BillyBass

Good spot. The Z3 seems to have a fixed mid band

E-mail sent. From the Sire website, it would appear that the Z3s have a mahogany body, a maple neck and fretboard and 2 band EQ pre amp and a single MM style humbucker. The coloured Z7s have Alder bodies and maple necks. The 'natural' finish model is made of Swamp Ash and has a roasted maple neck. The fretboard material varies depending on the body colour. The Z7s have a 3 band EQ preamp and an extra J style pup at the neck. This pup is noise cancelling. Both models have rolled edge fretboards, a 45mm bone nut and a string retainer that covers all 5 strings. Neither model appear to have lightweight tuners or a passive option with the pre amp. Both models are string through body; I presume there is a top load option too but I can't tell from the photos. I'm interested, depending on weight, neck dive and string spacing. I like the look, except for the headstock.

Andertons is showing these as being in stock on the 31st July. If my current project has legs I might have a look at one of those Z7 fivers. I can't see any mention of string spacing anywhere; has anyone else got a clue?

Is this due to the core? DR do some round core strings do they not?

...particularly if it's tapered. I changed my 0.135 B string to a 0.145 last week and found much improved tension. It felt much closer to the other strings tension wise. I would have preferred a little more output and I was considering seeing if I could raise the pole pieces on my fiver's pups. The biggest drawback was, see the photo, the end of the string didn't fit through my bridge string hole. So I ordered a (D'AddarioXLB145T) tapered version, it was waiting for me when I got home from work today. It fits perfectly and because the tapered section fits over the bridge saddle, the fatter bit of the string is lower against the pups and has, I believe, boosted the output of the string. At least, that's what it feels like after one short practice session. I'm not a very experienced 5 string player, I've been playing solely 4 strings for over a year and a half and I find them more comfortable. The set of the function band I've just joined is difficult to do without the extended range, so I've dusted off my fiver...and now with this 0.145 string, I've lost the urge to go for 35" or multi scale fivers. My 34" fiver sounds great. Anyone else use 0.145 strings in their fiver, or even thicker strings?

Every time I hear one of the DJs from Planet Rock (on in my van) mention 'Americana' I listen to see if I can decode it. That one of our resident Americans also struggles to understand the 'genre' gives me hope. Once, on the Scotts Bass lessons forum, I asked someone what sort of music his band played. He replied "Americana" and proceeded to list artists they covered; I didn't recognise any of them. Steely Dan is the name that pops into my head when I hear the term but I might be completely wrong.

I joined a function band a couple of weeks ago. I learnt 12 songs for the audition and now have another 23 to learn. The BL isn't keen on playing pubs, he is more interested in weddings so we might need to add a few more but...the 4 I am currently working on are: I saw her standing there, All my loving - The Beatles Mamma Mia - ABBA Faith - George Michael I'm not a fan of this sort of music but I'm happy to play anything if it is a good song and some of the other songs in the set are to my taste. Of the 35 I would only consider Faith by George Michael to not be a good song, I find it repetitive and dull, but one crap song out of 35 ain't bad.

I like the look of Laklands, though some of their colours are a bit ordinary. I tried a 4 string briefly in a Guitarguitar and it was a bit heavy, but not too bad. I get the impression their fivers can be a bit too heavy but I wouldn't mind a light one. I'm on the lookout for another fiver at the moment, let me know how you are finding it.

What happened there? A lightweight headless to a big lump? Not to dis Lakland, they make great basses I'm sure but they can be a bit heavy.

That, sir, is a thing of beauty. I love Spectors; I love the sound and love the look. Just goes to show how different we all are, every time I see a NBD post and someone has bought a sunburst pre CBS P or jazz, there will be 20 or more likes and lots of posts gushing about it. I just think they look ordinary.

I've always had a good experience buying stuff from Andertons. I'm a fan.

Are you looking for a slap badger breath?🤬

Do lefty bassists stand to the right of the drummer?

I live in North London, so they are relatively local to me, at least I can drive there quite easily. I used to use them to set up and mod my basses but they messed up with one bass and instead of apologising and getting it sorted, I got excuses as to why something I requested wasn't done. This was an employee mind, not Martin. Since then I decided to learn how to set up and mod my basses myself. I have bought from them before and I would buy from them again if they had something I liked, just be aware that, as per the OP's post, occasionally communication between them and you will be poor and you might have to chase.

I've bought a couple of Reverends from Merchant City Music; they seem to be the only shop in the UK selling Reverend basses these days. Let us know how you get on with the Wattplower. They are a bit neck divey, Mike Watt holds his bass with the neck almost vertical, which, according to something I saw on the internet, was to compensate for the neck dive on the basses he started out with (?) But they look great, especially the yellow one.

Nice one! I saw James Oliver at a guitar show last year and very impressive he was too.

No, there are no curtains or blinds. When both of us are out of the house I take the heads out and hide them somewhere else in the house. The conservatory is out the back though, so you would have to walk into my garden to see in, and I do have cameras.

Congrats on the new bass. I presume the pick up is a Delano? If so, how are you finding it?

Well ok, now you've cleared that up but in that brief period of time between my post and your reply, an innocent bass chatter, fully believing he was on the straight and narrow, could have pressed that buy now button and rejoiced in the fact that he was about to receive some new kit whilst feeling proud of his unblemished gear abstinence record...and you would mercilessly cast him out of the club? I think an erudite solicitor, knowledgeable in Basschat law might take you to task on that.

No, not really. I might have just been looking for a loophole, especially with a Dingwall D-Roc on Ebay at the moment.

So how does this gear abstinence lark work then? If you flog some bass kit for, say £500 and then buy a bass for anything up to that amount are you still in? Doesn't quite seem like abstinence to me.

Burgundy

Paul Del Bello is one of my favourites. I like his short clips about how certain famous bass players play, how their style fits their music/band etc. Very informative.

My missus had been after a conservatory for a while. I finally agreed when I realised that with soundproof (ish) glass, conservatories make great places for practising. In spring and autumn I leave a couple of basses in overnight but I can't do that in summer or winter. I mainly use my GK Legacy into the Super Midget, but sometimes I'll fire up the Fusion S through the Barefaced 10s

We had a gig at a pub in Watford that we had played before, in fact they gave us our first gig. The landlady booked us on a day that all the locals left to go to a golf tournament. We played to about 6 people! We then offered to take a cut in our fee but the bar staff wouldn't have it. The Load of Hay in Watford, good pub.