Old Horse Murphy

So the trip/gig in Scotland has been cancelled due to logistical reasons but the good news is I've picked up one locally on Saturday which means I get to use the JMJ after all. The only downside is that I'm not going to see my mate for a fair while to hand the bass back. I'm mean, what's a man to do....😆

Funnily enough, when plugged in to my wireless it's as quiet as a mouse. I will shield it properly though and have bought some tape etc.

The TI’s have absolutely transformed it. It’s lovely. I had one before for a short time and couldn’t gel with it. Looking back it must’ve been how it felt with the Fender flats on to me. It’s quite noisy in terms of hum but having read about it that seems to be quite common. It’s tolerably but reminds me of my old Jazz bass!

So the best laid plans and all that... I was supposed to be travelling up to Scotland this coming weekend for a couple of gigs with a few old band mates that I used to play with. To save me the hassle of travelling with a bass, another mate of mine offered to lend me his JMJ for when I was up there, which started this whole thread about strings. Anyway, the strings arrived yesterday and my mate's JMJ arrived today.... He misunderstood my request and thought I needed to borrow a short scale so sent it down to me! He's a very dear friend but I do sometimes wonder what's between his ears. So it looks like I'll be travelling with a bass after all! Here it is with my other short scales.

Horses for courses I guess. I don't mind Fender flats on a 34" scale bass but on a shorter scale I just find them overbearing (weird). Similarly I don't like flats on a five string or a jazz but they're my go to on a P Bass.

I use a bits of toothpick/cocktail stick or if I haven't got any, a piece of matchstick to pop in the screw hole and then insert the screw again. It's worked for me so far over all the years I've been playing.

Glad you finally bought one again 👍

Thanks chaps, I've ordered a set of JF324's

I've got a gig in a couple of weeks in Scotland and my friend has offered to lend me a Fender JMJ and amp so I don't have to worry about travelling with with any kit when I go. I had a JMJ in the past and loved it but couldn't get on with the standard Fender flats it came with as I found them a bit sticky and didn't really like the tension. My preferred flats are Thomastiks and I was wondering if anyone has any other recommendations for a JMJ as I don't think TI JF324's will fit a JMJ. I'm not a fan of Labella LTF's so would be interested in hearing of any other suggestions. I want to stay with flats for this gig rather than switch to roundwounds.

I currently play through a GR Bass AT212 which is lovely but I've been offered either an Aguilar SL212 or 410 as part of a trade and was wondering if there were any owners/users out there who had any thoughts on how either of the cabs perform and sounds. My favourite set up a number of years ago now was a pair of DB112's but they were simply too heavy and I've not been able to replicate that sound to my ears since. I also owned an Epifani UL410 which I loved but it sadly gave up on me a long time ago now. Any thoughts or recommendations would be gratefully received. I'm not really looking for recommendations of other makes/types of cabs as this is a specific trade offer. Thanks in advance.

@dub_junkie is your man. He's got a lovely Klos he bought a short while ago.

Thanks for all your recommendations. I thought I'd try the Geezers in the end and installed them earlier today. The only issue I faced was that the thread of jack socket was just a bit too big to fit the jack plate so I used another jack socket I had spare. Other than that installation was a breeze. Sound-wise I really like it. It's quite "clanky" with the tone all the way up (reminds me a bit of JJB's P Bass sound) which isn't at all too much to my ears, but rolled off a tiny bit it's exactly what I was looking for so I'll give it a good run out across a few gigs I have coming up. The only thing I don't particularly like is the EMG branding. I've touched it up with a bit of black model paint which looks okay and if they're like other EMG pickups I've owned, the branding wears off soon enough anyway.

Sorry, just saw this. Yes I used the Sandberg for the other set. The first major difference is the weight. The Sandberg is just under 7 1/2lbs and the Fender is just over 8 1/2lbs. It's no boat anchor by any means but I did notice the difference. Playability-wise there wasn't much in it and they are both a joy to play. The Fender sounds better than the Sandberg to my ears with both pickups on and the tone wound back a bit. The Sandberg still sounds a bit sterile and really lacks the low mids I associate with P Basses. I'm going to change the Sandberg pickup very soon to see if it makes much difference. On balance I'd be happy to take either out to gig with as both really are exceptional instruments made to the highest quality.

Either that or it means Limited Edition

I have two amps: Mark Bass Tube 800 (my main amp) and a Mark Bass Ninja 1000 and one cab (GR Bass 212). I’ve also got a Mark Bass (can you spot a theme?) CMD121P combo but thats currently for sale as it’s not getting used. I’ve got one of the Laney Digbeth Preamp pedals that I could use as a DI if needed if one of my amps ever failed on a gig.

So gig number one last night was a blast. The weather was atrocious which meant the bar was heaving. Due to the bar's flat roof the ceiling actually sprang a few leaks and it's the first time I've gigged with a rain bucket next to my pedalboard. The audience was really up for a good night which helped and we had dancers almost from the get go. Everyone played really well and I had a few nice compliments about my playing too. I used the new Fender for the first set and it played really well. All in all a good night and now on to the afternoon gig today.

Thanks for that. Would you know how the EMG compares to something like the Dimarzio DP122BK?

I would like to replace the P Bass pickup in my Sandberg Lionel and am thinking about the EMG Geezer Butler P Bass pickup (the EMG GZR-PHZ) as it seems pretty straightforward to install, is quiet and seems to have the low mids that the Sandberg pickup seems to lack to my ears. I'm not too worried about an overly vintage sounding pickup but really didn't like the Seymour Duncan QP or the Wizard Thumper as I found them too aggressive. Has anybody got any experience with the EMG at all? Reviews online seems to be positive overall but I'd be interested in hearing how other P Bass players think this one compares to (say) a Fender 62 Custom Shop.

The Fender Mike (Wayne) Kerr is the new one. The Sandberg is currently all stock but I think I'll change the pickup too and am (at the moment) swaying towards the EMG Geezer Butler one but have had Fralins before so would be interested in your views. Did you just replace the pickup or the loom too?

Completely agree and I do often try to act as a bit of an MC when I can.

We have the same issue with our singer unfortunately. She's a phenomenal singer and we've won many a gig because on her voice, but her "banter" is almost non-existent and if the gig is quiet in terms of audience feedback she clams up entirely. We've got a double-header this weekend: tonight at a campsite/caravan park bar which is usually very lively (think Mos Eisley with gore tex) and an afternoon slot at a popular pub. It's likely to be a quiet one though with the football and the local County Show on too, but I'm sure we'll make the most of it and I am planning on using my new toy for at least half the set.