Sean

Jack Bruce's NS-2 

https://www.digimart.net/cat03/shop5033/DS09888998/

Jack owned this. PJ Rubal has given it the thumbs up. 

The switches are killswitch and phase switch. I'd love a factory fitted killswitch. 

Walnut wings, Badass bridge. 

Sadly, JB moved on to Warwick after this. 

To save you doing the conversion, it's £35k. 

16 minutes ago, SteveXFR said:

 

I learnt that one last year. It really is good and more tricky than I expected, mostly because of the weird rhythms. All REM bass lines are great to play.

Mike Mills is always a reference for me. Learning Kenneth and then using those ideas in other songs is valuable. Not just that song but as a concept. I like to play with concepts to help composition like, trying to come up with what Mike Mills might play on Sweet Child of Mine as a simple example. It makes you think about applying what he does over something that exists that you only have certain scope with. And in the band I've just left, I did a sort of "What Would Duff McKagan Do" over Summer of '69. Well, if you want me to play certain songs in a non-tribute, low-pay setting, I need to get some fun or benefit out of it! 

On 16/11/2025 at 08:04, Steve Browning said:

Annoying things? Not being able to play something you want to.

I've always wanted to play What's the Frequency, Kenneth? 

It's never happened and isn't likely to. I love that bass line.

1 hour ago, Mrbigstuff said:

Could be anyone on the end of an account. If they set one up to wind people up they’re unlikely to be honest about who they are.

Whatever. It's just descended into what most Basschat threads become, it's us lot talking absolute nonsense.  

I sometimes visit Bajistas.org, a Spanish language bass forum, they'd never have threads like this. They're still trying to decide whether a P or a J is best or whether a PJ is a happy balance or a complete abominación of el Diablo. 

2 minutes ago, Jackroadkill said:

 

But you're the guy with a metre and a half of wood in your hand - they'd have to be mental to take you on!

I don't know about a Zon but in 2009 I despatched an attacker at a wedding gig with an NS5-XL. Neck through, solid maple wings, Haz pre-amp. Proper weapon. I missed the Middle 8 but the keys guy covered me with some tasty left hand work. 

33 minutes ago, fretmeister said:

 

One one hand I want to correct them, but I'd probably get really annoyed and do the "if I sell this I can buy 10 of them" type things...

and on the other I don't want to get mugged in the car park!

 

As it happens I did sell it and still didn't buy a Fender!

Sorted. No conversation required. Just smile and nod.

10 minutes ago, fretmeister said:

 

 

I did a jazz gig with a Zon Hyperbass once - and someone asked me if one day I hoped to be able to get a Fender?

 

FFS.

I've had quite a few Japanese Yamaha BBs and I’ve had that exact experience a few times. So much so that one of my friends, who’s a drummer who has been there and seen it happen, asks me every time he sees me, “Bought a Fender yet, mate?”. It never gets old.

8 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

And lastly it`s mostly being invisible, bah!

A couple of months ago I went with the guitarist and singer to chat with the landlady and get our money. We were standing together in a kind of circle and the landlady looked at me apologetically and told me me that if I wanted a drink before last orders that Jason the barman would serve me and that she was busy dealing with the guys from the band as she pointed to the other two. 

That kind of thing happens all the time. 

We played one venue where the landlord and his missus wanted a photo taken with the band. As we were forming the huddle, he told me he'd take one with me in it after they'd taken the one with just "me, the missus and the band". I went back to packing up. 

Something that annoys some but for me is a huge bonus; no one is interested in your gear. There always seems to be so much interest in the guitarists' gear, they have Fender and Marshall and huge pedal boards and loads of brands that the bedroom brigade are familiar with.

Only twice this year did anyone ask me anything about my gear and that was, "Is that a Warwick?". To which I replied, "Um, no" and the other was recently where some chap was pointing at my rig and calling to his mates, "Look! It's an old Mesa Boogie!". 

On 11/11/2025 at 09:48, Misdee said:

What I can say is that my new CST is a meticulously-made bass and very good value for money in the current new bass market considering it costs substantially less than something like a new Stingray Special or a German-made Sadowsky Metroline ect.. 

On 11/11/2025 at 10:28, cetera said:

 the Euro range are 95% there. As long as you have EMGS, add an LHZ preamp and noone would know the difference.

When you factor these statements in, which I more than agree with, they are relatively good value. I had no real feel for Musicman prices but having just looked, I think a Euro is very competitive. 

🍿🤔

When is it landing? 

I got a set of XT 45-100 "Used like New" yesterday for £19. The code worked and they're like new. £27 is the usual price. 

2 hours ago, Beedster said:

 

My BB2024X (maple board unusually) was one of the best basses I've owned also. Oddly I never gigged it, always picking up Fenders. If I had one now it would probably be staying and doing a lot of gigs 👍

I'd love to get hold of that BB2024MX

2 hours ago, Misdee said:

More's to the point, I'd be very interested in the fullness of time to hear about any perceived differences in sound and overall feel between these new S.E versions and previous offering with the Caribbean Burst and maple board.

