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This particular thread seems to have gone a bit quiet recently. Anyhow, just for the sake of completeness if for no other reason, ardent folliwers of the thread may remember this bass, mentioned several million posts earlier on. There was speculation about what it might be and whether it might be worth the asking price.... I looked at it a few times, bobbing there on the ocean of eBay, apparently becalmed... I don't much like wine-coloured instruments...I've had lots of 5s, including several Yamahas, and never kept them, I wasn't after anything and anyway I was sure it would disappear quick.... But there it remained. So I bought it; it seemed a bit rude not to. Elsewhere there's a thread about bang for the buck; well, this cost 219 quid plus a very few pounds more for shipping. For that I've got Yamaha design and build quality, a genuinely fabulous neck and great pickups....to which someone has appended an East Uni Pre running at 18v with series/parallel and active/passive switches, and some Grover lightweight tuners.. All the work has obviously been done by an extremely competent pro luthier and it has a brilliant set-up straight out of the bubblewrap... That is £219 for a complete gem of a bass with some outstanding upgrades and that, my dear Basschat colleagues, is bang for the buck.

Well the wild card was most definitely the dogs dingly dangley doodahs! From GAS to reality. A little bit heavier than i would have liked, 8.8lbs on my scale but it's doable. Quality wise, i'd say on par with Laklands i have owned, frets and finish are superb - my kids are convinced it is orange in colour - it's really different and i like it lot. No dead spots, low action out of the box although i think it will go lower. assume these get a setup too as it was still in tune and the intonation is spot on. Sound wise, really good - a lot of owners speak of the pickups being quite hot so i was expecting 'Quarter pounder' ish territory but it retains a great vintage tone that is most welcome - excellent range with the tone control giving me 4 distinguishable tones of the typical bright P, top end off a little but upper mids present, to motown before full wound then phat dub all the way! I'm pleased i took the gamble. Thank you for the help B/Cer's

Italics indicate singing with an Italian accent. Not like Pavarotti. Like Joe Dolce

Y'see, this is how de-rails begin. Did you know Carole Bayer Sager co-wrote Groovy Kind of Love as well as - er - Arthur's Theme from the eponymous movie, a choon for which she shared an Oscar in 1981, beating out Lionel Richie's Endless Love at that year's Academy Awards. This was, of course, a travesty; I saw Lionel when the winner was announced and he was spitting bullets, none of this 'nicest man in showbiz' thing. Lionel's security detail was holding him back as he struggled to clamber on to the stage screeching 'Where's my hammer? Where's my hammer?' Carole's co-winner, my old pal Burt Bacharach charitably affected not to notice Lionel's embarrassing loss of control but a dark cloud hung over our table for the rest of the ceremony.

Sung to the tune of A Groovy Kind of Love. The above post should be included in FAQs or rules somewhere ...

Hello and welcome to the forum It may assist your transition from Talkbass to BassChat if we outline certain characteristics of the forum: * Any specific question will prompt a range of responses which may not necessarily conform with the parameters defined by the OP. Hence, a question about live performance may veer into a sub-discussion about hats. Which brings me to the next point. * Threads on BassChat tend to be fractal rather than linear. Several conversations may proceed in parallel; of these, some might not be addressed directly to the OP but may simply be ideas going back and forth between thread participants in a discussion outside the main topic. Some forums insist that members keep discussions 'On Topic'. By contrast BassChat revels in ever-widening debates; seldom does one see the exhortation 'Let's keep this on topic', an injunction which customarily provokes a snarky kind of mirth * Any position may (and will probably) be challenged but this more often in an intellectual sense rather than a confrontational sense. A battle of ideas rather than positions. If someone disagrees with someone else it's usually in the spirit of presenting an alternative view rather than a competing position. If someone disagrees with you it's usually safe to assume they're not having a pop at you. * Most 'question threads' on BC seldom last more than a couple of pages and usually devolve into exchanges of memes, jokes and references to 1970's TV shows. This thread is unusual in so far having preserved a modicum of the original thrust. Surprisingly, a recent 'Recommend me a first bass' went to about 15 pages as the OP received suggestions, tried them out, sourced a bass, took delivery and expressed satisfaction. The participants threw in a multitude of suggestions, ideas and advice, some of which was contradictory. Yet it all turned out nice in the end and everyone went away with a little, warm glow of satisfaction. Anyhow, please try to bear this in mind. It's a welcoming forum, here, and one of the reasons for this is that we respond well to cheerfulness and flexibility of viewpoint. Have nice day SDV

Well, since the lockdown I've been playing a lot more guitar than usual... and this just happened: My fingers are sore from so much playing those tiny weeny strings

An update to my picture last year is needed as there have been many changes!!! The basses are in pairs up to a point, and if anyone is interested, below is the list of what they are! 1. 5 String Bay-Bee Bee Bass 2. 10 String Binky Bee Bass 3. De Gier Elevation 6 OBP-3 4. De Gier Elevation 6 Glockenlang 5. Warwick Streamer SII 6 6. Warwick Thumb SC6 7. ACG Salace 6 Short Scale 8. ACG Recurve 9 9. Conklin USA 8 10. Overwatee Progress III 7 11. Yamaha TRB6P 12. Noguera Trinity 8 13. Tanglewood Baron 6 14. Ibanez 1979 Roadster 93 strings in total!

