Wonky2

I have literally worn holes in steering wheels with my right hand 4 finger dexterity excersizes at thumping along to tunes with my figer tips.

I use a eb mm sterling ( usa) ..... It is bar non the best bass ive ever owned, playable beyond belief with a wicked tone range. Its smaller than the stingray lighter by a fair bit too, same scale length, slimmer neck. Not to be confused with MM's equivelent to a fender/squire type affair, the sterling . The genuine article can be picked up at some great prices, between £6/900 and are worth every penny. This is my beauty....

Ooooo theyre good!

Feel your pain brother

I curse you and you people. Your mother was a hamster and your farther smells of elder berries! I fart in your general direction ! Sorry, just had to get that out..... You did well pay, must have pipped me by minutes as there was a ind of 3 way conversation going on about corriers etc, he was quite fair in the sense that it was first come first served, i was just gutted that id missed it ,hope its all well.

Dont spoil it, it was beautiful whilst it lasted.......

I share your dislike for this song. Far too shiny.

I use a schertler set b pickup and preamp.... Im not massivley experienced in this area but i can tell you it sounds very natural and clean.

Whhhaaaa ! Whhhaaaa!!! Still got my titty lip on

Cats in the cradle too, same sentiment really, makes me dwell on being either at work or ill and tired and badically not giving my boys all they deserve.... Think the songs fairly mediocre and not by any means a track i rate, but the lyrics, the concept haunts me..... What does cheer me up no end, at high volume, again same reasons is reeling in the years by steely dan, fantastic tune.

Cat stevens farther and son gets me..... I quickly pull myself together and curse rohnan kheating

Just seen a mesa subway D800 up for grabs for £450! Messaged the guy and id missed it by a few minutes Ive not long bought my markbass little mark 3 , which really is exceptionally good, but having come from my mesa walkabout i thought id seize this opportunity...... The one that got away ! Gutted.

Mart, bad news on the spondylosis, but great news on the spondylitis, wouldnt wish it on anyone Wide strap, sit dont and play, keep the pressure off it.

Well, actually, mines flats on a sterling..... Sounds great to me

[quote name='Scott S' timestamp='1393195032' post='2377313'] Flats...on a 'Ray.. really?, wow, I never would have thought that. Thanks for the heads up, Lozz. [/quote] Flats on a ray, oh yes..... Ohhhh yess.

Posture is very important, if your joint do decide to fuse, better they do in an upright straight position then bent, make a conscious effort to stand up straight. An osteopath may be able to help but as ive said before DO NOT have any chiroprachtics or manipulation. Your joints may have degenerated beyond the norm (given your pain) and manipulation can do two things, 1. Create more inflammation 2. Cause damage due to weakend joints. Be clear on whether it is spondylitis or spondylosis you have. If its the later its a mechanical cause rather than inflamatory they are dealt with in different ways. For relief, get a microwavable hot wheat bag, they help alot.

[quote name='Number6' timestamp='1458042660' post='3004107'] Funnily i loosen up quite well during a 3 hour rehearsal but when i travel home on the train afterwards.....i daten't sit down in case i can't stand up again. Oh the joys eh! [/quote] Number6, this is half the battle, in the moment you can feel alright, but when you stop its like your veins are coursing cement! The transition from stationary to moving can be wicked. Im ok for a short while sat atop my amp hanging off my double bass, but when i try to stand and walk..... Oh joy indeed ! The way to avoid it is to avoid sitting in one place for more than say ten mins , get up regularly and move.... Vice versa if your standing... I often put my hands in hit water before i play for around 5 mins, id reccomend that to anyone !

Mart, your right not to indulge for the exact reason you say, but you should perhaps learn a little about it in order to manage it. There are indeed different types but all fall under an umberlla catagory called spondyloarthoprapies, bit of a mouth full ! I see your thread says spondylitis, hence the connection to my condition ankylosing spondylitis...... Be sure that your dr has said spondylitis and not spondylosis. They are very different and have different causes. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spondylosis Not to be confused with https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spondylitis Both result in similar ways but were mine is caused by a faulty immune system ( hence immuno suppressant drugs) spondylosis on the other hand is caused by inflamation through wear and tear, hard work or poor posture. Either way, what damage is done is done, it cant be undone ( with exception in some cases of surgery) and unfortunaitly it is degenerative, which is why you have to understand what makes it worse and how to improve it. Daily excersize or stretches will help alot and keep things moving as its felt more when that inflamation gets into ligaments and tendons. One of the charactoristics of AS is it is better with excersize and worse with rest, you simply seize up and feel like youve had a silly session at the gym the day before. Some of these excersize should help alot http://nass.co.uk/exercise/exercise-for-your-as/watch-exercise-videos/

Lucky lucky you Anfim, would like to hear your band ! Fungus, you are very welcome my friend Nothing better than sharing great music..... Well, except for playing it i guess

Gordon is a moron. Jilted john. (No coincident my boss's name is Gordon!)

