uncle psychosis

[quote name='Prime_BASS' timestamp='1381325962' post='2237614'] I see artists point, but for most part I believe if someone is a fan of a tune or artist they'll usually pay more for a hard copy or at least a digital one. I know I do. [/quote] Thing is, people that have grown up handing over money in return for music are a dying breed (literally). Today's teenagers have never had to pay money to listen to what they want, when they want. If there's a perfectly legal service available that lets you listen to what you like for free then paying for it isn't particularly appealing. You also have to remember that this website is full of musicians and therefore our own attitudes to music are different to that of the general public. We're naturally biased towards supporting artists. Speaking for myself, though, I've bought a lot less music since spotify came out. I have a wife and child to house and feed and now instead of buying things on release day I can listen to them perfectly legally on spotify before picking them up months later when they're half the price (and thats if I even bother...) [quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1381326042' post='2237618'] I suspect that public sentiment is against a musician being able to write one hit song and then getting rich on it for the rest of their lives. Yes, I know all the arguments about intellectual property and all that but I reckon that, when it boils right down, most people don't think it's fair that someone can do something once and live on it for the rest of their life. Joe Public can't do that with their jobs so why should musicians be any different. [/quote] Well the difference is that Joe Public gets paid "the going rate" for their work all at once. Most songwriters get "the going rate" in teeny, tiny increments each time someone uses it. Its the difference between a plumber charging £200 for installing a shower, or getting paid 0.0000019p each time someone uses said shower. I'm sure if someone writes the next "Yesterday" they'd probably quite happily take £20,000,000 up front rather than sign up for perpetual royalties.

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1381323815' post='2237562'] Yes , I'm joking . Radiohead couldn't really write another hit . [/quote] They don't need to. They've got to the point where they can self-finance a record and sell it directly to their fanbase. They sold something like 350,000 mp3 copies of King Of Limbs directly from their website. By cutting out the middleman they're in a much stronger financial position than they ever were.

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1381318770' post='2237428'] The truth is that no one has actually listened to any of his records since O.K Computer , so I think his artistic integrity is quite safe . Maybe his earnings are not quite as secure, but the answer is in his own hands , i.e make some hit records . [/quote] Are you joking?

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1381254112' post='2236554'] Although if you continue pronouncing blasphemous words (one pickup only looks wrong in a bass) I may change my mind [/quote] Nah, its only a single bridge pickup that looks wrong. P basses are fine

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1381248925' post='2236439'] Ha! Thanks, I would not really think of another wah if I could solve the bypass thing on mine. Yours would be similar, I suspect.[/quote] I was actually thinking you could gut the insides and BYOC... [quote]But I can try to help you set up your bass anyway, if you want.[/quote] That would be really cool. Don't think the frets need any work, just a bit of tweaking of the action and definitely the pickup heights. I'm rubbish at setting pickups so another set of ears would be useful. Need my strings to arrive from the US first...

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1381251255' post='2236494'] you don't like the single pickup version? [/quote] A single pickup at the bridge just looks wrong on a bass

I don't really like the single pickup version, but the twin pickup version looks amazing. Shame that they're from the American Deluxe range---well out of my reach for the immediate future.

Jose have you seen the Chi-Wah-Wah? Its not cheap but its tiny... [url="http://www.musicradar.com/reviews/bass/plutoneium-pu-236-chi-wah-wah-bass-530569"]http://www.musicradar.com/reviews/bass/plutoneium-pu-236-chi-wah-wah-bass-530569[/url] Has level, Q, gain, and switchless bypass. Or, as a much cheaper alternative, I have an old battered crybaby wah kicking around. If you wanted to try it out (I'm thinking it could be a good base to build your own one) you can have it in return for helping me set up a bass The treadle is a bit loose but it does work OK.

Red Dog Music in Edinburgh had a few TRBX models in the other week, give them a shout. They also had a second hand TRB1004, which might give you an idea as to what the TRB1005 models are like. There's no inherent reason a 34" will have a bad B, but if you're worried about it then try one first. For amps, have you checked out the Hartke LH range?

I think that any of the TRB models---whether that be a TRBX or a TRB1005 or a TRB-II or whatever the older ones are called---would be a great buy for you.

Try a felt plectrum?

