Lfalex v1.1

One need only listen to "Look Sharp" and "I'm The Man" (Joe Jackson LPs).. His ability and talent is immediately evident, even in a studio environment. Playing an Ibanez IIRC... Awesome.

I like JJs. I liked it in the "old" MIA Deluxe P in the bridge position, and the MEC versions found in the Infinity/Vampyre/Dolphin/Fortress MM etc. work a treat, too. In reality, they don't work or sound [i]that[/i] different to what you'd expect a MMHB to. I don't think Fender are just chucking stuff together. These configurations have already been used by other manufacturers. I do wonder which neck is on which bass, though. To be really perverse, they could use a P neck on the Jazz body and vice-versa for the other model!

I like. I like both. Especially if one or both of the JJ(big block)pick-ups are coil-tapped. But... Why put the PP in a J body and the JJ in a P body. Surely it ought to be the other way around (mind you, it'd put the P-lyte out of business, so to speak) Pity they didn't go for the Warwick/Enwistle PP with the reverse offset P at the bridge position. Still, if I want a JJ/JJ with coil switching in a J body, there's always a Roscoe Beck... If I can get one. I like the fact that Fender are trying new stuff out, What we need now is a J/P/JJ "Super-Urge" or a HB/P/JJ "Tele-tude"!!

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='1264684' date='Jun 11 2011, 10:12 AM']I have yet to work out why so many people want new instruments. If it's not a Custom or something really unusual that you just [i][b]have [/b][/i]to own, then let someone else take that initial hit.[/quote] Maybe I just have a talent for buying awesome basses at very reasonable prices, even when they're new? I've only bought 2 s/h basses so far. I have taken a slight loss here and there on some I sold on (through lack of use) but nothing major. I reckon at least five of my instruments purchased new would break even or hit profit if I sold them s/h. One would make sufficient to cover any losses on the others in any case! Meanwhile, back on topic; How can £1048 (surely some bizarre Trace Elliot reference!) be acceptable, and £1167 be too much? There's only about 10% difference, and you can always stretch a little bit... I don't get the big price differential between the Rosewood Am Std and the Maple Am Std either.. Did I miss something? In any case, sounds like a toss-up between the Maple Am Std and the 60th Anniversary to me. The 60th might re-sell better... Until the 65th, 70th, 75th etc. come along. You could always start saving for the centenary edition. When will that be? 2051?

"Musician's BlingRay"

"MusicBland SuckRay"

Not a lot more than a [b]Re[/b]-fret. £150? Watchout for 'board markers; The edge markers will align with the frets, not the "gaps". Being a fretless originally, I doubt it'll have markers on the front face...

Get a soundhole plug. Helps stop the top resonating. Less prone to acoustic feedback.

[quote name='famstd' post='1259238' date='Jun 7 2011, 03:13 AM']The board radius, and the measurement at the nut, for most players isn't as crucial as the overall shape of the neck itself.[/quote] Particularly the depth (from the front face of the fretboard to the back of the neck. That's the deal breaker for many people.

Well... If you have the time / materials / inclination, I don't see why not. I was appalled at the "bell-wire" lurking inside my Trace cabinets (and the lack of any internal damping or bracing) If you're that bothered, stick some push-fit connectors to the cable, so you can temporarily fit the cables and try them. Just remember to solder them up once you've mad a decision!

I'd have said that the only place that a 1 or 2 mm change in measurements would make a difference is in string spacing. Fortunately, there's [s]an app for that[/s] bridges with adjustable string spacing available. All you need add is pick-ups with bladed pole-pieces so your string alignment/output doesn't suffer...

There might be a bit of truth to TC's spiel... Drivers/Loudspeaker systems' impedance is not fixed. It varies with frequency. If you plot a graph of frequency (horizontal axis) against Impedance (vertical axis), the resulting trace (no pun intended) describes the system's modulus of impedance. This shows how much the demand on the driving amp changes in a real-world setting. The figures quoted on cabinets for reference (4 ohm, 8 ohm etc.) are Nominal impedance figures. I presume that the TC cabinets' impedance does not present too varied a load in its various combinations. They're not likely to research all the other alternatives from other manufacturers...

[quote name='Low End Bee' post='1255510' date='Jun 3 2011, 02:57 PM']An Anthrax & Megadeath clinic sounds like the worst waiting room in the whole of the NHS.[/quote] Actually, that's just down the road at Queen's Hospital.

[quote name='ped' post='1255977' date='Jun 3 2011, 09:39 PM']Some bodies have a penny sized hole where the body is held during painting[/quote] Yup. My MIA S1 Jazz has this. It's about the size of an old (circa 1900) penny. It'd be a bloody eyesore if it weren't under the pickguard. What's wrong with screwing a cuphook into the hole for the upper horn strap-button and hanging the body from that during finishing/drying. This and ropey routing really spoil jazz basses, as you can't really play them without a pickguard or with a clear one.

IIRC, they ship with 500k volume pots as standard, not the 250k a jazz would normally have. Perhaps this is a contributory factor? Maybe yours have been changed and someone has installed Linear pots instead of Logarithmic (Audio Taper) ones? Difficult to say without whipping the control plate off and having a look!

