cloudburst

Muted the telly and listening to music instead. CB

Seeing your response on chords and inversions.....Well, there's an area you should learn. Chords are a bit more varied than you suggest. And inversions are not playing down a scale :-) The primary reason for learning chords is not about playing chords on bass - it's about learning to make better note choices in your bassline. You'll rarely play chords on bass. Regarding teachers, I've known some who 'wing it' and really aren't good enough as players themselves to set themselves up as teachers. My advice would be to pick a style that you want to 'major' on and find a teacher who plays that style so well that you can't help but smile when they play. As well as that (or instead) - it's vital to properly plan a schedule in order to get the best out of each practice session. Keep it varied so as not to get bored. 10 mins on scales, 10 mins on dexterity exercises, 10 mins on a new style, 10 mins on a new bassline you're trying to learn, 10 mins refreshing a few you've already learnt. etc Also - use 'dead' time (eg when travelling on public transport) on iPhone apps such as fret-tester to learn the fretboard and 'relative pitch' to train your ear to intervals. Always wear earphones when you can. Listen to bass rhythms so much that you live, breathe and sleep them. Listen to them so much that your heart beats the groove. I'm not too sure what on earth you're doing playing The Star Spangled Banner and what-not? Are you reading it from a bass clef part? I'd say lose that nonsense and pick some groovy basslines that will teach you more about bass rhythms. If you keep finding basslines so boring, then I'd suggest dropping the bass guitar and picking a different instrument. Hope this helps. CB

Definitely don't aspire to have just one bass: - Splitting my time between 2 countries makes multiple basses necessary - I use basses to keep money away from the banks - Different basses for different purposes - inc fretless and Steinberger XL for portability - And you DO need a backup to hand - Familiarity breeds contempt - having basses that feel different to each other makes you appreciate all the special characteristics of each one CB

[quote name='Lynottfan' timestamp='1368911583' post='2083043'] Lovely basses, with great finishes, so it would have to be scratch plates off, don't hide such beautiful work, its crazy imho. [/quote] Guess it would be interesting to see the effect of a clear scratch plate on this finish - refracting the sun to hit the flip paint at 2 different angles. CB

Had the considerable pleasure today (since it was raining) to play two of the EBMM Sledge basses. First up was the StingRay Classic. Sledge special flip finish with black scratchplate. Maple fingerboard. 2EQ. Found it really playable. Great neck. Tried it with and without mutes. Good results both ways. Actually - it felt a fair bit better to play than my early 80's StingRay. Next was the Sabre. Sledge special flip finish with black scratchplate. Maple fingerboard. First thing I noticed was that it was a wee bit heavier. Five way switch really made a difference. Not quite as nice a feel to the neck as the Stingray. The neck and headstock have more birdseye than Tescos freezers. Sledge finish was okay - but won't be to everyone's taste. At £2250 and £2350 - they are mighty expensive!!! Incidentally, after that, I picked up a Nate Mendel Precision and I have to say that, compared to the MusicMen, it felt pretty terrible. But I guess some folks would think the opposite. And, admittedly, it was a lot cheaper. CB

[quote name='marcus bell' timestamp='1368653538' post='2079954'] Unfortunately [/quote] I think "fortunately". As you seem to get more pleasure from the anticipation than the ownership! :-) CB

Anthony. I think your website looks really good. However, you've made a crucial mistake. It wouldn't be appropriate for me to comment further. I'll leave any response to you, once you've read my PM. CB

I use this strap with my Steinberger and like it. Because of the way the boomerang strap mount sits on the XL2, you need a short strap. Because I'm also pretty small in size, I needed to further adjust this strap by feeding some of each side of the padded section through the adjusters. It works fine, but because this isn't something I'd want to be constantly doing, I reserve this strap for use just with this one bass. And because of the way I've adjusted it, I don't get the full uninterrupted benefit of the comfort factor. That said, I've never even noticed the (considerable) weight of my Steinberger on my shoulder. But then they balance so well with the pivot point of the boomerang that you don't normally feel them. Oh dear, I'm probably not the best person to ask. But it IS a quality item. :-) CB

[quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1368350774' post='2075876'] I can honestly say that, after owning dozens of basses (I am too scared to actually count) the best I have ever done is to break even. I must be doing something wrong! [/quote] Yep. If you'd kept all your early Fenders, Wals and MusicMen, what would they be worth now? :-) CB

