Dan Dare

I'm not good enough to play any of my fantasy gigs. I'd be fired in short order.

String manufacturers have to allow for varying distances between nut and tuner, plus different headstock types (4 on one side, 3+1, 2+2) and different bridges (through body, Fender type - little distance between string end and saddles and so on). So they tend to make them a little over long. Something like a Wal has a short distance from nut to tuner compared with, for example, a Fender. The unwrapped section is designed to be cut back if needed. It won't harm the string. Ideally, the wound length should not wrap round the tuner post. I've found with some string makes on 34" scale basses and Fender-type bridges, which leave little distance between the string end and the saddle, that a medium scale string is better. The silked portion starts behind the nut. It's a case of suck it and see.

Lev... Level... Le... No. Sorry. I just can't.

Good advice. However, in the case of a new instrument that has issues, I'd be wary of doing anything to it in case the shop tried to tell me I've invalidated the guarantee.

I'd be a little wary of the assertion that no good instrument has come from the factory that builds for Ibanez, PRS, Squier and others (and of the person who made the assertion). There are countless thousands of satisfied owners of such instruments. It may well not be set up properly. It may even be a lemon - q/c might have slipped up - but it is ridiculous to claim that no good instrument ever came out of the Cort factory. I have a Cort 5, a PRS and a Squier Tele' from that factory and they are all fine, Given the price you paid, you are entitled to expect it to work out of the box. It may need a little tweaking to suit personal taste, but not major work. I would contact the shop/reseller you got it from and ask for either a replacement (you say you really like it) or for remedial work under guarantee. Is the buzz definitely from the frets? I had a persistent buzz once that I eventually traced to a loose spring on one of the bridge bolts. Anyway, your first port of call should be wherever you bought it from.

Bass Direct have a lot of knobs (ooooer). Worth asking them. I got some from eBay that turned out to be a smidge too small to fit CTS pots. I put them in a vice and gently drilled them out, finding when I did so that they were chrome plated brass, so that was a bonus.

Whatever the rental company provides.

There's a Peavey Basic 40 in Cardonald on Gumtree. Those little Peavey combos are pretty bulletproof.

I think it's probably true. Where could you gig with that? It's a toy.

A little GK class D head would be great with that. They do seem to work well with BF cabs. Pretty tasty starter rig. Your daughter has excellent taste in instruments.

Good point. As Nick was talking about getting something older and not too expensive, I didn't envisage he would be looking at post 2010 vehicles. Sorry to hear about your Avensis. They're great cars. I nearly bought one, but found a rare Camry (just 50 of my particular model on the road in the UK, according to the How Many Left? site), which I couldn't resist. One owner from new, fsh, unmarked bodywork, etc. I'm hoping nobody drives into it.

There's a clean looking 50w Hartke combo in the Marketplace at the moment (not mine or belonging to anyone I know). It's in Norfolk, so may not be easy to pick up, but if you're out that way, it would do the job and probably suffice for the time when she joins her first band.

Good suggestion. You can also connect to the active instrument input if your amp has one (many do). Start with the input gain at minimum and go from there.

Isn't that what the rhythm section is supposed to do?

I agree with Phil. Why bother to replace both amp and driver in a small budget combo? Wouldn't it be simpler to just sell it and get a suitable cabinet to go with the Markbass head? If you don't want to build one, you could buy a used one and replace the driver if you prefer. It shouldn't be much more expensive and you'll get a much better result.

I think Bunion has hit the nail on the head. Action on a fretless can be lower than on a fretted (it needs to be if you want the 'mwah', which is caused by the string buzzing slightly against the fingerboard), so you can use a softer touch. Your fingering doesn't have to be quite as precise, because you can slide/micro-correct if your intonation is a little out.

I bought a 15" bass driver with a HEAVY magnet and frame from a well known supplier. It arrived in a thin cardboard box with no padding, bubble wrap or protection of any kind. Thankfully, it was unscathed, so props to Royal Mail.

A cajon bag/backpack might do the trick.

Have a look at a Toyota Avensis estate or hatch. Roomy, comfortable and bulletproof as far as reliability goes. Older Toyotas are ULEZ friendly (I have a 2003 Camry, which is fine). Not the cheapest option, but excellent in the long run.

This. Save your money for now.

Spot on. When I'm setting up in a smaller venue where I am not DI'd into the PA, I go for a wander, using wireless or a long lead, during soundcheck to see how the bass integrates with the rest of the band sound. It can be a bit of an eye/ear opener. That fat juicy bass sound you hear close to your rig can easily sound like boomy mush in the room. I often have to thin it down and accentuate the mids to the point where it takes on that nasal quality. Not the nicest to listen to close to the rig, but it works in the room, which is what matters. Makes a bit of a mockery of all the striving for "my sound"...

Exactly. To each his/her own. When I went to festivals (a long time ago), it was the experience I enjoyed. Heard some good music (and some bad), but that was almost by the bye. Now I'm ancient and don't fancy going, I'm certainly not going to moan or snark about the whole thing. Live and let live.

A piece of 400 or 600 wet and dry paper does the job. A sheet will last for ages

Depends how accurately you can work with wood. The neck ideally wants to be a snug fit in the pocket and you will need to ensure the sides of the pocket sit flush against it with no gaps. How are your woodworking skills?

It would have helped had you stated at the outset that you play guitar, not bass. This is a bass forum and we advise people on bass matters (many of us play guitar, too, but that isn't the point). You are asking in the wrong place. Seek guidance on guitar forums or go to a decent shop and take their advice. There's little point in asking repeated questions on here, especially as you don't give us any useful information about your needs (see Happy Jack's post above).