Baloney Balderdash

The hit lists has always consisted of absolutely horrendous music without any substance, this is not just a modern phenomena! Exhibit A :

Shoehorn With Teeth - They Might Be Giants

Amazing bass and drums duo from Japan:

I mostly use my fingers nowadays, all sort of finger picking techniques combined, regular traditional 1, 2 and 3 finger plucking technique, depending, classical acoustic guitar style finger picking technique, flamenco guitar style middle and/or index finger flicking technique, as well as double thumbing. When I do use a pick it is either a Dunlop Tortex .60mm (for an aggressive snappy attack), one of the round corners of a Dunlop Tortex .50mm (for a more clicky attack) or a Dunlop Max Grip Nylon .60mm (for a somewhat softer snappy attack), but my most favorite pick is a Wedgie Soft 3.1mm rubber pick (for a softer pick attack, somewhere between pick and finger plucking), sometimes it even happens that I use a Wedgie Soft 5mm rubber pick (for an even softer warmer subdued attack). On occasions I also use a ceramic slide, and sometimes a rubber covered plastic stick for a hammered dulcimer effect. All depending on the musical context.

You don't need that big a motion with your fingers, you'll waste energy and speed by pulling your fingers so far back after actually stroking the strings. That and loosing accuracy as well. Practice using smaller more delicate motions. You can still play aggressively, just doing so with much more efficiency and accuracy, without loosing more energy or straining more than actually strictly needed.

Try rather than striking, plucking or pulling the strings to just stroke them with the outmost tip of your fingers in a slight inwards slapping motion. That's what I do, and beside me much preferring the tone I get from this, your fingers won't get caught on the strings this way. It does take some practice though, as it requires accuracy to hit the string consistently with just the outmost tip of your fingers. And while you are at it, do yourself a favor and learn how to use the floating thumb technique, which gives you so much more freedom and makes it so much easier to mute, to prevent unwanted strings from ringing, than if you anchor your thumb.

So after I posted this I decided that I would try to experiment a bit with the strap length to see if I could possibly get a better result, and what I've found was that just moving down to the next strap hole in line, which would make the strap 129cm from strap button to strap button, my wrists actually is almost perfectly straight when fretting with my elbow at just about a 90 degree angle, and playing at the upper end of the fretboard, beyond 12th fret, feels significantly less circumstantial and cramped. Also my bass in general balanced better on my fat belly, now resting more on the middle of it, rather than sitting halfway on top of it. So for now I'll keep the strap at 129cm. (Edit!!!: 126.5cm hole to hole, currently. This also seems to be pretty much spot on where my bass would naturally be if I sat with it.)

My beloved Ibanez GSRM20 neck + GSRM20B body Mikro Bass "Dud Bottomfeeder" :

You do realize that loosening the truss rod will result in more relief, as in a greater bow, whereas tightening the truss rod will result in less release, as in less bow, right? Also a crack in the fretboard is a really bad sign.

The Wraiths and Strays of Paris - Coil

Dark/deep metallic purple, like this, maybe? : Or, as someone else suggested, buy an adhesive skin, covering the whole body of the bass, in just about whatever color or pattern you should wish, for example purple paisley, here for instance: https://www.skinyourskunk.com/ Just to get an idea of what is possible, try to take a look on these to start with: https://www.skinyourskunk.com/pattern-guitar-skins.php

What is the best pick for metal? On a more serious note: No! I even tend to use the round corners of regular teardrop shaped picks. As does Bobby Vega, who got to be the absolute master of pick playing on bass. That said it is completely down to personal preferences, as is pick material and gauge. If there really was only one ultimate pick for bass and one ultimate pick for guitar, regardless of individual/personal physics, preferences, style, pickups, string choice, amp, cab, and song, everyone would be playing just that, and it would be the only 2 different picks on the market.

Is Mirkwood a great tonewood?

I've seen this guy before, and that is just silly. I guess the only reason why he didn't have it even lower is that the output jack plug from the bass would then be hitting the ground.

And yet another:

117cm, and I am 6'4'' (192cm) tall. It matches so that the bass is at about the same location as it would have been if sitting down playing it without a strap. (Edit!!!: 126.5cm hole to hole, currently. This also seems to be pretty much spot on where my bass would naturally be if I sat with it.)

Hang On To Your Ego - Frank Black (originally Brian Wilson)

We Want A Rock - They Might Be Giants

Love Is... - Dinosaur Jr. Damn, wrong page Caught in a Mosh - Anthrax

Hack-poet Guild - "Birds of Harmony"

The Commercials, doing covers of various TV commercial tunes/jingles.

SWR Redhead combo?

Get a ball and chain around your foot instead... Problem solved!

Get the ring tattooed on instead! Problem solved!