TRBboy

I've owned my US standard Fender Jazz from new since 1997, and for many years it was my go-to bass (or sometimes my only bass!). We've done lots and lots of very varied gigs and projects together, but unfortunately for quite a while now, I seem to have fallen out of love with it. There's nothing wrong with it, and it sounds great, but it just doesn't feel natural or comfortable in my hands anymore. The purchase of my Sandberg earlier this year has further compounded this because it is effortless to play and is, for me, the most comfortable neck on anything I've ever played. I'm pretty experienced at doing set-ups, and when I took it to my local luthier recently, he confirmed that there's nothing wrong with the neck and couldn't really improve much on the way i'd set it up. So, here's my dilemma: Do I; A) Keep it for sentimental reasons, even though I probably won't really use it. Sell it and buy something else that I'll get plenty of use out of (possibly a Lakland Skyline 44-01 or save a bit more and get a Sandberg Basic Ken Taylor). As you may have guessed, I'm useless at making decisions! Help me please!

When I was working in guitar shops, I found the Squier Bronco to be a surprisingly satisfying little bass. You can pick a new one up for about £150! The Squier Vintage Modified Mustang is fairly new I think but it looks like they go for about £250. The Danelectro 56 had a favourable review in BGM recently, and I think they're going for about £250 too. I've tried a couple of Epiphone EB's before, but they always seem to be poorly put together and badly set up, although of course I might have just been unlucky! I don't think your budget is quite enough for a vintage Fender Mustang but it might be worth a look. Hope this helps.

[quote name='karlclews' post='1294669' date='Jul 6 2011, 01:02 PM']I occasionally used to find this, until someone pointed me towards checking if the string was twisted. So I loosened off the string a little, until it was no longer held tight, and sure enough, the ball end rotated a couple of times in the bridge hole before settling. I then tightened it up again and hey presto - the string sounded as bright as the others! Seems to affect the E string more than the others (in fact, I've never noticed a comparative loss of brightness on any of the other strings). Anyway, now I always double-check that the strings haven't become twisted when I change a set. Haven't had the problem recur since. A related issue I had once, which also might be worth noting: after changing a set of strings, I noticed that notes on the E string seemed to have a noticeable lack of clarity or definition when compared with the other strings. It turned out that the problem was that the string break angle at the nut wasn't sharp enough - the string was leaving the tuning peg near the top of the peg, so the downward pressure on the nut for that string wasn't as high as it should have been. So I re-strang (?) it correctly such that the string wound down on the tuner peg towards the headstock and therefore left the peg as close to the headstock as possible, giving a sharper angle of deflection. Again, hey presto, problem solved. Both tips have saved me a lot of frustration and cash![/quote] Well I thought I knew every trick in the book! I slackened the string off, but the ball end only rotated about 1/8 of a turn. I tuned the string back up and stretched it in, and it seems to have made quite a difference! Cheers dude! It's still perhaps a little duller than the others, but that's probably because the string was kinked over the saddle whilst twisted. Still, it's a lot better. I guess every day's a school day! Glad I didn't fire off that sh*t-o-gram to D'addario after all! Thanks to everyone for all the helpful advice too.

I put a brand new set of D'addario Prosteels on my Sandberg and have only done two band rehearsals, but the E string is already dead as a dodo!? The last set of strings I had on there (D'addario EXP165) lasted longer, but nowhere near as long as they have on other basses. The nut slot looks ok (has a zero fret anyway) and there doesn't appear to be anything amiss at the bridge end. I always clean my strings with Dunlop 65 string cleaner after rehearsals/gigs. Any thoughts?

[quote name='Vibrating G String' post='1288512' date='Jul 1 2011, 02:48 AM']Isn't the default for both the Ultra Jazz and P's series? This is why the S1 was a failure on the P because it made it sound thin switching to parallel.[/quote] Yeah I think you're right. That's why I had no interest in installing a switch!

I put some Dimarzio Ultra Jazz (split humbuckers) in my jazz and I've found the neck pickup to be far more useful than it ever was before. It's really full, punchy and rounded but still retains plenty of clarity. Might be worth a look for an easy solution!

[quote name='KevB' post='1287654' date='Jun 30 2011, 01:19 PM']Glad you got it sorted. It's ages since I did it but I think I changed some of the note positions from the ones that are in GP version (play same notes but not necessarily on same fret/string combo as is on the original GP file) maybe on the 2nd half of the verses IIRC which made it easier for me, once I'd got it down OK. It was a more interesting line than I was expecting it to be, shows what a talent Lynott was. I think even Phil simplified it a bit for live work where he was singing along as well though![/quote] Yeah that's exactly what I did! The positions were nonsense on some of it - particularly the second half of the verse like you say. Much easier to go to 3rd fret on the G instead of leaping up to 13th on the A, especially when it's in the middle of quite a quick phrase!

Thanks for all the help guys, I pretty well nailed it last night! Had a much better evening of practice on Tues, and most of it kinda clicked into place. I did use the Guitar Pro version in the end, although I started by just learning the chord changes, and then learned all the little runs and phrases. It's sounding pretty good (although still needs a little polish!). I think the main trouble I had is that the all the little runs and phrases, despite not being anything overly challenging, just didn't feel at all natural to me. If someone had said "here's the chords, write a bass part" it almost certainly wouldn't have been very much like Phil Lynotts bassline! Thanks again all!

