Greg.Bassman

Hi all. Ok so, I'm faced with a choice and hoped you guys would help me weigh up the pro's and con's of each please. I have my eye on a Fender Jazz, this much I'm certain. My budget is £1000. I'm not interested in second hand. Should I... Buy an American standard, and rest on my laurels? OR Buy a Mexican standard and use the remaining budget to modify; install an active pre amp, bridge upgrade etc? I never used an active pre amp before, so some part of me is curious of the idea. That being said, I worry about the Mexicans build quality compared to the opposition; isn't the Americans supposed to have graphite reinforced necks- or is all that just bells and whistles? Cheers.

Hi all. Ok so, I was thinking of whacking one of these into my fender mexican jazz; just to give the ol' girl a bit of life again. I read an article in bass guitar magazine recently, regarding the pre-amp, which sparked my initial interest. Wanted to know what you guys made of it though? Feedback based on personal use is preferred please. Cheers.

Cheers Manton, will look into it Still thinking of buying a new axe regardless, any thoughts on the Stingray?

Hi all. Ok so, I'm a light player, so I require as little fight from my strings as possible. I'm constantly fighting to achieve the lowest action I can on my Fender Jazz (9.5" radius); however, when set too low, its prone to buzz and 'choking' when trying to bend notes. Subsequently, the action needs to be set higher (than I would like) to compensate for the buzz- it's playing hell with my technique! I've read on the internet that a lower action is easier achieved with flatter radius's. All that said, it has come to my attention that a change of axe is called for... I'm not really into the bells and whistles you get on most modern design's; instead, opting for something a little more traditional. Currently, I have my sights set on a Musicman 'SLO' Stingray; traditional look and tones and (more importantly) I'm hoping the 11" radius might be more suited for my low action requirements. What you reckon...Are there any MM players out there that can vouch for this? I hear Stingrays can be set pretty low, is this true? Cheers.

Hi all. Stoo is right, sterling neck wouldn't work. I considered the RAY34C for second, but its not for me; I don't like the lacquered neck and lack of body contours. Going back to my spec's specified above... how much you reckon?

Hey Mudpup, cheers for the reply mate! Yes, I'm sure on the SLO profile. It's not necessarily a 'custom' order; nothing I want is out of the ordinary, I just asked for the SLO neck (as you say, a no cost option). All will be revealed in due course, just fancied getting ahead of the game a little in the meantime Cheers.

Hi all. Hope you're well. Ok so, I have my sights set on a StingRay. What's the going price for a 2-band (NEW) these days anyways? I've put a quote in for a StingRay [b]4 [/b]'[b]SLO' Special H - 2 Band [/b]EQ - in natural finish, with maple fingerboard and tortoiseshell pick guard; and I just wanted to make sure that whatever response I get back is going to be realistic. Cheers.

Hi all. Great feedback, cheers! As far as 2-band's go, I've only tried one of the limited editions (no hardcase/limited colours) that they released some time back; and I can confirm that there was no detents on that one- so naturally I've assumed that all 2-band'ers are like that. The quote that I have sent off for was to Musicman themselves; 100% uncompromised Ernie Ball. Do you think [i]that bass[/i] would be the same, or feature detents?

Hey all. Ok so, I have my sights set on a Stingray; a good 'ole 2-band single humbucker. Admittedly, I'm still alittle unsure about the nature of the controls. Unlike the 3-band, which features centre detents to indicate the 'flat' point of the bass, I believe the 2-band controls are boosts only; does this mean that the 'flat' point on the 2-band is when both controls are rolled off to 0? or am I off? Cheers.

This is great guys, cheers to all for your feedback! I will certainly take all into consideration (if and when) I make my purchase. Cheers.

Amazing, cheers all!

Amazing, cheers mcnach. That certainly clears a lot up!

Yes hiram. It's not really 'custom' per se though; the 'SLO Special' (38mm nut) is an option that anybody is welcome to opt for. Not too many standard retailers (PMT, GG, GAK etc) chose to stock them though, hence why I've had to order from Ernie Ball themselves.

Hi all. Ok so, I have my sights set on a Stingray. I've recently received a quote from Musicman for a 'Stingray 4 SLO Special [b]H - 2 Band[/b] EQ' in natural finish... for £1600. I was quite surprised by this price, as I've noticed that you can pick up a Stingray, of the same spec, for £1099 from most retailers (see link). Fair enough, they're not 'SLO Special's, but all other criteria applies. Surely, a change in neck profile doesn't justify a £500 price jump? I wondered whether there may be a difference in material, build quality etc between the ones available in store (compared to special orders). Anybody out there that can shed some light on this? or is it simply a pricing mistake on MM's part? (or is it [i]me[/i] missing something here?! lol) [url="http://www.gak.co.uk/en/music-man-stingray-2eq-black-rosewood/71480"]http://www.gak.co.uk...-rosewood/71480[/url]

Cheers guys!

Hi all. Hope you're well. I'm looking to give a little 'space' to my lines, so I'm on the market for a good, simple to use, tap delay; one that doesn't colour my sound necessarily, just simply repeats what I'm giving it. So far, someone has suggested the 'TC Electronic Nova Repeater'. Any others?

Lol, hey Si! Hope you're well Cheers mate!

Awesome, cheers guys! Anybody else?

Hi all. Happy new year! Recommended luthiers in Birmingham, UK please? Someone who lives and breaths fret dressing/levelling... Ok so, I love my MM Fender Jazz; as you can expect from a mid-range bass though, the fret work is not that great- as a result I have to keep my action higher to compensate for the buzz. I'm a light player, so I require as little fight in my strings as possible, and frankly its playing hell with my technique- so I need the strings as close to the fingerboard as I can. I'm tired of compromising now... help! Cheers. Greg,

Hi all. Hope you're well. I'm on the market for a docking station, for backing track use live. My mate uses the Alesis 'Jam Dock', and swears by it; sadly, they are no longer in production. Can anybody recommend any current/available alternatives similar (if not identical)? Cheers.

What do you guys make of the 'Lofi machine' by Mooer? Resembles the Bugcrusher slightly, in that it has just the one control knob...

Cheers for the feedback both!

Hey fretnomore, great clip mate. Cheers!

Hi tonyf. Thanks for the insight mate, I'm already aware of what the unit offers though, what I was wondering is how [i]John[/i] utilizes it. Thumbs up for the feedback regardless. Cheers.

Hi all. One thing that still eludes me about Johns board, is his Line 6 M9. I've noticed his extensive use of the unit; anybody know what he is using it for [i]exactly[/i]? I imagine reverb/delays are a standard, is there anything else? (reference to existing NERVE tracks would be helpful). Cheers. Greg.