such

+1 to what the guys above have said about the gain/needle thing. Also, different amps have different ways of delivering power via the master volume potentiometer. If I'd have a choice between an amp that [i]"I never go past 10 0'clock"[/i] and an amp that [i]"I never go past 2 o'clock"[/i], I would choose the latter anytime. It still gives me more power that I need and more usable (and precisely adjustable) range.

Starters pack... well, James Jamerson used one of those tuck'n'roll rigs. I've had a Kustom Groove 210 combo - google image search brought my own pic that was included in my review on a Polish bassists' forum few years ago: http://basoofka.net/files/KustomGroove210c1.jpg Hadn't even heard about the company before, but one of the German online sellers had an awesome offer on those - something like 250 quid (rrp was closed to 850) with free shipping to the EU. It was crazy loud, and a bit generic sounding. Nothing wrong, just very clean, very wide frequency response. I liked the EQ very much, both the graphic (with my favourite choice of freqs: 100Hz, 200, 400, 800 etc) and the bass/mid/treble knobs with switchable freq centers. Some time later I upgraded to Groove 1200 head and matching 410 cab. I was planning to add a 215 cab as well, but it wasn't really needed, the 410 was more than loud enough. Very heavy, too, heaviest 410 cab I've ever encountered. The Groove series is sadly discontinued. I've tried the DE300 head with matching 410 and 115 cabs later, we got them for a two week trial when they first appeared on the market (2009 I think). I compared them with an Ashdown MAG rig that I was using at the moment, and liked the Kustom better. Both heads sounded better through Kustom cabs than through MAGs.

I used to own a GB94 a few years back. It's very similar, but has no pickguard, has spalted maple veneer (too thin to call it a "top") and upgraded pickups/preamp: Seymour Duncan SMB4D and QuarterPound Jazz plus Duncan Designed preamp. I recall it being very light, and I was getting a lot of compliments on its tone, especially from bandmates (they knew the difference, as I was bringing other basses to the rehearsals as well, including few different Warwicks). The Cort was by far they favourite of my basses. And yes, there was a fretless version (not sure if it's still available anywhere). There was a limited edition called GB74P-Dao (or 75, as there was a 5-string version as well), never appeared on Cort's website, but I've seen it in a few internet stores. Had a dao wood (whatever that is) veneer and piezo in the bridge. Bound/blocked rosewood board on fretted, plain rosewood on fretless. found some net pics, looks like fretless board is also bound: [url="http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/802/img0156zg.jpg/"]http://imageshack.us.../img0156zg.jpg/[/url] [url="http://www.woodbrass.com/images/woodbrass/GB75PFLBBS.JPG"]http://www.woodbrass.../GB75PFLBBS.JPG[/url] quite sexy.

It may be exactly what I'm after, my dream synthy sound is one in the chorus of Jamiroquai's "She's A Fast Persuader"

does anyone has any experience with Tech21 Red Ripper? Some fragments of youtube clips sound very promising, but mostly they concentrate on the fuzz/distortion aspect of the pedal...

I don't know what the core is made of, but as I've said, I never experienced any problems caused by washing the strings. I don't do it anymore, just can't be bothered to take them off and then put on again. That's actually what I think might cause breakages (near the tuners). Now I just slide a sheet of plastic between strings and the bass, wipe them with a cloth damped with meths generously, brush a bit with a little brush (with brittle fine but firm), wipe again, let dry, remove the plastic. I'm usually good for half a year, until it's time for new ones.

When I started playing in mid-90s, I bought a book to learn from, written by Wojtek Pilichowski (I know some people know of him here). He actually gave advice there. It was not to bother with boiling, just use hot tap water and dissolve some washing powder in it. Then put your (curled) strings in it for quarter of an hour, take out, rinse well, dry with a hairdryer. I followed that advice for many years, nothing ever happened and the sound afterwards was always fresher and zingier. I've never changed strings that I've had on a Peavey bass that I bought in 1999 and sold in 2008. Never. Same set of SS Rotos, only washed about three times a year. OK, I defretted the bass after two years, so didn't really care for highs too much. Boiled strings a few times, too, this time with some washing-up liquid added (just a couple of drops). The detergent helps to break the grub down, water only won't help much. As for water damaging the strings - nothing happened to mine, no rust (well, it did on nickel Dean Markleys), no breakages. It's stainless steell ffs, pots, pans and knives are made of it. To be fair, tried meths as well (overnight), and it worked nicely, too. And, I seem to be blessed with hands that don't sweat, and light touch when playing.

where are you based?

to be honest, I'd love them both "reverse" (bass side coil closer to the bridge), just not sure whether those chrome frames can be reversed - seem a bit sharp on the body side edges. That could be sanded down a tad, but I doubt they are so smooth and shiny on the other side, need to look one day. Otherwise, would have to look for someone able to make those.

yeah, I've had many basses with and without bridges that allow that, and it makes a difference, even if only a few times a year. So when I make a swap, that's one of the things I want changed. I'm also planning on adding more/better string retainers on the headstock, those would have to be Hipshot I guess, as here I also expect easy string-changeability There's almost no angle to the E string on the nut, and very little on A and B, I hope the retainer would add a little bit of angle (and tension) here. This and the bridge combined will hopefully make the B string a bit better. If I remember correctly, Sean, you mentioned in your review that the bridge swap actually has helped. Not that it's bad as it is, I'm only slightly dissatisfied while practicing with headphones, it's much better through the amp, but every little helps, right?

a Warwick. I love Warwicks, used to own a couple and will again - not my cup of tea soundwise at the moment though, too modern, and I prefer to invest in other things right now rather than additional basses. I've tried a lot of them, and find that the B strings are really good, and particularly impressive in the following models: Streamer Stage 1 Streamer Stage 2 Thumb NT Thumb Bolt-On Streamer LX.

