6v6

There are a quite a few build threads on tdpri which sometimes include links to diagrams, e.g: http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-home-depot/267496-jazz-bass-plans-opinions-knowledge.html http://www.gitarrebassbau.de/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=6&start=0 The Jazz bass PDF in that second link looks pretty accurate but I guess you may still need to compare with the real thing. You might also want to consider some ready made templates - from what I've read those from Ron Kirn seem well regarded but I've not (yet) tried them myself. http://ronkirntemplates.bigcartel.com/

Hartke kickback 1x12 - small, kickback/wedge shape good as you can point it up directly at you for practice and/or monitoring at gigs/rehearsal, decent sound, enough power to jam/gig with if your drummer's not too loud and/or you have PA support. Only negative point is lack of a line in for jamming with headphones which is easily solved with a little external mixer or PC audio interface. I got one used in great condition within your budget, definitely recommended.

I hate to do this, but negative feedback from me Agreed to buy a bass from this guy, we had a PM exchange and had agreed to meet in a few days time, he did not mention any other buyers, any need for a deposit to secure the bass, or any huge urgency re completing the sale (it was a "feeler" thread, which I replied to within a few hours of posting) I was very happy and excited - these particular basses don't come along used often and I've been looking for one exactly like this for *months*! Anyway, few hours after agreeing the meet, I get another PM saying sorry, the bass is now sold. No option to arrange pickup sooner, leave a deposit, pay in full and arrange courier, he just sold it to another purchaser who lived closer. I feel pretty angry and disappointed about this experience, but I guess it's the chance you take dealing with strangers on the internet. Maybe I'm old fashioned, but to me "a deal's a deal" and "first come first served" etc, so if you share those sorts of values, I'd suggest avoiding this guy as a seller.

Few more to add to the list (mix of old/new but stuff I have in my playlists atm!): Charlie Musslewhite, Paul Butterfield, Allman Brothers, Derek Trucks, Matt Schofield, Early ZZ Top, Doyle Bramhall, Joe Bonamassa, JJ Cale, Rory Gallagher, Sonny Landreth, Albert King, Peter Green

You could speak to zilla cabs: http://www.zillacabs.com/recovering.php I saw his stuff at the NEC a few years ago and it looked really good

If your son is into anything involving lots of overdrive (and/or if he's likely to want to jam with a drummer at some point), then a good starting point would be something like an old Marshall valvestate, these can be had really cheaply, and can sound pretty good, I bet you could find something like a serviceable VS65R for less than £50 and the sound will be much, much better than any new combo around that price (because it has a real tube in the preamp, and a proper 12" speaker not a tiny, tinny sounding 8" one) There are loads of good cheap options for bass amps too - I picked up a Hartke combo on here for £80 recently, and I bet there are loads of old tatty-but-bomb-proof Peaveys, Laneys etc going for very little on gumtree etc.

I think most bass amps will probably sound not very good for lead guitar (particularly if by "lead" you mean overdrive/distortion) Perhaps you could get away with something that has an auxiliary input and use an external effects unit (something like a line6 pod or anything else providing guitar-amp simulation), then the guitar could go into the aux in via the pod and the bass through the bass preamp. Personally I'd be looking for two cheap used practice amps, one for the bass and one for the guitar - IMHO any single amp solution is likely to be pretty limiting as the requirements (frequency response/preamp) for each instrument are very different.

Bit of an unusual suggestion for you, but when I went looking for a playable bass with a p-ish tone on a budget, I ended up with an Ibanez SR500 - the neck is thin and very comfortable, action is set low from the factory, and on the neck pickup with a bit of bass-boost on the active eq, IMO it does a pretty passable impression of the P-bass tone. That said, I'm still hankering for a "real" P, so I think it's worth deciding if you care about the look and feel of a Fender or just the tone (I figured out too late that I really want both, although I still think the SR is great for the money) Also FYI I noticed there is an American Deluxe P with a retrofit Jazz neck on a well known auction site atm (no affiliation with the seller, I just spotted it while browsing)

