dclaassen

It all depends on the feel. I love ebony boards, so if it can mimic that, then I am in.

Rock band…around 1982

That is a very kind offer. This base has a 35 inch scale, so I’d have to make sure it actually would fit. I have another decent case that came with a Yamaha and looks quite a bit like the old fender cases. It fits the bass really well, so I may just use that. I will certainly let you know if I decide to take you up on your kind offer.

This does not surprise me at all…

Great tonewood….all that salt air and seagull poo.

I’ve been telling our folks that for years…they only just look at the airfare. I won’t use them for personal travel…just can’t support that level of sliminess.

I am taking some students to a jazz festival in Germany, and need to take my newly acquired Spectracore fretless along. I just found out that we are flying, which means checking the bass. I have a quality Gator gig bag and a nice SKB hard case. I prefer the gig bag, but which would you use? Probably our favourite Irish airline as well.

You are a good man!

Just added this fantastic Spector fretless from Graham. I think I’m set now.

I don’t believe that weight alone matters much. My RD Artist was almost 12 pounds, and felt quite heavy. It did have loads of sustain, but that was also affected by through body stringing. My MPV is about 10.4 pounds, doesn’t feel heavy at all, and sounds great. I had a Electra that was heavy, and sounded like crap…lots of other factors at play.

Maybe one day I will be gigging enough to justify buying a pentabuzz……

I usually have one bass that is used for everything. It needs to become an extension of my body, and totally reliable. That is this bass. I am still making the conversion to 5 strings, but it’s getting closer. BTW, I have replaced the knobs since this photo. Totally agree about the tone of maple basses.

Let me know if you change your mind…

Awww…this one is just for fun, right?

Don Ellis, Bulgaria Bulge and……go!

Nice list… 1. respectfully disagree….A 1960’s vintage sunburst makes my heart flutter. 2 yup 3. Yup 4. Don’t want a bass that looks like a 60’s single guy’s coffee table. Big solid slab of ash or maple….yes please! 5. yup…dumbest thing since my biggest pet peeve…tba 6. Any kind of marker, or none, is fine with me…got a handmade bass with dots. my own #1…(let’s call it #7)…”distressed” or “road worn” finishes. Any battle scars on a bass should be EARNED….ex. See that gouge…that’s where I knocked the singer’s teeth out….(no singers were hurt in the making of this post) You want a player’s bass…play it.

Or (shudder) bagpipes…

I think I just lost more grey matter watching the first bits of this…and he is wrong about the Pearl Jam thing as well.

Nice rig! I thought I was a gear snob!…

I kinda thought it was ironic......so go with the deep self-referencing bit.....:)

I've always wanted to name a band "Free Beer".....

I've been playing "All Right Now" incorrectly for 40 years and just now realized it....

Or a guy with a 12 string….

Also 64, and have access to every nice tuner you can name. I can tune by ear, but, about 75% of the time, the guitar player is also (already) out of tune. It just works better for me to use the clip on pickup on my Korg to the headstock and tune. I will check it, and can tune on the fly with a bass I know well. Unless disaster strikes, I won't use a electronic tuner for the rest of the night. If I am fretting a bass (or guitar) out, I'll use a Peterson strobe...can't beat it. Oh, and I make sure my low B's intonation is spot on at the 12th fret...ya never know

I have had to learn a lot of material lately, much of which I either don't know, or have not played in years. I sit and listen to the song 2 or 3 times, just to get the general flow. Then, I just focus on chord changes...block them out only using 1 and the occasional 4 or 5. I also start thinking about hand position switches (major/minor, etc). When I can play all the root positions of all the chords, I'll start listening and copying the bass line. Sometimes this is really easy, sometimes it is lots more difficult. I figure out the easy sections, then research examples for the harder stuff. Keep doing this until I can play the song, then go back (over time) and isolate the harder licks, playing them in isolation and also incorporating them into the song. Keep going back to the same song every couple of days. For an easy song (ex. Louie, Louie)...this all takes about 15 minutes--once. For something like "I Wish", "The Chicken", etc, it could take days, weeks, or months (some licks on Chris Berg's "Chicken Arrangement" still escape me). As far as how you feel....right now you should be experiencing and learning. Being comfortable will come quickly and easily. Be patient in moving from the unknown to the familiar. Please remember that beginnings should be celebrated just as much as mastery. Good for you! Thanks for being so open and honest...and...good luck!