Grangur

[quote name='clivem' timestamp='1507657380' post='3387050'] I'm not liking the wooden pick-guard on the 5er. It really jars..... The grain being 90 degrees to the grain on the body. But, maybe that's just me. [/quote] If you look closer, the pickguard grain does run the same way as the body wood. What you're seeing is a wave in the grain that gives a sideways line as well. All that said, I can appreciate that you don't like it. TBH, I would go for a different wood. I don't think that is a great combination either.

[quote name='Evil Undead' timestamp='1507655099' post='3387029'] I was mostly using the Motown sound as an example of the kind of versatility I'm after. I like all sorts of tones really. I'm trying to learn slap as well and only have the one bass so flats wouldn't be for me I think. Plug in preamp is interesting. This might be a silly question but do they do the same thing as the onboard ones? I get you. I definitely want to sort the break angle issue first, as you say, it might be perfect after that. But, that said, I do miss the little bit of extra "bite" of my old active basses, and I miss not having one any more really. And I'm gonna look for a preamp with a passive bypass so I've got passive when I want it as well. [/quote] What I use, if I want one is a Zoom B3. It has a number of pre-amps built in. To me, they seem to do all I can imagine I'd want. That said I normally use an EQ set flat. So it would be better to get other people's views on this.

Somethings can't easily be summed up in words in the bullet point description. [b]Maybe [/b]more attention is paid to things like: Fret-ends? Neck/body pocket precision in the fit? Pickup quality? What we do know about the 5 - string is: [color=#1D2837][font=poppins, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]"Taking its cue from the hugely successful Bass Collection Jive Bass, the 5 string Jive Five sports a new, light, weight body contour and super-fast, satin finish neck alongside a wealth of additional modern flourishes... 21 fret [b]ebony fingerboard[/b], lush, [b]figured ash bod[/b]y with [b]contrasting ash-veneered pickguard[/b], twin band active EQ and a hi-mass, hi-sustain bridge system."[/font][/color] On the face of it, a USA Fender isn't worth paying the extra over a MIM, but folk still do. I'd prefer a bass with the refinement of the 5er here, And I'd pay the extra.

[quote name='Fionn' timestamp='1507642409' post='3386932'] There's a way to keep your current strings, but with a more neutral colour. Dip the silks in black dye, leave them to dry, rinse them off, leave to dry again, apply to bass ... Job done. If it's only the colour of the silks that you don't like, if you're ok with them being black, and you're happy with the sound and feel of the strings otherwise, then it's an option. Cheaper and less risky than buying a new set of strings that you're unfamiliar with. I dyed the silks on a set of Ernie Ball Cobalt flats in this way. Dyed the purple silk to black. It worked absolutely fine. [/quote] This is cheating. It's deception at it's worst. (Why didn't I think of this? Many thanks )

Have you asked him what is it about the bass that makes them want to play? Is it the tone, groove etc? Does he want to play in a band? If he doesn't want to play in a band, then maybe playing melodic pieces will fill his desires? That's what I play. I'm happy.

Like the "Disco-lexic" but joking aside, Mrs G is dyslexic and dyspraxic to some degree and her daughter is even more so. Apparently, these conditions do make it hard for them to feel a beat. Mrs G was telling me she simply doesn't "feel" it. This is why when dancing she will "do the movements", but simply can not "feel" the beat at all. Maybe this is why she plays the piano. She dreads anyone asking her to play to a metronome. She's played for over 30 years and still can't play to a beat. She's getting better through hearing me do it, but It's taking time.

[quote name='ahpook' timestamp='1507551414' post='3386237'] Be fair now, a 60W bulb doesn't produce 60W of light. [/quote] If a bulb didn't lose 10% of its energy in light it would be an efficient heater. And, if you don't mind... light is measured in Lumens.

You're getting a luthier to look at the neck and break-angle. If I were you I'd wait and see what he does and how it is after he's finished. You could try a plug-in pre-amp. You can then use it on other basses. Yet, Mowtown sound was done with a pretty basic P-bass. No fancy stuff back then. James Jamerson played a P-bass with dead flats. Have you got both pups going? Maybe try turning to using only the neck P-pup. Try some flats, if you haven't already?

