jrixn1

Thanks. I currently play a mixed set of Spirocore and Gut-a-Like (which sound good but aren't a perfect match tension-wise) but they might need replacing at some point, so I will look into the Rotosounds as they sound interesting. The Band gave inconsistent results with my bass - sometimes even during when it was in use...! And at its best, it seemed to give no improvement in tone compared to my Bass Max. But great to hear that it's working out for you. There are lots of different pickup systems and strings, and although I'm pretty happy with what I've ended up with, still I'd love to experiment more (need more time and money though).

K&K Bass Max - had mine for years/decades. It sounds ok on its own, but I find it improves once in the band mix. Really easy to work with live - I never have a bad sound or any issues. Headway Band - just send it back... I found it useless. Mounted mic - I haven't used that particular one, but I've owned similar, and currently the band put a DPA on me in theatres but don't bother at weddings (too loud). I found best results is to send to the mixing desk but don't route it through your stage amp/monitor - unless you are all quiet enough that you can do so without feedback, in which case great. What are those strings - lower steel, upper synthetic?

Sounds like I'm in a minority - but I contacted Bass Bros with all the details and photos etc of a bass I was hoping to sell via them, and never heard back. The bass was since sold elsewhere.

Your right to return is legally protected. Even if the retailer writes otherwise on their website or in their terms & conditions, it doesn't matter - they can't override your statutory rights. (This is in the UK - I don't know the law in Latvia.)

In addition to what Dad just said: The retailer must refund the original outbound postage (or their minimum normal postage cost, if you chose a higher-priced option). Some shops try to subtract this postage amount from the refund, but push back and they will refund it (if you need to quote some legislation to them, it's the Consumer Rights Act 2015). Similarly, they can't charge a "restocking fee". Basically, they should be refunding you 100% of what you paid. However, if you did damage the item, they can charge for that.

The cost of insurance is always going to be more than the expected value of loss/damage - the difference is how insurers make money. The shops could be getting a special deal like you say, but I also wonder (and this is just a guess) if they just send them uninsured because of the volume that they're trading. If they are turning over £1,000,000 of basses, it's going to be cheaper to write off £5,000 of lost basses versus paying £10,000 of insurance. It's different if you're an individual and only buying a couple of basses per year - i.e. if you are the unlucky 1 in 100 person whose bass goes missing and can't afford to take a £700 hit because you needed that money this month to fix your broken car etc.

A Gear4music foam case is £45 - you can always sell it on afterwards. Although they're actually pretty good - I bought one initially for exactly this postal insurance reason, but ended up keeping it for many years. (Or buy a few and set up a side hustle bass case rental service for other people in your situation...) BTW get the seller to take photos of the bass as they pack it - see these T&C, "We will request these photos if your package is lost or damaged":

There was a recent thread about this with some good suggestions: https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/472167-courier-with-insurance-dec-2022-any-suggestions-please/ The cost depends on the value of the bass. I recently sent a bass insured for £1000 which cost £49 with Overland Express (carrier was Parcelforce). Fortunately I didn't need to make a claim so can't give any feedback on that aspect.

How about low profile Dual Lock. There are a few Dual Lock products - the one I have is called "SJ4575".

Bit confusing at first, as this reads as if you ( @TheGreek ) are giving a masterclass. But actually I think your whole post was copied and pasted from somewhere?

Ah yes, good point - I'd over-assumed that everything was already running through the PA. (If everything had been, and if you had a digital mixer, you could likely record each track individually - i.e. independently of whatever you're doing with the FOH or monitors - and mix it down later)

I've had 7lb 11oz and 7lb 2oz P basses which didn't have neck dive. They too also had Ultralites.

What are you recording - if it's your own band, can you record straight out of the desk?

Yes - will an ATA carnet be needed? It was touched upon in another discussion the other day - https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/473203-any-spanish-brethren-who-could-help-out-a-uk-band-with-gear-loanhire-in-march

Specs are one thing, but I found I never really know if something will be good enough other than playing it in real-life situations for a few months. I was using a 10" Yamaha DXR10 mkII for a year (in between owning the RCF 732-A and FBT ProMaxx 112A) and it performed really well; I was very happy with it. Just in a few situations it did not feel quite as effortless as a larger powered speaker does. I was tempted to keep it anyway for the gigs that I knew would be lower volume; but in the end I'm trying to take a more minimalist approach to owning (and storing) gear. The smaller and slimmer form factor of a 10" will always have an appeal - not only the weight saving, but close to half the geometric volume of a 12". Let us know if you get one!

P bass & upright bass → EBS Stanley Clarke preamp → FBT ProMaxx 112A (normally as stage monitor, or as backline if there's no PA). I'm loving the FBT. I've never seen it mentioned by bass players (I searched the entire internet loads before buying it and found nothing). My previous 12" powered speaker was an RCF 732-A, and in a nutshell the FBT is comparable in price and performance, but at 80% of the weight - just 14.8kg.

Why are you considering a MarkBass 102 cab when you already own the Barefaced Two10? The Barefaced is already smaller, lighter, and has less footprint than the MarkBass.

I bought a book from @Cat Burrito and he posted at the post office literally within a few minutes of me paying, which is an unsurpassable level of service! Thanks Tim!

Did they make a StingRay with 35" scale length?

What were the five-string basses you've previously used, and in particular did they have bridge pickups? That could be another difference, perhaps.

There is lot of reference so far to "an M80" as if it's a specific particular gig bag model. But my understanding is that M80 is a line of products. What I mean is that when I look at https://monocreators.com/pages/m80, they show the "M80 Stealth", the "M80 Vertigo", the "M80 Classic", and the "M80 Sleeve". So unless I've misunderstood something, all four are M80, yes? So when you say "I have an M80", which one do you mean?

Can you do any of the following? Leave a rig at the practice space. Leave a rig at the drummer's place and get them to bring it, as presumably they are driving anyway. Share a rig with the guitarist and take turns to bring it; e.g. a 10" PA speaker with two inputs.

I have no experience in this area, but I watched this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7DlM_Nc96U He is saying duplicate list is only of use at the UK border. I.e. you can use it to get out of and back into UK fine - but you still have the separate task of getting in and out of Spain... From HMRC's form: "You can only use the duplicate list procedure and form C&E1246 to help with the temporary export of goods and the subsequent return of the same goods to the UK. [...] A customs declaration must be completed and any financial security must be given which may be required by the country to which the exporter takes the goods."