RhysP

I'd rather have Adam Clayton's bass playing ability & bank balance than Victor Wooten's bass playing ability & bank balance....

If it's giving you more grief than pleasure knock it on the head. I hadn't really enjoyed playing for years before finally knocking it on the head last year. I play guitar as well but to be honest I'm not getting anything out of that either, so I intend to stop this year. Like you I do enjoy tinkering with guitars & basses, and do a bit of work on them for other people occasionally. If you enjoy doing that then there's nothing stopping you carrying on with it. I tend to buy guitars, set them up really well, play them for a couple of months & then flog them, then repeat the process. I enjoy doing that far more than actually playing. Also, don't listen to what other people say about your playing. If I'd taken any notice of the negative, unsupportive comments of my mother when I was 14 I'd never have gone on to have 20+ years of largely enjoyable musical activity.

I got 5/10, but that's only because half the questions are about sh*tty new bands I've not heard of.

Might be worth asking a custom builder like Sims, or the guy at The Gallery in Camden (or Jaydee, given your location).

[quote name='paul h' timestamp='1455119375' post='2976130'] Damn...too slow ^^^+1 [/quote] Moved it for you.

Mojo: A vulgar Americanism now popular in the UK that is used to describe basses & guitars that have suffered catastrophic damage that, for some reason, makes them even more desirable to players of a certain mindset.

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1455114344' post='2976032'] ....and have for decades adopted the stance of 'if one has nothing to say, say nothing'. [/quote] You could have fooled me.

I always start with lyrics & vocal melody, I don't even pick up a guitar until much later on in the process.

Pretty much every 'famous' musician I've met has been really nice. There were a few notables who were total arseholes though....

[quote name='sykilz' timestamp='1455039179' post='2975313'] Marillion - Brave, the story of a young lady found about to throw herself from a bridge , not knowing who she was and why she was there.... [/quote] She'd probably been listening to Marillion.

I've always used the tone control on any passive bass I've owned. After years of using all manner of active basses I went back to using passive because you can't get that sound any other way. I had a lot more options tone-wise with my active basses but I struggled to find one I really liked.

What's your budget?

[quote name='Daz39' timestamp='1455024495' post='2975111'] Good one. Great album. The sequel is rubbish though. [/quote] Yeah, it's garbage. They should never have bothered.

"Operation Mindcrime" - Queensryche

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1455011425' post='2974912'] It's not all about us, you know. [/quote] Absolutely. One of the worst things about having friends who are musicians is the expectation that you will go to their bloody gigs.

[quote name='The Hat' timestamp='1454876492' post='2973873'] If I'm totally honest, I don't really like the look of it. I know that's really shallow, but ya got ya look at your bass and get excited ain't ya [/quote] I know what you mean. Those Nanyo Bass Collection basses are great instruments but I could never get past the fact that I think they look horrible.

Pretty sure it was Pino on that first album.

Were you playing along to things that were already recorded? If so are you sure they were in tune?

[quote name='Truckstop' timestamp='1454607509' post='2971322'] Wouldn't a passive configuration get you closer to a vintage vibe? [/quote] [quote name='LayDownThaFunk' timestamp='1454676284' post='2971935'] Er, how will you get a 60s/70s Jazz sound from an active bass with modern pickups? Buy a 60s/70s Jazz for that sound OR buy a Fender Jazz and fit Antiquity/CS pups. [/quote] This. If you're looking for a vintage 70s Jazz Bass sound why are you bothering with modern sounding pickups & active circuitry?

Pretty much everything I listen to these days has no bass, or drums for that matter.

Ignore what I said about Elixirs, I was thinking of Elites. I don't like Elixirs either, but they're brighter than Elites.