Bass confessions

[AScheck9]

I tell everyone that I can't play without my darkglass hyper luminal compressor. It's the best thing in the world and has transformed my sound. 

 

... but I don't really know what it does. 

[Joe Nation]

9 hours ago, AScheck9 said:

... but I don't really know what it does. 

Don't worry, no-one else does either

[Strawbs664]

On 25/03/2022 at 21:27, Seashell2 said:

My first bass was a Marlin Sidewinder.

My second bass was a Marlin Sidewinder 😲 It was a step up from my 1st bass which was an Encore Roadster. Both horrible basses, but I gigged the Sidewinder for a good year or two because I couldn't afford anything else!

[andyaber]

My first bass was one of these.  Very short scale and a bit of a toy.  The Columbus EB3 copy I got to replace it was a proper step up.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

Making a loom for a bass a couple of days ago reminded me of something I should confess:

 

The first few times I used cloth covered wire I was cursing how fiddly it was to trim the insulation from the ends as wire strippers didn't work well on it. It was only relatively recently that I realised you just push the insulation up to expose the core.

[shoulderpet]

21 minutes ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

Making a loom for a bass a couple of days ago reminded me of something I should confess:

 

The first few times I used cloth covered wire I was cursing how fiddly it was to trim the insulation from the ends as wire strippers didn't work well on it. It was only relatively recently that I realised you just push the insulation up to expose the core.

Yep, as you probably know from having my old Ibanez and my Harley Benton my soldering skills are limited so I try and solder as little as possible but cloth covered wire is definitely easier to work with

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

I never used to enjoy soldering as I could never get the solder to flow well. I eventually came to the conclusion that the soldering iron I bought from Maplin wasn't suitable for working with the only solder Maplin sold - ie lead-free. Once I managed to source some decent lead/tin solder my soldering skills improved as if by magic and it was fun again.

[Dad3353]

21 minutes ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

I never used to enjoy soldering as I could never get the solder to flow well. I eventually came to the conclusion that the soldering iron I bought from Maplin wasn't suitable for working with the only solder Maplin sold - ie lead-free. Once I managed to source some decent lead/tin solder my soldering skills improved as if by magic and it was fun again.

 

Lead_free needs a higher temperature to flow, and flux certainly helps keep the parts to be soldered clean whilst it's going on. Electronic-grade flux, not the highly-corrosive plumbing flux, of course. 60/40 is much easier to use, though, especially when beginning with this black art.

[nilorius]

On 15/03/2022 at 14:35, mr4stringz said:

Despite playing for 30 years I’d never tried flatwounds until last year.

 

 

I have played 22, but only on roundwounds, kind of scare to try flats  How did You liked those flats after 30 roundwound years ?

[odysseus]

On 15/03/2022 at 16:24, Bassfinger said:

Alas, none like that round here, although a kindly haddock showed me how to set intonation.

 

Kindly Haddock has been added to my list of potential band names... 

[mr4stringz]

2 hours ago, nilorius said:

I have played 22, but only on roundwounds, kind of scare to try flats  How did You liked those flats after 30 roundwound years ?

 

Likely would’ve continued with rounds only but flats came as stock on the JMJ I bought. I like them (after a bit of oddness over how weird they felt initially). I have since taken them off in favour of rounds again though, but that’s purely due to flats not giving me what I wanted in my band. Will get the flats on another one of my basses some time soon I reckon. 

[Buddster]

I don't know what GAS actually stands for, but I know it leads to spending a lot of money! 

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

Gear Acquisition Syndrome

[odysseus]

The first bass I bought was a metallic pink Charvel. It was cr@p. I bought it on the advice of a drummer who said it was the best he'd seen. He was a massive pranny, as was I for taking his advice, even as a callow 19 year old. I traded it in and got an Ibanez Roadstar which was far superior, and I gigged it for years.