GreeneKing

I, like many, lift my strings an inch or so at the 12th fret after an initial tune up. I can feel the string settle and the tug detunes them significantly. I do this twice and the 2nd time the movement and detune is a lot less. It's important not to overdo it. I press the strings over the saddles and at the nut too. Never had any issues with breakage, tone or string life.

Identical to my first bass bought in Mansons College Avenue Plymouth in about 1995. A great bass although I didn't realise just how good it was at the time.

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1478681741' post='3170799'] When we start out on our journey into bass, we all here those iconic bass lines and we get stuck in there. Even before we know what we're listening to is a bass guitar or DB, we're falling in love with the richness depth of that tone. A sound so deep and thick you could almost cut a slice off and... OK, maybe that's too much, but you get it. But all these bass lines are normally in a band context. So we all go down the route of buying a bass and aspiring to play with others. Speaking for myself, I did all that. Never had an amp in those days, apart from plugging the bass into a reel-to-reel tape deck and using it's output stage. It worked. It sounded like nothing on earth with tons of unhelpful distortion. I hated it. I dropped it for a number of reasons and came back to bass when I was 50. I still aspired to being in a band. I got into a band and immediately came across the egos of others. The instructions to "play only the roots" as the keys were playing the bass line. Directions from guys who clearly didn't know the rudiments of music. (Like, you don't adjust the beat to fit in with the timing of the lyrics.) The sound of the band was a cacophony. I quit. Back home I can't be bothered with the faff of mp3 players and playing along with tracks. I read cello scores and transcribe other scores and really dig the tone of a bass playing, effectively, guitar-style. It's a challenge to my ability, but it's coming on and it's a hobby. I don't need to drive all over the country. I don't have folk pulling my playing apart, letting me down. I don't have to buy and store large gear that will only get used when away from the house. I don't have drunks telling me their dad plays better (or the likes). True, others may not agree that what I do is playing bass, but it suits me. I'm trying to get my head round something from "My Fair Lady" right now. I play almost every day and it fits in with my lifestyle as I play for any odd half-hours etc that I get the chance. "Why don't I change to guitar", you might ask? I just prefer the tone of a bass guitar to the twang of the treble-clef. I'm sure I'm not alone, am I? [/quote] I like this thread. I don't often come in here nowadays. I used to be a regular but life moves on. I'm not going through the whole thread but I'll add my ten penneth. Whatever floats your boat is okay. Bands! I'm 62 and I didn't pick up a bass or any instrument until 20 years ago. My idea of playing bass is in a band, with others. My practice is geared towards that. Contributing to the song, performing live, entertaining. That's my thing. I've been trying to do that for about 12 years and I have 3 gigs to show for it! Pathetic isn't it I'm still playing, I'm dealing with ego's, guitarists mainly, the fact that the best sounding rig and bass in the world is lost in the classic rock world when surviving in the mix is key. I've learnt that there's a whole lot of stuff talked about that is frankly irrelevant to performing bassists. There is also more hype than at a Trump Rally. I've made some great friends, have some lovely basses (I'm nearing 100 passed through my hands at the last count) and I still aspire to be in a decent gigging band, genre optional (I've broad tastes). If you come away from doing whatever you do feeling good then you've got it entirely right. It's all a gift. And a shout for Alan Cringeon and Dave Perry. In all my 100 basses the most remarkable is my Uber spec 5 string Finn with full fat filter preamp. The B string is unbelievable, the tone huge and controlled and the playability 2nd to none for a fraction the price of a Fodera. The best cab I've owned by far is my one of Dave's EAD 212s.

[quote name='warwickhunt' timestamp='1479843331' post='3179753'] You've got everything from Rockbass to full blown Custom Shop and everything between; to describe them all is a tome. It would be easier if you had an idea of budget then you'd get a more concise/clear answer. [/quote] John is the man