Marc S

I've always got a bass lying around - that way, if I hear something on the radio or TV and fancy jamming along, or working a tune out or if I just fancy a noodle - I've got a bass to hand. Fortunately, Mrs S really doesn't mind (well, as long as it's just one, or one and a uke....) EDIT: I fully understand those for whom leaving a bass around the house is not an option - but I'd feel awful for not having one lying around the house - because it is my hobby I also understand that some players partners might feel aggrieved at instruments cluttering the place though My David Gage Double bass is in the corner of the lounge - as DB's are quite hard to "hide" lol In fact, Mrs S always says that corner looks empty when I take it out gigging

I don't really try to impress people as a rule. But yes, I think you're right - they're probably more "impressed" by a bass line that they recognise, like "another one bites the dust" as opposed to something more technically difficult. Most people who visit me are rather more impressed at a few notes played on my beautiful Double bass, sat in the corner of my lounge.... Laypeople at gigs are also usually more impressed by me turning up at a gig with my DB. But I get more questions and comments when I turn up with my EUB. They usually ask "what's that?" Or "is it a cello?" At an outdoor gig last summer, a few people said they really liked the sound of my EUB - even though I thought it wasn't the best sound I'd got from said EUB

Was it the bright yellow one? Loved that bass. Played it myself a couple of times £50 - what a bargain

Paul Gray is one of my favourite bass players. Rick haters really need to hear his bass sound on The Black Album & Strawberries - it's an awesome sound Paul is also a real top bloke. As a young player, back in the 80's, me & a mate just turned up at his house on a Sunday afternoon.... and cheekily asked for some bass lessons & tales of the Damned And the top bloke just let us in to his music room! We listened to demos, played his basses and he was just so good to us. Then he gave us his phone number and asked us back.... he later gave me a couple of freebie lessons and I'm for ever indebted to the man, for the inspiration he gave me. Decades later, I played at a local folk club (he was playing with a band "The Monte Dons") that night too. I came off stage, and he said "Well played Marc" to me. I didn't think I was anything above "OK" that night - but a positive comment from one of my inspirations made me feel 10 feet tall. Great to see him in the Damned again. Nice pic bartleby - I was off to your left and a bit further back My fave punk bassists were PG and JJ Burnel. Two quite different players, with a very different sound - but both fantastic players

Yes, I think it does matter to an audience - because if we're more relaxed, and more obviously enjoying our tone and our own playing Then surely we play better? So overall, the sound will be better, and with fewer mistakes (because we are more relaxed) better performance = better experience for the listeners..... I wouldn't say I "stress" too much about the tone - but I do notice and am distracted when it's not "right" EDIT: There have been plenty of occasions when a band member has said "nice sound on the bass tonight" - so band mates do notice And if that means they're also happy with the overall sound - then are they more relaxed / less distracted....

Actually, I quite like Steve Harris's tone and his playing has always inspired me. But I'm with you here on JJ Burnel. I too loved the sound he got on Rattus Norvegicus. As I've said often before... It's his playing and his sound that got me into bass And Rattus was the definitive album for me

I think Beedster is right here. And I think, as others have also pointed out, maybe the audience won't know or appreciate the subtleties of tone - but they will know when it's too loud / quiet / distorted etc As bass players, not many punters understand our "function / purpose" within a band - heck, I know plenty of guitarists who don't even fully understand! But we understand our role, and accept that not many punters will - I accept, and am comfortable with that.... But there's something else here - another factor. If I'm happy with my live tone, and the punters are happy with the music, as a whole I probably play just that bit better, because I'm more relaxed. I know I've played several gigs where either my sound, or the comparative level of my sound hasn't been good in my opinion So I'm less relaxed, and more concerned about tweaking EQ, or turning volume up etc. If we're happy with our tone - then do we play better? I think we probably do.... discuss lol EDIT: Thinking on - yes, tone does really matter, because if I was unhappy with my tone every time I played.... I probably wouldn't bother....

Frank Blank's suggestion looks good I had a similar device, but it took quite a while, fitting it That one Frank suggests, looks as though it should fit easily though

Fellow Specs wearer here.... I know what you mean I don't need them for bass playing myself - as I don't do head-banging these days There are several types around. I used to use them for playing tennis. One type has a long "string" which you tighten with a little adjuster in the middle. These work fine, and are pretty secure - but they leave the "excess string" flapping around at the back of your neck - this can get annoying when playing tennis, and I'm sure even more annoying when head-banging! On the plus side - they only take seconds to pop onto your specs - each end of the string has a soft rubber tube, which you jam the ends of your glasses' arms into Sounds like it might be open to failure, but mine seemed really secure Another type is a short, adjustable strap. This will not flap about and annoy you - but the strap is thicker / chunkier than the string type - if you can live with that... .... or have enough hair left to hide the strap! lol They're also not so quick to slip onto your glasses as the string type. I think I bought one set from eBay, and another from a sports shop (but can't recall which one came from where - it was some time back) I'm sure there'll be something on eBay - or your local sports shop

