Count Bassy

What's the cost of Newtones. Given that they are custom wound I assumed that they'd be out of my range. Actually just checked £35, which is more than I'd normally pay, but not a silly price - and if it does the job.... Do people generally like them?

Hellzero, I don't think Grangur's post was an attack on your suggestion, just a comment on what goes on in the bass string industry. I have looked at the Fodera site and their strings are made in the USA, as are the Warwick Black label. Warwick Red label are made in China. If the Fodera string are indeed the same as the Warwick Black label then it would at least mean that they fit the Warwick bass!!, if not the same then it gives me another option.

Following my question about fret rattle on the E string of a Warwick medium scale fiver I investigated the ideas suggested (thanks again), but to no avail. I am now looking at getting a new/different set of strings to investigate (& hopefully cure) the problem further. However the choice is very limited for a medium scale fiver, all I can find are: - Warwick Red Label : What it came fitted with, machine wound in China. Not readily available but do exist. - Warwick Black Label: Available in 40 - 130 or 45 - 135. Even the Warwick site is pretty unclear on how these differ from the above, other than being hand wound in the States (which doesn't inherently means that it's better). 34 euro/set - La Bella Deep talkers : 44 - 128 at £40/set. The La Bella's would seem to be the easiest to get hold of in the UK, but I've no experience of them. Any further suggestions or comments on the above folks? ADDENDUM: Just looked at details of the La Bella's and the winding length is 34", which is about 1/2" too short for the bass (Due to the Warwick two piece bridge design I guess), and the standard scale ones are 37" which is too long!!! Doh!

Though I think this is a different video to trhe one that 'normally' gets posted.

First of all thanks for thinking about this for me, and your suggestions. Good thought Dad, it certainly sounds like string on fret noise, whereas I would have thought that truss rod rattle would have been a bit less 'bright', but its certainly worth checking this out. I've done quite a bit of experimenting, and in the past I've always managed to resolve any issues. I would have thought that a high fret would affect more than one string, (hence my thought that the E might work out at lower tension than even the B) but again well worth checking out. Unfortunately it 's not only happening on the open string. As I say thanks for your thoughts - any more welcome. I'll let you know how I get on. CB

I have a five string medium scale Warwick Rockbass Corvette, and have a problem with fret rattle, but only on the E string. I am not trying for a particularly low action, but am trying to get it a bit lower than it is. The thing is that I can quite easily get the action where I want it to be, without fret buzz on 4 out of 5 strings, which includes the B string. I might have expected problems on the B string, especially being medium scale, but it is the E string which is the problem. To eliminate the buzz I have to have the action noticeably higher than the other strings. This particularly bad when playing the open string and the first 7 or so frets, but as far as I can tell by putting my ear close to the strings the actual buzz/rattle is coming from somewhere between the 12th & 19th frets. I've always done my own set ups and never had a problem before, but on this one I've fiddled with the truss rod, the bridge height, and even adjusted the string spacing so that the E string is as far towards the top of the fret board as possible. The frets themselves all look OK as well. The strings are the original Warwick Red label strings and I'm wondering if the E string has lower tension than the rest and hence moves around more than the others? Anyone have any ideas on what the problem might be?, or, if I should be trying some different strings, any recommendations for a medium scale 5 string set? (Round wounds or possibly half rounds). Thanks for any thoughts.

Unless it's something totally irreplaceable (which I don't have, bass-wise), then I would lend a bass, amp etc. to almost anybody, (once at least) but then I'm not precious about belongings. However, I'd make the terms re payment for damage very clear, and make it clear that if it is damaged (even when paid for) they won't be borrowing anything again, and if it becomes a regular thing then I'd suggest firmly that they need their own gear. After all, who know's when you might want a favour in return?

Not sure wether to be inpsired or just give up

+1 to Paris, Texas Also 633 Squadron.

Even better: set fire to your guitar while getting a blow job!

Still do have a B150, but not using much it these days. Have a B60 as my dining room combo, which is just fine for the odd noodle and practice. (Roland Cube 120 as my lounge combo and LM3 & a Vanderkey as the music room/ Gigging kit). Also have a DBS7400 that was my main amp for a long time. Still absolutely monstrous tone (but also weight) and I'd love to get it out more.

Another vote for the Yamaha. Don't know how it compares to other offerings, but it works well enough for me.

I don't know what BassBus's point was, but it does make the point that many highly respected fretless players choose to play lined models. i.e. that lined fretless basses are not purely for beginners. I'm sure that a similar list of unlined players could be put together. At the end of the day play what you want - After all, very few people in the outside world will give a toss.

Ignoring tone altogether, I love the way Normal Watt-Roy attacks his bass. May not help the sound at all, but looks great.

Where the Kramer aluminium necks solid or hollow?

I actually have quite a good ear, and can tell when I'm not in tune. The problem is (for me) is that having played very little fretless, and for big jumps (e.g. the All Right Now solo part), I can very easily end up out of tune. Of course my ears tell me its out of tune, but by then it's too late. I imagine that having lines would help in this situation.

Apologies if I upset anyone. I didn't mean to. My own view is that people can play whatever they like, so I guess that people holding the opposite view must be the ones who like to dictate what other people play. To expand my point I can quite understand that people who like lines preferring or needing lines. I can also understand that people who can play unlined might be quite happy without, but I can't see why the presence of lines would be a problem to them. i.e., as per my first post, a lined one has all the options covered. Therefore for a first timer I'd have thought lined would be best. Aesthetics is a different question of course. I quite like the look of fretted basses, and an unlined fretless just looks a bit uninteresting to me, but can perfectly understand that other people prefer the unlined look.

Surely a lined fretless covers all options. The lines are there if you want them and if you don't want the lines then don't look at them. - or is it to do with the kudos of the audience going Wow - he's playing without lines.

No of heard (or heard of) Nick Fyfe, but it strikes me that playing lightly and playing heavily produce quite different sounds. Both are equally valid. If this Nick Fyfe can get that range with just plying lightly then good for him. Out of interest, how do you know how hard he's playing? - it is possibly to play heavily without fingers flailing all over the place.

That baking powder thing sounds a useful trick. In the past I've stuck a tiny bit of plastic (e.g. broken CD case) in the the slot and then refiled it - which also worked (for me at least).

Does the lack of air resistance improve the sustain at all?

It could just be that there are many more of them out there than some of the other brands.

Bizarre gardening accident? Spontaneous combustion?

Blockheads on Friday

Perhaps she was told that by Penny what's her name.