It is worrying for the tens of thousands of people who make their living from live music and music venues.

I'm guessing we're discussing it here because it's what a lot of folks on this forum do, not because they're special. I expect most professions and hobbies have a relevant forum discussing their worries about their field. One worry doesn't have to be exclusive, I'm quite capable of worrying about dying, worrying about my career and worrying about how we'll gig again, along with a whole host of other worries all alongside each other. I thought this seemed obvious to most.

I watched the Dusty documentary followed by her TV performances on BBC4 last night and thoroughly enjoyed it. Back in the 60s/70s, I was too wrapped up in the genre I liked (classic rock, blues rock, southern rock, etc) to take too much notice of her, but listening to her and watching her last night made me realise what a great voice she had, and such a great performer too.

Bloody hell this composite board is taking some sanding

Andy - exactly right....though the little label on the back of the headstock has gone it describes itself thus in the neck pocket, along with it's YOB; 2005. Al....well, after a bout of reckless experimentalism at the outset I have been using it passive, and, as you will be aware, like that it sounds great; The East pre is an amazing thing but when I pushed every parameter when first trying it I soon realised that I'll take a while to use it in a nuanced way rather than just overdoing everything....so I'll get back to you once I have. The 18v certainly does provide plenty of oomph.... The neck is the revelation; I have owned various Yamaha BBNs, plus Warwick, Tobias, Status and various other 5s, and this is the nicest 5er neck I have experienced. The closest was a Stingray and I seriously prefer this one.

It's the BassChat 'Singing Filter'. It automatically increases the font size when you sing, the final size depending on the song's key and how loud you're singing it. So that's Eb and you're singing loud enough to bother the neighbours.

Wanting a new bass, didn't have a clue. Do I get a used one, maybe go brand new? It could be a cheapie, or maybe something dearer, maybe that would sound much clearer, I don't know. Go along to Bass Chat, asking for some news, I get a snarky kind of mirth! (Sorry, I've no idea why I'm getting big text)....

I think it's best if you go back to Talkbass if that's going to be your attitude.

Fixed. 😄

Proud to show you the finished result of the brand new: EVO-FX5

I have fond memories of Sid, my 70RI CIJ Precision from my first punk band Kismetik, a decade or so back. Nice narrow, almost J-like nut width and neck, and my fave style of Fender P logo. So when I spotted this pretty rare, late 1990s surf green edition online I dived in. Also I have been under pressure from Mrs C (who ranks basses purely based on colour) to replace 'Minty', my now-sold 62RI surf green Jazz ... oh and @Happy Jackwouldnt sell me his surf green 54P Lull. Well thats my list of excuses ...

That's properly tickled me. 😆 Can we start a new campaign to change worldwide recognised bass question to, "Is it any good for Skiffle?"

It'll probably be good for Skiffle but beyond that I'm not making any promises.

RHCP - Blood Sugar Sex Magic. Full of fosters and vinegar with a lovely loose approach to the production. I miss this in Their later stuff ☹️

And for those of us suffering with mental health issues it’s one of the few things that keep us going. ☹️

The size of the Pro 2E's circuit board is pretty deceptive in truth... It's actually a pretty uncomplicated circuit, and a modern PCB designer worth his salt could probably condense it to a fraction of that size.

He freely admits he's not a slap bassist but some of the slap he did in 80's / 90's was pretty impressive. He's probably like many players who just haven't had the need to play that style over last few years and you get a bit rusty. Dave

I’ve never known a thread to de-rail 😄, but do you think the OP should go for flats or rounds 🤐

The OP has stated: " The budget is for the instrument only". That ^^^^^ is absolutely first class advice IMHO. 👍

Dusty in Memphis is one of my favourite albums of all time

This guy seems to be the biggest Steely Dan Bass fan in the world, and I've found watching his vids helpful

Here's a picture from a different angle. You can see the join on the back of the headstock - the other end is halfway between the first and second fret line.

