TJ Spicer

Way too much talking about the contrabass, which is all over the internet. Not really what Steve Bailey declared it would be at the start...

The most crazy coming together of amazing players in one video! I will watch this alll first thing in the morning... Thank you for linking!

My ebony and ash (Yamaha) is very scooped in the midrange, which works fro what I use it for. Sweeping it to the rear pickup adds a little more punch back in of course. For a more traditional band role, I've always preferred alder and ebony as it's a lot warmer to my ear, but with a more cutting attack to the notes than rosewood or maple.

I think thick necks are critical to that Vintage, thick P bass sound. That’s why I now have two Vintage, thick-necked Ps, the 50s in my video and a 59 CS... Everything with a skinnier neck didn’t manage to do it. The other bass that came close? The Yamaha attitude II, based on a thick Telecaster bass neck. It can’t be the be all and end all, but it makes a huge difference in my opinion!

I think that combination will get you there no problem. I would suggest some flats first, as those with the custom 60s pickup are renowned for vintage tone! I would suggest Tomastik flats.

Yes! Mexican Classic 50s, stock pickup. I dig it, sounds very vintage-y with round wounds too.

This is a good call! Love the model P on the Yamaha Attitudes.

This is my take on vintage and fat. Anywhere near what you're aiming for?

In fact the very same set! I’m intending to do a video with exactly the same parts as the MIM 50s video and do a direct comparison. I think they both sound good tbh and I don’t feel at all dissatisfied going back to the 50s which I’ve now strung with rounds. The difference for me is that the CS has a little more of a refined and detailed tone, in the right ways, and just feeling better in the hands. I will keep them both and use them as needed, both great instruments!

The master volume doesn’t get too far clockwise before the soundman gives me dirty looks, it must be said! 😂 Always sufficient headroom let’s say...!

Thank you! It’s a biographical musical (Bio-musical?! Sounds wrong to me 😂) that was just ‘off broadway’ in the US. Pretty good show to go along with a number of great basslines, so great fun!

After seeing this Fender Custom Shop 1959 NOS come up on the GuitarGuitar website, and seeing that it was in stock at my local store, I had to try it! I headed over there on Wednesday and compared it to the new American Original 60s P in LPB. The American Originals really are pretty killer for the price is what I discovered! I love a thicker neck on a P, and the shape they've chosen for this series remains full in the hand all the way down to to the first fret. The tone of it was nice and thick with plenty of midrange punch, a tone that reminded me of slightly overwound pickups. If anyone's thinking of one, definitely check them out, I was really impressed! (I also played a Elite V Jazz whilst there to see what the fuss was about - it's certainly impressive too, and it would definitely give my Sadowsky decent competition! I really feel Fender have massively upped their game, even over the past 12 months.) However for me, it was always going to be this CS. The woods were visibly of a higher quality (fewer/no blemishes etc.) and the pickup, whilst not as hot, retained more detail and definition, particularly with the tone rolled all the way off. The neck is similarly as thick as the AO60 from the 3rd fret onwards, with a slightly slimmer profile under the first 3 frets, which makes a lot of sense to me. This bass is an absolute joy to play and having seen my MIM Classic 50s make its way into to position as my no. 1 in recent times, (despite competition from Fodera, Sadowsky, Warwick etc. in the collection!) I can see this being my go-to for many years to come. I threw it straight into the deep end, playing it every show over the past week on the Forever Dusty UK Tour. It really is a joy with killer tone! So there we have it, I finally have my dream combination on a Fender P, without the relic-ing and for a much better price than the CS Pino! One very happy bass player! I've attached a really super short simple video I did during the week to give an idea of the tones. Now back to practice, it's been out of my hands for long enough writing this!

I can’t see these being much less than £2k and competing with the Fender Elites... Keen to play these though, I love my metro and I’m in the market for a 5 string jazz. Edit: though Thomann has these listed at around £1800 for a 5, so undercutting the Elites!

Absolutely - I dread to think given the RRP of the JP2 ?

Definitely not this model! Check the closer pickup spacing as well as cutaways. Really liking this, would love it released as a signature model. Looks a little more feasible to make than the arch-top-style semi-hollow he’s been using the last few years.

7 years of my Sadowsky. I'm only 22 though! I love it on and off, but when I come to record it always somehow makes its way onto at least a couple of tracks...