TheRev

To be honest, for £600 you would probably get a much better bass if you bought used. The Thomann 111 basses are Chinese laminated basses which could well be totally fine...(I've not played one, but have played cheap Chinese basses - not good...) but if you buy a used European laminate that's survived the last 10-20 years, then you definitely know you've got a bass that isn't going to fall apart after a year of gigging. Having said that, the old Thomann 2 basses were Czech (Strunal) made and very decent, so if they've applied the same quality control to their Chinese made basses, then it could be totally fine and a future classic working bass.... 40 years ago, Strunal basses were the cheap 'Chinese' basses of the time. Many of them are still around and now considered decent gigging basses. Maybe the Thomann 111 basses will be like those, you'll only know if you buy one!

To be honest, for £600 you would probably get a much better bass if you bought used. The Thomann 111 basses are Chinese laminated basses which could well be totally fine...(I've not played one, but have played cheap Chinese basses - not good...) but if you buy a used European laminate that's survived the last 10-20 years, then you definitely know you've got a bass that isn't going to fall apart after a year of gigging. Having said that, the old Thomann 2 basses were Czech (Strunal) made and very decent, so if they've applied the same quality control to their Chinese made basses, then it could be totally fine and a future classic working bass.... 40 years ago, Strunal basses were the cheap 'Chinese' basses of the time. Many of them are still around and now considered decent gigging basses. Maybe the Thomann 111 basses will be like those, you'll only know if you buy one!

There's a Boosey & Hawked Czech bass for £500 in the Basschat classifieds - thats about as cheap as you can get gor a decent beginner bass.

I use 3M Dual Lock tape - bit more hardcore than Velcro and doesn't wear out, but Velcro works fine too. As far as 'moar geer' is concerned, I consider the HPF an essential item - just as vital to the gig as my bass or my amp. M band is loud and I've spent a lot of time (and yes, money, which I try not to think about) getting my live set up as simple and feedback-free as I can. I wouldn't contemplate playing a gig without a HPF, which is why I always bring two (Fdeck & Fishman Platinum Pro).

I have an Fdeck HPF permanently mounted on the tailpiece, the pickup is always plugged into the input, so the HPF output just replaces the pickup output - setup is no more complex than plugging in one lead.

I have D'Addario chromes on my EBMM Sterling. Tames some of the top end and has a smooth, tight bottom, which surely everyone wants?

Let's not forget Danny's mastery of the 'bass face' - check the end if his solo at 4:10...

That version of Solid Air was the reason I started playing double bass. Its the perfect blend of supportive playing with lots of space plus a beautifully lyrical solo.

The pear is the tapered wooden bit that the endpin slides through. If you look at this listing for a Gewa endpin: https://www.thomann.de/gb/gewa_double_bass_endpin_29_32mm.htm It gives the specification for the pear: 'Cone: 29 / 32 mm' So thats the minimum/maximum diameter of the tapered bit of the pear that sits in the hole on the bottom of your bass. If you measure the diameters of the tapered section on your current pear, you should be able to find one that's slightly bigger and a better fit.

In my experience, nothing to do with double bass has a standard size😁. The most common steel endpin sizes are 8mm and 10mm, but it's the diameter of the pear that determines the fit. If you just want a new endpin to fit your current pear, just measure the diameter of your current endpin and buy one the same size. Replacing the endpin + pear involves a bit more effort. The pear on the endpin is tapered, so it's usually just a case of finding a best/least worst fit. Pears can be sanded down to fit, or endblocks can be reamed out to fit large pears. Luthiers usually have a box full of random endpins/pears, one of which will probably fit well, unless you're looking for a new or specific type of endpin. In that case, measure the minimum and maximum diameters of your current pear (assuming it's the correct fit) and then ask the shop you're buying the new endpin from to diameters on the pear/endpin you want to buy.

We use Ampband. https://ampband.co.uk/

I do often wonder if some FOH engineers mix by numbers...i.e 'the bass drum has a gate and isn't clipping or feeding back so it must be OK', rather then using their actual ears to work out whether it sounds OK in the mix or not.

I have 4 SGC knobs in a drawer from when I replaced the stock pickups & electronics with EMGs. Can post them to you if you want them? Dave

Try telling that to the Amazonians.

My 301 had the bridge with the square saddles - I think it was Gotoh, not Hipshot.

Ha! Same here. Always fancied a Jazz but couldn't get on with what felt like a stretched out body. I ended up with an EBMM Sterling....

I'm 5' 4" and although I've tended to choose smaller bodied basses because I find them more comfortable to play, I never gave my height: bass size ratio a moment's thought. My main instrument is double bass, which is 6" taller than I am - never gave that a moment's thought either. As @obbm pointed out, Suzi Quattro spent most of her career dwarfed by a Precision but was still the coolest bassist on the planet at the time.

The original PJB Briefcase models could run off a laptop battery, though they didn't come equipped with the battery. Later models switched to an internal transformer and a standard IEEC cable, so unless you can find a used original model (the Briefcase is no longer produced), the only battery powered thing out there, specifically for bass is the Roland micro cube. There are tiny battery powered offerings from Blackstar - but IME they're glorified headphone amps and not powerful enough for busking. I have the Roland and It's OK, not amazing, but will do the job as long as you're not expecting too much tone-wise and your drummer isn't a nutter.

Not good....

Luckily, most of them are on Talkbass where they're easily avoided.

They're still part of the MM catalogue. You'll probably have to order one from a dealer if you don't want to wait for a used one to turn up. Edit. There's a used natural 4 string for sale at The Gallery in London.

I suppose a lot of electronic dance music could be considered instrumental music despite the use of virtual instruments? That stuff definitely gets played on the radio.

I lent one of my basses to the bassist from a band that were flying over from Belfast to play our festival in Somerset. I'd met the band at a previous festival, so they weren't complete strangers but I wouldn't say that I knew them well. Anyway, they were traveling light, literally flying from Belfast to Bristol, drive to the festival, play their set and fly out first thing the next morning, and asked if they could borrow guitars and a bass for their gig. I offered up my Musicman or my Italia - bassist chose the Italia, which was fine, I would have been happy for him to use the Musicman. I wasn't there for the gig - I was managing the other stage, but I was close enough for him to personally hand my bass back to me, along with a pint, after his gig. I doubt I would have offered my basses if I hadn't met the band previously or if they were playing a festival that I wasn't working/playing. I have lent amps and cabs out to touring bands who are on our 'scene' that I've never met and not attending their gigs and it's always been fine.

Oh yes. Mostly does living room duties these days.