Musicman20

[quote name='Quatschmacher' post='892893' date='Jul 12 2010, 03:50 PM']Well, I was in GuitarGuitar in Newcastle at the weekend and had a very quick go on the Classic Stingray they've just got in (white/maple). So disappointed that the neck is just as uncomfortable for my tiny hands as a regular Stingray. I was gutted and so didn't even plug it in. There's no use falling in love with the sound and be tortured that I'll never be able to play it. On the plus side, it'll save me the money and the lusting. It really looks like the SLO Special is going to be the one for me, if I can find one in the UK![/quote] Pm me I know of one!

[quote name='Stacker' post='892103' date='Jul 11 2010, 05:41 PM']Get yourself a Nash, mate. There are two up on UK ebay right now![/quote] I decided if I can get one for about £1200 Ill have it.

If I could find a Sadowsky with the tone of a Fender id buy it. I admit Sadowsky Metros are very very well made, but are hitting the point of mass production IMO, so I just cannot see myself shelling out £1700 for one of their basses. Its a shame as the Metros are no longer 'affordable' to normal people unless they sell a few others to get one. Since 2008, the whole 'Lakland and Sadowsky are better than Fender' viewpoint is becoming weaker and weaker. Id still like a Sadowsky, but as Ive said, it would need to be cheaper than £1700 and with more of a passive grunt.

For the record PMT in Leeds gave me such a hard time trying to buy a brand new Jazz Bass about 14 months ago that I got sick of it and complained to Fender. The worst customer service I have ever received. I bought my Orange AD200b and OBC410 from them a week before. Id sold my old MIA Fender P Deluxe so I wanted a Jazz straight away. At first, the sales rep (I wont mention his name but I know he is part of the Leeds music scene) wouldnt price match, when on the phone a young lady said it was no problems. In fact, she had even checked with the manager. Next, he decides to match it (and we are only talking the same price as everywhere else had them for) and I also ask for a brand new Orange OBC115 (as their stock one was covered in black marks and people were using it to sit on) and a set of covers for the Orange. He doesnt even look into ordering the OBC115, as he wont sell me anything but the one in the store. Orange confirmed that this is NOT the way they operate; customers can order brand new items with no hassle. He then forgets about the covers. I give up and order brand new from my local store back in NE Lincs (Pooles/PSS Music) and it turns up fresh/sealed Not only that, it was cheaper. Luckily my AD200b and OBC410 were brand new and I bought them 1 week after they had gone on display. The Jazz arrived late, and it was covered in marks. The bass looked like it had been polished with cheap polish as the bass was covered in a weird residue. The pups were badly marked, and the strings were dead. In addition, the obvious Fender stickers and guard/tuner covers had been removed. They had even tried to put a new sticker on the pickguard but it was obvious even to my girlfriend that they had taken it off another. Next, they agree to order another. I dont trust them now, so I remember most of the serial number from the original. 2 weeks later, they call to say its arrived. Yet again, SAME bass, more polish. I got into a bit of an argument, demand my deposit back, and I will never trust them again. Even the manager knew what was going on. Just be careful. I was lucky as two weeks later I discovered the Bass Merchant and the service there is like a breath of fresh air. No pressure, no messing about, completely relaxed and they help anyone from the serious pro down to the beginner. Rant over....Im still angry hahah.

[quote name='Grand Wazoo' post='891699' date='Jul 11 2010, 12:15 AM']I agree that a setup from someone with a bit of bass know how would solve most issues but we are talking about an instrument which has is sold as "Custom Shop" special and as such you would expect at least that it is prefect out of the box. Now these are not rumours, A shop in Denmark St. had a custom shop Jazz 60's replica and I went to try it, I gave it back to the sales man, and said, are you kidding? The G string would slide off the neck at the least pressure and you just couldn't get it to tune properly. I was offended more than disappointed by the audacity that either the shop (failing to spot the problem) or Fender themselves put out an instrument which is worth a lot of cash in such conditions. I am now on my 4th Ernie Ball bass all bought site unseen and ordered from new, all of which required absolutely no setup once out of the box. And can someone please explain how comes Squier pays more attention to details? The 3 Classic Vibe's I've bought all came setup perfectly?[/quote] Ive been MASSIVELY unlucky with basses recently. Luckily they were all covered with a returns policy, but heck, I even got an EB with a problem with the neck. I was gutted. Saying that, every other EB ive played has been exceptionally good. Lakland are the worst for QC IMO.

After trying and being impressed with the RW Jazz, and also trying the Lakland JOs, Im giving this a lot of thought. I dont want to rush into anything. The Lakland JO and other examples I tested again had QC issues like massive neck pockets and misaligned pups. Ive even seen the ring for the through body stringing on the back misaligned and half hanging out. So, Im steering clear of Lakland. I still like the Fender RW Jazz...but I still have that annoying 'is it going to be better than a 60s Classic?' question hanging over it. Maybe I should try one again. Im looking for: 60s pickup location, rosewood board, White or Sunburst, excellent attention to detail and excellent neck pocket, dots not blocks, 4 strings, passive. I dont want another American Standard despite the fact I like them. I want a vintage 60s-esque tone so the bass must nail this! Any suggestions other than the RW Jazz? I could go secondhand but Im very picky so that could take a long time. Thanks

The BT is VERY loud...and will do 500W at 8 or 4 ohms which is great.

