dmccombe7

Not sure if i've picked you up right but do you mean you don't know what notes are on lines or spaces. I know i take that for granted but appreciate someone that's never taken lessons won't know that. Does this help Dave

Once you start it soon speeds up as you do it more and more. I've came along a fair bit myself and i used to read a fair bit back in my early days with lessons and few yrs after that. Then TAB came along and now i use both if needed. I started off writing the notes on the page next to the notes and on some of the fast pieces i still do that but most songs that i actually play in the band i can read at my own pace and use it as a back up guide to what i hear on original song. I'm no sight reader and it takes me a bit of time to go thru some of them but it passed the time during Covid Lockdown. Dave

First saw them support Rush maybe Farewell to Kings tour and bought the album on tape. (bad idea) Did eventually copy it onto CD. Had a look at buying some of his albums but they start at £17 up to £60+ depending on the album. Found a Best of Max Webster on CD at £8 so i ordered it and Battlescar is on there too. Mahogany Rush were a brilliant band too. Also bought an April Wine album back in the day but never heard much more of them. Pat Tarvers i have a couple of his albums and again brilliant. Canada has produced some amazing bands but even more so outstanding guitarists. Dave

Not heard that one before @Bilbo Need to google that. Thanks for sharing Dave

If you know the old email address can you still access the account and change the ownership details ? I'm just guessing with that as never had to do it. I know my old aol email address i can access old items even tho i changed address at least 8 yrs ago. Dave

Fender 7250 confirmed which are nickel plated whereas the 7150's are pure nickel but even they are around the £15-£18 level. Think the D'addario nickels were around £24 set. Dave

@Chiliwailer yep those might work. I got 2 sets of new D'addario rounds 45-100 from our guitarist when he gave up playing bass. I normally use 40-100 but i've fitted them on the Sandberg and they sound good so i think i'll stick with these and just play a bit lighter than i used to and protect my fingers a bit. Gonna be murder when we all start gigging again with blisters and aching fingers. I'll keep them in mind altho at £46 they are a fair bit more expensive than EXL's and suspect they won't last much longer. Have to say the cheaper Fender nickel rounds have lasted pretty good on my Jazz and PJ. That's about 9mths now altho i only play those basses at home as VM4 is my main bass in current band. They are made by D'addario as far as i know but few quid cheaper last time i bought them. I have £15 a set in my head. Fender 7250's i think. Dave

I have a mix of D'addario nickels i've just fitted back on the Sandberg Fender nickels on my Fender Jazz and PJ basses. (didn't know at the time they were made by D'addario) Overwater nickels on both my Custom fretless as recommended by Chris when i had it made and also on my J4. Elixirs on my Warwick Thumb NT (they've been on a good few yrs now and still sound ok. I've generally had the D'addarios but tried the Fenders recently because they were cheaper than the D'addarios plus i used to put them on my Jazz all the time. They def feel same as the D'addarios. Others i've tried are the La Bella Low Tension flats on the Sandberg and they were good but little dull. Sandberg stainless on Sandberg but didn't last as long as the nickels but they did feel and sound good. Couldn't get from UK supplier tho. Had DR's and they were ok but again didn't last any longer than D'addarios and sound and feel was similar but more expensive so bit pointless paying the extra. Over distant years i've tried Rotosound rounds, flats, taperwound. Also Dunlop rounds and probably a few others i've forgotten. Dave

No rust and all very shiny.........and stickness. Looks like quite a few people have had issues with EB Cobalts flats. Mmmmmm not good but enough for me to stay clear of EB. Dave

Think i'll just give up and put my D'addarios nickel back on. At least i know they are dependable. Dave

The strings felt ok. I could feel the stickiness that others mentioned and tension wise they were better than i expected. Similar to the 45-100 gauge nickels i've tried so that was good. Sound was pretty close to what i was expecting after hearing the youtube clips so that was good too. There are so many options out there these days that i'm not stuck to any one brand or type. So when i get a duffer i don't need to accept that low level of QC and i'll just change to something else. Why risk another possible failure from that particular company. Dave

