velvetkevorkian

The Bass Fitness book does help but all it is is different permutations of 1234 across all strings- very unmusical.

I voted "I can but don't" as its strictly a practice room technique* for me- I've never been able to use it in a band situation. *I was going to say "bedroom technique" but that just sounds too dubious

While floating the thumb takes a bit more work at first, it allows the hand to stay much more relaxed IME so that gets my vote. As the Major observed, it's also good if you want to move on to more strings.

If its a Peavey Mark III then it will be at least 25 years old...

Remember, harmony is all about context, so the same notes against a different background harmony will imply a different chord. The most common example of this is the relative major and minor, IE the scale of C major is the exact same notes as A minor but used in a different context.

Basses: Fretted and fretless 5 strings- today I'll go for ACG single cuts I think- and a 7 string- probably a Conklin custom. All strung with Elixirs and with 13 pin outputs. If I can stretch slightly and go for a fourth, I'll have a nice handmade 5 string double bass, and if five isn't excessive, an EUB to match. Amps: Not so fussy here. A light powerful power amp (since money's no object, I'll have a Powersoft please). A Pod X3 Pro (if the roadies are carrying it) or Live (if I'm carrying it) to act as a preamp. Cabs: Again, light and powerful. Probably BFM designed, two 1x10s and a 2x10 so I could take 1, 2, 3 or 4 10"s as required. Or maybe one of Alex Claber's Barefaced cabs. FX: Eventide Eclipse and a Roland V-Bass- together with the Pod X3 from amps, I doubt there's many sounds you couldn't replicate with this. It will be all change in a day ot two though

That's truly incredible looking.

I'm keeping an eye out for this once it hits the classifieds here

[quote name='iamapirate' post='569385' date='Aug 14 2009, 07:14 PM']I'm not sure if this is from biking, but does anyone else have a hard spot of skin on your index finger on your left hand from when it's constantly been scraping up and down the fingerboard. I don't mean on the tip, I mean on the first 'segment' of the finger (if you gt what I mean). no? just me, then.[/quote] I have the same thing.

[quote name='Rich' post='567581' date='Aug 13 2009, 07:41 AM']After WW3, all that will be left on the scorched earth is grass, cockroaches, and Peavey bass gear No you're right, not a good idea at all. Splined pot shafts really need push-on knobs. If you have to have screw ones, try to make sure the screw lines up with the split in the shaft. That way, the shaft won't bend when you tighten it up.[/quote] I'm glad it's not just me that thinks that's stupid. My Conklin has the same problem.

[quote name='nobody's prefect' post='567585' date='Aug 13 2009, 07:58 AM']So I guess it looked like a total my penis is like a freight train cuz I play the Real (Men's) Bass. I've found there's not much like buying an upright for taking your expectations to a reasonable level. You buy the not-completely-sh*te upright for about £3000, then you buy a £100 string set so you can have a passable arco sound, the £500 bow, and of course the fingerboard needs to be dressed and the bass given a decent lookover for another £200. Add a pickup for £100 and at £3900 you have a bass that has probably somewhat terrigible action, won't sound good for 3 to 5 years even if you really apply yourself to opening up the bass with daily arco playing and the bastard just won't stay in tune at gigs with any kind of ventilation systems and wtf is up with that intonation changing on you every time you pack it up and take it to another building? The strings love to hang on the nut, the bridge threatens to collapse every time to stufff in it a car (sic), the finish can't take any sort of bumps without damaging and the fat f***er feedbacks like there's no tomorrow. Soundmen don't know what to do with it, the pianist wants you to sound like Ray Brown and Gary Peacock while he tromps all over your slice of the sonic spectrum and every funking w***er needs to come over and comment on how your intonation was off in that song (remember that ventilation system? it pumps cold air (or hot air if it's winter) all over your bass, making the untalkative but spankable damsel's tuning go up or down like a 5-year old on a slide) that the vocalist has decided sounds better in Db. Your instrument projects like a wet box of cardboard while the smug flautist pulls that silver pipe of his from his coat pocket and drowns you out. The drummer complains that your attack isn't that hot today and the guitarist keeps on urging you to fill more space while he solos for the 13th chorus of Mr P.C. when your luthier has pulled a prank on you and the bass is suddenly set up for orchestra arco playing. So if a £1k electric isn't a total genocidal war every time you pick it up, I'd say you're getting your money's worth.[/quote] This post= win.

