Cat

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1395352160' post='2401589'] 'Idiots' or just bad drivers? I'd doubt a true 'idiot' could afford such an expensive car in the first place. [/quote] [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1395401011' post='2402009'] Hang out in Chelsea for an hour. You would not believe the cash OR the stupidity. [/quote] Absolutely! The mind boggles at the sheer amount of idiots with cash and very little regard for the normal niceties of life - like staying alive on the roads...

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1394628493' post='2393441'] Sod what anyone else thinks, buy and play whatever bass you think works for you as a player [/quote] Absolutely! When you find the bass that feels just right in your hands, is the most responsive and comfortable to play, that's your bass. If you ever feel like you need pickups which have a different sound, you can upgrade those easily enough. But to find THAT bass which fits you is the biggest challenge. Find it, don't ever let it go - even if you succumb to the "expensive obviously means I'll play better" syndrome, keep that one bass. Don't ever sell it, because when you realise that perhaps your latest expensive toy, while lovely, just doesn't suit you as well, you'll want that previous bass, however cheap and "nooby" it may appear to others. For me, my eyes were opened by the Ibanez Soundgears. As a woman with not very big hands and lamentably short fingers, speed is my friend so the wonderfully thin Soundgear necks are SO for me! I'm playing an Ibanez SR300 and I honestly can't see me changing in the forseeable future - if I do, it'll probably be for another Soundgear - but it won't be any time soon. It's not just the neck - the body is razor thin and comfortable for one who stands 5' 4" in her stocking soles, the pickups do pretty much what I want them to - especially through my modelling amp. I've owned more expensive basses, played many more in music shops, but none of them felt as "right" for me as this relatively inexpensive Ibby. I'm playing so much better on this bass than I ever have on more pricey instruments. And this Indonesian made lovely is flawless - perfectly dressed frets, action seriously low (as I like it), no problems with the electronics or pots. Why would I want another bass? I did have more but sold them - I still have one but it's utterly neglected since I got this one. Find your true love and hold onto it for all you're worth - and to hell with what it costs you and doubly to hell with what other people think of it or you! Just make your music and show them what you and your beloved can do together. [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1394632139' post='2393510'] Absolutely. Look at the number of very expensive cars on the road driven by idiots. [/quote] ^ This is the star quote of the thread so far. Dripping with truth!

Oooooooooh! That looks gorgeous! Are we allowed to drool here? Ahhh, too late.

[quote name='Marc S' timestamp='1378888863' post='2205952'] Hi Cat, of course it gives you an "in" but you'll still have to pay the extortionate Severn Bridge Toll when you visit! lol Marc [/quote] I lived in South Wales for a while and I remember those trips well. Extortionate isn't the word! Daylight robbery, more like.

Bonjour. Your English is [b]so[/b] much better than my French! In fact, it seems pretty excellent to me. Besides, here we speak the language of bass.

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1378738878' post='2203967'] I understand most of this is tongue-in-cheek, I've had a good chuckle reading through these, but seriously, do people actually hide stuff like this from their partners?[/quote] Not if they want to stay with them for very long! As I'm sure we all know, the key to any relationship is openness and honesty. And now, back to the fun with my favourite bass joke: Kid starts getting bass lessons and after his first day, his dad asks: "What did you learn today, son?" His son replies: "I learnt all the notes on the E string." Second day, his dad asks: "Did you learn anything good today, son?" Kid replies: "Yea, I learnt all the notes on the A string." Day three, father asks: "So, how are the bass lessons going?" Kid replies: "Ah, I didn't go today, dad. I've got a gig tonight."

Ach, just tell her and hope she doesn't start playing it herself. Well, that's how it happened in [b]this [/b]household... the resident manthing was the bassist and he got me hooked. [quote name='Jonnyboy Rotten' timestamp='1378736981' post='2203929'] I thought this thread was hilarious and so I read a few of the choice posts to my wife who also thought they were very funny! Would I dream of deceiving her about buying a new bass? NO! And BTW it is our 7th wedding anniversary today! [/quote] Congrats to you and your missus, Jonnyboy.

Hiya, Phill. I'm one of the few here [b]not [/b]from South Wales! Although my grandmother was, so I suppose that gives me an in.

Hiya, new people. This is a good forum with lots of interesting people - like me, f'rinstance. Oh, did I mention modest too?

Hello, Pat. I've recently discovered an interest in playing jazz on the bass myself. Have fun.

