6stringbassist

My Modulus was very low, most Status basses I've tried have also been low. But my Sei is probably as low as I've played, I doubt it could actually get any lower, it's just over 1mm at its highest, I can't get the allen key that I use for bridge adjustment under any of the strings. The neck is very stable thanks to it being a singlecut design. I do have a very light playing style, and use mostly free strokes as opposed to rest strokes.

[quote name='steve-soar' post='244014' date='Jul 20 2008, 07:57 PM']Beautiful Kev, really beautiful. I so, so want an upright, but I'll have to do a lot of fiddling to convert it to lefty. I'm so jealous.[/quote] Steve Check these people out - [url="http://www.thwaites.com/index.php?id=21"]http://www.thwaites.com/index.php?id=21[/url] They are brilliant, I'm just hiring it for £40 a month, but I can buy it any time, or take it back and swap it for a different one, they'll do all the set-up for you. Kevin

The Gallery usually have a pretty good selection of Epifani gear in stock.

Your best bet would be to visit a store that has a good range of basses, new and used, the Gallery for instance in Camden London, have a look on their website, or give them a ring. Ask ten different people to recommend you a bass, and you'll likely get ten different answers, I personally hate Fender type basses and musicmen, but you may really like them. You need to try as many as you can, and then you decide. And it's always worth waiting that extra week or two, or borrow a bit extra whatever to get the right instrument.

DR's are the best, a bit expensive but they last way longer than cheaper ones, and sound better throughout their life, so end up being a better deal. I'm currently using the Lo-rider nickels.

Thanks, I can play All blues so far, so that's a start. I used my tuner to work out where that notes are, and I've put some little bits of tape along the edge, I'll take those off one at a time over the next couple of days when I get used to playing her.

What do you think ?. She's German and well into her 40's, and I have to say the years haven't been too kind to her, she's a bit battered and worn at the edges to say the least. She's big as well, and on the heavy side, but I reckon she's pretty cool.

I wonder sometimes, I know people have the best of intentions, bit it does appear that they don't read all of the thread. Honestly, changing it to fretted won't have any detremental effects on the bass, Martin would do it so you wouldn't know it had ever been fretless, he'd probably have to change the nut I suppose. And it would be a simple enough job if you ever wanted to defret it, why shouldn't it be ?. As I said earlier, my 1st 6 string had been a fretless originally, but you wouldn't have known, obvioulsy a different story if I'd done it myself.

It would be way more to buy a fretted neck. I just had a quick look on the Gallery website, and Martin charges about £130 for a refret. Cutting slots for the frets wouldn't take much longer than removing old ones, so I wouldn't have thought it would cost much more than that.

Thanks for all your advice. I have a lesson early this coming week, but I'm getting along with it ok. I used my tuner to work out where the notes are, I worked out some by ear, the easy ones were obviously where the 5th fret would be, and I've stuck some little pieces of tape along the neck, but I'm going to remove these one at a time over the next day or so, I don't want to start relying on them. It does need a set up and new strings, the guy in the shop admitted that, but didn't have time to do it, I was late getting there thanks to the road works on the M1, the shop closes at 3 on a Saturday, he was supposed to be at a gig at 3, but it was 3:15 before I left, but he says to take it down in the next week or so and he'll do it. Kevin

I got myself an upright today, I love it, it's a beautiful looking instrument, I'm renting it at the moment, which seems like a good idea, if I don't get on with it, I just take it back and change it, if I like it I can buy it, there's no limit on how long I can keep it for. Its German, and about 40 years old, it wasn't the cheapest, or the best sounding bass that they had, but I like the look of it, it has character. I got it from Thwaites in Watford, I can highly recommend them, they're very helpful and friendly, even to a total upright novice like me. The action is high though, the action on my electric bass is about 1.5mm, this is probably over a 1cm, the guy said he could fit an adjustable bridge to it, so I may have that done. I was just watching Stanley Clarke and his action seems to be incredibly low, but I'm now watching Branford Marsalis, and his bass player Eric Revis looks to have a really high action. I have a question about strings, I'm after a set of low tension ones, that will give me a nice clear sound, the ones on it are a bit too thuddy. Also how long do DB strings last for, a bit longer than BG strings I hope, I change those about once every 6 weeks or so, I don't fancy doing that at £100 a set.

In 23 years I've never broken a string, is that some sort of record ?.

[quote name='bassjamm' post='243532' date='Jul 19 2008, 11:07 PM']Hi people, Thinking of getting my fretless bass fretted in an effort to cure my bass related issues...leaving me without a fretless, but i'm not gigging mine much at the moment, and i can pick up a cheapish one. Has anyone else had a fretless bass fretted, if so what were your results? Thanks Jamie[/quote] My 1st Sei sixer used to be a fretless, I didn't know until Martin happened to mention once after he'd set it up for me.

