RhysP

What do you need to know? Have you seen Bill Milkowski's book about Jaco? If you want to borrow a copy I'd be happy to send you mine if you PM me your address.

Oil or wax finished necks & bodies. I wouldn't even consider a bass with these. Sunburst finishes are a bit of a no-no for me too.

Was this the one that was on Ebay from Swansea? I was keeping an eye on it but the price went higher than I was prepared to pay.

[quote name='Chrisward' timestamp='1429873153' post='2755786'] I can live with it, after all I've waited a long time already, but my question is [b]how[/b] [b]come you never see any around in shops?[/b] [/quote] Well, they're probably aren't that many around anyway, certainly compared to a lot of other makes. There's also the fact that a lot of them, the one I had built for me in the early 1980s included, suffered from serious neck issues (truss rods breaking, general instability problems) that might mean lots of them just aren't in a playable state these days.

Bargain!

In my experience EBS customer support is less than useless, which is why I wouldn't touch their gear with a bargepole anymore.

Listen to it, work out what the notes are & play them in that order.

[quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1429281134' post='2750015'] Scarborough Fair has got to be a contender, with original versions older than Bach, and the version we know being about 200 years old (and Paul Simon once claiming a writing credit)!! [/quote] Which was a bit cheeky as Paul Simon stole Martin Carthy's version of it.

I was always happy to take compliments from people who's opinion I respected, which ruled out 99.9% of people in any audience I ever played to.

You might want to put this in the items wanted section in the marketplace. http://basschat.co.uk/forum/22-items-wanted/

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1428748196' post='2744226'] ....I've not the slightest idea about bass-related musical theory, nor do I have any desire to learn or feel the need to pass exams to prove my abilities - as far as I'm concerned, music theory is tantamount to maths, which I hate. [/quote] You're saying an awful lot of stuff I agree with lately. Stop it. Now.

I used active basses exclusively for over 25 years, but there was always something about the sound that I wasn't happy with & as a result I was always farting around with the EQ on the amp & the bass. Over the course of the last couple of years I sold all my active basses & now just have two passive basses - they just sound "right" to me. Getting them to sit in a mix either live or when recording is a doddle too.

[quote name='seashell' timestamp='1428694303' post='2743933'] That was the bit I liked best! [/quote] Well, you are a girly.....

[quote name='RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE' timestamp='1428689870' post='2743878'] My brother was a heavy drinker. He has cut down to 4 pints a day now. Also, he was always doing manual work/ painting and decorating etc. may tie in with some of the comments above ? [/quote] As I say, they did seem to make quite a big thing about knowing my drinking habits when I had mine done, so maybe there is some connection there. On the other hand (if you pardon the expression) I've never done a day's hard manual labour in my life & still developed them. Guess it's just like most things, partly genetic, partly crappy luck, and not helped by hammering your body with various toxins & poisons in the pursuit of a "good time"....

[quote name='Martin E' timestamp='1428687645' post='2743843'] My understanding these days is that the NHS won't get involved until the problem reaches a rather more advanced stage. I don't think early intervention is an option due to cost presumably. [/quote] This is the impression I got when I mentioned the small lumps that had appeared on my right hand to my GP a few years ago. He just said "they don't do anything with them these days". Luckily mine haven't increased at all since then. Seems crazy to me that they would let something get to a point where something as drastic as amputation might be required when they could address it sooner, but there you go, that's the NHS in the 21st Century for you unfortunately.

Totally GAS free. For the first time in my life I have the money to buy any bass I could want but I have absolutely no desire whatsoever to do so. If I'd had that money 25 years ago I'd be neck deep in basses by now.

[quote name='Martin E' timestamp='1428672542' post='2743649'] I've developed it in both hands but my left fretting hand is the worst. I can no longer put my hands flat on the floor as my ring fingers are contracting inwards. I'm putting off having anything done about it as long as possible as I'm in my sixties now and guess I wouldn't regain much dexterity or strength after an operation. Really annoyed that something like this will ultimately stop me playing after all these years. [/quote] You'll gain a lot more dexterity back if you get it sorted out sooner rather than later. If you're at the stage where your fingers are being pulled inwards then you really should get it sorted, or you could end up with amputation as your only option.

[quote name='dannybuoy' timestamp='1428660224' post='2743458'] There's not as much freedom being stuck to that loop but everyone else can go wild within the constraints of that pattern, and there's something satisfying about being the foundation of the track that everyone else is following. [/quote] I used to love doing stuff like that - I'm more than happy to just play a single note pulse or a very simple repeating pattern & just listen to what everyone else is doing over the top of it. A lot of the stuff my old band did was like that & it could be incredibly hypnotic when it worked well.

[quote name='RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE' timestamp='1428667314' post='2743568'] My brother got diagnosed about a month ago. He has trouble with his foot as well. Not sure if it's all connected . He talks in spasms , ( often leaving out the most important part in any conversation ), so I am a little confused . [/quote] When I went in for my Duyputrens op they also checked my feet pretty thoroughly, even though I wasn't having any trouble with them. Apparently it can cause foot problems as well.

[quote name='walbassist' timestamp='1428663735' post='2743507'] My nan had this on the left hand pinkie, and I have noticed that my left hand pinkie has recently started to hurt when I press down hard on the fingerboard (most notable on upright). I had thought it was the start of arthritis, but maybe it's this? [/quote] I never had any finger pain with it, maybe it is arthritis in your case?

[quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1428624936' post='2743288'] My understanding of jamming coincides with Blue's observation. Some friends would get into a room with no pre-planned song list; someone randomly starts playing a pattern, a riff or some chords and everyone else follows along. Over time the 'song' mutates, winds down, re-starts, wanders off and comes back. There may be a pause while someone puts the kettle on or - perhaps - constructs a Camberwell Carrot. Then you start playing again. Repeat until everyone's bored or the neighbours call the council. It [s]can[/s] used to go on for ages - the longest I ever jammed was about ten hours including comfort breaks. You'd come back from having a piss and they'd have moved the jam on a notch. Or not [/quote] This is what I would class as jamming too. What are commonly referred to as "Jam Nights" in my experience are anything but that, as most people playing have a pretty good idea what they will be playing, especially the "house band", who will generally play the same stuff week in week out.

[quote name='grumpyguts' timestamp='1428618041' post='2743233'] Thanks for the input everyone. The way I am looking at it is this... Getting out there and playing with others has to be a step forward, I may feel differently after a few sessions but it has to be done. [/quote] Jamming is a right of passage - you have to do it just so you can say "I'm never ever doing that again" if nothing else. It depends what sort of music you play too - if you play, like I did, psychedelic space rock stuff then it can be fun. If you're just playing 12 bar walking bass lines for guitarists to solo over all night though it is a living hell, and this unfortunately is usually what it turns into. It's ALWAYS guitarists that suggest jamming....