It's seriously worth trying out a Sandberg Basic if you can find one somewhere near. Very comfortable to play, nice slim neck and easy action, sounds AMAZING, surprisingly versatile for a single humbucker, Glockenklang preamp is great, true passive bypass, hand built in Germany - the quality is unbelievable for the money! Since I got mine a few months back my old trusty Jazz doesn't really get used any more. I paid £550 for one on BassChat in mint condition (once I'd given it a good setup and polished the frets), which is not much money for such a great bass! I was in PMT in Brum the other week, tried out quite a few basses and then plugged a Sandberg Basic in - nothing came close, in terms of feel or sound. I think I may have found the one! By the way, I don't work for them!

[quote name='Clarky' post='1284744' date='Jun 27 2011, 10:43 PM']This is quite cool - plays it audibly over tab and guitar chords - sounds fairly close to me [url="http://www.songsterr.com/a/wsa/thin-lizzy-the-boys-are-back-in-town-bass-tab-s19634t3"]http://www.songsterr.com/a/wsa/thin-lizzy-...ss-tab-s19634t3[/url] Edit: and it can play at half speed which is useful when learning it[/quote] Cheers Clarky, that's really useful! Seems to be the most accurate version I've seen so far. I've gotta have it down for Wednesday, so I think I'll have a crack at that one tmrw night. Thanks again all!

Thanks for all the help guys, it's kinda what I was doing anyway. I was just hoping that someone knew of a TAB which had the bones of it with all of the important runs and fills on it too, 'cause I can't be arsed to stay up late figuring it out for myself! Back to it I s'pose..........

All the ones I can find are either wrong or too simplified, and the GuitarPro version I've got is too busy and the fingering's all over the place!!! I need to learn this IN A HURRY so if anyone can point me in the direction of a decent TAB I'd be grateful! Ta

+1 on the TRB. They are great build quality, excellent sound and playability. I like the G&L but the neck just feels too chunky and awkward for me.

[quote name='stringintheshade' post='1279942' date='Jun 23 2011, 06:18 PM']Interested in that with the natural finish. And an easy upgrade. But the pups would add another 100 unless I can find one second hand. Could always do the pups later. The Ibanez SR500 shape looks verrrry similar... much between them?[/quote] [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=121667&hl=best+%A3200+bass+ever"]Best £200 bass ever![/url] If you check out my thread there, I bought one in VGC for £70! The whole project cost £200; Bass, pickups, CTS wiring kit and Wilkinson bridge!!! I owned a BB414 before, and IMHO this RBX is better sounding. I felt the BB was lacking a bit of grunt sonically.

I know I bang on about it but..... Yamaha RBX270 and some Dimarzio Model P/Js. Versatile, punchy, easy to play, well built, etc, etc. [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=121667&hl=best+%A3200+bass+ever"]Best £200 bass ever[/url]!

I've got Ultra Jazz in mine and they are killer! Silent and mega punchy and responsive, although if you're after a vintage sorta sound I would look elsewhere. They sound incredible, although not like a trad single coil sound. I've tried various pickups in my jazz including SDs and the Dimarzios are by far the best IMHO. I've also got model p/j in my RBX, although obviously I can't really do a direct comparison for you. I picked my Ultras up for 89.99 a couple of months ago, and there were a few places online doing them for that price. Incredible value!

So I guess that as I've got split coil pickups I wouldn't notice any difference anyway! I'll find something else to spend my hard-earned on.... ......like another sandberg! ;-)

Definitely doesn't seem worth the money to me then.

Hey people, just noticed this on ebay. [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Texas-Customs-Gold-Jazz-Bass-controls-also-fits-fender-/300570078757?pt=Guitar&hash=item45fb5f6e25"]Texas Customs Gold[/url] Anyone seen or used one of these before? Seems a lot of dosh for a passive control system, I can't believe they really sound THAT much better than a standard CTS wiring kit.

Definitely a Yamaha RBX270 IMHO. Better construction quality and playability than Squiers and pretty much anything else in this price range (and some more expensive instruments!). Easy to modify (see mine [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=121667&hl=best+%A3200+bass+ever"]Best £200 bass ever![/url]). You can get a brand new one for about £180 (last time I looked) and a decent used one for comfortably under £100. Great value! The 270 is definitely better than the 170; solid alder body and better tuners.

Sandberg California JM or JJ Supreme. Awesome, awesome basses for the money. True passive bypass on the Glockenklang preamp with no volume drop. Check it out..... You'd probably have enough change for a bit of DIY too!

Evening all! Just wondered if anyone might like to hazard a guess at how much my USA Standard Jazz might be worth. Owned from new ('98) in good condition for age. Couple of dings on the back of the neck. Lake Placid Blue ( V nice!) with rosewood 'board, through-body stringing, brand new Dimarzio Ultra Jazz pickups fitted and would give the stock pickups with it. I could sell it for less with the original pickups back in, and sell the Dimarzio's seperately. Comes in original hardcase which is a little battered and all the feet have snapped off (still, I'd rather the case take a battering than the bass!) Answers on a postcard......

Red tort or black without a doubt!

I think I find the rbx neck a little slimmer than my jazz, but not as slim as an ibanez.

[quote name='Kongo' post='1253376' date='Jun 2 2011, 12:20 AM']Difference it has over the RBX170 is a pan pot and single volume instead of 2 x volume.[/quote] And it has a solid Alder body instead of Agathis, and better quality tuners, just for the info of the OP. If you can afford a little more, the Ibanez SR300 is absolutely unbelievable for the money! I think there was a favorable review in BGM a while back (should be on their site). IMHO it's about the best [b]active[/b] budget bass around.