mcnach

[quote name='Delberthot' post='1032081' date='Nov 21 2010, 11:26 PM']I got a Wilkinson one which looks identical from Ebay for £17 delivered

Still to install it.

Funnily enough it also looks identical to the EMG 35HZ that its going to be going with in my Thunderbird[/quote]


looking identical means nothing when it comes to the way they sound, unfortunately...

[quote name='Prime_BASS' post='1037240' date='Nov 26 2010, 12:58 AM']I'm down to two effects (one is the arbitrary tuner) and as such my current board is now devoid of anything.

What I'm asking is; are there any super small pedal boards/cases that won't look pointless with just two?

I like to keep things compact/tidy so as long it fits 2 pedals and the 9v adapter plug it's all good.
Smallest I've seen is the pedaltrain mini, still too big.

I thought about making my own but like everything I try to do it'll be crap.[/quote]


space is ok... so you can fix your two pedals, the power supply, and have room for maybe your instrument leads and some other bits and pieces. Why not?

You could fit a glass holder too

I bought a cheapish Kinsman pedal board where I have a T-rex power supply, my wireless receiver, and 7 pedals. It's crowded now. But it would be great for power/wireless and a couple of pedals, giving me room for extra cables etc. Light, and only £25-30 new. Quality is not exceptional, but it's holding on fine, and with less pedals = less weight, it woud be even better.

I have just bought a larger (and better built, but much heavier) Diago board, because I keep changing pedals (playing in 3 different bands) and I want something where I can fit everything with a couple of loops (that Boss LS2 line selector pedal is great!) and not touch it again. This is the board I thought of buying initially but didn't, because I would not use all the space and might look empty and silly.
I ended up buying two boards after all.

So, my recommendation: buy bigger than you need. Space doesn't weigh, and a larger board is not significantly harder to carry than a smaller one. Best to have some options in the future.

I love that SynthWah pedal, but I don't need two

It has a good number of useful tones that one, unlike most ofther synth pedals I've experienced.

I guess not much demand for this...

Last bump and it's hello eBay

[quote name='KiOgon' post='1036120' date='Nov 25 2010, 11:40 AM']Are you answering on behalf of Ou7shined?

I don't see how you think "Its a lot of money considering the cost of the components" unless you have access to wholesale price parts or something?

Taking into consideration that they are quality components & all the work is done - not everybody has the tools/skills/knowledge/patience - whatever to do things like this for themselves, It seems to me a fair price to ask.

I thought I might actually be doing someone a favour, not starting a price war!

If you're "not questioning your price" what are you saying exactly?

Cheerz, John[/quote]



nice attitude

[quote name='7string' post='1035820' date='Nov 25 2010, 12:25 AM']It wouldn't be a good opening line "Hi. My name's .... and I'm a Bottom Specialist".

Not too expensive and there's a kit to turn it into an upright.[/quote]


But... you don't turn it into an upright just by placing a 34" scale bass vertically, do you?
I mean, technically, yes it is "upright" but...

[quote name='bubinga5' post='1035074' date='Nov 24 2010, 01:39 PM']Playing a bass with an onboard preamp, into an outboard preamp, into the preamp of your combo, for instance, *can* work just fine. It seems a little longwinded, but hey, whatever works for you, soundwise.


yeah it would work but why on earth would you want two preamps going into your amp??????[/quote]


I'll spell it out again ;-)

different preamps give you different tonal options, and you may find one particular preamp makes it easier for *you* to find the sound *you* are after.
That's why you have people manufacturing preamps, out or onboard.

It's like when my girlfriend asks "why would you need 6 basses?"

[quote name='son of frog' post='1034671' date='Nov 24 2010, 02:17 AM']I have big lumberjack hands, but despite this i've always played Jazz, the thin fast neck is great...

BUT!

This last summer i played what was for me the best bass i've ever played, and i have no idea why, It is a Mexican 50's Style Precision and i just had to buy it, something about it, the neck was set unusually low for a precision, and the action is perfect, and the tone just blows your balls off, i really didn't expect this, It for me is perfect, and i was originally just testing it out as a comparison against a Jazz i was going to buy,
Fender were obviously having a good day when they made this one, better than any USA standard i've played and better than any Vintage P Basses i've played,
But since i have tried out another of the exact same make and model and colour, lol, and it was totally different... different action and neck was set in much higher...
Its probably just Perfect for me, so this is sort of irrelevant... just putting in my two pennies...