I've never been much into Lakland basses, but I found myself attracted to the 55-01 lately. I wouldn't buy one right now, but maybe later this year, or whenever. Do they live up to the hype? I mean the quality and clarity of the B string mostly.

An American Vintage '62 Reissue perhaps? I'm by no means a Fender specialist, but I know that model exists and it looks (to my eyes) very much like this one.

I don't think there's an issue with the pickup, it's just as noisy as many single coil pickups, a bit more than some I've tried (like a SD Quarterpounder) and a bit less than some (like stock pickups in my old Peavey Milestone). It it midrange-y and honky, and while it can be good for adding some bite to the P, I just prefer the P on its own. I would just like a wider, fuller sounding bridge pickup that would be really useful on its own. I did own a P+P bass in the past, it was a bit odd (beech wood body, light ash neck, maple fretboard that I later defretted and covered with ebony veneer), but both pickups sounded great soloed. It's not that I want to fix the bass per se, it's just I haven't modify a bass in a while and I have that dream of a great 5 string double P This one seems to be a good base, as I love the P pickup on it and find the J a bit unsatisfying in comparison. And exactly now, the idea just expanded - why not add some serial/parallel switches to both pickups independently (of course, if the wiring makes it at all possible). I've seen the bridge, Sean, looks good. [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/goeldo_bass_bruecke_5_chrome_hw55c.htm"]Here[/url] is another tempting budget option

I've butchered some basses and guitars in the past This one being so cheap and basic, while still solid and good is in my opinion a perfect modification platform. I've played one with a blend knob and didn't really like it, I felt like the P pickup was somewhat tamed even when soloed. Plus I find this particular J pickup almost useless, as I usually only use either pickup soloed on my basses, don't find myself blending them too often. I do miss having a nice sounding, silent (hum-wise) bridge pickup though. Like Dannybuoy, I'd like to keep the look with those chrome frames, it gives the bass sort of '50s automobile style. And yes Danny, if you decide to swap the pickups for something else, do keep me in mind, I'll buy the stock P from you

fair point, I haven't really thought of that, but it's probably because I'm really happy with this P pickup, so my first thought was to just add another one. And buying a donor wouldn't probably be more expensive than buying a good pickup (unless used, which would take a while before it'd show up for sale) - I bought this bass for 80 quid and see them selling for less then 150 regularly. The big plus is, I would end up with an extra bass, which is never a bad thing, right?

so I've got this crazy idea - I love my 415, apart from the bridge pickup. It's useful, but a bit noisy and in my opinion not up to the class of the P pickup. There is no aftermarket replacement, bar magnet means it cannot be recoiled to be a split coil, and even the equivalent in the top off the line BB2025 is reported to have a noisy J pickup. I came up with an idea to make it a double P. Of course, finding another P pickup for this bass is impossible, I'd have to buy another bass like this as a donor. Not to have it otherwise wasted, I could perhaps make the other one a J+J or put those pickups close together in the stingrayish sweet spot sort of place. There would be a fair bit of routing required on both basses, and then filling the holes, but I plan on refinishing my bass anyway, so I would just need to buy the donor bass in equally unappealing colour, so I wouldn't feel bad about first ruining the finish and then refinishing. As for the refinish, I'm thinking about some rattle can nitro lacquers from that guy in Manchester, some nice old Fender custom colour, most probably Burgundy Mist, but others like Surf Green or Sonic Blue appeal to me as well. What else... bridge, definitely. Something heavy. And tuners maybe. These are good, but something lighter would be even better, as there is a slight degree of neck dive. thoughts?

Thanks again, Bob, for the whole deal and for the kind words Also, I do apologize for not being there to at least carry the rig from your car. BTW, in the original "for sale" thread someone asked you if the amp is English made, you replied that it's probably Chinese. Well, in fact it does say "manufactured in England by Ashdown Engineering" on the back (of both the head and cab), which, while I couldn't care less about the place of origin, shouldn't be a bad thing. And yeah, the Yamaha is good, best 5 string P-style bass I've played so far, apart for the newer BB1025. I'm gonna refinish it soon in one of classic Fender custom colours, Burgundy Mist maybe? Anyways, thank you

I bought an Ashdown ABM rig from Bob - not only he brought it here (to Swindon, Wilts.) all the way from Pembrokeshire, but also agreed to an odd idea of making the deal. As it turned out, neither me of any of my housemates could be at home at Bob's arrival, so I just let him know where I'd left the house keys and where's the cash for the amp. After coming back from work, I found the rig nicely placed in my living room. I should also add, at the very start Bob agreed to hold the rig for me for a couple of weeks, and all communication throughout was extremely pleasant and to the point. Thanks mate. Brings faith in mankind back

there's also a question of material used etc. There were pictures on some online bass communities of a Harley Benton bass that was dropped. The body broke and turned out to be made of a rather cheap MDF.

I was actually thinking about getting a random half-decent bass with EMG or EMG-Hz pickups just to swap them for these SD's and try them out in different wiring options.