My ex band is full of great friends and memories. Last night I went home to see them play as Im always in touch with them. It was a shame leaving the band but I wanted to leave on a high. So, they played a pretty damn good set. Lots of energy and lots of audience participation. The drummer is still my favourite drummer to work with and we know one day another band will happen between us. I got asked to play their last track, and Id have a few, but I remembered most of it. Great fun, and it was nice to feel so welcome. Their new bassist is a bit younger, and is a guitarist turned bassist, and knows how seriously I take my playing. He admitted he has no chance of getting my lines down. I felt rather stunned and taken back that people thought I was such a big part of their sound. I then listened to our old EP in the car home and was actually pretty happy with my playing and sound. All in all, it was good fun, and I miss the band. But, alas, I had to move on to take my career to the next level. Anyone else have that great relationship still with their old bands?

What shame Expectations I guess. I would expect it to be stunning. I expected Laklands QC to be as good as the hype and Ive tried to buy 4 basses so far and they all turned up with extremely poor attention to detail.

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='890154' date='Jul 9 2010, 09:52 AM']First off, i didnt even know about the Sadowsky Outboard Preamp up until an hour ago so sorry if this is going over old ground. At the moment i use a Behringer BD21 to give me a more active tone. I tend to keep the EQ fretty flat on the BD21 and the drive off. This works well i guess. I dont need or want distortion, and to be honest the output from my bass (via my radio system) is good so i dont need to boost it. I dont need a DI as such as i use my amps DI whenever i have to, although having a better one is always nice. I have been thinking about a Audere or maybe even a East pre for my CV Jazz but then stumbled on the Sadowsky in the effects for sale section. I think this might be a better option, as i wont have to keep unplugging my bass between sets. Im just wondering how different it will sound compared to what i have. Any thought would be much appreciated. Anyone use both?[/quote] Ah I had a similar choice when I thought about putting a pre onboard a Lakland, then I realised it would be nice to have a pedal as an option because I have a few passive basses so it would make more sense. I've not tried the Sadowsky one but I expect it's pretty damn good, although subtle. The Sansamp will give you the character Sansamp tone which some love but others don't. Like an Ampeg being pushed into slight tube drive all the way to tube grind. It sounds quite modern and aggressive although I think it can be bypassed and just used as a DI. If you aren't sure on the Sadowsky, there is the Aguilar Tone Hammer which Aguilar have demos of DI'd on their site.

Ive had a fair few. MIJs are great, but the pickups are a little thin sounding compared to the MIA range although some models have US pickups. Dont get me wrong, the MIJ/CIJ basses are great for the price (or used to be before they became expensive), but I wouldnt take one over the new MIA basses. The new 08 onwards Ps are pretty much spot on. I was looking at what I can get thats 'above' the latest MIA 2008-on range, and if you want the Fender sound/feel, there is no point getting anything else. I was asked to write a list about what I dont like about my Ps, and if im honest I couldnt really say anything. If you check the bass over and make sure its a good example, you will have a fantastic Precision. The new maple boards are lovelyyyyy! Seriously smooth and look great. Rolled edges as well and more attention on the frets. If you check the Fender site you can find all the other upgrades. I wouldnt change a thing apart from the strings every now and then, as the bridges and pups are fantastic. Possibly the most noticable addition is the high quality hard case. All this for approx. £830. They may be creeping up in price now though.

[quote name='Grand Wazoo' post='889644' date='Jul 8 2010, 04:17 PM']Well Gareth maybe you were too quick triggered once again you should have known what the new pegs which you like, that EBMM have just designed, are still only a drawing on their blakcboard and will not see the light of day for at least another year or more. I really can't understand how you've cancelled the order just becaue the new pegs won't be fitted to the Big Al, specially when EB intends to fit them on the Reflex as they missed it for the 25th. Now about the sound: this bass is a lot punchier than a Stingray on blue pills, it covers a variety of styles, it's great for rock, if you like that sort of thing, and has a very captivating passive sound so blues and jazz lovers will be right at home there. I was also lucky: I've put it on the scale and was surprised to find that it is quite light for a fiver, at only 9.12lbs!! So far I am loving it a lot![/quote] I think I got swept away with the whole GAS of the Big Al over on the EB forum. The thing is, as Im still awaiting to find my feet with my legal career, the Big Al cost is a LOT of cash to spend on one bass for me, so I sat down and worked it out. Its not just all about the tuners, its the fact I dont want to order a bass that Ive never even seen or heard in the flesh without my own approval, if you get me. But, I am one of those people who like the most recent version of things, so if they do put the new tuners on it, then ill wait for them to start shipping. One player might love a bass, the other might hate it. I dont like the sound of Sadowsky basses that much, but I got caught up in the 'wow these are great' and it was only until I tested that I could make an informed decision. I personally would choose a Stingray Alnico over a Bongo and Sterling everytime, but thats me, some people think thats crazy! Stingray tone (3EQ) and feel is part of the bass sound I grew up with, and I cant get any better with active basses at the moment. I have zero problems testing an EB then ordering my own spec as I know they have (normally) great QC, but if for some mad reason I just didnt like the Big Al, then im stuck The Big Al is the one bass I really want to try out and hear...the youtube demos and pictures make it seem like a dream bass to me As I said, I need to be more patient. Maybe next year I might even get a 4 string version if Im honest, despite the fact I think it looks better with a low B. Hope you enjoy it anyway, youve had a long wait. I still have 2 EBs incoming so I cannot grumble.

