tobiewharton

Well, I thoroughly enjoyed reading that - thanks for taking the time to share. I've lusted after one of these unconventional beasts for a long time. I've owned Warwicks and we've never really hit it off but the design of the Dolphin is just mesmerising. The inlays are the icing on the cake. I'm a zoologist by day and have a sperm whale inlay at the 12th on my Shuker. Continue to treasure and enjoy this beauty!

There are currently some incredible value fivers in the classifieds here...

Check out Scott Whitley's online content - he's a big exponent of short scales.

Good advice. In electric bass terms, 4-string P to 5-string modern super-long scale is a bit of a jump. The transition can be helped by opting for tighter string spacing. Equally, don't dismiss shorter scale lengths - in my experience, a consistent or 'tight' B string is not limited to 35" or above. A brass nut or zero fret will help with consistent clarity too. Most extended range basses will have shallower necks anyway and asymmetrical neck carves are also common. Expect at least 45mm at the nut. As a result of this, ergonomics are very different and really necessitate certain techniques (no thumb wrapped around the fretboard unless you have enormous hands!). Sound-wise, you can't go wrong with soapbars and MMs will be fine too. Modern voiced single coils if you want less welly. Be wary of option paralysis with complex onboard preamps; a simple 2-band eq (even boost only) is plenty as the kinds of pickups in these basses are naturally 'scooped' in the mids. This is generally great in a gospel context where there is much more sonic space for bass guitar; relative lack of chord-heavy and distorted guitar parts really help with this. Modern, clean amps are the way to go with this; think Class D and 10s or 12s. A lot of prominent American players use GK. The role of bass in contemporary gospel means a good grasp of music theory is a big advantage and ear-training is a necessity. Band MDs (often keys players) will call changes; songs are often started by vocalists in their chosen key; music starts and stops at different times, often with very short notice; spontaneous key changes are common. The Nashville Numbers System will be your best friend! A final thought - listen to lots of music! Some artists: Fred Hammond William McDowell Tamela Mann Yolanda Adams Donnie McClurkin Marvin Sapp Kurt Carr Tye Tribbett Mary Mary Israel Houghton Kirk Franklin Darwin Hobbs Donald Lawrence Hezekiah Walker Anthony Evans Some bass players: Justin Raines Andrew Gouche Sharay Reed Fred Hammond Lots of great online content too. I hope some of this helps and enjoy the journey! Tobie

I'd happily weigh it down 😂

Yep - staggering!

Absolutely wonderful sales pitch from Fender Japan: https://www.gak.co.uk/en/fender-fsr-made-in-japan-elemental-jazz-bass-Nimbus-White/968563?gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwrIixBhBbEiwACEqDJTywcKXnuHvst8jrD3BJ6m0UKcevyaGgrJaDGSf2hVhHkrqbXRUaKBoCsUQQAvD_BwE 🤣

I haven't, but I would like to - especially the double P version. I've tried a nice Special and also a Lyte, which I was partial to; I rather like Fender's attempts to mess with the recipe in the 80s - would be nice to see a bit more of that these days!

I'm ambivalent about it, but understand the appeal. I'm 1983 and I think the Precision Specials were cool. If I had a need of something in that ballpark and found a good one for a good price, the year matching would be a bonus.