P-T-P

Practice for sure is the only real answer. How you practice though will make a difference. Start off slow and focused on getting your technique correct (both in terms of hand position and also, of course, getting the alternating finger thing working). Concentrate on making sure you've got even note lengths and that you aren't cutting notes short in the urgency to get to the next one. If you can, try to get to a situation where there's as little audible difference between notes struck with different fingers - in terms of both tone and volume. Try working your fingers both ways - i.e. start with your index finger on 'one' and then do the exercise again with your middle finger on 'one' - it can be easy to subconciously accent all the notes played by one or other finger if you always start with the same one. smoothness and consistency are the goal here. Get all those things sorted and working, ideally use a metronome at say 60 bpm, just so you've got a point of reference for note lengths and for subdividing beats (into 8th notes for example) and, once you've got it nailed at 60 bpm, gradually increase the speed. This will get your fingers working as a pair playing straight 8ths or 16ths at a fair old lick. Then add a bit of complexity with some string crossing exercises - try playing a major scale all in one (left hand) position for example. Again, start slow until you are accurate, then increase the bpm until you max out. Make sure you play the scale ascending and descending (lowest ot highest and vice versa), so that you get used to your plucking fingers jumping strings in both directions. You can increase the complexity of the string crossing by adding in the thirds from the scale - i.e. play [b]C [/b]E [b]D [/b]F [b]E [/b]G [b]F [/b]A [b]G [/b]B [b]A [/b]C [b]B [/b]D where the bold notes are the C major scale and the unbolded are the respective third from the same scale of each bolded note - do this ascending and descending too. You can repeat that exercise using the fourths (C to F, D to G etc.) fifths, sixths, sevenths and octaves. Once you get to the fifths, your right hand will need to cross two strings in a couple of places and three strings in one place by the time you get to the octaves. As always, start slow, get it right, then introduce speed to the process. Remember, Rome wasn't built in a day, neither was finger speed or strength. It won't happen for you overnight, but a little every day will get you up to speed before you know it. If it's starting to hurt or you're getting cramp. Stop. Take a break or come back to it tomorrow, injuring yourself now is only gonna make things take longer. If you're consistently getting cramped up or finding it painful/uncomfortable, it might be an idea to go back to looking at basic technique issues like how to hold the bass or wear it on a strap, arm positions and so on.

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='307050' date='Oct 15 2008, 01:22 PM']Well i dont know if they are actually new necks, i was assuming they were as this bass only came out this year. i know both the new Jazz and P have the same neck. I suppose they might have used them on older basses. My first ever 5 string was a Fender Squire P bass special and that put me off 5 strings for a good few years. That was really too wide for me. I love the Laklands as well. In fact i hate a normal 4 string P neck, at least, the one on the MIM classic 50's and even the HW-one were a bit of a hand full. This is the main reason ive ordered from Thomanns. If i dont like it ill get a DJ5 instead.[/quote] On the old US PB Deluxe V, it was the same nect as on the US J V. As much as anything, my problem was that they didn't feel like a 5 string version of a jazz bass neck, whereas the Lakland's kinda do feel that way because of the taper and rounder, shallower profile. Good move ordering from Thomann for the reasons stated. Out of interest is it definitely Fralins in your DD 'cause mine has the Lakland pick-up and sounds amazing.

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='307025' date='Oct 15 2008, 12:57 PM']Do you mean you loathe the new 5 string necks or the older ones? If so why? I couldn't get to play one before ordering but i got some neck dimensions for Tom Bowlus over on TB. Once i had measured my 55-01 neck against what he gave me it seems its just down to the radius whether ill like it or not (i hope).[/quote] Is there a new neck? I've had a ew Fender Vs over the years, both US and Mex and loathe is probably a strong word, I could use them, but they were very different to the Lakland ones. The nut width was similar but the profile was too chunky for my taste and also the narrower string spacing at the bridge meant that the taper of the neck was a lot less.

Will be interested to hear how this turns out 'cause I love the Lakland 5 string neck and loathe the Fender ones.

