Funky Dunky

DB5 - that's really interesting to know about practice amps, and would go a long way to explaining things. McNach - I'm thinking you're right. I'm only too aware of the hot preamp in the SUB Ray and I do tend to have it a bit trebley as I like the tone, but rolling it back does indeed kill a lot of the problems. As for the mod - is it wrong that I think Sterling should pick up the tab for this mod? Why should anyone buy a bass and then have to shell out more to have it tamed so it's fit for purpose and doesn't fart? In addition, 95% of the volume sweep does nothing! Sterling have known about these problems since the SUB Ray hit the market in 2012 and have done nothing about it! My bass is a 2014 model and it has the same flaws. Why would they do this? It's poor IMO. I love the bass but they really need to buck up their ideas when it comes to the electronics. Bear in mind I had to send mine back for repair as I was experiencing really quick battery drain. Anyway....rant over Thanks for your advice

I'm happy to listen to a bassist showing off on his own for two or three minutes, but if I go to see a band and it all stops so the bassist can have a solo spot, I'm off to the bar. Just play the riffs and hold the grooves, dude. Fill, by all means, but that's plenty. I love Billy Sheehan's bass lines but when the band stops and he starts widdling, it just sounds horrid to me.

Thanks, that's the kind of detail I was after. Interesting about the custom gauges of DR sets. Just a shame bass strings are so darned expensive, or I would possibly have sorted this long ago.

[quote name='Graham' timestamp='1440951513' post='2854929'] The recent performances of theirs I've seen, it seems like they've just been going through the motions [/quote] I thought this about their Reading performance! Used to be a big fan, up until Load. They remained a fabulous live band, though, but last couple of times I've seen them I thought they seemed a bit jaded.

Thanks guys, some great advice here on all fronts. Rolling back the mids has helped big-time, it's not nearly as wild sounding - and my confidence has been given a boost with all the encouragement to get out there and play. Y'all are smashing

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1441018133' post='2855295'] What sort of bass are you playing? The noises you describe sound like your pickups might be microphonic, where they pick up every little vibration right down to your fingers brushing the pickup cover or the strap creaking on the buttons. Most basses have potted pickups to prevent this, but some cheaper or older instruments don't. [/quote] Sterling SUB Ray 4 - active beast. The problem is with this bass. I also have a Squier VM Precision PJ, which is passive and doesn't give the same problems.

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1441017658' post='2855288'] It won't be. The ringing of the snare and high hat will mask most of the percussive noises. What will be harder for you to accept is having to change all your tone settings to fit with the guitar and bass drum. So more than likely the nice clear tone you're getting in your bedroom will sound wrong and the string noises will be the least of your concerns. [/quote] Yip, you're right about that - my sound will likely have to change completely to fit in the mix, and that will take experimenting and compromise.

The thing about flats is....I play a fair bit of slap, and they're allegedly not much use for slap. I'll give them a shot though, because I'm curious.

I don't think you should get paid for a freebie gig. Expenses maybe, but no fee. I wouldn't ask for a fee if the band weren't getting paid. And if I wanted paying for it, I just wouldn't do it. But then, I don't know why you would want to do this gig, either, under the curcunstances.

How am I ever going to get through an audition if my playing is littered with squeeeeeeeekrattlehoooooooo, though?

[quote name='HowieBass' timestamp='1440971440' post='2855070'] I also suspect that most of the undesirable string noise will be masked by the other instruments in a band setting - if you listen to isolated bass tracks from well known rock songs you can often hear a fair bit of noise but it just seems to disappear in the full mix. [/quote] That is a fair point, actually. Couple of days ago, I listened to Tony Kanal's isolated bass part from Just A Girl (I dig that line and I think he's a great player) and it sounded like utter garbage on its own, like a total novice playing a cheap bass (and he uses a Stingray!).

Chris - you're right about my settings! I do have the mids cranked. The headphones thing - I don't know if I'd say it's what I'm used to and anything else sounds weird. I actually hate playing with headphones on, the headphones I use cut frequencies and make it sound as if my amp is heavily compressed. It seems to kill the sustain like you wouldn't believe. I'm using a Fender Bronco 40 - it's all I have at the moment and it's a neat little practice amp, but it's a toy, really. It doesn't live and breathe the way a proper amp does.

I'm a bedroom player who has the odd jam. My bass playing is really coming on, and I'm keen to take the plunge and start trying out for bands. I have one problem - volume. I can control my instrument perfectly well at bedroom volume, but when I get past a certain number on the dial, I get noises I struggle to control, as if every tiny little thing produces a noise. Even muting to control the noises seems to cause noise! How do I tame 'er at high volume? I have to crank it through headphones to practice controlling it, but have you any tips you can share? Is there a pedal (noise gate etc) that can make it any easier? Thanks guys.

This is very exciting news! Being at the newbie end of the scale, by the time I became aware of GB amp, they'd already stopped making them. I hate how Fender have bought up the competition. anyway, if they can put something out in a 2x10 combo or separates around £800, I might have to pick one up.

I really want a Maruszczyk! I love the PJ config but I think I would go for an Elwood with a single/single config. Seriously thinking about it. How do owners feel about the Delano electronics?

Echo.........echo........echo........echo.......

Any users? Wondering how they feel in normal tuning in terms of tension, if they're greater tension than a normal set of .045s for instance. I only tune down as far as drop D, and only occasionally, but I'm still chasing that higher tension without thicker strings or higher action.

B-Town is Beith, North Ayrshire. I could take it to a tech but they'd probably want £40-£50. Tried a hacksaw. Failed miserably, because the blade sits slightly recessed in the frame, and with the ends touching of the hacksaw touching the pickguard, the blade barely touches the top of the screw. Think a Stanley blade would do it? I'd have been better just buying a wee cheap Dremel for £14 at the outset, this would have been resolved by now!

Got.a link? Best I could see was £19 delivered.

Anyone use these/tried them? They sound like they might just be what I'm after. I'm probably gonna go ahead and order a set but was looking for opinions if anyone's tried them. I like the Dunlop Super Brights but they're a tad more flexible than I'd like. Was going to try the Marcus Millers but I prefer the feel and sound of nickels and they appear not to do them in nickels.

Super Bright Nickel medium. I might try the Marcus Millers now instead, if I can find them at a reasonable price.

I bought via the website. Didn't see the note. Ah well, I have other sources for cheap strings, will just buy elsewhere.

Happily took my order and my money, then 9 days later email me to tell me they don't ship Dunlop products overseas. Most annoying. A full refund has been given, but it was an unbelievable price for the strings so I'm naturally a tad bitter. In this day and age, not shipping Dunlop products overseas seems odd. Nothing mentioned at the point of purchase, took them over a week to make me aware. Poor show.

Thanks, chaps. Dr Duck's axe wax acts as a string lube? What's a string lube? Does it make them slicker to play? Emailed Sterling and received an email telling me to use glass cleaner and a paper towel - I have to admit, I was not expecting that!

This old chestnut, again.... I did a forum search and got some interesting results, including "never use any sort of spray polish" and "use WD40". My Squier has a lacquered type of finish, so it cleans up well without any product - a soft cloth gets it nice and shiny. But my Sterling SUB Ray is a different animal - no lacquer, non-glossy type of finish on the body and it has fingerprints on it which bain't coming off with just a rub of a cloth. I had a gander on the Sterling website but the only info I could find pertained to the cleaning of the fretboard. Any recommendations? I don't necsssarily want to shine it - just clean the grubbiness off it. Taverymuch