[quote name='elom' timestamp='1380932210' post='2232666'] I really ought to experiment with some different picks rather than just the same one that has been sat in my case for donkey's! [/quote] On bass I love really, really thick picks. 3mm Dunlop Big Stubbies, in Nylon. They just seem to work better on bass than those tiny thin things. I've also recently ordered some felt picks, looking forward to trying them.

[quote name='Ghost_Bass' timestamp='1380722378' post='2229540'] But works the same with VVT config, can't you get a volume setting where you balance both pickups like you want to? How are you currently mixing them? Both full? [/quote] Most BBs don't have VVT ---they have master volume, master tone and a three way selector switch.

Status Hotwire flats are good [i]and[/i] cheap (about £20 for a four string set). Pressurewound strings are really hard to find for less than £25 in the UK---I ended up ordering direct from the states.

I often wonder if one of the reasons people rave about changing pickups is because as they install the new ones they actually have to think about the height to set them to... I really need to setup both my basses but I've always found getting the pickup heights right really hard for some reason. I find my ears get fatigued quite quickly and then it all goes to pot.

What I do for practising on my PC is use a mixer. I have the output from my PC going into one channel, my bass plugged into another channel (I have DI box for this), and then the mixer output goes into the line-in on my PC soundcard as well as into my hi-fi amp. I can then use headphones to play along to the PC, or I can play "out loud" by using my hifi amp. I can also record practise sessions this way.

I always preferred "In A Silent Way" myself. But BB is still a great record.

[quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1380640318' post='2228302'] Pavel single cut Jazz - lovely isn't it? [/quote] its incredible. I love everything about it.

[quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1380621947' post='2227864'] Meet you half way Mr xilddx? Been trying to put myself off this one for months now... [/quote] that's really cool. What is it?

Got to be honest, I personally don't think that riding the GAS roundabout and trying yet another style of bass is going to help much (if at all). Sometimes the only solution with these kind of problems is a break. My mate had surgery on his knee and couldn't do any exercise for 18 months---he hated every minute of it but it was the only way to get himself sorted out. Another friend is a professional (double) bassist and had to take a break of 6 months to deal with RSI. Sometimes these things happen. See a good physio and take their advice, and if you do continue to play make absolutely certain that you are using good technique. I used to get horrible pain in my hands and literally two lessons with a good teacher made it go away as I changed my hand and wrist position completely.

As well as seeing a doctor and a physio, try seeing a good bass teacher for a few lessons too. If your technique isn't quite right that could explain a lot.

[quote name='Graham' timestamp='1380135357' post='2221423'] How is it any different to any of the cheap Fender/Musicman/Gibson/Rickenbacker copies? [/quote] Thats why I said "a bit". If the thing doesn't break any copyright/trademark laws then I'm alright with it, so long as people are honest about who made it and where.

[quote name='TolerancEJ' timestamp='1380123617' post='2221187'] Yes, it's a fake. Those eBay ads have appeared a number of times. I forwarded them to Jens awhile back. He replied quickly that he was already aware the companies were producing fakes. If you've not already viewed it, there's a YouTube video from a recent NAMM show where Jens Ritter posed as a reporter and tried to ask questions of one of the fake-builders. He was quite classy. (I would not have reacted so reserved.) [/quote] Its not a "fake" though, is it? Its not trying to pass itself off as an actual Ritter. Not quite the same thing. Still a bit morally dubious though...

[quote name='bassman7755' timestamp='1380104249' post='2220739'] So is it really rational to use gear costing a couple of hundred quid and use it for years on end, such that you probably spend more on your cars tyre wear getting to gigs over the long term than you do on the actual gear you play with ?. [/quote] Of course its rational, assuming the gear does what you need it to. If you want to get the accountant's handbook out, is it rational to take the risk of your £1000 bass depreciating massively in value rather than just using a much cheaper bass that gets the gig done?

I would do this: 1. Keep it on a stand, not in its case. See if you play it more. If you do, great. If you don't...proceed to step 2. 2. Put it in its case and then put the case somewhere thats fairly inaccessible---back of the wardrobe, a mates' spare room, etc. Leave it there for at least 6 months. If you don't find yourself missing it and wanting to play it in that time then sell it. If you do, then keep it. Now is a horrible time to be selling instruments so unless you have a pressing need for the cash there's no need to rush.