Marc S

Lots of good, useful suggestions on here. But as Grangur says, first, check the set-up. Especially the distance between pickups and strings. However, don't make that distance too small, because that can cause the magnets to exert a force which "attracts" the strings, choking the output. Definitely try different strings too. Then you should be looking at wiring & pickups, and electrics..... EDIT: KiOgOn on this forum does some nice solder-free wiring kits. I've used one and it was great - he'll answer any questions you have, as he's ever such a helpful BC'er He'll know which pots and capacitors will be best, and does several versions of each kit to suit what you're after Entwistle make some very inexpensive pickups that are really good. The PBXN and JBXN pickups are amazing. I see you have a pair of Jazz type pickups there. Two JBXN's would give you a much louder output - the magnets they contain are very deep - so you'd need to rout out a deeper centre channel within the pickup cavity... However, before you start all that, someone did suggest a PreAmp pedal - this is also a good idea. Not only will it boost your output, but you will have more control over your EQ. It's relatively inexpensive, as many Pre amp pedals are cheaper than some pickups. Try a 2nd hand one - you could even sell it for the same money if you don't get on with it. Behringer do one for around £30. I've got one and it's not bad at all. It's certainly good value for that money, and even better for me cos I only paid a tenner 2nd hand for it Good luck in your quest

I don't think bass is too commonplace. Perhaps it's more common than it used to be, but compared to guitar it's far less common. I often pop along to open mics and jam nights. I'm frequently the only bass player there. Loads of guitarists or singer guitarists, quite a few singers. There's sometimes 2 or 3 drummers, usually more than one - sometimes even four! If you want a less common instrument but love the bass - try double bass. Definitely very few DB players around I play DB, plus a little guitar, bit of Bouzouki and have just started Ukulele But I'll never stop playing bass unless it becomes physically impossible

[quote name='Marc S' timestamp='1508844903' post='3394772'] E, definitely E....no, D.... or maybe Bb.... [/quote] Or perhaps it's F# ..... no, I think it might be G after all

A punk band I was in a few years back rented a rehearsal room (off trade street in Cardiff) - Motorhead used to rent that room (and left, owing several months rent) As a beginner, I had a couple of free lessons with Paul Gray - I played the Blue Rick he recorded most of his early basslines with, it was used on Eddie & The Hotrods "Do Anything You Wanna Do" appearance on TOTP - Also played his bright yellow (re-sprayed) Rick that he played on many Damned songs, including appearances on the OGWT I once owned a bass that Nicky Wire had used - he recorded 2 songs with it, and used it as backup - there's footage of it in the background onstage somewhere on youtube....

E, definitely E....no, D.... or maybe Bb....

[quote name='NickRiffed' timestamp='1508542012' post='3392918'] I have tried all sorts of strings on my Ashborys. I prefer the original Ashbory sticky strings for tone but the talc and the time it takes for any sort of tuning stability to set in is ridiculous. As for Aguila or Pahoehoe, I don't mind the white Aguilas and I quite like the Pahoehoes, they aren't too different but, out of all the polyurethane strings I've tried, I prefer the Thunder reds. IMO they sound better, feel better and look better. [/quote] Must get around to trying those Thunder Reds one day - thanks for your thoughts Nick Just spotted these in the marketplace on here - for anyone wanting to try them I don't know the seller, just thought someone might fancy trying them http://basschat.co.uk/topic/313866-kala-pholex-ukulele-bass-strings/

These do look great. I'm a convert to the P/J configuration. I've had a J added to both my P basses The nice thing is that the option is there - if you want just pure P sound... dial the J right down to zero I tend to get the volume i want with the P pickup, and just dial in J to suit the band I'm in, how much of It I can hear in the song / venue To me, it adds that bit of flexibility. I don't think it distracts or detracts from the appearance of the instrument - but can understand how it might, for those wanting a more traditional appearance I would say to anyone thinking of buying one - try the P/J configuration before discarding the idea - you may like it

Hello, or Shwmae, from a fellow Basschat member in Wales Mae hi'n bwrw glaw bore 'ma Nice gear list there, and quite extensive..... One problem with BC is that you won't be able to stay away from the marketplace too long - and you'll end up with even more gear! lol Good luck in your search for a suitable DB. I couldn't find one for sale anywhere near me... then I joined this forum

