paul_c2

This is meant more as a general thing, not specifically relating to the above (£1400 bass). A more accurate way to value something would be to look at a number of completed listings on eBay. Without further details, I don't know if that £1400 was because you paid over-the-odds new, and you can't expect to sell something for more than its achievable value. (I've seen new items for sale with wildly different pricing!!!!) And, yes, if the market has seen a downturn, then the value may well have dropped more than you like. "As-new" isn't new, you don't get the benefits of new such as (probably) free delivery these days, 14 days distance selling return, other retailer benefits etc. Remember, if sellers are greedy and it doesn't sell, then you don't need to worry about how much eBay fees, Paypal fees etc are because you'll be getting precisely £0 for your efforts.

I'm not sure if you're saying that the BC marketplace itself is slow; or that you overestimated the price of the things you were selling. I notice you tried eBay too, and it didn't sell. Same question about eBay really? Surely if you do need to sell something, low start price and no reserve auction WILL, by definition, mean it finds its market price?

Well, I decided to buy a Boss GT-1B and it arrived today. I know I was also looking at synths - I think eventually, that's a route I'll probably pursue, but I'm well aware there can be a world of difference between something that's a bit of fun at home, and being able to practically use it in a band rehearsal/gig situation. I know its vague but I kinda know what I'm after, but only very roughly. Its the ability to instantly select (and de-select) some alternative tones to better fit into a particular song or three, in a wide variety of musical settings. But they can't be too "wacky", they still need to do the role of the bass, just spice it up a bit. After having spent a couple of hours with the Boss I've also downloaded the computer software that goes with it (makes things easier/quicker to do a load of setting up) and done a few basic patches of my own. I'm working my way through all the effect possible and there's a LOT which are (for me), useless or nearly-useless. In fact it almost comes down to the basics: chorus, flanger, some EQ. (Tuner is nice to have underfoot too). Still, at the price, and even if I use no others, its still a plus because having one unit rather than 4, makes sense both financially (I'd need to have bought a flanger...I used to own a BF2 but sold it...it was a nice one too!!) The "expression pedal" is nice to have, I'm sure its possible to assign it to one of the effect parameters - for example it would make sense if you could assign it to eg resonance, when using a patch which has a flanger on it. I've not quite sussed how to do that yet.....and the CTL1 button could do useful service as a treble boost (for solos). For now, I've put a couple of quite generic/useable settings for each song onto patch U2, U4, U6 etc. and changed U1, U3, U5, etc to "no effects". Another little feature I might do is put the song name onto U1/U3/U5, program the tempo in and make the LED flash to the bpm....although pragmatically, the drummer should be setting the tempos so its kinda not needed.

A couple of basic tips would be: 1. Learn (ear training) what the 1-4-5 progression sounds like. A lot of music just uses these, in some variation; and with some extras here and there. 2. Learn the pentatonic scales: major and minor. The minor is also known as "the blues box". Eventually you need to learn how to get out of "the blues box", but for now it will be a reasonable starting point.

A 10 string bass.

has all the info. And is an interesting watch too.

Ummmm no its not.....Ab to B (natural) is 3 semitones.

There must be different models, the ones I find on a normal search (for "Nord Lead") and completed listings shows £374-900, and a broken one went for £276.

There's the potential of saving an awful lot of time here......

Of course, I don't know what your PC is like but I'd have thought the average PC speakers, or even reasonably good ones, won't do a bass guitar justice. The same could be said of a really small practice amp however. I'd recommend a known-brand practice amp of around 30 watts. And I'd initially try it with whatever computer speakers you have now playing the music on the computer; and the bass just through the amp. If the amp overwhelms the computer speakers, then maybe link them up so the computer also plays through the amp (not the bass through the computer).

It would make sense to use a (practice) amp with a bass guitar, rather than routing it through the computer.

Thanks - I was watching that one closely (and in fact bid on it too) but it went at £245 which is high compared to many of the others and completed listings. Since I'm in no hurry I'll try other eBay auctions until I win one.

I nearly tried one but someone had nicked the power supply in the shop.

I'm not too worried about drum machine or "emulating" real instrument sounds, obviously its hard to describe but I'm after a good variety of unmistakably synthesised tones but which are usable. I'll have to think over whether I really need 3 octaves, or just want it, since there's a number of 2 octave machines also.

Went to look at a Novation Ultranova today, amongst others. Was also shown the Moog Sub Phatty - only 16 patch memories and 2 octave keyboard; and a Roland synth, I think it was the JD-Xi). I can see myself 90% of the time using it for just bass stuff, but also I occasionally arrange music, so for that, more octaves and polyphony is really handy. So at least now, I know the features I'm seeking: 3+ octaves, full size keys, store/retrieve patches, polyphony. They're still very confusing (to me) but in the 10-15 mins or so I tried it, I was able to at least get past the total bewilderment and random button-pressing, and actually find the buttons and controls to some basic features I half-understood.

I'm thinking more like £200....you can pick up eg the Ultranova up at that price secondhand.

