fretmeister

This. Most guitarists can't even tell if they're in tune.

Steve Harris. I had been playing guitar due to Brian May but then a mate had "Live After Death" and it blew my mind.

I've never had that. I like the top end when they calm down a bit. They are a bit too bright for me out of the packet, but after a rehearsal or 2 the top end is tamed and then they seem to stay constant for a long time. I've tried so many others and always come home that I'm thinking of putting stickers on the back of the headstocks with a "BEHAVE! You'll only waste money" on it!

For roundwounds I always come back to D'Addario Prosteels. Every few years I try some others and spend far too much money, and then come back to them. There's just something I like about how they feel and sound. For flats I like some different types. Dunlops are my favourite but I like Ti and EB as well. Didn't like the La Bella Low Tension Flats at all. They got very sticky every time I played.

Me! I’ve got a heavy brass one that sounds ace.

I’m finding that I get more of the note fundamental as well. Less fret clank so fewer overtones with normal plucking. I like the sound of the Monel flats but they are such high tension they didn’t work for me. I also think I have a little bit of a nickel reaction to them. I’ve given both my Sandbergs another quarter turn on the truss rod and the action is now stupidly low but with no fret buzz anywhere.

Lovely!

Smallest ones I've found are the EBS ones https://www.amazon.co.uk/EBS-Cables-PCF-10-Patch-Cable/dp/B00I4IKVTU/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=ebs+flat+patch+cable&qid=1666705601&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIzLjI1IiwicXNhIjoiMy4wOCIsInFzcCI6IjIuODgifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=ebs+%2Caps%2C84&sr=8-5

Since I ruptured a tendon in my right hand middle finger, and then developed arthritis in the proximal finger joint I have been moving to lighter and lighter gauge strings in the hope that I might reduce the times when the finger kind of hooks onto the string rather than just plucking it. On one of my basses I've also got a ramp which really helps. But I needed to restring my shorty and I put some Dunlop 45-105 flats on it and they are pretty high tension compared with what I'm used to, even with the short scale. It does not have a ramp on it (yet). But I wasn't hooking nearly as much as I was with the previous strings. So, experiment time. I took off the very flexible Ti Jazz Rounds that were on my Sanderg 5 and put on a set of D'addario Prosteel 45-105 (with a Tapered .130 B). A quick tweak of the set up later I'm playing far more fluidly on it and it doesn't have a ramp yet (it will still get one). It seems that the lower tension strings were too easy to move laterally so the damaged finger was pulling it along with it rather than plucking it and then moving onwards. The higher tension strings cannot be moved as easily so it forces the finger to straighten and move past it instead, and the string doesn't get taken along for the ride. Ok - my left hand is now complaining from doing more work, but that strength will build up quickly. I've not used 45-105 for decades. Usually 40-100 or 35-95. I still need to get the action spot on and I do like a stupidly low action. With the higher tension strings I can make it even lower than it was before. I am very happy at this discovery. The injury has really affected my playing and I'm discovering that even tiny changes can make a massive difference. Roll on next rehearsal!

Definitely true. Most roundcore strings come with a warning about it.

Best thing I ever did was learn to read. I got through the first 20 years of playing without, then started to play with my kids who were getting lessons on clarinet and sax. Learning to read loads of different stuff when those 2 instruments transpose differently was a real development point for me. So many more pieces of music are now accessible. If there's no bass part then the trombone or the bass clef part of a piano score is all there. It also allows me to properly play stuff from different arrangers. The Hal leonard library stuff has multiple versions of the same tune but arranged differently. Different styles come through even more that way. If you read at all (only Grade 2-3 level) then there is loads of HL stuff on youtube where the entire score is on screen and flips as needed. If you watch it on a big enough screen you can read it straight from the telly. Here's an easy big band arrangement of "Think" - the bass part is nearer the bottom With Youtube's speed controls it can be played back really slowly while maintaining pitch. It's great for learning. There's loads of similar stuff on youtube, as well as loads of No-Bass backing tracks in a variety of keys / styles / tempos / time sigs. Like this

Still can’t have a J neck on a P.

No idea. I’ve seen short tang frets before but usually short enough so the slot doesn’t reach the edge of the fretboard at all, to make it invisible. Are you in a particularly humid place where the wood could have expanded a bit?

Tiny blob of superglue and then sanded would have sorted that, and been invisible.

I came here to say this too.

I've only ever seen American youtubers complain about it. It's a fantastic bridge. And once it is set, it stays put.

That might be a really clever idea!

I should also mention that as soon as my Lionel is here I'm planning on ordering another Sandberg too. Probably a Central (the new stingray inspired one) but maybe a VS4 (P bass) Sandberg use the same neck for their P and J types. I love that as it's my favourite neck shape anyway.

I've had a Cali 1 TM4 and TM5 and I currently own Cali 2 superlight TT4 and TT5. They are my main basses. I love them. I've got a Lionel on order at the moment for delivery next year too. I think they are fabulous basses.

Is the Paradriver drive sound the same as the BDDI?

Might as well go with Ultralights while you are at it. Makes far more of a difference than you think it would.

500w More headroom and it has a volume control.

Good luck!