Lw.

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1486742326' post='3234302'] I keep telling myself I need a P bass in the stable, it's a classic sound etc etc... and it felt odd not having one the last time I sold one, but to be honest despite the "classic tone"... [/quote] It's a fair argument really; every bassist should have a classic J and P style bass in their armoury. Then add modern actives, fretless, acoustic etc... To taste. It doesn't matter if you don't use them, it's just good to have the option available for if it's ever required!

Looking good! Could we have a back of neck shot please?

I know how you feel - I'm in a similar boat at the moment! Limelight wouldn't do a non-reliced bass when I asked a few years ago, though I have since seem some hardly reliced at all basses of theirs which could be close enough for you. Fender do a nitro-covered P in their classic-MIM range but I don't think you'd like the neck. It's basically a Roadworn before they've taken a sander to it. You could have a look at Peterbuilt basses & Maruzcyck - they do close approximations of Fender though might not be able to offer everything you've spec'd.

I have an Eden WTX264 - not noticed it being underpowered when I've used it for rehearsals or gigs. It's not my "loud" amp but it does the job in a pop-rock band I play with (used with a 112); has the features you want & I think is hard to beat for £200. I'm sure any of the small amps will do for your purposes though - I've found you generally only need big power amps & lots of speakers when you're playing pub-size gigs in heavy bands with only the vox going through the PA which it doesn't sound like you're doing at the moment.

Build it & they will come! There are plenty of people out there that want to go to a gig but often there just isn't a good enough one available to justify the effort. So long as you don't spend too much money trying to over-reach yourself I don't think you can go wrong with booking your own band plus, say, two extra ones I don't think you can go wrong - just keep things nice, simple & cheap! I've played lots of these types of gigs & they often turn out quite good.

The BB2 should definitely be on your to-try list - I'd look at some of the offerings from Bergantino & TKS too. By try I mean actually, physically go somewhere & try them, specs are pretty much meaningless if you're trying to discern tone which is an important factor IMO.

P-bass GAS. It started off as a mild interest in making a bitsa P, then maybe getting a nicer Squire & upgrading it, but why not get an American Standard as they're so heavily discounted at the minute, low what's that - a custom shop you say, ME GUSTA!

Can we stop the increase in price on vintage musical instruments too please? I demand to only pay retail/tag price at the time of sale for my mid-60's Fender!

The guitarists write the basslines?! I'm out. Seriously though, if they've got the riffs recorded already & you want to do a few gigs with your mate then by all means learn them but don't get involved with anything (esp not sly practices on the side) until the current guy is gone.

[quote name='AutomaticWriting' timestamp='1486251745' post='3230422'] ... Also tried out a Squier Classic Vibe 70's P Bass and was very disappointed compared to the classic vibe guitars I've played and owned before... [/quote] I was out a couple of weeks ago trying P basses & tried that exact one too (unless they sold the one I tried & got a new one in) - fair to say it was a disappointment, shame as some of the Squire range is great! Somewhat foolishly I tried the cream Custom Shop P they've got on the wall at the back - possibly the nicest bass I've ever played, definitely the nicest of the day & I had already played 60's, 70's, current Fenders & a few Squires. Shame it's completely out of my budget :-(

[quote name='prowla' timestamp='1486284850' post='3230495'] What are these 27 month interest free cards, please? [/quote] Mine is post office but that was a few months ago, I think the supermarket banks are offering better now. Have a look on money saving expert. It's your money but always, always pay them off before the interest free period ends & don't get one at all if you don't have a suitable income.

Good to know - who makes them?

They have a flea sig jazz in Guitar Guitar Camden & I think they do credit. There are also 27month+ free interest credit cards out there at the moment which would probably be cheaper.

You need to go straight to the company & spell out the situation as you have here - see what they're going to do about it. Any half-decent company will try to put things right. Only if this option fails should you name & shame - good luck!

[quote name='Graham' timestamp='1485861329' post='3227207'] Both Fender and Musicman seem to struggle with this, when G&L, who have a much smaller share of the market, can offer you a whole range of colours on a make to order item, it makes you wonder why Fender can't. [/quote] Because smaller companies are generally more flexible and able to react to market pressures much faster than large corporations? That is how they grow their business after all... [quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1485862447' post='3227223'] I wonder how many Maruszczyk owners didn't need a new bass until they saw other people's sofa shots of something colourful and pretty, and thought... That's what marketing is all about, and Fender just seem to be rubbish at it. [/quote] I'm not sure, Adrian is generally quite responsive isn't he? I'm sure if a multiple buyer of his were to ask him he'd probably provide a % split by colour of his last years orders (it'd only be a 1 minute job on his orderbook spreadsheet)... A quick glance at the Maruszczyk thread would suggest the classic colours (or natural) are still the most popular with seemingly black winning. Not sure about the marketing point either; managing to sell the same old designs & colours to bassists for the last 50 years or so must be a master stroke of marketing mustn't it?

It's just the same as Fender have always done isn't it? Black, white & sunburst plus one or two extras each yearly cycle (this years' being the quite nice IMO green). 90% of bassists are probably happy with the basic colours anyway. It would be nice if people that wanted different colours could specify but Fender are a mass-producing brand & the small number of people wanting different colours seemingly just aren't worth the effort. As others have mentioned, there are plenty of other manufacturers (both Leo Fender derived & not) out there offering different colour options. Or just get a Fender re-finished.

My old band used to quite regularly gig with a band whose guitarist had an acrylic/perspex BC Rich Mockingbird - it was heavier than any bass or guitar I've ever picked up but did sound decent enough, I'd even say it sounded exactly the same as his wooden one - though this was a metal band so a lot of the guitar tone was hidden behind distortion.

I'd keep the head & switch cabs - there's no point getting rid of an amp you like because your cab is heavy & there's nothing to say the amp wouldn't suit a different cab. I'd have thought the amp would sound good with a decent 212 (or 2x 112).

Noiiiice! I've been lusting after a P [b]exactly[/b] like that for the last few months - shame "life expenses" and a painfully slow in arriving bonus have got in the way of any plans along those lines!

I don't know why I'm finding it so difficult to embed the image but here it is if you haven't already seen it; [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]https://www.instagram.com/p/BNzbt-8h2sP/[/font][/color]

Wow - a bunch of musicians slagging off a musical product without having heard it or even seen the full specs, who'd have thought it?! For all anyone knows, these new offerings could contain everything they wanted from TE or have I missed the comments from the people that have heard them at the show? Though of course, they could just be what they look like. The fact is, companies are there to make money which does not alway include catering to a minority striving for the past. TE have seen that the majority of bass players are spending their money on tiny class-D amps & EQ/DI pedals and so have decided they would like some of that cash too, nothing wrong with that. The profits from these products could go towards developing the potentially more classic TE products you want.

It looks like they've closed their eyes & taken a random scoop out of the control knobs bucket.

Please tell me that's a parody site!

Well that's several cans of worms all put into the blender! I'm not sure if I'd say either is categorically better than the other but supply & demand will always apply - if lots of people want a relatively rare Squire then that will push the price up over an easily available Fender. Another point would be the price people advertise things for on here (or anywhere in fact) is not necessarily the price it's sold for...

Sounds broken to me - I've used them a lot at a rehearsal studio & they shouldn't hiss. With the gain at 9 o'clock turning the blend up slowly should take it from clean to vintage sounding tube then more gain & blend takes it to royal blood territory.