Looks good but unfortunately too expensive, I can't find any secondhand ones out there.

I am thinking about getting into synths, mainly as a supplement and variety to bass playing. Its a new world to me! I don't want to spend too much but obviously I don't want to end up with a toy, or restricted features, etc. So, here's some really basic questions: - Everyone seems to be into analogue synth, is it better to start here? I note that there's the Novation Ultranova which is digital, but "models" the synth sounds in the way an analogue one would do - which seems to make sense. I am guessing it can still sound good, etc - Some of the cheaper ones have a 2 octave keyboard, I am guessing this would end up being a restriction pretty soon. I know I'd mainly be using it for bass stuff but....all the same....I can see it being a restriction (so Novation Bass Station II and Korg Monologue are out) - And for me, I can see myself putting it in a live situation, so for me some way of saving and recalling synth sounds (or the presets, if I'm happy with them) is essential. I think a few of the cheaper ones don't have this facility? - I see you can get one without a keyboard (pretty useless for me; and if I added a keyboard its another thing to lug round and have a power supply for - but if I had other keyboards....can see how you'd use it there instead), so I need a keyboard, and I'd prefer full size (so Mininova and Korg Monologue are out). Any decent recommendations? So far, the Novation Ultranova appeals and seems to fit the bill?

If that's the deal, then I'd want an extra £10!!!! Okay, £5

Maybe the right thing to do, would be to ensure that its made clear at the time of booking (presumably with a fee) if the deal includes/excludes a proper buffet/meal (or maybe sandwiches etc). I've been on jobs where buffet is included; and where sandwiches were provided instead, but I've always know beforehand.

I don't normally get told by someone else how to tune my instrument. There is a perfectly serviceable Ab at the 4th fret of the E string.

Hmmmmm......it does what it says on the tin. But the synth sounds are a bit too extreme, I was looking for something milder, or more subtle. So its pretty unusable on the bass. It has a bit of control over the synth sounds, but not enough to achieve a decent sound. So its going back. I tried it with electric guitar too, it makes more sense as a "special effect" for this, but its still a bit of a novelty sound instead of something which just alters the tone to add a bit of variety. Not really sure what next to do...I don't normally "do" effects, but I thought I'd like this kind of thing and also be able to make a practical use for it. In reality, there seems to be a couple of "basic" synth pedals, for example this one, the Bass Synth Wah, the Boss Bass Synth; but to get anything useful then there's a big gap between the £100 pedals and the Future Impact (realistically, none in the UK so after import tax, ~£500). I don't really want to go down the "rabbithole" of actually buying a keyboard synth, which is probably a cheaper and more sensible way of achieving this kind of variation in sound (and I'd prefer to just play the bass, rather than need to carry another instrument around + stand + inevitably an ABY box too). I know its only indirectly related but maybe I'm better off trying out a Boss GT1B multi-effects, but then getting into the details of its settings is another rabbithole.......but if it were set up properly, much more manageable and useful live (and I could probably ditch the separate tuner, chorus, compression and EQ pedals I have already....saving a bit of space and complexity etc).

From themselves, possibly???? In all seriousness, its probably something to do with funding - if its recognised and protected, then smaller/amateur groups might be able to link to that and gain grant funding, or something like that?

I've played two - one of which I now own. I have also briefly played USA and Mexican ones, amongst others. Probably not as much as some members on here, who own both USA and Japanese so could properly compare; but in my own limited experience, a Japanese Fender could "do it" just as well as a new USA model. I agree about SOME of the prices - if you restrict yourself to already imported-to-the-UK examples. But if you take a chance buying an unseen/unplayed bass eg on www.reverb.com (as I did) you could save a lot of money on the UK-located instrument prices. I had a quick look on Reverb and they start from under £400. Figure on ~£100 for delivery and ~£100+ for import duty. So its still <£600.

No, I just choose some - unlike the bass, on the French Horn it actually takes a considerable skill/effort to play what you can play in one key, up a tone or so. So if I'm feeling good I'll just do higher and higher scales of the same; then if I'm flunking stuff I'll go lower. Also its worth mentioning, although I don't expect many will "get" this - horn players don't necessarily think in actual proper pitch of notes. Instead of thinking "If I press the 2nd valve, I'll play B-D#-F#-B ie in B major, they'll think "I'll press the 2nd valve and go from horn in F to horn in E, then play C-E-G-C"; because historically (and its still true and still you come across it a lot in music) that's what the horn USED to do before it had valves, and the harmonics achieved that way aren't quite 12TET but in fact sound more natural, so you'd often strive to see the patterns and minimise valve fingering some of the time (and at other times, deliberately put in an alternate fingering to 'cheat' it and help with a difficult slur). Its hard, but worth achieving, situations where the lips and only the lips are doing the changes, not the fingers. So its what is practised. Also it helps pitching in the keys you enter - pitching is an absolute beach on the French Horn and if you did it, as well as all the other technical issues it WILL DEFINITELY improve your ear training because if you don't, or can't develop good pitching on the horn you basically may as well not even bother trying to play it at all, it would sound so bad.