[quote name='iceonaboy' timestamp='1358102149' post='1933172'] There seems to be a lot of Fender haters on here, but I absolutely love my American Precision. The action on these guitars is always high at first. You have to play a guitar in, before you can lower the action so whats the problem? [/quote] This is not true - all of the USA precisions I played (as mentioned in my OP) needed at the least a trip to a luthier to re-cut the nut, and since the action was so high there is no way to tell if they would also need fret-levelling too. So "the problem" is that after playing in the instrument you paid £££s for, you would most likely be in line for a £100+ bill from a luthier to do what arguably they should've done in the factory. FWIW, I'm definitely not a "Fender hater", I have owned many Fender guitars (I come from a 6-string background) over the years, in-fact I still own three, two MIA strats and a MIJ Tele. None of the 6-string Fenders I've tried over the years had setup issues to the same degree as the P-basses I tried, maybe I was just unlucky or need to try a different shop.

[quote name='lobematt' timestamp='1358184009' post='1934457'] That's what I'm doing at the min, was hoping that a bass amp could be one less thing to cart around haha! We're only a 3 piece and I think our guitarist could definitely be persuaded to go amp-less. [/quote] IME what you gain by not having a big bass rig, you will lose by having to have big, heavy, expensive subwoofer cabs for your PA (assuming you have to help carry and pay for it that is!) I did a gig as others describe with a small combo (Hartke kickback 12) DI'd into a PA running 2x18" subs, 2x12" tops, with three wedges on-stage (combined with my amp which was pointed at the drummer). Sounded OK but having loads of foldback volume made for a muddy on-stage sound and I found it hard to balance the level between the foldback and my amp. [quote name='lobematt' timestamp='1358184009' post='1934457'] What sort of specs would I be looking at for a PA to handle something like this? [/quote] A starting point which would handle most sized small-mid sized venues (ie most without an in-house PA) would be something along the lines of the following (just using Mackie as an example as I own some SRM450s so am fairly familiar with the Mackie range) - 2 Mackie SRM1801 subs - 2 SRM350 or 450 tops (I'd go for the 450s if putting bass through the PA) - 3 SRM350s (or cheaper alternatives) for wedge-monitors on stage (unless going iem as others have pointed out) Combined with a compact mixer of your choice those would kick out some pretty serious volume. Of course there are loads of alternatives - you could use passive speakers and separate amps, a combined mixer/amp etc, but I personally favour the active speakers - less stuff to wire up, less need for a big rack case of amps, if one breaks down, you still have the rest and e.g could substitute a stage wedge for a top if one blew.

[quote name='Skinnyman' timestamp='1357821476' post='1928888'] Thanks all....linteresting how the consensus is for the Japanese P-bass rather than a Mexican. Any other suggestions for a decent P-bass copy? [/quote] I'm also looking for a good P-style-bass, and after suggestions here and reading various reviews, I'm adding the Lakland Skyline Bob Glaub (44-64) and the Fret-King perception to my to-try list (neither are stocked by many shops though unfortunately)

[quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1357673705' post='1926537'] The nicest P bass I have ever played was a Lakland Bob Glaub....lighweight, killer tone, amazing neck, faultless construction/fret job. What else is there? [/quote] I keep reading this - I wish there was somewhere I could try one - don't seem to be able to find anywhere which stocks them (apart from GuitarGuitar who don't have any of the 44-64 models in stock). I've also seen hardly any available used. I guess that tells you something..

[quote name='kerley' timestamp='1357716878' post='1927045'] I am pretty sure that if you took a Classic Vibe and replaced the word Squier with Fender and put a Made in USA sticker on it people woudl think the bass was worth £600. As I am not a nationalistic American I don't care if an American or a Chinese person made the thing and not sure why having it made in America is such a big deal. Manufacturing and QC are the same all over the world and if the processes in a Chinese factory are better than those in an American factory the better bass will be the Chinese one (assuming parts used are the same) [/quote] Well it's largely a historical thing isn't it - the quality of far-eastern manufactured instruments has improved dramatically over the last few years, and whereas previously USA == good QC, skilled workers, premium materials, and China == less-good QC, unskilled workers, budget materials, nowadays this is no longer true, so it seems the country of origin has much less relevance as a metric for evaluating the quality of the finished product than it once did.