[quote name='lojo' post='889650' date='Jul 8 2010, 04:23 PM']Yeah I dont get this dont mix drivers stuff, orange always promote both the 410 and 115 as the perfect combination and there is no reason for them to if say 2 x 410 was better, they would promote that instead, also if you use pa support then your sound is coming from all kinds of drivers anyhow MM what combinations of your TC cabs have you gigged?[/quote] Ive rehearsed 'loudly' at full gig volumes with the RS210, then the RS210 + 212. The RS210 did a LOT on its own I must say. The RS210+212 sounds fantastic to me. If you want a more full low mid and want to move a little more air, 2 x RS212 would be the best choice.

Orange - dirty warm rock tone, but can also do big clean warm motown thump. Think of traditional bass tones. Aguilar - Clean and articulate. GK1001 - Great loud amp, very bright IMO. The Aguilar is a little more boutique and probably built with more expensive components, hence the cost. The GK and Orange BT are very very good amps for the money.

Nice! As you may know ive cancelled mine for various reasons, but I still want one. Great looking bass and really individual. Im going to try and test a 4 vs a 5 next year when Ive had chance to enjoy my other incoming EBs.

[quote name='Floyd Pepper' post='889410' date='Jul 8 2010, 12:15 PM']Have you checked with Mark at Bass Direct ? He had a few hanging up last time I was in there. Jim[/quote] Thanks Jim, just checked, out of stock on his site. Mono themselves said they are struggling to keep up as they are very popular! I might just have to sit tight.

Im not sure who has them in stock at the moment. I just want the Small Black Mono GS1. Its been on order for a while but still out of stock. Im allowed to cancel if somewhere else has it. Price ive been quoted is £29.95....including delivery. If somewhere has one in let me know! I dont want to pay anymore than that though. Thanks!

Sadowsky....safer purchase.

I love the simplicity of choice. I wasn't born until 81 but you guys seems to have had a blast back then. Despite the fact we are lucky to have sooo many options now in bass, it sometimes seems best to go back to basics; p/j/rick/ray plus amp. No faffing.

[quote name='walbassist' post='888924' date='Jul 7 2010, 08:52 PM']Yes, I spotted that, but more sites (including Ashdown) say 400 watts RMS!!!![/quote] Me thinks the 200W is for the 1x12 version?

[quote name='ThomBassmonkey' post='888892' date='Jul 7 2010, 08:26 PM']I'm interested in all this too, I'm after a jazz (been saying it a while now and had a few offers, still waiting for stuff to shift before I can afford it now) and it's mind boggling the amount of jazzes available from Fender alone. Now they've got the "MIM, assembled in the US" style basses and the "MIM with a few US parts" style basses, it's even more confusing. I still wonder if you had one of each price range bass (e.g. Squier CVJ, MIM Standard, US Standard) and stripped out all the electrics and hardware, then put on identical parts, how much the difference really would be. I expect certain things like finish and fret finish would still be slightly better on the more expensive models, but even with a fret dress the Squier would be a fraction of the price of the US.[/quote] Its is confusing! Personally, I still think IF you can pick up a new 2008 onwards American Standard for under £900, (which you can) you are getting a good deal. There are still SOME QC issues on a few to watch out for, but thats something Ive seen with nearly every bass manufacturer if im honest, bar the real high end gear. If you get a good one, which it is more than likely nowadays, you will be happy. Ive rattled on about the new American Standards a lot, but they seriously are a step up in quality and the upgrades/case are excellent. No need to mod in my opinion....unless you want a different pickup 'sound'. I still smile when I use mine.

[quote name='Lfalex v1.1' post='888896' date='Jul 7 2010, 08:28 PM']You're not as far out as you think, there! I actually DO think that there's a difference between thick/thin/no/nitro/poly and even satin/gloss finishes with regard to tone. My satin finished Zoot is a superb example in this respect. My unfinished/natural Zebrano Warwick also. I also think that the fact that my MIA Jazz has a decent, 2 piece ash body with a (thinner) trans finish contributes to it being as good as it is. I've played Highway 1 Jazzes that I thought were very good for the price, and attributed [i]part[/i] of that to the nitro finish.[/quote] Good info, thanks The new 08 onwards Fenders have a slightly thinner coating with Fender's blurb 'allowing the body to breathe' more. I must admit, there does seem to be a difference. They sound exactly how I wanted them to. Its a shame the Highway 1s dont get more coverage....seem like a bargain.