hubrad

Plenty on here have bought and sold DB strings.. so long as the price feels ok reflecting the age and condition it allows you to try different sets without quite such a major financial commitment, or at least have a keep-you-going spare set for gigging. I certainly benefitted from this in the past. If it's of interest, I have a couple of sets of unused Innovation Braided, one still in the box, as I'm switching to the new Innovation set as it comes on line.

Yup.. likewise. Never bother looking when they say anyway!

[quote name='Nomad' timestamp='1407750218' post='2523498'] How did the half rounds feel compared to the rounds and flats? Closer to one than the other? What scale length should I choose for my 35" scale bass? (I guess I need to measure from the back of the bridge to the nearest machine head.) [/quote] You can't choose the scale length - it's fixed and you already know it's 35". Some brands' 'standard' length strings will do 35" nicely, others not. I know Picato will, as I have a couple of 35" basses and various sets of their strings (round, flat and halfround). If you're thinking of using D'Addario, I'd take your bass along to a shop and check the lengths, as I think they do a Long Scale and Extra Long Scale; probably someone else here uses D'Adds so will know the answer to that. IIRC there's been a couple of threads on this very subject. It's not so much the overall length of the string, but where the string goes thinner up by the head you don't want that bit over the fingerboard. Going back to the wear lines on your fingerboard, ignore them until they become audible.. eventually the wear becomes deep enough that you get the fretless version of fretbuzz. I used to take mine to a mate who is a superb fixer of such things; eventually he showed me how to do it myself. You don't actually need a radiused block, but the longest straight block you can muster. I use a good straight flat stick of wood with a whole sheet of sandpaper fixed to it, so about 10" length. If you're at all unsure go to a decent repairer - well worth the fee! Fretless 5-string is just the best! :-)

[quote name='jimbaby' timestamp='1406963693' post='2516204'] The clip on youtube is taken from "Live at the quick", which is available on Dvd or Cd, superb playing and a fine recording, Flight of the cosmic hippo is one of my fave test disks for evaluating hifi systems, the title track has some monstrous subterranean bass with the counterpoint of the staccato banjo sound. [/quote] Big Hup for Flight Of The Cosmic Hippo.. this was the first I ever heard of Victor Wooten. Some amazing bass on there, in the context of some really cool music. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jii1Hm1Pf6o"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jii1Hm1Pf6o[/url]

[quote name='PlungerModerno' timestamp='1406546535' post='2512253'] It'd probably mean rebuilding the pickup - making it reverse polarity - then rewinding in the opposite direction. Now that I think about it - their may be a way to fit a fairly lightly wound bridge pickup into a neck pickup cover... I'd need to look into that. I probably won't make a decision for a few weeks. It can't hurt to look into a pickup rebuild. Thanks for the input! PS: A quick search put me onto these: [url="http://www.creamery-pickups.co.uk/classic-60-jazz-j-bass-pickup.html"]http://www.creamery-...ass-pickup.html[/url] Another option! [/quote] If you send both pickups to a pickup maker they'll be able to match the two together. You can also get replacement sets in short-short format (Mex Fender pickups are ok but nowt special) such as http://www.emgpickups.com/bass/j-models/active/mjset.html

Motorhead - Bomber tour. My first ever gig. Wore the t (and washed it!) until it dissolved. Not many images around, perhaps because everyone did the same? Must be the original monochrome version.. the modern colour versions look somehow wrong.[attachment=167655:Bomberfront.jpg]

I would think that most players who could tick all these boxes would already be busy.

Can any authorities be alerted?

1.5mm for height adjusters, 2mm for the locking screw (that larger one at the back) and spacing (screw on the front of the saddle, slacken it and you can slide the top of the saddle. Adjustable 18-20mm).

[quote name='gary mac' timestamp='1405234607' post='2499861'] That is good Lozz. Not in the market for a new rig but a good heads up [/quote] Heads up.. boom boom!

If you go for an electric try a fretless.. especially with flats or nylon flats it'll give a vaguely DB tone.

