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They arent cheap and I have read some serious mixed reviews about them, but Nash do a relic 5 string Jazz. I think Chicago Music Exchange may still have some on their site.

I'm only a part time gigging functions band player but I do have friends who make a living from playing guitar and making music. We discuss the joys of being a musician and lot, and also discuss all of the people we have met over the years and how careers are developed. The main things that seem to be key to making a living as a musician based on the people we know are: 1. Be flexible - Play every style and be willing to play anything if the job asks for it, never say 'thats not my thing' 2. Have reliable solid gear - You don't need 4k worth of Fodera or PRS but know how to use your gear and keep it in good working order. 3. Have the 'right gear' - This may be a contentious issue for some, but my best friend is a session guitarist as well as writing and scoring etc. and his main guitar that he defaults to for work is a Parker Fly Deluxe. He has Gibsons, Fenders, Ibanez, MusicMan and many more, but loves using the Parker for a lot of work because it sounds so clean for recording. He has had issue whereby engineers and clients have pulled faces when he turns up with the Parker before they even hear it and plug it. Rather than argue, he has to read the room and pull out a Strat/Les Paul/Tele to do the job to keep them happy. 4. Be a decent friendly human being - This is the big one, all of the 'pro' people I have met are nice friendly people with a good sense of humor. They get work because they get on with people and are easy to work with. They admit a lot of the time they are not the best players but they work hard, listen to comments and criticism and know how to get the right sound. They get lots of work through contacts and referrals which wouldn't happen if they were di*ckheads. I'm sure there are more, reading helps for some areas of work, a good jazz background helps in other circles but the above are general points.

Star Now is a good site and there seem to be a lot of semi-pro singers, actors and musicians that us it to find work. Someone I know had 20 responses when looking for female vocalists for a soul band. They had paid work lined up which I think helps.

John Mayer has had some serioulsy good players on board over the years. I love what each of them has done at each stage of Mayers career although I do lean towards the first few albums than the last two. I am so excited to see what comes from the trio being back in the studio. I read an article about John Mayer and he said that after doing very 'relaxed and chilled' albums he has a hankering to go and do something loud and bluesy, so heres hoping.

Another vote for Elixir strings here. They are expensive but if wiped down they last me 4 times longer than Ernie Balls which I loved. Even if I don't take care of them they last me 6 months and longer, and my sweat is lethal! I killed a set of Daddario nickels after 2 gigs in one week in the summer. Even boiling them didn't resurrect them.

Apart from a few exceptions, there are not really many bands/acts, that sell huge amounts of records and achieve 'god like' status of the bands of the 60's, 70's and even 80's. There are so many genres and sub genres of music now and so many varied types of musicians that I think people follow and love a huge range of music and bands. There are some seriously good players out there in bands, but because the bands aren't huge like Led Zep, Yes or Red Hot Chilli Peppers, the players don't achieve that huge level of public awareness and fame. At 32 Im not young but not quite achieved grumpy old fart status yet either (getting there though). I love folk, electronic music, metal, country and just love listening to interesting music and take inspiration from that. Here are just a few 'young' bands players that inspire me and I know a few younger people who cite them as influences. 1. Michael Todd - Coheed and Cambria. His lines are so beautifully woven into their music and very clever. I know a lot of people who love what he and Coheed do. 2. James Leech - Sikth. In their genre they are basically gods and James Leech is a phenomenal bass player. 3. Tom Doyle - Don Broco. He is doing some really interesting stuff on his 5 string spector, really groovy intricate clever bass playing at the forefront of their music. 4. Ben Epstein - Does loads of session work and plays with PB Underground. A great player and really inspires me to want to be better and pick my bass up. 5. Sean Hurley - Ok hes older, but still younger than the likes of Sheehan, JPJ etc. Great player and does some beautiful stuff with John Mayer. 6. Joe Dart - Vulfpeck. What an incredibly funky groovy player, amazing stuff. We might not have new bass superstars that cross over into the non-muso world like Flea and Lemmy and JPJ, but there will always be musicians around to create music and young poeple will find inspirational music and players to inspire them to want to learn to play. I never latched onto a bass hero when I started playing, I just had this instrument and wanted to make beautiful noises with it. Music inspired me, not musicians, that came later on when I discovered Pino, Flea, Nathan East, Stuart Zender and probably one of my biggest influences Sting. But in the beginning melodies and music in general was my reason for playing.