Not being overly familiar with Dragonforce, Nile etc., the question begs; Did the bassists in question use their fingers originally, or were they using a plectrum (presumably striking up/down alternately) As previously mentioned, there are many dynamic aspects to composition, loud/soft, FX/No FX, chord/key changes/Modality etc. etc. and [b]Fast/Slow[/b] an oft-overlooked tool. It's all about dynamic contrast. There is no "fast" without a "slow" with which to compare it.

[quote name='paul_5' post='1251932' date='May 31 2011, 07:30 PM']I've bought a few bits of kit from Electro over the years and they always had plenty to choose from. Shame if they've gone downhill, though I did read in the paper today that Ukelele sales are now outstripping guitars...[/quote] At least they've got the right number of strings... Otherwise, playing bass is about as fashionable as a Warwick.

[quote name='thodrik' post='1251631' date='May 31 2011, 03:25 PM']The Smiths, The Cult, Stone Roses, Oasis, Blur, Radiohead, Nazareth, Sensational Alex Harvey Band, the Kinks, Free, Yes, the Clash, Rory Gallagher, Gary Moore, Robin Trower, AC/DC(though the BBC like to pretend they don't really exist!), New Order, Buzzcocks and Depeche Mode. I'm sure all of those bands/persons have interesting stories that would make for a 'aren't they really awesome' BBC documentary.[/quote] Absolutely. And you can add Iron Maiden, The Cure and The Police to that list...

All of the instruments mentioned so far would be a good bet. Yamaha and Ibanez are excellent for the money, and are well made. Squiers have improved recently, and the Vintage Modified (VM) and Classic Vibe (CV) series are both worth a look. Do you know anyone who can play? Maybe take them along for an opinion. Try not to get too hung up on pretty colours (!) How the instrument feels and balances are as important as how it sounds. Remember to budget for an amplifier of some sort- even if you just get a little headphone amp that you can plug an MP3 player into. Good Luck! And Enjoy! It's not every day you get a new instrument (although some folks on here may get close! )

[quote name='absolutpepper' post='1250999' date='May 31 2011, 12:53 AM']Letting us know the make/model will help. For example some manufacturers use recessed strap locks (I think Warwick did for a while).[/quote] Sssss a Dunlop innit? edited for not being very helpful. You need these; You do not, however, need the strap buttons included in the set. The Straplocks go on the strap, and lock directly into the metal inserts in the bass. DO check that the screws securing the inserts are properly tightened. DO NOT overtighten them as you may crack the wood, causing the insert to come out and your bass to crash to the floor. Also ensure there are no existing cracks around the inserts. I've had no trouble with this design, even on my stupidly heavy Streamer LX6 (>14lbs), so if all is well, then there shouldn't be any reliability issues. Is that a Corvette in Nirvana Black that you have? I think Warwick changed to "normal" strap buttons around 2000, although I've seen all 3 types on Warwicks (Schaller, Dunlop and Normal) over the years. IIRC, the earlier models have Schallers..

Find one that plays well, feels good, weighs whatever feels right to you and has the tone you're looking for. If aesthetics are important, then the colour will matter, too. What's less important is where/by whom it was made (check out Tokai HardPunchers, for example) [sarcasm] Choose carefully, as due to the total lack of readily available spares/upgrade paths/replacement parts, you'll be stuck with what you bought and have no way at all of modifying it to better suit your taste. [/sarcasm] My favourites I've tried? Squier CV60s (Fiesta Red/Tort/Rosewood) Fender Highway One (Black/Black/Rosewood) Tokai HardPuncher (Olympic White/Tort/Maple) MIA Fenders (all with BBOT bridges) were present and compared on all 3 occasions. I preferred those listed above in terms of playability and tone. I [i]still[/i] don't own one yet, though (note use of the word "yet"). It'll happen eventually, but may well be a PJ or a deluxe with the twinjazz humbucker at the bridge...

[quote name='Fat Rich' post='1248892' date='May 29 2011, 08:19 AM']Don't DR suggest you put a 90 degree bend in the string before cutting to stop the windings moving on the core? Pretty sure it says that on the Hi Beam packaging anyway. Something of that nature, yes. Status Premium Round wound have a round core according to the website.... I tried a set but they seemed to sound darker than the normal Hotwires so I didn't get any more.[/quote] Are they Double Ball-Ended? It's only an issue with these and any clamp-type string retainer (as per the E-bay link in the OP and also as featured on Status/Other Headless basses. If they're ([i]just[/i]) standard strings and are used on headed instruments, there'd be no problem. Perhaps that's why they make/market them?

The Warwick truss-rod tools are very good/robust. Only thing is, they make it very easy to apply LOTS of torque to your truss-rod. Tighten/loosen with care, and work in 45 degree increments(an eighth of a turn) or less so as not to overdo it..

Plenty of sounds on offer. I've a Streamline, and it can do the lot. Especially good with 90% Neck and 10% bridge, plucking up by the base of the fretboard- sounds like a fretted upright! On a more general note, I've never found that basses with a pick-up close to the bridge to sound thin, particularly if it's a Humbucker. I just run them a bit closer to the strings so that the output equals that of the neck when the pan pot is centred. (Observation based on a Streamline, Warwick Infinity SN4 and Series 3 Vigier Passion 5.)