Dom in Dorset

for many years I only had one bass- Hohner Steinberger 5 string stick. after a few years lay off from bass I'm back and more interested in different types of bass, tones, pick up combos etc. I now own three and i'm building a fourth. Having realised that the Hohner wasn't the bass for me I'm determinned to play the field before I settle down with one (maybe two) (or three) basses again.

his stuff does look great, if I was spending that kind of money I would want to call in and try the bass in person.

I've bought stuff from this guy before, nothing but praise for him. [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/No15-Alder-2-1kg-jazz-bass-electric-Guitar-body_W0QQitemZ140390049801QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Guitar_Accessories?hash=item20afe62809"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/No15-Alder-2-1kg-jaz...=item20afe62809[/url]

I'm always impressed with Ibanez stuff, I don't know what this one is like but it's £135 new [url="http://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Ibanez-GSR180-Bass-Guitar-Black/7TI"]http://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/...uitar-Black/7TI[/url] It's got Jazz style pick ups, I don't know if they do a P bass model (I think JJ Brunell's sound is done with a P bass)

[url="http://www.myspace.com/backbeforebreakfast"]http://www.myspace.com/backbeforebreakfast[/url] - I seem to have been lost in the mix, but this is one of my bands. [url="http://www.myspace.com/4greenangels"]http://www.myspace.com/4greenangels[/url] - I joined this band last year , love it. A ll recordings feature the previous bassist on upright bass. I play acoustic fretless in this band. [url="http://www.myspace.com/dominicallanbagpipes"]http://www.myspace.com/dominicallanbagpipes[/url] - what i do when I'm not playing bass.

Hi John, I'm just thinking some packets of strings, leeds, stands and a few cheap basses, they aren't a high end specialist. i'll talk to the guy on thursday, lert you know. I'm not involved in the acoustic night anymore, it's still going but I'm not (politics) There is a new music night at the Castle on friday nights, I'm not always there but one of my bands are semi regulars there.

I've got nothing on that day, are you still interested in some sort of trade stand from a (semi) local music shop?

My home made acoustic fretless is known as "The Brown Special" in homage to Brian May's guitar.

K P bass- damn nice considering what utter sh1te their stuff usually was. Nameless Jazz copy- SH and nackered but a dream to play, kept this one for a long time. Nameless rick copy-A heap of junk that bought when I wanted to be Lemmy. Hohner Steinberger stick 5 string passive - kept this one for years until I quit bass for a few years. Short scale cheap acoustic bass- can't remember the make, I traded the Hohner in to get this and fell in love with bass playing again. Epi T bird- SH, bought just for fun but I love this bass , set up well it plays beautifuly. Ibanez AEB- replaced the short scale, still with me. Home made acoustic fretless- er, probably my most used bass at the moment.

I have no idea if what he says is true but , if a neck becomes bowed (ie too much relief) it can be corrected by adjusting the truss rod. The problems occur if the curve in the neck is unneven , this tends to be more of a probllem on cheaper basses. as far as I know this happens during production and not as a result of how the bass is played.

Sold my five string a few years ago- never looked back.

Looks nice in black:

I tried the 200, very nice. Can't say much more , but in it's price range a great bass.

I know you said not ebay but I've used these guys a couple of times and have nothing but praise for them: [url="http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/CH-GUITARS__W0QQ_armrsZ1"]http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/CH-GUITARS__W0QQ_armrsZ1[/url] What initialy got me interested is that they give plenty of measurements of all their necks etc. I had two jazz necks from them , they don't seem to have many necks at the moment, might be worth asking.

I almost wish that this cost more than £199! I like the look of it. It owes a lot to the Jazz bass , it looks different around the cutaways. Has anyone here got one, I'd love to get a paper template drawn from the body (still messing with body shapes for my twin neck build)

The skeleton bass looks cool, some of their other stuff troubles me.... "A new addition to the Skylark range and based on the famous Ricky 4000 style bass. Gorgeous looks and sleek maple neck. Great tonal range and lovely weight. A very nice bass indeed." A Rickenbacker 4000 bass

Many years ago I walked into Bass Place thinking "the Steinberger Stick bass is a vile abomination and I wouldn't be seen dead with one" . An hour later after stupidly picking up a Hohner copy, I left owning it. I've not tried a Bongo but IMO "the Bongo bass is a vile abomination and I wouldn't be seen dead with one (it's also an insult to the sleek lines and clean design of the scrotum)"- but then I'm totally mercenary, If I'm in the market and try one....

Black nylons are great on acoustic fretless, I'd imagine they are a bit dull on fretted.

My experience- the only replies to my add were from people 200 miles away, bands who's style is at odds with mine and total weirdos._ I did take the time to reply to everybody. I was lucky in that I bumped into someone I knew at a gig, asked what they were up to , got the reply -"not much, we don't have a bass player!" I would second the idea of going to more gigs.

I didn't find that it made a lot of difference what strings i used on my cheapy acoustic. I tried £40 bronze strings , nice tone for about a month then dead. I found cheap electric strings did the job. In my experience a lot of acoustic strings are very light gauge, my Ibanez came with nice heavy bronze strings, i've no idea what they are._edit: I've just measured them 45,65,80,100, not as fat as i thought but a tad fatter than many. I'd go for the Trace - because it's the only brand i've heard of or - whatever is the heaviest gauge.

It happens in many different ways for me. I keep notebooks that I write down any lyric/melody ideas that I have, sometimes I put something together from those. Sometimes I'll sit watching tv late at night, write down five pages of gibberish, later on I might edit those into a song. Sometimes a song appears fully formed in my head, I just have to write it down, it's like I'm being possessed by the spirit of someone with tallent. Once and only once I wrote a song to order. I had been asked if I had another song for the band, later that week I sat down picked up a pen, wrote the song took it to the next rehursal. Not the best thing I ever wrote, not the worst.Usually get most of my ideas when I'm too bussy to work on them. I usually play guitar when I'm writing.

Yes, it's a bouzouki, he even plays it sometimes. There is a mandolin player too, out of shot. Yes there are six of us.

[quote name='4 Strings' post='786705' date='Mar 26 2010, 10:29 AM']Why not?[/quote] Your bass might end up looking like that car!

Would you do the same to your car?

[quote name='discreet' post='786658' date='Mar 26 2010, 09:43 AM']Just lend it to me for thirty-five years...[/quote] "real time" relicing is always the most convincing.