-Tom[/quote]


But... you're just talking about the set-up of the bass
Good that you found one that straight away was set up how *you* like it, but you could get another one set up similarly... could you not?

[quote name='bubinga5' post='1034664' date='Nov 24 2010, 01:48 AM']You wouldnt really use an out board preamp if your using an on board also... 2 different pre signals going into the amp.. this is up to your ear and you wallet, but thats a hell of alot of EQ.. way to much

at the end of the day your last signal being the amp (being your second amp/eq) has some speakers attached.. why have a third in between the pre and the amp....

most guys who want an out board pre have a passive bass...and want an outboard preamp that gives them the flexibility of the pre without having to route the body of a passive bass for electronics.. etc

or for an on board, some people want a more flexible, or finger touch to an amp/eqd in there bass, so they dont have to go to the bother of going to there head/amp to tweak the EQ that they can do from there bass...or some may think that there preamp in there bass gives them tones that there amp cant do..depends on the bass preamp, or the amp itself..

for example i want a 3 band preamp with a mid that gives me more than my aguilar can give me...its all preference..

others are much more experienced and can word this better..[/quote]


But your amp will have a preamp too, so there you have it: you're using two preamps when playing an active bass. Is that too much EQ? The answer is NO. You do have a better chance at selecting a ridiculous EQ, for instance boosting lows way beyond where it's musical and getting a horrible farty noise. But you're using your ears when changing the EQ, so hopefully we all manage to work it out just fine.

The thing about a preamp is... they all work in a slightly different way. Some are designed to work in such a way that *you* find the sound *you* are after, with *your* equipment, much more easily.
As different people have different tonal goals and use different gear then there's not one single preamp, onboard or outboard that will work for everyone.
Playing a bass with an onboard preamp, into an outboard preamp, into the preamp of your combo, for instance, *can* work just fine. It seems a little longwinded, but hey, whatever works for you, soundwise.

One thing that seems basic, but only recently I have come to truly appreciate is: if you start with a source that gets you closest to the sound you want, your life will be made much easier and preamps will matter a little less.

If you find a bass, that passively (or flat EQ if active and the preamp cannot be bypassed) sounds almost right... then that's the ideal bass to have. Hopefuly you'll get along with its idiosincrasies, neck etc...
Although this made sense to me long ago, I only realised it fully when I got my MM Stingray. That was a bass that sounds just the way I want it with very little extra processing.
Mine is a 2EQ, and I replaced the preamp with a John East because I wanted to retain the 2EQ flavour preamp, but add some control over the mids with its sweepable freq control. In addition, it has a bypass switch.
I love that preamp, but... I found that I generally find my sound by setting the amp controls flat, then teh preamp flat, and adjusting *a bit* the onboard preamp. When playing the bass passively I find that it's already almost perfect in almost every occasion. I didn't find that with any other bass, or not as markedly at any rate.

more offtopic... just came across this video, using an OLP:

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbmdQ35-Jns"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbmdQ35-Jns[/url]

ignore the fact it's not in tune with the backing but it does sound quite Stingray-esque, eh?
I love those OLPs

Now, back on-topic...
How old/dirty are the strings on the bass?
Old strings will result in a lot of treble loss.

I said before that some preamps don't really do much on the highs (except the very high frequencies, like the Glockenklang 3-band... great preamp, but ultra high treble did nothing much except tame finger noise if you turn it down), but I have no real experience of the one on that Vintage bass. I did try one a while ago but I don't remember much regarding the treble. I just remember I liked the OLPs better, even if they were passive. (whops, tehre I go again
If you found it does have a lot of treble, but the one of the OP does not. the next thing I'd look at would be the strings, like I said.

I very much doubt there's an electronic problem with it, given the symptoms described.
If the strings are old, and therefore have lost a lot of teh brightness... that would be the next thing to try. If that's not satisfactory... then you just have to admit that preamp is not what you want.

