techniques. If you're normally a 4 string player, a 6 string will make you a better 4 string player and will give you a more fluid way of understanding scales and the fretboard. Everyone who wants to be the best bassist that they can should swap between basses of different strings now and again.

He may be referring to when the more deadly types of asbestos were banned, which was indeed in the 80s. White asbestos wasn't banned until 1999 as you quite rightly state, and this meant a complete ban.

VAT is added no matter the price. It's not a new tax. Previously the displayed price included VAT but now it doesn't.. If the net value is above £135 then it's handled by the couriers, which means that it also included handling costs. If equal or below then it's handled by the retailer and there is nothing extra to pay I think it's safest to choose items below or equal to £135 because, in theory, the couriers could charge whatever they like for the handling costs, and you never know beforehand at the time of purchase how much you're going to have to pay.

So true, many people confuse being a great bass player with being a great teacher. They are entirely separate skills. Always choose the one who is more skilled at teaching and that you have a rapport with.

Just do permutations progressively more quickly up to a tempo of 220 on each string. One finger per fret, with the index finger on the 5th or 7th fret. Aim to keep the fingers always as close to the fretboard as possible and use the least amount of pressure applied. Always keep the thumb approximately in the centre of the neck, and as with the fingers, apply the least amount of pressure. to the back of the neck. When you're practicing your permutation, try releasing your thumb so that it's not touching the neck to see if you're applying minimal pressure. If you can't, then that's an area for improvement.

I don't see where I've said that or even hinted at saying that.

I doubt it. Even if it seems like they're set up "the same", sometimes even minute differences can have a huge effect.

Yes, there is always a solution in addition to a comfortable strap. With an overall heavy bass, there isn't.

I suppose it goes to show how much the setup really matters.

I have a perfectly balanced HB MB-4 with a heavy chunky neck and a heavy body, and it still does my back in. That's the important bottom line. My body says that it's way too heavy, but my over rationalising mind says" quit your moaning, it's well balanced!" as my back creaks and haunches over just that little bit more. I will choose an overall light bass with neck dive over a heavy well balanced bass any day of the week. The former can be remedied with a wide soft leather/suede strap, but there is no antidote to the latter.

Mostly bigotry and naivety. People automatically assume made in somewhere in the East is cheap and nasty. The truth in 2021 is that that if it's made in the USA or Europe, it's most likely expensive garbage riddled with quality control issues. There is actually very little that is made in Europe or USA even if it says so on the label. The laws surrounding what constitutes a Made in USA or Made in Britain label for instance are typically vague and lax, and it's perfectly lawful to make everything in China or India and then ship it over to the USA to package it up with a "Made in USA" label. Many people buy good ol' British made or "made by Uncle Sam himself" goods because they left their opinion in the 1970s. It's much easier to tar groups and nations with the same brush for reasons of simplicity, and they truly believe that when they buy British or American they're getting a well made product by union jack wearing employees, and retailers play heavily on this perception and use it as a means to jack up their prices. Personally I would much rather have my bass made by a talented, enthusiastic, and efficient workforce than slackers who do a half arsed job because they hate their job and are just there to pay the bills or while studying at uni.

Too expensive and too heavy. I would also have to ask what I'm getting for my money that's worth me spending that much that I won't get at half the price. The answer is probably: nothing. At 4.5 kg I couldn't carry that on my back for long, so for long term health it's a definite NO.. Even it makes my breakfast every morning.

That's only one of many reasons, and not the most important one. It's where the talent and supply chains are closely grouped together.

Almost all of the best made gear these days is in places like Indonesia, Vietnam, Korea, China. It's where the talent is.

"Righty tighty, lefty loosey". When your headstock is pointing north, turning the allen key to the right to adjust the trussrod will tighten it and will bring the fretboard closer to the strings giving the fretboard a convex look. Turning to the left will give the fretboard a concave look and the fretboard will move away from the strings. Don't turn the allen key any more than a quarter tun at a time.

The fact that so many people are experiencing problems means that it's bad for trade, which means that it's bad for the government. If people just stop buying from abroad then that will force governments and retailers to introduce some easing measures.