hubrad

I once tried one that a mate had just picked up.. not the bass for me, but he loved it and I think he still has it so it obviously IS the bass for him! At £145 it sounds well worth a punt. The 35" scale is actually really comfortable and not much extra reach per fret, and it gives an extra focus to low strings.

Then it's down to just which set.. gauge (find someone with a micrometer), metal - stainless/nickel/other? Strings are brilliant! :-D

I still have my Roadster, heavily modded as for years I didn't find anything else to match up to it for my tastes. You can switch the active circuit off, then it's passive anyway. As hamfist said.. if you want something actually different you prob need a Musicman (usually active anyway) or a ricktypethingthatshouldnotbenamedunlessit'sgenuine. Keep the Roadster.

If they are real friends you'll still be friends after the dust settles. I left a band quite a few years back, in which it was one of those 'natural click' lineups - all really good friends, frontman was my best man, that kind of thing - but they at the time wanted to go further afield and I was settling down both job-and home-wise. Rather than letting it get to a let-down and/or fall-out, we got it so they had a new regular bass player with seamless changeover. Years later they have another regular guy (excellent bassist, btw) and once or twice a year I still get to dep for him if circumstances happen that way. Still all best of mates! :-) I am also a happy 'optional extra' in a band I just started with this year.. first saw them without a bass, and the keys player does a fine job, but he really prefers it with a decent bass doing the 'real' job. They've tried a few other bassists but never found the right one, then I came along and while they will still play without bass if I can't make it they do make a nice fuss of me when I can! BOTB.. things will settle out again, and I feel sure that you'll find the gig(s) you want when the stars align. You've got to look after family and self so you can give the right energies to a band situation. All the best!

Well, that was the reserve, then! ;-)

£550 for a Mex neck? Blimey! Sorry not to be constructive there, I'm just gobsmacked. For that budget you could probably go to a hand-builder and specify just what you want. Have you taken the existing bass to a decent repairer?

[quote name='scalpy' timestamp='1411294801' post='2558145'] Even if you're not enjoying it, give everyone the impression you are. You can turn around the whole atmosphere of a rehearsal with a bit of positivity and it makes it ten times easier to deliver any criticism. A session drummer I once had a conversation with, number 1 hits in Europe to his name etc, told me any session he does is always the absolute best thing he's ever played, even if he's playing the most mediocre material with any old muso. There's no barrier because of experience to not adopt that mentality. [/quote] Hup! :-)

As a few have said, chemistry is actually a big thing.. I got one of my current gigs over coffee! We had a full band run-through schedule, but on the morning of that very day something came up in the guitarist's working schedule (knowing him better now, I'd say totally genuine), so the run-through was off. As it was, my new coffee machine had just arrived, so the drummer and frontman came round to ours, to help me 'get used to the controls'.. within a couple of double espresso shots, the drummer was looking distinctly pale, while the frontman absorbed plenty over a couple of hours. They then mentioned the idea of doing some recording, and was I into it? Sure, says I, but we haven't actually played together yet.. no probs, says they, you fit in fine! Back to the OP, I'd say stick with it if you're enjoying it, move on if not. It has to work for all concerned. I actually quite like the idea of doing different versions of classic songs, as long as the band makes it a valid different version. Hey, plenty of those classic artists did it with their own songs, just to keep it fresh. Johnny B.Goode is a fine song, but playing it every night for years on end must get a little stale. Often gets turned into a bit of a guitarists' w@nkfest!

Mahoosive +1 for cherries, but I get it in juice form from health food shops. Cherry Active is the brand I found. I use it for its anti-inflammatory properties. . As a sciatica sufferer of 13 years I had a rolling prescription for anti-inflammatory tablets, but now haven't taken even one for about a year since starting on the cherry juice. It's supposed to be amazing on gout, as it wipes uric acid out. A mad number of claims for it, although I can only comment from experience of the anti-inflammation. Tastes brill, too! http://www.cherryactive.co.uk

[quote name='itsmedunc' timestamp='1410802101' post='2553346'] Just had an email from Fender chap called Paul Levesque. He says they have no control over items for sale on eBay? Reported an item to them before and it was removed. Must have been a coincidence... [/quote] A couple of items for sale in the shop were also listed on Ebay, then removed with a notice to contact Fender if we wanted more info. I emailed them, and fair enough 'Strat' (as in used Strat-type electric guitar) is their own word, but 'replacement neck to fit Fender and similar instruments? Japanese ones which are probably actually higher quality the F-word ones so they're jealous! I think they've been talking to Rick..

Plenty on here have bought and sold DB strings.. so long as the price feels ok reflecting the age and condition it allows you to try different sets without quite such a major financial commitment, or at least have a keep-you-going spare set for gigging. I certainly benefitted from this in the past. If it's of interest, I have a couple of sets of unused Innovation Braided, one still in the box, as I'm switching to the new Innovation set as it comes on line.

Yup.. likewise. Never bother looking when they say anyway!