It's why I'm sold on the P/J - it's got all the grunt of a P bass but you can dial in a bit of that Jazz tone too If you want it / when you want it / leave it out if you want..... great

As Lozz (and others) have said - there is just a difference between the J and P sounds in general But of course, if they sounded exactly the same.... what would be the point in having the different types of bass? I had a Roadworn Jazz - just like you, I also played a P (well, a P/J to be precise). I had similar thoughts to you, and actually did get around to swapping the pickups After placing a wanted ad on a local Facebook guitar,amp,gear exchange forum - someone offered me a set of old (1970's 80's) DiMarzio J pickups I fitted them and was blown away at how good the bass sounded! It still had that jazz "honk" / "burble" but with a much higher output and a lot more "bite" Luckily, I'd bought the pickups cheaply too - so that's my first recommendation... and old set of DiMarzios! (they still do a couple of sets these days too - check out eBay - think they're around £100) My second recommendation is to try a pre-amp pedal. You'd be amazed at how much you can shape the EQ, and boost different frequencies. I use an MXR (the one with the second switch for boost / distortion) but you can pick up a Behringer for around £30 - and these are pretty damn good (bit noisy when you crank them up, esp on treble - but still good value) It's a nice, simple solution, and you don't even have to unscrew your scratch-plate, let alone your pickups. And the Behringer is cheaper than the cheapest pickups or on-board pre-amp It's a case of getting used to the differences between a J and a P, and maybe learning when one suits a particular band or setting, or even which songs are suited to which bass, and how to switch tones quickly on your rig. I traded my old RW Jazz, and though I'm really pleased with the bass I got in return, I do wish I still had that RW Jazz - it was an amazing bass... lovely sound, lovely feel to it, so comfortable.... Hmmmm, now I want one again

For me, it's not just the nut width that really matters - it's also the chunkiness (depth and possibly radius) of the neck at the nut. Generally, I seem to prefer Jazz width necks, but am also comfortable with Precisions with a modern "C" profile neck i.e. they're wider than a Jazz, but not overly deep I once had a Rick copy (Chinese) that had a wide 44mm nut, but it was shallow, and I found I got on with it OK. Conversely, I once had a lovely Fender Japan Jazz - it was a beautiful bass and the neck finish felt nice, but it was narrow and shallow - so it may have been that it felt "weedy" to me, or partly down to string spacing As LewisK has already said, I think I too could get through a gig with any width nut (a good reason to own several basses... with different dimension necks! lol) But I did find a Warwick I once owned felt a bit "awkward" to me - that wasn't overly wide, but it was very deep.

Yes, I especially liked the fact that they say it's of "unknown origin" - yet everything they sell is "100% authentic" I had to laugh when I read that "pears had probably been used on the fingerboard"

That looks a good choice Peety BTW, I'm not normally a fan of Gold annodised plates But there's something about that one on the CS pictured .... the maple board and red colour.... I think the gold plate looks good on it. Nice idea to have a choice of plates though! I'm intrigued at how it will look with parchment

Brave indeed. But as others have said - it looks great on that bass. Nice job

Yes, I think I'd contact the seller, to arrange a refund. Then take a look at that Mustang P/J on here, or perhaps the seller has one in stock? Try for an exchange?

Like that Sherwood Green one Then again, the Burgundy mist one is great too.... Ah, I'm not helping! lol

Actually, I quite like a Precision with B&B But that may just mean I'm an odd-bod..... Of course, you are "allowed" to have a B&B Precision - just as long as you have one without B&B - to balance things up ...or maybe even two, and possibly a fretless

Yes indeed. Though the Roadworn series are superb basses IMO and the relicing does look great But as you say, each Limelight has slightly different relciing. You can specify the amount of relicing when you order one, but even 2 people specifying the same "level" of relicing will get slight differences The relicing on my Limelight is absolutely superb, I must say

Both pickups are Limelight's own. I'd heard their pickups before, and was well pleased with what I'd heard I believe they are hand-wound. The certainly sound the biz anyway Yes, depending on what you want, they are around £850 - just under £1K I believe. Mark will give you a quote on what you're after And yes, though they aren't '63 RI's - they are less than one, and I think you'd be hard pressed to beat them IMHO As Mr discreet says, you could wait for one to come up second-hand on the marketplace here, if you wanted to save a bit of cash.... You could always sell it on again, if it doesn't quite meet all your needs (you'd likely get your money back, as they seem to sell for a consistent sort of price) I really should have bought the one FuNkShUi was selling some time back, as I liked it so much I waited for another Fiesta Red P to come up, and a couple did (one very recently) but I always seemed to miss them, as they went quickly... That said, I'm glad I got mine P/J'ed as I'm really sold on that pickup arrangement (and it's something I wouldn't dare do to a '63 AVRI)

My thoughts are the same as Mr fleabag... It sounds nothing like a DB at all, and not even anything like any EUB I've heard (most EUB manufacturers are trying to get a DB-like sound) I'm not sure what amplification and or effects are being used in this clip - or whether there are any effects or gain? It would be useful to know such things - or do these basses sound like that with no effects, drive or gain? Don't think I'll ever be shopping for one.

Sounded awful!