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Bass cave. Been a few additions since this was taken like a Fender P Deluxe, an Orange rig and a TE small rig.

Summary: Wow, what great pickups - totally perfect - buy them now!. Bought from some bass happy chappy on a FarceBook bass group and fitted them to my VanderEnd the other day. My bass usefully has a route for either a P or a J under the scratchplate - it's messy but useful. I've been inquisitive for a while to try it as PJ rather than the JJ jazz it's been since I got it. I had scratch-it make me both a JJ & PJ plate shortly after I received the bass and it was clearly time to try out the PJ pickguard too, cue the new pick up purchase justifications. So now the EMGGB's PJ's coupled up with my Aguilar OB3 preamp (with passive tone), has made one hell of a versatile beast and I'm loving the passive sounds too. So next strap in and prepare for the worst sound description ever...hmmm, less mid honk than the typical Fender pickups, not as dark as SD Quarterpounders on a dark night and they've made me smile more than Lindy Fralin's have ever done (which I also really like lots). It does have a very smooth sound spectrum with a sweet warm and defined low end and slightly rolled off highs...it's more akin to the 'soul/Motown sound' in my opinion but clearly this Geezer chappy is a bit of a rocker so I hear....so it must be good for that music right? It's probably the most balanced pick up I've ever used across all strings. The P on it's own is defined and warm (warm is the key sound description). The bridge J is surprising, very funky and full, not brittle like some bridge pickups...it's funky, it's a fatter Jaco, Old Gregg has blessed this pickup, (funky is the key sound description). Together they're a good compliment too, smooth like chocolate, no power imbalance - they're friends, ...(Chocolate is the key sound description here!). I like em' a lot. Conclusion: Warm Funky Chocolate!

Looks great. Just thought of another popular bass that would fit well, an Ibanez Musician.

Yes. In 30+ years of swapping out pickups these are the best I've tried. The difference is massive. I'm a big fan of these blades and am considering put a set of P and J blades in my Valenti.

(I’ve just set the comment above as the headline to the thread to alert anyone who may come across this link, hope that’s ok!)

Entitled "20 Iconic Bass Guitars", I'm thinking of making this available to BC members as a print in either A3 or A2 sizes providing I get enough interest... This image you're looking at is printed on bog standard A4 and really need to be seen in a bigger format, but you probably get the idea. Any criticism welcome...

Where do you store your bass stuff? Do you have a separate wing in your mansion? A temperature controlled outbuilding? A spare room converted to a music room with your babies lined up on display on the wall or in stands with a wall of amps and cabs? Me? My wife has graciously allowed me literally a gig bag sized space in a cupboard by the chihuahua’s bed with a space on half a blanket box which is just the right size for a Barefaced Midget with my Promethean head on top of that in its little bag. My music stand and guitar stand hidden under the bed.

Hi I just had to vent my disappointment and frustration at the obvious lack of quality and care that occurred in 2002 when Rotosound produced the batch of RS66 strings that have been on my bass for the last 16 years. The A string broke on new year's eve!!! You can imagine how shocked I was at the obvious lack of longevity of the things these days. Its also meant I've had to clean the fret board eradicating a small but very important ecosystem that showed promising signs of world domination.

It being a Sunday, I'm saying nothing.

I can’t play with a pick, it feels so odd! Not only that but I only play with one finger, there’s no hope for me!

You could do far worse than a One Control HGBM! It does warm valve to mild dirt very well whilst providing a clean drive signal that plays nicely alongside other pedals in your chain. And, as @krispn will also vouch, it doesn't suffer from a loss of low end. I think you'll enjoy

Yep, welcome Loz, from Lozz

I've just started browsing for pickups for my future PJ build... These sound pretty close to perfect for me. Thanks for taking the time to jot down your thoughts @Raslee!

Well, I didn't have any problems hearing myself! It definitely has a bit more 'throw' than the 45. It sounds a bit different to the 45, so my usual 'set and forget' eq had more low end than I normally have onstage. It'll take a few more gigs and a bit of tweaking to get everything just as i like it.