[quote name='Evil Undead' timestamp='1507549106' post='3386204'] I've had lessons, and he really helped with my technique, which I think is pretty much ok (EDIT: it is now anyway, wasn't before!), and I've seen physios and specialists in the past, especially following a wrist injury in about 2009-2010. I think most of the issue with my hands is my day job, it's very keyboard/mouse heavy, but I love my job so I'm not willing to change that. I'm not a good bassist so a video might be embarrassing, haha, but I'll see what I can do [/quote] Maybe your chair/posture at work is wrong? A lot of us here aren't great; myself included. If you post a vid of you playing, just playing scales and stuff will give an idea of how you play.

"[color=#3C3241][font=Castledown, Arial, sans-serif][size=4]360 watt bass amp. [b]Seeking [/b]due to no longer playing bass."[/size][/font][/color] [font="Castledown, Arial, sans-serif"][color="#3c3241"][size=4]Let's hope he finds one. Don't you just love predictive text?[/size][/color][/font]

Just a thought; you've had hand/wrist problems a long time. I don't know if you've seen a Doc, or if you have lessons etc. But maybe if you share a video of you playing a teacher here might be able to see if there's something in your technique that causes your pain. Could it be a matter of playing height or something? Even if you don't want to share publicly, Ped or another teacher might be able to put a finger on it.

[quote name='Delberthot' timestamp='1507531960' post='3386014'] I've never tried the La Bellas but I didn't find Chromes to be low tension. I might have imagined this but are Fender strings made by D'addario? Might be an idea to look into their flats as they might be similar if they have no silks [/quote] Hmmm... Yes. Thanks. Didn't realise they did flats. I'll have to try them http://www.stringsdirect.co.uk//strings-c1/bass-guitar-c34/fender-9050m-4-string-stainless-steel-flatwound-bass-guitar-strings-55-105-long-scale-p1100?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI44GKkYzj1gIV1G4bCh1VhQBfEAQYAyABEgJUDPD_BwE#fo_c=1949&fo_k=66e377ac1e563739a3c7036ea45f52b4&fo_s=gplauk?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term= They do 5's too.

[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1507536244' post='3386045'] Ah. For me the look of the bass is completely unimportant. If the perfectly balanced comfy bass, with acceptable tone was a Daisy Rock Butterfly with Trump's face on it, loaded with DR UV reactive strings... then I'd be happy to play it. [/quote] Now, a butterfly Daisy Rock, that could be cool! Yet anything with Trump's face on it would simply need to be slapped.

[quote name='MOSCOWBASS' timestamp='1507498908' post='3385947'] La Bella low tension flats have purple silk, but they are good [/quote] Many thanks. I'll have to think about that.

[quote name='Sibob' timestamp='1507493831' post='3385898'] So what if you found the perfect silk colour but they sounded crap, and the perfect sounding string were the worst coloured silk?! Si [/quote] In the past I've played all my basses with Elixir or Fender strings: They have no silk. My basses are mostly Warwicks and most are natural wood colour. I guess I've been lucky that the silkless strings have mostly sounded to my approval.

[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1507492975' post='3385891'] I had no idea silk colour bothered people. [/quote] I suppose it depends on your nature. I'm particular about all aspects of the look of my basses as well as the tone.

My favourite is D. I thought this was alone in this. It seemed daft and illogical when I first found I like 1 note over the others. Thanks for posting.

Excellent result, Mel. Silly question: I take it the E string is wound from top to bottom on the post?

[quote name='Grahambythesea' timestamp='1507480564' post='3385751'] La Bella Low Tension Flats. [/quote] Many thanks. That's much appreciated.

This week I found I had a bass that had a dead G-string. The set-up seemed ok, but the notes on the G simply didn't ring like the rest. I took another look at the set-up and the pup was slightly lower at the G end and the action on the G string was slightly higher. I adjusted it and it all seems good now. Maybe you should take another look at the setup? Or get someone else to take a look at yours? In any case, Mel, I hope you do get it sorted. You sound like you're really frustrated, which is totally understandable.

Hi all, for some time I've been using D'Addarrio Chrome flat-wounds on a blue bass and on a dark bass where the blue silks probably don't notice much. I like the feel and the sound and all's good. But, I've now decided to put flats on another bass and blue isn't really what I'd like on there. It's OK, but not great. What I'm used to is the bare metal of Elixirs that I've been using. Does anyone know of any flats similar to the Chromes that don't have any silks on there?