The Saint

Water quality is a bit better lately. But the best bikinis are on the yachts..!! Graham PS. Don't know about you, but nostalgia's not what it used to be.......

Ha.. No wellies. Just nice to stroll along the shore, take in the air and admire the scenery, boats and bikinis......

Hi Psycho We have a couple of music shops here, Fret Music being the biggest followed by The Guitar Store and a smaller indie called the Music Shop. They each have their appeal and worth a browse although they don't have anything out of the ordinary.

Thanks, I'm thinking of something well known that doesn't gallop along too much. I have a couple of books/CD's and I'm about to start lessons next week My tastes are mainly blues (so 12 bars are on the list!) but anything that has a repetitive bass line that I can pick up easily, bearing in mind this is the first time I've played bass. Keep 'em coming...

Having spent the last 40 years bashing the hell out of guitars, I've recently decided to try my hand at learning the bass. When I started out on guitar,a friend told me the best way to learn was by playing along to records. Remember them..?? It helped me get going, although I'm still playing at the same standard! But it helped with chord changes and hearing them coming. So following on from that theme, what songs would you recommend for a beginner to play along to? I've got 'Stand by Me' but I need a few more. You know the sort of thing, a song you probably hate playing live because it's so repetitive, but has a simple bass line that doesn't change too much during the verse and chorus but will help get my fingers landing on the right fret. Any suggestions? Ta Graham

Thanks guys Hi Kiwi Small world! I still like getting down to the Rising Sun on a Sunday after a brisk walk...

Thanks Bert I like a bit of lurking now and again.... I know what you mean about weight, my 12 stone guitar amp is about to be replaced by a mere slip of a 4 watt practice amp. I'm finding the U-Bass is a lot easier on my back though..... Graham

Thanks for your advice guys, seems pretty unanimous on medium gauge roundwound. Chris B, interesting thought about the heavier strings. I've been blessed with girls hands so I think I'll woose out on those... Don't go away, plenty more questions coming....... Graham

I'm just starting out on bass, having played electric and acoustic guitar for a while and I need some help on choice of strings. When starting out on an acoustic guitar I would advise a beginner to use a light gauge string, purely because it's easier to play. They can change their sound later by moving to heavier strings/using phosphor bronze or any of the huge range available. By the same token, as a beginner on bass, would there be any advantage for me in choosing flat wound or round wound? At the moment I'm more interested in ease of playing rather than how they sound. That'll come later... Are there any other types that I should consider? At the moment I'm more interested in the gauge and type of string I should consider rather than the manufacturer, although specific recommendations would be welcome. Sorry if this sounds a bit basic, but I have to start somewhere...! Thanks Graham

Hi Folks I've lurking around the forums for a month or two and getting to know people. Through the forums, I've managed to buy an EUB, a U-Bass and am presently waiting to collect a bass guitar from fellow chatters. I have to say that it seem very civilised here and you have some very helpful guys only too happy to pass on their experience. I'm a moderator on a non-music related forum and it's like trying to separate kids in a playground sometimes...!! I've played guitar since I was a kid, but now looking forward to getting to grips with the rather large bass .... Regards Graham

Hi All Great thread, I've learnt a lot from this. My situation is a bit different, in that I'm a complete beginner, although I do play guitar. I've just bought a bass guitar to go with my Kala U-Bass. My priority is not what sound I get from new strings, but more emphasis on the playability. Is one type of string easier to get me started than another? I'm thinking of the difference between flats, rounds (and others that I may not know about) rather than the make of string, if that makes sense. Any help is greatly appreciated. Graham

If it's punchy and up-tempo you want, it has to be Revolution....

I've just bought an EUB from Simon. Really helpful guy who went literally miles out of his way to help me. Thanks a lot...... Graham