ARGH

Change your tuners (Schaller ultralites),change the bridge(Schaller again),change your knobs to plastic rather than metal....failing that,buy a status neck that'll shave a lb off.. Not alot else to do besides sell it,you made the mistake by buying a Stinger fullstop (only a 70s ash Jazz is heavier at 11.5lbs) Ive only found one light one,and that was freaky,and I though it was a fake.....it was not,but it was that freaky!!!

[quote name='Alun' post='363399' date='Dec 25 2008, 08:24 PM']To be honest, a busy function band will probably expose the gear to a lot more people than an original band doing the pub circuit [/quote] Thats a fact,but its exposure in the media I think they work on!

[quote name='Rusty Shackleford' post='363601' date='Dec 26 2008, 12:25 PM']good luck to yer. i really to get hacked off with 'rock stars' getting all the free gear (like they need it?). something for the working man. VIVA LA ARGHS REVOLUTION![/quote] Awww fella,you ought to sit down and hear my views on education? Origins of tone,and the facts of plucking.... I'd endorse summat I believe in,but not any old crap...I see Tech21 have redone the Landmark 300w I'd like a bit of that,and I would endorse EMG or Dimarzio...Basses..well I play the best Basses already,and thats fact.

When I was 12 I discovered Heavy Metal,and a mate in the village had an uncle that in the 60s was part of the distro for Rotosound,Vox,and Futurama guitars...so there was a Phantom III 12 string,converted to 6,and various old Tone bender pedals lurking around,and he started to learn...its was typical of the time,Def Leppard,Maiden,Guns,Crue...whatever it was 1990. He was a few years older than me,and it was the coolest thing ever to hear distortion beside your ears,and I wanted to be in...so he passed the guitar over,and I tried,a chord...now I learnt a little piano when I was really small,so I'd heard of chords,and the guitar didnt hang right on me...so after 5 mins,my mate had a revelation "Man..I play guitar,and we cant form a band with 2 guitars..You have long arms...why dont you try Bass?" In hindsight,it was probably because I sucked,and he didnt want a challenger to his mantle,but I knew I wanted to play something... "WHATS Bass" Was my reply..... Now,being a small kid in rural Devon...literally nowheresville Exmoor,next to a town where NO bands come to,nor anything makes it out,I would have latched onto anything,maybe the guy was a psychologist or summat,but he said two words and being a massive Maiden fan..this guy was a god already.. "Steve Harris" I spent the next 10 months hassleing my parents for an instrument,I watched every vid,on Raw Power/Noisey mothers...to pick out a Bassplayer and what they do,I was getting into heavier music ,Megadeth,Motorhead....and the day came ..I remember it as crystal.. 28.11.91..around 4:30pm..I had stinking flu,but I WANTED A BASS MUM AND DAD.... They went to a small local shop,they had a Marlin Jazz Bass in black,which was cheaper,and dad wanted to get me that one (£129) I wanted the Hohner HP P bass copy..in red (169) coz it looked like Harris's Bass...They both thought I was mental,whats the difference,I still think to this day If they'd bought the Jazz,I would have given up..it HAD to look like Harris's bass...so I pleaded..and Dad relented "Fine...If its that one he bloody wants.." I picked it up and plucked on the E string,Fingerstyle,like I'd seen on tv...."Feels just right Dad" (as if I knew ANYTHING!!!) SO they paid...with a quizzical look in their eyes....it came in a BIG brown box,I bought a strap,and a cable...But I had no amp..and when I was better a week later I marched round to my mates house,plugged into his guitar amp,quietly,and made noise.... December and xmas came,and the cash I saved..I went and bought a 'Rhino' 15w bass combo..it still sits beside me now,and always will,its a fabbo little amp,and that was me at 14 years old...Im 31 now,and Ive played a lot of gigs and done pro recordings,play a 9 string Bass and plunk on uprights,but still...still....I recall that fluey day (when I get ill,it REALLY reminds me) and my 1st red P-Bass copy.

Explain that clearly? I feel a little weird,just Emailing,and banging on about myself,in the metaphysical future....Theres only a few companies I feel any love for,Tech21 being one..Its more a question of a friend suggesting a string endorsement,and maybe a cable along the same....

How does one go about it? I believe this year I may become of some value in the advertising marketplace....

Im not a drinker...I might just stay with Elites....at least I know what Im getting.

Been looking at the Status site,but it would kill me to buy them.

As above,but I cant be bothered.

Thats what I was worried about..light touch..I hit like a Mule and grab like a Crab...its heavyweight,and I like MASS,and power,and a consistant tone.... Any other suggestions?

Rich,you really shouldnt be a moderator.

anyone try/use Hi-beams?

anyone use anything a bit different? like Tomastik or Pyramid

What constitutes decent gear?

