chris_b

If your budget is up to it, there is the Overwater factory in Carlisle. Beautiful basses. We have several BCers in Newcastle. Maybe you could meet up with them?

As long as players look at a 5 string bass as 4 +1 they will never get the most out of the instrument.

Aiming for a synergy between your bass, amp and cab is the right way to go. IMO. You already have a good Precision bass, so rather than looking for a better P bass, I'd be looking for a good Jazz bass (or other 2 pickup bass) to compliment it. 420 miles? Where do you live?

You should practice to remove any dependence you have on size of neck in order to play busy lines. Anyone who is "struggling" to play a 5 string due to physical or technical issues needs to put in the time to make their technique independent of the instrument.

Seems to me you need to make that 2 hour drive. You have all sorts of ideas about what you want and don't want and now you need to play some basses to see if the real thing matches your ideas. If you want to cut through I'd also be looking at the amp and cab you use, any pedals and the EQ you have..

I play a 5 string bass because it is the most flexible instrument I've found so far. I play the lines I want and need to play and I don't stand there counting the number of times I play a note on any of the strings. I've got better things to think about.

My Laklands, Wals, Mike Lull's and Sadowsky all had great sounding B strings. My Stingray and Fender Jazz were good but not in the same league as the first list. So far I've found that scale and strings made no noticeable difference to me. Maybe it was the manufacture and/or materials or maybe they were all made with a higher level of human input and skill. I'm guessing. I don't know how to analyse any of this stuff. I just play them. Barts have been a favourite sound of mine since my first set in the 80's. I know a guy using Barts and an East Uni-pre. He's getting the best sound I've heard in decades.

James Jamerson was a perfect storm. He had a total understanding of musical theory, perfect timing, unique harmonic ideas, an ability to think and play on his feet, an understanding of how the bass could enhance and lead a tune, how to play complicated and busy lines in a way that didn't detract from the song, a bunch of fellow musicians, producers and writers who happily gave him all the space he needed and a record company boss who allowed him to do what he liked and paid him a fortune at the same time, all driven by an ego the size of Texas. He developed a totally new and unique style of playing. After JJ the role of a bass playing got significantly more complicated!

A good drummer will have good ears and good timing. There has never been a good band that doesn't have a good drummer. If you don't enjoy what and how your drummer plays, it's time for a new drummer.

Yep. Always upgrade.

At those prices you could buy an awful lot of lessons. The cheapest tick would get you over 100 face to face lessons or 14 years on Scotts lessons.

This. The various shoot-outs we've done at the SE Bass Bashes have proved to me that you can make 90% of the gear on the market today sound good enough for any gig. Being picky is seen as a good thing, but IMO it is a distraction from the real job we have, learning to be better bass players.

Sorry guys, but you don't need cabs that reproduce 31hz in order to get a great sound out of a 5 string bass. An SVT 810 only goes down to 40hz and it doesn't blow up when a 5 string bass is plugged in.

We have to care because we play better when we are happy with our sound. The bands I play in would notice but even if they don't know why, they will still appreciate better playing (from a happy bass player). Some audiences will notice the good stuff. I have guys come up from the audience and ask about 5 string basses and compliment my sound, but that's probably the demographic of the bands I play in. Older music fans might understand a little more? Of the very few younger people who have come up to chat most have been musicians themselves. IME in the better bands, what and how you play gets you the gig, not what you sound like.

Surely that's to be expected at pub gig level? With so many treating these gigs as a hobby, a fun night out with their mates, they probably haven't put in the hours or effort to develop their own sound. I see a lot of very talented players in a pub bands. As long as the band doesn't sound bad I'm happy. The usual problems I notice are the balance of the instruments, timing errors and poor song choices. For me, signature sound come a long way down the list.

This. I have no idea what bass JD is using and I don't care. The bass lines and how he plays is the important thing here. I don't sound like him, or want to, but I'd really like to "busy up" a little and groove like he does.

This. . . . .

Well. . . it might be the obvious thing to do and it's a thing you could do, but IMO it's not the best thing you could do. I would seriously have a look at a Barefaced 112. The SC, or BB2 will beat most 15's for tone and thrash them for volume, clarity and transporting.

If you were that easily convinced you didn't need another bass then you didn't! Good decision making.

That's OK. I made the numbers up to illustrate my point. 37? I've only owned about 13 basses in over 50 years and that includes my buying and selling spree of 4 basses in 4 months a couple of years ago. I'm happy you have a sound you like. I'd never knock searching for "that" tone, but I bet if you had stopped at 10 and spent the rest on lessons, toffee wouldn't come into it and you'd be getting even more complements.

No idea, but Booker T and the MG's Green Onions was probably around that point.

If you find the answer to that question you've cracked it. Gear is 10% of the equation and your creativity and technique, ie what you play, is 90%.

He's messing with my head again. . . . . . .

My first suggestion would be a second 8ohm 210p MB Traveller cab. If you like the sound of 1 then 2 will sound very good and a used cab in good condition would not break the bank. If you are looking at a single cab alternative then either one of the Barefaced 112's or a Two10 would work. Further on down the line, 2 BF cabs will be the best rig you've ever used. IMO that Orange 212 cab isn't even a match for one of BF's single 12 cabs!

Lighten up. . . . if you guys are hurting after playing then you're doing it wrong!!!!