BaggyMan

I really enjoy saving a bass from bad setup hell but am amazed that fellow low enders gig with them like that. Sure some setting are subjective based on how it feels like action .., but intonation being so far out the the thing is out of tune above the 12th fret....odd

So there are many and sometimes quite heated discussions about music theory read/not read/tab ..whatever. But here's a thing, I work hard at actually having my basses set up right, action at a decent level, neck relief and intonation set. Three very basic settings on a bass and crucial to tuning and play-ability. Yet I have traded a few basses in the last year for some of my cupboard queens and blimey the basses i have traded for, big names, basses you'd pay over say £600 for.. The tradees (is that a thing?) say said bass is a daily player and they gig regularly with it. An example of which was decent name £1000+ 5 string i traded a few months back, the action was scary high the neck relief was 'banana-esque' and the intonation was about 5mm out on each saddle AND the neck needed a shim as all the saddles were on the deck. I could see the diamond in the rough and post setup its awesome, but really? it was un-tunable and difficult to play. It amazes me that there are some simple to understand videos on you tube (Daves world of fun stuff is also quite funny) yet i know many fellow bass players who just don't understand the simple mechanics of their instrument. One guy doesn't even change his strings, he pays someone else to do that. This seems to be pretty common, some of the basses that Dave (from Daves world..) aren't even strung correctly. Weird....

lol. Oh yes I have had many many NBD over the 38 years of playing I have under the belt. Max number of basses ? 13, in total something like 150...

Gigged my sire v3 5 string on Saturday at a festival. Stayed in tune, nothing fell of and the intonation remained constant...unlike the player who was inconsistent and skill level fell off near the end... Only joking all was good and sounded great. very pleased.

Yep agree, have owned four all have ben fine.

So here's a thing. Back a few years ago when the Sire Marcus Miller V7 was a very new and slightly bewildering thing, I bought one and was very happy with it. I am slightly ashamed to admit to being a shiny things magpie and went off playing 5 stringers and great though it was it sat there. So eventually sold it to a buddy then ..well bought another one about 6 months later, this time with a Nordstrand pickup upgrade, super lovely... offered as a swap for something else and boom gone again. So that was a few years ago, but have been tempted back by the budget line V3, same pre-amp, same layout slightly more of an all round and imho now better finished than the early ones, bass. Very impressed, straight out the box, intonation was good, two minutes with the bridge and action and what a great bass for £300. Fret and fretboard finish is exemplary. Pickups have been changed to the better I think.. Anyway NBD...

out of the box, it came from a collector so not played that much. Fret work is excellent, decent fretboard wood (brown...) not nasty fret ends. Quilt maple top red trans finish, fade to black on sides and back. Warwick style tuners, jazz bass layout. Action was a little high for my taste so cranked that down, deciding that in the end a shim on the neck would give a bit more adjustment on the bridge. Did that and all good. Bad points?, Hmmm nothing huge, string spacing is a little narrow (17mm at the bridge). Bridge is inset into the body so changing it out would be less than straight forwards. The bridge it self is a floating block design with locking screws. Setting the intonation was a little fiddly. If I chance on a screw adjustable version that will fit the rebate I will swap it out. No active /passive switching that I can see. Which I don't use anyway on my Warwick so...just sayin' Its ready to gig and looking forward to it as tonally its great with vol vol treble and bass controls. Flexible and decent pre amp/pickups (EMG Hz) matched nicely. Overall fit and finish is great.

Well, I have owned a considerable number of basses in the last 38 years. A couple of which were spectors, a 5 string euro lx, and a 5 string legend. Both lovely and very capable. So there is was on the auction site that must be not be named and a glass of wine or two and a PayPal debit later and boom I am now the owner of a coda 4. Curly maple top, fantastic neck, tone pump pre amp if I am not mistaken and with a bit of fettling plays great, great tone and super low action. Yet, not much out there info wise. ?? I know there are Far East and us versions...but are the Far East ones still in production??. Whatever, impressed. Anyone with more details..?

The why so many thing. I have gone through phases in 38 years of playing, mainly circling around Fender-esque designs, Jazz-is neck. Always loved the sound of a stingray and have have owned a number of those over the years, selling when I didn't use it much..regretting it and buying again. So I have a p bass, a Jazz bass a couple of stingrays (2 and 3 band) a Warwick, a 5 string and a fretless I hardly touch but love it all the same. I have owned some weird and wonderful beasts, and Ibanez eda905 for example..bonkers. It has been and still is fun. For some its a one bass fits all game and power to them if it makes them happy. Some gigs I fancy a no nonsense no batteries no hassle beast of burden so p bass ...natch. Other night active and so on. All part of the party, shame the death of the second hand market at the moment has pull the handbrake on.

I have owned over 200 basses since 1980, some stay a long time others no so much. Current stable Zemaitis fretless (1989) Ibanez sr1405 Sterling by Musicman Ray 34 Sterling Sub 4 Warwick Thumb 4 string (2010) P bass bitsa J bass Bitsa Wow thats the least number I have had in ages. (and two are up for sale as well.). Getting old I guess.

Oh yeah and another the peavey b quad 4 and 5...

Having been a rather enthusiastic proponent of the art of G.A.S (something like 200 guitars in 30 something years..) I have sometimes wondered why some models of bass just fade away or worse replaced by something uglier/cheaper/nastier. Main transgressor in my book is Yamaha. The BB series soldiers on but in my eyes at least, the 424x, 1024x, 20214x (and the five stringers) were blooming lovely, designed down to the nicest detail. The replacements? meh. And more strangely the Attitude bass range. The Billy Sheehan is the only one left but with a huge price tag. I am sure a modern version of the attitude would sell. Any models you feel makers have consigned to history should get a second chance??

wow I even pointed the mis-spell out around page 2 or 3

welcome to page 4

club exotica (spelled correctly now..) where the seediest of bass players can ply their dark trade using implements of pornographic intensity...is that a gaylord I see?..yes it is sonny, yes it is.