Hiya, Steve. I'm a recent Ibanez convert myself, having recently discovered the wonder of the Ibanez SR300 with it's razor thin neck and body. You may have fat fingers but I have short ones AND small hands so my super-thin-necked new bass is simply wonderful. All hail Ibanez! You're never too old to start anything. I read recently of a bloke who took up marathon running at age 72 so by that reckoning, you're still a sprogg. Besides, I'm not all that many years behind you so you're not allowed to argue with me. Playing bass is excellent, especially if - like me - you've always been torn between rhythm and melody. This wonderful instrument combines both to perfection. And it's just plain fun.

[quote name='Evil Undead' timestamp='1378496622' post='2201256'] P.S. Cat - now I want a silver sparkle one. Thanks for that. [/quote] My pleasure.

I agree with the OP wholeheartedly. It's all about working out which cheap basses really are cheap and which are merely inexpensive. I adored my Peavey Fury when I had it and am now in absolute lust with my ibanez SR300, with a neck thin enough to satisfy even my small female hands. The fact that it sounds as great as it looks and plays merely proves the point. It's not necessary to be well-off in order to play a decent bass. [quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1370790311' post='2105531'] Isn't Daisy Rock a girls bass ? [/quote] And your point is...? When Gibson and Fender started making electric guitars and basses back in the day, I dare say they didn't imagine women playing them. So are these "boy's" instruments, then? And if so, is there anything wrong with girls playing them? The answer - of course - is no, there isn't. And what's more, nobody comments or raises a brow if they do - just as it should be. So why the other way round? Daisy Rock are indeed geared towards females insomuch as they are guitars and basses with slim, narrow necks and lighter bodies. Yes, there are a few with "fun" shapes like flowers and hearts etc. although, to be fair, those [b]are [/b]short scales and aimed primarily at kids. Most Daisy Rocks are actually full scale and of a "normal" guitar shape. Although, as we all know, plenty of adults play short scales too. You may be surprised at just how many blokes do play Daisy Rocks. They're a subsidiary of Schecter and come kitted with some serious hardware and pups. Homo sapiens of both sexes are attracted by a combination of quality, sound and a narrow, slim neck. Although, my Ibanez SR300 could kick Daisy's backside when it comes to slender necks and light bodies, it has to be said. But wait! My Ibanez is pretty and slender and sparkly. And this is my point. Blokes play sparkly, lightweight, narrow-necked guitars without raising comment so long as they're not branded as a girl's guitar. My Ibanez could easily be mistaken for a Daisy Rock if it wasn't for the name on the headstock. I know you didn't actually say there was anything wrong with a fellah playing a Daisy Rock but the comment alone suggests surprise that a bloke would play an instrument made for girls. Nobody questions a female playing other brands which don't need to be advertised as "made for men" since they mostly are anyway! Just as women have become liberated, why shouldn't blokes be liberated too and not be singled out for playing a "girls" guitar? And many men also like the colour pink without losing their masculinity. This [b]is [/b]the 21st century. Surely we can leave stereotypes behind. No offence or anything. Just sayin'. [quote name='TRBboy' timestamp='1371140166' post='2110433'] Personally, I wouldn't even bother with the can! Any cheap basses I've had in the last few years that suffer shiny/sticky neck syndrome get a light but even rub down with 1200 grit paper. Goodbye stickiness, hello silky smooth! [/quote] Agreed absolutely! I always touch up my plain wood necks - I've even de-varnished one as it was definitely on the sticky side. But I never use anything beyond 600 grit myself. Gives that glassy-smooth finish in no time, especially when buffed with a little beeswax. I like my unvarnished wood necks to be an almost frictionless surface and it only takes me a few minutes to effect this miraculous transformation.

Yea, that's the colour which caught my eye when I first started looking. Pretty amazing. But that's when I thought I had no chance at a sparkle finish. If I were going for a solid colour, it'd be between white, red and that purple. [u][b]EDIT:[/b][/u] Oh wait, starlight blue. Forgot that one. Lovely colour. I was just looking at a few non-stock pics of that violet (from different sources) and it doesn't look quite as nice with "real" lighting. Not so metallic and even the colour looks a bit different. That's the problem with lightboxes, you never really know what you're getting until you see it in proper light.

I only got this beauty earlier this week and I've managed to wipe enough drool off it to take a picture. Apologies for the rubbish camera. Doesn't do the Silver Sparkle finish any favours, but you get the idea. This was old/new stock - new bass, 2010 stock - which I picked up, with a pro set up, for £180. The razor thin neck and body, the impossibly low action and the frankly gorgeous sound from the stock pups has now spoiled me for other basses. I am an Ibanez convert.

