JamesBass

Cheers for the advice guys! If I were to want new bits to build with, where's a good place to look? I;E, Body and Neck.

Where do people source their bits from? I'm after another P bass but I can't find an off the shelf to fit my spec wants, and custom just seems too expensive!

Cheers, perhaps a few emails shall be sent soon then! Any ideas why they are so scarce in the UK?

Where in the UK stocks the US series of G&L basses? Namely the LB-100 I'm thinking I want/need to try one before buying my next P bass... Thanks!

For what I do I need theory. It makes learning songs easier it also makes communicating things easier. Having the ability to turn up to a jam night and instantly change a key in the fly to suit the singer is great, as is being able to work with any band and follow the chord changes. It also allows me to take the lead more often and write my own songs. The way I approach bass playing is unlike anyone else I've come across, I see it as a problem to be solved and knowing what people are playing allows me to decide what's best for me to play, genres also dictate what I should and shouldn't do. Without my theory knowledge I'd be held back massively. I also find learning the theory really rewarding and very fun and interesting!

[quote name='Sibob' timestamp='1475772208' post='3148686'] And so it should, those through-neck heel carves take a lot of work! Si [/quote] For sure, I nearly ordered one, but car issues prevented that and I'm still without a Maruszcyczk to speak off - I'm fancying a jake, to compliment my other P bass, maybe have rounds on it, or maybe a different type of flat...

[quote name='pierreganseman' timestamp='1475754659' post='3148464'] adrian keeps impressing me ... proper high end Jobs for no money. Although I did see in his last video that he did a bass for a customer that was 2200 euro. I am very happy to see that company going into "proper luthier" work ... please don't get me wrong when I say that, I only mean exotic top , roasted maple and so on. That a lot of people charge a lot of money for. He's starting to do jobs , that are still under just about anybody but are much higher than his "usual jazz bass" [/quote] His stable offers and has done for a LONG time, the Sputnik, a bass that costs up to €3290.

[quote name='LayDownThaFunk' timestamp='1474818088' post='3140750'] I didn't say owning one is snobbish. They are very overpriced though. [/quote] People still pay that overpriced price often enough that Fender can keep it there. I wish the US series basses could be cheaper but sadly they aren't

[quote name='Fisheth' timestamp='1474818484' post='3140761'] Another one! Nice to see a smallish business growing. [/quote] [size=4]Yeah it's always good to see someones quality and product being as well received as these have been! [/size] [size=4]I'm not certain I'll order a [color=#323232][font=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Maruszczyk [/font][/color][/size]yet. I'm after a custom built P to compliment the Mex P I have, I want a specific sort of P, I'm after a VERY vintage inspired instrument, but one with enough modern comforts and fittings that it's not pure vintage...

[quote name='pierreganseman' timestamp='1474805043' post='3140597'] yes they do on request [/quote] Oh nice one! I might just be edging closer to actually pulling the trigger on an order...

Can they do nitro finishes?

[quote name='dannybuoy' timestamp='1474669937' post='3139834'] The rumour I heard was a bone nut and a few new colours on offer. [/quote] Hmm, I'd be wanting more than that personally! I'm hoping for something along the lines of: Bone Nut, Compound radiuses, neck options ie jazz on P, P on Jazz, truss wheel, and the use of the RSD bridge which looks and sounds great! As well as those few things, I'd love to see them offer nitro finishes in classic and modern colour schemes, but it's HIGHLY unlikely that they would do that

[quote name='dannybuoy' timestamp='1474652019' post='3139682'] That backs up what I heard then, I'm expecting nothing more than a rebrand, price hike, and spec tweak. [/quote] What's a reasonable spec tweak?