[quote name='chrisgil' post='303477' date='Oct 10 2008, 12:52 AM']Got an email from them asking if they want me to send it to them to have a look. How much roughly would it cost to get it to them? posting from the UK[/quote] Just the neck or the whole bass?

Contact them direct [email protected] is the address I believe. Don't go into how you acquired the bass, just tell them the problem.

Not in the least bit jealous or anything.

Dustin Hoffman Adam Clayton

[b]Good[/b] - I know everything I'm supposed to know to be able to play the songs I'm gonna play - I know what everyone else is supposed to playing - I can move ('dance' would be giving me too much credit!) and play at the same time - I play notes for their full duration. If it's four 1/4 notes, that's what you get, not four dotted 1/8s or worse. - I'm not shy about being heard. I (hopefully) play some nice thingss to add depth to a song or get the folks dancing. No point in me being there if I can't be heard. - I don't tend to be flashy just for the sake of it. I can play some fast, complex runs, but I only do so where they work. - You'll know how important what I do is when I'm not there and you don't know when to end your solo/start singing again/head for the chorus - Happy to use effects but only sparingly - My gear is quality and works 99.9% of the time and for that 0.1% it doesn't, there's a quick and painless back-up plan void of drama - I'll play whatever you want me to play, but not before I've tried to convince you about what I think I should play and why I'm right and you're wrong - Decent theory knowledge - Comfortable with most genres - Have good grrove and sit nicely in the pocket - Ultimately, I'm all about the songs - I'm a good arbiter of what is and isn't appropriate without being precious about it. e.g "Show me the way to Amarillo" has it's place, a balding, 55 year old man singing "True Colours" does not (even though he can sing it well) - I'm not afraid to just plod if it's the right thing. You can still get a funky groove going with just one note. [b]Bad[/b] - Reggae is my achilles heel. One day I will master it but I am baffled by all but the simplest of grooves - I know what everyone else is supposed to playing - My sight reading is complete pants - I wish I could appreciate jazz the same way I appreciate a great pop song. I would love to enjoy the freedom playing jazz offers but I can't deal with listening to enough of it to make me able to suitably improvise in a jazz setting - Amazing bass playing doesn't excite me unless the context in which the gymnastics sits benefits, rather than simply being a vehicle for the exercise. - Solos are all too frequently boring (which is why bassists and drummers need to work hard to make them bearable) - Especially true of bass solos (the exception being bass soloists who do funky things without the aid of a band, like playing complete songs with all the tapping and stuff, that's performance) - I'm not much of a soloist lol - I don't like being told - Probabll

Most obvious way to tell the difference would be that a US Standard P Bass of a similar age to an H1 bass has got through body stringing at the bridge and an H1 doesn't.

