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There’s still graphite in there, but only in the same way as many other makers now - stiffening rods in the neck. They did this before back in the 90s before going back to the full graphite necks. Apparently the newer Statii with the wood necks are very good and sound very similar to the all-graphite ones (the phenolic fingerboards and Hyperactive pickups are responsible for much of the sound) but Status’ USP was always the graphite neck. Mike Walsh at Zoot was supposed to be tooling up to produce graphite necks - I’m wondering how far he’s got with that. He could be one to watch, since he now makes his own pickups, circuits, etc too. Back on topic, sort of - I played an L2000 with a Status graphite neck back in the mid-2000s. That was a good bass - extremely bright sound, but thick. Total slap machine. If Fender are going to keep the Tribute series going, that’s a good thing. Fender’s factories in the Far East are very good, with great QC. I just hope they don’t just keep them in a holding pattern, with the exact same products, colours, etc. It needs to be differentiated from the BBE era somehow.

After a 9 month break from using any amp head because I go straight into my PA for pub / club / function band gigs, I thought about looked around for a suitable head in case I need one for rehearsals or non PA type gigs or jams. For 10 years or more I've used digital heads because of weight saving but always felt unhappy with the sound unless spending well over 1k on more high end heads. I've had Ashdown digital and class AB heads before but never got on with the sound as I was using only active basses at the time. ( Just didn't suit my idea of good sound ) I now use only passive basses so I thought of trying out Ashdown again. I managed to pick up an ABM 400 ltd edition 25 year model for a good price. It's new and came with a large metal flight case and foot switch. Well the sound is perfect for my passive basses and it has all the authoritiy anyone would ever want. I changed the valve from the non descript Chinese crap to a branded Electro Harmonix with a marked improvement in overdrive tone. While I was in there I noticed that the preamp board in labelled ABM 600 and the power board is also from an ABM 600 but is labelled 500 watts. The amp is labelled 400 watts? I've just tried the foot switch and to my surprise and bonus the Compressor button turns on the compressor that is obviously on the ABM 600 preamp board. I can't change the compressor settings as there is not a knob on the front panel but it sounds great for squashing the in coming sound.

I just pick one and play it. Next time I am playing chances are I will pick a different one and play it. Unless there is some compelling reason, I don't actually swap basses once I have started playing (like I was planning to take a different bass to a gig or if I want to see something is easier to play on some piece or not)

I’ve not done the three hour round trip (;-)) as they only seem to have that sea green one in stock. I’d like the tobacco. But if I ask them to get one of those in from the warehouse I know I will feel bad if I don’t buy it! 😂

I always use tracked 24 and collected from my house, that way I know it's gone.... and I'm 95% sure it won't sit in a hub/store for days. I also never send at the end of the week to avoid weekend immobilisation...

You can have a go on my Stomp at the bass bash. Then you won’t need an amp or cabinet out ;-).

Thank you very much for the review. Much to take on board. Thanks too for the photo. Tell me, when you went along, did they have much of the M6 in stock available in store? I know Andertons can keep a lot of their gear in the warehouse, so to speak.

I will keep my Hiscox guitar case for as long as I live , and then it will be passed on to my son , because inside it is a beautiful Hiscox Guitar ( very rare) with a bowled back made of strips of wood. I was lucky enough to meet with Bryn Hiscox to place my order.

Bit early to prep for the bass bash, no?

For the first time in perhaps 25 years, I've packed everything away, not a bass, amp or cabinet out. Honestly don't have the inertia to do band stuff, it's like herding cats. I feel like I'm pretty much done. The little corner if the extension where I used to set stuff up? Might put a woodburner in.

I was skeptical when Sire broke the £1k barrier with the V/P 10 range a few years back, but not only are they still in production, Sire have actually moved upwards in price bracket again with the some of the new F series range. So it's apparently possible for a brand that was once perceived as budget (I think my series 1 V7 fretless was less than £400 brand new) to successfully move upmarket.

Right on cue! 😁

Agree, pretty much all of the gigs I’ve played in the past 10 years or so in originals bands have always been well attended. Since returning to Knock Off temporarily, in the three gigs we’ve played crowds were approx 600 (800 capacity) 100 (100 capacity) 500 (600 capacity).

