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Hi guys, I have a friend who is after a 3/4 scale bass (he's a guitarist finding it hard to adapt to the scale of a bass) and thought I'd ask you lot in your infinite wisdom if there are any brands or models known to be OK in this area? He probs has a budget of no more than £200 but isn't precious about buying new. I ask cause the only short scale bass I've played was my first - a 3/4 length Encore and I can't even remember how it played! Thanks, AP

Cracking basses, used to have a Yamaha BB1500, was probably the most playable bass I ever owned.

[quote name='merello' timestamp='1388687158' post='2324871'] Some of the cheaper non-SD Blackout Les Paul copies are outrageously good for the money. [url="http://www.richtonemusic.co.uk/guitars/electric_guitars/charvel.asp?index=0&ord=1"]http://www.richtonem...p?index=0&ord=1[/url] Know the OP is sorted but it's always good to add to the database! [/quote] In the spirit of adding to the database, I had an ESP KH-203 that was great, cost about £250 off ebay too. But with no contours it was bloody uncomfortable - are all LPs contourless?!

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1383246493' post='2262162'] Thanks guys. It has 'the sound' for sure, but it [i]is[/i] quite heavy and not as comfortable as a Strat. But I was expecting that. Of more concern is that fact that the neck is way too short, it's got too many strings and it's hurting my fingers! [/quote] Jeez, I hear you. Every time I give guitar a go, I do it for six months and then get fed up with sore fingers and feeling like I'm playing with a toy guitar. This time I WILL stick to it!

I was thinking the other day about 'worn' basses and guitars - ones you buy off the shelf with a road-worn look already, like the Vintage V4 Icon and Fender Road Worn series - and I was thinking I can't decide if they are really cool or really uncool. On the one hand, they do look amazing, but on the other I just also thing they are kind of mega try-hard. End of the day I won't judge anyone on what gear they use, but I wondered what your opinions are?

I'd have bought a drum machine. Beats the hell out of a real drummer. They don't even answer back!

Just my 2ps worth...They are so different its hard to pick one over the other. I love the classic P sound, and I think a P is a very user friendly bass - it doesn't take much to dial in the classic tone. Having said that, every time I play my P, I miss the 'thump' and aggression of the StingRay, and more often than not when I play my SR I don't miss the P all that much... As far as quality goes, I can't say, I haven't played an American Fender P, so when I go back to the SR it always feels like a 'proper' bass, as it is clearly a much more substantial, higher quality instrument than my Squier P bass. On tone its a matter of taste

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1389105572' post='2330011'] To the OP. Judging by what you've said, you are going to need to play the guitar before you know if it's going to suit you, so just get yourself down to your local musical instrument shop(s) and try everything that is within your price range (and a couple outside it to see if you need to save a bit more) and then buy the one that suits you the best. It's all well and good getting recommendations on here but they aren't going to be much use to you if you can't try the guitar first because nowhere local stocks it. [/quote] You're absolutely right, that much is dawning on me. I like the look and feel of a strat, but worry about the versatility and output of the pickups, particularly for metal playing, so I think I probably am looking at something like a superstrat. Its always good to get a bit of advice about these things, but it looks like its going to be a fun weekend at Coda Music in Luton for me! XD One last thing - does anyone have any opinions on Vintage guitars? I know their bass guitars are pretty spectacular for the money...Plus, I never can quite decide if turning up with a 'worn' instrument is either REALLY cool or REALLY not cool...as the Vintage Icon range looks like very good vfm.

Rock, blues and metal in the main. I think string spacing could be key - I'm obviously used to a much larger scale. Are the Squier Affinity strats any good? I have an Affinity Precision bass and it is very easy to play.

