KingBollock

I am a failed guitarist, though I didn't take up guitar until a few years after starting to play bass, I am, however, rubbish at it. I tend to play it like a bass, although having been without a band for the best party of 20 years I tend to play the bass as a solo instrument (please don't throw rocks at me!). If you we're to see or hear me playing my banjo or my ukulele, you definitely recognise me as a bass player. I HATE the "Bass is easier because it only has 4 strings!" Thing. OK, here play this violin, cello, banjo, balalaika... Incidentally, what's the best way to differentiate between a bass and a guitar when taking about them on BassChat? See, I've done it in my question, but not everyone does it the same way, there's no standard. It was easier for me because I mentioned both in the same sentence. Some would say that the bass is a guitar and you can't just say 6 string because there are 6 string basses. Perhaps "the thin stringer"? Though it's rather inelegant.

A couple of years ago I popped into a guitar shop in a town just up the coast. I commented, quietly but not quietly enough, to my wife that the place only had one bass in it. The shop owner, having heard me, commented that he knew I was a bass player the moment I walked in. I took it as a compliment, whether it was meant as one or not.

Got to add some more. Carcass or Arch Enemy. Cradle of Filth. Bolt Thrower. Would love to tour with Willie Nelson too.

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1365254444' post='2037248'] I'm sure it's a given that we'd all like to play in our favourite band but, for me, the ultimate fantasy would be to have played at some of the milestone gigs. So, off the top of my head: Woodstock - playing with Santana, The Band, The Who or Jefferson Airplane IOW - playing with Jimi Hendrix The Beatles at Shea - just to have been there Queen at Live Aid Playing to 1m+ people with the Stones in Rio The Wall - with Roger Waters in Berlin (er, OK, we'd have to fight over the bass parts ) I think that would be enough for a decent memoir. [/quote] Jefferson Airplane at Woodstock is a cracker, though I'd probably go with Canned Heat.

WASP if Blackie didn't so desperately need a slap. Megadeth if Mustaine didn't so desperately need a slap and a kick in the balls. Or maybe Slayer, which is odd because I rarely listen to them but I just love the riff basedness of their music. Or Pearl Jam. I can't say Motörhead for obvious reasons. Actually, the ultimate for me would be The Vision Bleak if only their live shows matched their music. A frilly shirt and a waistcoat, on just the singer and lead guitarist, just doesn't live up to the grand theatre of their music. I'm not very good at this.

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1365067462' post='2034711'] 4x10s are seriously out of date now. [/quote] And that's why they're so great. The more out of fashion something gets the more likely I am to be able to afford to buy one. I love my 4x10, it sounds great and cost me £40.

No help at all but I have the T35 and it's a lovely Bass. Even though it only has a 2 band eq I find it very versatile. I wish my Warlock sounded as good. Actually, one thought, have you tried different kinds of strings on it? You might be able to get the extra sparkle you're after that way.

[quote name='OBT1000_S12' timestamp='1364763973' post='2030706'] Frustrating isn't it? What do you mean by a lower profile bridge something that's smaller? Its got a BA2 on at the moment. Have you got any ideas so I can look into it? [/quote] Yeah, just a bridge that is thinner/lower, so it doesn't hold the strings so high off the body. With the standard Fender style bridges sometimes people grind the bottom of the barrel saddles flat so they can lower them more than normal, but you can't do that with your bridge, if it's the one I am thinking of. To be honest, I think that if you can get your neck problem fixed, so the screws hold the neck properly, it will make a huge difference to your action and may not even need any other work done to it.

Another alternative is to either get the bridge routed and sunk into the body, or replace it with a lower profile bridge. I am having the same problem as you, but mine is a neck-through so I can't shim it.

[quote name='chrismuzz' timestamp='1364613861' post='2028926'] It sounds like it COULD be due to non-straight wrists as mentioned above, so taking some time to focus on just that every practice session will probably make a difference. You'll find when you do play with straight wrists the effort involved in fretting/plucking is a LOT less too Cod Liver Oil supplements are great, I've been using them for the last few months and my joints seem to be a lot healthier. One other thing that's really helped me is going to the gym and lifting weights. I do 'wrist curls' once a week to target those specifically, but pretty much any exercise which involves holding a weight in your hands will strengthen your hands and wrists! Again, with those being stronger, you will be working a lot less hard when playing and your stamina will improve! I [b]played bass for 8 hours one day[/b] this week which I would never have been able to do this time last year! [/quote] I once took some naughty go-go powder and played guitar for 12 hours without a break. It left my fingers so sore that I couldn't touch anything for a week and couldn't pick up a guitar for three weeks. Mind you, it was a guitar not a bass, I don't know if it would have been the same if it had been a bass.

[quote name='Count Bassy' timestamp='1364581398' post='2028525'] Thumb and four fingers here, but tend to use a digit per string and only resort to 'classic' two or three finger technique when speed demands it. Bit of a weird technique I know, but comes down to living in the sticks when I first started and having no teacher or external reference (no internet in them days) - and to having played a bit of finger picking guitar first I guess. It works for me, but I wouldn't recommend it to others necessarily. [/quote] On the rare occasions I decide not to use a pick, I will often use my thumb and either two or three fingers. I picked this habit up from playing the banjo. I find I can get a much more consistent sound when galloping with thumb and first two fingers than just using three fingers.

