mcnach

I think the main benefit of a 5 string bass is not the extra lower notes, but the ability to move across the fretboard as opposed to up/down... A lot of things become a lot more comfortable to play on a 5 string, without changing positions so much. The lower notes are nice sometimes too

aha! Brilliant! well done

If you think you would like to play a 5 string in the future, then I'd say do it now, before you find a bass that you fall in love with and it has four strings and you feel you can't abandon it ever again. I have tried various 5 string basses. By that I mean owned. Two of them stood out. One of them... I still miss. But 1) I don't *need* a 5 string bass, and 2) I can't imagine ditching my Stingray (4-string) which is like an extension of me. I would like to get as comfortable with a 5 string bass as I do with my Stingray, and when I have to I can play a 5-string without major issues... but I feel awkward without the Stingray. If I had found that lovely 5-string bass (it was a Lakland 5502) before I had the Stingray, today I'd be playing a 5-string bass. So... you like 5 string basses and you're not yet pathologically attached to another instrument? then switch NOW. There's nothing that means you need to learn on a 4 before you move to a 5 or 6... learn on what you really want to play.

I tried one of those at a gig, it was the provided combo they had and I used it. I was impressed with it. Fender are coming up with some nice bass products these days.

Oh!!! I was trying to remember who I sold it to and could not remember... (sorry, I've sold far too many things... in fact, since I joined BC, I have bought far too many things! ) Button position... I'm not sure it would help that much on that bass. I had an old Tanglewood Warrior once, the one that's shaped like a Warwick Corvette but with both horns short and a single MM pickup. Brilliant bass... but why the second horn so short??? I tried all kinds of things and I gave up. Putting the button on the neck heel helped with the dive, but the position while standing was wrong for me... I think it's a question of putting up with it. As far as I recall the dive was not as bad on the Shine as it was on other basses I've tried with neck dive... but it's there. Hey, if you ever think you'd like to let it go, please get in touch . I can't see myself using it a lot (I have already those 2-3 basses that do 99% of all my gigs) but it is an interesting bass and I liked the way it sounded. I would not mind buying it back at some point.

how about trumpet players? the trumpet player in my band doesn't use earplugs because she says they don't allow her to hear well what's going on with her having to blow etc... I'm a little concerned because it does get loud at times. I always use mine... are there some kind of ear plugs that are better suited for them?

Mine had neck dive but it wasn't terrible (ever tried an Epi EB3?), however I really really do not like neck dive, so it had to go. A shame, because mine was pretty nice otherwise. It sounded great stock, and I didn't have to do much to it to set it up nicely. The body wasn't particularly thin... so I wonder if they've changed the way they're built.

I'm with chris_b. When I find a string that makes me think "hey handsome, how are YOU doin'?"... the price differential does not matter all that much. We're talking about a difference of at best £25-30 when considering the cheapest strings possible, but more something like £15-20. I don't change strings for every gig. Fortunately I do not like the very bright sound of new strings, so even if I changed them every 4-6 months (it's more like 9-12 months for me), am I going to compromise for the sake of £5 a month? Strings vary a lot in their flexibility, roughness and of course sound. They can really transform an instrument.

That's why I like the Labella white nylons. They can give you the vibe of flats by taming the top end a bit, but they don't sound out of place for other stuff I'd play with rounds. They do not have the metallic zing, it's a bit more top midrangey, but it's a good string to cover a variety of styles with. Especially the copper white nylons. If you want something brighter, the gold ones get you there.

I think you're right... if I use D'Addario, I may not be *in love* with the sound/feel, but I'll be pretty content. They never disappointed me. I prefer others, and the difference is substantial enough that I don't mind paying the difference... but if I had to use D'Addario exclusively I'd be just fine. I would not say the same about... Rotosounds, for example. Current favourites: DR Fat Beams (stainless steel) & Sunbeams (nickel) - I can't decide which ones I prefer of the two... and Labella White Nylon tapewounds, the 'copper' series ones.

