TheRev

[quote name='DorsetBlue' timestamp='1443082060' post='2871956'] Excellent, love it! [/quote] Why thank you sir! Live version available at a Dorset pub near you...

Excellent website, thanks for that.

I haven't used the Rotosounds either but I've had almost every set of Innovation strings available. (Silver slaps, Super Silvers, Honeys, Rockabillys & Ultra Blacks) I'd suggest trying Super Silvers first - decent enough pizz tone from the E and A but still flexible enough to slap. Another option (and my current go-to string) would be Thomastik Spirocore Weich. Very defined, warm pizz tone but surprisingly slappable for an all-steel string. Plus, if you don't like them, you'll have no trouble selling them.

Evetything my band does - though Viva! Lyme Regis probably just pips the rest [media]http://youtu.be/CEDamHYeQI8[/media]

It will be fine. On my bass the E and D Anima strings are too long and the metal windings have to go around the tuning peg. Never had any problems.

[quote name='alyctes' timestamp='1440437997' post='2850737'] What's the neck like on these? I had a Mondial which I'd have kept if the neck had been slimmer. [/quote] It's wider and flatter than my EBMM Sterling. Feels nice and playable to me but I spend most of my time playing double bass, so all electric bass necks feel nice and playable to me....

I have an Italia Rimini - it has a modern yet 60s sound and styling. I don't play electric bass musch thes days,but when I do, that's the one I pick up, Here: [url="http://www.jhs.co.uk/italia.html"]http://www.jhs.co.uk/italia.html [/url] scroll down tot he bottom of the page.

The Ropemakers, Bridport. Dorset The Spice Ship, Weymouth. Dorset The Bell, Ash, Somerset. These three have looked after us since day one, which is why we give them all 3 dates each year when other pubs get one.

Cheers Geoff - I suspected that it wasn't an easy thing to do. I've oiled/lubed the worm and the gear and fiddled about with the screw that attaches the gear tot he roller, but the E tuner is still stiff and creaky. Are there other parts of the machine that I can oil up or loosen in some way? I've seen the Baker machines before and much as I love to have a set, they're about 60% of the vale of my bass - and that's before they're even fitted. My luthiery skills are minimal and hampered by lack of time and patience! Although I'd rather have plate style machines, I wonder if the single machines like these would be easier to fit? [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/rubner_doublebass_machines_4_string.htm"]http://www.thomann.de/gb/rubner_doublebass_machines_4_string.htm[/url] As long as the holes in the pegbox are big enough for the rollers, then it would be a simple matter of four small holes per tuner, no? Cheers Dave

[quote name='RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE' timestamp='1437749125' post='2828802'] It's that man again he butchered it a little bit more than usual IMHO [/quote] Nope-that's how Guild intended them to look. They actually sound rather good and play well, just a bit of an acquired taste in the looks department.

[quote name='rungles' timestamp='1437666559' post='2828044'] Hey mate - I'm Scott the Bandstand Compere. We love The Skimitty Hitchers and their cider/badger-based antics! We missed you last year. Are you coming again this year? [/quote] Hey Scott - how are you doing mate! No, unfortunately we're not there this year either. We ended up setting up our own little cider/badger based festival (www.outciderfestival.co.uk) which runs on the same weekend as Camp Bestival so we're busy playing/running that. Hope the weather picks up for the weekend - not looking very good at the moment... Dave

Back when I used to play in rock bands, the drummer and I were putting together a covers band as a side project to our originals band. At about the time we were putting together the set list I was walking down the high street one Sunday afternoon, past about 4 or 5 pubs, all of which had bands on and all of which were playing 'Wishing Well' as I passed by. At that point I decided that we weren't going to play the same stuff that everyone plays, or if we did, it would be in a very different style (ska-punk version of Beautiful by Christine Aguliera (sp?), breakbeat version of Seven Nation Army etc.). we did quite well out of it, even though half the set was made up of obscure album tracks rather than singles. So, I suppose I'm saying that you don't have to play 'what the people want' - if you put some thought and effort in you can give people something they never thought they'd enjoy.

Now that I've got Boris (Hungarian Poller bas) playing just how I like it, I think I'd like to replace the stiff & creaky nickel plated machines with some nice brass ones. What are the pitfalls of choosing a new set of machines? Obviously, there's no standard size for spindle holes or spacing when buying plate style machines. Anyone done this before? What should I be measuring/looking out for? Churrz. Dave

I much prefer synthetic strings to steels on my EUB, I find that the naturally brighter sound and increased sustain of EUBs are tempered by synthetic strings. I've used Velvets and Innovations and liked them both for different styles. My EUB is currently wearing Innovation Honeys, but think I preferred Super Silvers.

[quote name='N64Lover' timestamp='1436216480' post='2816159'] Thanks for the offer, Dave. I'll have a think about it and if I decide on Blues I will get in touch. My bass really is quite quiet, other people have commented on it and in an acoustic setting with a small band it is almost inaudible. [/quote] No worries mate. If your bass really is that quiet then I reckon you'll get more improvement from a set up than a new set of strings. It's possible that your sound post has slipped out of position and is choking the movement of the top of your bass.

I've used both Helicores and Velvet blues - to my ears they had the same volume on my bass. Bear in mind that when you play double bass, you're stood behind it while the sound is projected forward, so it will sound quiet to you. Tension wise, I found the velvets were easier under the left hand than the helicores. My set of velvet blues are currently surplus to requirements so pm me if you'd be interested in taking them off my hands. Dave.

[quote name='bassace' timestamp='1435488912' post='2809212'] And here's another one: there's a theory held by quite a few players that you can get an improvement to the E string sound by swapping over the A and E winders. Something to do with reducing the break angle on the E. [/quote] I'm going to try this once my new strings have settled in and I've got used to the sound. Flubby E strings on an otherwise great sounding set are a constant bugbear to me.

I'd suggest Spiro weich as well. I use Spiro E and A with Super Silvers D&G on my carved bass - similar tension but with more definition. Another option would be Helicore lights, but I've not tried them. I have a set on Helicore mediums on my EUB and they feel a bit stiffer than the Spiro weichs, but that could just be the bass.

There's a lot of discussion on this subject over on TalkBass. Some say it depends on the individual bass on whether it makes a noticeable difference, others say the weight of the tailpiece has more effect on the vibration of the afterlength.

Our singer's missus has one of the black G4M basses and they are a bit rubbish TBH. The fingerboard is poorly finished, the tuners are stiff and clunky and the whole thing creaks like a Spanish Galleon under full sail when you try to tune it up. However..... If someone wanted to try double bass without spending a lot of money to see if they liked it, then yes,I'd say buy the cheap G4M bass and put some very low tension strings on there. You could roll the edges of the fingerboard yourself to make it more comfortable to play and perhaps replace the tuners with something more substantial but that's where I'd stop as everything after that would be diminishing returns. You would also have to live with the knowledge that if you enjoyed double bass you would probably outgrow the G4M bass quite quickly and selling them on can be difficult. I'd be concerned that If the OPs daughter is at grade 4, then she may already be way ahead of what the G4M bass has to offer. Is there anyway you can try one beforehand?

Lucky bugger.

[quote name='bassace' timestamp='1434464849' post='2799856'] We all wish we could get the same tone as Danny Thompson [/quote] Put that in a pickup and I'll buy it.