chris_b

The tuners on my Framus Star bass were one of the first things to break. They were plastic buttons on a metal shaft and the plastic broke off in no time at all. I replaced them with tuners bought at a local shop. They worked but never looked right.

But you can ask Mark to contact the buyer and give them your number.

If anyone is bored playing bass they should be looking at themselves and then the band. If it's a cover band, and it's a successful cover band, I'll play anything the audience wants to hear. That's the gig. My only requirement is that we do it well. For all other bands I'll express an opinion, but as I'm usually with good players I can enjoy most songs for what the guys are playing. I'll enjoy anything if I'm with a good drummer.

I've never played a song that didn't work with fingers. I have tried to play with a pick, there is one in my pocket at this very moment, but I have never got close to good enough to think about using it in a band.

I have no recollection how I met up with this lot, but in the mid 70's I was in a band who played working men's clubs around west London, and some Irish clubs. They opened with Spanish Eyes and went down hill from there. The band leader/organist only knew 3 chords and he played them in every song! Every gig was painful, awful and embarrassingly bad. We even had a band uniform, with a bow tie, which Ii still have!! The only upside was very cheap Guinness. Even after all these years, the thought of that band and those gigs is making me feel queezy!

Is this countering a problem you have with your basses ? Or just insurance. Is fret wear a thing anymore? I wore the frets out on my 68 Precision bass in less than 4 years, but that was not a good time for Fender quality. I haven't seen any modern built bass with significant fret wear. The cheap solution is to lower the action and play with a lighter touch.

IMO leaning into the beat and playing behind the beat work on gigs but correct timing, playing on the beat, is what I'd prefer to hear on a recording.

Fabulous Thunderbirds Sly and the Family Stone Canned Heat Elmore James

When I had a Two10S I also ran it with a One10. A fantastic sounding 310 and an easy load in/out.

Would you drive your car with the tyres half inflated or fully inflated? You'll get from A to B either way, but which is best?

My band leaders let me get on with it, but if they expressed a hard preference then, as long as it doesn't involve spending money, I'd go with it. I have basses strung with flats and rounds. I don't mind playing either.

Some individuals in the audience will know stuff about the bass (I regularly get people come up and ask about 5 string basses), and I think most of them will know something has changed if we stop playing in the middle of a song, but wouldn't bet they'll have any idea what just happened!

I haven't researched it, but Danlelectro had the 6 string baritone guitar from the 50's, so he might have picked up on the idea from them.

I had Burns Black Nylon flats on my old Framus in the 60's. They had a great feel and sound. Looked cool too.

I believe the first commercially available roundwounds were made by Rotosound circa 1966, for John Entwistle. He wanted a more guitar like sound and along with the development of Marshall amps and 412 stacks, was in a perpetual battle for sound and volume with Pete Townsend.

Same here. I don't regret selling my Wal Custom Mk 3 5 string. Bought it 20 years ago for peanuts and made a killing when I sold it 10 years ago. Sadly that was a fraction of what they are going for now!!

I put Bartolini pickups in my old Precision and the sound improved 500%. So I thought I'd knock it out of the park and install a Bart pre amp. Cos pre amps really improve your sound don't they! IMO that added 5% to the sound. For what the whole exercise cost I'd have been better off just upgrading the pickups and staying passive. My first suggestion would be, if you have issues with your sound, buy a bass that sounds like you want it to sound. If you really need to start modding this bass, replace the pickups with a better set and see what that does for you. You could easily have fixed the problem with that one move.

The audiences don't matter. Not even the rest of the band. Choose the bass or strings that make you happy. Because a happy player plays better and that makes the band play better.

Depends why they endorsed the bass. Maybe it was a business decision and all they needed were some photos for the advertising. I don't follow signature instruments but, did Sting ever play his? I know that Nathan East and Andrew Gouche play theirs.

If you want to be musically satisfied, or in a better band, you've got to be picky. Keep looking.

I had rounds on all my basses for 30+years. Then I heard flats on the same model as mine and loved the sound. I now have rounds on the Jazz and flats on the P. One caveat, I don't sound like Mark King or Chris Squire, but I've used flats in blues rock bands and the other bands. Doesn't Steve Harris use flats? IMO if you have a good EQ on your amp you can play any bass and use any strings you want.

Maybe all music should come with a DBS check. Then we'll know it's safe to play.

For Motown, dance and covers I always use my Super Midget and Super Compact. I sometimes use the Super Compact on its own. If you want a one cab does all IMO the SC or BB2 is perfect.

Lots of choice, my contribution is to recommend you buy a good set of flatwound strings, my choice would be LaBella or TI, and a lump of foam.

In the same week I bought a Mike Lull MV5 Jazz with a Brazilian fretboard, and a Sadowsky RV5 Jazz. It was like having Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes in the same team. I told myself I didn't need both basses and I sold the Lull!! I never look back, but that was a decision I will always regret.