A voice to die for. Soulful and full of expression. Lovely to hear someone singing rather than shouting or showing off vocal gymnastics.

I take your point entirely. On reflection, it would be more appropriate for Paul to do a run of Pro basses and charge more than a standard MK1 Custom , rather than less. I recall that Status Graphite did a run of early -1980's-style basses to mark some anniversary or other a few years ago. If Wal were to follow suit with some Pro basses I bet they would all be sold on pre-order in no time at all. I see why that is very unlikely to happen, though. What I find a bit unsettling in all of this is that the 1980's is now a "vintage" era. How is this possible? That decade was supposed to epitomise modernity. I was young and thin . We had video recorders, walkmans, leg warmers, brass bridges, graphite necks , active electronics. and mass unemployment. How has it come to this? Nowadays I need something as heavy as a vintage Wal to flatten my gut enough to stop the bass pivoting on my belly when I play standing up.😄

One consideration that seems to have been omitted so far is that of weight. I mention this as the OP is being steered towards a Sandberg, for good reason (build quality/ playability), however I know of a few BCers who have moved theirs on because of the weight issue. Though 1lb doesn't sound like a lot expect to notice this if you're buying either a 9 or 10lb instrument.

It is that simple! I got away with only having a fretless for years and years.

A jazz playing friend of mine just shared this on Facebook. No, not jazz, ladles and jelly spoons - Celtic Prog!

Not necessarily, having played originals for the last 6 years most of the gigs we were doing had good audiences. Mainly down to good promoters putting on the right bands and actually promoting I think, but certainly on the punk/Oi scene people would travel fair distances to see bands. I recall a gig in Wigan last year, the first 5 people I spoke to had come from Germany for the gig.

I suppose I’m quite lucky, I have Coda in Stevenage and PMT in Northampton within quite easy reach, I used to visit Coda especially quite a lot. It’s a shame re physical music shops closing down though, sometimes trying a few of the same instruments yields surprising results. On a visit to Coda I tried out 3 of the same Les Paul Studio, one whispered, one threw up, the other sang. Without the comparison I might have bought the upchucker if only ordering online, without knowing the difference.

Just play fretless and with the right technique you can get a fretted sound very easily. I played the 3 systems available : the Neuser Fretless System, the Mike Sabre Dominique Di Piazza and the Eyb DDP. They all get that fretless sound with loads of mwah when perfectly set up, the NFS having the advantage of getting to a real fretted bass too by moving the bridge system. It's, as I already explained, simply a "flat" sitar bridge needing yearly maintenance (sanding the bridge to have it "flat" again).

That's entirely relevant and appropriate as an approach to what the OP is asking. What I would say is that basses can be more than just tools. They can also be beautiful examples of craftsmanship and can be enjoyed as collectibles or just be for home use. Besides not everyone plays in a gigging band. It's possible to have different basses fulfilling different roles - there isn't a right answer here: what works for one won't necessarily for another. At the end of the day we're all grown ups and part of that is being able to spend our hard earned cash on whatever gives us joy and use, or simply appreciate, our gear how we choose.

Here’s an alternative take. Don’t read this thread any further. Make a decision of your own and then learn from it. As I predicted in the beginning all you’re doing is going round and round being led by other people’s thoughts, opinions and prejudices. You’re not gaining or learning anything and will end up paying for owning someone else’s idea of the ideal bass.

Lookout, handbags at dawn ...

Red Baron off the Spectrum album (Billy Cobham)

I've heard from couple of landlords of small pubs that have said there's no point in opening up with social distancing. They pretty much lose money from Sunday to Thursday but make enough on a Friday and Saturday when it's rammed full of drinkers to make it all worthwhile. If they can't allow many people in at a time then they effectively lose the weekend boost to takings and just have seven days of running at a loss. Another thing with venues and social distancing is that even if it was viable to run with only 30%? of punters in, once those punters are drunk does anyone really think they'll give a poo about distancing? Sadly I just can't see it. Reference the online gig, I enjoy playing bass but I thrive on the energy of an audience at a gig. That energy is a two way thing which won't translate through a screen There's no better feeling than an audience dancing a couple of feet in front of you to your music. I'm making myself miserable now so I'll shut up. 🙂

I’m not in a gigging band, and have no intention of being in one, so it doesn’t affect either my playing fun or income. But I like going to gigs. Maybe I shouldn’t have said worried, or maybe I should, after all it is possible to be worried about more than one thing at a time, and they don’t all have to be of the same severity.

He’d make anything sound good 😁.

Maybe that's because a large portion of Americans are VERY sensitive to the term "made in USA".

He answered, and what a nice guy!! It was the 59 P bass through the Basing street Ampeg amp. Yay!