BassTractor

Hi Brian, Stay with it, I'd say. You mention you got the Yammie "recently", and I think it's the keyword. Adapting is all about playing experience, so-called muscle memory and being used to having to adapt. Practise and don't limit yourself to one "feel" only. The latter IME is murderous for your ability to adapt. This stuff is in fact my reason for collecting basses faster than 1 bass per chapter in Bass For Dummies. To me, a task is only mastered when it's mastered on every bass - including badly set-up ones. As a teacher, I've always made sure my pupils had to change instruments and other conditions, just so they would become sturdy in their craft. Piano pupils for example would be asked to play the same tune on an electronic keyboard as well. Helped them a lot. best, bert

Of the five amps mentioned upto now, I only know the RedSub in its Beta Aivin BP35 guise. I've been going on an on about that thing here for its flexibility and sound that seems to be from a wholly different price range. imHo, it does mwaah as well as slap, and needs little tweaking of the eq to get a different sound. I found it so endearing that it made me sell my Ashdown Mag 300W 410 combo that sounded indifferent despite a very flexible eq section with a function I love: setting the filter frequency as well as the amount. BTW, I now have a Little Bastard 30W with two 112s instead, and that thing rocks. Somewhere, I think twas on here, someone reported that a RedSub combo sounded better than its Ibanez or Beta Aivin version. May be worth a search. Good luck! best, bert

Hey Sam, Welcome! I'm sure you'll have fun with this site and the banter here. Great story you wrote. Loved the ukelele/cool bit. The StingRay looks great in that colour! Mine's boring black (but then I have a sick green Bongo). I sure hope you'll be satisfied with that thing. It's a monster bass, and one of the true classics. Enjoy! best, bert

Hey Tony, Welcome! So you're staying then? Good idea. We've got limited amounts of strings, limited self-esteem and limited success with the ladies, but we could always learn from a guitarist. [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1359313495' post='1952966'] I can only count up to ten... [/quote] Don't matter, buddy. Twas a great bonercover at any rate. best, bert, Count Tofour

From the same interwebs: [IMG]http://i1170.photobucket.com/albums/r525/basstractor1/FenderPDeluxe-translucentgreen1_zps0a122cf8.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i1170.photobucket.com/albums/r525/basstractor1/FenderPDeluxe-translucentgreen4_zpsd2061000.jpg[/IMG]

[quote name='DiMarco' timestamp='1359305171' post='1952779'] Today I fixed what Fender should have. [/quote] What stuff is that, Marco? Copper/alu tape? It looks like it's easy to apply. That, or you're a master. Garoets, bert

[quote name='tedmanzie' timestamp='1359229227' post='1952003'] Your reply is pretty weird! [/quote] Intelligent people get that a lot. I found his reply witty and to the point. best, bert

Hey Romulus, Smart move. Welcome to BC. I'm sure many here will try and help you to help her, and succeed. Pick our collective brain and it won't hurt so much. Good luck, and enjoy! best, bert

Hey Xray, Welcome! Both to BC and to the Wise Fools Club. Personally, I'm happy you're only a part-time worship bassist. 40 hours a week could be a bit much even for bassist worshippers. God, Art, Surfing? You've got GAS! Enjoy! best, bert

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1359126764' post='1950303'] Sounds like Tesco to me. [/quote] Damn you! I was sooo looking forward to writing that! best, bert

Hey Tim, Welcome! Great user name, but I'm most in awe of your avatar. You'll find that a lot of bassists here started out on - or still play - the guitar, so there's company to be had here. Not me though: I'm a classical organist and (com)poser. Are you an experienced guitarist then? Any trouble with the thicker strings and wider spacing? Anyway, Enjoy the forum and its banter! best, bert

Wayne! Why ruin what could have been a perfectly joyful, intriguing thread?? . . [b][i]Why?[/i][/b] best, bert

Hey, Wilson born 1923, Welcome! The interwebs seem to tell me this is a custom option, and indeed rare. Enjoy the site if you're staying bantering. best, bert

For those who haven't seen it yet: . . LOL @ "[size=4][b]milk it![/b][/size]" best, bert

