Silvia Bluejay

It's a bargain, even more so now that any ordinary gig will set you back at the very least £25... Please keep us posted on other metal gigs you may be going to - sometimes they slip through my net when I'm busy and then I kick myself for missing them And if your band comes to London, we want to know that too! \m/

If I wasn't busy on the day I'd be tempted! Next time...

Aw, we like you too And yes, admittedly, uprights are pretty bad as GAS-causing items...

LOL sounds weird, but possibly fun! I'm sure you'll be fine. Might try with Kentish Town, but I'm not sure of my schedule for next week yet. We'll see. In any case, do keep us posted!

Argh. Too far, and in any case I'm booked for an evening at the Science Museum tonight. But please Clarky, keep us posted with your future gigs, hoping they're a bit closer to home - would love to see you guys play! All the best for tonight.

Welcome Ollie, both to the BC family and to the divorcees-wielding-a-bass ever-expanding club

Aw, what a great thread. Good to hear you're sorted, discreet. Now we want to know when and where you're playing live with that band, and we'll be there in our jeans and leather jackets to cheer and sing along - devil's horns optional but ready for deployment if appropriate

Thank you for both vids. Fantastic stuff.

*Clarky to HJ* 'Right, either that woman with the camera goes, or I do.'

Hi Chris, and welcome. Ex-TMS mature student here, living just south of you in W4. Please post info in the Events section when you have a gig - if it's in West or Central London I would love to come along.

And a warm welcome to you, Joel! You sound pretty busy on the music front. Keep up the good work! I assume you're Spanish? There are a few Spaniards on this board - hopefully they'll make contact with you through here.

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1335525449' post='1632559'] That's Michel, a French-Canadian who's a very good friend of the band, but who possesses one of the weirdest dance-styles I've ever seen. [/quote] Jack, I think in this case he was simply holding the remote

[quote name='thunderbird13' timestamp='1335518926' post='1632412'] Well thanks to you guys I've gone and got an EUB .Its only a cheap Stagg which I saw on Gumtree but after playing it for a few days I'm quite impressed by it. One thing I've noticed is that my left arm aches a a bit after playing for a while - is this normal or should I try to develop better technique , I do have a stand for it but it tends to hold it in too upright a postion [/quote] If, like me, you have played a more double-bass-like EUB before the Stagg, you may well have to adapt your technique. I'm having similar problems to yours on my new NS - can it be that these modern-looking, clever EUBs are designed so that we don't need to employ the full-on DB technique to play them, and can instead get by with a hybrid of bass guitar-style and DB-style plucking? Edit - You're talking about your fretting hand (being a lefty, I was confused for a moment!) - what I say still applies, though. Even fretting feels different, both in a good and in a bad way.

HAHAHA!!! Sorry - loved them all

[quote name='icastle' timestamp='1328642456' post='1530607'] I only ever use standard tuning for two reasons: 1) I've played that way for 30+ years and know where the notes are without having to guess or relearn from scratch. 2) Once you go below a low B then all you're really doing is attracting earthworms. [/quote] I sooo agree! (Even if I've only played for a few years.)

Thank you Sarah! I love both my uprights. I just wish I had the space to add a real double bass to my collection too, but that's a no-no at present.

I'm still getting used to it! As I said before, it feels more like a bass guitar stood on end than an actual double bass, so I'm still experimenting with standing next to it in different positions - at its side, behind it, etc. - and also with placing my plucking hand at different heights and in different spots on the neck/fingerboard. Loving it! And I'm happy that I also have the HB, which is much more like a double bass, even if it's thinner (I do use the spacing bar on it). Two different instruments, despite both being "electric upright basses".

[quote name='Gust0o' timestamp='1335451311' post='1631413'] I've got a Masters going spare, in that it's not used on a day-to-day basis. But, as part of the long learning process that is life, it has enabled me to afford many things - so, having sold my original basses to fund my BA, I am now a shabbier player... but own much nicer gear [/quote] LOL I guess that spending most of your youth at college and uni, as opposed to in a factory (or wherever) as an unskilled worker *is* good for you, and you should go for that option if your frame of mind and you/your family can afford it. That's not to say that those who either aren't attracted to that option or can't afford it and have to go to work at 15 are any less worthy than us poshies/swots/lucky sods or sodettes

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1335439042' post='1631045'] Sensible, but when I was the OP's age *rambles on about the war* I never listened to any advice whatsoever, and I doubt the OP will, either! Hooray! [/quote] *swot alert* I have two excellent degrees, which have served me relatively well, but I still think I could have stopped at one, and instead started playing bass when I was still at school, and been even happier with my life! Jokes apart, do your best with your degree, then splurge on the gear. Take it as a lesson in self-control and/or mental restraint - you will need a lot of that in life. All the best!

Anyone else? C'mon, join us

Welcome Joshua! Young, promising and a fellow leftie to boot! Keep posting and keep up the good work!

Link to my NXT album on Flickr! [url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluejay_my_photos/sets/72157629892313087"]http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluejay_my_photos/sets/72157629892313087[/url] There are 12 photos, I'm only publishing the first here, to avoid overloading this reply. Do you think the set is worth copying on to the Gear Porn section?

[quote name='bremen' timestamp='1335266313' post='1628210'] Beginning to wonder how to make it sound more double-bassey already. Obviously a lot is in the fingers so that'll come, but it can't be long before I'm looking at new strings, and I'm not sure exactly the sound I'm after yet so won't be in a hurry to spend £100+. [/quote] My HB has a tone pot that turns the sound from bass-guitar-like to double-bassy. The NS has that, plus a switch that allows to choose between Arco Mode and Pizzicato Mode. The instruction sheet reads as follows: Switch - up for Arco Mode, for optimal bowed and percussive plucked sound - down for Pizzicato Mode, for optimal plucked, sustained sound On my current practice amp I prefer pizzicato mode with a bit of tone pot tweaking on the bass, and bass turned all up, mid and treble turned 3/4 down on the amp (as recommended by the instructions, due to the bass having passive electronics) Obviously your playing style and the strings and cabs you use will make a difference, but i guess the first place to look is your own EUB and experiment a little.

[quote name='geoffbassist' timestamp='1335263861' post='1628122'] Great news Bluejay. Enjoy those low B's! :-) [/quote] Thanks Geoff! Loooving the Big Low B

[quote name='bremen' timestamp='1335266313' post='1628210'] Bluejay, what are the dimensions of the NS5 and HB neck? [/quote] At the nut, both the HB and the NS are exactly as wide as a 4-string and a 5-string bass guitar, respectively. The neck is obviously thicker to start with than that of a bass guitar in both cases. I've measured the NS's neck as 4.5cm wide just below the nut, same as my Corvette 5; its depth in the same spot, however, is 3.5cm as opposed to 2.5cm on the Corvette 5. Thing is, on the NS both width and depth increase rapidly due to the long scale! But I've found it relatively easy to play so far. In fact, I'm having more trouble with my plucking hand, as so far I can't seem to find a perfectly comfortable spot on the body or fingerboard near the bridge where to place my thumb. The HB's measurements at the thinnest places on the neck are 4cm wide and 3cm deep.