I've had a few Lakland Skylines over time... Have to disagree with those who question the QC. Maybe they've seen a few with iffy paintwork, I haven't myself and if you have an issue with pale finished maple and associating that with being cheap, that might also make you think twice, but again, personally I don't have an issue with that. The things that really matter - tuners, bridge, pick-ups neck joint etc. - Lakland Skylines wipe the floor with most Fenders and I've never thought twice about buying blind which is something I'd not likely do with a Fender again. I will agree that weights can vary quite a bit, which can be an important factor. Like pretty much any manufactured item, there's the possibility that something slips through the net which shouldn't, but compared to most, I think Lakland are pretty good at not letting this happen. More importantly though, when this does happen, you can call them up or drop them an e-mail and they will bend over backwards to help you get it sorted. With any guitar though, no matter how well made, the possibility exists that two identical models can and will have properties which will appeal to or put off different people. That's the nature of the beast and, especially if you're buying new or can't be doing with buying and selling second hand until you find what you're looking for, I would make sure you like what you're buying and compare it to as many siblings as possible. Over time I have owned... 55-01 Deluxe 55-01 NTMB 55-01 Fretless 55-01 Standard 55-02 Deluxe 55-02 Standard x2 JO5 x2 JO4 DJ5 Standard DD DJ5 with Bartolini NTBT Pre-amp The last two are my current basses and the last one is the one Rich has played and it is simply amazing. Nothing I have played or owned has come close. I went to Bass Central in Florida back last year ready and willing to fork over a couple of grand for a bass if I found "the one" but I never did and I played some fantastic instruments from Roscoe, F-Bass, Conklin, Lakland US, MMan etc. The F-Bass came closest to making me spend cash, but I think the nicest bass I played there was actually a Skyline 55-02 with the Lakland pick-ups and pre-amp, certainly best value bass. So how come I've been through so many? It's just a question of searching for the right bass and, having found the DJ5, I'm looking for the right second bass lol I want to like the 55-02s but find them too in-betweeny, neither jazz or MMan, though the deluxe one I had I did enjoy, though it was maybe a tad on the weighty side. I really like the 55-01s and wish I could have the 55-01 deluxe back, that was a mistake to sell. Of the two JO5s, one I let go because it had a rosewood board and I regret that so much because, in hindsight it was a great bass. The other was lovely, especially with a J-Retro fitted, and for a while I didn't play the DJ5 but then when I went back to the DJ5 at a gig, it just felt like home. I let it go because I fancied the Duck Dunn and needed to raise some cash. The Duck Dunn puzzles me a bit and the jury is still out. It has the Lakland pick-up and is quite aggressive sounding until you roll off the tone and that's with flatwounds on it! It plays beautifully though and looks amazing. Am leaning towards a pick-up change, but have a feeling it might sound fantastic when recorded which was kinda why I bought in the first place. The DJ5 I let go was another great bass, but I just didn't get the connection with it that I felt with the one I kept. I've thought about getting it back again when it's been for sale, especially since discovering the joys of the J-Retro. Think that could have been the missing link. That leaves the JO4 which sounded epic and looked amazing but which I couldn't get a decent set-up from. I like a really low action and this was just too much, no matter what I did. Maybe that's a QC thing or maybe just me. One thing about Laklands v Fenders that's worth mentioning is that a lot of the Lakland love comes from 5 string players, that's because Fender 5s tend to have horrific B strings while Lakland 5s are amazing. Hope that helps.

Love DR Extras personally. They aren't as bright to begin with as, for example, a brand new set of Rotosound Swing Bass 66, but I find they keep their tone for ages. I do about 100 (two or three set) gigs a year and change mine about 4 times a year. I can't say I've noticed the coating giving a different feel in any more of a sense than Elites feel a bit different to Sunbeams which feel different to Laklands etc. There's certainly no distinctive feel like Elixirs feel (which to me is as though they are kinda wet, or oily). If you're a monster slapper or are looking for a particularly aggressive tone, they're probably not for you. If you play with a pick, they might not be fore you either as the coating does start to come off a little after time.

Get the T-Bone, I have used them for a couple of years now and they're great.

[quote name='joegarcia' post='275925' date='Sep 2 2008, 11:34 PM']Can they be used in Europe as well as the UK do you know?[/quote] They have three or four models, each with a different range of frequencies, one of these will probably do the job for you. I have a feeling that the UK ones, which are the 863Mhz, are in the pan-European deregulated frequencies, so should be legal to use in all EU (and possibly other) countries. Would be worth doing a little Googling to confirm this before you buy though.

Yeah, have returned (under warranty) a couple of items in the past few months and they sent a shipping label and instructions to arrange with their courier (UPS both times) to come and pick it up. Definitely better to phone them and speak to someone however as the e-mail response for this kind of thing is a little on the slow side.

[quote name='crez5150' post='275472' date='Sep 2 2008, 02:49 PM'][i]Also, as a word of warning, be sure to check the frequencies available before considering any cheap(er) imports that knock about on ebay.[/i] Yes just so you know... If you do go down the Sennheiser route.... Check your buying a real product as Sennheiser are suffering big time from counterfeit copies on e-bay at the moment.... may look the same on the outside, including the clever packaging..... but the RF and AF performance is that of trying to make a telephone call from East Anglia on the Orange network.... [/quote] Good points. The Thomann ones I linked to are UK legal, but they do make other frequency ranges so make sure you're getting the right ones.