The 'inspiration' for the Reeves and Mywatt amplifiers - Hiwatt - claimed 400w from 6 valves as did Trace Elliot with the V6. There may be some number juggling but can't imagine there's much in it under real world conditions..

Too true, not having a clue and an open mind can be the path to enlightenment. something will click and resonate

Thanks very much. I’m sure it’s obvious in my posts that i dont have a clue what I’m looking for, but will find it one day. In the meantime ill just keep spending money and trying out new things. This time next year i might even be playing so i dont want to spend too much now. I know if i buy good gear I’ll get a good return on it when i do sell it. I also have my Zoom 60D at the end of the chain and that has loads of options in it so i may actualy use that for OD, who knows. Playing bass is a laugh, but GAS is a serious business.

I love my Mywatt 400, mine has 6 KT88’s.

I installed these in my Harkte cabs last year, and have been dazzling anyone who's seen us since!

Please don't take any of this personally, they are just reasoned responses to your grenades and, of course, just an opinion... Is it fair to say that if you can't understand a word that a death metal vocalist utters it's not really singing? The OED defines singing as... To articulate or utter words or sounds in succession with musical inflections or modulations of the voice, so as to produce an effect entirely different from that of ordinary speech; spec. to do this in a skilled manner, as the result of training and practice. ...although the definition neither mentions the need for the words to be understandable nor defines what the definition means by skilled manner I don't really think the definition is tight enough to exclude death metal singers simply because the words are difficult to discern. Was Led Zepplin a better band than Al Krow's two covers bands ever will be? Well on just about every definition going, yes. Hence the unfortunate idea that a set of applied definitions confers quality. IMHO Led Zepplin aren't a better band that The Spice Girls and Tom Waites isn't a better artist than Black Lace. I prefer Led Zepplin to The Spice Girls (admittedly by a surprisingly narrow margin) and I prefer Tom Waites to Black Lace but to just say better and by definition are giving some bands inherent superiority over others and I don't think that's really possible. It can only ever be subjective, surely? There's great rock (and jazz) music and then there's noise. And plenty of stuff in between. It is all just noise, we apply the words, I just applied noise in a broader way that you did, equally the words rock, jazz, great and stuff are applied words and that application is wholly subjective. My Dad would have called System Of A Down noise and never have referred to SOADs vocalist as a singer. We apply the words and when lots of us apply the words great singer they become, by definition, a great singer but I do not think that makes Frank Sinatra inherently any superior to Serj Tankian. I'm only saying this because it's a thing, in society, in groups generally and it is something I find in musical circles particularly, that there is a general consensus that some kind of music or artist is actually better than another and that's fine but then people ridicule others because they may not hold the same orthodoxy and then they belittle those who like (what the others perceive as) inferior (I am not saying you are doing this whatsoever btw) and that isn't a good thing IMHO.

We tried them in a decent sized pub. Drum soundcheck, got the chest thumping. As soon as the loud guitarist started the thump couldn't be heard. He is at least twice as loud as needed. Limiting the sound onstage is a must but unfortunately the guitarist can't see it. The cabs are loud and may well do the job. The situation is a bit vexing to say the least at the moment.. If I had the choice I'd buy a sub.but I really don't think we need it, we need to sabotage the guitarists amp! You are welcome to try mine out. Don't know what the logistics would be like though. ..

It's a great way to keep the creative juices going. Respect.

Who built your house, M C Esher..?

I'm sure they'll be other opportunities. I'll jotted your username down and can always give you a shout in the future. Thank you.

That's really sad news. Many years ago I was trying out a JayDee Roadie fretless bass through a brand new Trace Elliot rig at the Bass Centre when it was still in Wapping High Street in London. I was enjoying myself, making an unholy row doing all my favourite Pino and Percy Jones licks. After about 5 minutes, I happened to turn around, and Jim Rodford was standing there with his bass on, patiently waiting to try the Trace. He smiled, I apologised for keeping him waiting, but he said there was no rush! A complete gentleman, a great bass player, and a huge supporter of local music in his home town of St Albans. RIP.

