Jono Bolton

I've used stiff business cards in the past but I've got one in a drawer at work that's made of quite thin, recycled brown card, so that's going to be my primary candidate.

Thanks. I've shimmed before but I've never really fully understood when a shim is necessary; I think in my youth I did it because I'd heard of other people doing it. It's far from being unplayable at the moment but I'll maybe give it a go over the weekend.

I used a Hercules mini on a Jazzmaster with no bother, it just took an extra second or two to get it to sit securely.

I finally got round to adjusting the action on my P Bass on Friday, and have managed to get the action reasonably low (2-3mm at the 12th fret), however the G string could stand to be a little lower still but the saddle is currently sitting on the bridge plate. The neck is straight with a little relief. Is a shim the only way to get the action lower than it is at the moment?

Assuming I was going to get the cash equivalent of my rig's current value, I'd probably stick with what I have. My bass was £200, my head was £100, and the cab I'm considering is about £180, so for under £500 I doubt I could get better. I could maybe get equivalent, but not better. The issue would be finding the same head and bass (Peavey Mark IV and Squier Matt Freeman) for those prices again. Ignoring the price but remaining realistic as to what I could afford, I wouldn't mind getting something like an Acoustic 220 if I couldn't get another Peavey. If I could arrange transport, there's a very nice old Peavey 4x12 in the north of England on ebay just now that I'd like. I'd probably be satisfied with a Squier CV P Bass or James Johnston Jazz if there wasn't a Matt Freeman available.

I think I could definitely do this. Since leaving my band, I find myself looking at gear but with no real interest. I barely play the one bass I have. Maybe I'm content with it; maybe I'm bored. Maybe what I need is a shiny new bass to give me a kick up the derrière and start playing again...

What are people's experiences with delivery times for order from Thomann? I'm looking at something that's in stock, and the timeframe for delivering to the UK is 3-4 working days. I've got a day off on Friday 11th so I'm trying to work out when I should place the order so that it arrives when I'm in, although these things are a lottery and there's every chance that it'll turn up the day before, or the day after when I'm not in.

The Fender Mark Hoppus Precision has a Precision neck on a Jazz body, but then it has a P Bass pickup so probably doesn't count.

My Matt Freeman doesn't seem to move, regardless of what the weather does. I went from some skinny D'Addario rounds (.040 to .100) to some heavy Fender flats (.055 to .110) a few weeks ago and expected to have to tweak the neck after a day or two of settling in, but so far I've not had to do anything. A "strong and stable" bass.

For years, I played through an Ashdown ABM300 (Evo II) and found it to be a really nice and versatile amp, however I sold it on when I picked up my Peavey Mark IV as it was more suitable for the band I was playing at the time (heavy, and loud). I'm half tempted to return to the Ashdown fold as there's a good deal on an ABM locally that I quite fancy.

Sage green was an old MIM colour from the early 2000s and wasn't that popular if I recall, but I had a Jazz in that colour and when I sold it 3-4 years ago, folk were going daft for it. Got to say, I really don't like all these variations of Jag bass that don't have the full set of Jag switches and control plates. That big expanse of plastic guard just looks cheap.

That's a nice bit of wood! Never seen black dots and binding on a maple neck before either, I quite like it.

Saw the release video on Fender's Facebook page this morning; this was definitely the standout in the range. I'm a fan of the Tidepool Blue finish as well. Glad they've gone with a different logo to the horrible 70s-style logo that the Mexican Standards have.

Andy bought my p bass pickguard through a Facebook group; he was quick to pay after we agreed the price, top man to deal with!

Apologies if this should be in a different section, but does anyone have any recommendations for learning jazz bass? I listen to it, I understand chord structures, but when it comes to walking baselines and jazz bass in general, to quote the great Danny Dyer, "I just can't get me nut around it". Does anyone have any recommendations for a simpleton like me?

Similar story for me; I bought a bass from Clarky, who bought it from Old Horse Murphy, that I subsequently sold back to OHM, that I wish I hadn't. I often wonder where it is and if it's possible to try and track down.

I bought a set of Fender flats from Tony; quick to reply to messages, posted quickly, as described and keenly priced, can't complain! Thanks again Tony!