Osiris

I think it depends on who you are dealing with, unfortunately. I pop in there once in a while and there's usually a new face or 2 behind the counter since the last visit, but there's also 2 or 3 guys who have been there for some years now. The guy who looks after the bass department, Heath, is one of the good guys in there and knows his stuff, and looks after you as a customer. Not that that's of any help to you right now But in your shoes I'd no doubt be feeling exactly the same. As for the missing price tags, that seems a bit bizarre, however, I've found that they'll usually offer prices matching the lowest online prices without even having to ask. Funnily enough I was in there about a month ago looking at IEM systems and the guy who dealt with me was helpful and friendly if not exactly a wealth of knowledge on the subject of IEM's. If I recall correctly, anything on channel 70 can be legally used without the need for a licence but anything on any other channel - I seem to think that the Shure PSM200 run on channel 38 - will therefore requires a licence. But don't quote me on that as I'm far from certain so it's worth double checking before buying anything. FYI - There's a helpful and more detailed post about it here.

That could explain it. I tend to either hook my thumb over the P pup or increasingly lately I find myself using the floating thumb technique but still playing between the 2 pups as though my thumb was still anchored on the P. Forgot to mention that I also have an Ibanez Talman short scale that is fitted with D'Addario 50-105 gauge short scale strings. There is noticeably more tension in the strings on that than there is with Mustang.

My Mustang P/J still wears the stock (presumably Fender?) strings that came with it when I bought it new in the summer. They feel quite loose but in a good way, not too stiff and easy to bend, but very definitely different to what you have experienced. I've not played another Mustang to compare the feel and tension so I don't know if mine is 'normal' for a Mustang or not. As @naxos10 and @grandad have said, changing the strings will affect the tension. The strings on mine appear to be standard scale strings as the point where the string tapers is wrapped around the tuning peg and not between the nut and tuning peg as you'd expect, so this could possibly be why they have such a loose feel. I really like the sound and the feel as they are and have no immediate plans to change them but I'll report back as and when I do.

@Mykesbass enjoy your new amp, they are fantastic I've got the Magellan 350 too, bought as a back up to my Magellan 800 They are seriously great sounding, versatile amps. The 350 has more power and volume than most of us are ever likely to realistically need, I've never needed to push my master volume above 9 o'clock.

I have one of each of these cases, they're both tougher than gig padded gig bags but not as heavy and bulky as a full flight case. Both are well made and fit my TT4 perfectly; Protection racket Protec Contego Both are great cases. If anything I prefer to the cheaper Protection racket one, it's every bit as well made and offers the same level of protection as the Contego but the zip seems a tad smoother and it has adjustable inserts that you can move about that fit into the contours of the bass body to stop it moving around.

I always liked Duff McKagan as a bassist, some great melodic lines, but the rest of Guns & Roses leave me cold, including Slash as a guitarist. There's something about his guitar tone that irritates me. Nowhere near as much as Axle Roses nauseating screeching does though, that man makes my ears bleed. I really like Bernard Edwards' bass lines too but really don't care for whole Disco style, it's too happy and twee for my miserable disposition 😀

Cheers @scrumpymike In that case Osiris junior might find himself getting one for Christmas even though he has no interest in learning to play

What about those of us that have got turds for brains?

Am I the only one who sees Captain Jack Sparrow?

After more than 30 years of playing and gigging I'm starting to come to the conclusion that all the many thousands of pounds I have spent on bass gear in that time (I daredn't even begin to total it up ) has largely been akin to chasing rainbows. As has already been pointed out, there is a lot of very good, cheap gear about these days, far removed from my first bass with a body made from a soggy bit of bread that I started on in the mid 80's. I'm currently happily gigging a short scale Ibanez Talman, cost me £150 used (yes you can get them for that new but this has had the pickups, bridge, jack and pots upgraded) alongside a couple of other basses that I paid 10 times as much for. And the diddy Ibanez holds its own against them. That's not to say that it as well built, indeed if you care to scrutinise it you can see where costs have been saved - but that does not automatically make is a pile of 💩. It plays well, it is comfortable - and most of all it sounds great. It sounds like me. As do its considerably more expensive peers. And it also means that I don't get too precious about it when the walking dead take to the stage at about 11.30 each gig. There isn't much gear that I've played over the years that I haven't been able to get a good, usable sound out of. Yes, sure I could name a couple of names but that's not the point. The point is getting a solid, usable sound. As someone said earlier the key factor is getting a sound that locks in and compliments the other sounds going on around you, whatever they are. That often means a sound that isn't particularly pleasing in isolation, but works as part of the whole. The cost of, and the badge on your bass/amp/cab/pedals is utterly irrelevant. If it works for you then it's the right tool for your job regardless of the RRP.

With more than 3 decades of playing and gigging behind me I've started to come to the exact same conclusion myself over the past couple of years. And I dread to think how much I've blew on bass gear in that time too But let's keep this to ourselves, eh? Otherwise Basschat will implode within minutes

Thank you Yes I know what you mean about the headstock, the one on the Talman is a bit of an acquired taste but I have so much fun playing it that I can forgive the design!

@scrumpymike that looks as though it's possibly an ex-demo model that's been booted around the shop before being posted out to you. The one I bought used was in better condition! But hats of to PMT for sorting it out - even if they should never have sent it out in that condition in the first place. Let us know how you get on with the short scale Jaguar, they seem to be very well regarded and I'd like to know what you think of it as I'm thinking of possibly picking one up myself.

To my eyes the Bugera bears more of a similarity to one of these than the Streamliner.