ambient

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1493978361' post='3292273'] After 50 years of doing this, I always say go with the best person. The best guitar player could be the worse person for the band Blue [/quote] I would agree totally. You want reliability. That's generally the second question after 'are they any good?'

[quote name='matski' timestamp='1485532099' post='3224721'] "I just called to say I Love You" by Steveie Wonder. What makes it worse is the fact it seems to go on for aeons and just when you think the torture is almost over.... *KEY CHANGE*. Aaarrrrgggghhhh!! [media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwOU3bnuU0k[/media] [/quote] It is pretty awful, though tbh I'm not a fan of Stevie Wonder anyway.

[quote name='Paulhauser' timestamp='1493931322' post='3292008'] What's the gauge you are looking for as a high F? I always used 0.020 and can't remember I ever came upon a wound one, only plain steel ones. I don't think anyone makes wound strings near 0.020, flat or roundwound. [/quote] I'm using D'Addario nickels, I think it's currently a .024.

[quote name='geoffbyrne' timestamp='1493910492' post='3291780'] The new Ernie Ball Cobalts are very compliant but I'm not sure you'd get a 7 string set.... G. [/quote] That's the problem, plenty of flat wound strings being made, but the high F is the problem. There's no problem with round wound strings at all. I've even tried a flat wound guitar string, but it wasn't long enough.

[quote name='dannybuoy' timestamp='1493906036' post='3291715'] If Thomastik can't make you a custom set, I've heard La Bella are very accommodating to putting custom sets together for people and they make a low tension flat which is probably the closest you'll see to TIs. [/quote] Thanks, I've emailed Thomastik, I'll email LaBella too.

Thanks, didn't think so. Also the string they're offering as a high F is a 0.32 which I don't think will tune to an F, I've used that gauge as a high C.

What's the tension like on these? I'm looking for a set of flats similar in sound and feel to Thomastik which I love. They're for a 7 string bass. I've been offered a set of Chromes.

I think some on here were born before the electric bass was invented .

[quote name='binky_bass' timestamp='1493829778' post='3291092'] The website does scream pretentious... It's such a shame as the basses are great, but I can't get past a bad attitude of a builder. I mean Fred Bolton of Bee Basses, Bill Conklin, Alan of ACG, Sanders De Gier, Chris of Overwater, Jens Ritter and even Hans P. Wilfer of Warwick, all of these guys are spot on, they talk to you, they discuss with you and guide the project and are generally top blokes from my experience in talking with them through email etc. I don't understand the arse-ish attitude of certain builders... It goes without saying that Jerzy will not ever have my business, it's also soiled the bass I do have somewhat! Anyone for a soiled Jerzy Drozd 7 string?! [/quote] You've got. Jerzy Drozd? Nice, you've got a great collection.

[quote name='DaveFry' timestamp='1493812214' post='3290827'] Autistic-pianist-learning-upright-bass here contributing : I also enjoy sound-to-colour synaesthesia , and I find the colours in 432 more saturated , although I don't expect anyone to believe that now . @ Leftybassman ; Ambient is not necessarily bound to equal temperament ; he plays solo 7-string fretless . [/quote] I have autism too, maybe it's that but I definitely hear, or perhaps feel a difference in the sounds.

I'm sure there are people who collect these things. Have you searched Facebook to see if there's a group?

I've done quite a lot of recording of my ambient stuff tuned to A at 432hz. The last time I posted on here about it a lot of the usual know-it-alls piped up, as is their right I guess, I do think there's something about how the notes behave together that isn't there in standard tuning. I do use a lot of sustained tones using an Ebow.

[quote name='drTStingray' timestamp='1493567275' post='3289137'] Did anyone from here go to this? I would have loved to - Neil Murray is one of my favourite bass players since I first heard/saw him in National Health in the 70s. Last saw him in the We Will Rock You musical and he was great in that as well. [/quote] It's next week.

I play a 7. I love the fact that having a low B makes my regular gigs easier, I find sight-reading easier when I don't have move about the neck, just play pretty much in one position, and concentrate on my charts. I also play solo bass, the high F is used extensively with this, it's why I switched from a 6 to a 7.

I've done a few. Great fun all of them, hard work though. I did a couple at Birmingham Rep a few years ago before starting uni. They were through the drummer who was doing the show. I also did a panto back in January. That was through a guitarist that I know. As has been said, your reading has to be spot on. I got the chance to sit in and watch the guy who was teaching me years ago, that's what got me interested in doing shows. It's a good idea to contact whoever is doing shows near you and ask if you could sit in and watch them. Give you an idea of what goes on.

TC Hall of fame. There are endless tone prints that you can download.

I like a really low action, I play very lightly, and let the amp do the work. My basses tend to be unplayable by others due to the low action.

I've never really seen the point, apart from occasionally wiping them with a clean lint free cloth. I'm probably just lucky not having excessively sweaty hands pr something. I do play a lot, recently maybe 9 hours a day. I use D'Addario nickels, and they seem to stay bright sounding. I do make a point of washing my hands before playing. Cleaning won't help to repair physical damage caused by the frets, which I've always thought was the main killer of strings.

Have you tried fret wraps to help muting? Can I ask why F#?

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1492694154' post='3282413'] Does anyone buy anything from record shops these days? We have a Rough Trade here in Nottingham, but the selection is pitiful. For a name that was associated with all that was cutting edge in music in the late 70s the current incarnation is depressingly mainstream. For Spotify users do you not find the catalogue too incomplete? I suppose it very much depends on your taste in music, but when I was asked by the Death Notes (the band I've joined recently) to contribute a Spotify playlist or two to their Facebook page along with the other members, I found that in the two genres I wanted to highlight - J-Pop and Post-Punk Electronica were severely limited and many of the tracks that I considered essential listening simply weren't available. Spotify seems to be fine for anything released in the UK and US since 2010 (if you release your music through an aggregator you'll be on Spotify by default), but once you start looking for older tracks by non-mainstream or artists who aren't UK or US there are massive gaps in the catalogue. [/quote] Slightly off topic, I would buy from a record store if there was one by me. I was in Paris for a couple of gigs last week. I found a fantastic record store, stocking loads of vinyl that you just can't get usually.

I've got quite a few, usually from Bandcamp. I have bought a few CDs from off there too, mainly ones who've made an effort with the art work etc.

I'm not up with genres and that. I thought God speed and Mogwai were post rock. It's all very confusing. There's a friend of mine plays in a math rock band, I'm told it's math rock anyway. They're called the yacht club, pretty good.