uk_lefty

Maybe they're saving on the amount of packaging waste?

Thanks mate, but I don't think yours would work for me, even if I could turn it upside down the lever would clash with my A string post.

Hi everyone... I got myself a Fender American Pro II Jazz bass recently and what a lovely bass it is. My band is doing more and more songs for which Drop D would be ideal. I have a drop D/ de-tuner/ extender key on my Stingray but feel I should put one on my jazz. Trouble is I'm finding it hard to get what model I need. Hipshots website isn't the most helpful. I have been suggested the Hipshot BT7 but it seems to have a hell of a lot of metal compared to the right handed lighter weight versions i can see on Hipshots website. Has anyone fitted an extender to their US Pro II bass and could share the make and model with me? I can then dig around and see if I can get a kack-handed version. Thank you!

You had me at Funkadelic

Fully understand you! What I do is cheat and make the simple songs really complicated 😂. But on a serious note, look at the drummer, lock in, practice practice practice (or is it practise practise practise?). Paranoid isn't a song I'd play with a pick at normal speed, I'm more confident with my fingers for the string jumps and quick octaves I'd usually do with a thumb pluck and a finger reach. Everybody wants to rule the world... When I started up an 80s band I really got into trying to merge bas sand synth lines to avoid bringing in a keyboard player. Felt that one really lent itself to fretless bass for a slide down in amongst the pulsing root notes. Didn't attempt the tinkly higher notes though, left that to the guitarist!

One of the guitarists has gone IEM and he raves about hearing souch more detail in the sound than he did before. We are going to try "silent" practice as a band because we've got most of the gear and buying the few extras we need costs less than two hired rehearsal room sessions. Now the drummer has been on electronic kit for some time we could well go this way for gigs. I do love standing in front of my two fifteens and ABM 600 but realistically I think they will be getting less and less use, especially now I have to kart a sub to the gigs which may take up the space I use for one of my cabs. At the end of the day the sound quality for the audience is worth more than me enjoying the push of a few big speakers beside me.

Thanks everyone for the input, I didn't realise I'd open a can of worms on what "clean" means but I guess I hadn't thought it all through completely. For me "clean" means the glassy, hi-fi sounding type. The opposite of a growly, driven amp that there seems to be so much focus on in the general sales market. There's plenty of suggestions here to keep my secondhand searches full for a long time. Thank you

If you love the GK and it truly is beyond repair, your answer is GK. You can read everyone's opinions, go through tons of chopping and changing different sorts of gear, but if you know what you like and like what you know you've already got the answer.

Glad you're enjoying it, it is great for fretless.

Maybe this is a funny or interesting story, maybe not... In 2006 one Sunday morning I ventured out to find this shop on Brune Street and was feeling very dizzy and not really with it (possibly a stress related condition I only really found out about in the last few years). Anyhow, I just couldn't find it with my A-Z in hand and this was before Google Maps on your phone etc so I went into a Newsagent and asked. They had no clue. A lady walked in with a very smartly dressed gent. The shopkeeper asked them if they knew where it was, they tried to help and asked what I was looking for, they didn't know and as I left I accidentally stood on the chap's foot. Outside I realised I had asked for directions from none other than the artist Tracy Emin and a friend she was out and about with. Anyway I got to the store and was very tempted to spend £800 on a new German made Warwick $$. I really wish I had not been so sensible with my cash back then.

Hi, I remember someone on here used to use a "man and van" type service instead of the usual couriers. I've done a deal for an amp and would like to get a quote from said company as an alternative to the usual suspects, if anyone has the info please share. Thanks!

Combo would be great, otherwise I have speaker cabs or PA as an option.

Sorry guys, busy weekend... For me "clean" means a hi-fi sound. So, maybe clean isn't the word after all?!?! I just mean no grit, drive or distortion, that super-flat fat bass sound with crisp highs, sterlie but not lifeless... All these words could mean different things to different people so... think of a Darkglass amp with it's drive on? Now think of the opposite.

I notice almost all general amps available (not talking boutique stuff) seem to be voiced more towards the gritty and distorted end, there's very few if any that emphasizes having a clean sound... So, if I were to look for a new or second hand good quality amp that offers a sparklingly clean sound, what should I be looking for? At the moment all I can think of is the Super Flat mode on the new Boss Katana range but they are pricey. All ideas welcome, GAS is brewing..!

Guitarist in my first band brough about eight or nine to a gig. One was in non standard tuning for a single song, except his main guitar which he used all gig all the rest were for show I think. Being not such a highbrow establishment some chap walked in during setup and exclaimed: "what's this a fookin guitar convention??!"

I usually take two basses but leave my backup in the car. I've got a spare set of strings in my cable bag and spare batteries (as well as a battery tester) in there too. I don't bother with a backup amp still as I have a DI pedal on my board which can be used if my amp fails. I play a brand new Ashdown ABM 600 though and I don't push it hard so chances of failure are remote. I don't have spare speaker cables, and I've had them mess up on me. I don't have a spare iPad stand so had it on the floor at my last gig which led to some jazz improv in a middle 8 or two!

"No it's fine, I love it when screaming drunk women grab the microphone"

All my basses are ready to gig. In terms of getting the sound, I know each of my basses and set my amp and pedals differently if I'm going to take a different bass, but I also play differently on each. Out of five basses the closest sound wise are probably my Fender jazz with fretted maple neck and my Harley Benton fretless jazz. I gigged the Harley Benton fretless jazz as soon as I got it for a pub gig. My current band isn't typically what I'd use a fretless for but I do every now and then.

Decent gig playing the Horn in St Albans as we do four times a year. Bit of a smaller crowd this time but very energetic and up for it. I forgot my iPad stand so had to prop it on the floor and go from memory which was very liberating. Forgot to put in my ear plugs for the second half and have the headache to prove it this morning!

I've used allsorts of strings on my 5 strong fretless which is passive. I've had five string fretted as well... The fact it's passive has never really crossed my mind when buying strings. I've had this bass for 21 years so it's had flats, stainless rounds and now nickel rounds. My amp choices are based on what amp sound I want and not whether my bass is passive or active, four or five string... I'm a bit confused at the whole question to be honest.

I've got one of these as a practice amp. It's great for home use, probably ok for recording too, but no way would I gig it.

Not to detract from anything already said, some excellent advice all around. I'd be wary of the multi fx. "Most" multi fx preset patch sounds are EQ based so changing through these in a set can send your EQ all over even if you're just going from patches called "driven SVT" to "Beetle Bass". Learn what works with just the amp EQ, start with everything "flat" then tweak to get it right in band context. Even if it sounds rub ISH at home, so what, sounding good with a band is an underrated skill.