jazzyvee

I use 5 string bass most of the time even though most of what I do could adequately be covered on a 4 string. I really like the choice of being able to use the warmer tones of the E to A notes available in the middle of the bass on the B string for some songs.

I guess you will be gigging in the states. Ive done that a few times and there has always been a transformer provided for 110-240 and our keyboard player never had any problems with his gear he had a korg m1 and a roland d50 plus a sampler. The frequency i doubt would be a problem because the innards of those are fed with a stabilised dc supply. You could try Maplins for a lead or get one from radio shack or circuit city when you get there.

Ansley Lister band at the Robin RnB 2 in Bilston nr Wolverhampton. Great gig superb band.

I did a gig at the Jam house in Brum using these on my Alembic Series II bass on Tuesday night into the same rig as I noted above. The overall tone is much warmer generally and really well suited to some of the 70's and early 80's jazz funk tracks we were playing. However I didn't get the crispness on the attack that I really enjoy with playing the more recent tracks we play but then my normal strings are pro-steels so thats probably understandable. What I was really impressed with was the tonal balance across the strings. My basses are well balanced tonally across the strings and having low pass filters there is no facility to boost anything under 350Hz from the bass directly so whatever bottom end is lurking there, and there is a lot of it, is unadulterated and down to strings and how they are played (IMHO). I also don't get the feeling that the B-string is from a different planet and the higher tension feeling on the B string really helps there. ( I don't actually know if these NYXL strings are higher tension but its how they feel to me). Anyway I was impressed with how these strings seemed to keep a much tighter connection between the B and other strings than i feel with the Pro-steels so whilst there is a warmer bottom end on these strings they all work together with good string to string tonal balance. We did a couple of jazz infused reggae numbers which really made the most of the warmer sound. My next gig at the moment is on 13th Feb with Musical Youth so I plan to move the strings to my other Series I bass which has a much warmer bottom end anyway so it should be a match made in heaven. Are you guys planning to make any Pro-Steel versions, I'd love to try those out too. The smooth finish is a big plus for me means you can use them straight away without having to compensate for finger drag that you get on new pro steels.

[quote name='KingBollock' timestamp='1453123245' post='2956519'] If you scratch a bass it remains a musical instrument. If you refuse to play it, it becomes and expensive ornament. [/quote] I don't do expensive ornaments so I will remember that.

I always treat my instruments with care and do what I can to keep them as pristine as possible. That said there is a beauty in an instrument that is well worn from years of making music with it. I agree with a previous poster that worn paint looks better than worn natural wood, but I think if natural wood is really badly worn then it kind of looks good again. I have a strat that I used almost exclusively since 1992 and molly coddled that guitar to keep it looking good. It does but if you get close to it you can see some mojo from it's travels. Like others there are some basses I would not take to small pub gigs that did not have a decent sized stage that was not easily accessible to drunken revellers.

[quote name='TrevorR' timestamp='1453121710' post='2956487'] What a great idea for a customer feedback road test. Sadly didn't sign up as nickel strings don't suit my skin (I'm a sensitive little soul) but will be watching with interest if there are any future tests for stainless or flats. Really interesting reading folks initial comments and will look forward to more considered thoughts post gigging. We often talk strings in similar ways to wine tasting descriptions but it's so few and far between that cross comparison or consensus is hard to build up. However, having a load of players commenting on the new design all at once and comparing with their previous strings should make for a fascinating experiment. Nice one! [/quote] It's only recently I've started to put two and two together about whether my skin is sensitive to nickel. For years I avoided nickel guitar strings of all makes only because when I was touring and playing on hot stages I realised that when I my fingers got a little sweaty, the coating came off the strings after one or two gigs and break. But when my fingers didn't get hot enough to perspire then I had no problems with nickel strings. Eventually for cost reasons I then tried Elixir coated and stainless steel strings for guitar when touring and nickel for less high temperature gigs. I've used stainless steel on most of my basses for about 2 - 3 years only because I like the brighter tone and the ones with nickel strings I have recently taken note that my fingers get sore when I play those basses and not on the pro-steel strung basses so my guess is it may be some kind of reaction to nickel although i find that hard to comprehend as bass playing fingertips are fairly well worn in. I like the tone of nickel for reggae so my hope with these strings are that being smoother they may not be an irritant. So far they have been fine on a 3 hour rehearsal. :-)

