titchfieldrelic

Hello Prunes, I started at 55. I'm 67 now. YouTube is a great substitute for playing in a band. Often, the bass tab is available on video/YouTube separately for a song you want to learn. Then, you can play along to the video/YouTube of the song being played by the band. The first bass lines I learnt were to 'Move It' with the Shadows. Then 'FBI'. Avoid stuff you are finding difficult. Final bit of advice, get a bass you love the look of and find is comfortable to play/handle. If you've got small hands, go for 4 strings. Get a tuner and tutor book to learn how to tune the bass and the basics of playing and maintenance.

Last month I sold my Fender Custom Shop Custom Classic through Bass Direct. It sold within 2 weeks. No hassle for me. Bass Direct did it all. I made no attempts to sell it elsewhere. Bass Direct was my first and only 'port of call'. Personally, I'm very pleased with how the transaction was made. I made it clear to Marcius, who met me when I delivered the bass, that I wanted to sell it, and I agreed a price to reflect that fact. I took his advice concerning the sale value. We all want more, but have to accept the fact the market is flooded with new and second-hand bases. There is also a notion here of exclusivity. As there is on Ebay. Bass Direct do generate an overhead in selling 2nd hand bases. The OP doesn't say when he sold his bases, but were they to have been sold during the time they were with Bass Direct, I think it's fair a reasonable charge is made. Thank God there are specialists in business like Bass Direct. They are not a charity. People need to 'get real'.

Hi Norris, That's what I've ben doing for 10 years. I'm just wondering what other bassists do?

Hi, Bass strings are very expensive, especially flatwounds, which generally cost about £40 or more for a 4 string set. What do you use to frequently clean flatwounds (i.e. after each session)? My strings are Ernie Ball Cobalts. I'm more concerned about keeping new strings in good playing condition, rather than trying to bring life to old or mistreated strings. Has anyone used good quality lens wipes? These keep plastic and glass lenses free of grease and dirt, and the cleaning fluid (mainly a mix of water and alcohol) evaporates very quickly. They're also relatively inexpensive. If you've used a proprietary string cleaner, what is it, and would you recommend it? I use Music Nomad F-One fretboard oil, rather than lemon oil, to clean and condition my rosewood fretboards. I don't like lemon oil although I know that many basists do. I've read that guitar polish, soapy water, WD40, Deoxit or just a clean cloth could be used. I'm expecting some interesting replies!

Hi Telebass, Ten years ago, at 57, I bought my first bass. A 2007 LE Stingray. I made my first bass at 14, and after leaving uni, put it in the loft, where it stayed. The Stingray had roundwounds as standard. I then also bought a BFR Sterling, also with roundwounds. Incredibly, our uni band had reformed in 2007, after 46 years. I hadn't seen my bandmates or played bass in all that time. So, for the last10 years, I've suffered with blistered and bloodied fingers on my right hand after group practice sessions and gigs. I assumed it just was par for the course. Two weeks ago, I'd had enough! I changed the standard Ernie Ball slinky roundwounds for Cobalt flatwounds (45 - 100). They sound even better to me than the roundwounds. BUT, THEY FEEL LIKE SILK. PROPPER SLINKY THEY ARE. So smooth. I chose exactly the same gauge as my roundwounds, to avoid making any adjustments to the truss rod, or nut slots, on both bases I was very careful to fit them as recommended by Ernie Ball. I also cut them off at 5 1/2 inches passed the centre of each post, having bent them at 5 1/4 inches. I put the correct lube on the saddles and nut slots. I was very careful not to rewind/rebend the strings when fitting them to avoid breaking them. I cleaned them with Ernie Ball Wonder Wipes before fitting. So, no sticky feeling. I just wish I had fitted them a long time ago. Now, 4 hour practice sessions with my band are so enjoyable, as are the gigs. Verdict: My new and only string of choice.

Hello FinnDave, I've got short fingers, so my Fender Custom Shop Jazz is easier (than a Precision) to play 'cos it has a thinner (1.5 inches at the nut) neck. I've also got a MusicMan Sterling (same size) for the same reason. I've found that if I keep the nails of my right hand (I'm right handed) very short, especially the index finger, so that the nails do not make contact with the strings (just the skin of my fingers) the sound is transformed. I also use compression. There's always the option to use flats rather than round wounds too. So, in my case, I play a Jazz, or Sterling for practical reasons. I also believe that the sound of a Jazz can be customised to what you want. Frankly, If anyone in my band even hinted that I should be playing a Precision, I'd tell them to f..k o.f.

