EssentialTension

[quote name='alstocko' timestamp='1350318803' post='1837234'] The la bellas that I know (FM I think, 49-109) are higher tension as I recall, these are well balanced across the bass, and it'll be hard to tell before I properly play them in how the tone compares as they're too "Steve Harris" for me at the moment It was interesting to find out that you can't (or maybe shouldn't) put flatwounds on a string-through-body setup. Why would this make them snap? (Lakland seriously advised against this in th packet!) [/quote] Because flat tape winding likes being seriously bent less than round wire winding does. Hence flatwounds are more likely to unwind at the bridge when used through body than roundwounds are. Some flatwounds are worse than others for this problem. I always string through bridge anyway because I can't hear or feel any difference if I string through body.

There's no reason not to adjust the truss rod yourself as long as you follow the procedure: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8qFpcsg-0A[/media]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4MdWzN_100

This tell you the tools to use as well as how to use them: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIzV9462xeE[/media]

The little finger sticking up so you cannot use it can be caused by having the whole hand in the wrong position. The neck will be in the way, of course, but the thumb ought to be in such a position that it can fully oppose all four fingers. Try it without the neck in the way first. Make a ball shape with the whole hand and touch the tip of the thumb and the tip of each finger. The thumb needs to be cocked. Try it again wihtout the thumb cocked and you can't do the oppositions properly, especially the little finger. Once the neck is in the way, make sure you are cocking the thumb into the opposable position and then all four fingers ought to come into play. Works for me, might not work for you.

[quote name='alstocko' timestamp='1349988115' post='1833315'] Just found out that la bella do five string sets, they're just rare. Gutted. Hopefully the Lakkies are good [/quote] I didn't realise that you didn't realise you could get five-string La Bellas. I took you to mean that you wanted to try something different. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Very nice.

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1349789529' post='1830536'] I didn't get a date stamp. [/quote] Still very nice though.

[quote name='alstocko' timestamp='1349733217' post='1829948'] Any good? [/quote] Yep, they are made for Lakland by GHS and are basically GHS Precision flats. Since Lakland stopped calling it the Joe Osborn signature and it became the 44-60/55-60, they also dropped the JO name from the strings, so now just Lakland flats. I don't know anything about the B string though as I only ever play four strings.

[quote name='alstocko' timestamp='1349732955' post='1829939'] Im thinking of putting some on my Lakland JO5, but I've always had labella 4 string sets on my old bass. Does anyone have any recommendations? [/quote] Lakland Joe Osborn flats - available here: [url="http://www.lakland.com/direct/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=LD&Product_Code=JOSF5&Category_Code=5STRS"]http://www.lakland.com/direct/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=LD&Product_Code=JOSF5&Category_Code=5STRS[/url]

[quote name='thebrig' timestamp='1349732386' post='1829929'] That's the best one yet! My birth date is 6 Nov 51, the year fender first started selling the Precision bass, how much would that set me back? [/quote] A lot of money ... but those neck date stamps only started in 1962 and the first number, i.e. 6 in your example, was not a date but a model number. 5 for Precision, 7 for Jazz and 6 was Bass VI. The letter at the end is nut width. [url="http://zeus.lunarpages.com/~jimshi2/neckstamps/fender_neck_codes_1962.htm"]http://zeus.lunarpages.com/~jimshi2/neckstamps/fender_neck_codes_1962.htm[/url]

1952 = no chance.

Well, that's a lot of fun ....

My present band play our own songs and we play songs written by other people too. Roughly 40/60 split. I don't really care who wrote the songs. I'm more interested in how we arrange them, does it sound like us when we play them, and does the audience respond well. I voted 'Other'.

[quote name='naruki' timestamp='1349277752' post='1824177'] Actually I just don't wanna pay full VAT for a used instrument... [/quote] Just pay the tax, it's the right thing to do.

If I had any money Chris, I would have bought the AI stuff from you but I'm definitely keeping my Walkabout. Good luck with your new plan.

[url="http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2012/09/26/gibson-unveils-midtown-standard-bass/"]http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2012/09/26/gibson-unveils-midtown-standard-bass/[/url]

[quote name='BassPimp66' timestamp='1349166023' post='1822493'] Everything is incredibly expensive in the UK. Consumers are getting milked. The lack of cheap land together with incredily complex planning rules do not allow for big logistics/retail structures like in the US. Smaller market... etc... "Stack them high sell them cheap" does not work here. [/quote] Ah, that must explain why Tescos, Sainsbury's, etc are so unsuccessful in the UK.

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1349094577' post='1821632'] I bought some DR neon pink strings (they match my strap quite nicely) on impulse from Brighton when we had a gig down there, cost me £40 .... [/quote] Even in Brighton there is little call for pink strings.

Second hand TU2 - that's it.

[quote name='Ska Man' timestamp='1349064657' post='1821238'] How yis, Im struggling to find any info on a chinese squier i picked up. The links here show me nothing and I dont trust the info on wikipedia. Its a Squier P-Bass with a serial no. CY 081204319. Wiki thinks this is C = China Y = Yako (factory) and 081 is the year 1981?? I really dont think so as the bass is in top nick and was previously owned by a teenager (who wrecked some other guitars) Its a lovely bass with exceptionally low string action , even lower than my USA P bass and it sounds great. Any Ideas ??? [/quote] The year will be 08 i.e. 2008 (not 081 i.e. 1981).

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1335869970' post='1637148'] I've been looking to buy a set of Black tapewound/Nylon wound strings in a light gauge - lightest I could find were D'Aggios with a 0.58 - but this is far too heavy for me... [/quote] Isn't the G string in the D'Addario black nylon set a 50 and not a 58? Also, despite the gauges (50-65-85-105), the D'Addario black nylons are low tension at 141.2 lbs - comparable with low tension TI Jazz Flats (43-56-70-100) at 140.19 lbs - so if you are going to use the top four strings from a six-string set, isn't the tension going to be very very low? Or am I missing something? ... and I've never had a problem with Strings Direct or Stringbusters or Just Strings or Lord of the Strings.

I don't get why this instrument is called an 'extended range bass'. It would be better called a 'six-octave guitar'. Either way, the playing sounded amateurish and very poor.

[quote name='AntLockyer' timestamp='1348672380' post='1816769'] Apologies if this has been done before. Very rarely do I listen to a recording and think "I want to sound like that" from a tone/playing perspective. However when I do it's usually very compelling and I can't stop thinking about it. I heard this last year and play it every couple of days dreaming of having the chops and rig to recreate it (not just learn to play it like this, having the skill to do it naturally). [url="http://www.youtube.com/embed/boXcU9o0v3g"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boXcU9o0v3g[/url] Have you got something you aspire too/dream off? [/quote] I don't bother with the aspiration any more, I just plug in my Precision with flatwounds. However, I did see Ben L'Oncle Soul last year and they were great