Misdee

I also need to invent a credible narrative about why I need another Jazz Bass.

It's just enough money that it's not out of the question. If you consider that it's three grand for a Stingray nowadays, it's not that bad. Three and a half to five grand for a Custom Shop bass is more than I am prepared to pay for any Fender bass, and a good example of one of these basses would be a very acceptable substitute. The challenge now is (as ever) finding a light one that Fender have put together correctly.

Okay, I stand corrected. It's just that on the video there are no screw holes on the demo bass, or any mention of the metalwork in question. I've got a 74 AVRI Jazz and it came with the full kit and caboodle. Overall it's a lovely package. Not that I can enjoy playing a Fender bass with the covers on but it's nice to look at.

These are only "kind-of" vintage reissues. For all they go on about period-accuracy, it looks like they have neglected certain details. Where are the metal pickup covers, for a start? Still look like nice basses, nevertheless. It's just a shame that the pound is so weak against the dollar. I'm surprised they are priced under two grand, the way things are going. What we need is a Cost of Living payment from the government to make up for the increase in the price of basses since they wrecked the economy. It's the least they could do, given the circumstances.

Lovely bass. I don't think you will be disappointed.

Does anyone else remember D'Addario Slow Wound strings? They were terrific but they discontinued them, they said because they had upgraded the manufacturing of the regular XL bass strings so they sounded so similar it wasn't worth making the (more expensive) Slow Wound anymore. Regarding longevity in non-coated nickel strings, my experience has been that Elites Players have just about been the best in terms of retaining their brightness and punch. I don't play it very often, but I've got a set on a Yamaha BB2024x that must have been on for twelve years since I bought it! They still sound and feel fine. Still tune perfectly well, too. Maybe it's a sign of middle age but I feel increasingly less inclined to try and sound like John Entwistle and Chris Squire nowadays, anyway. Dead strings can be a bit more forgiving of my playing, too!😊

Thanks Mike, I've been watching the series with great interest. For one thing, it had never occurred to me before that the apparent tension of certain strings might change with use. For what it's worth, the first set of bass strings I ever bought well over forty years ago were Rotosound RS66, and all these years later a fresh set of Swing Bass are still the best sounding strings on the market in my opinion.

Dunlop Nickel 40-100 ( black label) are my string of choice on most basses for the last 10 years or so. I also have D'Addario XL 40-100 on a couple of basses so I can give a reasonable assessment of the relative feel of the two sets. I would describe the tension of the Dunlops as "normal" and the D'Addarios as slightly more taught by comparison. The Dunlops certainly aren't low tension like DR round core strings or indeed Dunlop Super Bright strings. To me they feel just right. Just like the D'Addarios, they give a good all-purpose tone and they work well on a wide variety of basses. In my opinion they don't die off too quickly in so much as that they aren't overly bright to begin with. Once they are played in a bit they stay usable for ages, providing you aren't looking for Rotosound RS66 clank. I don't notice much difference to the D'Addarios in that respect. I know that Billy Gould from Faith No More uses exactly the same Dunlop 40-100 and he gets an exceedingly bright tone. Some would say too bright. They are/ were a reasonable price too, the current economic chaos not withstanding.

I can empathize with this. I have found that overall, I am much happier playing a less expensive bass with shortcomings than an relatively expensive model where I am, more often than not, agonizing over its imperfections, real or imagined.

These Le Fay basses have got a really distinctive sound, exceptionally clear and precise with a top end that sounds very extended but in a natural way. The tone sounds like it's coming from the wood and overall construction of the bass rather than just hyped up electronics.

Fair enough, I hadn't realised! I'm sure that if you had cash in your hand (18 grand I am now informed) and you visited some vintage dealers you might get a better deal for your money maybe, providing you could find a suitable bass. Thinking about it , I see far fewer vintage Rickenbacker basses for sale than vintage Fenders. I suppose the law of supply and demand means that old Rick's will go for big money. It just seems like there's always more demand for old Fenders . Without wishing to be controversial, in my experience it's hard enough to get fairly recent Rickenbacker basses to play well ( for my taste anyway). What chance would I have with an old one?

£14 grand? That's a beautiful bass, for sure. But if you are after a nice vintage Rickenbacker I'm sure you could do a better deal.

A lot of punters just want to say that they have seen The Legend and been in their presence. The standard of the music and overall of performance is not even a secondary consideration. I find it hard to think of any current Legendary Acts of stadium-filling stature that are still worth watching. The Rolling Stones, The Who, AC/DC, all acts that are trading on past glories that I wouldn't pay £5 to watch in my local park. And as for poor old Phil Collins, when I see the pitiful state he is in nowadays I feel quite upset. He looks like he needs to be in a nursing home more than he needs to be on stage. That said,I saw BB King in concert at a fairly small venue in 1986 and he was amazing, still the best live act I have ever seen. The whole performance was a masterclass in musicianship and showmanship. You got the feeling he had done a million professional gigs, and this was one of them. He wasn't trading on his reputation, he was showing everyone how he got that reputation. So I suppose that shows we shouldn't pre-judge.

