Bigwan

[quote name='phil.i.stein' post='696564' date='Dec 30 2009, 06:15 PM']that is pure porn, like a nissan gt-r with strings.. [/quote] Yeah... dirty...

Hi guys, I'm on the lookout for a Fender Precision (see my sig) and the only new offering that really fits the bill is the Fender Highway One Precision. I've never played one (and am unlikely to since I'm in Northern Ireland - a veritable musical instrument wasteland!) but it looks good. Anyone have any experience of these? They're certainly well priced for a new US made Fender! Cheers Ian

What about a barefaced vintage cab and a markbass littlemark or Hartke LH500 head?

I've seen worse believe it or not. In Sound Control (as was... I think. Not the Jamaica St. one) in Glasgow. 70's Fender Jazz, Sunburst, rosewood neck, blocked and bound, tort pickguard. If I stopped there you'd think it sounded class... except some bright spark had removed the binding on the neck and tried to slim the neck to the new fingerboard width (very badly). They'd also re-routed the pickup routes for bigger than standard pickups (while drunk I think) and modified the pickguard accordingly (also badly - SO much bigger than the pickup routes!). Also battered to hell and back. The sort of bass that any right thinking human being would be take out back and put out of its misery... played like an absolute dog. They were still looking 1700 quid for it... ALL ORIGINAL apparently! LOL

It won't last. I was GAS free (and thought I hated P-basses) until I played a really nice '66 Precision on honeymoon. Now I'm as GASsy as a really GASsy thing... It's still there and I still have a credit card. Could get messy... Edit: scratch that - it's gone now (the bass, not the GAS)

I'm actually the opposite of you mate. I had EMGs and a BT circuit in my corvette and got tired of them and went back to the passive MEC pickups and standard passive electronics. I have to say I'd be tempted by the ACG filter pre if it were me. Been considering one for my Shuker for quite some time (currently set up with EMGs and standard volume/volume/tone).

On a recent trip to NYC (Honeymoon) I got to play loads of really impressive, boutique and vintage basses, as well as all the standard fair. Strangely there are 3 basses from the trip that stick out in my mind as awesome. A Sadowsky PJ in burgundy mist(!) (@ the Sadowsky shop), a refinished '66 Fender Precision (@ Rudy's on 48th St.) and a Squier Classic Vibe Jazz (@ Guitar Centre on 14th St. - what a horrible place by the way! Cheap though)... the Squier's in pretty good company there I think! I would add that I'd buy a Squier CV 60s P-bass in a shot, but I'm not a fan of the colour. If it were Olympic white with tort (like the jazz) I'd have one already!

The only advice I'd give is to not buy westfield or anything like that. Stick with a good name. Sure you could spend £100 on a bass, but if you spend up to your budget and later decide bass isn't for you (but then again why would you!) the thing'll at least have some resale value - see my sig below for an example of what you can expect to get as a return for a westfield.... Budget for a decent gig bag too. Haven't played the new Squiers, but haven't heard a bad report about them so that's a good place to start - the classic vibe jazz would be my choice. Also consider Yamaha, Ibanez (the ATK300 is an excellent bass), Rockbass (by Warwick). The Cort Curbow is also a nice starter bass, if a little odd looking. Good luck and let us know how you get on!

I'd say a closer analogy (I read here the other day actually) would be that a 55-01 is like the caterham 7 overtaking the ferrari...

Why not consider the 55-01 instead? Much wider range of replacement pickups available. I was playing mine last night and of all the basses I've owned it's the one that feels RIGHT every time (but then the 55-02 would feel exactly the same I suppose so UP THE LAKIES! Good choice of a bass to mod). I'd go for either an ACG/East filter pre or one of the Audere pres. It'll be one of these I'll go for if the NTMB in my 55-01 doesn't agree with the Nordy DCs I'm about to fit.

Yummy! They're both gorgeous, and if I had the cash I'd take both of them off you. Not quite sure what the going rate for CIJs is at the minute though...

So last night I was pretty much dragged, kicking and screaming to a Will Young gig. Was not looking forward to it at all. Not my thing this X-factor/pop-idol generation of nonsense. Started out pretty well - support band were great. After they finished up I started to notice the things only bass players notice - Mojo'd P-bass, Aguilar rig (AG500 and 2 DB112s - nice), Reddi tube di.... at which point there's something jumping up and down in my head trying to get my attention. That rig sounds familiar, but surely not... Once the Young-ster got going and the curtains that were covering the band were raised I realised my initial guess was totally right - it was only PAUL bleedin' TURNER (I suppose the man's got to get paid since Jamiroquai aren't doing an awful lot at the minute)! My interest in the gig suddenly went from non-existent to full on. He didn't get to step out much but there were some tasty fills thrown in throughout, along with some nice upright playing (NS electric of some description). Made for a not so terrible night after all! On top of that the Young-ster can actually sing... who'd have thought it. Anyone else have a similar silver lining story?

Sand that beatch down and oil her up - she'd look like new! Although I do like the mojo it has going on. £490 was a bargain!

Sounds a bit odd. Only time I've seen anything like this it was the battery in the tuner on its way out.