You have a point Marcus - a collection of basses used as savings is more colourful than cash in the bank. And these days, with well selected basses, you can earn a bit more interest. We all get a temporary buzz from getting a new bass. If a series of new-bass-day buzzes helps get you through life with a smile on your face, then fair play to you. The value of a bass is a function of what the seller perceives it to be and what a buyer is willing to pay. Some folk may, for example, want a specific, difficult to find, age and colour combination and (depending on how they value their time) be prepared to pay a couple of hundred pounds more in order to avoid scouring eBay, Basschat and Talkbass for months. Advising Marcus that he might sell quicker at a lower price is one thing. But starting to pontificate about ethics is another. If basses like ours get sold for a good price, then it helps the value of our investment, right? Marcus, if it works for you, keep it up. I, and many others, appreciate seeing pics of nice basses appearing in the forum's various porn threads, along with the entertainment value from the "how long will he keep it" and the "oh-oh, here we go again" posts. And another thing which I think we all appreciate is that people like you are keeping the Basschat marketplace from stagnating. Just one final thing - xilddx does make a very valid point. Don't let all this buying and selling distract you from playing. That wouldn't be so good at all. CB

No probs mate - that's good to know. Will keep that in mind. Having said that, it's probably unlikely that I'll sell it. I looked for quite a while for a fretless Stingray before buying this Sterling. It took me ages to bond with this one, but now I have, and slow-burning relationships seem to last :-) That and I'm a right hoarder! CB

Thanks. It's an odd colour. When the light hits it, it looks quite different - a bit more blue-ish green and you can clearly see the grain of the wood. It's called Transparent Teal I think. CB

Guess it's taken me a long while to post this. Probably not to many people's tastes. CB

We all talk about the joys of an amp being transparent and not colouring the tone. But how do we actually know what is the true tone of a particular bass, given that we only ever hear them through various amps. This feels like a stupid question. CB

Truss-rod looks a bit.....industrial. CB

[quote name='marcus bell' timestamp='1367964519' post='2071820'] Nice bass but DEFINATELY not pre eb [/quote] To me it looks like a sh*t bass. And I mean that in terms of finish alone. Who knows if it's otherwise okay after what looks like an unusual life for a Stingray. [quote name='dlloyd' timestamp='1368023960' post='2072174'] But, a previous owner has shaved maybe £200 off the value along with the Ernie Ball part of the logo. [/quote] Shaved all the value off it in my book. CB

The final line should read "keep practising" - rather than "keep practice". And the video would look better (more Dorling Kindersley and less Last Of The Summer Wine) if you recorded in a white room without the wardrobe, bed and associated detritus. I felt that slowing that fairly basic groove down in 2 separate stages was overkill. And it made the bass face and neck wobble look a trifle odd to say the least. So you think you can post a basschat thread? :-) CB

Yep - noticed the headstock logo yesterday and thought "what?". CB

+1 on the Fender Jazz suggestion. I just measured my 1974 Jazz and it is 38mm at the nut and 61mm at the 16th fret. A couple of other suggestions. Some manufacturers produce narrow neck versions of their instruments. An example is MusicMan whose SLO Special version of the StingRay has a narrower neck more like their Sterling. Some fretboards taper less in width as you move up the neck. An example of this is the original one piece graphite Steinberger XL-2 if you can find one. I will measure mine for you when I get back to Scotland. (And I noticed one of these for sale last night for a ridiculously low price). Final point: what on earth are you doing up around the 16th fret after only 3 months? Step back into line or you'll be putting the rest of us to shame! :-) CB

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1367528250' post='2066625'] You don't look old enough to have been playing in 1974 ! It sounds like you have got a good one and looked after it . I have played and owned a few wrecks from that era and after . [/quote] Hey thanks for the compliment. I've just turned 48 and that photo in my profile was taken this year :-) Back on the 74 jazzes - obviously you'll always get some old instruments that have had a hard life, but of those that have been cared for, does it tend to be the 3 bolt neck models which you think aren't as good, or just Fenders in general go patchy from the mid 70s? I think mine cost about £300 back then which was a lot of money in 1974 when I was 9. I guess it has been good value. The original strings certainly owe me nothing :-) I probably have already posted some photos of it. CB

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1367518944' post='2066415'] ironically it's probalby better on average than the basses it's aping! [/quote] A bit confused about what you and Dingus are saying about '74 jazzes. I still play the 74 jazz that my dad bought for me in 1974. It has a 4 bolt neck, is quite light, has a beautiful neck and stays absolutely in tune regardless of the season - I haven't needed to go near the truss rod since the late 70s. Do you know something I don't? CB

If you have trouble getting to try the Markbass CMD 121p, you are more than welcome to come and try mine. I'm in the West End of Glasgow. CB

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1367181904' post='2062367'] Most Precisions have two pots, and it only takes one to boil an egg ... [/quote] But they don't have any pan control. CB