dmccombe7

I started off on Rotosound strings in late 70's but this thought did go thru my head when i realised the tone was almost like Geddy's. My memory of them was quite twangy sounding tho which i'm not a big fan off hence the nickels. The MB strings had a mid tone i've never come across with strings before and i've tried quite a few of the big named strings. Rotosound, D'addario, LaBella, Sandberg, Elixir, Elites and probably some i've missed. Maybe i should give them a try again. Dave

@MoJoKe are you able to advise where to get some Markbass Longevo nickel strings 40-100 in UK. Any help or advice appreciated. Dave

I saw that on the MB website but was hoping somewhere in UK might have them. I could contact MSL who appear to be a distributor for MB but not sure if they will sell to Joe public. Dave

Does anyone know where i can get more of the LongEvo strings 40-100 nickel. I've searched a lot of UK stores but either not stocked at all or none available ? Bass Direct has MB strings but no LongEvo types. Dave

Put a set of 40-100 LongEvo strings on my Jazz bass last week for a rehearsal with a classic 70's punk band and WOW these strings really growl. Very balanced tone across the neck. Tension seemed to be similar to my D'addario nickels same gauge. Have to say i really like the tone from them. Its a very mid growl sounding string. Really cut thru the band mix with drums and 2 guitarists. I think i might invest in more sets and try on my Sandberg VM4 as i find it needs that little bit more mid punch. All in all i'm very pleased with them. Any idea who sells them now. ? Dave

Changed my strings on the CIJ Geddy there and low and behold the neck is very very slightly out. Its a bit more straight than i would normally have but its not giving me any fret buzz so i'm gonna leave it for now and see how it goes with it at rehearsals on Sunday. Altho i love this bass i haven't been using it in bands in recent years as it just didn't quite cut thru the mix but used it with the punk band and WOW it was sensational with a really nice grindy tone almost Geddy like. Using the studio EBS HD360 head into the Ampeg 810 with the gain 12 o clock but the amp distortion knob at mid-point added a bit of additional hi-mids and i was sold again. Only my 2nd rehearsal with this band but they loved the jazz sound and couple of guys that heard us playing commented on the sound. Asked what bass i was using and they had never heard a Jazz make that kind of tone in a punk band but agreed it fitted in really well. I was chuffed. Was using the Markbass nickel long life strings which had a nice gnarl from them but the tension was slightly less and causing a bit of fret buzz at top 1-3 frets so went back to D'addarios and all good again. MB strings back on my Fender P/J. If i had more time i might have tweaked the neck and kept the MB strings on as i did like the tone from them. That's a possibility for future. Dave

CIJ Geddy only when changing string manufacturer or gauge. Otherwise pretty stable. I always check it when i change strings tho just to be on safe side. My 89 Thumb NT4 has never been touched since i bought it in 89 as far as i can remember. My Sandberg i've had 2 yrs and never done it. Obviously we dont see the same extreme's of weather / humidity here. (always cold, wet and windy 😄) Dave

Sorry to hear that @Dood. Especially when you've made the effort to protect your hearing. Mine seems to be worse at moment as ambient weather seems to affect it plus i have some sinus issues at moment again related to weather up here. Think its more to do with the sudden changes from 20oC the other day to 5oC this morning. Dave

me too, but i like to dream 😂

Here its is. Try this one. 😂

Watched quite a few of Stuarts VID clips. Pretty sure its him that does the two handed Simpson's theme song that is amazing. That's how i tend to approach a difficult song. Play along with it to get a good feel for the song then work on each part and look for youtube clips if i think i'm missing somethig. Think this is the song that is meant to be the inspiration for the Queen hit Another One Bites the Dust. Dave

Jings i can remember dancing the night away to that in my late teens. Great band, great song. Love that tone. Dave

Rob, have you heard early Starcastle albums. Very Yes like but a bit more commercial hits. Shine On Brightly being one of my favs. Dave

That looks interesting as i'm always worried about the tension on the strap button when using most straplocks. Nice. Dave

You might have picked a better pic of Bill Bruford there Rob. 😂 Dave

That's what makes life interesting. We all have different tastes. I got into Jeff Berlin because i liked Bill Bruford. I like Jaco but i find Berlin is more fluent in his playing but in a way i enjoy / prefer. Dave

Altho i have tinnitus my hearing is still ok. Had hearing tests every 2 yrs and was told it was above average for my age. Since i retired in 2016 i have done on line tests and they show the same results. I have one frequency in my right ear that is lower than others and specialist reckons it was caused by motorbikes in 80's. He told me it was not down to loud music because of the frequency and he was confused why only one ear enough so i had to go for an MRI to check nothing physically wrong. It was clear. Since retiring i have noticed it more but that's probably because i live in countryside and no more background work noise. Dave

Interesting question @Dood. At moment mine is not overly intrusive. If something was making it worse and i couldn't protect my hearing from it i'd seriously consider stopping whatever it was. If that meant giving up playing in loud bands then yes i'd stop without hesitation. From what i know Tinnitus can get worse with age but i've also read that as you get older your brain adapts to the frequencies its not hearing and begins to cope with it. Afraid i have no experience of that. I actually notice mine more now in the car since moving from a noisy 3 litre diesel pick up to the Volvo V90 because its very quiet inside. I never heard it when driving my pick up. At bedtime i just think of other things and i dont notice it. There's so many different views on this its hard to know what's right so i tend to go with common sense ideas like earplugs at loud gigs etc. Dave

Let me know how you get on with it. Hopefully its not so noticeable on your full rig. If anything try a little boost on the higher mids to help it cut thru the mix a bit more. Dave

I used to play it in a covers band and struggled to play the chords fingerstyle and ended up using my index finger as a pick but wasn't ideal and i never felt comfortable playing it. Dave

Here you go.

I had no issues moving to the 45, 65, 80, 100 gauge but i prefer the flexibility of 40-100 gauge. I def find my Mesa gear seems to cover the issue better. Perhaps its to do with the fact i have a full range rig with horns, 10's and 15's. My Fender PJ tends to be much same. My Jazz not so much and my Warwick Thumb with EMG's is perfect balance across the strings. Altho different strings on the basses they are all generally 40-100 gauge. Something i did notice when hearing gig VIDS that the bass was pretty well balanced across the strings. Had a pro camera guy do it so he used a combination of live sound from his cameras and / or straight from the desk. I also found from Mesa guy that is also on BC that the Mesa amp i'm using does have an inherent mid cut voicing so i took his advice and boosted my mids a little more so maybe that helped. Maybe its just down to EQ on the amp. Dave

That's a great start to a classic rock set. Currently doing I Love R&R in our 70's Glam Rock covers band but its the original 70's version by Arrows. Good fun playing it. Dave

I remember trying that song in one of my first bands back late 70's and it was hard getting everyone on same page plus those vocals are just sensational. Great singer, great band.. Any other snippets on what you are doing i'd be curious. Dave