Hi guys, I've never really played guitar properly and would like to actually sit down on learn how to now. I've fiddled around on and off for a few years but never stuck with it, so every guitar I've bought I've sold and am now sans guitar. I was wondering if you had any advice on a 'starter' guitar as it were, perhaps based on some info on guitars I've owned in the past, which were: + ESP LTD KH-203, this felt comfortable and not too small (playing bass makes me feel like normal guitars are absolutely tiny), had a great sound but I wasn't a fan of the locking nut or the Floyd Rose bridge - I just didn't use it + Epiphone SG400, which felt tiny and uncomfortable, I felt I had nowhere to rest my right hand and that the pickups were in the way of where I wanted to strum. I broke all the rules and pretty much bought it on looks alone. Stupid, I know. It also felt like it had a very wide neck profile. I've also played one of my mates Jackson's a reasonable amount, years ago, and I got on with that quite well. So maybe you more experienced guys out there you might be able to recommend a good guitar for me to start with? My budget is probably £200-£250, £300 absolute tops, and of course I'd be open to second hand. Hope this makes sense... Thanks guys

A while ago I picked up a Squier Affinity P-Bass...really fancied getting a P tone in my playing and at £100 second hand was a no brainer. However, as easy as it is to play, I've found its limitations quite quickly, namely really wimpy pickups, and also not having anywhere to rest my thumb while playing (used a Jazz and a StingRay up to this point). A few questions about upgrading my P then...the Vintage Modern has caught my eye because of its seemingly narrower neck (Modern C i believe), and the other major questions is does the split coil 'J' pickup on the bridge change the tone much? I would have tried it out but I went to Wunjo for that express purpose and they didn't have any! I love the tone of a classic P configuration but the P/J sounds like a more comfortable option....opinions?

However I've also heard excellent things about the Beringer DI with regards to its sound, but I've also heard they are quite unreliable...still, at the price, you can keep 3 in your gig bag at all times!

Ironically I just procured a Sansamp recently and was going to start a thread showing the love for this wonderous bit of kit It really does make a mediocre amp sound the nuts! I've an Ampeg BA115HP which always, to me, sounds very 'solid state'...try as you might, without pedals you just can't get the bugger to break up. The SansAmp really does make it sound like an SVT on heat

[quote name='DarkHeart' timestamp='1387378662' post='2311291'] Do what i did, stick a humbucker on a jazz ;-) [/quote] A humbucker? On a jazz? *head explodes* the status neck sounds like a really interesting idea, but dont they alter the sound significantly?

Eh up, Some of you may be aware I play a StingRay and love it to death. However, I have quite small hands and the neck isnt that conducive to a more expressive style of play - if I want to lock in and just be a solid rhythm part then it fits the bill perfectly. Is there anything out there with the same 'thump' of a StingRay with a narrow neck? I used to have a Jazz and that was nowhere near it, also have a cheap Squire Affinity P which is for messing around with, and it can sort of do thumpy but mostly just degenerates into downright boomy. Definitely looking for that solid, whumpy SR tone. Any ideas?

Saw Sabbath play a few days ago and was reminded that Geezer is a Hartke endorsee now. The sound suits 13 but isn't that classic warbly-distorty Geezer sound - far from it. He sounded like a slower, heavier version of Frank Bello. I think his gear is a Kilo head and HyDrive cabs, which would explain the Bello-ness as Bello uses LH1000 and HyDrives... Which got me thinking, I really dig the Hartke mid growly sound, but is there any versatility in either the LH heads or HyDrive cabs? Thats the only thing that holds me back from buying them - I'd like my amp to do more than one sound (although it might be a case of the pot calling the kettle black as I currently use Ampeg gear...but I find it versatile enough for me), and all the Hartke stuff I've heard is great for metal but I can't imagine it being applied for owt else.

What are your cone size preference and why? I'm a 15" man (LADIES!), I like the whump and trouser-flappability, although I might just be saying this because I've never actually tried anything else. Discuss!