The treble on your amp is not all the way down, is it?
Sometimes the simplest things can catch us out.

My spidey sense detected somebody was laughing at my OLPs... where are you???



I'm not familiar with the preamp in your bass. I did try one of them a while ago but I don't recall how much variation the controls offered. But from what you say, I don't think the preamp is faulty. It probably has a very high frequency centre for the treble and/or doesn't boost too much. Some preamps barely do anything on the treble, and they're mostly used to *cut* the very top end, to reduce finger noise etc while leaving most of teh bass sound untouched.

If you *love* your bass, apart from the preamp, then I'd consider putting a new preamp in. However, depending on what you go for, it may make more sense to sell the Vintage and buy another bass. So it depends on whether you really want to keep *that* particular bass.

I'm not an expert, I merely have tried a few preamps on various basses. There are some very cheap replacements on eBay. I bought one by "Bassmods" that came all wired with a plate and all, 3-band, 4-knob, for maybe £25-30, I can't recall. I used that for a 5-string Stingray copy. It works. It's not fantastic, but it's not bad.
However, the nicer options are more expensive. There's lots to choose from. Unfortunately (for me) the preamps I think sound better are not the cheapest ones.
I have bought the John East preamp for Stingray basses, and I can't recommend it enough. It transformed my Stingray from a very nice bass into a "you'll have to prise it off my cold dead hands" type of bass. Based on that, I bought their preamp for Jazz basses too (J-retro) and put it on a Westfield Jazz copy I had that I loved. What it did to that bass is remarkable. It already had good resonance and body... and with the preamp it sounds enormous. You can find them used for £105-150... which is a big chunk of money compared to the cost of your bass. But if you really like your bass, how it plays, etc... You can get a used JE preamp and transform it. It'll probably sound much better than pretty much anything you can get for £250-300... and when you decide to sell the bass, you can restore the original preamp back in its place, and either sell the JE or install it on another bass.
But you see, if you get to £300 total cost... you're dangerously close to the price of a used active (2-band) MusicMan SUB, and that will be a considerable step upwards from the Vintage. I still prefer the JE preamp to that on the SUB or the Stingray... but I would not have the same urge. The SUB basses are really nice.

Horror! I haven't mentioned OLP!!!

Well, I have to remedy that.
I tried the Vintage bass and I didn't find it too inspiring, and then I found OLP basses. I own three of them. I had a fourth, but that one wasn't nice so I let it go. One I turned to fretless. Another one was my number one bass for a while (until I met my Stingray, to the amusement of a few basschatters ) and the other one... it just looks pretty and I never use it now, but I'll figure something out, maybe put flats on it and a mute... but I'm keeping it too. I find OLP basses, even stock and passive, to be nicer than the Vintage.
My favourite OLP cost me around £130 I think, but I don't like the stock pickups, so I put a Seymour Duncan alnico SMB4A. Then I put a Seymour Duncan 3-band preamp too. That bass is great. It really feels very nice and sounds fantastic. I must have spent... I don't know, maybe £250 in total? It's a hell of a bass for £250.
Even passive, just with the pickup upgrade, it's a very nice bass.
So there... a few words supporting OLP.
But it doesn't help you much, does it?

Glad to help you being confused, in that case!

I wouldn't bother spending money on a cheap preamp. If I like the bass enough, I'd get a nice preamp, one that I'm confident will improve the bass substantially. Like a John East preamp (my personal favourite). Then I can always remove it if I want to sell the bass in the future.
And if I'm not in love with that particular bass... I'd just save some monet to buy a nicer one. Since you start on a Vintage, I'd skip the OLPs with the upgrades etc, and simply aim for a nice MusicMan SUB (or a Stingray if you can stretch to it. The SUB is very good, but the Stingray is... sublime )

[quote name='kerley' post='1033510' date='Nov 23 2010, 08:34 AM']I have recently upgraded a starter pack bass. Picked up a Crafter Cruiser 32" scale for £60 and have spent another £60 on pickups (got a pait of Kent Armstrong on eBay for £16, new tuners, new bridge, knobs and pots). As others have said, I would still be lucky to get the £60 initial purchase price back!

