uncle psychosis

How often you play is just as important as how often you change strings! I rarely change strings (once a year or so) but I don't play much more than an hour or two a week.

[quote name='Noisyjon' timestamp='1371558926' post='2115461'] But owned by Future Publishing so it [i]could[/i] be biased/manipulated for them & their customers/advertisers? [/quote] The only real moderation that occurs at MR is the removal of spam links and the occasional spat in the OT section. Future Publishing don't seem to push any kind of editorial content on the forum at all.

[quote name='mart' timestamp='1371551457' post='2115288'] The MusicRadar forum is not bad. It's certainly not full of teenage know-it-alls. And there are some genuine experts there - pedal makers, amp makers, and professional repairers. I'd say its main problem is that it is seriously gas-inducing. [/quote] I like musicradar. I've added two or three of the village idiots to my ignore file, but most of the guys over there are sound.

Have you had some lessons with a (good) teacher? Most wrist problems can be sorted out with (proper) technique. I used to get horrible wrist pains, because I was holding it all wrong. Might be worth getting a lesson or two before you jump on the new-bass roundabout again.

Nile Rodgers autobiography is one of the best I've ever read.

[quote name='tayste_2000' timestamp='1371113798' post='2109874'] I have the Behringer version and I'm going to pickup the Tech 21 version as soon as I can find space on my board, it is like the greatest stacking pedal ever, any other dirt you run into it just sounds way better. Seriously good and under rated pedal. [/quote] I also have the behringer one, I use it for headphone practice on my guitar. Didn't think to try a bass through it...

I'd love to try more bass strings but at upwards of £25 a set I can't really afford to :-(

I used to study this kind of thing for a living. I think there's enough evidence now to be fairly confident that (good) modern violins sound and play just as good as the antique Strads etc (And remember that Stradivarius wouldn't even recognise his own instruments now, with their modified bridges, metal strings, etc). However, musicians are still a very conservative (small c) bunch and to "make it" as a concert violinist it is almost expected that you will play an old instrument. Its a kudos/prestige/tradition thing as much as a musical thing.

Someone on another forum (probably musicradar) mentioned it.

[quote name='ead' timestamp='1371109290' post='2109797'] [b]Luthiers will not be buying the quantity of parts that the mass manufactures do[/b] and will be buying higher quality raw materials too both of which will be reflected in the costs. [b] Many of the hardware manufacturers have price points that lower dramatically at certain order values/quantities and these will never come into play for the small builders.[/b] There will also be the issue of financing the stock of woods that allows them to be thoroughly dry before use, and even allowing weeks for items like the neck to stabilise after the timber has been cut. [/quote] Well those two points agree with what I was saying! Simple economies of scale mean that anything "custom" or "boutique" tends to be more expensive, and thats before you consider quality. If every single ACG bass was exactly the same then they could make the basses a bit cheaper, but without compromising on quality. I'm not saying its a general rule, but its just something to remember. PS I'd love a custom ACG by the way

Nice work. Good guitars those, but the location of the pickup selector would annoy me!

[quote name='hamfist' timestamp='1371053510' post='2109219'] I completely agree on the double P route. My favourite layout, and the combo on my main bass. However, A PJ can also work very well indeed if the pickups are chosen well to complement each other. A nice, hot, hum-free J in the bridge position balances nicely (and noiselessly) with a vintage-type P pickup in the neck position. And as we're showing double P's, here's mine ! [url="http://www.ephotobay.com/share/aria-full-b.html"][/url] [/quote] I like that. A lot. Tell me more

The thing to remember with custom builds is that you pay a hefty premium for the "custom" bit. A large part of the fee you pay goes into making something specific to your requirements, not necessarily on improving the "quality" of the finished piece. Yes, you expect it to be good quality, but not all of the price difference between an off-the-shelf model and a custom model is spent on "quality", if you see what I mean. Personally, I'd love to try some really high-end basses (£2k +) and see how good they are. My Yamaha TRB feels like a fantastic instrument, I'd love to know what discernable differences there are on a really expensive bass.