People knock Daisy Rock because of the "cute" shapes of their short-scales. Mad. Daisy Rock is a subsidiary of Schecter - and who points and laughs at Schecter? Their instruments are well made and have good hardware and pups. Their normal sized range look like "ordinary" instruments - some with sparkle or pearl finishes, some without. I have a Stardust Elite guitar, very pretty with gold and violet burst pearl on the front, solid mahogany, set neck and coil tapping. The high-output Seymour Duncan pups sound gorgeous and it - like pretty much all their instruments - come straight from the factory with Grover tuners as standard and D'addario strings. I also have a short-scale star guitar (in atomic pink sparkle) which I bought since, even for a woman, my fingers are kinda short. The sound from that one little pickup is lush! Didn't expect that. Both of these are guitars, not basses. Haven't tried a Daisy Rock bass yet but I'm sure they're just as good quality as their guitars.

[quote name='Jonnyboy Rotten' timestamp='1378455237' post='2200425'] Ahh - Fair enough - I thought they had just renamed it as when I read the reviews and choosing between them, although people didn't mention how different the old/new version sounded, they described what the knob did and it sounded from the description like it was doing more or less the same thing. I have also tried using it for slap bass and it does seem to make a much better sound for slapping and popping when turned one way than the other but hey - I am a noob who knows his place! If anyone lives in the Hemel, Wycombe area and has a four knob style one and wants to compare to a five knob style one let me know! we can go for a pint and do a compare and contrast. [/quote] No worries, mate. I just like doing extensive research into the instruments I own. And this is why I opted for the older model. (I bloody [i][b]love [/b][/i]this bass!) The new SR300s makes it look like you're getting more with the extra knob, but actually they've taken away a feature. The 4-knobs on the older models do everything the 5 knob models do - mid, bass, treble boost/cut. The sweeper knob on the older 300s boosts if turned clockwise, cuts if centred - but if you go anti clockwise you get that wonderful mid scoop sound. To try to illustrate what it does: think of a graphic eq with all the sliders, now think of all those sliders controlling JUST the bass OR treble OR mid section. When boosted, all the sliders rise uniformly, when cut they lower uniformly. Now think of all those sliders controlling just the mid range - again, with boost or cut, they all move together but with a scoop, only the bass and treble ends of the mid range rises, but the mids of the mid range doesn't. If you're picturing the eq sliders, that makes a scoop shape. Lots of guitarists and bass players love a mid scoop - some get it via effects pedals if their instrument doesn't already do it - and few instruments do. Basically it means you can get that slap sound sharp and clear without muddying it with the mid section of the mid range. Hopefully that made sense! But at least [i][b]I[/b][/i] know what I'm talking about...

It's all I know how to do, yepmop. Thanks to all for the enthusiastic welcome. xxx

@ Dad3353 You are an inspiration. Why didn't I think of doing it that way? I'll dedicate my first world tour to you.

Here's a diagram from Ibanez's manual showing the two different types of 3 band eq on the SR300's.

[quote name='Jonnyboy Rotten' timestamp='1378422375' post='2200260'] The newer five knob one also has a style sweeper. It is the middle one of the three smaller knobs. On the older model the bass and treble are concentric on a single pot. [/quote] Are you sure? The specs for the new SR300 which I've read say that the three lower knobs are bass, mid and treble cut/boost. The Style Sweeper wasn't a mid cut/boost but a mid scoop which gave a different effect. When I was trying out the two different types earlier this week, the mid range on the new model sounded markedly different to the Style Sweeper on the older one. Even the salesman remarked on the difference.

Bad news on the GAK front. The resident manthing is experiencing serious bass envy of my new SR300 and is impressed with the Style Sweeper EQ so I contacted them today. Seems their advertisements are indeed out of date and they're very much afraid all their stock is the new kind with 5 knobs. Which I dare say are very good but no go on the Style Sweepers. Still, there are a few used ones in good condition on Ebay...

[quote name='leftybassman392' timestamp='1378363910' post='2199054'] Nothing wrong with individuality! Teachers normally look to develop technique along specific lines that they know will work for most students. Having said that, a good tutor should always have room for the unorthodox. As an example, I had a bass student a few years ago whose playing technique was a bit, er, weird. After a while trying to get him to do it 'properly' I realised that it wasn't going to happen and went with the flow. It helped that he was possibly the most talented young musician I'd worked with for a long time - good singer, superb drummer, very decent guitarist, and a fine bassist too! Whenever I asked him about it he would always say something along the lines of 'I can't explain it - it just works for me'. [/quote] I approve this post. Individuality ftw. (And It means I can stop beating myself up for not being able to do it the "right" way.)

Huzzah for cat loving female bass players! (I suppose the dog-bois aren't all bad either. )

[quote name='steve-bbb' timestamp='1378364804' post='2199058'] it may interest you to know that this site was supposed to be [b]basscat[/b].co.uk but there was a typo error when the domain name was registered .... apparently [/quote] Hah! Knew there was a reason I preferred this forum.