It plays and sounds as good as any other bass I have owned (Warwick Corvette, MIM P, MIM Jazz etc,) that could be down to the scale, maybe that slightly shorter neck just suits me?.
But it still bugs me that I am playing what is essentially a £60 bass and I will no doubt be getting a higher priced one again soon in the full knowledge that the higher priced one will probably be no better to actually play.

I guess the shallow part of me just likes to be playing a higher priced instrument for no reason other than branding![/quote]



The "rebellious" part of me loves to play a cheap bass that sounds great, and shut up snobs in the audience simply by how good the whole thing works.

That adds enjoyment for me, when I've played an OLP MM2 Stingray clone (upgraded pickup and added a preamp) or a Westfield B4000 Jazz (initially stock, now with a John East preamp).
But, my favourite bass? Well, thats my 2002 MM Stingray (with a John East preamp) (I sound like an advert! )
I play the Stingray now 85% of the time, because it just feels fantastic and sounds great, everytime. It is not the cheapest I own... maybe there's a link
However, that Westfield Jazz is lovely and it doesn't bug me at all to play a cheap bass, because the bass feels right and it sounds right. And as I said, I do derive a certain amount of enjoyment when I take it out and notice a dismissive gesture from some headstock worshipper in the audience... because whether they admit it to me or not, they're going to notice it sounds great.

But, who knows... I used to think I would not change my favourite OLP for a Stingray, having tried them before... and look at me now. That OLP has never been gigged again and itjust gets some sporadic use at home. Maybe it'll be the same story with the Jazz someday, but I doubt it'll be soon, and if I change it'll be because of finding a bass that without looking at the headstock it works substantially better. Maybe it won't be a Sadowsky, but a Squier! Who knows

[quote name='louisthebass' post='1032902' date='Nov 22 2010, 05:11 PM']Although I've only ever owned one P-Bass (a cheap copy), I probably appreciate the tone now more than I did 25 years ago. I've got a Jazz that I'm currently playing in an Indie / Rock / Ska setting & it really is a bit too "polite" sounding, but I love it & wouldn't ever part with it.

If money was no object, I wouldn't mind giving a P another try.....[/quote]

Polite? Try putting a J-Retro01 preamp in there and then you'll find out what *love* means

Basically because of the sound.

The thin neck can be nice sometimes, but I actually prefer a thicker neck. I'm happy with a P-bass neck. But I am not a big fan of the P-bass sound. It does work, and I can approximate it with the neck pickup on a Jazz... no, it's not the same, but it's close enough for me... plus the neck Jazz pickup sounds nicer (to me) than a P bass.

But on a Jazz, I mostly play either bridge pickup alone (75% of the time) or both pickups on (25% of the time). I love the definition of teh bridge pickup, and the huge sound of both pickups on.

I'd love a Stingray with a Jazz configuration, then I'd have my favourite neck and the sound of the Jazz.

I know a lot of people prefer the Jazz bass because of the slim neck. I did too, initially. But slim necks are over-rated, in my opinion. Whilst they seem comfortable and fast at first, it actually doesn't take much effort to get used to a bigger neck (and no, I don't have big hands, I'm a short guy) and I ended up finding bigger necks more comfortable to play... plus the bass choice expands a lot if you're willing to go for a chunkier neck.

[quote name='Bottle' post='1029670' date='Nov 19 2010, 05:34 PM']Hi guys

Well, I'll start by saying that I don't usually use a ton of effects. Most of the time I run my set up clean, with perhaps a smidge of grit from my SansAmp to dirty up my second channel. I have my amp-rack set up a little like this:

Bass > TU-2 > GK Head > (efx loop out) > SansAmp Paradriver > X-Over > Power-amp

Broad strokes, the GK feeds my 4x10 cab (clean, full-range) and the power-amp (in two-channel mode) feeds the effected low end into the 1x15 and the highs go to a stack of two 1x12 PA cabs. Recently I've been dusting off my Boss ODB-3 overdrive and inserting it into my signal chain to get a bit more of an overdriven sound for the intro of a particular song. The song was originally recorded with two guitar parts and a bass, however I'm experimenting with playing the textured rhythm guitar part in the intro, so need to dirty up the bass and give it some 'crunch'. I'm playing my Ibanez finger-style, quite high on the fretboard, over the highest E (14th fret on the D string) and G (12th fret on G, playing root/thirds over an Em chord), trying to get a 'crunchy' and 'chuggy' sort of tone.