[quote name='12stringbassist' timestamp='1462963223' post='3047280'] 33. I need help. [/quote] Not sure where you're going to find it!

[quote name='Fisheth' timestamp='1464818713' post='3062958'] I'm currently at 10 basses. No idea how that happened! [/quote] Too much spare money. Too much spare time! Wife needs changing. The current one is far too nice!

There is a DI for recording. Single input for your bass signal, but there is a usb and a aux port for mp3 etc. There is also an earphone socket so you won't upset the missus watching Corrie!. I think the sounds produced by the combo are superb. There is a modelling section and an effects section to the amp offering a huge variety of different sounds. So, you won't have difficulty in getting the sounds you want. No need, obviously, for pedals with on-board built-in effects. I took the guitar I practice with to the retailer to check the combo. I decided immediately it was exactly what I was looking for. My normal amp combo is a Mesa Boogie Fathom (600 watts with valve pre-amp section and 2, 12 inch drivers). Like you (probably) I'm very fussy about everything concerning bass playing. You'll get 'decent and clear'! At home I select the songs I want to practice on YouTube and play along to them. I use very low volume on the Bronco 40 and the sound is superb. My guitars are all 4 string, so I don't know how a low B would sound on a 5 string bass. Look at the Fender Bronco 40 manual site for technical details etc. As I said before, it isn't a cheap practice combo. It really is a quality piece of kit with a very specific purpose. Just my view, of course, but I have kept all my bass equipment (not sold anything) because I've been very careful to get it right 1st time round. Whether it's been guitars, pedal, leads etc, I've done all the research before purchasing. I don't suffer from GAS because I'm very happy with it all.

Perfect for home practicing on your own or with guitarists. Great range of bass sounds and effects. Plus an on-board tuner. Quality, well built, with good attention to detail. I spent a long time looking/researching and was surprised by the inferior quality and poor sounds of much of the competition. Not cheap. But, don't use it for band practices or small gigs [u]with drums[/u]. Totally lost. It's not a hybrid. You will need something else. I've had mine for 5 years and wouldn't be without it. I bought a ROQSOLID cover for it, which fits perfectly, and keeps it looking pristine.

Would it have been strung with flats or roundwounds when made by MusicMan?

Hello Dad, Did your school reports say you had an [b]'inclination to indolence?'[/b]

Hi Grangur, I agree with what you say in your last post. I'm retired with less income, so playing, practicing and now looking after what i have is all that's important to me. I'm lucky that when I was buying basses (2007, 2009 and 2011) and amps, they were less expensive then. To get something similar now would cost twice as much. So why look?

Sincere thanks to all of you who posted. However, I'm surprised that so few (5 Basschatters) commented, bearing in mind it's something which most, if not all of us would need to do from time to time if we cared about our instruments. I have to say I read almost everything there is to read on the subject (yes, anal, I know!). I decided to take my time doing the work (to a 2007 LE StingRay, BFR Sterling and Fender Custom Shop Jazz). After removing the strings I masked the board with electrical tape (not masking tape) to expose the frets and very lightly rubbed the surfaces of the frets with a very fine emery paper to remove surface oxidation. The frets were then polished with silver polish several times and buffed. The tape was then removed and I used [b]Music Nomad F-One oil [/b]to clean and dress the fretboard using lint free rag. Each guitar took about two hours. I worked on one guitar a day. And I have to say the frets and rosewood boards now look absolutely stunning. I bought and used a[b] Planet Waves headstand[/b] to support the guitar neck. Makes it all so much easier. I certainly wouldn't attempt to do this work without one. Sorry to those of you who gave me advice which I didn't take. It seems that Lemon Oil is not the right thing to use for rosewood fretboards, nor wire wool for frets, although the use of these materials is very popular. I suppose it's what makes this chatroom so interesting - so many differing views.

Fatwull, have you always suffered with paranoia?