I only replaced mine because... I wanted a maple neck. I now have a Fender Classic 50s whose neck I love (maple and bigger than that on the Squier, which I prefer)... but I still wish I had the Squier.

I get to choose who I play with now seriously... I've commented on the choice of guitar of some of the guitarists I play with (the strat was better than the Les Paul for our music, I thought) and they sometimes have commented on particular basses I may have tried... but the final choice always rests with the player. However, this could be different if I join a band where there's a clear leader in charge of the band's direction and sound. If I show up and he says "something like a Precision would be better suited than your Stingray for this", or he prefers a fretless or whatever... then I'd be listening, because the goal is making music, not for me to play an individual instrument. I guess what it boils down to is whether the band sound is decided collectively or there's one person in charge.

I had one of those Behringer heads too. It was my first amplifier head. I always remember liking the sounds it made. I paid £100 back in 2007 for that and a Behringer 210 cab, used but in great condition... apart from a noisy fan (which was only really noticeable playing at home), I thought it was great. I sold it and bought a TC RH450 which, in hindsight, was not a better amp. Yes, more bells and whistles, and small, and light, but... it didn't sound better. I should have kept that amp.

I had one in the same colour and I sold it... it's the one bass I regret selling. I even installed a P-Retro preamp on it. It was such a great bass.

The flats on my Stingray are rounds. Ok, no, I don't have flats on my Stingray... but let me elaborate I tried EB Cobalt Flats. They were very very nice. Brighter than most flats, but easy to tame and become more traditional flat-sounding. However, next time I try I'll be using Labella Tapewounds, the white nylon copper ones. They don't exactly feel like flats, but they are smooth, and can sound much like flats but they have a very present low midrange that I love. Deep thick sound. They can be very bright if you want them to and sound fantastic slapped too. They cover a wide range of sounds, especially on a Stingray. So that would be my choice: Labella white nylon tapewounds copper, which are actually rounds inside, so my initial comment may make more sense now

Finally! Pleased someone at last did the right thing in Ashdown. It just goes to show that if you think you have a case, don't take the first reply you get if you don't think it's fair. You just might be talking to the wrong person, so insist.

In practice, you're right. But shouldn't it be the promoter's job to sort out those details? It's their show after all! I'm rarely in that situation these days, but we used to play a lot of multiband gigs and I hated that email addressed to all the bands asking for the bands to arrange gear share among themselves. I'm bringing my own, thanks, and I don't want to be held hostage for the whole night when we only got a 30-40min slot... For that, the little MarkBass CMD121P combo was fantastic. If you play regularly that kind of multiband gigs that include a few local bands, you soon find that band who always manage to borrow everything and not provide anything. At one point I felt we were asked to play by certain promoter purely because we were generally happy to provide backline. The gigs were not great, so we stopped providing for others and just show with our stuff, play and go. Of course, we're no longer playing with that guy... It doesn't hurt either.

I see, I play it high, but single notes, not chords. There's a guitar too and together it sounds like we're playing chords...

Yes, that's a pretty poor show. I expected Ashdown (anybody, really!!!) to do a lot better than this thread is showing. With every communication it reminds me of those music shops I'd visit as a teenager where the owner would invariably tell you whatever made up story to sell you what they had rather than what you wanted... I haven't used Ashdown in years (I used to have an MAG250 and a 115 cab) and I'm not really looking to change my current equipment... but I'm less than enthusiastic about recommending Ashdown to anybody these days...

Hey @Bean9seventy, welcome to Basschat! I love your playing videos... really tasteful and beautiful slap bass!

They do a Jazz, and I think a Precision too. edit: ok, I got there late

Of course, no problem.

asking to downtune instruments, never so far, but asking to do songs in other keys it's pretty normal. Up to you whether you need/want to downtune or whether it works better in standard tuning.