ezbass

Hands Off She’s Mine - The Beat

No, it’s true, there’s nothing and it’s been nothing for quite some time - it sucks. I know that a new band, with particular sonic/aesthetic requirements could cure this, but it’s slim pickings.

Diamond Dogs - Bowie

No need to wait… https://reverb.com/uk/item/85609473-timber-tones-stone-guitar-picks-made-from-reconstituted-stone-and-resin-2024-polished?bk=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJqdGkiOiI1MWEzNjA4OS1iOTVlLTQyNzMtYTcxYS0yNmQxMDUxNjMzZTYiLCJpYXQiOjE3NDI5MDEzNTUsInVzZXJfaWQiOiIiLCJzZXNzaW9uX2lkIjoiYTg4MmVhODQtYzViOS00NGUwLTk3YWQtMTIwYmIxOTcyYTUxIiwiY29va2llX2lkIjoiM2U1MDU1MTktZWEyMy00YWE1LThmODMtODUxMWFiNzg0ZmFmIiwicHJvZHVjdF9pZCI6Ijg1NjA5NDczIiwic291cmNlIjoiTk9ORSJ9.9IfwHGG1SxWL-Utut-_1HffKLE0u7lqxw-HpomRmNsU https://reverb.com/uk/item/41389862-inlay-tones-titanium-and-freshwater-mother-of-pearl-guitar-pick?bk=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJqdGkiOiI0ZmVkODhkZC1jZWYzLTQwNmEtOTBlNy05MjIzNjIzYzZlY2IiLCJpYXQiOjE3NDI5MDEzNTUsInVzZXJfaWQiOiIiLCJzZXNzaW9uX2lkIjoiYTg4MmVhODQtYzViOS00NGUwLTk3YWQtMTIwYmIxOTcyYTUxIiwiY29va2llX2lkIjoiM2U1MDU1MTktZWEyMy00YWE1LThmODMtODUxMWFiNzg0ZmFmIiwicHJvZHVjdF9pZCI6IjQxMzg5ODYyIiwic291cmNlIjoiTk9ORSJ9.nA98qAg4l4lvFGTBGnWK60hb2un7mtb5GHaHzVjCyZQ

After completing the abstinence challenge last year, I am now a broken man. Other than the stand I bought for my EUB, which was the equivalent of a more comfortable strap, I have no GAS. Let me say that again, NO GAS! Sounds good, yes? Well it isn’t, I hate it! I used to love pointlessly drooling over new gear, looking to see where I could try it, how I could justify buying it. All gone, even guitar GAS, which was always on hand, has dwindled to a mere cursory glance at guitar shop, websites. To summarise, everyone go and buy something now, save yourselves, no one should feel like this. 😩 What do you mean, that’s not the point of this thread and challenge? I’m doing everyone a favour, surely? 😉😁

Years ago, I ‘needed’ a new five string. I’d previously had an MM ‘Ray5, which was great, but I sold it back to the guy I bought it from - mistake right there, but he asked and I was playing a vintage P all of the time then. Anyway, to sate this ‘need’, I headed to The Gallery to see what was what and with a max budget in mind. I tried loads that day and the one I would’ve walked away with was a used MM Sterling5, but the G string was so close to the board edge, I kept pulling it off the board. Tried a Sadowsky (US I think), which was good, but way beyond my budget. Almost ready to leave empty handed, when I spied a Lakland 5502 and gave it a go. Straight away I could tell there was too much relief in the neck (Plek? Well they cocked that up), but Martin gave it a quick adjust and it was superb, played well, good tones. Paid my money and went home with it. Gigged it extensively and it did the job, but it turns out I was never really inspired by it and so let it go, but they are good, solid workhorses and get the job done with some aplomb. Some time later, I was back at The Gallery for a browse and picked up a used, Japanese, Sadowsky Metro Express fiver. What a bass! Sounded great, felt great and I should’ve bought it, but the timing was off financially. If that had been around when I bought the Lakland, I would have bought that instead, no question. Not having tried the Chinese, Warwick, Sadowsky, Metro Expresses, I can’t attest to their quality and the German ones are way too many pennies for me. I later went through an Ibanez stage with fivers and the Premium line, with the Nordstrand Big Singles sound amazing and the playability is really good. However, I never really gelled with the SR body size at the time and the gold hardware on the Premiums is just too blingy for me (I can be as shallow as puddle sometimes). Having now played Mustangs for a while, I would probably get on better with the SR size and shape and if I could get the Big Singles, with black or chrome/nickel hardware and I needed a fiver, I would probably go down that route as a starting point. However, this is all very unlikely, as my passive, custom Maruszczyk J type, with drop D tuner gets the job done very well and if I need some active action, I use a Sadowsky preamp pedal.

That flip flop finish is a bit special.

That looks right, now.

I Wish - Stevie Wonder

Actually it's a lot more intuitive than it looks. Once you've loosened the locking grub screw, it's just as easy as any other bridge really, maybe just a bit more fiddly.

There is something to be said for taking a break from your number 1 bass and then coming back to it. I’ve recently done the very same thing with my custom Maruszczyk, you forget why they were your number 1 in the first place and then it’s a case of, “Wow! Oh yeah!” when you return. Only ever played a Status once (a secondhand S2, I think, in the Bass Cellar in Denmark St), I remember it being pretty damned good.

A quality double bass, with all the relevant accessories (bow, hard case, gigbag, stand). As I don’t play the lottery, this is unlikely, although there is always the premium bonds.

Save Me - Jelly Roll

Earl’s A Winger - Richard Digance

The onlyother, non nylon coated, flats I’ve used are La Bella DTFs and the Cobalts are much more roundwound sounding to my ears. I initially bought a set for one of fretless basses to preserve the board and sound in the ball park as roundwounds on other basses. I liked them so much that they are now my go to string, whether fretted or fretless. They don’t have that top end zing of new roundwounds, but very much like old ones, with added benefit in that they take years to go off and, even then, they’re still very useable. With regard to feel, they’re smooth enough, but not overly glassy, finger noise won’t be an issue. They sound great with a pick too, nice and snarly with a bit of drive added.

Chalk Dust; The Umpire Strikes Back - The Brat

I went down this rabbit hole some months back and narrowed it down to 3: the Nordstrand NP4; the DiMarzio DP122 and the EMG GZR. I then listened to numerous examples of these 3 and any one of them would have been excellent. However, I did finally rate them in order of my preference: 1 GZR; 2 DiMarzio; 3 Nordy. Really nowt in it, although the full replacement electronics, with no soldering, swung it for EMG. I then did nothing about it, as I was abstaining from gear purchase at the time .

Playing a gig aggravates my tennis elbow. However, having tissue work from an osteopath and wearing KT tape means it’s slowly getting better.

If there are only a few songs in standard tuning, I’d go Eb tuning and just play those few a semitone up. Conversely, you could X-tender crazy and have 4 fitted! Very Michael Manring.

One piece of gaffa, sorted, free mojo included.

Alison - Elvis C

4 or 5.

Mine had a habit of becoming unscrewed until it finally self destructed, whilst plugged in to something. Managed to remove the tip and pin, but it was not for fixing. TBH I didn’t think it was any better than other leads in terms of tone, a little different, but not better. My favourite leads still remain George L’s, although Mojo cables are good too (I have both).