[quote name='kerley' timestamp='1357577376' post='1924762'] Unless there is an actual fault with the bass (i.e. dodgy neck) then any bass can be made to play and feel good. I have made £99 basses feel and play great. What I can't do is change what they are made of (quality and type of woods and fit and finish) and what I can change (components - hardware, pickups electronics) all adds up in price. So setup of the is irrelevant when buying a bass but yet very important when testing it! As long as it sounds good and just needs adjustments in playability does it even matter? [/quote] So I see your point, but IMHO, setup is only one of several components which affect the playability of any guitar/bass: - Quality/accuracy of fretwork/fret-dress - Quality/accuracy of fretboard (can't get a low action if there are any major humps) - Quality of neck join (avoid shimming, tighter join == better resonance) - Weight (indirect playability/comfort/resonance/sustain) I agree that nowadays cheap instruments are really very good due to the prevalence of CNC machinery etc, but you can't dismiss setup as irrellevant, otherwise you may find that the bass you've acquired needs loads of expensive fret levelling work doing, re-cut nut, neck shimming etc - all of which is well beyond a few tweaks with an allen key and well beyond most "mere mortals" ability in terms of setup (ie me ) I for one feel much more comfortable (particularly with a fairly high priced instrument) getting something which is already "in the ballpark" setup wise, as it gives me much better confidence that the construction is all good, and that the setup can be tweaked to my preferences without major luthier attention - taking a gamble on an expensive bass with like 8mm action at the 12th fret is just not worth it IMHO, but each to their own

Thanks to all for the responses Pretty sad reflection on USA Fenders when the overwhelming conclusion to my "I want a nice-playing ~1K USA Precision" question is "buy a cheap Chinese made copy" Still, as I said above, I'm not bothered by the manufacturer, so if that works out then the there will be money for other gear with the money saved I guess /me considers the CV precision in the classifieds...

[quote name='redstriper' timestamp='1357564968' post='1924487'] It would be interesting to compare a few Fender clones with the real thing blind fold. I think the Faridas would come out very well indeed, mine hasn't needed any adjustments since buying new - perfect intonation, action and relief. It was £149 and is easily as good if not better than any new Fender or Lakland that I've played. I suggest closing your eyes and opening your mind. [/quote] Well I'm open to any manufacturer - If I can find a nice, light, resonant P, with good playability and tone for £149 I'll be over-the-moon, I don't care what's on the headstock tbh. The Faridas appear to be J-bass style only, and have gone up to £299 according to the dawsons website.

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1357563222' post='1924456'] Just sounds like a simple case of a lazy dealer who can't be bothered to set their basses up properly. Was it, by any chance, a 'generalist' dealer that focuses much more on guitars than basses? [/quote] Yes, they did have ~50 basses, but the majority of their stock was guitars, so maybe I should head for somewhere more bass-specific. To be fair to them the sales guy did say they'd do a setup if I bought one, but by that point I'd become pretty sure it wasn't the best place to buy from anyway due to the state of all the stuff on display - as you say, lazy dealer, 30seconds with a couple of Allen keys would've improved things a lot (apart from the nut issues)

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1357564312' post='1924474'] With Fender all things are possible . Some need a bit of work to get them to play nicely , some are great straight out of the box . There is a degree of pot luck in that , but it sounds like the o.p is savvy enough to know about things like nut height ect so can at least play some and try to find a good one . In any instance , it's unlikely that a Fender bass will be slick to play with the setup that came from the factory ; they usually need a bit of tweaking on this side of the Atlantic , and as Molan points out , a lot of dealers are just too lackadasical to do it . If you want a Fender style bass that is really slick to play I would agree with Bob that Lakland are well worth investigating . The small and narrow vintage - style frets also impart a different feel to the modern Fenders which might be more to your taste . Try one and see . [/quote] Thanks, I had considered a Lakland Skyline of some variety but will have to travel a bit to somewhere which stocks them - sounds like that may be a worthwhile journey so will plan to check some out.