I've got maple, ebony and rosewood board Euros, all with EMGs and the same HAZ-clones and they're all different in sound. The ebony is really snappy and tight. The maple is brighter than the rosewood.  At the SW Bash opinion was split between the ebony and maple but with strong preferences either way. Then there's my CRFM with rosewood board and brass bridge and that's in a world of its own even with the EMGs and Haz-clone. It's much nastier but it has got different strings to the others. 

2 minutes ago, prowla said:

Is it tuned BEAD?

Nooooo. Don't! We'd have to do a 50 page thread on recutting brass nuts!

15 minutes ago, Paulhauser said:

Is the carve of the necks are so different? 😮 

I’m sure Gary will chime in soon but, yes. The Desert Island is what I think is "Ian HIll", my Peacock is the more standard “meaty” carve. The CRFM I’ve got is skinnier than the IH (but not Doug-like, more like the Tobacco Kramer) and I’ve got a 2018 LX EX (Zebra) that is like a baseball bat. Fortunately, I get on with most profiles unless they're super skinny or ridiculously big. I don’t think I’d get on with a DW.

Another thing...

The black hardware with that purple… Uffff! 🤠 

2 minutes ago, Paulhauser said:

Thanks @Sean

I am a fan of the Euros, too and have always been. Great basses that come close to (or in my experience can match up with) US models. 

Yesterday at the bash we @cetera had a fascinating geek-out comparing a pair of recent 2024-25 Euros, Gary’s "Desert Island” with the maple board vs my “Peacock” with the ebony board. Both Japan Exclusives. Very different carve necks, slightly different nut widths, EMG vs EMGx, Spector tuners vs Gotoh Resolite on the "Desert Island”. Both shipped with the DG. Agreed on the Euros. The small batch or special run Euros can be awesome. Not that the “catalogue” ones aren’t amazing 😉 

There's so much to say about yesterday's bash. 

Sorry, my phone died so I've got no photos of my own. 

A big thanks to @Mike Brooksfor hosting the talks with Matt from Monty's and also with Chris Childs. Really insightful and lots learned. 

FYI, the Monty's basses/pickups were played through a GK Legacy 800 with a more or less flat setting going into an LFSys Monaco. The first P bass (the Retro Wind) and the 4th (the green J) were absolutely stunning for me. 

One of the big insights for me from yesterday was the subtle differences between basses that are "the same". Andy's Hamer Chapparal B12L has some subtle differences to mine and feels a bit different on the strap. 

The big eye-openers came from comparing Spectors. Even Euro LX models from the same year have differences in neck carve, tuners, pickups and nut width, let alone all the cosmetic and wood choice differences. 

Phil's speaker comparison was insightful again. The acoustics of the venue made it a different experience to what it was in Taunton four weeks ago. It certainly made a mockery of a comment I heard recently where a chap who was looking at my LFSys Monaco said, "I wouldn't get on with that, I only like 10s". 

I got home 40m ago.  

What a fabulous day out.

I'll post some proper comments tomorrow but for now, a huge thanks to Paul, Paul and Gary for pulling it together and also to everyone who went and made it such a great experience. 

23 minutes ago, razor5cl said:

 and the combination of the split and single coil pickups together just sounds magic, no other bass seems to really manage it.

You are teetering on the brink of owning a Spector... 

I've got 3 Jap BBs but nothing does the PJ magic like a Spector. 

Very classy indeed. I'm a huge fan of limited edition Euros and these are absolutely gorgeous. 

The capability of NBE in producing such stunning basses is very impressive. 

I'll have two with me tomorrow. Another incoming.  

Well played, @cetera @Paulhauser, lovely stuff. 

Yamaha is a benchmark for me. I’ve got three Japanese ones here. They’re all top tier tools for the job they’re designed for. The black BB2024x I‘ve had since new is very special, it’s one of those instruments that just has “that magic”. 

I must say I was disappointed when Michael Anthony ran off to Schecter. 

The Hamer got gigged last night. Two songs. It’s a 3-piece (guitar, 12-string bass, drums) and was unrehearsed, we’d never played with the drummer before but he learned the songs for the night (Budokan versions, obvs 🤓) . The guitarist is a friend I’ve played with for years but this was the first time we’d been on a stage together for a long time. This was also the first time I’ve played without a rig. I used my HX Stomp with bi-amping patches DI’d to FoH and we just had sound through the fold-backs on stage. Not once did it feel weird, in fact I didn’t even think about it, which was a revelation. The guitar is going through the big Hotone Ampero II Stage modelling unit with DI to FoH too. This has to be my favourite bass ever, it’s an absolute weapon of a thing.