CameronJ

I can’t make any promises re: the transition from 4 to 5 strings - I willingly made the switch because a lot of the music I listen to requires more range than a 4 string offers. It also just so happens that my hands “fit” a 5 string neck better than a 4 string neck anyway. Most books are indeed geared toward a 4 string neck but they can still be applied to a 5 string fingerboard - as with anything, practice makes perfect!

To add some info, matte finishes tend to wear in a way which slowly turns them glossy over time. This can actually end up looking pretty nice IMO with the edges and contours of the body developing a nice sheen while the flat surfaces retain more or their original matte look. Personally I really like the effect but I’m sure it isn’t for everyone.

A satin finish will always be prone to more visible wear than a gloss finish. But on a practicality level, if gloss finishes are uncomfortable for you when playing then the decision is surely a no-brainer? Go for the satin black BB735a.

Have to say the GK sim is definitely one of my favourites too!

I wonder if anyone has ever modded the gain in the AGS circuit on a Tonehammer to make it more useable?

I’d rather just take the Alpher to be honest!

This makes good sense to be fair!

Me neither! I didn’t realise the finish was quite so translucent!

I alternate between right and left leg depending on what I’m working on at the time. I think a big part of it stems from my former octave pedal addiction - playing in the upper register is a must for most octave pedals so it makes ergonomic sense to have the bass on my left leg. For straight ahead groove playing, the right leg is king for me.

Always loved the look of these CV basses - never seen one without the pickguard before. Looks great!

I can’t help but think this is very smart. Keeps the punters happy. Happy punters = happy landlords. Happy landlords = repeat bookings. Repeat bookings = a happy band.

I have a Gruv Gear Solostrap Neo - It’s the widest and most well padded strap I own, built like a tank too, so I can only imagine the experience offered by Gruv Gear’s DuoStrap. It ain’t cheap but I’m pretty confident it will be a very, very comfortable setup.

I had to google that. Excellent work sir

That is excellent - never seen it before either!

If all of her gigs have PA support, the solution is undoubtedly a HX Stomp. That’s it. She can practise at home through whatever rig she has. Headphones if she has no rig. Spend a little time making presets at home either on the hardware itself or through the excellent PC/Mac editor. When heading off to rehearsals or the gig just sling it in the front pocket of the gig bag and hook it straight up to the desk when you get there. Job done. Perhaps slightly more technical than lugging an amp up the stairs and turning it on but in the long run it offers the best price-to-versatility-to-power-to-weight ratio.

I’m most intrigued by this. The idea of “Trace watts” is quite prolific/legendary. I feel a video demo may be in order. Anyone??

On a slightly different note, I fitted some Maruszczyk Nickels on my Dingwall Super P5 a week or so ago (from Bass Direct) and can honestly say that after a day or two of being a bit too bright sounding, they’ve mellowed down nicely and feel really lovely to play. Great tension for me - not too stiff, not too loose. Much prefer them to the set of D’addario NYXLs that I fitted and then removed within 10 minutes! This is all subjective, of course.

Excellent use of “risible” - haven’t heard that in a while . What’s so bad about the grease bucket circuit? Can’t say I’ve used it. I’ve recently installed a Tonestyler in my Dingwall Super P and have to say it’s excellent. I usually have it wide open or 1 click off closed, depending on the song. If it’s not quite right, I’ll adjust from those positions but generally those are my starting points and they tend to be spot on for me. Fully closed is cool but I find it loses the characteristic of the P pickup as it’s pure sub. 1 click off fully closed introduces just enough of that P character for me whilst still being very dark. I still use the fully closed position for fun sometimes though!

That was pretty crazy. Change the playback speed to 0.75x to hear it at normal tempo