D.I. Joe

[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1358857436' post='1946029'] Just stick them in a tupperware box or something and put them in the cupboard. Remember even "new" bass strings have probably sat on the shelf in the factory/shop for months anyway. [/quote] Not just months, you can buy new old-stock Fender strings on Ebay from before the D'addario merger!

Some of my favourite songs to play in our repertoire are the Dance/Trance tunes that we play, especially I'm Not Alone by Calvin Harris. Not a complex bass part by any stretch of the imagination but I love the way it kicks the whole song along. Playing dance tunes well makes for a bit of an out-of-body experience, I find

The distortion channel on the Germanium Big Muff is pretty good. You can roll back the voltage and adjust the biasing of the transistors and you can get a nice square-wave kind of sound

Much thought on the route yet? Perhaps we could do a Land's End - John O'Groats relay? Or at least Cornwall to the Highlands

A lot to be said for reading through a topic before replying

This could take years! Perhaps we could send a scrapbook with the bass and everyone can sign themselves into the book with their name, BC username and details of their public appearance with the bass? Include date, venue, band, genre maybe?

[quote name='Jimryan' timestamp='1358077354' post='1932602'] Another thought, like TimR's post. How about, with the bass, a white BC polo goes with it. The shirt gets signed and worn at the gig/ rehearsal. How's that idea? [/quote] It'll have to be an XL shirt!

Joe Hoskin, St Austell (ish) Cornwall

[quote name='Dr.Dave' timestamp='1358072859' post='1932523'] I don't make mistakes. I long since accepted that during the course of a gig there would be incidents and issues which would not be as planned. Some of these would likely be as a result of my concentration going or being distracted or simply forgetting what I'm supposed to be doing. In which case - as I accept that these ar going to happen - they are not unforeseen. For that reason , using a combination of aquired skills and experience - I have learned to cope with them when they occur. Not to panic - not to be thrown in any way - but to react quickly and professionally and get back on the path. So for those reasons - when something I can foresee occurs and I've already prepared myself to deal with it............... how can it be a mistake?? [/quote] Sounds jazzy! Short of a show-stopper, the only mistake is making mistakes obvious. If you carry on as the good Doctor says then who is to know? If you throw yourself off track, pull a face etc then everyone knows.

+1 for a compressor here, but only as a last resort. Try altering eq as suggested and perhaps make adjustments to technique. My compression is very subtle and I also use it as an always-on booster. Works a treat!

[quote name='apa' timestamp='1357982915' post='1931228'] Roto Jazz 77 Flats have a bright red silk at the tail end but dont think they have them at the ball. I cant see, its a through body! A [/quote] Rotos do have red silk at both ends, and TIs do as well. (Not helpful I know!) Now, call me geeky, but I believe that the Rotosounds taper under the silk and the ball end, whereas the TIs don't and are hence thicker at the ball. Edit: I need to get out more

I've bought and sold gear far quicker and easier than anywhere else online. My awareness and understanding of all fields of equipment has improved exponentially and I've picked up some handy hints and tips along the way. As far as my playing goes: my musical awareness and feel has improved vastly, though not as a result of Basschat. HOWEVER - with the acquisition of a new laptop I aim to make full use of all the learning resources on here, especially the Major's Bootcamp and the Groove Library. Hell, I might even learn a little about jazz! Here's to Basschat and 2013

[quote name='thunderider' timestamp='1356972437' post='1915872'] id love to be able to sing and play at the same time,as then i could start my own motorhead alike band!!! singing and playing would give me more musical freedom to do what i want [/quote] I don't think you'd need to be able to sing or play bass for that would you? This is something I need to work on too. At the moment I can just about play quavers and shout. A technique I'm trying is to find places where vocals and bass hit key notes simultaneously and making sure to emphasise those, then the rest should follow. I emphasise should.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1357504743' post='1923770'] Exactly, but the end result is the most important thing. Everything else is subordinate to it. [/quote] +1

[quote name='deanovw' timestamp='1357487507' post='1923287'] I buy mine from Amazon. Hey Joe, I hope you are enjoying the bass. [/quote] Very much so! There is a blues jam in Weatherspoons St Austell tonight if you fancy popping out?

[quote name='Rumple' timestamp='1357473968' post='1923001'] That's a great price for a CS-3, if you are handy with a soldering iron and fancy upgrading it they can be modded with one of the Monte Allum kits to turn it into high end pedal. [/quote] That does sound intriguing. Where can I find the kit, online presumably?

Boss CS-3 is pretty useful. Just got one the other day and and it focuses my sound a treat - I sound much better in the mix than before! Keep the sustain below 9:00 though else it kills tone.I think they go for about £50 used. I got mine from a mate for £20 and a pint

I'm sold! Bought a Precision off of our very own deanovw a little while ago; when I played it prior to buying my first thought was "Wow, these strings are lovely and new". Turns out they are year-old Elixirs! And gigged regularly to boot! I had been put off before by stories of the coating peeling off and them not being as durable as advertised, but having tried them now I am truly impressed. They feel great - well balanced, nice tension and they sound superb. I think I'll be investing in some more of these for my other basses too! From experience, where is the best/cheapest place to buy them?

You're absolutely right. In my opinion, the strings and the amp are the only parts of the setup (apart from effects obv.) which could affect the tone beyond recognition. But ultimately, an amp can only give out what is fed into it and a string only vibrates in the way that you make it.