(1) Bass > TU-2 > ODB-3 > GK Head > (efx loop out) > SansAmp Paradriver > X-Over > Power-amp

and

(2) Bass > TU-2 > GK Head > (efx loop out) > ODB-3 > SansAmp Paradriver > X-Over > Power-amp

I've tried the ODB-3 in a couple of places (see above), but can't really get anything more than what can only be described as 'angry wasps in a jar'. Guess I'm looking for something that can give me some distorted highs whilst leaving the lows (relatively) intact. Any thoughts?

Thanks, Ian[/quote]


I owned an ODB-3 for a week or two... I hated it.

I've tried a number of pedals for various things, and ended up settling with this:

- when I want heavy distortion, ala ODB-3 but nicer, a Digitech Bass Driver. It sounds much better than teh ODB-3, for me.

- for heavy distortion, I also used the MXR M80 Bass DI+. Again sounds a lot better than the ODB-3

- another pedal that's very interesting is the Ibanez PD7 'Phat Hed'. It doesn't allow you to belnd wet/dry, but it retains bass very well. I play it mostly on the "clean" setting. Yes, clean. BUT it has this switch called "attack"... set it of OFF and it just works as a basic boost/EQ if you want. Set it to 1... and it adds some metallic grit on teh high frequencies that sounds relaly nice (to me). Set it to 2 for more of that. Very gritty. Think about RHCP "By teh way", the sound you hear during teh break. That's what I use it for.
It's a great pedal to keep a fat bottom end, good definition, and add that "grit" to the top end.

I also have a Danelectro cool cat transparent overdrive... it's again a really nice pedal with dual tone controls, but this I use to just add some mild overdrive. Worth checking out.

bump for edit

[quote name='Bassassin' post='1030241' date='Nov 20 2010, 11:03 AM']If it plays well & you like it, then why not make it sound better? What are you considering upgrading? Unless the tuners & bridge don't actually work properly, changing these would probably be a waste of money, but if the existing pickups don't sound great, then replacing these (& possibly the pots & cap) is a worthwhile upgrade if you want to hang on to the bass.

There's plenty of choice of decent, well-priced Jazz pups out there, you'll probably find some decent, well-priced sets for sale on here if you're patient.

Jon.[/quote]


what this wise man says.


If the bass feels good enough to you, why not improve it?
But I wouldn't spend money on things that are unlikely to have a serious effect: tuners (unless they're malfunctioning), and bridge in particular.
Pickups are the obvious bit. Lots of choice in your case.
I personally love preamps... so I'd even consider that (depending on how much you like your bass).
A good set up (by someone else if you are not sure you can do a good job yourself, including fret levelling when needed) should be the first port of call.

How much the bass cost you is irrelevant, I think. I often hear this "oh, it is just a cheap bass, I'm not going to spend much on a good set of pickups". I don't get that train of thought. Is the bass nice enough for you to keep and play? If the answer is yes, then make it better by all means. If you "upgrade" it to cheap not-so-good pickups etc... what's the point? you end up with a "meh" bass. And why upgrade to a "meh" bass? that makes little sense to me.

Earlier this year I bought a cheap Westfield B4000, a Jazz bass clone. It only cost me £40 + £10 delivery (eBay). Apart from being an ugly colour (which I knew, of course ) it turned out to be a great bass. I even liked the pickups. Powerful, deep sound. Just needed a set up initially and I was very happy with it. After a few months I decided that this bass was definitely a great bass and was staying with me, regardless what the headstock says. I gigged it a couple of times and I was very happy with it.
So I spent £135 on a used John East J-retro01 preamp. It sounds crazy to some, to spend nearly 3x on an upgrade. But the result is this bass now sounds HUGE and I'm just as happy playing it as when I play my Warwick or my Stingray or my modded OLP... in other words... it's a good bass that sounds good, feels good, and is well equipped to do the job I require it to do. So what if the upgrade cost 3x what the bass cost? The bottom line is that for around £180 I have a hell of a Jazz bass.
If my proposed upgrade put me in the £500 region, then I'd say "hmmm, maybe I should look into buying another bass at that price range that already does what I want it to do", but when talking pickups etc... don't skimp. If you like the bass enough to want to upgrade it rather than selling it, then it deserves quality components, or you'll be cheating yourself.
I could have spent £40 on another preamp on eBay for my Westfield... but would it sound as good as it does now? No way. I've bought my share of cheap preamps to realise that there's a reason why some sell for a lot more.

