HeadlessBassist

For best results, dredge your vintage tonewood from the bottom of a lake, same as they do for those highly expensive drum kits. As for that screw in the G string saddle, I’m selling them for £40,000 each. Right, who wants some Magic Beans then..?

Typically, now I've ordered my American Professional Classic Precision from the Bass Gallery, I spot these - Listen to the demo on the last frame in the list of pictures... Don't know what strings he's putting on these, but his timber choices and how he makes/winds the pickups sound sublime. https://reverb.com/uk/item/92759611-alnus-bass-precision-bass-2025-aged-dakota-red

It forces a rush of compressed air into the tone wood molecules and makes them vibrate more quickly. As a result the bass resonates faster, making the sound sweeter, generates a more purposeful tone, and thusly the player becomes faster, with improved technique and accuracy, and becomes more God-like. 🤣 You did ask. Happy Christmas one and all!

That's a nice looking Bass for sure. I'm curious JD, you sound like you place the aesthetics of a Bass very highly, whereas I mainly go for the feel, playability and sound of the bass in question. I stopped by the Gallery during my Precision research and chose the green American Professional Classic, because that particular instrument felt and sounded great to me. I'm not really bothered about colours

Yes, but which one? The early 2000s ones with the S1 parallel/series switching were a bit flaky, the 2008 was a seriously good instrument. The 2012 was pretty good too, with a very modern punch to the sound.

I must be getting old & weak. I did turn 56 on Sunday...

Definitely interested in these - He seems to have nailed the classic 60s Precision sound with his in-house custom wound pickups. The fact that you can hear what a particular bass sounds like also helps. Prices are very reasonable, too.

Wow, how did you manage to make a Jazz bass weigh 14lbs?! I thought my recently sold Status KingBass Mk-II was bad enough at nearly 12lbs. When playing, watch out for random sink holes appearing underneath you - you may find yourself in Australia for Christmas!

Duplicate Post.

I'm also going to go for two used options first, mainly because they're the two I own and regularly use professionally. First for that authentic 60s feel is the American Original 60's Jazz. The smell of the Nitro Cellulose varnish when you open the case is intoxicating, and those Pure Vintage 64 pickups are hard to beat. Clay dots and a proper red-based sunburst finish the job off. Excellent bass all-round. To this end, I'd highly recommend the current American Vintage II 66 Jazz. It's not much different to mine and a friend of mine in the States recently bought a new one - he's chuffed to bits with it. Second is the American Elite (2016-2020). Basically, these are the Swiss army knife of the 'American Deluxe' Jazz range with all the best hardware, a great preamp and just an all round great sounding active Jazz bass. Avoid the current American Ultra II. The spec smacks of cost cutting and they've ruined the noiseless pickups! I played a nearly new 2025 build Japanese Hybrid II the other week. It was a lovely looking bass (the flamed red one), but the Hybrid II pickups sounded too bottom-endy, and the highs weren't particularly clear, but maybe that was the strings it had on it at the time. I haven't played an American Professional II yet, but love the 'Dark Night' colour scheme. From what I've heard, they dumbed down the pickups from the previous version, so that wouldn't be my choice - the Am.Pro II is also the basis for the Mod Shop basses, so make sure you've at least played the Pro II model before you order your mod shop dream bass. I'd also have a serious look at the new American Professional Classic series - I've just ordered the faded Sherwood Green Precision for myself this week. The pickups in this series are based on the Pure Vintage series from the American Vintage II, and sound lovely and warm on the bottom end, but with crystal clear highs that aren't at all harsh. By all accounts, they're really high quality too. Enjoy your foray into the Fender Jazz

Nice to hear a story about mods that actually improve the bass for you, Neephid. I always liked the look of these, but only played one briefly in a shop many years ago. Those Glockenklang (always loved their name!) preamps are fantastic - I had one in the prototype Enfield Lionheart I had for a few years. Lovely job!

This is very true - I have several friends around the country with stunning collections of basses who intend to sell much further down the road as a pension scheme of sorts.

Well it would seem I've answered my own question... I ordered a Precision today - the American Professional Classic in faded Sherwood Green Metallic. There's been one in the Gallery in Camden that I've looked at several times, and today I pulled the trigger, so it'll be here in a few days - probably after Xmas. I went for the new model, as [from what I've heard] the new 'Coastline' pickup (apparently derived from the 'Pure Vintage' series pickups) sounds very warm at the bottom, but has clear highs without the nasty nasal honk. Basically quite similar sounding to my previous Am.Professional I. We'll see how it plays after I've set it up...

Whichever is the most convenient, I've found that there is a difference in sound between V/V/T and V/Blend/T, so I always leave mine as V/V/T. I really liked the passive tone on the John East J-Tone system, which can be had either way. Never really got on with the concentric Vol/Tone stacks. There's something missing from the sound there and they always sound too bright to me.

Nice 90s Britpop feeling to it, Andy. Great work!

As with all things, the number increases as time goes on... For me, it's the £2000 level at the moment. I have basses that are in the £3-4000 bracket, but I'd consider £2000 upwards to be an 'expensive bass'. Of course, it's all down to your personal circumstances, but the Fender range is a good place to start, with the entry level American stuff now starting at 14-1500, and the full Corona-ese stuff now nudging the £2000 barrier and upwards. Anyone else remember when the American Standards were hanging on shop walls priced at £700? They seemed unattainable at the time, too!

Nope, no qualms whatsoever. I'm happy to use a cheaper bass for certain less well heeled venues, but generally I think you need to use the bass that fits with who you're playing with - If I'm playing theatre and Warner shows and the music is all 50's & 60's, it'll be a passive Jazz every time (yes, I know the Jazz didn't appear until 1960!), and if I'm playing lots of 80s and later in my Duo/Trio, I'll take a Status or a GB along. Right tool for the right job. It's the best excuse for having lots of basses - "They all do different jobs." 🤫

I genuinely had no idea Orange amps went back that far, Jack. As for the Precision/Telecaster bass, I really don't like the sound. Sounds like he's hitting it way too hard, or the amp is distorting. What they had to work with in the 70s, I guess

Yes, it is. Maybe we're all tuned to different frequencies of said sonic hole..? I always remember a regular bass player at a Jam Session where I was house bass player some years ago, who used to go on and on about adding mids. What he never realized was that yes, adding a bucket load of mid frequency helps you hear yourself very clearly, but in turn always sounds nasty and harsh to the audience. I'm sure there's a balance lurking around somewhere!

It's nice to see some balanced opinions and experiences here. In my case, I've always been a die hard Status fan, and whenever the Status sound hasn't been appropriate, I'd usually resort to a Fender Jazz (both passive and active are available to me.) I have a few other basses, such as a very punchy GB Spitfire and a couple more, including an incoming new build walnut/graphite Jazz. Then there's my 95 Stingray with Aguilar pickup & preamp, an utterly fantastic sounding bass in isolation, which is currently up for sale on the marketplace here. I've had several EBMM instruments, such as a Piezo Stingray, an older Stingray 5, a newer three band Stingray 4, a Sabre Classic, a Big Al 5 & more recently a nearly new Stingray Special 5. For some reason, the EBMM sound never seems to work for me in a live situation. It disappears into a sonic hole of sorts, just like a Precision. Maybe it's those pronounced upper mids? I prefer some smoother clean treble with the mids set flat usually. Maybe I play too quietly and sensitively, but whatever the reason, whenever I get stung by the Ray (see what I did there?), it sadly ends up staying home and ultimately gets sold. Note to self: Stop buying Stingrays, you eejit!

And another +1 for Autumnglo. That's lovely. Hope you enjoy playing it!