Recent content by MikePlaysBass

You could face a dilemma here between keeping your favorites and the ones that work best for your live playing use. You may be able to reach that compromise with keeping just two, though.

If you or someone you know is good with woodworking, you could build a stand that doubled as a speaker cover (a bit larger than the cab and lined with foam) with a snap on lid and carry handles. They could even use a frame and flake board or something like that to also keep the weight way down...

This seller saying he has another buyer with a higher offer could be total BS. It’s already making you more likely to keep it regardless of the flaws to avoid losing it in a competitive bidding war, but you can’t sell something that you already sold and no longer own. It’s either your bass now...

That’s a great observation. The production quality of the later Pink Floyd recordings is nothing short of amazing. The pixie dust or whatever they sprinkle over the final mix and mastering makes a huge difference. I’ve listened to music I didn’t like all that much, but if it’s a great recording...

I think you actually answered your own question. It’s popularity. More radio hits and commercial exposure. I think it’s that simple. More people across the planet have heard Pink Floyd than have heard Rush. It’s not the number of albums or even being able to sellout a stadium. And let’s not...

I guess you don’t get out much. Because both fretless and left handed basses aren’t in as much demand, your local store or what you see advertised locally may have a more limited selection, but both come in all kinds of colors, finishes, etc…

I love both the Levy padded garment and carving leather straps. The carving leather one is the top of the line, but the next couple grades down are still excellent straps. As you go up in price they use a higher quality leather and are even softer and more comfortable. Get at least a 3" wide...

I don’t know how indicative TalkBass is of the entire bass community. The old tobacco bursts are a bit dated to some people, but then (like torti pickguards) that’s also part of the appeal. There are so many types of burst using multiple colors that have a more modern look, and some variation of...

Playing bass can be a thankless job. When someone remarks on how good the band sounded, that means you did your job well. Occasionally, you get some comments on liking the bass parts, but the majority of people are more into the front instruments. I suppose drummers have similar experiences.

I use a tuner to get it initially set. Then I ask the keyboard player (or main guitar player if there isn’t a keyboard) to play a couple notes to match with and adjust the tuning if needed. I’ve played with a lot of house pianos and most are pretty good, but not exact. The same goes for a guitar...

I guess they used the fretted dot convention. I wish it was consistent, and it mostly is but there are always exceptions. If you have multiple fretless basses that aren’t consistent, it might be worth using the decal fret dots to cover the “wrong” ones and reposition them to the places you want...

Yes, and that puts the string contact itself right on the fret, which is why when you use your finger on a fretless it needs to be on the “fret”.

S.O.S. - Same Old Sh*t

Well, that’s totally different. On an unlined fretless almost all have the dots where your fingers should be placed for those “frets”. Lined necks almost always have the dots in the middle of the fret just like the dot markers on fretted fingerboards are. A filled in fretted to fretless...

Double check your intonation. The midway harmonic should be the same pitch as the string and your finger placement there. If everything is in tune just behind the markers, your intonation is likely off and your open strings will be out of tune. Open strings are very important on a fretless...