josie

Advice I picked up on BC recently - sorry I can't remember who from - is to tune on the 12th fret rather than the open string. My 12th fret readings are consistently higher than the open string readings (on all my basses - with a Polytune clip-on). Not by much, but by more than some mentioned above. Again though probably best if the guitard(s) do the same? or are the lower harmonics stronger on a bass? That would make sense...

Seems like many of us chose a playing style first, and then chose a bass to suit it. I had no particular style or heroes in mind when I went out to buy my first bass, and didn't realise for a long time how lucky I was that my beloved GMR 5 fell into my arms (almost literally), and how unusual her sound is. She has a very melodic sound, with exceptional sustain, and a perfect B string. I assumed all basses were like that, and had a shock when I first picked up a P-bass! My whole approach to playing, and to developing a bassline, is completely shaped by her sound and feel, although I do play other basses now and have become more versatile and punchy. So I'm curious where other peeps are on this - did you start with a sound you wanted, or was there a bass that shaped or changed the way you play?

Welcome! 5-string fretless is good 🙂

Ah lovely. Beats this - my grandson 3yo at the time

Welcome!

Excellent occasion, my thanks also to @jebroad and Mum for organising! Good venue, plenty of space and light. A welcome chance to put faces and voices to so many names that I won't pick any out - except @SpondonBassed and Jack, and @seashell. Ridiculous amounts of cake, with @Teebs 's chocolate cake the standout. Favourite bass of the day: @jazzyvee 's beautiful EUB as seen above. Very impressed by the build and sound quality of the many short-scales - not for me, I'm completely into light-weight long-scales, but an eye-opener. Also @Andyjr1515 's talk, which has led me to start reading the build threads. Final thanks to @Teebs for the lift from Manchester, I couldn't have got there otherwise, well worth the journey 🙂

Welcome! Looking forward to hearing more from you 🙂

Timbertones are a wonderful provoker of GAS. I'm mostly using their textured wood picks at the moment, but the sharp-pointed stone ones make a lovely sound on chrome flat wound strings. This is by far the cheapest and easiest way to play around with varying your sound. (I don't use the abalone one, it just lives in my gigging pick-tin like a little jewel.)

I have instructed my sons that my best live playing video(s) and my best audio recording(s) should be played at my funeral, with my favourite basses leaning on the coffin. Before that (I hope!) - Crystal Ballroom, Glossop supporting Victor Brox 16 June 🙂 https://crystalballroomglossop.com/stormy-sunday-blues-%233

All acoustic basses neck-dive - attach strap to headstock, probably with a bootlace threaded under the strings above the nut. That works fine with an acoustic "look", but might look a bit silly on an electric. With my (semi) hollow-body EB2 and Jack Casady I find a wide grippy strap and very high neck angle (which is how I play anyway) are enough. My back/shoulder problems are nowhere near as bad as some above, but all my favourite basses are super-light and there's no way I'd add any weight to them. Or buy one that needed it.

Yes, there's a "Gigs" thread under "Performance" lower down, but it's easy to overlook, and it's a mix of where BC peeps will be going or actually playing. I've lost count of how often replies to "How was your gig last night" are "Oh if I'd known I'd have been there!" (including from me 😞 ) So would it be a good idea to have this thread here as well? Happy to take "No" for an answer... (mods?) Plastic Mojo Blues Band will be playing the open jam in Tyldesley run by @12stringbassist tomorrow evening 🙂

Welcome!

I'm assuming that (as at North West BB) wearing scratchy belt buckles and trying out other people's basses don't go together? 😞 What about bringing things one is hoping to sell? (Thinking of my Warwick Thumb 6, which is a very fine bass but just too heavy for me...) - ok but a proportionate donation to BC if sold???

Welcome!

Welcome!

Thanks for all the replies - interesting and helpful.

Welcome!

A friend asked this on Twitter but got only my reply, so I thought I'd ask here. I'd been working on the setlist for a 45-minute gig, so I knew our answer (as a 5-piece blues band, with lots of instrumental solos, and not much patter between songs) - 9 or 10 songs, depending on whether we include our 10-minute version of Stormy Monday. (If our excellent occasional guest guitarist is there, make that 8 or 9.) It will depend on the genre - the answer could be 15 for a punk band or 1 for a Grateful Dead tribute! - I'd be interested to hear from others.

A tip from the excellent @Steve Amadeo on playing fretless - your hand will drift to the left on the higher strings, so keep checking your pitch against the open strings. I also have a scribbled note from the same lesson: "Use all four fingers".

Alice Merton, No Roots. Chosen by our drummer - the deeply demoralising thing is that at the moment he can play the bassline and drums at the same time better than I can play just the bassline. It crucially depends on that off-beat, I just need to stay stuck into it and sooner or later I'll get it. Needs to be sooner rather than later as we're gigging it next week...

Welcome!

Welcome!

Welcome back!

Welcome!