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It is easy... but I can see your point too. Often I just want things to work, without spending time on them, so if I can pay someone to get it just right, why not? However, let that be by choice. I think a lot of people, especially when not very experienced, they find the whole set up business a bit daunting, when it really isn't and it can be very rewarding as you will be able to get your own instrument exactly the way you want it.

So many different models you need to be aware of and all different values but you are right to point out active v passive (some folks might prefer passive but they originally sold a lot cheaper) and the body woods do affect tone to a degree but it's mainly preference. Oh and be wary of Bubinga basses that are actually stained Ash misadvertised!

Absolutely brilliant. I must have some!!!

Thought id add to this.

My god they're hideous, but I salute your sense of joie de vivre!

It is here...

So another factor of why that one plays and holds tune so well.

It would be going into 4 ohms. Half the power would drive the speaker, half would drive the resistor, and when you factor in that an amp doesn't develop twice its maximum power into a halved impedance load the result is that it won't be as loud. There is an impedance reducing device that will give you more output: a second speaker.

Hi I’m a 14 year old boy who’s just started learning to play bass and I’m building a jaguar bass from scratch, please track my progress. I’m trying to build a jaguar bass with a maple neck. I’m thinking of making this out of birch ply, any reasons not to? I’d like to put some Emg gzr p bass pickups in, is this a good idea? Has any body got any reasonably cheap maple necks or pickups that they’re willing to sell? Anything would be helpful as I’m building my bass out of my pocket money. I’ll be taking pictures along the way so please stick around. I’ve inserted an image of my template so you can see what shape I’m thinking of. Looking for any help I can get. Cheers, Harry.

Nah, SSII were never £1,500 in 2008, they were over £3k by that point. £800 is V expensive for a standard Vette; for comparison Ill be shortly selling my 2010 LTD Bart equipped tigerwood topped $$ version for under £1k for a bass rrp around 3 times more... Keep an eye out on eBay and the classifieds here, youlll get one for less or something much more high end for the same or a little more.

Of course!

Not really a gig, just the first band get-together for two years, and it went rather well..! I've not been playing at all in that time, what with one thing and another, so it was with some trepidation that I sat behind my drums again. No, it's not quite like riding a bike, but it does come back quite enough for our rehearsals. A dozen songs from our past repertoires (deUs, Bashung, Radiohead, REM, RHCP, Noir Désir, Chris Cornell and more..) Altogether two hours; we'll do another session next week. Tired, now, but it's worth it.

2003 Model I believe

I've got a Fusion gig bag and a couple of Ritter ones - they do perfectly well for me. I did have one of those semi rigid Protec Contego ones that came with my Lull and which was brilliant in fairness tho the handle broke on it. I did briefly have the Gator ProGo equivalent which seemed really good (it was shipped to me in error tho so I helpfully sent it back). I'd probably get one of them next if I needed a step up from the normal gig bag.

I’m selling a brand new Mono vertigo in the sales section . I posted a thread earlier about gig bags, have a look there i got some very useful replies. The Mono are about £220 now, really expensive compared to what they were 4 years or so ago.

Ordered

As a former guitarist - the smaller the better! Thunderbird is 38mm and fits like a glove. My LTD 414 is 39 and a bit and feels just dandy, but the T'bird tops it all the way

Precision Deluxe Special. It's a PJ rather than a straight P, but they're in production at the moment and older models appear on the used market pretty regularly.

Says the man with the worlds largest Spector collection 😂

Whatever you chose, if you are going use it for carrying your bass any distance make sure that it is comfortable to wear when fully loaded. IME a recommendation from another person is not sufficient, you need to try it for yourself with your bass and any other items you need to carry in it. I have a Mono M80 case and while it's a great case from a protection PoV, for me to use walking any distance it is very uncomfortable. I'd never buy another gig bag without trying it on first.

Appreciate the responses folks @jposega / @Jus Lukin, learning all the time!

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Blimey, this is looking good! Not sure I've seen a pickguard of that sort of shape before. It'll be a shame to see that walnut finish disappear but red + maple is a killer combo, especially if you're going with a cream pickguard! What kind of hardware are you thinking? Chrome?

