Happy Jack

Welcome to world of Real Bass. If you haven't already sorted this, I strongly recommend getting at least one 1-hour lesson from a pro/teacher. Some skills are definitely transferrable from EB to DB, but there are some really basic things which are radically different and you'll want to get those right from Day One. It's not just a question of improving your technique - you won't want to give yourself wrist / shoulder / back problems down the line from poor posture or playing with your limbs twisted! Your string choice will (of course) be guided by a number of factors, the most important IMHO being what sort of music you want to play and what state your hands/fingers are in. I've personally always favoured gut-alike strings, i.e. strings that emulate the feel & sound of gut strings. Genuine guts are unbelievably expensive, give endless tuning issues, and don't even last particularly long. A decent set of (say) Innovation Silver Slaps will last for 10 years and there is no requirement to actually slap them. 😉 Have a look at this for a starter:

I know it's deeply unfair of me, but I see those cabs, I see where it says Ashdown, and I just assume they'll each weigh a ton! 😂

Don't buy an under-powered (for your needs) head ... instead buy the best possible device for headphone playing. I recommend the PJB Bass Buddy VERY highly. Truly excellent piece of kit, something of a Swiss Army Knife in its functionality, built like a tank, and will even drive a 110 or 112 cab at 5W if used as a practice amp at home.

By "black vinyl tape" do you mean something similar to electrical tape? What about the glue residue when you remove the tape?

Now THAT'S the way to do it. You can never have too many power sockets in a studio. It's not just the absolute number ... it's also having sockets at just the right place on the wall for this particular kettle lead, or to make up for that one being hidden by a double bass etc.

Are you a go-with-the-flow type or do you set high standards and expect to meet them?

Your message wasn't delivered to [email protected] because the address couldn't be found or is unable to receive email.

Nice piece of work, this ... very helpful. One for the list, please: Alusonic 112 with tweeter (well, compression driver) 24 lbs 300W 8 Ohms And for your further consideration, perhaps a 'MISC' section for all the quirky, weird stuff that people like me end up owning. For example ... Greenboy Crazy 8 1x8 18.5 lbs 200W 8 Ohms Or even (and at the risk of attracting cries of "but that's a combo") ... PJB Briefcase 2x5 28 lbs (or 35 lbs with a motorcycle battery inside) 100W 4 Ohms

Do your video links last for longer than those of @MacDaddy?

Only just caught up with this thread - great camera work & editing Russ. Have to say, those songs are even shorter than I remember them being.

Sad to say, that email address no longer works. I've found him easily enough on Facebook but it is a seriously inactive page! I've sent him a Friend request anyway, just in case. If he responds, then I can maybe get a conversation going on Messenger.

That would be an Affirmatory, Houston ... beep.

They're very concerned about others trying to steal their intellectual property. 🤨

Very happy (and regular) Behringer user here. I've had all sorts of stuff over the years but the real clincher is the XR18 ... both my bands on stage are entirely built around that unit plus I've used it (successfully) as a recording desk. Biggest (only?) failure so far was - incredibly - last night. It's been so reliable over the last few years that when the PA failed to work it took me ages to actually check the XR18 itself. That was the point at which I discovered that the kettle lead had come loose in the socket, which is mounted on the side of the XR18 and therefore pretty much invisible when inside a rack unit. Doh!

Not sure why the sensitivity of the pickup would be an issue ... if your intonation is out (which is will be to start with) then the last thing you'd want is to have that 'disguised'. In truth, it doesn't really matter that much what your first DB is. If you take to the instrument, then chances are you'll be planning your first upgrade within a few months. 😂 My first was a £300 no-name Chinese DB (3/4 size). I had an introductory lesson with @Jake Bass to make sure that I had the basics right - how to hold it, what height to set it to, how to press the strings without straining my wrist, how to pluck properly, etc. - and played my first two DB gigs on it at local festivals with a steampunk folk outfit. Before the Summer was out, I had traded up to a £1000 Zeller which (10 years later) I still gig regularly with my rockabilly band. If you're anywhere near Burnham (Slough) tonight, come along and have a chat. We start at 7:30pm.

Did you not see Back To The Future?

Probably be cheaper to travel around the country, trying out the various strings on other Basschatters' basses ... 😂

I'm fascinated by that end-pin. Have you got links you can share?

My experience of the ACS plugs is - quite literally - that you forget you're wearing them. I frequently find myself tapping my ears to check whether or not I'm wearing the plugs. Sound quality is simply identical to playing with no plugs at all. They really are THAT good.

I tried this way back when but was actually pretty unimpressed. The in-ear units were Sennheiser and very good quality, but the leads failed far sooner than I'd expect. We're going back 10 years or more and it's entirely possible that they've improved in that time.

Denmark Street?

Loving the break angle at the nut for the G-string ... what could possibly go wrong?