[quote name='iconic' timestamp='1370879631' post='2106784'] The guy who related this tale came from Basildon area, don't know anymore than that. [/quote] How well did you know him? The whole thing has something of a "cool story, bro" feel about it. If someone I didn't know told me that tale I'd be inclined to say it was made up / exaggerated. Either way, if you take an (uninsured) bass of that value to a pub and don't put it safely back in its case when you're not playing it then you either have a lot more money than me or need your head examined!

I don't know anything about those, but that is one of the coolest looking basses I've ever seen. I love it!

I can't say I find the arrogant dismissal of any instrument very cool and I find the constant put downs of guitarists on this forum just as tedious as the put downs that bassists sometimes get from guitarists. Playing the bass well is hard. Playing the drums well is hard. Playing the guitar well is hard. Playing one instead of the other doesn't make you better, it just makes you different.

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1370782307' post='2105420'] . . . .and the butter adverts. [/quote] Indeed. Its quite telling that no-one is asking Emerson, Lake, or Palmer to do adverts

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1370714145' post='2104806'] Although there the analogy ends because prog rockers were musically talented and could actually play their instruments. [/quote] ...and yet it was the punks who have the lasting musical legacy. Whatever punk was, it was completely and utterly necessary.

Musically, morrissey was a genius. The trick is just to avoid his interviews!

[quote name='visog' timestamp='1370638960' post='2103951'] I think Johnny Marr composed and played most of the basslines... AR just there for live work. [/quote] Thats not true. [Andy Rourke's playing on The Queen Is Dead album] "[i]is something that no other bass player could match[/i]" --- Johnny Marr [i][color=#405055]"He started off as a really good guitar player, but as I progressed, he got really interested in playing the bass. The two of us had this musical chemistry that everybody can hear in the Smiths. To this day, I’ve never met a bass player who isn’t super impressed by the way Andy Rourke plays. He’s a real one-off." --- [b]Johnny Marr[/b][/color][/i] [i]"When I was fifteen, I formed one of my first bands with my best friend. He was at that time the best musician, one of the best musicians I’d ever heard. We were just kids. Then in 1982, I formed a band in Manchester and I asked my best friend to come play the bass with me. And he was still one of the best musicians I’d ever heard. And tonight thirty years later, I’m gonna invite one of my best friends in the world, and he’s still one of the best musicians I’ve ever heard. From The Smiths... Mr. Andy Rourke! "[/i][color=#405055] - [/color][b]Johnny Marr[/b][color=#405055] (introducing Andy Rourke onto the stage last month)[/color]

Its important for your partner to respect your hobbies and interests (and even more important for them to respect music if its your job). However, with that said, all relationships require a bit of compromise here and there and I get the feeling (from this thread and elsewhere) that too many blokes are unwilling to do so. Spending every night playing the guitar/bass for hours, out gigging/rehearsing every friday and saturday, sneaking your 13th precision bass into the house and hoping she doesn't notice, etc. There comes a point where you have to stop pretending that you're single and start respecting your partner by occasionally prioritising them over the lump of wood and metal on a stand in the corner.

If you've already got an 810 then by all means use it. Lugging them around gets tiring very quickly though. If you don't already have one, I'd get something smaller and lighter.

[quote name='iconic' timestamp='1370416788' post='2100408'] Everyday on fleabay and often on here too, there are some bass's on offer than aren't far off a brand new delivered price to be worth the risk of a s/h punt....they aren't new no matter how little played, could be unwrapped and hung on a wall but they still aren't new, they are secondhand, previously owned with no puka warranty etc or brand new bass feely good warmth. Don't get me wrong I've bought lots of s/h bass's but it's hard to beat that nice new smell and feel of a virgin bass. [/quote] This. "I only bought this last month and its only been played twice, so I'm asking 95% of the new price". Ummm....howsabout no? Secondhand and in mint condition is still secondhand. Price it accordingly. I've seen a few sellers on here guilty of that as well.

Lovely. Enjoy!

If you're really, really careful you can scuff them a bit with sandpaper to diffuse the light a bit more. Personally I'd just use a small lump of blutack. You don't need much and its completely reversible if you come to sell.