TheLowDown

Sire do some nice ones with the M5 and M7.

https://www.andertons.co.uk/sire-version-2-marcus-miller-m5-swamp-ash-5-string-bass-natural-ver2m5sa5nt

Exercises like the plank help so you're not straining your back as much.

1 hour ago, Waddo Soqable said:

Huh? 

I don't 'get' that at all, it's a musical instrument, to be used for playing music! 😁

At £2000+ and with enough anecdotes of QC issues, there's much better and cheaper and versatile ways of making music 👍. 

I think it's better suited to collectors.

3 hours ago, carlsim said:

You mention about weight - that is my one fear with HB stuff

Some are quite light or reasonably weighted. The progressive range are quite light. I have 4 string and a 6 string that weigh under 8lbs and 9.9lbs, respectively.

9 minutes ago, ezbass said:

although the quoted nut width of 41.3 mm is incorrect, it is 38mm (Thomann have been contacted about this).

That's good to know, I prefer the 38mm width. I think Thomann and Harley Benton are great, but the accuracy of the info on the product pages often leaves a lot to be desired and is best double checked.

I've seen a few reviews on it in the past. The general consensus seems that it's of really good quality but heavy.

2 hours ago, Dan Dare said:

 

I'd advise against rosin. It's intended to make things sticky. That's why we use it on our violin bows. 

Ok, well I didn't know about that side effect but lots of pro sports people use it to reduce sweat and moisture.

Keep a small bag of chalk or rosin in your pocket that many dart players use to deal with sweaty hands.  

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/173352223035

Anything lightweight but which provides enough balance with whatever is used for the neck to help prevent neck dive.

6 hours ago, Fishfacefour said:

Will this play havoc with the muscle memory?

I wouldn't worry about it. I switch between long scale and short scale and 4, 5 and 6 string. If you switch regularly it quickly becomes second nature. 

He may just need asome space at this time. I know that when people have been in a similar position they may find any attention a little unwanted. 

It's a toss up between that and the recently released gold foil Fender jazz.

Nice looking bass, he's done a good job. Given what you've mentioned about the strings, it's unlikely you will be wanting to restring it with a high C string rather than a low B, eh. A high C string always sounds more lyrical to me on a fretless, the low B string I find considerably less useful compared to on a fretted.

9 hours ago, Basso said:

The main point of the post is that fatter necks actually are better suited for proper playing technique (thumb in the middle of the neck, playing with tip of curved fingers). The distance from the pushing fingers gets smaller to the string and the hand gets a better grip or “strength” thanks to a more solid contact to the actual neck. Less “air playing” equals less distance, more strength, less movement with the resulting increased control.
Believe me: thin necks are not “faster” or “smoother” or “better” for anyone but someone with REALLY small hands aka: children. Rest of you: go practice!

(and burn all those slim necked basses).

I've heard of this before. Ideally, it is said, the hand should be an open position as if you're gently holding a tennis ball which allows for the hand muscles to be at their most relaxed. With shallow necks, this allegedly puts some strain on the muscles of the palm over time. Necks that have some depth being less likely to result in strain because they retain the open hand position more.

Sounds plausible, maybe a physiotherapist has more insight.

All the best, Telebass. Just take things in baby steps 👍

Apart from custom made, I would doubt that there is any better QC on £2000 compared to £200. I think people naturally assume that the more expensive, the better the QC and the more the human touch. We like to believe that if we pay more, then it has better quality. With CNCs and the shift in manufacturing centres to the East, I don't think that philosophy applies any more, but companies still need ways to differentiate their products to be able to charge more for different ranges.

In the past it was always China that was saddled with making the lower end(hence the previously bad rep of "made in China"), but that is no longer the case. As Kev above quite rightly says, the quality of the product is dependent upon what the big company pays - if they pay for a top product, then they get a top quality product. 

Because of the shift in manufacturing centres and expertise and large scale automation, I would far rather have a bass made in Indonesia or China than the USA or Europe, both for quality and value. 

It's why I avoid Fender(and Squier, their budget range of overpriced products). It's how a lot of named brands work in different sectors. They get lazy, push their prices to the max and think their brand name will do their job for them.

Lesser known or uncoming brands try much harder.

While we don't know how to reverse arthritis, we can make it more manageable such as with our diet. Because arthritis is an inflammatory disease, avoid inflammatory foods and increase intake of anti-inflammatory foods.

Hi Steve, genres such as rhythm n blues and soul and related genres have easily discernible basslines that stand out in the mix. Some artists you could try are Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, D'Angelo, Ezra Collective, Brand New Heavies, Incognito.

I do all my practice on 6 string bass. My reasoning is that it makes for flexibility and prepares me for being able to play whatever I want to play on 4 string, 5 string or 6 string. A bass is just a tool for a job, so I don't think there's any superiority about them, because all have pros and cons which makes each better for specific scenarios and not so good in others. Using a 6 string rather than a 4 string or vice versa is like choosing between a hammer and a screwdriver.

I think there's plenty of excellent modern music, such as in the modern jazz scene.

For a good B string, I've always thought that it's more about the strings and the setup than the bass including neck construction. Others may disagree.

Personally, I would go with the last expensive, especially if I wasn't trying out all 3 in person. Given that you've said that it was comfy to play(you don't know for sure if the others are, at this point), then you may have a winner.

An alternative to an audio interface is a headphone amp like the VOX amPlug2 if he just wants to keep things simple for jamming along to rhythms.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/amPlug2-AP2-BS-Headphone-Amplifier-Rhythms/dp/B00NAUKJTY/ref=sr_1_6