4 Strings

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1468625656' post='3092302'] She played on two of my favourite records. Bass on River Deep, Mountain High and guitar on You've Lost That Loving Feeling. [/quote] Do we know she was on River Deep? No reason to doubt it, just curious. Iconic song and vocal performance (my mum bought it when it came out as she couldn't believe anyone could give the singing so much commitment! She bought few records.) The bass, like all the instruments - including the 8(?) pianos - is actually quite difficult to distinguish and, I would suggest, a written line.

Hope you have deep pockets: http://www.wdmusic.co.uk/pickguards-c62/musicman-c198/ernie-ball-stingray-4-string-bass-c199/stingray-bass-matte-black-p3674

Been playing for many, many years, don't know anyone who's had any gear stolen from a car. Struggling to recall anyone who's had anything stolen.

[quote name='4stringslow' timestamp='1467220959' post='3082075'] How could the insurance company ever know if the stolen item was covered up or not? Or, perhaps more importantly, how could a theft victim ever prove to the insurance company that the item was covered up? [/quote] Good point, I suppose photos. Never really thought about, just leave the cover in the car and pull it across. If it was down to me to prove it was covered before they pay out, probably find that I have no useful insurance. It's up for renewal (along with the public liability insurance) so I'll ask.

Unless they rip the tail gate off, pretty difficult to get anything out a window anyway. Any nudge of the car and the alarm goes loopy. Our gear insurance is simple, if it's covered, it's covered. Have a barge of an estate to get loads of stuff in and carry around a blanket sort of thing which I can pass over it all to cover it up. Our insurance is then (apparently) at work if its covered out of sight. Sometimes leaving gear in the car is unavoidable, (services stations and cafes en-route, having just arrived at a venue and getting organised etc) but, if there's the opportunity, my bass comes out.

Fab - I love the 'school' note!

[quote name='chrisanthony1211' timestamp='1461093777' post='3031466'] Big thumbs up for the pyramid golds, they are my new favourite flat, a few hours of playing and the G string has settled down nicely, they're quite a mellow string, I love the tension, they really seem to have got that bang on, these are quite expensive so I would hope they would be good, and they will stay on my bass for quite some time. I love TI flats, and will probably stick them on another bass at sometime in the future, but I think the tension and low end thump of the pyramids win out for me. I'm sure these will just get better and better. [/quote] Sounds encouraging! (I wonder why they are so expensive though?)

If you can play with people better than yourself, you'll be on a wonderfully steep learning curve and will benefit no end. I love the challenge of being in this position, learn not to keep making excuses (other musicians generally have us sussed in 30 seconds anyway) and get on with it. Other musos are generally as helpful as can be. By all means keep things simple as has been suggested but, if you want to improve, keep at it. You'll be all the better for it!

[quote name='chrisanthony1211' timestamp='1460789965' post='3028701'] Put on my new Pyramid Golds yesterday, straight out the packet the G seems a little lively, but I'm sure that will bed down nicely over the next week or so, other than that these strings are beautiful, very smooth, and great tension, not as high tension as a lot of flats, and not as floppy as my other favourite flats TI's, but a very nice balance. They sound earthy and thumpy with sing song highs, they could well be my new favourite flats, although they are a little prices, you get what you pay for! [/quote] Let us know how they bed in

[quote name='Opticaleye' timestamp='1460540248' post='3026551'] With regards to the E string on the Status, please stay with them as they really do open up. The set on my G&L L1000 have been on for a couple of years and still do not sound soft. They still have a nice percussive click to go with the vintage thump and great mids. If you think they sound ok now you have a treat in store over the coming months. [/quote] Thanks, that's encouraging as the E does sound different. (I was even wondering about mixing and matching an E from a set of different strings). I'll be sticking with it for a while yet and I hope a different string will not be necessary. They are very smooth to the touch and appear to be nicely made strings. Had a nice long practice sesh tonight, very happy.

Thanks for this, and the hard work in putting it together, supremely useful! Do please keep adding when you can, I wonder if other string manufacturers would like their included. I'm happy to send a virtually new set of Trubass for inclusion if it would help. Those 760FM LaBellas sound great to my ears, just how flats should sound. I've just bought some Status flats before I saw this test, still new so jury's out at the moment but if they don't work out I'll be taking the (rather costly) LaBella plunge - might build up my finger muscles in the process!

The Status strings finally arrived (took a while, but got an apology from them a few days before they came). If you don't like paying for packaging you'll like these a lot! Very simply packaged with all four strings together in a plastic wallet with a paper insert. For £18+VAT (and with silk wound ends too), this simplicity suits me! Installed on my G&L L1000 and they are an immediate step in the right direction for me. The Trubass strings were fine, but rather soft sounding for me, the Status flats have more aggression and don't appear to change sound if you dig in. If there's a criticism it's the E string sounding a tad softer than the others at the moment, but otherwise intonation is perfect, tension is even across the strings and, for me, neither sloppy nor too taut, and tone up the dusty end is good. I'm still playing them in will report back in a month or so, but very promising so far. In the meantime my otherwise favourite round wound strings have been Newtones by a long chalk. I enquired about flats with them, they have responded that they have carried out some experiments which have gone well, so maybe some news from there sometime.

[quote name='Wylie' timestamp='1459638797' post='3018356'] Rotosound! [/quote] 'Jazz Bass' strings?

[quote name='Opticaleye' timestamp='1459459249' post='3016903'] I tried 760FL's on the L1000 but they accentuated a dead spot on the G string that I never notice with other strings. The 760FS are too stiff on that bass. Ti's sound good but I've never really got on with the rubber band feel (although the newer ones I've played on on other people's basses feel a bit firmer). The Status are the nearest sound to the TI's that I've tried but with a little more tension. It takes a month or so but they just keep getting better after that. [/quote] Thanks, just ordered a set of flats from Status - if they're as good as you say they are outstanding value when comparing the price to, well, any others at all! Thanks for the recommendation, I'll be patient and give them a month or so and report back. (I have a lot of recording to do in June/July - hoping to mail the sound before then!)

[quote name='Opticaleye' timestamp='1458664527' post='3009621'] Yes - the Status ones, really woody sound. I also have Status on my cream Umbo and an old set of LaBella 760FL's on a 70's Precision that I rarely use. [/quote] Woody sounds good! I have Trubass on my L1000, I think I'm looking for something less soft sounding - woody might be the way to go! Would you recommend the LaBellas on an L1000?