RhysP

[quote name='lowlandtrees' timestamp='1428616876' post='2743217'] Hi Thanks for the reply. How big an area of tissue did they remove and how deep did they cut? Did the contractures grow quickly? Was in Cardiff last week btw [/quote] The scar on my palm is about an inch long & slightly "S" shaped. They cut pretty deep though - my hand was in a pressure bandage for a good few weeks & it looked a bit of a mess for a while after that. It's been hardly noticeable for years now though, I would have to point the scar out to you for you to notice it. It didn't grow particularly quickly, they didn't even think it was a Duyputrens Contracture at first because I was so young (I was the youngest case of it they'd ever seen, usually effects people in their 50s & older & I was only 24). They thought I had an "Impacted Dermoid" (something stuck under the skin in other words). It was only when they went in to have a look they discovered what it was. Did they ask you how much you drink? Apparently it can be connected to alcoholism. I was drinking a LOT back then so maybe it was made worse by that.

Apparently it's a sign of direct lineage to the Vikings.

[quote name='Drax' timestamp='1428616637' post='2743210'] Definately do this, or it will be a 10 minute blues / funk workout in E. [/quote] Only 10 minutes?

I had an operation to remove a Dupuytrens Contracture from my left hand in about 1990. I've since got some smaller lumps on the palms of both hands but they haven't gotten any worse or started to pull my fingers in so I've been lucky so far. I've known a few people that have had the condition over the years & it can go as far as needing the little fingers amputated - I was warned that I would possibly need that done if the operation I had hadn't been a success but luckily it never came to that. They seem to change the treatments for this condition quite often so I don't know what current thinking is. One thing I was told to do after the operation is to stretch the fingers gently away from the palm to counteract the pulling of the palma fascia (it's this layer that contracts & causes the condition, not the tendons). Been doing this ever since; don't know if it's made any difference but the condition hasn't returned to any major degree since, there's certainly no sign of my fingers being pulled in towards the palm again. As far as practicing goes I'd just carry on as you are - I never altered my playing regime when I had it, though I couldn't play at all for two months after the operation.

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1428611339' post='2743112'] [font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][color=#000000]Does it work well if you tune to B, E, A, D, G, C ?[/color][/font] [/quote] Not if you're planning to play normal guitar chords on it, no.

[quote name='spectoremg' timestamp='1428525670' post='2742215'] Some household names in there... [/quote] Well, they're known in my household - I've got stuff by every one of the artists mentioned except The Jesus & Mary Chain, who I've heard lots of but don't actually like very much.

[quote name='ead' timestamp='1428494320' post='2741749'] Does Jupiter have a surface with sand on it? I think we should be told. [/quote] No it doesn't.

I had a Jetglo '74 4001, and an earlier one (and this was in the late 70s/early 80s, so they were a lot younger then). My "dream" basses quickly became my nightmare basses..... But don't let that put you off.

People gig with 40 year old (and older) basses all the time. Some idea of what it is might help, so people with experience of that bass can comment on potential problems (if any).

When I was gigging we would all be too busy screaming & shouting at each other on the way home to listen to any music.

They probably use exactly the same components as any other Chinese built solid state amps (Ampeg included), they just don't have a "prestigious" name badge on the front.

[quote name='juliusmonk' timestamp='1428256129' post='2739662'] So, good for Fodera if they can get away with it, it is a luxury product positioned as such, but I think for that price they should add diamond inlays or solid gold screws or something.... [/quote] Or at least get rid of that poxy, tacky looking butterfly on the headstock....

Worst amps that I've ever owned were my old Trace Elliott AH250 head that sounded OK but was very unreliable - used to cut out quite a bit when gigging & I didn't used to drive it hard at all. The other was my EBS Gorm combo, again due to reliability issues that, even though the combo was under warranty, both the UK distributor & EBS themselves refused to fix. The whole episode left such a bad taste in my mouth that I would never use EBS gear ever again even if I was given it for nothing.

[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1428241483' post='2739469'] £15,000 gets you a halfway good orchestral double bass. £50,000 gets you a pro level instrument. Handcarved to your spec.... Do you want a house or a bass? Bass guitars, even Fodera, are cheap by comparison. [/quote] That's because the work that goes into an electric bass (even a Fodera) is nothing like the amount of skill & craftsmanship that goes into a hand carved acoustic instrument like a double bass or a cello.

[quote name='darkandrew' timestamp='1428241523' post='2739470'] .....so bought myself a Spector Euro 5LX from here and took to it instantly. [/quote] The Spector Euro 5LX was easily the best of the five string basses I owned, superb instrument.

[quote name='Number6' timestamp='1428236140' post='2739383'] And who decided what textbook is anyway? [/quote] The people who wrote the textbook I guess....

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1428229723' post='2739267'] SW songs being a great example of 5-stringery that leaves me cold. But then I'm probably the only human in the world who doesn't love SW and his works. [/quote] Nope, I can't stand Stevie Wonder either, or pretty much any other funk or soul music to be honest.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1428188807' post='2739036'] You might have something there! My dalliance with 5-string basses depressed the crap out of me. The 'B' is just too different to the other strings... not necessarily in tension (or whatever you want to call it) but I found I had to address it differently, in a way I didn't like. It seemed temperamental somehow and demanded special treatment, which I ultimately resented. A 5-string bass isn't just a 4-string with an extra string - it's a completely different instrument in my opinion. One I don't like. YMMV obviously. The only advantage (for me) was the fact that you don't have to move around the fretboard so much. But I don't think having those few lower notes is worth the extra learning curve, the extra weight and the extra expense. I found it a relief to get back to four strings, frankly. And another thing, the usual songs cited as great examples of 5-stringery leave me completely cold! There, I've said it. Thhpp!! [/quote] I have to say I agree with everything you say here.

For a measly £25 saving I wouldn't bother, I'd just buy the full price one.

That's pretty funny.

Like the neck plate.

[quote name='Bassman Steve' timestamp='1427956939' post='2736186'] Isn't it odd, I can't stand them - or Hendrix, just so you can hate me more :-) [/quote] Same here. I can't stand anything bluesy, doesn't connect with me on any level & bores me to tears.

Known quite a few people in bands that have had "showcase gigs" in London over the years, I even attended a couple of them. Without exception they were a complete & total waste of time & effort for the bands involved.