As I said in my other posting, I'm having my 1st DB lesson next week, I was going to wait until I'd had a few lessons before buying an instrument, but I'll need something to practise on, so I thought I'd hire one. Footes were recommended to me, and they have a hire scheme, with an option to buy, here - [url="http://www.footesmusic.com/page.asp?s=fgmpdl365661&id=rental"]http://www.footesmusic.com/page.asp?s=fgmp...1&id=rental[/url] They have these two nice looking objects, I'm now seeking advice about which one to have. [url="http://www.footesmusic.com/product.asp?s=fgmpdl365661&strParents=327&CAT_ID=661&P_ID=2729"]http://www.footesmusic.com/product.asp?s=f...1&P_ID=2729[/url] [url="http://www.footesmusic.com/product.asp?s=fgmpdl365661&strParents=327&CAT_ID=661&P_ID=3628"]http://www.footesmusic.com/product.asp?s=f...1&P_ID=3628[/url] Once again thanks for your help. Kevin

[quote name='Platypus' post='241758' date='Jul 17 2008, 01:52 PM']As Kev posted this in the Double Bass/EUB forum I don't think the 'cheap Fender copy for ebay' is a runner.... P[/quote] Hi Erm, yeah I'm OK for electric basses, it's a double bass that I'm after. Thanks for replying though. Kevin

I'm having my 1st lesson next week from a guy called Tyrone Bishop. I'm in a catch 22 situation though, I don't have a bass yet, and will need something to practise on to build up my technique, I want to be able to play a bit though before actually buying an instrument. Anyone know if it's possible to hire one, and where from. Kevin

[quote name='bremen' post='241563' date='Jul 17 2008, 10:35 AM']No, the reason lightning goes down is because there's a potential difference between the cloud and the ground. You also see lightning from cloud-to-cloud; that's where there's a PD between clouds. Erm, that's what I said. [b]If neither output terminal of the generator is connected to ground [/b], there is only PD from terminal-to-terminal. So you don't want to be bridging them ;-) However, there is no PD between either terminal and the ground, so you could quite safely grab either terminal with one hand and the ground with the other. Ground or earth has zero potential, if the generater has an output of 230 volts then there's a potential difference of 230 volts. Does anyone know whether generators do connect a terminal to ground, and if so why? Certainly if the supply is referenced to earth (or even if it's not, doesn't do any harm!)[/quote]

[quote name='bremen' post='241550' date='Jul 17 2008, 10:11 AM']No amp that I know of is double-insulated. Surely a generator is safer than mains? The only reason you get a shock from the mains to ground is that the ground is used as the conductor for the return current. The output from a generator is 'floating', ie not connected to earth at either side, so there's no reason for current to flow to earth.[/quote] It will always go to earth if there's a difference in potential, that's why lightning goes down, you can't get more floating than that. The problem with the Martindale type testers is they only tell you if there is an earth, not how good it is. If you have a very poor earth, then whatever means of disconnection you have won't disconnect fast enough, ie in 40ms or faster. I'd recommend that everyone uses some sort of RCD protection. Anywhere that has 'live' entertainment where the public has access are meant to be tested to BS7671 standard every year, to obtain their entertainments license. They are also meant to have RCD protection on all sockets likely to be used.

Definitely Blue Monk, we used to do that but haven't for ages now. I personally hate Blue Bossa. I actually really like Chameleon.

This is the one I use. [url="http://www.greenbrook.co.uk/pb.htm"]http://www.greenbrook.co.uk/pb.htm[/url]

[quote name='chris_b' post='240839' date='Jul 16 2008, 01:23 PM']The RCD is good but only if you have an earth. If you don't it doesn't trip. You should be able to find these in any electrical shop. These are a couple of examples I found online: MARTINDALE CP501 CHECK PLUG £11.95 [url="http://www.pat-training.co.uk/socket_testers.htm"]http://www.pat-training.co.uk/socket_testers.htm[/url] 13A Tester Plug £8.40 [url="http://essentialsupplies.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_13A_Test_Plugs_147.html"]http://essentialsupplies.co.uk/acatalog/On..._Plugs_147.html[/url][/quote] If it hasn't got an earth it won't actually work at all.

He also says the neck is graphite, if it's a Washburn, which it obviously is, then it's made from wood, were the necks painted ?.

I always use an extension lead with a built in RCD, it won't actually work unless there is an earth, and will 'trip out' if there's a fault. Something like this is ideal, and cheap. [url="http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=29769&doy=16m7&criteria=rcd"]http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?Module...mp;criteria=rcd[/url]

[quote name='bilbo230763' post='240577' date='Jul 16 2008, 08:31 AM']I am assuming when you say a 'jazz' set, you don't mean jazz-funk or jazz-rock. Santana/George Benson tunes aren't considered to be jazz. I suspect you are talking standards type jazz. Starters for 10 - All of Me All the Things You Are Autumn Leaves The Best Is Yet to Come Body and Soul Desafinado (Latin) Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye The Girl from Ipanema (Latin) How High the Moon It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing) Just Squeeze Me (But Please Don't Tease Me) Lover Man (Oh Where Can You Be?) Lush Life (beautiful but hard!!) Mack the Knife (although it sucks) Misty My Foolish Heart My Funny Valentine Nature Boy Satin Doll Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most (another beautiful but complex tune) Tenderly These Foolish Things (Remind Me of You) What Is This Thing Called Love? You Don't Know What Love Is THe big problem you will have is a, accessing charts (if you have some fake books great, if not, you may have a problem). After that you will find that many songs are not in your singers key so they will need transposing - not a massive problem but it will need a run through if only piano/guitar and vocals. How much experience have you/the band/your singer got in playing jazz? It sounds like this is a new area for you and I am anxious that you have been set up to fail. If you haven't played jazz before, debuting as a jazz band at the Jazz Cafe sounds like a high risky undertaking![/quote] Looks like my bands set list, there are some very tricky songs there for the novice jazz player, but that's a typical 'jazz set'. I second what Bolbo has said, that's a good gig to get, but there's a lot more to putting together a jazz set than picking some song titles.