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1357559609' post='1924352'] Well it sounds as if the basses weren`t set up to your preference, but I recently bought a 2011 US Precision and I couldn`t be happier with it. Of course, the difference here is that whenever I play a bass that isn`t a Fender Precision, I experience much the same as you, it just doesn`t feel right. So as well as set-up being a personal thing, there`s always the possibility that, set-up aside, Fender Precisions just aren`t for you. Just like me & Jazzes, I`d love one, but they`re just not "me". [/quote] This is a good point, but I started out dabbling in bass many years ago on a (borrowed) early Mex Precision, and loved it - when I came to buy a few years back the SR500 was much much more playable than any of the cheaper Fenders (Mex stuff seemed to have gone downhill at that point), so I got it planning to "upgrade" to a US Fender if I got more seriously into bass (which I now have) I've now got a bit of a conundrum seeing as I didn't get on with these P's. Maybe I've just been spoilt by the easy neck on the Ibanez, but I don't like the active pickups and really miss the Fender P tone.. [quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1357559609' post='1924352'] Re the CIJ/MIJ query - well the necks on these are some of the best I`ve played. There are usually two different types, standard and US version - as in PB60US as oppose to PB60. with these the body is made of alder, rather than basswood, though whether or not that makes a difference I couldn`t say, not having played a basswood CIJ. [/quote] Thanks, this is useful, considering trying a CIJ/MIJ and factoring in a pro setup and new strings - should work out much much cheaper than the US ones and by the sounds of it may play just as well if not better?

Hi All, Yesterday, after several months of saving and selling stuff, I went to a local well-respected guitar shop with the intention of buying a US standard Fender precision. However I was really disappointed by the playability of all of the basses I tried (2010, 2011 and 2012 American Standard, FSR ash, Mex special, US and mex standard Jazzes) I've currently got a Ibanez SR500, and it's easy to play, with a nice low action - I wasn't expecting the same slickness with the Fenders (having a much fatter neck), but the setup on all of the basses I tried was terrible - the nut on every single bass needed cutting *much* lower, the truss rods were all poorly adjusted (way too much relief), and the saddles were *way* too high on most of them. Most of them (with the exception of the FSR) were also really pretty heavy and non-resonant too - the FSR was the best from this perspective, but I didn't like the maple fingerboard or the neck profile. Is this typical of the QC of from-the-factory USA Fenders? I understand that it can be difficult to find a really good, resonant Fender without paying mega money, but these basic playability flaws I found pretty shocking. I had intended to buy a new bass then go to a rehearsal followed by a gig, but I just couldn't see how I could've played any of these basses for 5+hours without major discomfort, so I left empty handed and did the session with the Ibanez.. Can anyone share any pointers - are the CIJ/MIJ basses any better?

I can't claim any experience, but this video I found useful to better understand the differences between the different cab configurations (compares three Berg cabs, 2x15, 4x12 and 6x10 with the same amp): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyTpxbYNhoo

[quote name='Myke' timestamp='1353975086' post='1880516'] This bass is starting to sound better and better! I quite like the look of it, which isn't surprising since I own a thunderbird But what do you think about the slap tones? As Lawrence has said his sounded pretty dark how about you? [/quote] TBH I don't really do slap bass at all - I'm pretty much a 100% fingerstyle blues/rock type player, hence for 99% of the time it stays on the neck pickup, where it does a fairly reasonable impression of a P-bass to my ears. On the bridge pickup with a bit of mid-treble boost it certainly isn't dark at all, but the way I generally set up the controls it does sound pretty dark, which is the way I like it

Fender US Precision in natural or black with rosewood fingerboard

[quote name='zzaass' timestamp='1354063563' post='1881740'] Will this make it to the shops over here ? [url="http://www.musiciansfriend.com/bass/fender-american-standard-hand-stained-ash-precision-bass"]Fender American Standard Hand-Stained Ash Precision Bass Amber [/url] Order Now! Expected to ship 01-18-2013 [u][color=#0066CC][/color][/u] [/quote] Oh no - I hope they don't start selling one like that with a rosewood fingerboard or I'll definitely have to get one...