[quote name='daflewis' post='565774' date='Aug 11 2009, 11:27 AM']do you have a stiff/aching neck? for many years i thought i was suffering from tendonitis in the wrist (was even told this by an nhs consultant). i'm a full time pro, and when i started my current job i began having severe problems including tingling palms, so i thought i was developing cts as well. After doing some online research i discovered that pressure on a nerve in the neck can often cause these symptoms - see [url="http://www.wellsphere.com/back-neck-pain-article/serious-neck-pain-and-carpal-tunnel-symptoms/427975"][color="#FF0000"]here[/color][/url] I went to see a great osteopath in north london who is also a violinist - i really wanted to see someone who understood musicians, especially as the nhs consultant had released me saying, "as far as we're concerned it's a mild case" - meaning i could still do simple things like pick up a cup.....oh great.... After one session with the osteo there was a 60-70% improvement in the tingling palm and within six weeks/sessions i was completely free of hand and wrist problems for the first time in about 6-7 years. i now just make sure i do my stretching exercises and i'm fine - still do get a stiff neck but at least it doesn't end up down my arm. I'm not saying this is your problem, but it's certainly worth looking into - and the same for everyone else having problems - especially Sugden!!! - if you push your head forward and then look up, this puts pressure on nerves in the neck - for me it's pit work - looking up at a conductor - but it's the same postion that you adopt on a bike!! i still get tingling fingers when i ride but it goes away if i push my head back and tuck my chin in to strech the back of my neck. Good luck! Daf P.S. if anyone wants the osteo's number let me know (he also works in Bristol).[/quote] IME most pain in the arms and hands is a symptom of tension in the shoulders/neck.

I have 3- the two 5 strings (matching fretted and fretless) get more play time than any other instruments I have. Excellent value for money too- I got them for around £100 each but with a bit of time spent on setup they play as well as anything IMO.

I think I've not distinguished properly between tarnishing and the gold plating wearing away- the latter is the main issue. I will try with a soft cloth and see where that gets me- I've already disassembled the bridge completely. Thanks.

If you're having trouble cutting through, turn up, or better yet, see if you can get the guitarists to turn down. For this kind of style you want to be getting the most notes with the least effort, and digging in on every note is going to make it much more difficult.

I use 3 fingers in the Billy Sheehan style, with strict alternation. I also play with the lightest touch possible, and use a floating thumb technique whereas a lot of extreme metal players like to dig in a lot. I prefer a clean punchy sound which I can get without rattle- if you want that more standard death metal sound you do have to dig in a bit more but in that case I think you have to accept that its going to be much harder to get to the same kind of speed.

[quote name='JackLondon' post='563939' date='Aug 9 2009, 12:59 AM']The main 2 areas are on the palm of my hand, one just below the tumb and the other one is just on the opposite just abowe the inside of the wrist. With regards to my thumb I always thought you are supposed to keep it around middle of the hand so maybe this is where I'm going wron I've been playing it for about 8 months now, when we practice it we run through it 4 times at practice about 3 times every week plus I'm playing it at home as well and it's the only song that gives me the pain[/quote] You want to try and minimise the amount of tension in your hand- might be worth trying to see f it makes a difference. I came to bass guitar from double bass, where the thumb is held directly behind the second finger, and this caused me no end of trouble with my fretting technique. Moving the thumb slightly solved it for me.

Ha! Quality Full Metal Jacket samplage! And the other samples are well done too. Overall I'd say pretty good for a home effort- the kick trigger doesn't really sit with the reset of the kit that well, but the overall production reminds me of [i]Morbid Visions[/i]-era Sepultura, and I like where you're going with the overall feel. The bass is nice and punchy considering how low it is (I assume you're down in B or C?) but the guitars seem a bit "fizzy"- how were they recorded? Mic'd cabs or DI'd with effects? Will be keeping an eye out for the name locally

Where are you getting pain? The only thing I could see from there was that possibly the position of your thumb relative to your other fingers was changing as you moved position- I'd advise to try and make sure it stays roughly behind your first finger at all times. Kindahard to say without seeing you play in person I think.

I seem to have had the world's only broken Peavey head- 5 minutes being lent to my sister's friend and I couldn't turn my Mark IV on without smelling smoke. Talk about RTFM I wouldn't hesitate to buy another Peavey amp though, and many of the rehearsal studios I've used have had them. 3/4 of my basses are also "budget" Peaveys- can you say "value for money"?

If the action is playable but buzzy a fret dress may make all the difference- I did a "home-brew" fret job on my 5 string (and I'm in the process of doing it on my 7 too) with very basic tools and the difference was dramatic- I like a very low action as well and before this, couldn't achieve it without some notes choking, and that was with my limited tools and ability.

Pliers have always worked fine for me.

[quote name='mrcrow' post='563390' date='Aug 8 2009, 11:38 AM']i have noticed if i take off the strings for any work on the bass they sound brighter for a bit when i put them back on this leads me to think that coiling and coiling them several times with the application of a string cleaner may help to ease out dirt, sweat and skin cells string coatings imho are a step forward but i have seen elixirs exhibiting breakdown in the coating on the well rubbed fretted section maybe trapping sweat etc in[/quote] There was a remark to this effect in the DB section recently