Ok here are what I've found so far. Bass Used: Alembic Series II Europa 5 String Bass. Strings Normally Used: D’addario Pro Steels 45 – 130 Bass Rig: Mesa boogie 1x15 powerhouse cab, Mesa Boogie 2x10 powerhouse cab. 2 x Alembic F1-x valve pre-amps, QSC PLX 2402 Stereo Power amplifier. Other strings I have experience with: Alembic Bass strings. 45 – 128, D’addario Pro Steels & Nickel 45 – 130, Elixir Coated Strings. First impression after first stringing on bass and tuning to pitch:[list] [*]Shiny and smooth to the touch and none of the abrasive feel or dragging that I normally experience with D’addario Pro Steels. [*]Less time to stretch strings in to maintained concert pitch. [/list] First impression on playing at home:[list] [*]Much less finger noise than the D’addario Pro-steels and Nickel strings when first new. [*]Heavier warmer bottom end response but with less note clarity than my normal pro-steels. [*]Less clarity and sparkle on the higher frequencies. [*]Feels like the strings have greater tension which is a double edged sword since while it gives a better more consistent feel on the low B and for some playing techniques like double thumbing I prefer slightly more give on the E,A,D,G strings since string bending is part of my technique. [*]Tonally these strings are not bright enough or have enough hi-fi sound for my preference when playing my Jazz-funk fusion based material however the extended bottom end seems perfect for warmer genre’s of music such as reggae and soul and with acoustic bands so I plan to try these strings out on my series I bass for reggae gig & rehearsals within the next few of weeks . [/list] Tried them out again at rehearsal on Sunday afternoon and at higher than home volume using my Mesa Boogie walkabout head with my normal gigging settings that I'm familar with, into a Peavey TX810 cab. I could hear much more of the top and mid range from the strings than at home which is expected. The only things I wasn’t over the moon with was the notes seemed to break up with an edgy, slightly distorted tone on the G string when playing slap techniques. On my bass when using pro-steels if I close the low pass filter there is usually still a little of the higher frequencies on the attack still evident and that gives me that note clarity. This wasn't as evident on the NYXK strings so I had to mix in a little of the bridge pickup to get me better articulation. I guess that could me more to do with the characteristic of pro-steels rather than anything lacking in nickel strings which seem to be warmer. Got a gig tomorrow night so will see how they fare then and report back. So far so good.

Anaconda Basses are another alternative. http://www.anacondabasses.co.uk/

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1453050994' post='2955964'] Better sound? Tone? No. Not 'always'. Some players conjure up a fantastic sound but I like what I sound like and don't want to sound like them. I want to sound like me. Technical ability, note choices and feel? Now that's a whole different ball game. [/quote] Absolutely with you on that. Some players I hear have a sound I like, others I'm not keen on their tone but that doesn't mean it's a bad sound, just not for me. One of the primary reasons I chose the basses I now own is because I wanted to develop my own sound on an instrument that was designed to be different and afforded me a different approach to developing my own tone. I have to say it's still a work in progress but I love where I am currently and I'm sure there are some that like my current tone and others who may not. As long as it works for the music that's the important bit. I think this is going to be another interesting thread that I will follow keenly. Cool post Colgraff

One useful gadget thats always in my gig bag is this by Mark bass. If I forget my regular bass stand I can use this and it's secure and held in place extremely well and as long as you don't leave the jack lead in the bass it will stay put until you open the velcro. [url="http://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Markbass-Basskeeper-Bass-Guitar-Strap/BGU"]http://www.gear4musi...uitar-Strap/BGU[/url] [url="http://static.bax-shop.nl/images/resized/508/1315839/450x450/Markbass_Bass_Keeper_2.jpg"]Markbass_Bass_Keeper_2.jpg[/url]

[quote name='Twigman' timestamp='1452729176' post='2953022'] Minotaur straps do it for me. [/quote] Yep me too, my new leather one arrived today.