[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1474305298' post='3136986'] It must be a question of overheads. It's very easy to say "Fender should drop the prices to the level of the American Specials" but with the much publicised financial difficulties I doubt they can afford to do it. None of us know the profit margin of a US built Precision. It doesn't just come down to the wood cost and the employee time - it's the rest. Transport, support staff, sales staff, building puchase, insurance policies (US Prices!) and probably one of the largest electricity bills on the planet outside of Apple. Bulk item manufacturing margins can be as low as 10%. If it's anywhere near that then the simply cannot reduce the prices without either making a loss or reducing the cost and thus quality of the components. I'm going to guess - the little differences between Mex and US models is going to disappear. So the Mex will get the graphite rods and the lightweight tuning heads etc. Effectively the American Standard will be built in Mexico. [/quote] When I bought a brand new American Elite Jazz earlier this year, GAK did say that had I gone for any other bass there would have been much more wiggle room to drop prices and give extra discounts, sadly Fender seem to run their instrument prices at literally the lowest they can afford to already. I have a suspicion that the custom shop will expand and become a much better entity, better choice, quality, etc. just due to the rise of the super jazz's on the market and the ability to get a quality J or P from builders like Xotic, Maruszczyk, Lull, Lakin, Lakland, Sadowsky, Sandberg etc. So Fender need to compete and alter their strategy. As a brand and price point Squire is right. The MIM basses vary from a very affordable to the expensive for a mexican made instrument, but the quality of them doesn't vary as much as the price, there are very few difference from a US and Mex ATM, chances are Fender can't reduce the price of the US as much as they probably want to, so raise the quality of the Mex and the price and perhaps that'll solve some of their issues, leaving the Elites and the CS to be that 'Prestigious USA made brand" Then again if they kill the US standard in favour of a rebrand - someone said they'd do a series called 'Professional' then that doesn't make sense unless they ditch something else off, also the Elites were marketed as a 'Professionals tool'

I have too much GAS ATM. I'm after a new PA - iPad based system behringer XR18, Mackie DL1608 etc and speakers. I'm after a load of pedals as I want/need more options with the types of gigs I'd doing these days, I fancy another P bass perhaps something vintage/custom built as I want one with rounds and one with flats, I want a fretless, and I want a moog sub phatty. Safe to say, that's A LOT!

Funnily enough I played a gig the other night and a recruiter was present and asked the band if they'd considered signing up, we all looked bemused and then he went on to say that the army have about 5-7 pop bands on the book, all of whom are part time soldiers but full time muso's!

Cheers guys, lots of helpful feedback! My drummer mentioned Behringers and I must admit I've not looked at it so far, I certainly will be looking around more though, I can take my time

[quote name='markstuk' timestamp='1472935108' post='3125487'] Mate of mine has this. He has Mackie active tops and subs.. he loves it and it sounds great [/quote] Awesome! Does he ever have connection problems with the iPad?

So I'm looking at investing in my own PA, I've been using mates PA's and hires for a while, I do sound engineering at a local venue so often get dibs on the gear when it's going spare! So in my research I came across the Mackie, it seems absolutely ideal! The ins and outs are perfect and the iPad use looks really cool, much more options and more intuitive to use on the fly for friends of the band etc. So has anyone used one/own one, are they as good as they claim? What speakers have you paired it with?

[quote name='M@23' timestamp='1472715628' post='3123487'] Just had a look at the Facebook page. They are beautiful instruments. Nice to see another builder that is truly passionate about building the best without compromise. It'd be nice if magnetic cavity cover were more common too! A cheaper line would be very cool if they could compete with the 2-2.5k market it would be interesting. [/quote] Imagine if Stenback managed to compete at a slightly lower price mark, say Fender prices. From everything I've watched, heard, and touched, Tom's instruments are sublime.

Well I've finally found out what the singer does, she's an operatic cover singer, she made it to the judges houses once and was booted out at that point. She's a very different style to our stuff - funk/pop/rock I'm more amicable towards it all today, yesterday I was in a bad mood and that just compounded my mood. I'm still wary of course but I'm willing to help the couple out.

I'm the one handling all the bookings and managing the band, it was a direct conversation between me and the couple, so nothing's been lost in translation. They've just rang again and apparently said singer was on the X factor and wants longer than half hour, cause she has a name that's established, giving her more than half hour would cut our set time down or mean we'd have to start earlier, something that's not possible as the couple are doing a meal first followed by the music and drinks etc.

So my band are booked to play an engagement party of Friday night, 2 x 45 mins with a half hour break, fee all agreed etc. So today I've been told that the couple are now trying to book a singer, who sings to backing track to play in the half hour break, apparently the singer will need to use our PA and mics etc. Now I'm not exactly happy about this, we are being paid two fees, one from the venue as we are playing in the pub rather than in a function room and they needed/wanted a band for that night anyway, and we are getting a fee from the couple. Our fees aren't exactly astronomical roughly £350 total, it's our first function gig as a band so we've charged less than an ideal rate to cut our teeth and get a foot in the door etc. What does the board reckon to this? Personally I feel offended that they are looking to book an act to play between our sets, and I'm definitely not happy to let her loose on our PA.

Done for you, good luck with it!

Depends who it is, normally it's a toss up between The Chicken, Cisst Strut, Stevie Wonders greatest hits(I know a LOT of Stevie) Ain't No Mountain High Enough, A number of Beatles tracks. For the more discerning friend, some Snarky Puppy stuff never fails to impress, same for Jamiroquai, or I'll just make something up there and then!