First time using EB and at £40+ a set and that's not even RRP i expect them to be perfect. Not impressed at all. I did contact EB UK to let them know and if they get back to me i'll let them know i've returned via Amazon. Bit cheesed off now that after all the time i spent asking advice and looking at youtube VIDS i get a duff string. Its like back to the drawing board again. I now need to order something else but probably just go back to my D'adarios that i've been using for years without issue. I go thru about 3-4 sets a year depending on number of gigs and rehearsals. Dave

SORTED :- Free return to Amazon and full refund issued. When i was on Amazon i checked out the reviews and found this to be a common issue apparently. One guy had same issue with E string on his fretless. He described exactly what i was hearing too. When he removed the string he found the centre core broken. Not sure how he found that out. Was returned to EB and they issued him a new set. Personally i won't be using Ernie Ball again. I think i'll just go back to my D'addarios nickels Dave

Sorted. Free return to Amazon with full refund. Checked the Amazon reviews while i was on there and it seems a few folks have had that same issue on different strings. One guy had it on E string and when he removed the string the core was broken and came out ? Not a good sign and has put me off EB stuff completely. Dave

On further inspection and playing i found that the G string rattles all along it now even an open G string has a faint rattle. Not sure who i contact with this as i bought thru Amazon. Dave

Finally got round to fitting my new EB Cobalt flats to my VM4. They are 45-100 gauge. My usual is 40-100 I've had a variation of different strings on this bass incl 40-95's, 40-100's, 45-100's nickels and stainless on this bass with La Bella Low Tension flats 40-100 up till the EB Cobalts. Fitted as per the instructions and ensured the balls were seated as they should be before final tune up. On tuning up i found the G string had a high frequency or pitch rattle when playing at or around the 11th fret upwards. It doesn't sound like fret buzz which i have experienced with other basses. It sounds more like the internal core rattling about. This happens even with a light touch using finger style plucking. Also happens when i pluck across the string or from slightly below like a pop style. Other 3 strings are fine. I checked the neck and it looks same as with any other strings i've had on this bass. Almost straight with a very slight curve inwards. (concave) Attached a short clip to let you all hear it. Excuse the camera angle but it all took me by surprise. Any advice or help please go for it.

Well not so good with the Cobalts. The G string has an incredible rattle around the 12th fret area. I've never heard anything like it in 44 yrs of playing. It sounds like the core is rattling inside the wrap. Its not fret buzz as its there even with a light touch. Other 3 strings are perfect. I normally use 40-100 and these are 45,65,80,100 but looking down the neck it looks pretty much straight as it was with other strings i've used. I've had D'addario nickel 45-100's on this bass and they were fine. Any thoughts ? I might start a new topic with a short VID clip letting you hear it. As i said it doesn't sound like fret buzz as the rattle is too fine a pitch. It def sounds more like inner core vibrating. Dave Ernie Ball Cobalt rattle.MOV

I put them on my Thumb bass cause i very rarely use it and it never leaves the house now so they have lasted a long long time. From memory i initially found the tension a bit tight for me plus the hi end zing wasn't there altho that didin't bother me at all as i'm not a huge fan of that new roundwound zing thing. Tone hasn't changed that i can say i've noticed in several years. If you like new zingy roundwounds then Elixirs won't do it for you. IMO. Dave

How long do they typically last tho. Trying to avoid changing strings every 2-3mths and that's one of the reasons i went down the flats route. Elixirs might have been my 2nd choice after flats as i have them on my Thumb bass. I've just bought the cobalt flats and i'll see how i get on with them. It might end up a trade off with tone, feel v longevity. Dave

Not had time to fit them yet but hopefully today. Will def update the thread later today. I'm not one for VIDS but i might do a short before and after kind of thing and if it looks ok i'll share. If i'm rubbish i'll keep it to myself. I never know what to play when recording myself playing bass at home. Dave

Had a wee blast from the past album while driving today. Forgot how great this album is. Happy days.

I liked the feel of them. They weren't as harsh as the old Rotosound steels i remembered from years ago but they were a bit zingy. Dave

I quite liked them but they didn't last too long maybe 2-3 mths max but they were cheaper than the D'addario nickels i was buying. Dave

Someone mentioned Joan Armatrading to me last night and for some strange reason this song came into my head. I have no idea why but managed to google it and find out it wasn't even Joan Armatrading. I only had the catchy line Hey Hey Hey What's Going On in my head.