It's got valves in it and sounds like your genitals, apparently. Assuming you're male, that is. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nobsound-Vacuum-Preamplifier-Digital-Control-Silver/dp/B0711RVJN8/ref=sr_1_33_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1517914164&sr=8-33-spons&keywords=headphone+amplifier&psc=1

I was surprised by the difference too. I adore the MTD, just don’t expect to be slinging into the back of tour vans full of other gear etc...but if you’re gonna be travelling with your basses by car, bus or train and carrying/wearing it most of the time it’ll be absolutely fine. It blows most other “gig bags” away as far as build quality.

Yeah it’s a good case but it’s pretty huge. The Gator dual and the Mono dual were hanging up on a wall in Bass Direct last time I visited, so I decided to take a photo to compare their thickness. Gator on the left, Mono on the right - See below.

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My thinking is the original Warwick wax finish and a thin matt nitro aren’t very different in look or feel. In my experience, a thin matt nitro is actually less hard wearing (always goes shiny with use) and much more difficult to maintain. Maybe just cut back the existing finish and replace with a fresh Warwick wax layer? The Warwick stuff is really good, as it doesn’t quickly build into a shine like most furniture waxes - use a little, often, and it does what it says on the tin.

Ibanez Mikro is another option.

I would go for maple, too. If you are going for a red body, doubly so...tinted maple looks lovely on a red body. Red also works well with plain maple, too. You are on to a winner!

Why not send a message to Big Poppa telling him you're popping in to see him to demonstrate some 'worthwhile upgrades' that can be made to his basses with a view to publicising them on the MM forum. I'm sure that work work a treat and give you full access to the facility.

Andertons says that they'll have some in at the end of April

The operator of new camera (me) is useless. The back of the neck has an almost metallic sheen to it that I can't get in focus . @ped Serial number is 1148 and according to a fella in Germany it was one of 5 builds on 27/11/96

I think the problem with this idea is that the device would have to be some sort of (large) resistor which would then absorb its share of any extra wattage you gained, hence making no significant difference to actual volume.

I personally won't leave home without one, compression has become an essential tool for me, and like you I've been playing and gigging for 30 odd years. Compression is a very decisive issue among bassists, some love it as I do, some people hate it and most people are probably indifferent to it. But as with most things there's no real right or wrong answer, just what works for you. However, I do think compression is widely misunderstood by some people who expect to hear it as an obvious effect - it isn't. Effective compression is subtle and not always obvious, until you turn it off that is! Some people when experimenting with compressors assume that they are not doing anything so tend to set them until they can hear the squash working, the trouble is by that time you have completely squashed the life and dynamics from your bass tone, which seems to be the main complaint from those who do not like them. Less is more with compression. Properly set up they do not kill your dynamics, but allow you a more controlled bass tone that sits better in the mix than an uncompressed one, in my experience at least.

I can see how megastars like Adele have to put a 'no contact' clause up. First couple of times people want to chat to you it's fine - but after the fifteenth person wanting you to ring their mum and do a verse of Chasing Pavements down the phone you're probably pretty tired of it so you say no, and then they get upset because you were OK with the previous fourteen people asking you for it and go tell everyone you're a beach. Eventually you figure you may as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb and institute the "no speaky unless spoken to" ban so they'll leave you alone. Then you go slowly mad through isolation, build a theme park in your back garden, invite a bunch of pre-teens for sleepovers, and your nose falls off. It's a weird business.

Reminds me of the famous Hoffman/Olivier conversation, in which Sir Larry, after apparently listening to Dustin drone on for hours about Method, offered "You should try acting my dear, it's so much easier"

Lace sensor pickups?

Markbass sounded good to me when it first appeared and it still does. I'd be delighted if the fickle finger of fashion pointed away from them - presumably this would cause a glut of used MB gear to appear on the market at knock-down prices..?

Hey Buzzy. I’m 68 mate and been in both situations. I’m back playing again though. If you want to you can. Age means nothing go for it if it is what you want! 😀👍🎸😀👍🎸😀👍🎸😀

Heaven- 2 minutes to midnight. Hell- trying to learn 2 minutes to midnight.

Can't believe than no one has mentioned the Sue Ryder ...

Haha I seem to have a bass for every dislike apart from single cut but as I used to own one of them as well I will give you all a middle finger and say F**k you, you want boring buy boring, me I want buckeye burl roasted maple, gold hardware and a generous portion of points!

As a bb1100s owner of 21 years, I think I would happily buy that unseen! Awesome bass☺