Welcome aboard, @jmcadguy . . . . 
That Carvin5 bass is a great start, too!
Cheers, Joe
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I have always known the importance of “wanting” to pick up whatever instrument you are learning. I can’t seem to put this thing down
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Hi Josh. Just joined as I find your tuition funny & helpful. Bought this Ibanez 300SR but I dont think its improved my begineer playing to much from the Amazon starter bass I bought 3 years ago. How long does this take to be able to play properly 
Just trying to learn Duran Duran the Reflex. Dont know if its my fingers or my brain thats to slow to nail this.
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Welcome aboard to you too, @stevehawkey . . .
Glad to have you with us and good luck in the course!
Cheers, Joe
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Welcome aboard @jmcadguy,
Enjoy the ride.
Cheers Brian
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Hi @stevehawkey,
Welcome aboard, enjoy the ride.
If you are only a ( as Josh refers to “noob” )
I wouldn’t be to hard on my progress with the bass, especially trying to master a complete song.
It takes time to develop, technique, timing,rhythm and skills.
I don’t know the Duran Duran song, but I suspect the music I have heard by them Is not basic chugging or straight eights etc.
Sometimes by trying to tackle songs we like can create dissolution internally, my suggestion would be try playing easy songs that will build confidence etc.
Can you read music ? , or can you only read tabs?
Hope this helps with your development.
Cheers Brian
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Wha…wha…what???
Orange bass Where!!!
Love orange Basses, even tho my newest bass is blue, and I love it more and more every time I play it. Only been 2 days, wait til end of the month…
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Hi @stevehawkey,
Just had a listen to the reflex, as a bass line it is not that difficult, there are a few hammer ons etc.
It would be challenge from the timing side, I would suggest ?
There is a tab for it on big bass tabs, but not sure how accurate it is?
Hope this helps.
Cheers Brian
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Holy $h!t. A Carvin… droooooooool.
I love them. That actually looks just like the guitar I had custom made in the 90’s, like exactly, only mine was guitar. It was active koa wood neck thru. Loved that guitar.
My ex wife sold it 10 years ago when I was out of the house and we split up.
I actually look at Basses for sale all the time in hopes to find a Carvin, neck thru 4 string bass under $800. I find lots of good things, but no Carvin yet.
If I find one, I am not even gonna try to resist the GAS Ghoul
Also, welcome @jmcadguy, are you a CAD guy? I am a CAD / CAM guy myself.
And Welcome @stevehawkey, I love Ibanez SR line, I have two myself. Sr300 and SR 400, and yes, they are both different colors of orange.
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My bass setup. Squire PJ bass, Squire Jazz bass (barely pictured Haha) and my Ampeg BA-210 combo amp.
I like switching to my jazz (Due to it’s tapered neck) when my hands get sore 
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Nice equipment, @samtwasteaway . . .
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Very aware of those, have 5 string and 4 string sets in my Amazon cart for a long time.
I just have not had a bass that I thought would look good with orange strings yet. Thought about it on my LTD B-4E, but???
I am not a fan of Black Basses, which is what it would look great on. Only had one black bass, my very cheap bottom line SubRay was black, but sold it to upgrade to my new Sterling SUB4 StingRay
But now I got that Dean Metalman and it’s black, and I am gonna make it BEAD, I think I am now ready for the orange strings!
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So, now I have another black bass. Spur of the moment deal landed me one of my bucket list Basses, so I couldn’t pass on it.
This one I am thinking Red Strings, oh, It will look so SICK & EVIL.
So, bucket list bass
ESP LTD F series
bonus if:
ESP LTD Tom Arafat signature F series
So, well, cross it off the list, and ring the “Bonus” bell.
Sorry, the photos are SS of the add, I have not taken any good pics yet, it’s dark in the room, others are watching a movie, so those will come later, but this is the general Idea.
The bass on the left. The add was two Basses for $500, or $450 for the Slayer Bass, and $200 for the Dean.
Since that logic was a little flawed, $450 for the Slayer (ESP LTD Tom Araya Signature). A little high, they sell for $549 new I think, and $200 for a $179 Dean bass (pretty sure by the photo)
So I decided to throw out another doozy, and see if he will take half of the asking $500 for the “Slayer Bass”, leaving quite a bit of ground to get the asking $500 with only the Dean left.
I figured it was a shoot down when I got a rapid fire reply that said
I can’t take $250 for them, the Ltd is $600 new and the Dean is like $200
I replied, noI was just talking about the Slayer, but You can see if it sells, if it does, great, if not, and you consider selling it for $250, LMK and I will buy it.
He came back with “I can go $250 for the Slayer Bass.
Awesome, I will take it, I can come up (To Los Angeles) tomorrow.
Can’t tomorrow, got a funeral in San Diego.
Great, can you drop it off in Costa Mesa on your way down or back up.
Can’t, I am not driving, don’t want to ask the driver to do it, but, I can drive it down tonight.
Even better, here is the address,
Ok, see you in about an hour.
So, I have it. It’s SWEET, and the red strings I think will be super cool.
Plus this guy works at a studio producing music, and I asked if they were hiring anybody, he said they needed engineers, so I holler across the way to my sponsee who is a graduate of the school of LA music recording school, or something like that, who is looking for a break, anything to get into music industry, and they got to talking, and it looks like something may come of that.
All in all a good Offer Up story.
My last one was a joke, that lady with the Schecter package got very weird with messages, then Told me she pulled the add, but it’s still up.
All I was asking her was, can I come see it.
Ok, when can I come see it
Yes I want the set (when she told me she won’t break it up, and I never asked her to this time)
And have cash for it, when will you be available to meet.
She did other weird things too, like answer to my buddy who asked if she still had it for me, when she was not answering me. And she asked him when he wanted to come look at it, after I already told her I wanted to get the set and had money for it.
Strange, was not meant to be. That’s like one of my bucket list Basses. Shortly after she told me she pulled the add, the Slayer Bass showed up, so I am good.
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Nice @T_dub
Cheers Brian
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Nice buy 
I gave the slayer bass some consideration when I was looking . Be interested to know how it’s plays 
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I have played the ESP LTD “F”. Before.
There have been progressions of the Tom Araya sig line.
This is an older one, but I love it cuz the Araya in the 12th fret inlay. Newer ones, that I have seen just have F-TA-155 (155 is example like other models are written, I do not know what numbers follow some of the F model Tom Araya Basses.
The current ones are no longer F series, they are actually from the ESP signature series, and have some razor looking edges with a slightly different shape.
I loved the F I played before.
Unfortunately, due to thumb pain, I need a few days rest to do any serious playing.
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Not sure what you mean? Pretty sure they still make the F series.
Oh wait you mean the Tom Araya signature line basses are no longer based on the same F series? I believe that yeah, looks that way.
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Yep, F are still strong as ever, but the Sig line made some cool changes. I would love to have one of those, but I am more then happy with this one.
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@howard They are ESP too, not LTD, well the cheap one is LTD, the other two are ESP
And the Tom Araya model is now
Not exactly an F anymore.
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Actually, I need to look up the history of the F.
I have seen a bass with the 12fret inlay saying F-TA-104 or like that. But looking at mine, it still differs from the current F shape a bit. Closet, but the very bottom has a cut out on it.
When I get some time I may look into it more, both because it interests me, and to know the vintage of my Araya build.
I will report findings when I do.
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