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1359067338' post='1949540'] I've used Real Electronics [/quote] Yeah, they're unreal! Good to see ya back, G! b, b

Yes, seriously: if you do nothing to change the sound, you'll already have tubey, fatty sound. From there, EQ all you like, as it never becomes modern and Hi-Fi. Change the tubes mainly for different gain levels. Right now I'm having fun with a new Qsiure CV '50s P with factory strings (easy on the fingers, but seem deadish), and with a sad face on the EQ (though admittedly the sad face is hard to see with those round knobs - and so few of them too!) In addition, I'm very active at moving my playing hand between the neck and the bridge to press out some treble occasionally. Enjoy your new amp! best, bert

[quote name='WhoNeedsYou' timestamp='1359048337' post='1949051'] That actually read back like I didnt give a sh*t about joining the forum [/quote] Nah. More like relaxed and humorous if you ask me. Oh, you didn't ask. Anyway, best, bert

Nonsence! In all my life, I've [b]never ever[/b] made a mitsake, so why should those company's be any werse? Same goes for everyone complayning about these company's. Perfec people! best, bert

Hey Lazy, Welcome to BC! Realise though that "lazy bassist" is a pleonasm (though bassists are only 16.67% lazy when playing a five-stringer). Enjoy the banter and the site's vast base of information. Don't be too lazy to partake now. best, bert

[quote name='seashell' timestamp='1358977421' post='1948109'] BTW I am actually older than our drummer's mother, but do I care? No I rather like it. [/quote] I don't get that. I'm older than your drummer's mother too, but it leaves me cold. Morsefull, I think you first and foremost need to be old and know it - without any form of excuse or embarrassment. Your strength and character will translate. best, bert

[quote name='Dave Vader' timestamp='1358969353' post='1947925'] Jazz from Hell for Bilbo I think Though I am still the only person I know who liked it. [/quote] You should get to know me then. I lurv it. best, bert

[quote name='Dave Vader' timestamp='1358932250' post='1947120'] I think that's why most of us seem to be saying it's both. [/quote] Indeed, happily most seem to say that. Not all though. best, bert

[quote name='Spoombung' timestamp='1358935414' post='1947169'] If you're interested in developing more sophisticated chord changes I would recommend the following exercise: write three separate melodies - leave them without chords at first. Arrange them on the computer and have a think about the order. Leave it for a day then come back to the material and start fitting chords to the melodies. Do this three times - with different chords so you three different versions. Do this on separate days. Go back and spend several hours listening to what you've produced. You will often find that poor or uninteresting harmoniy choices immediately stimulate and prompt better choices on the first listening back. Finally spend time editing it together and don't worry about whether you can play it or not because you can spend timing learning it later. [/quote] Mighty cool! I specially like the important "separate days" part. I'll send my Seal Of Approval through snail mail, as I can't stick it on the thread from here. best, bert

You'll find very few people here who own one, I fear. I have one, but haven't heard it, as it has been on loan from new. But as I fear you will hardly get an informed response, here is all I know - which isn't much. A bassist who tried it at my friend's house was wildly enthusiastic about it, and wanted one for himself. I don't know that bassist, so this is the tiniest of contribution. Another thing to note is that the "Effects" and "Comp" (I assume this is a built in compressor) are footswitchable with a double switch with stereo jack. At Thomann that thing costs £10.43. [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/lead_foot_fs2.htm"]http://www.thomann.d...ad_foot_fs2.htm[/url] . Cable only 3.5 meters though. Bought one locally with 6 meter cable. FWIW, I bought the combo on the strength of my often mentioned Beta Aivin 35W combo (identical to [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_hbw35.htm"]http://www.thomann.d...enton_hbw35.htm[/url] ), which in my humble opinion tackles everything from fretless mwaah to slapping with "bravour", and which I far prefer above a 30W Roland Cube at double the price. That is all I know. Still hope you get a better answer. Edit: NO, I know a lot more! I also know that the user manual stinks. It tells you how to change the parameters of the built-in effects, but doesn't tell you exactly which parameters are available, or even how many parameters there are. So if you want to use them, you'll have to experiment and listen. best, bert