I have no issues this whatsoever. Quirkier the better. My point was more about 'do we really need another budget Jazz Bass on the market?'. You could go to eBay, Marketplace, Gumtree and (arguably) pick up an equally (or better) specced Jazz bass for £500-600, Fender badged included. You can get a new budget Squier/Sadowsky/Markbass/HB/Bass Centre/Eastcoast JBs for well under this, all of which carry more kudos than HB. My take? Brutal as this may sound, the BTW model will be gone in a year or 18 months tops. They'll be discounted to clear by next summer. Nice experiment, thank you and goodnight.

The url is a nice reminder that it's pronounced 'hefner' like the playboy guy.

I see what you're saying here, and yes, in some ways you're absolutely right. A lot of the premium 'Super Fenders' by the likes of Sadowsky and Mike Lull, and even the German and newer Polish contenders can seem a little sterile for their comparatively huge price tags. Most don't even sound like a good example of a Fender. The answer continues to be, if you want a really good Fender sound, go out and play Fenders until you find a good one. I've only played one Sadowsky I ever loved the sound of, and that was a Japanese 2 band Will Lee Signature. The rest sound bland and sterile to my ears. I tend to like the Mike Lull instruments better, but they still don't have 'that' Fender sound. For me, Bernie Goodfellow got it absolutely right with the Spitfire. It has the Jazz ergonomics and playability, but plays and sounds like a totally different kind of bass, much more premium and hand crafted and it doesn't try to sound like a Fender. It's truly a bass from the top tier of makers that can out punch a Stingray with it's metallic anvil-like attack, and has a sweet tone to boot. I've been sorry to hear what's happened with G&L, but at the end of the day, they seemed to stop innovating in terms of the bass range some years ago. They certainly have their fans and I know @Mike Brooks really likes his newly acquired American L2000 CLF. Maybe they will re-emerge as a Fender sub-brand (particularly the excellent value Tribute models)?

I started playing some songs using a pick for an originals band as it better suited some of the material. Lots of fast string swaps including some octave skips. In the past I've only used one for a occasional songs and never felt really comfortable. Hit the notes but not getting any character in the way I can with fingers. Sitting at home is one thing, took three rehearsals to be comfortable doing it in anger, and now feel like I'm getting my own style. Always more to learn.

Apologies for only contributing to this thread now. There has been the sad passing of many musicians who I admired, or who inspired me over the years. But Danny Thompson's sad passing has been one of the saddest in recent times. As others have said, the Transatlantic Sessions are great, and his playing and tone are just wonderful. I saw him live just twice (with Pentangle) and I wish I'd seen him more. I also would like to have met him. In interviews, he always seemed such a decent, humble and humorous guy. The world is just that little bit less colourful since he has gone, and I know that a huge range of talented musicians who played with him will be feeling the same. R.I.P Danny 😞

There's of course more than some truth to that that bands are useless. However, I've certainly seen enough that most definitely aren't and are still struggling. They're doing the promo, got merch and all the rest. They have great material and put on a great show. Still sparsely attended gigs though. I would say that as I play in progressive metal bands, I'm very much in a "niche of a niche," but I can see that in London, if you try and play more than 4 gigs in a year, you can do all the right things and still not get anything for it. Most bands are just cycling round the same 10 venues, which is about as dire as it gets.

Or - get yourself to a bass bash where you know someone is bringing one? Bass bashes are a lot of fun, and you'll see a lot more crazy stuff than one pedal you want to try.

Just buy at distance, give it a try, then send it back under distance selling regs. You'll only lose the postage. Appreciate that only works if you have the slush/scratch to buy the thing in the first place...

Does anyone know about renting pedals in the UK? From shops or BCers? 😉 For example, I'd really like to try out an MXR Bass Synth before ordering one. Reference: https://www.guitarpedalx.com/news/gpx-blog/mxr-collaborates-with-ian-martin-allison-on-the-perfect-bassline-bass-synth-pedal-which-yes-has-a-6-string-guitar-tracking-mode-too