Delberthot

Took mine to Friday night's gig and lasted about 5 songs with it before putting it back in its case and using the Sterling for the rest of the weekend. I can't get rid of the distorted sound. I have the input pad in on my amp, the volume controls on the bass aren't on full. The overall volume is the same as my Sterling. My wireless isn't clipping either so I can't figure out what is causing it so it's going back. It's a shame as I really liked the way it played. Another odd thing is that I tried new strings on it the same gauge as the ones on my Sterling with a 135 B string and they felt really loose. Switch back to the Sterling and the tension is prefect

I use worktop edging as it's made of wood veneer and I happen to have loads left over from when I did my kitchen

I haven't had any GAS since I bought my Sterling, GK & Barefaced. The Gibson was bought on the spur of the moment If the Gibson works out I can see a Thunderbird in my life in the near future

You have to go into your settings to show other user's sigs. I'm sure I had to go in to show my own one in threads.

Inside the flappy bit in the case is an owners manual and there's also a QC checklist thingy that has the date of manufacture as well. The action on mine seems fine apart from the B which is way up but unfortunately as low as it will go without buzzing. Regardless of it being in a case for the past 4 years I'm changing the strings on mine for the weekend as they don't sound as bright as they should to me. I believe that it is D'addarios that are fitted but I've not had a good look. I've ordered my usual gauge but in 5 string version - EXL165-5 which have a 135 B string so that should do the trick to get it down a notch. I'm taking mine out this weekend but will probably still take the Sterling just in case

Cream's farewell concert in 1968 with Yes supporting Any Queen concert The Chilis on the Mothers Milk and BSSM tours Pink Floyd Wall tour in 1980 A concert I was actually at - Pink Floyd at Earls Court on 23rd October 1994. The second best concert I have ever been to I'd have loved to have seen Kiss with the original lineup - saw them this year and it finally eclipsed the Floyd show - not musically by a country mile but the show was incredible

I've owned 130+ basses in the last 30 years but the most I have had at one time was 7. Until yesterday I was at 2 - my Sterling and a cheapy Lindo fretless for using in the house. I am now up to 3 I had no intention of buying another bass but the price, the reviews and the fact that i'd never owned a Gibson before made the decision easy

It's in my sig: It's a Barefaced One10 & GK MB500. Fits in a cajon bag and sits on a standard speaker stand so I can have it at ear level. I have the cab, the amp and my wireless receiver attached using ultra high strength tape.

Snap Holy toledo Batman, those pickups are incredibly hot - hotter than on my Sterling

I love the sound I get from my setup - possibly one of the best I have ever had.

If the Gibson EB 5 that will be arriving today works out then I will be taking it and my Sterling to gigs and will play whatever one I feel like playing that night. I remember the Freddie Mercury tribute concert where Jason Newstead, when he was playing with Metallica, had a 4 for the first song, then a 5 then finally a 6. As far as I am aware they were all identical Spectors. Anyway, back to the original question - I began playing when I was 12 and got my first 5 when I was 19. I think I was in my late 20s when I went to a 6 but after giving it a couple of years went back to a 5. I also played 8s and 12vers for a while. In the past 5 or 6 years I've gone between a 4 and a 5. The important thing is to give it time and play the 5 exclusively until you are comfortable with where everything is in terms of what you can play in different positions. I had years sticking with a 4 a 5 and then a 6 until I was at the stage where I can now jump from one to another without really thinking about it. It's like driving cars & vans. Once you've driven enough of them, you can jump in one for the first time and feel comfortable almost immediately. I've just bought another 5 because I fancied a change, the price was good and I've never owned a Gibson before.

I have to agree with GK and pedals. I thought it was the output of my Sterling being too hot into the Boss OC-2 I had at the time. It sounded dreadful but even turning down and going through the effects loop made no difference

My two favourite 4x10" have been an Ashdown Mag and a Laney NX410. They both go loud and dirty

I've got one arriving on Monday and if I like it enough then the first thing to go is the scratchplate. I plan on making my own so will probably change the shape to maybe something closer to an SR5 shape. A couple of things that drew me to it apart from the price is that they're relatively light for a 5 string and are meant to balance pretty well

GAK are doing a crazy price on the 5 string, I assume it is because they are now discontinued

I once owned a Trace 4x12" that had belonged to Terrorvision's bass player and a pair of rack ears that I got from Hartke that had been used on one of the amps that Jack Bruce used at the Cream reunion gig Years ago my band backed Ray Lewis who was one of the Drifters (granted there have been about 60 previous members of that group) in the late 70s. I also had several reading lessons from James Finnegan who was the original bass player in Hue & Cry when I was 15. He had a green Volvo 340 and a Warwick Thumb NT

My first thoughts were Queen or Pink Floyd but if I have to be honest I'd love to have switched places with Gene Simmons in Kiss. Nothing to do with the music - just the whole show ( and after show shennanigans )

Surely Joe Dolce or Sam of Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs fame are in with a shout?

I like my one with the vintage cloth front and I like tweed but for me the two don't go together that well, certainly in the picture

I've played 4, 5, 6, 8 & 12 strings over the years but have gone with whatever was required for the material that I have been playing at the time. At the moment 95% of the time I need a 4 and for the 5% that I would require a 5 I have a Hipshot with a double stop so I can choose either D or B

The absolute best tone I ever had was with a Gallien 700RB II but I don't need big, heavy gear anymore. The MB500 is pretty close, certainly closer than the 1001RB was - You had to really crank that to get the GK growl at which point was overpowering everything else on stage

We have a rare social club gig this weekend and I already know what gems we will be asked to play: Sweet Caroline Blanket on the Ground Snowbird Amarillo Jambalaya Things High Ho Silver Lining And so on I can hardly contain myself

I used Chromes for years until I discovered that they sounded terrible through the PA with my Sterling so went back to D'addario EXL165s. They were all top and no substance I got mine from Strings direct and bought single strings that were closely matched for tension. They were 45, 60, 80, 110 Prior to the Sterling I had used them on an Epi Thunderbird, Yamaha BB425 & 1025, Precision Special with PJ EMGs and probably a couple of others and they sounded amazing. Like brand new nickel strings but the sound never changed, even after a couple of years. Nice and easy on the fingers as well. Not slippery but they allowed me to play faster. It took a while to get used to the Nickel roundwounds again but they are the smoothest rounds I've ever used. Thomastiks to me are as dead as fried chicken. If you want thud then that's what to use. I tried those on an Ibanez SR1016 and fretless Stingray but sounded awful to my ears on both basses. I also tried the Steve Harris gauge of Rotosounds but just the heavier standard ones that are the same and in concert pitch they were really difficult to play but tuned down a semitone with a band I was depping with they were right on the money and sounded pretty bright but not quite as bright as the Chromes. That was using my Warmoth 54 single coil precision as well which was never the brightest sounding of basses.