Very good shout. Some people should never grow old and fat. Robert Smith is one of them.

Wow, what a great film! I was a big Ian Dury fan at the time, and I'm an even bigger one now. I can still remember buying New Boots And Panties bringing it home and being thrilled by the swearing. Ian was such a complex but likeable character. In retrospect, Ian Dury and the Blockheads were, like XTC, The Police and The Jam in so much as at the time they rode on the coattails of the punk movement. Funny thing is, listening to those classic records Blockheads now, such is the musicianship that they are closer to Steely Dan than the Sex Pistols!

Most artists go on way too long, but how would we know they were finished if they didn't keep trying? Paul McCartney hasn't made any music worth listening to for decades, but if he had packed it in thirty years ago we'd all be saying "what if..."

My favourite era for P Basses is the late 60's/ early 70's, primarily because of the neck profiles. I don't enjoy playing basses with a 1.75 nut width, so the pre -CBS Precisions are not really my cup of tea. An A or B width nut is much better for me. I certainly think a good Fender from my preferred late 60s/early 70's era sounds just as good as the Pre-CBS examples. (To be honest, I think a lot of the modern Fenders sound just as good as the old basses. But that's a whole other discussion/ heated argument 😄) I don't own any old Fenders nowadays but I have had far too many over the years to be romantic about them. I think you can find gems ( and duds) from every era, and what constitutes a gem(or a dud) depends to a great extent on the tastes and expectations of the player. I wouldn't pay the going rate for a vintage Fender bass nowadays because to me it's Rolls Royce money for an old Ford Capri instrument, but others may have a different view.

Yes, it will cripple you.

At £1500?!! I'm sure you could pick one up for less than that, my friend. It's different to my P Basses in so much as it weighs a ton due to the maple body and it's got a neck on it like a tree trunk, as well as strings so taught that they will turn an ordinary man's fingers to mincemeat. If these signature models are an accurate representation of what Steve Harris plays then it only heightens my admiration for a formidable bass player. These basses are definitely a niche product, regardless of the WHU decal. I suppose you could put a sticker of your own preferred club crest over it, or if you can afford it get the Fender Custom Shop to make you one with a picture of your favourite snooker player on it. Probably wouldn't be quite as rock and roll, though.

I really enjoy John Taylor's bass playing and I like the design of this bass, but I don't really want the Rio graphic. To my eyes it's always been a very poor album cover. I certainly don't want it spoiling my Dingwall. I suppose it could be worse; they could have put something to do with Rio Ferdinand on the front of the bass My only reservation about Dingwall basses is how much sense the fanned frets ect make for a four string bass. Otherwise I am all-in on one of these.

In my mind's eye these basses were an exotic image of perfection. It's a mixed blessing to find out that the reality is a bit more mundane.😕 I get the impression that Stanley Clarke is so gifted that he is impervious to the ergonomics of his instruments. When you see how he physically dominates the double bass, the bass guitar must feel like a toy to him.

This is a really rare and very beautiful bass. I have often wondered what these basses are like in reality. It still looks great now, but in 1979 this bass must have looked like something from Star Wars. I would think that spare parts might be a bit hard to source nowadays, though. It would be interesting to know who this bass originally belonged to. A lot of these basses went to big name players. I know John Wetton had one, as did Lee Sklar. Also, I seem to remember that a left handed one was made and given as a gift to Paul McCartney.

I would love one of these basses but £40 grand is my limit, I'm afraid. It's a good job the seller isn't trying to flog this on Basschat, though : "If only this was a five string I'd be all over it." "What does it weigh?" "Would you consider a trade with an Elric fretless and can you ship to Moldova?"

I agree with you entirely that music has in effect become an adjunct of the computer industry, but I would venture that even more young people are talking up the guitar than ever before. Technology makes it easier for non- musicians to make music you are absolutely right, but I don't see how it has detracted from the popularity of the guitar. To the contrary, I think that it has added to the guitar's ( and other instruments) appeal because everyone thinks success is within their grasp. I am hoping against hope that whoever the new PM is will introduce emergency legislation to outlaw young people becoming aspiring singer-songwriters and instead put them to work shovelling coal in power stations for a pittance in order to bring down energy bills.( That will give them something to write songs about!) Event then, there would still be enough young hopefuls to keep the guitar industry going into any forseeable future.

Someone (not me) ought to go into a vintage guitar shop and warn them that their stock will soon be worthless because their customer base will soon mostly be dead or in a nursing home. See if they panic and offer a big discount. . I can remember the early 1980's when "digital" was a magic word and some very silly people tried to tell us that the guitar was on its way out and synthesisers would be the preeminent musical instrument from now on. How did that one turn out? There is about as much chance of vintage guitars becoming worthless as there is of Ryan Giggs being asked to be the new presenter of Women's Hour on BBC Radio 4. Aspiring guitarists will always to be drawn to the romance and enchantment associated with old guitars and, as ever, the law of supply and demand will ensure high prices.