Of course you [i]can[/i], but I've rarely seen it done, Arch Enemy being the only band I can recall that drop their ricky to a low C, and they seem to keep the character of tone (until all the pointlessly heavy stuff bulldozes it anyway...) Here is why I ask - the 4003 is my dream bass, i love the sound, the look, how they play, and I will shortly have enough dosh to finally go out and get one. Yet everything I play at the moment is in a C tuning, and I remember from looking on TalkBass ages ago people saying Ricky's really don't like being dropped beyond a D. Opinions? It seems pointless to have my dream instrument to only practice and noodle on. P.S. silyl rickenbacker spelling is because I don't know if BC would be harrased by RIC to take the post down if I don't

Ahh good I'm glad, thanks guys. The sound is much punchier through the 0db inut too!

Hi guys, I've got the opportunity to buy an Eden rig (EGRW264) for a tad under £300. I was after a bit of advice on: a) Is this good value Is it a decent rig? (Its Eden...) c) I'm very dubious a 10" speaker could cope with a live drummer and guitarist rocking a Vox Valvetronix 80. So why am I considering it? It sounds like corking value for a good amp, and, far more to the point it is LIGHT. I currently use an Ampeg BA 115HP, and its more than powerful enough for my band at the moment - gain and master set to 4/5 is usually enough...but it has a 15" speaker. Also, I've only ever had combos, so is this head unit capable of playing into other speakers should I want to use a different cab? Could I use 2 10" Eden cabs with this for a mini stack? All your thoughts hugely appreciated, AP

I have an Ampeg BA115HP and currently switch between using a squier affinity P and a Sting Ray. So the Squier goes into the 0db input and the Sting Ray into the -15db input as it is an active bass, right? My issue is with the SR into the -15db to keep up with my band I'm cranking the master to about 8 or 9, and this is just for practising (albeit with a live drummer and but not overly loud guitarist). I know -15db must take a chunk of volume out but I'd have thought 220 watts would be enough power to cope with this?! I mean I have next to no headroom now! Am I doing something wrong? Is it simply that this amp isn't powerful enough for what I use it for? Will I horrifically kill the amp by running the SR through the 0db input (which I have, by mistake, and to achieve a similar volume had the master and gain at about 3 or 4) Thanks in advance....

I know what you mean dude. I've been playing a StingRay for 10 years and never thought I'd want anything else, to the extent that I sold my backup MIM Jazz (I wasn't gigging a lot at the time). Then I started doing lots of gigs again and realised I needed a cheap backup, and had always kinda fancied a Prescision, well blow me I wandered into Wunjo one day, saw a Squier Affinity P Bass for £180 brand new, bought it after a 2 minute run through. The thing is light, playable, cheap enough to not worry about, and it sounds FANTASTIC through my ampeg gear. So much so that in the last 6 weeks I've been using it exclusively and relegating the StingRay to backup! Fantastic basses.

Man, that is a glorious PJ. Nice work! Kicking off my GAS for a sunburst PJ now....

Bit of a random one here, but something that has occurred to me... Why scoop the mids in a band where the guitarists also scoop the mids? I've tried it a couple of times and like the thump, but there's no definition and you have to be at silly volumes to be get through the mix, volumes where you're in danger of dominating the sound. I'm not saying I'm a mids obsessed cut-through-the-mix guy, but I heard a band (who shall remain nameless) that used this set up, and I just thought it sounded crap.

I've always used Ampeg amps (apart from my first 'proper' amp...a monster Carlsbro 15" combo!), so am familiar with 'the Ampeg sound', and I think their marketing dept did well in coming up with 'the round sound' thing, as it describes Ampeg's signature tone well. Looking to buy a lightweight rig, I've stumbled across the EBS Reidmar head and classic 12" cabs, and people seem to love them, saying they nail the 'EBS' sound. I have to hold my hands up and say I've not come across EBS before, so what IS their sound? Youtube videos rarely do any amps justice... Liking the look of the ebs stuff, and the price point and weight, so any experience appreciated!