Misdee

Bear in mind that the sound of old Fender pickups changes over time, so a 68 Precision might not sound the same 50 years ago as it would today. There are a lot of fantastic replacements on the market, but echoing Sibob's post, I can thoroughly recommend the Lakland NeoPunch. It's loud and punchy but not too clean or clinical. The EMG Geezer Butler in my other Lakland P is also a great sounding pickup, and was allegedly modelled by EMG after Bobby Vega's 64 P pickup. Well worth checking out even if Sabbath isn't really your cup of tea. I am a big fan of early Sabbath, but the Geezer pickup would suit any style of music not just heavy rock.

There were a lot of Wal fretless basses back in the 1980's. Wal was synonymous with a particular fretless sound, and fretless basses were very much in vogue. Great days for bass players. Much missed!

Yes, passive pickups with an active preamp. Most active basses are like this. I've got a Bongo 4 string and it is a fantastic bass. Absolutely love it!

The BB3000 was the top of the range Japanese - made bass in the early/ mid 1980's and was a fantastic bass. It had its own distinctive tone, and the neck-thru construction probably played a big part in that. Compared to a traditional Fender-style PJ, the classic Yamaha BB's have a much wider frequency range. The bass goes deeper, the midrange is rich and complex, and the treble is extended. A Fender -style bass sounds a bit muted by comparison. That is not necessarily a bad thing, by the way, but a Yamaha has a very different tone, for better or worse, depending on your taste.

If you are prepared to go back as far as the late 70's / early 80's, then Bruce Thomas playing with Elvis Costello and The Attractions and Andy Rourke with the Smiths were both wonderfully creative players.

The Indonesian 10 series basses are not as similar as you might assume. The hardware and pickups are essentially an Indonesian-made copy of the Japanese-made parts on the 20 series basses. They are not, as most people presume, the same as on Japanese-made basses. The wood used on the Indonesian basses is also completely different from that used on the Japanese models. The seasoning process for the wood used on the Japanese basses is carefully controlled. The wood for the Indonesian basses is not as well prepared. More importantly, the fit and finish of the Japanese basses is far superior. Don't get me wrong, the 10 series basses are fantastic in their own right and worth far more than they cost, in my view. But I honestly think that the 20 series basses are something really special and worth the extra cost if you are a fan.

I have no doubt that the Indonesian - made basses are excellent in their own right, I would not denigrate in any way, but I rate the Japanese - made Yamaha basses up there with some of the best instruments that money can buy. I totally agree, it's a wonderful thing that less expensive basses can now offer so much of their more expensive counterparts. But... when it comes to quality, in my experience, small details can make all the difference. The overall fit and finish of the Japanese basses elevates them into the same league as the best craftsmen - made basses. A BBNE2 is a match for any 5 string bass you care to mention, regardless of price. Obviously it will suit some folks more than others, but the design, sound, playability and overall quality is equal to anything out there.

You could always look out for a used 2024/2024X. Amazing basses in a different league to the Indonesian- made models.

I would definitely put more store in the opinions expressed on BC than those in BGM. Its a lot more interesting, too.

It depends what you mean by neck dive. A Fender -style bass will usually neck dive on your knee without a strap, but will balance fairly well on a strap. A common misconception is that neck dive is a result of a lightweight body and a heavier neck. It is far more to do with the balance points where the strap attaches. Lightweight tuners can help, but bass that neck dives will continue to do so regardless of how heavy the body is.

The standard of journalism and overall presentation in Bass Player Magazine in its heyday was in a different league from BGM. Sorry to say, but I can't escape the feeling that BGM is a thinly-veiled excuse for promoting the goods and services of its advertisers and sponsors. This robs it of objectivity and compromises its integrity.

Jim Fielder.

The late great John Wetton:

Jon Shuker's work has always been superb in my experience. A very decent man to do business with, too.

I'm not being negative about these basses, though. I hope Dr T enjoys his lovely new basses. I am going to buy one, too!

I'm sorry to say, my friend, but it is you who are inaccurate here. " Dead spots" refers to noticeably quieter and weaker notes caused by the resonant frequency of the neck. This has nothing to do with the truss rod issues you refer to, and is the reason why the Stingray has a 3+1 tuning arrangement.Furthermore, the anecdote you relate about the necks on the pre-EB basses is slightly confused and misleading. According to legend, the issues with the truss-rods was deliberate negligence as the reaction to an ongoing dispute, but was in the late 70's, well into the relationship between CLF and MM. Production of the Stingray was subsequently taken over by Grover Jackson, but plenty of Stingrays made by CLF were sold to the public.

I suppose it's not EBMM's fault that the pound has crashed against the dollar since 2016, hence the high price for these basses. Regarding dead spots and weak G strings, I've got a hunch that these basses may well suffer from them less than previous Stingrays. The new design pickups and preamp are substantially derived from the Bongo, which definitely doesn't suffer from either of those problems. Dead spots were a problem from the outset with the Stingray design.The reason Leo Fender designed the 3+1 headstock arrangement was to counteract a very pronounced dead spot at the 5th fret on the E string of his early prototypes. Maybe EBMM have found a way to banish the problem (or at least temper it) by means of brute force with the new 18V preamp and neodymium pickup.

I've tried Warwick Black Label strings on a Fender Jazz and they were noticeably less bright than most other steel strings, and fairly low tension. I tried the Yellow Label strings on a fretless and they were pretty unremarkable but cheap.

I've got a fairly high-end bass in my very modest collection that is absolutely perfect in every respect that I have just never taken to from day one. The bass is a USA-made Lakland Joe Osborn/ 44-60 with ChiSonic pickups. This bass, which I custom ordered from Lakland. sounds great, plays great, looks beautiful etc. but I just have never particularly enjoyed it. I've not tried to sell it yet because, on paper at least it is so perfect, but I've had it long enough to know that I will never play it much. So, yes I can relate to your dilemma and being ambivalent about selling a perfectly good bass that you are lukewarm about.

These basses, contrary to my initial misgivings, sound very good indeed and the light weight and new contours promise a much more ergonomic Stingray. However, I don't like black hardware on a traditional 4 string Stingray. I'm not keen on ebony fingerboards either. Or sparkle finishes.And the white ones are the wrong shade of white to go with the roasted maple. The overall reaction to how these basses look has been very positive, but i am struggling to find one I could live with, to be honest. I don't like the bridge, either. No Stingray really looks right without the big old-style mute bridge. I will still probably buy one, anyway. And then not be happy with it.

AJ started using his Jazz Bass in the mid- to- late 70s. Before that he used a Precision. His work with the O'Jays, for example, is a P Bass.