[quote name='Lynottfan' timestamp='1364559589' post='2028136'] Timmy C is a carpet man isn't he? [/quote] He's a lesbian??

I remember seeing Dragon Force live a couple of times with their original Bass player and he had a very impressive, clean three finger style.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weER9k7crgg[/media] That's not me by the way. It's the first video I found by typing Machine Head Audition into YouTube.

Sorry to bring this back up again. I am going to do a few experiments to work out how best to get the foil marker onto the fretboard and feel sure one of them will work. What I am really stuck on is what to use to cover the design so that it doesn't wear off. I need something that is going to be clear, thin and hard wearing. All I have at the moment is some generic wood varnish that claims it doesn't go yellow but I imagine there's got to be something more suitable or would it work? I suppose if it doesn't i could always sand it off again, but I don't want to be doing that too much, I don't want to harm my lovely ebony fretboard. Any ideas? I think I'd rather not use epoxy because it looks difficult to work with, but if it would be the best thing I am sure I could learn how to use it if I have to.

I need to replace parts of the bridge saddles on my Warlock but I am having trouble finding out what these particular parts are called never mind actually finding them to buy. It's the smaller part that sits in the larger part (I have taken to calling them the saddle and sled). I want to replace them with something quite specific. 11mm wide, 4mm deep and 5mm high (so half as high as the current ones), in stainless steel. Anyone have any idea if there's even a chance of buying them, or how much it would cost to get some made with the screw holes drilled and tapped? I'd have a go at making the myself if it wasn't for the screw holes, I don't have a precise enough drill or a tap and die set. My only other option is to grind the current ones down, but I would like to get them in stainless steel to match the frets and I am planning on having a go at making a stainless steel nut, too.

[quote name='lefrash' timestamp='1364117861' post='2021974'] Thats a very interesting thought actually. Never thought about that! [/quote] When money's tight, you have to get inventive.

Just had a thought. I did some reconditioning of a stereo power amp I have and it is made up of 3 parts, the transformer and two separate boards for the amps, basically two mono, 250w rms at 4 ohms, amps, each with a volume knob. It's a 2 unit rack amp, but it is quite shallow. It would be dead easy to take out the innards and put just the transformer and one of the amp boards into a much smaller case. The only thing is, if you we're to buy something with the intention of doing this, you'd have to know whether the amps are on two boards or one.

[quote name='Dave Vader' timestamp='1363987440' post='2020725'] It is nice here, but all of you claiming it's because we're all bass players have obviously not been to that other well known bass forum very often. [/quote] It almost seems like some people are suggesting we're all alike, though I'm sure that isn't actually what they mean. But one of the good things about this place is the variety of personalities and the interesting discussions that can arise from that. Occasionally threads can go tits up, but usually interesting discussions between people holding very different views can be had completely amicably, which is ace. The one thing we all have in common is the Bass, and even in that we still have huge diversity in opinions and styles.

I love it here, for many, many reasons.

There's a 100w rms amp kit at Maplins: http://www.maplin.co.uk/200w-power-amplifier-46467 It requires a few extra bits, like a heat sink, transformer and an enclosure, but it still works out quite cheap.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1363954157' post='2020038'] While sound and playability are essential, personally I couldn't play a bass that I didn't like the look of as well (or at least not in public). [/quote] I agree. I don't think a Bass is truly the whole package unless you like the way it looks. It doesn't have to be pretty, but it has to have some kind of character that you can truly fall in love with. My favourite Bass I bought purely because of the way it looks. There are several cheaper models that I avoided to give it a better chance of not being a dog, but really I just got very lucky in that it plays like a dream.

[quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1363863790' post='2018511'] mmmmmmmnah. I think you are wrong [/quote] Just because you don't need to know all the theory to be able to play it, doesn't mean there isn't any behind it. I can't read music past a very basic level (which I only learned for learning to play the Penny Whistle) yet I used to be able to play Fur Elise on the Piano, does that mean Classical music is ignorant of theory? I remember the chap who did the orchestra parts for Metallica's S&M album being surprised at just how steeped in theory Metallica's music actually is, even though the band were unaware of it. Though I believe Cliff Burton did know, which might explain a lot.

[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1363822911' post='2018352'] Good call they are very light. The Hohner 'Jack' bass might work too. Also maybe the original Fender 'Urge' bass - 32" scale and lightweight. I would normally recommend the Hohner B2A but if playing below the 3rd fret is painful you should avoid any bass that doesn't have the strap button in the region of the 12th fret. [/quote] I was thinking about the Stick type Basses and their weight distribution, I was wondering if one of those Country style, single button straps (I can't think what they're called right now) might make it better? It might well help with shoulder problems too as it only hangs from your neck.

What about some sort of stick bass? Steinberger, Hohner and Westone all do them and I'm fairly sure there are more. They're very small and light. The only thing I'm not sure about is neck dive, it's been 20 years since I last played one.