Absolute Beginner

Thanks bluejay. Do you know if all Ibanez basses are "active" ? Cheers.

Thanks again.

Thanks Musky. Do you mean unplug the battery or the jack ?! Cheers.

Hi all. Silly question time..... Does an Ibanez SR300 need a battery in order to use it ?! If so, which type does it take ? Many thanks.

Hi all. As I'm still fairly new to Bass Chat, I was unsure as to which forum to post my question in ? I'm looking to possibly buy either a used Squier VM/CV Jazz or Ibanez SR300, i.e. a bass with a fairly slim neck, and have a budget of around £150'ish. I just wondered if any of you are currently looking to sell such a bass ? I am also interested in trying out an Epiphone Thunderbird, but Lozz has already kindly offered to let me have a look at his friend's to see what I think of it. FYI, I live in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire and would be willing to collect if the bass is located nearby. Many thanks, Fraser.

Totally agree with the above. The Cure were one of my favourite bands in the 80's/early 90's. Disintegration, in my opinion, is their best album - very bass heavy.

Thanks BurritoBass.

Damon Minchella of Ocean Colour Scene/ex Paul Weller. Very underrated in my opinion. Seen him play live many a time and always consistently good.

Thanks HowieBass. Really appreciate it.

Hi all. Please can someone kindly explain the various types of strings available, and what sort of sounds they give ? FYI, I have an Epiphone Viola. Many thanks. PS As an aside, what does the term "low action mean" ?

And another thing.....! I normal pluck with my thumb resting on the E string as opposed to resting on the neck pick up. Is this wrong and will hamper my development, or doesn't it really matter ? Thanks again.

Thanks for that. Do you feel that it's important to be able to finger pluck as well as play with a pick...? I seem to be far more comfortable playing with a pick at the moment, but I gather that can be frowned upon by the bass community ?! Cheers.

Hi all. A question for any of you whom would be kind enough to answer.....? I have the following: - An Epiphone Viola. - Small'ish hands ! I have been trying play the above via finger plucking but constantly find myself hitting other strings. I am currently in the market for a new bass, and have had various excellent suggestions from others on this forum as to the numerous options on offer. I phoned Wunjo's in Denmark Street, who were extremely helpful, and I will be paying the store a visit in the next couple of weeks. Given the above, do Precision style basses offer a slightly wider string spacing, which may help me to contact the above....? Or, are there any other possibilities in this instance ? Any comments would be gratefully appreciated. Many thanks.

Thanks again. I've just seen an image online of the Ibanez SRX530-BBT Brown Burst and have fallen in love with it ! Will have to get myself along to a music shop and try one out. PS Has anyone got one ? If so, would you recommend it ? Cheers.

Thanks all. PS I meant the maple/maple VM Jazz, although, I have also seen a Sunburst finish with a maple neck - lovely looking bass !

Sorry. I forgot to mention - my maximum budget is £300. Thanks.

The Precision was ok, although the neck felt quite wide - I have very small hands. I haven't tried a Jazz yet. I hear the Squier Vintage Modified Jazz bass is very good, although fairly heavy (I don't have the strongest of backs!). The bass guitar range that always seem to keep coming up on this website whereby the guitars have slim necks and are relatively light is that of Ibanez SR. Any other basses you could recommend that are similar to the above and that have a lot of grunt? Thanks.

Hi. I don't like the neck dive - the weight of the neck v a lighter body I'd imagine ? The fact that it leans forward quite a bit when I stand up and play - is this due to the strap button being located on the rear of the neck ? Also, the fact that it doesn't sound gutsy enough. I had a go on my friend's Tanglewood Precision style bass recently, and it seems to have a bit more "poke" than my Viola..... Cheers.

Hi. Following from the below, I'm now looking at an Epiphone Thunderbird. Does that have a relatively slim neck, compared to the Ibanez SR range.....? Basically, I'm after a bass with a fairly punchy sound, which costs less than £300 and would suit someone at a very basic level. I bought an Epiphone Viola a few months ago, but in hindsight, that was probably a mistake. Many thanks.

Thanks for that. I'm fairly new to playing bass and wondered what the difference is between Active and Passive.....? Cheers.

Hi all. Anyone know the approximate weights of a Squier Vintage Modified Jazz v an Ibanez SR300 bass.....? Many thanks.

Thanks. I currently have an Epiphone Viola. Will the neck on the SR300 be that much thinner than the above bass or is the difference only marginal ? Cheers.