6feet7

Hi there Like you I can just about find my way round a fretboard but stuff like technique, feel or nuance are way out of my ability. You can't go wrong with Ibanez really so I would get it. I started on 4 strings but now only play 5 stringers and I actually find them easier to play. If your technique isn't perfect then you can get away with playing nearly everything around the 5th fret, so having to go up and down the fretboard whilst still trying to keep time can be a thing of the past if you are a root note, 5th, octave player (like me). But then, as you get better you have those extra notes to play with. I'd go for it

I've bought two (light brown ones and I haven't played in a sweaty atmosphere yet, so I can't say whether they are colourfast or not) from BassDirect and they are wonderful. I'm sure there are other comfortable wide ones out there which are perhaps cheaper but I'm sticking with these.

I've a Cort Rithimic Jeff Berlin V. I was going to sell it (just because I thought I wanted a change) but in the end just couldn't. It's pretty perfect really. There's a couple on ebay (new) at the moment too.

Welcome to a pretty friendly bunch. I hope you enjoy this little place in our heart we call basschat

I've a Cort Jeff Berlin Rithimic V. Absolutely brilliant bass. 8 1/2 lbs and there's a brand new one on ebay for £799.

At our last gig my active bass packed up (new battery just died), amp head died and one head to cab speakon cable must have had a poor connection too (so cut in and out). Luckily I had my spare, passive, bass on stage, spare amp head sitting on top of the other head and some spare cables in a bag at the back of the stage. Between the soundman and I we managed to swap things around mid songs with hardly a note missed (luckily I was also running FOH via an MXR M80 pedal, so the punters could still hear me when the amp and cable were being sorted). I always take spares and have never had an occasion like that one, but if it can happen once it can happen again.

You know when everything that can go wrong does go wrong. Firstly, we were supposed to go on at a charity gig (big country pile, loads of pissed elderly people in a marquee bigger than Buck House) at 10pm (having done a sound check at 4pm having just driven over 200 miles from the south coast to near Stoke). 11.45pm we finally go on (set list cut short and no break in between sets so we could get through it before breakfast). Suddenly my A string goes out of tune, but only when it's fretted. Absolutely fine when played open. So, quick swap to back up bass (which is active). A couple more songs and suddenly the new battery goes dead. OK. Back to first bass with odd tuning on the slightly important A string. I sort of fiddle with the tuning to adapt. Then amp goes dead (luckily going through FOH, so it's not too drastic, but I couldn't hear if I was playing the A string 'right or wrong'. Quick swap over of cables etc to spare amp (sitting on top of other amp - both Markbass heads on top of cabs). Works for a song then stops working. Sound guys come up on stage whilst we are playing and swaps amps and cables again. This keeps cutting in and out again (but I keep on playing just in case FOH is still working and have to look the part anyway). Finally gig comes to an end at 1am. Sound guys worked out it was one of the speakon cables between head and cab. Luckily keys and guitar had seen my issues and had 'boosted' their bass a bit to compensate and I don't think the punters were any the wiser (great playing late to a pissed crowd Packed up car and drove the 240 miles home, though was so tired I had to pull over at 4.45 in a layby as I was about to fall asleep at the wheel. Home by 5.50am. Woken up by kids arguing a couple of hours later. Oh it's going to be a fun day today So, for all those people who say they never take a backup. I had two basses, two amp heads and two cabs and it still all went pear shaped. Amps off to be checked tomorrow (though hopefully it was just the cable). I was going to convert the active bass to passive anyway (pickups sitting here waiting) and also I've learnt never to drive from one end of the country to the other when you've already done it one way earlier in the day. The pay was good though Just realised. I'd also taken a fan up for the drummer (seeing as he get's all hot and sweaty). He never used it and I left it at the gig. Not doing a 500 mile round trip to get it though

[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Just sold Andy a Levy strap. Great guy. Will happily do a deal with again [/font][/color]

John has just bought a Warwick Pro Starbass V from me. We met halfway after loads of communication. Great guy. Deal with in confidence.

Pete just bought a levy strap from me. Great guy. Easily recommendable

Having had an A4 and B4 and now have a Jeff Berlin Rithimic V and can say I think that they are superb instruments, I can't wait to see these new ones in the flesh.

I got the sack from my old originals band after the drummer decided he wasn't turning up to a gig at the 100 Club so the others thought it would be fun to do it acoustically and how about I played on a double bass (for the very first time). Fingers bled and it wasn't a total disaster but somehow I got the blame, and not the drummer, for not getting a record contract. Needless to say I sold the double bass. However. This year my wife saw me looking at a 5 string double on eBay and surprised me for my birthday last month with a large cheque to buy it. It's beautiful. Can't play a damn thing in tune on it yet, and even though I play 5 string electric, that low B on a double is like the kind of cable they use to tow ships with, so don't think that'll be used much.

I use reflective waterproof tape (from Halfords) and make the markers with a hole punch.