[quote name='wal4string' post='1020048' date='Nov 11 2010, 01:47 PM']I must be a nerd. I just ordered one.[/quote]


heh, we all have our weaknesses

I can't care less about ligt marks on teh back. I do try to keep my instruments in nice condition, I look after them, bring a nice stand to use on stage rather than propping them against teh amp or a wall... BUT any instrument I use regularly is going to get a few marks here and there over time. If I lend you my bass and you are careless with it... I'll give you hell. If it gets a ding whilst being used reasonably... it's not a big deal to me. If I want a bass to look like new 30 years from now, I'll put it in a glass case and display it in my music room
BUt that's just me, of course.
I'm sure I care too much about some other things that you find ridiculous. Human variety

[quote name='AndyTravis' post='1024001' date='Nov 14 2010, 09:17 PM']Hi folks,

I need 2 10ft/12ft cables, my Fender Platinum Bass cable sounds great, but tangles like a bugger and does my head in.

Everyone else in the band uses Planet Waves as does my brother who I live with, I don't want to buy the same, as they're all sods for mixing gear up.

So, Monster, VanDamme, Klotz...any other recommendations?

I'm willing to pay up to £50 a cable, could do with right angles one one of the ends, but i'm sure i'll survive with straight ends.

I could do with a reliable online supplier, as i'd rather have them by next week or so.

Please fill me with information![/quote]



go no further than this:

[url="http://www.award-session.com/cleartone_cables.html"]http://www.award-session.com/cleartone_cables.html[/url]

As good a cable as you're going to get, and price is not bad at all. But the emphasis is on quality here. Really good cables, lots of options (if not on teh list, just email them, they'll make teh cable you ask for) friendly service and really fast delivery.

I've been using them (a lot!) for about 9 years now, and the first ones I bought are still going strong.

Never tried the Polytune so I can't compare, but I've been using the Pitchblack for teh past couple of years and I *love* that tuner.
The only downside is that if you play often outdoors in bright daylight... the display may not be bright enough. I had *once* a situation where I struggled to see the display. But indoors even in teh brightest stage it's always been great. I like how it has several display modes so you can choose which one seems betetr for you. I think it's mode 3 for me, can't recall.
I'd get another Pitchblack in a heartbeat if I lost mine.

[quote name='Simmo' post='1027963' date='Nov 18 2010, 02:35 PM']Ah I have been waiting for your input yeah i have seen your thread on the westfield (which looks great , but green is my favourite colour ) and i have had a look and it seems they have become extinct ha, but i will keep looking because if i could get a bargain on one like you did, i would probably go for it [/quote]


If you find one (they do come up on eBay frequently) even if it's costing £80 rather than £40... I think you'd be wise to get it. Just have it set up properly and enjoy.
But if I find one before you do, I might just get it myself! I fancy a second one to eitehr strip to bare wood or paint white. Then, if it's as good as teh green one, I can sell it. Every week I have urges to get a sander to that green finish and strip it bare. I hate that green!!!

[quote name='Stag' post='1028610' date='Nov 18 2010, 10:30 PM']Ill have to go out and try some more I think

A part of me is thinking that maybe im percieving these necks to be really slim.... when a large factor why I think this could be down to the fact im used to my Ric, which isnt exactly slim [/quote]


It's not just perception. They ARE really slim compared to most other basses.

