scrumpymike

My experience is pretty much the same as Nik's. If you're an attention-seeker, best not take up the bass - unless you're a blindingly talented virtuoso, which I'm not. (Mind you, not many bands have room for one of those.) My excuse is I'm a singer who plays bass also. Come to think of it, that's been the recurring comment from punters over the years: "How the f**k do you manage to play bass and sing at the same time!?"

Just bought a nice Ashdown 210 Neo cab with fitted cover from Will. He's only half an hour up the road from me so we arranged to meet at his office after work for a try-out with my TE head and SWB-1 bass. Paid him via PayPal and left with the cab. Nice guy, great purchase, and no carriers involved - except Will himself, who insisted on carrying it out and putting it in the back of my car!! Thanks Will.

[quote name='D'AddarioUK' timestamp='1466418934' post='3075602'] It would appear there's more demand for extra light ProSteels than we thought! [/quote] Along with the rest of the UK, I guess the bass-playing fraternity is an ageing population. If that assumption is right, easy playability has to become more of an issue.

Very nice they look too.

[quote name='Evil Undead' timestamp='1465734175' post='3070562'] Hey all. I really like d'addario short scale nickels, the 40-95 gauge, for the feel and tension. But they aren't bright enough really and go dead too fast. Plus the E is always kinda dead. Are they any short scale steels in similar gauge? [/quote] I like the feel of the D'Add's EXL220S nickels too. Following a recommendation from Scott Whitley, it's what I've just fitted to both my main gigging basses so it's too early for me to comment on how well they last. For me they sound good though, including the E, but the stuff I play doesn't call for anything too bright. Having said that, I'd go for steels if they were available and Scott said the same (D'Addario UK pls note). Btw, I had the string nut re-made on one bass and re-cut on the other. If you didn't change yours, that could explain the dead-sounding E.

Just discovered this thread and gone thru the lot - some truly amazing stuff! I've been looking for a replacement in the black bass department since my SG Reissue went a while back and here it is - an Ibanez Talman TMB30 short-scale. [url="http://[URL=http://s1149.photobucket.com/user/scrumpymike/media/003_zpsd4rfyoav.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/o598/scrumpymike/003_zpsd4rfyoav.jpg[/IMG][/URL]"]http://[URL=http://s1149.photobucket.com/user/scrumpymike/media/003_zpsd4rfyoav.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/o598/scrumpymike/003_zpsd4rfyoav.jpg[/IMG][/URL][/url]

Newtone strings look interesting - there's a thread about them on the forum at the moment.

[quote name='grandad' timestamp='1465653986' post='3069977'] I looked at these, the ivory one appealed to me but I resisted. How does it play? [/quote] Not bad out of the box, very good after a full set-up and change of strings. Had this done by my friendly local luthier, as I don't touch nuts (except pistachios) myself. He said it was a "nice little bass" - the highest praise I've ever heard him give anything he didn't make himself. He added that, if he was asked to make exactly the same thing, he'd have to charge his customer £145 for just the wood.

Forgot to say, at £145 it's the same price as the hand-knitted woollen throw (made and sold by the missus) that I photographed it on!

"I tend to go for the looks and feel and weight of a bass rather than price. Put a bit of work into most mid/cheap models and a decent instrument can be had" +1 Here's my cheapy-but-goody (shorty), an Ibanez Talman TMB30. Just released in the UK and available in any colour as long as it's black (Thomann had the lovely ivory one last time I looked). [url="http://[URL=http://s1149.photobucket.com/user/scrumpymike/media/003_zpsd4rfyoav.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/o598/scrumpymike/003_zpsd4rfyoav.jpg[/IMG][/URL]"]http://[URL=http://s1149.photobucket.com/user/scrumpymike/media/003_zpsd4rfyoav.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/o598/scrumpymike/003_zpsd4rfyoav.jpg[/IMG][/URL][/url] Mahogany body, maple neck with rosewood fretboard - made in Indonesia (I guess the relevant trees grow there).

Steve, diet is a factor that's been mentioned in a couple of posts - including my own. Have a good think about that one; there's a body of anecdotal evidence that suggests a radical change in diet may improve conditions that you wouldn't expect to be affected. In my case, the low-carb diet I adopted to combat T2D (without resorting to medication) has reduced my bass-playing handicap. This type of diet is generally recommended to obese diabetics as a means of losing a lot of weight and I was hesitant to try it, being 'only' a couple of stone above my ideal BMI; so I didn't do the low-carb 'full monty' - just enough to lose the excess baggage - but felt hugely better in all sorts of ways! I have a hunch (two, if you include 'the bass-player's hunch) that what goes on inside our guts has far-reaching health implications that we are only just on the threshold of understanding. Interestingly, the early indications are that it's disorders involving the immune system that benefit most. Of course, this may not help you - in fact I may be talking a complete load of tosh - but it's a relatively low-risk option. In any event, please accept it as a genuine attempt to be helpful.

I've got a Mikro too for practice/travel - nice bit of kit and a bargain at £145 I think.

Hi Steve. I've got excessive 'wear and tear' at the base of my neck and the bottom of my spine causing nerve issues and similar symptoms to what you and others are suffering: in my case, hands turning 'wooden', sciatic pains, muscles across shoulders/neck knotting up. I'm not treating with pharma's or natural drugs, but I'm finding that the lifestyle changes I've made since being diagnosed with t2 diabetes 3 years ago are helping, along with occasional remedial massage and stretching exercises courtesy of the local NHS physio dep't. (The alternative suggestions already posted on this thread have been gratefully received, thanks!) Bass-wise, I've gone 'short-scale lite' including 040-095" strings and a home-made contraption that improves the balance/positioning of my SWB-1 main gig bass. Can't say I'm enjoying the feeling of playing on borrowed time though.

Just want to add my congratulations to the owner and compliments to the craftsman - I LOVE it!! I'm a great fan of projects that breathe new life into something that's so obviously been pre-loved, abused and then abandonned.

I agree with naxos10. I would guess Scott has owned many and probably played most of the short-scale basses available in this country. He obviously has case suppliers he's using for his own basses and if you contact him will I'm sure do his best to help. You may not get an immediate reply though as he's a working bassist and on the road a fair bit.

OK, not managed to play it much since the 45-min try-out in the shop (through a nice 500W Ashdown rig) but absolutely definitely a keeper (just don't know how Ibanez do it for the price). I was looking for a bass that looks nice, is easy to wear and play, has decent quality at a reasonable price and potential for upgrading later. I think that's exactly what I've got with this baby. Very nice out of the box - fine for gig back-up as is - but can be even better with a bit of time/money spent on it to get it just right for me. Here's a couple of pic's. [url="http://s1149.photobucket.com/user/scrumpymike/media/003_zpsd4rfyoav.jpg.html"][/url] [url="http://s1149.photobucket.com/user/scrumpymike/media/031_zps2eejli7e.jpg.html"][/url] [url="http://s1149.photobucket.com/user/scrumpymike/media/022_zpshks1b89v.jpg.html"][/url] [url="http://s1149.photobucket.com/user/scrumpymike/media/021_zpsgk6nszc9.jpg.html"][/url] [url="http://s1149.photobucket.com/user/scrumpymike/media/018_zpskpmc5t3s.jpg.html"][/url] ...and a bit if info: mahogany body; maple neck with 9.5"-radius rosewood fretboard; 30" scale; 20 medium frets; weighs 3.3kg/7.25lbs; nice balance with top strap button at 12th fret. And I'm really starting to like the black finish btw!