[quote name='Merton' post='361850' date='Dec 23 2008, 12:01 PM']DRs are good. Status Hotwires remind me of DRs but are cheaper and British [/quote] Thanks...may I also add,and this is genuine,cost is no option.

[quote name='bass_ferret' post='361846' date='Dec 23 2008, 11:57 AM']I use Status Hotwires. All strings are available with double ball for those that dont like heads.[/quote] Im happy to announce that I dont have that problem/design fault ON TOPIC: So has anyone tried DR's?

Hi all.... Ive been a LOOOOOONNNG time user of Elites,and Im happyish,but I do wonder what else is out there...its been aeons since I changed brands. Im Playing a 6,and just had an amazing conflab with 'James' at Stringbusters...and by the way we are going it looks as if DR's are where I might look next... Then again,Ive had the Yanks say I should give R.Cocco a shot,and then AGAIN,I get another set of bods saying SIT's ... Has anyone got any exp with the above brands/manufacturers,in the field usage,general tone,feel etc I play Heavy Metal,and do functions/clubs/pubwork.....I hate Nickel,and prefer a roundcore. Im also a fan of heavy guages.

As have you.

Nope,I had them,for ages,years,and things turned a bit nasty during GCSE music,15+ years ago....all that tapping (Hard to believe I was using .85,60,35,25 in regular tuning...I now use 110 heavys) If you have only just started,I think you may have just caused a strain,as 'building up' takes a fair amount of time,and no squeezing of loorolls ,tennins balls,excercise machines is going to help....its simple weight training,stop,play,rest...etc A Chinese masseur might be able to get the swellings down,and sort out the pain,probably sort out a few probs. I wont tell you how I had mine removed,but they are a HELL of a lot easier to deal with than CTS.

Budget B It was Lionel Ritchie.......

Ok AM...Numbness IS BAD... The cysts are causeing pressure on the nerves,you may have had a 'sublux' in the wrist too (sublux,very mild ,small dislocation in the joints). Where do you live by the way? And what is your age,and how long have you been playing?

[quote name='AM1' post='360560' date='Dec 21 2008, 10:54 PM']Hello Thanks for the reply. I mainly stand when I am "practicing" but if I'm just messing around playing along with music, I tend to sit down. I am currently working on pentatonic scales and it is the bending of my wrist to play notes four frets apart on the lower strings that has absolutely jacked up the pain level this last week. I will ask someone to take a pic of my hand tomorrow on the neck or I can take one with a mobile phone and a photo of where the lump is on my hand so you can see what happens when I play. When I bend my wrist, the lump pops out, when my wrist is flat, nothing is there. So it's the bending that is the problem. It's not the physical nature of it that's the issue, I can carry roughly 140 lbs of diving equipment, which is more than my body weight and I am fit. It's just this stupid, annoying, frustrating lump on my hand that's the problem. Regards AM[/quote] Whoopee doo..you have what I had on both wrists,Ganglion cysty things....They are harmless frustrating leaking tendon fluid,they used to piss me off summat chronic,anyways...could be worse,but they as you have found are a tad restrictive...how high upon yourself ,do you have the instrument? Waist...slung low ..real high near the chin.... coz positioning is the key here. And I can stop a bad spine too.

[quote name='AM1' post='360556' date='Dec 21 2008, 10:50 PM']Hi Thank you, this is the constructive advice I was after. There is no pain in my hand normally, it is the fact that when I bend my wrist (more than say 40 degrees), the pain starts building up. If I can pluck with my left hand, then there will be less bending, therefore less pain. Regards AM[/quote] Is it a tightening feeling?

[quote name='AM1' post='360543' date='Dec 21 2008, 10:31 PM']I just want some practical advice on adapting, whether that means switching playing style or switching the bass around.[/quote] Hello Anne Marie. Welcome to the world of Bass,its,as you have found out a tad physical,and causes pain,I dont know how old you are,or what style you play,or anything,but hey here goes,the ARGH is in..... OK,when practicing,or playing,are you standing,or sitting? can you post a piccy of how your left hand is,in regards of position,in relationship to the neck,when fretting notes on the instrument,and where is the pain,is it subtle (dull throb) obvious...it happens and hurts and stops when you stop (like a touched bruise) or is it sharp and instant...(like a trapped nerve).

[quote name='Tinman' post='360308' date='Dec 21 2008, 04:30 PM']I still make the 180 mile round trip to the shop in Northallerton. The guys in there are superb, they don't try and coax you into buying stuff you don't need and they've stopped me making some costly mistakes. The nearest shops to me are in either Lincoln or Boston. I've been in them all and they're rubbish, with staff that can talk a good instrument but wouldn't actually recognise one if it smacked them on the head.[/quote] That one with the basses upstairs..2 tiers,down a small alleyway round the corner of Natwest? All Pianosynths and sheet music downstairs?