I feel your pain buddy, i have ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and it seems im a fair way down the path than you are, so take some comfort in that that your playing days are far from over Chronic pain and fatigue are a hard bag with bass as every thing is so damn heavy! I hope you manage to keep playing for a long time to come buddy. Where am i up to ? Well, ive had it for a very long time, over 23 years typical diagnosis takes average of 8-10 years as its not until dmage has been done that they commit to giving it a name. Whats lucky for you is that the major meds available for it,the ones which aledgedly prevent it progressing are now available to you whereas up until only very recently some very stringent criteria applied, this is due to it costing approx £15k per annum. Theyre called anti tnf (anti tumor necrosis factor alpha drugs), i have tried a few over the years and currently inject enbrel weekly, allthough it doesnt help much to be fair, maybe im too far gone? The typical route before those drugs are Nsaids (non steroidal anti imflammatory drugs) like ibrupropen, diclofenac etc..... Then its Dmards (disease modifying anti rheumatic drugs) such as Sulphasalazine........ I have used methotrexate injections, which is basically chemo drugs.... Non help really, only pain killers, of which imcould give you a list as long as your arm. I now use morphine twice a day. Point is this...... Non of the above help a great deal and pain killers simply treat the symptom not the cause. The single best thing you can do, is move. Too much, youll make it worse, too little you will stiffen up. Find the right balance of moving the parts that hurt regularly. Its hard to commit to an excersize regime, especially when you are tired, but its vital. Dont under any circumstances as has been suggested go to a chiropractor, you will make it worse. Soondylitis is not a mechanical issue, it is caused by your immune system. Ive been out tonight to rehearsal with the band, the very last thing i wanted to do was leave the house when i got in from work but i simply have to, otherwise i will loose what is dear to me. It has taken many things from me, including my ability to walk well, so i have made changes. Playing bass, well, i sold my mesa walkabout and went for markbass light weight gear. My fender allthough not that heavy by most standards is for me and see's little outings. I do use a pn eb MM sterling, which is fantastic, shorter scale length smaller body and light enough. Use a wide 3 or 4" padded strap. Alternate between sitting and standing. I have also take up double bass for our latest project. This thing is a real bug ber, i adore playing it and when sat on my amp i almost embarce/ hug the thing! Im carrying no weight of it, it anything it supports me! I just wish i could move it! Luckily the lads in the band move it for me, im very lucky with that. Gigs..... Unbelievably hard work, usually i rest during the day and just conserve energy for the night. Our band just does maybe 1 1/2 hours max and thats it. I cant play any of the late night stuff anymore as it just sucks the life clean out of me and it takes days or weeks to get over it. This isnt a sob story, far from it,and i dont mean to high jack your thread with my own story, its just a look in on how hard it can be yet it is still, with the right desire, possible. I dont suggest you'll end up like me as i have a few things going on which make me this bad, ankylosisng spondylitis makes bones fuse together, mine have and they have trapped/ crushed nerves. Lower back and neck but im afected all over really. I have regluar steroid injections in theatre under xray to guide them between the joints, they help alot and bring approx 3 months worth of relief. One word of warning, Look out for trouble with your eyes, sore red eyes, as iritis is a commom partner and can take your sight. Any sign of that go straight to hospital. Many people live very very normal lives with it, run marathons, and are very active as it helps (rest doesnt) but some, like me are pretty buggered with it. I run a forum on the NASS web site (national ankylosing spondylitis society) if you have any questions or wish to research please register and drop on in. Learning about it is the best thing you can do, understanding what makes it worse, for me, i have flare ups, they can last a day or two or a month or two! Lying in bed or sitting on a poor chair will kick it off, so work out what your doing during the day and see if that is aggrevating it. Apologies for the long waffle, morphine and diazepam at bedtime make for gibberish. If you wish to pm me any questions , anything at all, please do. The long and short of it, even when its this bad, its oossible to continue playing Wonky

Honestly, very very cool bit of kit....

Thats the one, like a small suitcase as opposed to a pedal ! Lots of fun