lozbass

I think Alembic Js are 24 - a couple at AGC (again, not cheap)

Just to echo what others on here have said - I've had an extensive conversation with Jule and he's an incredibly professional and very personable guy with fantastic communications and customer care. He has a brilliant pedigree and stands behind his product absolutely. I too was attracted by the aesthetic initially, and by the incredible attention to detail, components and build quality. I nearly pulled the trigger but after hearing a couple of examples, I realised that the tone probably wasn't what I was looking for. In the end, I went down the Millennia route (i'd had a bit more experience in previous projects) - another company with great pedigree. That said, if you're looking for a full-fat, all valve option (and a fairly flexible bass pre), the Monique has to be high on the list.

I hadaWechter that came in a massive but shaped TKL - you could try them (a major manufacturer based in Canada I think)

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1361788974' post='1990687'] I was hoping that one of the people who [b]do[/b] equate fast and thin might post, explaining [i]why[/i] they made that link... [/quote] For me, it's more than neck dimensions - string compliance and tension, action and scale length play an important role. I find that slender and shallow necks (with low action etc.) provide less in terms of 'hampering' what I want to do - I can play more quickly (and more expressively) when I don't feel that the bass is providing physical obstacles. I get the obstacle-free feel with slender necks and play short-scale, super-narrow basses almost exclusively now. All this said, there are occassions when a slightly more chunky neck works better for me (particularly in blues and rock settings) - getting slowed-down a bit frequently adds something rather than subtracing. I'm not sure this makes any sense...

Agree with many observations in 'thin equals fast' discussion but it tends to equate to that for me. Alembic SC Deluxe with the 'Stanley' taper (1.5 - 2.15) is slender, shallow and incredibly fast - the tight spacing and satinated finish help too IME: the most slender and comfortable necks I've ever tried by some margin

For bags, try a Fusion F1 - not for short-scales specifically but not a long bag. The neck support is useful (with a fastener) and the head end of the bag accommodates 2+2 with ease. I have a Brown Bass in one (basically an SG copy) and it fits really well. The bags are well-padded too and very light. Straps pack away but are well-padded if you need them, so in all, a good option for short-scales (and for longer basses too).

[quote name='jazzyvee' timestamp='1360523006' post='1971744'] Bump... This bass is truly delicious, is it coming up for sale anytime soon? :-) Jazzyvee [/quote] Hi Jazzyvee - thanks for the lovely comments...no plans I must say! I've tried to get hold of this bass' fretless sister - the response from its owner was unsurprisingly negative (but friendly nonetheless!) 'Saw some clips of you playing with Ken Boothe (unless I'm going nuts) - always loved his voice and a great gig.

[quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1361196177' post='1982529'] The Status sound is more to do with the construction and electronics than the pickups. [/quote] I'd tend to agree with this - the pickups are an important component in a detailed mosaic - the graphite in a Status contributes very significantly to the perceived clarity of tone (the active electronics too, however, if I run my SII in passive, the core tone of the bass is retained). I'm sure that Status pickups are very high-quality, though if you're looking to achieve some kind of analogue to the 'Status sound', the pickups alone may not deliver