The images seem to be of a Sweetwater store in Indiana.

I've currently got Dean Markley 46-102 on mine, but I'm swapping back to Rotosound 40-100 gauge when I next change.

Hiho I've had this with my 99 4003 but only in the E string. So I use a 40-100 set.If I remember rightly Rick original strings have a 102 E string. Solution -file your nut or drop down a gauge. I use Dunlop super bright steels in 40-100 .These strings last if you like new string sound.I have them on all my basses now.

That's fair enough. You don't need to be thinking about such large RCFs if you're not putting your bass through - for me that's the key limiting factor on reducing size and weight. We manage just fine with two RCF 310As (400W a piece and plenty for most pub / club gigs - anything bigger typically has an in-house sound system) and then add an Allen & Heath mixer (or similar). This covers vocals plus acoustic guitar & sax and mic-ing up the bass drum. Me and the lead guitarist take our own amps. Job done.

In all honesty...I don’t know. im debating filling the j holes and having a MM route done. i say debating...I’m going to fill the J holes and stick a MM in it.

I'd say so, put labella flats on my P bass a few months ago & the Jazz & Stingray which are both still strung with rounds haven't been out of their cases!

Nice colour on the Spector

You liked how it played as delivered and want to know whether to modify it. I think you may have answered your own question 🙂

There’s an F in big knob. and there are holes visible around the back...

The Four10 is a sensitive cab and like all BF designs, it is very efficient but if you are too loud it's the controls on your amp and bass that are causing the problem. Your amp is running something like 250-300 watts into this cab (shame Orange don't provide the 8 ohm number). The compression could be boosting the signal, but if the amp is loud on 1 and too loud on 2 try using the pad and turning the bass volume down. Do you like the sound of this amp through your cab? If you do then dial the volume back. The cab is good, you proved that with your Ashdown. Sounds to me like the problem is in your "new" amp. If I was dealing with this issue I'd be checking out other amps. Ones with more effective controls.

I have to say that I didn't watch the Muon clip because I can't stand Jason Bradbury's face. That's killed this conversation for me. I hope you're happy with yourself! Heeheehee

Thanks for all the great suggestions so far! Any further inspired thoughts on this topic from y'all before I have go at collating our BCer's favourites?

I bought the house, where ever I damn well want.. oh oh sorry babe, I’ll move them right away... 😵

...I'd just like to say, given it's the start of the year, how damn good the music has gotten in these monthly challenges (my own notwithstanding). Seriously. It blows me away each month. Have a listen at how we all sounded a few years ago and it's even more impressive how far we've come (yeah I need to fix all the links on that page, I know...). Well done all. Sterling work

Keen starting price for this Stingray: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Musicman-Stingray-3EQ-Left-Handed-Active-Bass/263445003575

sweet baby jesus that is sexy!!! Just when my GAS was getting under control!

The ash bodied one makes my nethers twitch.

Stingray - single pickup 2 band eq so has more booty than the 3 band, chunkier Precision sized neck, weighs a bit, rosewood/black, built like a tank, loads of sizzle, can knock walls down with the bass control maxed, get the mids back into it by rolling tone controls back to midway and upping the volume. The 3 band version is closer in sound to my Sandberg... Sandberg - old PM4 style so reversed P pickup in the neck and a MM in the bridge position, skinnier jazz style (but not quite so skinny) neck, flatter fingerboard - feels lightning fast, about same weight as Stingray, still has sizzle but not quite as much as a Ray, does a very good Precision sound on just the neck pickup but tightens right up if you roll back to bridge pickup, can't do a Stingray sound but has a similar flavour, built like a tank as well, can run in passive mode so you get a slightly rounder old school tone that you can't do on a 'ray. Love them both........ You could grab a USA Sub for £400/500 - has almost exactly the USA Stingray sound/feel on a budget. Fab value.....