[quote name='kevvo66' timestamp='1508189801' post='3390445'] Thanks people ,I'm just pondering I'm keeping my gear but a electric guitars in order , had dabble with my old acoustic tonight really enjoyed it ,as I started with acoustic when I was a kid and progressed to bass in my teens [/quote] Yes, that's what I'd do - keep my bass gear, and buy another musical instrument to have a dabble with But there are some good suggestions on here too - play along with some of the songs that you were listening to as a kid - but just randomly search for songs / bands you've never heard of, and learn / play along with music you don't know. I'd add- is there a challenging bass line that you never got round to learning, but always wanted to learn? - Is now the time to take a break from playing your usual stuff, and do something else? Maybe take a short break from bass - play that guitar. Get yourself a Ukulele and learn a few chords & songs - then pick up your bass again, and start playing music you haven't done before. I'm always jamming along to songs on Youtube, new and old...... Most of all - don't leave us for ever! lol

Looks absolutely lovely. Enjoy your new DB - phone in sick, and spend a few days at home with it lol

Wish I'd come across this in a garage! lol Lately, I've got a bit of a hankering for a Squier JV Precision Keep us posted on progress BTW. If you've never tried a fretless, or flatwounds - I'd definitely recommend every bass player has a fretless to dabble with once in a while... Re flats - you may be surprised at just how high the tension in some flats is..... They can be quite "heavy" and hard to play Try looking at LaBella Low Tension flats (I forget the number) or for the lowest tension flats Thomakstik Infeldt (TI Flats) are incredibly low tension - but expensive

PS.Not tried their 300W combo, but would like to at some point I was really impressed with the 100W version - I couldn't believe how light that combo is And loud for a 100W amp too Shame about your combo PaulWarning - still, at least it was still under warranty I never noticed any rattling on the one I used, and the guy has gigged it a lot, and as I say, we both used it outdoors, in a large beer garden at that... I know what you mean about it being "cumbersome" I often find that's the case with combos though....

I've "borrowed" one, as part of the support to a main act. Used it several times, in fact The main bands bass player loves it, and I have to say, I like it too... We've played several medium sized gigs with it, one of them out doors, and I've seen this band play other outdoor gigs Always copes remarkably well, despite them being 6, sometimes 7 piece The owner doesn't seem to do much EQ fiddling - he sets everything pretty much at 12 O'clock. I tweak it a little, or use a Pre-amp pedal EQ controls, and leave his settings alone. It's quite lightweight, considering the punch it packs, and I never felt it struggled any time I've used it, or heard it played through by its' owner. Quite nice tone, definitely not "Boomy" always had plenty of headroom. Would I swap it for my rig? Probably not, because my rig is more flexible (I have 2 different heads, for different situations / bands, and I use 1 or 2 of three different cabs - again for different bands / settings) But if I wanted a 300 - 500W combo, or if a pal asked me what combo I'd recommend in the 500W range - I'd definitely give this amp the heads up

I've had both over the years.... and several of each - like many of us, I suspect I play in several bands, and when I was after a "rockier" sound, I tended to opt for a P over a J However, there were times when I'd happen to take the J along (as a spare, or just cos I fancied trying it on one set of songs for instance) I would find the Jazz sounded better than I'd expected. A quick sound-check, before the 2nd set kicked off was usually enough for me to tell... Nowadays, my preference is for a P/J bass. I just like the tonal options. I can have pure P when I want it, and completely "kill" the J pickup But I usually dial in at least some J - To my ear, this is the best solution. The P tends to cut through with whichever band I'm playing, and I get as much Jazz "burble" as I want for any particular song I have a fretless bass, which is a Jazz. I did own a US fretless P - but I prefer the sound (and flexibility) of the two Jazz pickups when it comes to fretless. The fretless P was great - it was lovely & light, and comfortable to play, and felt and sounded good... but somehow, the 2 Jazz pickups suit fretless more All the above are merely my opinion, of course - but to anyone who hasn't tried the P/J option it's well worth some experimentation, especially in a live situation One or two other thoughts - which have probably been discussed many times on here; I tend to prefer P's for body shape - in general they're lighter in weight than a J. That may not mean much to some - but as my age advances, the lighter the bass, the happier I am after a couple of hours playing. So if I'm going to be playing a couple of long sets, or am likely to be tired (work, rehearsals, or gigging three nights running) I usually prefer the neck dimensions of a J.... but not the very thin, highly tapered versions (I had a 70's RI Jazz, it was lovely, but the neck was very slim at the nut) My fave ever neck being my old RW Jazz, and my (luthier slimmed) RW P. On P basses, i tend to prefer "C" shape / profile necks (more akin to that RW Jazz)

Happy NBD Looks a great bass EDIT: As a matter of interest - I often take a drive and end up near a music shop.... I'm mystified as to how this happens so frequently

Looking at it - I'd definitely try a light sanding, then a coat of some sort of sealant... is Nitro an option for you? I'm not necessarily a fan of natural finish on basses - but I think this one could look great. I just think it's nice with Rosewood board and that tort plate Definitely get it re-fretted though It's a nice project to have in the pipeline