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My point was that these are technical achievements not musical statements. Chopin created some of the most complex and beautiful piano music possible. It flowed through him. Of course, you could probably find some kid that could play it at twice the speed, but why? The majority of popular YouTubers create content that sucks you in. (Fastest bass line ever, most complex bass line ever, can I play this violin solo on bass, etc.) They’re all technical accomplishments but is it musical? In my opinion, it’s not. But that’s my view. You may love to see Bach cello suite played on a fretted bass at 200bpm. And if you do, that’s the magic of the world. I’m off to get measured for some clogs.

Ah, I hadn't read this yet. Is that the radio frequency one? I think I was looking at that a while ago, just not sure if it was the 75 or another one. I was interested because the latency on radio units is really low, but the sound quality can vary a lot (there's a lot of processing going on and bass response can be reduced). Please let us know what you think once you've got it

A great bass tone comes from how well the bass is made and the quality of the components. Cheap pickups will never sound good. The bass that ticks the quality materials, quality manufacturing and quality components boxes will get you the best tone, across all strings. The 3 best basses I've discovered so far are Sadowsky (Japanese, US and German models), Mike Lull basses and US Lakland 55-94's. . . . the Lakland Skylines are also worth a look. Don't rush this. Take your time. You have a great budget. Buy a good used bass and get much more bass for your money.

I've only had to return an item once, and it went to some address in the UK too, I forget where. AliExpress gets a lot of negative comments, but their customer service is very buyer-friendly in my experience, far more than eBay. Are you getting another set? I haven't used mine much, but they work well enough (when they don't malfunction, that is! :D) as long as you're mindful of the relatively high latency (for a simple setup like I use, without tons of digital processing units in teh signal path, it seems fine enough).

Thanks. I’ll take a look. Down the line I think I’ll try a few different sets and see what I land on. I’m just trying to enjoy it as it is at the moment but I’ll get round it at some point. That said, i think I said the same thing about my Jazz Bass and I’ve still not changed them. I bought that in 2003 😅

For a cheap but excellent high output J pickups with plenty of growl check out the Wilkinson WOJB5 with ceramic magnets, resistance is 9.40k for the neck and 10.4k for the bridge. I have a set in one of my basses and they are extremely rude: https://www.vansonguitars.com/products/wilkinson-m-series-wojb5-bass-neck-bridge-pickup-set-for-5-string-jb-type-guitars-jazz-set They do an alnico set for a small premium with more traditional readings. Not a great deal of choice at the budget end if you play a 5 string, Tonerider ignore us and Entwistle only do a vintage set but Warman Stealth might be worth a look if you want a hotter pickup.

As facile replies go, this is up there.

I've just ordered a little rigid case for it. Hopefully that will be it... fingers crossed! I only have one gig this weekend, on Saturday, so I'll see how they perform (with a cable set ready to swap if needed). I hadn't paid enough attention, clearly, I only realised this past weekend that the charger box has an OUTPUT USB-C as well, so it can be used to charge other devices. I've never liked pointing my finger at myself and proclaim "here's an idiot", but it's looking like I'm about to do it again Happily, 'though, this time, for aside from this worry I like everything about this wireless system.

I think the gist of the response is being missed. No matter what angle this is viewed from it is showboating for attention. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Hendrix used to get frustrated about questions about gimmicks (playing with teeth etc). It’s all part of grabbing an audience’s attention from the days of the juke joint and beyond. Arguably the likes of TikTok have amplified this requirement to another level. It doesn’t mean that the various artists can’t play or have no merit but it is pyrotechnics and theatre to hook people in. The fakery and theft is a darker side of this phenomenon. Each to their own with the consumption of creators online content. I guess good luck to them, but it’s not for me.

Bartolini Mk1 pickups seem to be coming up a lot. They're basically a really flat, polite and clean sounding pickup. You often need to boost the bass a lot in order to get anything meaningful out of them, but barely any treble boost. They're just tuned oddly and need driving, or at least they are in my Cort Space 4. They're not gnarly or characterful. Just honest and polite.

...dare I say "the best sounding (thunderous) low B" may have more to do with the amp and then the set up of the bass?

As @itu says start with the cheapest options first i.e. checking set up, amp settings, strings etc and see if that has any improvement on the sound.

I had an Ibanez GWB35 (the matt black one). I stripped off the dull as ditchwater, black finish and the basswood underneath, whilst not flamed or otherwise, was pleasing in its plainness, I liked it. Sonically (if these things ever make a noticeable difference [opens can of worms]) it was absolutely fine and the weight was great and not just for a 5 string. I kind of miss that bass.

I've wired up my pedalboard the wrong way round at gigs more than once and panicked when there was no sound.. Tried to tune a G up to a C once when I wanted a Wooten tenor bass..

Yamaha Trb mk1 slapcut model with a’dario Es 170 xl high tension strings, and it’s not even a 34 scale, just under.. I’ve lots of high end basses and the only thing comparable are my Wals. But then again…. How long’s a piece of string… good luck with your quest! X

Talking of Bartolini Mk1's, reminded me of the Cort A6 I bought many years ago when I'd decided I'd gotten as much as I could out of a 4 string (which was obviously not the case). The combo of the Mk1's, the active preamp and the realisation that I really didn't have a use for 6 strings long term meant I sold it after a year..

I had both briefly. The JT definitely covers some sounds but due to scale length and pickup type/positions does sound different. Would both be beneficial ? Not in my opinion if just about tones - the JT can do similar sounds but obviously has a very different feel. If you want a shorter than 37" scale for 'easier' reaches then yes, it could be useful. n.b. I kept the SP1

Given the emotional content of this thread do you genuinely believe your comments help? If so, please can you be so kind as to advise how they are constructive as I have missed this.