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1405086864' post='2498744'] It's a bit of a flaw of acoustic basses that they are uselessly quiet... Get a double bass [/quote] Basically this, although we do have a particularly good (and loud) Czech handmade one in the shop.. http://www.themusicroom-online.co.uk/product_info.php/products_id/6747?mrSid=885e91b789229db84e55c91800f88d7e Double bass really [u]is[/u] the one for bluegrass, and looks the part as well!

[quote name='Marc S' timestamp='1404982783' post='2497464'] Yes, I'd say rest a while And really rest it - no playing for a few days Also, although some people would recommend not taking painkillers I'd say, take a rest and take something anti-inflammatory, like Ibuprophen That should help ease any inflammation - but make sure you rest the finger Another possibility of course is that it could be an arthritic condition You don't state your age - but although arthritis is more common as you get older you can also develop it at an earlier stage So rest, ibuprophen, more rest then see your GP if it continues Good luck, and let us know how you get on EDIT: After resting, try playing more with the pick, for now.... [/quote] Good point about anti-inflammatories.. taken in conjunction with common sense they don't simply mask the pain, but reduce the inflammation that's causing it. Really do make sure to follow that instruction about 'take with food'.. they have a bad rep for damaging your stomach lining if taken wrongly or long-term large doses. I used to take them for my sciatica, but last year I was put onto 'tart cherry juice' by an American harmonica player.. touch wood I haven't taken a tablet since! Cherry Active seems to be the big brand, and it carries soooo many health claims that it sounds like the new snake oil. The biggy for me is its high concentration of anthocyanins, which are antioxidants with good reduction of inflammation. Info all over the web. Works for me

+1 for relax back a bit, even if it means altering your playing a bit.. better than suddenly being out of action for an extended period! I did find, around my early 30s, that more of those aches-and-pains started to crop up anyway. It may or may not work for you, but I wore one of those copper bracelets on whichever arm was twingeing.. seemed to work for me! Avoid painkillers if at all possible - all they do is mask the pain and allow you to 'push through'.. until suddenly you find you can't work at all! If it doesn't ease off, you could try your GP, but unless they are unusually understanding of musicians they'll just tell you not to play for a while and see how it goes..

Well, he's declined 9 offers so far.. have you chaps been winding him up?

[quote name='kerley' timestamp='1404725952' post='2494998'] After that what are you paying for that is really required? Made in a country with higher labour rates - makes no difference at all Electronics - £10 of pots and wire in whatever bass you pick ... [/quote] Have to disagree a bit with these two.. Not so much [u]where [/u]it's made, but by whom - a really skilled maker will make a difference it sounds like you've not yet experienced. I agree the actual country is immaterial. Electronics; even if you can't so much hear the difference, there are better and worse parts even just considering passive circuits. Case in point, we did a guitar show a year or two back on Merseyside, and a guy came along looking at the replacement parts. Good quality Japanese Strat 5-way switch at about 7 quid. 'I'm not paying any more than two quid for a switch, cos I wear them out half a dozen a year.' Well, durrr!

I was just looking round at such things.. PMT online must have the limited edition model - only seems to weight 1kg! http://www.pmtonline.co.uk/ashsown-ctm-100-valve-bass-head.html

[quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1404731937' post='2495091'] .... £2200 (which is apparently the current equivalent of the £900 I finished up paying). [/quote] Scary, innit?

[quote name='happynoj' timestamp='1404645093' post='2494347'] If Hubrad can't help you, I've always used [url="http://www.stringsdirect.co.uk"]www.stringsdirect.co.uk[/url] for my strings, because I like a heavier B string than you normally get in 5 string sets, so I buy 4 string sets and individual B strings. [/quote] I usually keep 4 string sets and separate low and high strings anyway, rather than preset 5 or 6-string sets, as I experimented quite a bit myself in the old days.. at one point I was using 40-100 with a 105 low B trying to balance tones on a particular bass!

Give me a ring at the shop on 01274879768 and we can sort it out.. website below, but the singles aren't on there!

Alternatively, train so you can handle such a bass as the one you tried!

Sounds to me like if you want that tone you have to get that particular type of bass, or experiment with different combinations of strings/body/neck/fingerboard until you find that thing that works under your fingers.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1404393674' post='2492240'] The expensive things? [/quote] Part of the correct answer!