I dont know if you have already seen it but there is a nice looking used CS Jazz V at Bass Direct. I presume like most Fenders it has 18.5 or 19mm string spacing. The nut looks fairly wide but I am sure they could measure it for you. If I had some spare cash I would be giving it a test drive, im desperate for a good active 5 string.

After being GAS free for a long time its got ridiculous recently. I am poor so I cant act on any of this but if I had 1-2k to play with I would have some serious issues deciding between these: Sadowsky RV5 Dingwall NG-2 Musicman Stingray Fender CS Relic

I have had the album on permanent rotation for 2 weeks now and cant get enough of it. Great tunes and great playing all round and it just puts the biggest smile on my face, its such joyful music. I found them purely by accident after their bass player Ben Epstein posted a link to a video when selling his bass. He is an AMAZING player too, one of the only reasons I watched The Voice was to listen to the house band which he plays in as well.

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1449490299' post='2923912'] Me too.... I really like them and Martin has a great eye so it would also be a beautiful bass as well. I know this is the option really...but FFS...A year..??? I think I'll write to him and see what his build time is..? I could put a deposit down..?? [/quote] I would go mental waiting for a year to be honest, when I make a decision I can't wait, it needs to happen as soon as possible, which is why I would probably seek out a secondhand Sei if I got the money together. Im so impatient.

If you already have two Sei basses and you seem really happy with them in general, I would say go for a custom built Sei. A year is a long time to wait but as someone else said, it will be worth it. I was desperately underwhelmed by the Alleva Coppolo I played for what it cost even secondhand, whereas I was in awe of the Sei Jazz I once played but that is of course just personal preference. I have owned some beautiful basses over the years but I have wanted a Sei Jazz for the past 15 years so I am slightly biased.

I am usually left of stage in front of keys, so I could have my cab angled at me side on and put it in front of the keys player. I was just surprised when I started looking around that there weren't many options for angled bass cabs. I know Eden used to make one and a few companies do kick back combos, but its obviously not something many people need. I am going to try a amp stand/tilt frame and see if that works for now before I do anything drastic and sell my Aguilars.

My current band always have big PA support so I don't rely on my bass amp as backline at all, in fact its usually low to reduce noise on stage and bleed through microphones. Even when I do crank it a bit I am usually close to front of the stage (I do vocals) and can't really hear it above what is pumping through front of house. I am starting to wonder if there is really any point having my two Aguilar DB112 cabs on stage, and whether I should get rid of them and buy a monitor wedge dedicated for my bass amp and point it at me with my vocal monitor, or simpler still just keep one cab and have it angled at me at the side of the stage maybe? Just wondering if anyone else out there has their bass amp pointing at them front of stage or whether you just use PA? If you have a 'monitor' style cab, what do you use? Just worth noting that we don't, and have no intention of using in ear monitors at this stage, although it would a be a good solution. Interested to hear what other people are doing if they are in a similar situation?

I used a Mono for a couple of years and it was fine, padded and comfortable but I had the same problem as above. The buckle slides all the time with a heavy bass, I also found it didn't grip on my shoulder very well and the actual hole that went over the strap button stretched and actually tore in the end. I barely move on stage either so this was not due to swinging a heavy bass around. I like the comfort strapp and will probably order another rather than replace the mono. I still love their stuff though, the mono gig bag I have is one of the best bits of gear I have.

I have been watching everything I can find on Bobby on youtube recently, what a wicked player and he's such a character as well, the bass player live video is great, well worth an hour of anyones time.

The Squier Deluxe Active Jazz V is a very good bass for the money and has the biggest neck I have ever played but I love it and play it all the time. I love a chunky wide neck and Used to have a Roscoe Beck V which also had a substantial next to it. I just bought a P5 and it feels very slim in comparison to the Jazz Deluxe but I do find it very comfortable. I don't think you will find a drop in neck for the Squier VMP5 but you can get the Squier Deluxe for about £160 used sometimes.

