BassBod

I recently got a red CV Squier P bass - very good for the money. But you'll get better value buying a used bass of higher quality, maybe an earlier Japanese Squier or Tokai? Have a look at the ads here and take your time.

Hugh Manson's basses are great, and I know he's JPJ's tech etc - but I do get tired of the JPJ associations and marketing.....can someone else please do some endorsing for him and the shop?? Thinking about it, Manson must be about the only bass Mark King has never played, at least that would make a change...

My Sadowsky doesn't pick up phones any worse than my others - but the Alembic Epic is probably the most vulnerable. Its got very low output pickups and I guess a pretty powerful gain boost....but also very good (silver paint and ferrite bead?) shielding. I'd be interested to hear what Sadowsky's response is. I know Alembic are fairly open about it, and offer (expensive?) upgrades for their old electronics.

At one point I had a Bravewood Jbass with no neck..and a maple necked Bravewood Pbass. I had to try it, obviously, and the one piece big profile Pbass neck sounded amazing - really strong lows and bright attack, but also very very clear. Part of it was the all maple construction, but also it was huge profile and mass of the neck - it was a lot more wood than a normal "skinny" J neck. I've now got a Sadowsky PJ hybrid with maple J neck. The brightness and quick attack to the notes is there, and it sounds great. But I fancy it hasn't got the balls of the P bass Bravewood experiment??

I know..I know! But I learned to love the DI and it made it lot easier for me to leave the big boxes at home, particularly playing EUB. The bigger sound of upright bass really freaks some engineers, (even without a body to feedback) so give 'em a less threatening amp/cab and a DI they recognise and they usually respond much better. Makes for a happier gig - honestly. I have no problem letting someone else supply/transport the pa..for the record. Doesn't worry me one little bit.

Ummm...you won't like this...but learn to love the DI. Big heavy cabs are big heavy cabs, and if you are not playing big stages with plenty of helping hands (and backs) they will always be a problem. I still think my old SWR set up sounds fantastic, but I only use it a couple of times a year - most of my work is "stealth gigging" where I have to be in and out quick and easy, and there is little room for big black boxes and no need for that sort of volume...and probably no stage. I use your old Bag End cab a lot Keep the big Mesa cab..and enjoy it where it fits. The Barefaced approach is the best I've seen so far, and given your comments I'd try out the 2x12 - its probably much more detailed than the Mesa 12s, would give a you a "big" sound but also be very managable and a bit smaller. And the grill cloth looks a bit retro.... Good luck

IF thats the deal, it should be fine. Everyone knows you won't be getting rich from pub gigs..even the Revenue. Just record what you were paid, the miles it took to get there and any other immediate expenses that were "necessarily incurred".

I'd be very very surprised if anyone ever actually paid £1800 for a Metro...I'm sure there are deals to be done I got mine here, virtually new, for a lot less, so I have to assume the original owner didn't take a massive hit on the trade value.

Flats tend to feel "stiffer" to play than rounds, so I wouldn't go for a heavy guage without thinking it through first. They can also put a lot more tension on your bass neck, and the nut may require some work with a file, so some adjustments may be needed. Do a search here and on Talkbass - you will find lots of opinions and experiences. The favourites tend to be Labella's or Thomastiks - very different strings but both flats. I'd suggest Overwater or Status flats as a starting point as they are cheaper and standard guage, but give you the flatwound sound without extreme (or lack of) tension or cost. Good luck

Self assessment - I do it online. Its really just a case of being very organised with your records, and realistic about your expenses. I declare everything I earn (mainly gigs, some college teaching) and my significant expenses - mileage, consumables (strings and batteries) and sometimes a new suit for function gigs (where I make the most £). Unless you're very successful you won't pay tax on your musical earnings. My ambition remains to earn enough (after expenses) to pay tax....funny world.....

Really, nobody likes dirty maple - worn old nitro'd maple maybe...but not plain grubby grey. Put a light sealer coat of Rustins on at least, and stick to traditional plunky flats...it'll sound great.

Depends on strings and how hard you play, but it would chew up fairly quickly with steel rounds....but more of a problem is dirt. Maple goes a nasty grey and shows the grime very quickly. The hard finish also gives more of growl/whine than wood alone.

Bought Etienne's old jazz body....easy transaction, arrived very quickly packaged to perfection. Exactly as described. A credit to the gear frenzied world that is BassChat

I've done a couple of superglue boards - it really isn't difficult, as you only need a very thin layer. The only thing is each coat softens the previous slightly, so drying time increases as you buid it up - and you don't want to breathe the fumes too much. But the end result is great, provided the fingerboard is profiled well to start with... I'd never thought of Rustins - is it melamine? I've used it very diluted for fake oil finishes on maple necks, but I've never thought of using it for a fingerboard coating.

I've had some non-sense emails from Amazon..so I'd be interested to know what's happening before I cancel my order...

You could also try "Dom in Somerset" - a member here who undertakes repairs for a local shop. There is a list here somewhere at the top....

Thomastik flats are the bizz (not quite buzzzzz) on fretless, but you may have to adjust your set up for their floppy feel. I also love DR Sunbeams (nickel rounds) for a warmer "jaco" tone

[quote name='Dom in Somerset' post='892548' date='Jul 12 2010, 09:37 AM']I was very much taken with an Alembic that I tried (I'm told , one of their cheaper ones) anyone know the model? Growly tones that I'd never be allowed to use![/quote] Called an Epic - supposedly cheaper, due to a glued in neck (not thru) and thinner/simpler finish. Its got the sound, but luckily no filters for eq- love 'em, but they scare me!

A big thanks to the organisers - where else could you hear a pipe/bass guitar/drum trio on Sunday afternoon.. Big surprsise for me was the Jeff Finch 6 string - beautiful construction and the first sixer I could imagine playing.

Kevin bought a Stingray today - good communication, travelled here and paid as agreed etc. Nice chap and will happily deal with again - recommended, with no reservations!

Amp wise I'm thinking of just bringing some preamp exotica - Alembic F2B with SWR MR Tone controls - Pure valvey goodness and mega para-tweakability you really just don't need! But its just fun.

Sorry, I've no idea. I would get one from a European (German?) source before UK, as it always seems to be cheaper, and also probably cheaper direct from SWR? Try an email, or better a call and see if they'll deal with you directly. It was a while ago, but I've had some helpful replies (small replacement parts and circuit plans) from SWR in the past.

From memory, it depends on the age. Earlier (up to late 1990's?) had a transformer that could be re-wired, but they moved to fitting different transformers for USA/Europe models. If you look under the technical support area on their site, I think there is a statement about it. Worse case, you can probably buy a replacement to suit but it will cost.

I've got a virtually new Ritter one here - might come with a nice Stingray inside for around £40......not the best bag in the world, but its ok?