leonshelley01

Has anyone else got one of these beauties yet? This morning I've tried out the range at Machinehead in Hitchin and I have to say I am very impressed. All three are great, the Jazz sounded like a Jazz, the 50's Precision was very cool but the 60's Precision was brilliant. It is even better in my humble opinion than the Vintage Modified Jazz.

The new HiMass bridge functions very well, adding depth and the pickups are decent too, so much so, I won't be changing them. It even has a bridge cover (not shown on the Squier website) to make it even more classy! Couple this with a neck that is as good as any MIM I have tried recently and I think Squier are on to another winner.

So go and try these, and don't be surprised when you take one home with you!

I tried the Line 6 and Ashdown Electric Blue combos, but came home with the Marshall MB4210. Plenty of headroom (300w, 450 with extension cab), 3 footswitchable tones (modern, classic and blend) and a valve pre-amp giving fantastic tone. I use it for practice at home as well as rehearsing/gigging, and it works well at lower volume.

The common comment about Marshall not having a good history as far as bass amps go is semi-valid (Entwhistle and Lemmy aside), but that is changing. Even Squier make decent basses now!

Having changed my setup (again), I now take two basses along to rehearsals and gigs, not just for reliability issues, but "tonal" reasons as well. My Jazz basses have very different sounds, so I change during the set dependant on the requirements of the song. I also agree a DI box is indispensible, as I have gone through headline act rigs just to find their amps are terrible sounding, and not having brought an amp, swiftly fall back on DI box into the PA.

Does that now mean a Vintage Icon bass is now worth more than the Fender it copies? And why does no-one manufacture a model called "Dubious Sounding Heavy Metal" bass, and until they do, do I have to stop playing?

I replaced the stock pickups in my MIM Jazz with some of these and it made a real difference, both in tone and output.

I got mine through Coda Music in Stevenage, gave me a great deal too.

Having recently decided to upgrade my rig (from an Ibanez GSR through a Zoom B2 into the PA. Cheap as chips!), I went in expecting to spend about £2000. Having tried 6 amps and 17 basses, I came away with a MIM Jazz (plus new bridge and pickups), Ibanez SR300 and a Marshall MB 4210, so with the unexpected change, I'm buying a car to get to rehearsals!

I tried lots of expensive basses, but those two felt right to me, and the Marshall gave the volume and tone I wanted. So each to their own, I just hope people are buying what is right for THEM, not because of what is written on the headstock or resale value.

Badge - Cream
Ace of Spades - Motorhead
Come Together - The Beatles

The non-Prestige Ibanez models come with D'Addario strings as standard, only the high end Prestige models come with Elixirs. So your GSR would have come with D'Addario XL strings.

If you like the feel of your current bass, why not go for either the Squier Vintage Modified Jazz or a MIM Fender Jazz?

So is the "Breakdown" nickname undeserved then?

I got rid of my '71 short scale about a year back, but unfortunately it still rings in my ears on a regular basis. It's very loud and trebly with a tendency to snap. However I'm sure that if the body, neck and hardware were replaced, she would be perfectly serviceable.

When I replaced my MIM's pickups with SD Hots, they slipped in fine with no need for routing/adjustments. Again, I went in for an MIA, but the MIM just felt nicer/smoother. I agree that the stock pups in the MIM need replacing as they are distinctly underpowered and lacking in tone, but that is easily and quickly fixed. Bottom line is go in and try as many as possible until you find the one that feels the most comfortable to YOU.

My two penneth:

Led Zeppelin II - JPJ's finest hour
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik - when Flea was still allowed to play!
Weather Report - Heavy Weather - A masterclass from Jaco
Deep Purple - Machine Head - Great bass playing on one of the best rock albums ever
Metallica - Kill 'Em All - Not just Anesthesia, just Seek and Destroy is an awesome song for metal bass

Great work! Useful for beginners and more experienced players as well.

I need a little help. I'm looking to upgrade from an Ibanez GSR200 to a MIM Fender, but I'm a little concerned about the shape of the Fender necks. Whilst I love the "thump" of a Precision, I suspect the neck will feel like a baseball bat in my hand after a while, whereas the Jazz is probably nearer to the neck shape I prefer. I have tried both in the local shop, but 10 minutes noodling sitting down won't give me an idea of what it is like playing a 2 hour rehearsal. I tend to play classic/hard rock in the style of JPJ and Steve Harris. Any advice/thoughts gratefully recieved.

Started out on bass for about 4 years, then learnt guitar when I joined another band as a rhythm guitarist. Now (some 10 years later), I play bass in one band and lead/rhythm guitar in another.

Interestingly though, when I'm writing new material I always start on the bass....

Unfortunately, a lack of cash has halted my GAS problem. On the other hand, it means I take far more time reading specs, reviews and trying stuff before I buy now. I used to lose money hand over fist trading guitars. When I upgrade from the GSR200 I'm using currently, I know exactly what I'm going to get: Fender MIM Jazz (or maybe an Ibanez SR500!).

I have quite large hands and still use a 1-2-4 when its convenient, even on an electric guitar. The one fret per finger is a rule that helps, but it is not set in stone. Find the method that is best for you, and as time passes and your fingers build up strength, you may find that your span increases anyway.

I got some shielding foil from ebay a few months ago. It's a very simple job to do yourself. Just remember to solder all the "patches" together to make it continuous and earth it.

Just got one myself. Very useful, not just as a multi-fx pedal, but I use mine as a DI into the bands PA and to practice at home with using the drum patterns as a metronome. Excellent value for money. If only the guitar version sounded as good.

I play guitar in an "originals" band (I also record the bass parts as I'm teaching our bass player) and bass in a covers band. Whilst I get a thrill out of performing stuff I've written, I'm under no pretension that we are going to "make it" in any real sense, but the satisfaction you get if people sing along or come up afterwards and say "I really liked that song" is immense.

In the covers band, I get to let my hair down and enjoy myself. We change tempos, rhythms and even structures in order to fit our own playing styles. As a bass player, you can really let your imagination flow (unless the song relies heavily on the exising bass riff). In many ways, I'm playing for my own pleasure, rather than the audience. Playing covers also forces you to learn more styles, techniques etc. that you can utilise in your own writing.

Both types of band are equally valid, and the most important thing is to be out there playing with other musicians rather than be a bedroom bassist.

Lady Madonna is a good walking "taster" as well. Walking bass another area I'm looking at to break me out of the pentatonic box groove that I seem to play on just about everything. It's also a great way of linking different sections together.

Hi!

I'm looking to get an inexpensive combo for rehearsals and small gigs. Currently I use a Zoom B2 to DI into the band's PA (which works great), but as and when I move on I may be in a band with no PA, so I'll need an amp.

I've narrowed it down (mostly through price £200-£250) to the Laney RB4 and Ashdown EB180-12. Both would seem to be powerful enough to rehearse (mostly rock) and play small gigs. Has anyone used either of these two amps or can recommend anything else in the same price range?

Cheers

As many people have said, a lot of this is down to open discussion, honesty and compromise. For many years, I would just go along with whatever my wife wanted or suggested. Then, about two years ago, I put my foot down and stated my case.

Now happily divorced (both of us are now good friends), I realise that you need to do this from day one. It's all about honesty, folks, saying how you feel and what you think and why you need a shiny, new bass without fear. That way you don't need to be sneaky ("..but this Fender Jazz Bass was only £12.50 at Cash Converters" never works).