I follow them on Instagram and they always look fantastic. Their original shape (Mako?) is growing on me, I didnt like it at first but I am really keen to see a finished 5 string version of their new double cutaway Cobia bass. The workmanship and attention to detail looks amazing, even down to the neck bolts and strap buttons.

[size=4][font=Helvetica]It has been almost two months since I got a lovely package in the post from Elixir, and I feel its a good time to finally write some feedback. I was sent a 4 string set of 45-100 Nickel strings and as an added bonus I also a T-Shirt which was very kind of them, it was even the right size![/font] [attachment=199432:IMG_2041.jpg] [font=Helvetica]I am most definately not complaining, but the set I was sent was 4 string and at the moment I am down to two 5 string basses so I needed to buy myself a B string. This was not an issue as I basically got a whole set of Elixirs for £12…BARGAIN! As I was ordering a single string, I thought why not get another full set of the new Elixirs to go on the other bass so I can trial them on a 5 string Precision and Jazz and really get a good feel for them.[/font] [font=Helvetica]So far they have done 11 practices and 7 gigs with me spending around 60% of the time on the Precision. I will break down my thoughts into a few basic headings:[/font] [font=Helvetica][b]Feel:[/b] I am not a stranger to Elixirs as I have used them on acoustic guitar and bass before, so I knew they were going to feel pretty slick and smooth under the fingers. I may be imagining it but I thought the new coating felt a little bit smoother than the previous and this sounds strange, but they felt a bit softer. I love smooth strings and have used Nickel Ernie Ball slinky's and Dunlop super-bright strings a lot, which I find very comfortable under the fingers.[/font] [font=Helvetica][b]Tension: [/b]As I mentioned previously I have been using Dunlop and Ernie Ball strings most recently so its easiest to compare the Elixir strings to those as they are fresher in my mind. To me the Elixirs sit somewhere in-between both brands, with the Dunlop’s being lower in tension and Ernie Ball’s being slightly more taut. To be honest it didn’t really effect me, all three feel great on a 34” scale bass even on a B string.[/font] [font=Helvetica][b]Sound:[/b] I put new sets straight on both of my basses which both previously had Dunlop super-bright strings which had been on for a couple of months. Brand new they are bright as you would expect but they didn’t have the super bright clean ‘zing’ the Dunlops had. This isn't a criticism at all, I found the Dunlops great for slap but a little too bright for me as I am 99% of the time a finger style player. [/font] [font=Helvetica]The Elixir’s have a very clear but warm top end to them, very musical with none of the horrible ‘zing’ I often get. I also found that compared to a lot of new strings they had a more prominent mid range, which is another winner in my book. I don't like the ‘scooped’ sound I often have to put up with from new strings, and often find it takes a couple of days for other strings to break in to the point I am getting the sound I am after. Sadly the string usually deteriorates shortly after I get the ideal tone and then I am back to replacing or occasionally boiling my strings to get my tone back.[/font] [font=Helvetica]On the B string (and others come to mention it) the bass is fantastic but not flabby in any way on my basses. The B string is defined and full and well balanced in tone and feel with the other strings. I have found with other string brand in the past that E-G have a sound of their own and the B sounds like it from a different set, usually dull and thud in comparison.[/font] [font=Helvetica][b]Lifespan/Durability: [/b]This is what Elixirs and other coated strings are all about, durability and extended life of string and tone. They are not cheap strings so inevitably the question most people may ask themselves is, do I buy 2-3 sets of ‘normal’ strings, or one set of Elixirs. Before I answer I will have to discuss the unpleasant topic of sweat. [/font] [font=Helvetica]I play a lot of clubs, bars and marquees which have recently all been very hot. I also seem to have incredibly destructive sweat and have on occasion killed a set of strings after a week and two gigs on a bass. I am lucky that my various bands are getting work but the money is tight especially when you play in an 11 piece soul band. Replacing strings regularly is not an option as it eats up my gig money, so I have tolerated dead strings on gigs because I just cant afford to keep replacing sets.[/font] [font=Helvetica]As I mentioned, the strings have done 11 practices and 7 gigs now and they are performing exceptionally well. I can honestly say I have noticed only a slight drop in the top end of the strings but they are still incredibly bright and give a lovely slap tone without too much of a metallic ‘clank’ when you pluck. The tone is full and clear as it was when they went on and I have on occasion still rolled the tone off on the bass to reduce the top end for some tunes.[/font] [font=Helvetica]I know some people have questioned how the coating holds up to playing with a plectrum and whilst I am not a heavy pick player and only play 4 songs in a set with a plectrum, I it hasn't had any effect on the coating yet. I did notice some fraying of the coating on older sets and that was just from finger style (although over a long period) so this hints at the coating being stronger which may be good news to some heavier pick players.[/font] [font=Helvetica][b]Conclusions:[/b] For my situation and applications Elixirs do exactly what they say. The lifespan seems superb so far and I look forward to seeing how well they do further down the line. The tone, after an initial small decline in top end, has remained steady and consistent which is more than I can say for other strings I have used. [/font] [font=Helvetica]I would most definately be looking at replacing at least one set of strings on my basses by now if I had been using Ernie Balls or Dunlops. With that in mind the cost has balanced out against what I would have spend on other brands of strings, and if they can last a few more gigs and weeks of practicing ,I am confident in saying that for me at least, they are more economical in the long run than other non coated strings. [/font] [font=Helvetica]These are great strings, they last longer than other brands, the tone is more to my liking and far far more consistent over time and across the bass, and it looks like they are actually going to save me money in the long run. Its easy to be swayed and say nice things when people give you free things but honestly if I had been unimpressed I would not have gone to the effort of making all this up just to make Elixir feel better about their product. As it stand though, at least from me they should be very proud of what they have developed.[/font][/size]

