dougal

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220633944596"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=220633944596[/url] This 99p no reserve thing is working for me. Happy bidding!

I use a coated string, generally, and change them every 6 months. Mind you, with 6 basses, it feels like I'm perpetually changing them..

[quote]Interestingly, and this was one of the things Bernie mentioned when we discussed the option, the notes on the high C ring truer than the same notes higher up on the G string, much the same as when you play notes on the G string that also appear higher up the D. It doesn't sound thin at all.[/quote] I was watching the bassists at the royal festival hall today (Icarus, if anyone's interested) and they seemed to spend most of their time half way up the neck (say, Simandl's 3rd position). I was going to ask major-minor if it was something to do with tone or more likely a lot of upper-mid register stuff. I spend most of my time hacking around in half & first position. Well, not really. But come on man.

[quote]1. I need a new decent soft case for it. Any recommendations? I think it's a full size bass, as far as I'm aware.[/quote] I have a Gewa (http://www.gewamusic.com) that I like. There's been a thread on here recently that's got more info on other's preferences: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=50277"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=50277[/url] [quote]2. My (German) bow needs re-hairing 3. Ditto, a luthier to do a once-over and set up, new-strings etc, again in London or South-East.[/quote] Never had a re-hair done. The woman who works at Healy's (http://www.healeyviolins.co.uk/) did my teacher's, I think. You could ask whilst you're having your set-up done. He's very good. He'll also stick any strings you bring to him on it, which might save some cash. He's done set up + quite a number of little jobs on mine that I've been very happy with. [quote]4. Any recommendations of good amature orchestras in west London?[/quote] Check out [url="http://www.amateurorchestras.org.uk/olondon.htm"]http://www.amateurorchestras.org.uk/olondon.htm[/url] - caution; [i]some[/i] I've spoken to are quite snobby & think grade 8 is a "minimum". Let me know how you get on. This might not be the best time to find one as the friendlier ones are run by school teachers who go on holiday over the summer. YMMV.

Have to be the upright.

Now live! [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220627264865#ht_500wt_1154"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...5#ht_500wt_1154[/url]

Tung oil. And yes, this is the same that was on UBP all those moons ago. Bass Kahuna sent me some instructions and I spent 2 weeks rubbing it down by hand with ever finer sand paper. Then another 2 weeks tung oiling, then waxing. Came out all right. Plays okay too; it just sits on the stand looking purdy, and I need the space.

[quote name='Stylon Pilson' post='876481' date='Jun 24 2010, 02:52 PM']S.P.[/quote] Ah, I set it to start on Sunday ay 19:00 (the idea being most people are available to snipe off each other on a Sunday evening), assumed you'd be able to see it but not bid. My Bad! Here's the blurb in case you're interested: <quote> Up for sale is my Wish Peanut 6-string fretless including gator hardshell case (not pictured), strap and a set of unused thomastik infeld flats. For more info on wish basses the web site is [url="http://www.wishbass.com/"]http://www.wishbass.com/[/url] I warn you: the neck is a touch on the chunky side and there is no truss rod on this bass (Wish doesn't believe in them). The neck is fat enough not to need one. Only one pickup is wired (although both work) - if you attach clips to hot & cold wires it makes all the right noises - I suspect the pot is buggered (a technical term) and needs replacing. Chance for all you Wish sceptics to try one out! Make sure you've read these so you know what you're getting: [url="http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Electric+Bass/brand/Wishbass"]http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews.../brand/Wishbass[/url] More pictures available here: [url="http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/g1ngerrevolution/WishBass#"]http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/g1ngerrevolution/WishBass#[/url] Local pickup available in Egham, Surrey. </quote>

My Wishbass has to go. I've tried on here & various other places before, so here she is: 99p gets you bass in hard case with strap & spare strings. Well, until someone outbids you... [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220627264865"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=220627264865[/url]

Amazon & Musicroom.com both stock them. [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=jamey+aebersold&tag=googhydr-21&index=aps&hvadid=5927849089&ref=pd_sl_2rxbcupc3h_b"]http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&key...sl_2rxbcupc3h_b[/url] [url="http://www.musicroom.com/Search/Find.aspx?searchtext=aebersold"]http://www.musicroom.com/Search/Find.aspx?...htext=aebersold[/url]

Wow, zombie indeed. I've kept with the wheel: one (slight) improvement is to get a packing strap thing from Ikea: [url="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/79306696"][/url] This then goes around the back & over, supporting the weight of the bass on a shoulder. You can then wander, lonely as a cloud, merely providing gentle steering guidance around small children & rubbish bins. The longest trip so far (all walking, I didn't fancy the tube in the rush hour) was Waterloo -> Mansion House, day's work, Mansion House -> Leceister Square (walking along the north bank), then Lecister Square -> Waterloo after the gig.

I've always used the Elixir XLs on the Carvin. I will try an overwater set though as the XLs are a touch high tension.

Has anyone tried adding one of these into the signal chain? [url="http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/FBQ2496.aspx"]http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/FBQ2496.aspx[/url] I'm guessing it'd have to be post DI to the PA. I don't know if the FX loop on most amps is pre- or post DI (I suspect pre-, which would bugger FOH sound & render this suggestion useless... What's that quote from Hitchhiker's guide where God disappears in a puff of smoke from his own logic?).

I have to say that the only way that I get any better at sight reading is to practice. Practice, Practice. It gets to the point where you start pattern matching, as you would with this: "I cnduo't bvleiee taht I culod aulaclty uesdtannrd waht I was rdnaieg. Unisg the icndeblire pweor of the hmuan mnid, aocdcrnig to rseecrah at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mttaer in waht oderr the lterets in a wrod are, the olny irpoamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rhgit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whoutit a pboerlm. Tihs is bucseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey ltteer by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Aaznmig, huh? Yaeh and I awlyas tghhuot slelinpg was ipmorantt! See if yuor fdreins can raed tihs too." You can read it because you recognise the start & end of the word & you make up the middle. Same happens with rythms & arpeggios / scale fragments. The difficulty is getting it automatic. I would suggest some of bottesini's books as they tend to cycle through keys and use a lot of scale fragments. Another trick, in classical music, is if it's too fast to read then just play the notes on the beat. Usually you're covered by the cellists! Best of luck!