Boodang

Scott's Bass Lessons or something similar. You can go through the free stuff on youtube but then you're just scratching the surface whereas completing a program really helps you dig in and internalise the information. For beginners tho I would recommend SBLs fretboard accelerator program. At the end of it you'll have fluidity around the neck, know where the notes are, know your triads and have a good understanding of the basics. Can't ask for more really.

Chris Squire used a pick, along with his Rickenbacker, to be heard. To aid this he would slightly brush the string with his thumb on the downstroke to increase upper harmonic content to cut through even more. Chris Squire was certainly not trying to blend in when it came to his playing! The other band members always said he was key to their sound.

If you do buy second hand I'd still pop into a shop, hopefully they're nice and friendly. Then you might know if you prefer chunky P type necks or the thinner jazz necks.

Honestly you can't go wrong with any of those choices. I'd say at this stage the most important thing is how they feel to play for you. Go into a shop and just pick one up to see how it fits the hands and feels, you don't have to play anything and one of them just might 'feel' like the right thing. If then you have no preference pick the one that looks the best! If you're going to be playing with other musicians you'll need an amp but if you are not and it's just practice at home get a small mixing desk (a small Behringer will cost about £50) then you can play with headphones and mix in tracks and lessons to play along with. Or get a preamp like a TC Electronic spectradrive which does a similar thing but you'll also be able to use later when you're in a band. If you do need an amp you'll need to get advice on what will suit. Don't underestimate how much it takes to be heard over a drummer! Nothing worse than turning up to a rehearsal to find you can't be heard. If it's just low volume acoustic levels then it's a lot easier. Good luck and let us all know what you get.

Like hifi it's the law of diminishing returns. Technically it'll be better at 18v but to your ears it'll be minimal. Then there's the other pedals your signal will go through, plus your amp, plus your speaker cab....

Bought a few TC pedals recently and just love the toneprint facility. Everytime I download and try out a new print it's like buying a new pedal, and it does make them very versatile. So, what are other people's favourite toneprints? At the moment I'm using Captain East on the spectracomp as it's a nice 3 band setting which gives the bass frequencies some punch without squishing the top end (this is on permanently now). Funk in the Trunk tube drive, nice for when you want to drive the bass forward in the mix a bit. Gwizdala's Sausage & Beer on the Fashback2. Three or four repeats so not overwhelming. Steve Vai's Ocean Machine on the HoF2. A nice wide wash with a bit of chorus.

Update on stability; went away for a few days on a course, came back and strings were a semi tone down (and no, my tuners are not slipping). Tuned up, another day of playing and at the end of it they seemed stable, plus after the initial tune up they didn't need any tweaking. So, 2/3 days to settle down but don't know how much of that is down to the amount of hours I've been playing them. Great strings tho, really enjoying them and will be putting them on a fretted bass. At the moment they are on a fretless jazz, I've been learning some Brecker Brother tracks and they sound perfect.

I do a similar thing. For home practice I use a small mackie desk and headphones to mix my bass and play along to tracks and online lessons.

Sorry, got the wrong thread!!

For home practice I use a small Mackie mixer and headphones. Great for not annoying the neighbours and good for playing along to songs and online lessons.

Came across the Fender Rumble 25 & 40 combos. They don't look all that but was amazed at their performance. Interestingly the 25 & 40 have fender speakers whereas the rest of the line have eminence I think.

... so remember, get good by playing with other musicians but don't play with other musicians until you're good!

When I played sax I used a Gallien Krueger MB-150S combo (the metal cased combo) on a sturdy mic stand at head height as a monitor. They sell a 'U' shaped bracket to mount it. That setup also works quite well as a stage monitor for bass.

IEMs is a good way to go but take a bit of getting used to. Also a bit of an investment, but worth it in the long run. Also a bit of a faff for just a jam night but I would at least get a clip on mic.

I used to play alto in a band. The only way you'll be able to control your sound is to have your own 'clip on mic' on the bell. I used feed mine to a pack on my belt, then a lead to a DI box and would let the sound guy connect to the DI. General mics don't really work that well on sax and horns.

PS.... Brecker Brothers are always great but Heavy Metal Bebop... what a great album!!

Thanks for the feedback. I'm sort of drawn to the Seamoon purely because it's so different, which has to be fun right? Also, it has a great paint job which will look good on the pedal board! Not so easily available tho but that's also part of the draw.

Fantastic band, shame they only wrote one song tho.

Draw the line at anything for scammers! A bit of information here, another piece of info there, it all adds up. Don't even give them a toe in the door.

I've enjoyed doing some Scott's course but at the moment the Gwizdala stuff seems more my thing.

It's death by a thousand cuts. A genuine company won't try and hack your phone these guys might.... do you keep online banking details on your phone?

Watching demos of the new Solid Gold Supa Funk means I have to scratch the itch that is a new filter pedal. Lots of talk about the supa funk but not so much about the funk machine.... does anyone have experience of the Seamoon pedal? I'm going to buy one of them but not sure which. It's going to be used in a band where we do retro 70s stuff, think Starsky & Hutch theme tune meets Herbie Hancock, along with more contemporary but old school influenced groove. I'm not after replicating any particular sound, it just has to be funky.

Looks like a scam. On the last point, worse things than a subscription to Scott's Bass Lessons!

Is it worth getting a professional to install a new nut and do a setup? Might make all the difference. High end Ibanez SR's are very nice tho!