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1437508756' post='2826697'] I bought one so you didn't have to... DON'T BOTHER. [/quote] Too late, I bought one with some strings from Strings Direct and it was easiest decision I have ever made to send it back. It was useless, completely killed the strings and unless I had it right by the bridge it changed the pitch of the note! It also didn't cover all of the string on my 5 string despite saying in all the literature that it was for 4/5 string basses. So back to good old fashioned foam, and £17 back in my account.

Most people you play for when you are in a band will be 'unqualified' but even people who dont play an instrument know when something isn't right. Criticism isnt easy to take in any aspects of life, but someone once told me the three worst things you can criticise someone for are, their driving, their skills in the bedroom and their music. If someone comes up to you and starts ranting about how rubbish you are with mallice, it is very unpleasant but it should be taken with some tact and you just walk away. Sometimes you need to be critical to make someone better and learning to take that gracefully without getting angry and making excuses such as 'their opinion doesnt count they dont play" is in my opinion, a very big part of being a mature musician and a 'grown-up'. I am in a band with someone that gets angry, chucks his toys out and will blame everything under the sun if you point out a mistake he makes. These are usually the same mistakes that need rectifying for the good of the band, but its not seen that way and he just behaves like a child and has a strop. For me its a sign of a very insecure and immature musician/person and if I had my way I would rather not have him in the band but its not my call. In short, take friendly criticism with some grace and humility and see it as someone trying to help. If that criticism is aimed at antagonising and upsetting you, walk away and call them a c*ck

I think our house insurance is with Bank of Scotland, all my kit is covered in and outside of the house even though I gig and get paid. I have them info on what the gear was and it cost little extra than normal. My mountain bike used to cost more to have on the insurance and was worth far less.

I'm going to see how much comes in for tomorrow nights gig and might risk £16.99 on trying one out. I can always pass it on if it's not what I'm after.

Has anyone tried the new Gruv Gear jump yet? Web page here: http://www.gruvgear.com/fump I know this can be achieved with a cheap bit of foam under the strings at the bridge, but I am tempted to try one for £15 as I switch from Soul/Motown to disco pretty quickly at gigs and tend to stick with one bass.

I have two basses, one jazz and one precision, and only ever really touch one at a gig. The other is there as a 'backup' in case a string goes or some wiring goes but it has never happened. I do keep spare strings, screwdrivers, allen wrenches and tape etc in my gig bag which some people think is a bit odd but I suppose that is my form of security in case anything goes wrong at a gig. I have never come accross anyone who has a backup guitar/bass for ones they dont play live and dont really use but if it makes you happy dont worry about it. From my perspective it seems a bit obsessive and if it was me I would sell a few of them but money in my bank makes me happier than a house full of guitars.