redstriper

You can order it on line for collection at your local Argos, or they will deliver for a fiver. Then you can try it at home and if you don't like it, return for a full refund - not many music shops offer that service. And they're throwing in a £10 voucher at the moment. I'm thinking of ordering one as a lightweight back up for gigs and I'm interested to compare it with a 'real' Fender or Squier. The most important thing is the player, not the cost of their instrument.

I also like really low and thin frets, as low as possible in fact, to allow smooth slides more like a fretless but easier to play in tune. Are there any new basses with particularly low, thin frets ?

The rotosound tru bass are quite low tension, but larger scale than TIs. Their sound is deep and old skool, no good at all for zing or clank, but great for reggae, blues and soul.

Rotosound tru bass black nylon covered flats are available in short scale and they are very nice and smooth - much nicer than the standard rotosound flats.

[quote name='Faithless' post='992006' date='Oct 18 2010, 10:17 AM']Flite cabs are nice - is there a dealer in Europe?, and, Barefaced - way too expensive for me..[/quote] Flite cabs are the lightest available anywhere AFAIK. There is no European dealer, which is mental. I know people have imported them with no problems and very fast delivery. Mine were bought used and they do come up on ebay occasionally - I paid about £175 for each of mine. I have two 15s, one with a neo driver that weighs about 10kg and the other with a ceramic driver that weighs about 12kg. It's rare that I need both at a gig and the sound is massive with my LM2.

I use [url="http://www.flitecabs.com/bass/"]these[/url]. Very light, well made with a great sound - highly recommended.

The biggest difference between them is the sound, everything else is secondary - they both make good all rounders if you're a good all round player. Here's what you should do: Play each bass, (with the same strings if possible) through the same rig, whilst varying the controls on the instrument and see which sound you prefer. If you're still in doubt, compare the P to the J with only the neck pup and see which bass speaks to your soul. If you still don't know, get a jazz.

[quote name='goblin' post='987447' date='Oct 13 2010, 09:33 PM']I always found it difficult to get the correct intonation with them, but I can adapt eventually, until I put it down for a few months, pick it up again and I'm back to square one A good way around the sticky feeling to the strings is talcum powder.[/quote] The new pahoehoe silicone strings from road toad are much better than the original Ashbory strings IMO and they don't need talc. If intonation is a problem, try a kala u-bass - very similar instrument with frets.

[quote]Freak! You shouldn't wear red. The bass disappears altogether. Unfortunatley, there is no 'sound' to distinguish as such in the clip[/quote] This thread isn't doing my ego any good at all !

I love mine, having done loads of gigs and recordings including the last redstripe album - not 'important recordings' of course. It's not really clever technology - just a piece of wood and some rubber bands that makes a great sound and feels nice to play once you get used to it whilst being wonderfully portable, (the 'important' players probably don't have to trudge through acres of mud to get to the stage. I had a Wal and hated it and I also don't want to read music - ever. Each to his own in other words. Here's a clip from one of my more important gigs:

GHS precision flatwound strings have purple wraps.

[quote name='Rasta' post='957675' date='Sep 15 2010, 08:47 PM']Yeah definitely impressed with this one Steve , i shall be keeping it for a while (famous last words) - very solid sound and balanced across the strings - the D & G shine through nicely too. Lightness is a blessing and the quality build is astounding, low action, no buzzes, smooth neck and the stock pick up sounds good to my ears; i was planning prior to hearing the bass to upgrade the PU but as i say i am more than happy with the stock PU......I'm still blown away by this bass TBH. I gigged it last weekend and had lots of positive comments about the good sound and some surprised faces when i proudly said its a 'Squire' Not tried flats on it yet but its in the pipeline - just a bit M.O.T. skint at the mo...got some flats on my MM though, D'Addrio Chromes....really like them! It probably doesn't do the bass sound justice but heres a mobile phone clip from the said gig [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDAmALVa2nY&feature=player_embedded"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDAmALVa2nY...player_embedded[/url][/quote] Sounds very nice on the vid, bit low in the mix - maybe I'll play it through the LM2 with both filters on full My old jazz bass is heavy at 10.5 Lbs, but it's got the dub tone and I haven't found another bass to touch it................. yet !

[quote name='Rasta' post='951977' date='Sep 10 2010, 04:33 PM']I tried it last night at a reggae rehearsal through my Ampeg. I ended up marking the settings on my amp as it was truly the best sound i have ever had - even better than my Lakland sound which is my next best sounding bass (IMO of course) .....also had lots of compliments about my sound throughout the night. It seemed brighter than the neck Jazz PU but only very slightly but this brightness is a warm bright if that makes sense....i'm sure this will mean something in a reggae way. Definitely worth trying one out rather than just a fashionable fad & light too - Man from Del Monte says yes.[/quote] That's amazing - better than your Lakland and Warwick for reggae - OK I'm gonna have to try one soon, do you have yours strung with flats ?

[quote name='Rasta' post='948998' date='Sep 7 2010, 11:40 PM']Well, well, well....i believe the hype. I scored a cheapish second hand Squire CV 51P bass...i'm blown away how well it plays...even as stock! Jammed it this evening at 'my other' band and wow what a incredible, well made, simple yet sexy bass.....very happy. Think i may have to try the CV jazz now when i save some pennies. Sadly i was a little dissappointed with a recent VM Squire that i had but the CV seems leagues ahead in terms of of build quality. I'm a Squire CV convert....another to the list. [/quote] Hey Rasta ! How is it for reggae - as deep as the front pup on a jazz bass ?

Looking good - how do the Labella blacks compare to the Rotosounds in sound and feel ? And how do the Wizards compare to the original pups ?

[quote name='tony_m' post='915756' date='Aug 5 2010, 11:32 AM']I've got a CVJ and a VMJ.[/quote] Which has the deepest, tone from the solo'd neck pup? I need a deep, clean smooth tone and I found the CV too bright, but it's hard to tell with the supplied roundwound strings. I also prefer a satin finish neck. Oh, and which is the lightest weight ? Thanks, Steve.

[quote name='Davo-London' post='906455' date='Jul 26 2010, 11:05 PM']Dead spots are normally found around the D, Eflat or E on the G - string. The note doesn't sustain as all the others do. I dies quickly. I always check for dead spots when trying a new bass. Davo[/quote] What do you do when you find one?

One thing I've learned - you gotta aim high

Don't deny your ego: I got my first bass when my girlfriend dumped me, thinking "I'll be a pop star and that'll show her". That was 35 years ago and I still demand groupies, drugs, money, fame, adoration and free food - why else would I do this ?

How do the prices in China compare to the UK ?

Calm down - no one's suggesting shooting him just cos he got it wrong - we all make mistakes and say daft things sometimes Peace brothers............

[quote name='LawrenceH' post='903221' date='Jul 23 2010, 02:22 PM']Can't really see the point of jumping on the sond engineer here - sounds like his ears are working fine, and he correctly attributed the sound to the TC cab - just incorrectly in terms of ascribing it to neo speakers, when presumably he'd noticed a similar tone before on some true neos. The important thing is they diagnosed the cab as the issue, and it sounds like it's sorted now.[/quote] He did not say anything about the cab AFAIK - he said "blasted low/mid sound that all neodymium speakers have". That statement is simply wrong, it may have prompted a pontless change of driver and certainly would put anybody off neo drivers. It's the kind of blanket BS that gives sound engineers a bad name and if it wasn't for this forum the OP would still believe it.