[quote name='Deep Thought' timestamp='1236979176' post='434188'] I won't touch anything with a buckle-all leather or all fabric, with straplocks for me. [/quote] Absolutely, All my basses have thick leather straps and schaller strap locks. I have really heavy basses so wouldn't trust anything with plastic fixings or thin leather ends.

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1452700686' post='2952587'] ah no need to justify it, buy whatever you like... get three if you want. [/quote] Agreed.

I've been using D'addario nickel and pro steel bass strings on my Alembic basses since 2010 and cover a number of styles from Reggae, Jazz-Funk, RNB and Soul so would love to beta test a 5 string set 45 - 130 on my Series II bass since that is the next one due for re-stringing and I will be using it on the next few gigs and rehearsals. It currently has the same pro-steels on since July 2014 and they still sound nice and crisp. Cheers

I can recommend an Alembic F1-x I've used one for about 10yrs with a QSC power amp and I like that setup a great deal. The pre-amp tone controls are simple passive and interactive and have no boost settings so if you don't need the bells and whistles on more featured pre-amps the F1-X will give you a great hi-fi tone. [url="http://www.alembic.com/support/F-1Xoperatingguide.pdf"]http://www.alembic.com/support/F-1Xoperatingguide.pdf[/url]

No, they even come to my gigs. :-)

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1452064821' post='2945948'] The few long term pro musicians I know are all so jaded by the whole thing that they no longer play any music for enjoyment or as a hobby. If they've got any time off the last thing they want to do is play. [/quote] I know a few of those too. I know one guy who has been a pro musician since the late 70's and more or less stopped touring full time about 8 years back and he says he is now very selective about what gigs he does because he doesn't see the need to waste his time with people who do not have a professional attitude to what they are doing. I hope I always find a way to enjoy playing music at whatever level I can play competently.

I would love to do that and have been trying to find like minded musicians for a good few years to do something like this. Unfortunately for me, musicians for the genre I want to cover are really only interested in doing session gigs so joining a band taking a long term view like "rehearsing the band till its absolutely right" is not usually on their list of priorities. They see music as a job that has to pay. Whilst I understand and respect their stance I sometimes wonder why some pro musicians aren't able to separate their music activities into those which are to earn a living and those for enjoyment or a hobby that does not necessarily need to make money. For example, if my day job was a freelance programmer writing software for corporate clients, but as a hobby I decided to learn to write apps for mobile phones and tablets. Both are writing software but I only expect to get paid for what I do for a living and would not expect to get paid for the software I write as part of my "hobby" even if there is a cost outlay to do it. However If I became competent at mobile phone app development then i may indeed get paid but that would be a bonus not a driver. I hope that makes sense.

When I decided to have a serious attempt at adding bass to my skill set after playing guitar for years I decided to quench my lifelong yearning for an alembic short scale bass (30.75") and after saving up a lot of pennies from gigging and the day job I got one from the Bass Centre in Brum. As soon as I picked it up it felt much more natural and after guitar this felt just right transition for me and not much more of a stretch to play. Ive' done a lot of gigs with this bass and there is nothing I have found that I dislike about this bass. Yes it does have a bit of neck dive and sits differently to a regular bass but I've worked with the way the bass wants to behave and using the right posture and a good strap its now more comfortable. There is a sweetness in the tone that is so different to that of it's long scale siblings. As for the weight this is a solid body mahogany core and coco bolo top and back with the result being that it is heavier than my 4 string all maple bass and i think weighs in at just short of 11lbs. That said I have not, ( yet), experienced any problems with heavy basses. Cases I got a custom one made by Flightcase Warehouse and then a couple of years ago I bought a leather Harvest short scale bass gig bag case from a member of this forum which doubles as a gig bag for my guitar. I much prefer shorties for 4 string basses and 34 for 5 string basses and have to say I haven't noticed any speed differences because I don't really play a lot of fast stuff. I did have a few questions but i will fire off as a PM.

You could be drastic and move the bridge to get the correct distance between 12th fret and bridge. The problem then would be that the pickups would not be in the same position relative to the scale length of the bass and so the bass would sound different, better or worse would be dependent on your ears.