Make that 7.4 lbs. 
Looked at my email wrong. I had hoped for 7 lbs. But I’m thankful they got it this close. It’ll make a big difference in being able to play safely without injuring my back. I knew a 9 lb bass would NEVER work. No way, no how.
I still have to order my GruvGear duo strap. It evenly distributes weight onto both shoulders.
https://goo.gl/images/eNQJ6x
I’ve been listening to a lot of Cannibal Corpse due to their new album coming out and I came across a video I hadn’t seen before that I thought some of y’all might find fun where Cannibal Corpse talks about their gear. True there’s a bit in there about drums, but of course guitar and bass stories and gear dominate the 10 minute video.
Don’t be afraid to use a pick. Carol Kaye plays bass with a pick. She’s the most-recorded bassist in history, with upwards of 10000 sessions.
I play both ways. The pick gives my fingers a much need break and it gives a different sound.
Aye; I play bass with a pick mostly. I practice both, but I have decades of experience with a guitar pick and I’m usually going for my trademark percussive-heavy sound anyway. But there’s no shame in playing bass with a pick; just ask Chris Squire or Noel Redding or Scott Thunes or Dave Ellefson or Doug Pinnick…
I am doing both: Finger picking and using a pick.
I love Rocksmith for when I want to goof around and that is primarily how I have been playing the bass. They let you know if it should use a pick or fingers and for the most part that’s how I’ve been learning the songs. There are a couple songs that are too fast for my fingers so I’ve been using a pick (my fingers are getting faster and “smarter”). Even picking gets tiresome on a bass compared to guitar. I think you just have to be tougher to play bass. At least tougher than me. 
Song for [del]drummers[/del]bass players.
(I keed; I keed!)
Ha! I think I can perfect that song on the bass AND drums! Even guitar.
wguy I’d suggest checking out Scott’s Bass Academy.
He brings in some incredible bass players to give special classes. That’s on top of Scott’s course.
Doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner or experienced. Any bass player will find material that advances his skills.
Thanks for the suggestion. I watched a couple videos last night and will definitely be watching more. One question though: Why does he wear gloves? I understand the wrist bands and wear one so my wrist doesn’t get sore on the edge of the instrument (I actually started wearing one with my guitar during summer to try and keep my guitar a bit cleaner).
Briefly, Scott wears gloves as a treatment for a debilitating case of focal dystonia. He posted a video about it somewhere on YouTube.
It seems to have worked; the guy’s got skills.
Scott has neurological damage that causes hand tremors. He shows (in the video) his bare hand trembling and then it stops when he touches it.
The glove puts just enough pressure on his hand to stop the trembling. He can play and teach. I don’t think he gigs and does session work regularly anymore.
He’s one reason I’m buying a light weight bass. Scott used to use a heavy bass (12 lbs) and gigging required moving around heavy amps and other gear. He said he’s switched to a lighter bass.
I’ve had back problems much of my life. I’m careful about lifting now.
I still seem to learn something new every day. Never heard of this problem but it explains the gloves.
My bass is heavier than my guitars…I think it’s around 10lbs. However, I nearly always play sitting down so I don’t have much concerns about weight. With bad back problems, I would guess weight matters even sitting down. I had a one year long back problem due to an injury and it was pretty bad. Lots of physical therapy to correct it and as long as I continue to hike/walk/bike a lot and keep my lower back strong, I think I should be good. Knock on wood.
Anyone play with a stomp box? The mechanical ones go back to the early blues players.
Acoustic Guitar Magazine reviews three of them.
They look like fun and a nice effect playing solo.
YouTube offers plans to make your own with some scrap wood, pickup, and jack.
I got my garage project for this year. eBay has vintage license plates for under $15. I got the scrap wood and paint. Will have to buy a bass pickup.
I think this can be made for $40 - to $60. Couple days of fun making it.
Nice box and his guitar demo at the end is impressive.
A parts question.
Perhaps a bass pickup similar to this?
https://m.ebay.com/itm/1set-4-String-Noiseless-Pickup-Black-for-Precision-P-Bass-Replacement-New/381863952345?epid=13009471015&hash=item58e8dd7fd9:g:-XAAAOSw8UZZ~BrV
I need a wiring kit. This one has CTS pots
https://m.ebay.com/itm/TAOT-Wiring-Kit-P-Bass-CTS-250K-Pots-047-uf-NOS-K40Y-9-PIO-Cap/321353330858?hash=item4ad226b0aa:g:f9gAAOSwBLlVag9o
Will that work? I already picked out a vintage license plate. It should be good steel the pickups will respond too.
No clue about the parts. Never built a stomp box before. I’d just go for it and see what you get.
That should work fine, ace. The only thing to worry about is the placement of the pickups relative to the plate - either try approximating the typical distance between a bass guitar string and the pickups, or maybe mount them on a height-adjustable wooden block, so that you can fine-tune the output.
Let us know how it goes.
The video I linked didn’t give a lot of details. Not even how he wired it. I’m assuming he used a standard P bass wiring kit. They come with a wiring diagram.
I’ll keep in mind that the pickups gap under the license plate need tweaking. The metal will flex some and I don’t want it hitting the pickup.
I also saw comments that rags in the box will give better sound. It’s worth trying.
Howdy. My name is Bo, and I have a problem. I watch luthier videos. Lots of luthier videos. I haven’t started taking time off from work to watch them yet, but I do sometimes watch them at work.
On the upside, I found a video to share with y’all: A guitar made out of clay?
The video is Dan Erlewine and Erick Coleman taking a look at and discussing a ceramic guitar. It was made in the 1960s by a guy with the totally awesome name of Jake Kindlesparker. He even filed for and was granted a patent for the process he developed to be able to make his guitars.
I think it sounds amazing, but holy crap would I be afraid to handle it. I was edgy the whole time the one professor was holding it with only one hand. No doubt it would take me some time to feel comfortable with it slung off my shoulders.