[quote name='Nomad' timestamp='1407750218' post='2523498'] How did the half rounds feel compared to the rounds and flats? Closer to one than the other? What scale length should I choose for my 35" scale bass? (I guess I need to measure from the back of the bridge to the nearest machine head.) [/quote] You can't choose the scale length - it's fixed and you already know it's 35". Some brands' 'standard' length strings will do 35" nicely, others not. I know Picato will, as I have a couple of 35" basses and various sets of their strings (round, flat and halfround). If you're thinking of using D'Addario, I'd take your bass along to a shop and check the lengths, as I think they do a Long Scale and Extra Long Scale; probably someone else here uses D'Adds so will know the answer to that. IIRC there's been a couple of threads on this very subject. It's not so much the overall length of the string, but where the string goes thinner up by the head you don't want that bit over the fingerboard. Going back to the wear lines on your fingerboard, ignore them until they become audible.. eventually the wear becomes deep enough that you get the fretless version of fretbuzz. I used to take mine to a mate who is a superb fixer of such things; eventually he showed me how to do it myself. You don't actually need a radiused block, but the longest straight block you can muster. I use a good straight flat stick of wood with a whole sheet of sandpaper fixed to it, so about 10" length. If you're at all unsure go to a decent repairer - well worth the fee! Fretless 5-string is just the best! :-)

[quote name='jimbaby' timestamp='1406963693' post='2516204'] The clip on youtube is taken from "Live at the quick", which is available on Dvd or Cd, superb playing and a fine recording, Flight of the cosmic hippo is one of my fave test disks for evaluating hifi systems, the title track has some monstrous subterranean bass with the counterpoint of the staccato banjo sound. [/quote] Big Hup for Flight Of The Cosmic Hippo.. this was the first I ever heard of Victor Wooten. Some amazing bass on there, in the context of some really cool music. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jii1Hm1Pf6o"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jii1Hm1Pf6o[/url]

[quote name='PlungerModerno' timestamp='1406546535' post='2512253'] It'd probably mean rebuilding the pickup - making it reverse polarity - then rewinding in the opposite direction. Now that I think about it - their may be a way to fit a fairly lightly wound bridge pickup into a neck pickup cover... I'd need to look into that. I probably won't make a decision for a few weeks. It can't hurt to look into a pickup rebuild. Thanks for the input! PS: A quick search put me onto these: [url="http://www.creamery-pickups.co.uk/classic-60-jazz-j-bass-pickup.html"]http://www.creamery-...ass-pickup.html[/url] Another option! [/quote] If you send both pickups to a pickup maker they'll be able to match the two together. You can also get replacement sets in short-short format (Mex Fender pickups are ok but nowt special) such as http://www.emgpickups.com/bass/j-models/active/mjset.html

Motorhead - Bomber tour. My first ever gig. Wore the t (and washed it!) until it dissolved. Not many images around, perhaps because everyone did the same? Must be the original monochrome version.. the modern colour versions look somehow wrong.[attachment=167655:Bomberfront.jpg]

I would think that most players who could tick all these boxes would already be busy.

Can any authorities be alerted?

1.5mm for height adjusters, 2mm for the locking screw (that larger one at the back) and spacing (screw on the front of the saddle, slacken it and you can slide the top of the saddle. Adjustable 18-20mm).

[quote name='gary mac' timestamp='1405234607' post='2499861'] That is good Lozz. Not in the market for a new rig but a good heads up [/quote] Heads up.. boom boom!

If you go for an electric try a fretless.. especially with flats or nylon flats it'll give a vaguely DB tone.

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1405086864' post='2498744'] It's a bit of a flaw of acoustic basses that they are uselessly quiet... Get a double bass [/quote] Basically this, although we do have a particularly good (and loud) Czech handmade one in the shop.. http://www.themusicroom-online.co.uk/product_info.php/products_id/6747?mrSid=885e91b789229db84e55c91800f88d7e Double bass really [u]is[/u] the one for bluegrass, and looks the part as well!

[quote name='Marc S' timestamp='1404982783' post='2497464'] Yes, I'd say rest a while And really rest it - no playing for a few days Also, although some people would recommend not taking painkillers I'd say, take a rest and take something anti-inflammatory, like Ibuprophen That should help ease any inflammation - but make sure you rest the finger Another possibility of course is that it could be an arthritic condition You don't state your age - but although arthritis is more common as you get older you can also develop it at an earlier stage So rest, ibuprophen, more rest then see your GP if it continues Good luck, and let us know how you get on EDIT: After resting, try playing more with the pick, for now.... [/quote] Good point about anti-inflammatories.. taken in conjunction with common sense they don't simply mask the pain, but reduce the inflammation that's causing it. Really do make sure to follow that instruction about 'take with food'.. they have a bad rep for damaging your stomach lining if taken wrongly or long-term large doses. I used to take them for my sciatica, but last year I was put onto 'tart cherry juice' by an American harmonica player.. touch wood I haven't taken a tablet since! Cherry Active seems to be the big brand, and it carries soooo many health claims that it sounds like the new snake oil. The biggy for me is its high concentration of anthocyanins, which are antioxidants with good reduction of inflammation. Info all over the web. Works for me

+1 for relax back a bit, even if it means altering your playing a bit.. better than suddenly being out of action for an extended period! I did find, around my early 30s, that more of those aches-and-pains started to crop up anyway. It may or may not work for you, but I wore one of those copper bracelets on whichever arm was twingeing.. seemed to work for me! Avoid painkillers if at all possible - all they do is mask the pain and allow you to 'push through'.. until suddenly you find you can't work at all! If it doesn't ease off, you could try your GP, but unless they are unusually understanding of musicians they'll just tell you not to play for a while and see how it goes..