My Ibanez SR400 is similar, or even thinner (shallower, rather), but that's what makes it not as nice to me. I prefer bigger necks. I play a Jazz copy that sounds great, and has teh trademark thin Jazz neck... which I love but at the same time I realy do prefer slightly bigger necks.
For me, the ideal is teh Stingray neck. It is wider than a Jazz, but it's shallow, so it doesn't feel as chunky as a P-bass. It just seems to fill my hand better and it's more comfortable for me (despite not having big hands).

At first I also thought Jazz was teh neck to have, but if you persevere a bit, you can play with just about any neck, so to me it's more a matter of finding a neck profile that feels comfortable to hold... and the thin necks can be less comfortable long term than a wider one.

Personal preference at teh end of teh day.

[quote name='Simmo' post='1024225' date='Nov 15 2010, 03:28 AM']Hello all

I am contemplating getting a new bass after xmas, and I currently have a jackson kelly looking ripoff bass with a P/J configuration, the precision sounds terribly weak (just an opinion, dont slaughter me devout precision fans ), and I have fell in love with the tone I can get from the single Jazz pickup. Taking this into account I have decided a Jazz bass is in order, I am currently out of work and cant really stretch above £200, and there are a few Jazz basses that have caught my eye, and because of their cheap price tag there arent many reviews about them, I just wanted to know if any of you have played, seen close up, or owned any of them?

First, the Vintage (brand) EJM96 £175+P&P, here is the link

[url="http://www.guitarampkeyboard.com/en/8357"]http://www.guitarampkeyboard.com/en/8357[/url]

And here are the specs

Body: Eastern Poplar

Neck: Hard Maple – Bolt On
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Scale: 34"/864mm
Frets: 20
Neck Inlays: Pearloid Dot
Tuners: Wilkinson® WJBL200
Bridge: Adjustable
Pickups: Wilkinson® PB x 1 (M) WJB00 ( WJB800
Hardware: Chrome
Controls: 1 x Volume/ 1 x Tone

Second, the Chord CJB62, here is the link

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Chord-Electric-Jazz-Bass-Guitar-Alder-Body-Natural-/160498054527?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item255e6df57f"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Chord-Electric-Jazz-...=item255e6df57f[/url]

And here are the specs

Controls 2 volume, 1 master tone
Construction Contoured body, bolt-on neck
Body Alder
Neck Maple
Fingerboard Rosewood
Scale length 865mm
Pickups 2 single coil (twinned pole-piece)
Hardware Chrome plate bridge
Tuning machineheads Large clover leaf open geared
Frets 20 large
Nut Width 41mm
Dimensions 345 x 1195 x 60mm
Weight 4.42kg

If i was to choose by looks and spec list i'd definitely choose the chord, because if any of the pickups, electronics, hardware were a problem i could switch them out in the future, its just i have never heard of this brand, and the Vintage looks good and the brand name is (ever so slightly ) more credible, its just i read somewhere they are extremely heavy, and opinions would be greatly appreciated [/quote]


I owned one of the Vintage ones. Finish wasn't great, but it was a nice bass. The pickups were a bit disappointing, and in mine, a bit microphonic. But for teh price it wasn't bad at all, and one day you put a pair of good pickups there and you ahve a great bass.

However, I got a Westfield B4000 (Jazz clone) earlier this year for £40 plus delivery on eBay. It was so cheap, and I had tried a nice Westfield before, that I had to go for it.
And it's a much better bass. The pickups, surprisingly, are quite nice. I didn't need to change anything on it, stock it was nice. Just set it up, mine had a couple of slightly tall frets that needed levelling, but that's about it.
Last week I installed a J-retro01 preamp in it... and it turned it into a bass that sounds and feels like it's worth a lot more. It's still ugly (translucent green, and the grain isn't pretty), but it's a great bass that I can play proudly next to my Warwick Corvette $$ and my MM Stingray.
I spent about £180 in total, and I have a beast of a bass.

I noticed they stopped doing the green one early on. I'm not sure if all B4000 were built similarly, but it's worth a try...and if it's a green one you know it's from the same time of mine, so maybe you get lucky too. I suspect there'll be variation between basses, much more than among more expensive instruments, but from my experience in general with Westfield, you get pretty decent instruments that turn into nice ones with just a basic setup.

bumped