Rayman

West Cumbria, have you been to Promenade in Morcambe? There's a shop in Kendal too, can't remember the name.

Yep, got to be careful these days, I'd be asking lots of quetions first.

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ibanez-GSR-180-Sunburst-Electic-Bass-Guitar_W0QQitemZ370250222897QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Consumer_Professional_RL?hash=item5634a20d31&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ibanez-GSR-180-Sunbu...id=p3286.c0.m14[/url] Peavey because they're generally well made basses, even at the lower end of the range. I nearly bought a Peavey Millenium once, I was very impressed. The Ibanez would be a good buy too though, again a reliable maker. Ibanez and Yamaha make good stuff, you're pretty safe with a bass with either name on the headstock.

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BASS-Guitar-Yamaha-RBX374-RBX-374-Silver-Barely-used_W0QQitemZ330364363905QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item4ceb402481&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BASS-Guitar-Yamaha-R...id=p3286.c0.m14[/url]

I'd be looking seriously at the Peavey from that list by the way.

Sorry, should have read your last post. Well, if you're going to buy from a store, it's simply a case of trying as much as you can, and pick the one you like best. Simple as that really. To warn you, I bought my young daughter her first bass from ebay, it's a Swift, and is in a simillar price range...and it's really bad to be honest, so be careful, and take your time looking.

Have a look for something used on here, and take your time, you money will go further.

That's just amazing, what a great finish.

Go and try a pile of basses, as many as you can, and take your time, because if you spend 500 quid and end up with a bass you're not happy with, you're goosed. Second hand, £500 will buy you an excellent bass, starter or not. A nice Precision or Jazz would be top of [i]my[/i] list, and used you could find a nice MIA model. No one could ask for anything better.

Sure does....get it done I say.

Plenty of gigs done under the influence of far too much beer, and I play like a drain when I'm like that, I just can't concentrate, so the line is drawn under a couple of pints at the most before playing these days. Years ago when I was the singer in a metal band, we had a gig @ the Iron Master club in Telford. We had a lady from Roadrunner records coming to see us so we were nervous. Long story short, I got hammered, truly hammerd before we went on. Unfortunately she turned up. I got halfway through the set, stood on a table and waved my 3 piece suite in her face, and disappeared into the bogs, with the microphone, while the audience listened to me groaning through the PA before falling asleep on the piss soaked floor of the toilets. It was a joke, I'm certainly not proud of it at all, and the big shame was the A&R woman thought we were good until the 'table incident', after which she got up and left.

I have to say I like the white pearl on there. It might look a bit [i]too[/i] black with a black guard. [i]Cream[/i] Pearl would look fab.

I'd be looking out for a MIM Precision Deluxe and doing some upgrading on that perhaps?

W[i]oooaahhhh[/i] that's stunning. If you were to only have [i]one[/i] bass for everything, surely a Bongo 6 would be the one to have. Beautiful.

Yeah, that's a sexy looking bass mate, I'd be happy with that as my gigging bass too.

Red Hot Chilli Peppers for me. I actually love the rhythm section (Flea & Chad), but I can't stomach Anthony Kiedis's vocals and I'm not keen on John Frusciante's sound either.

Listen to or watch on you tube any of Janek Gwizdala'a stuff and he does it all the time. It's a good thing apparently for fretboard recognition and learning what the notes on the fretboard sound like before you actually play them. I've started singing out loud when I play sometimes, much to the bands amusement, but they're generally all the wrong notes.

Send it back. You'll never be happy until you do, it'll drive you mad.

Woooaaa........... nice gear my friend.

Nothing a JigSaw can't fix.....

No worries, MB1 is selling a 'ray copy for around £125 I think.

There's always my OLP Tony Levin in the for sale section . OLPs were great Stingray style basses, but to me, not comparable to Musicman basses. Out of the box, mine played great, lots of thump, but lacking a little top end sparkle. Very different in tone to my MM 'ray. The EQ was pretty poor on mine, although I've heard lots of people who really liked theirs. I changed both the pickup and the EQ for the best money can buy IMO, really as a project, and it's turned out very well, but at a price. Think of it as a Stingray shaped bass, that has a personality of it's own, and your about there. Not a Musicman, but very nice in it's own right. OLPs play well, look great, and in many cases sound great too, I think they're well worth the money for a nice one.