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HeadlessBassist

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Everything posted by HeadlessBassist

  1. HeadlessBassist
    The Status Graphite neck fingerboard is actually a 'Phenolic' material. Basically, very hard and very light. They never wear out, either.
  2. HeadlessBassist
    I know what you mean. I've been out playing my Status basses, GB Spitfire and even my regular American Elite Jazz regularly on jobs for a few weeks, and the other day I sat down and got my Fender American Original Jazz out for the first time in a while. There's a simplicity and naturalness to the tone of a really good passive bass that's both refreshing and hard to beat. Yes, sometimes we need some active preamp shove, but that pure simplicity of a good passive bass is so satisfying. Interestingly enough, my new walnut/graphite Jazz build is going to start out passive with the Fender Pure Vintage 66 pickups and the initial plan is to see how I like it passive. There is the possibility of a John East Jazz preamp lurking in my mind, though...
  3. HeadlessBassist
    That looks great. Hope you'll report back on how it sounds in the field.
  4. HeadlessBassist
    As others have said, it's really down to the individual instrument. As always with Fenders, if you can, try before you buy. One will stand out as the bass for you. As for the price/quality difference between the Road Worn Vintera and the Squier, the latter have been consistent for a long time, but the Mexican Vintera II models have really upped in quality over the last few years. We're living in a world now where an American Professional II (originally the entry level USA bass) costs nearly £2000, so the Vintera II range looks and feels like a comparative bargain. I'd also have a look at the new 'American Professional Classic' range. They look very good for the money & the new 'Coastline' pickups are a retune of the Pure Vintage series, which always sound fantastic.
  5. HeadlessBassist
    That's a very distinctive looking bass. Mayones are often deceptively good and usually punch well above their price point. Congrats!
  6. HeadlessBassist
    To be inspired to play more is all you can really ask for
  7. HeadlessBassist
    That's an interesting choice of string for a Bongo.
  8. HeadlessBassist
    Congratulations JazzyJ! Looks lovely, particularly the 'Pewter' like finish. Being a HH, it should be mighty too. Enjoy!
  9. HeadlessBassist
    For Sale: 1995 MusicMan Stingray 2EQ "Velvet Satin" Ltd Edition in Natural Ash with Aguilar Pickup & Aguilar OBP-2 Preamp. I'll start by saying that this is the best Stingray I've ever played/heard (and I recently owned a nearly new Stingray Special 5 amongst several others in the past.) It has a beautifully satin lacquer finished (not gunstock oiled, thankfully!) slim neck, and the punch/tone from the Aguilar OBP-2 Preamp & Aguilar AG4M pickup are second to none. I had the Aguilar pickup reinstalled earlier this year, which is voiced like a late seventies model. (There is a routing for a single coil under the scratch plate as well, as this bass was previously modified into a HS by a previous owner - this means it has four controls, but the second knob only blends to a single coil on the Humbucker.). This Ash bodied Stingray is also very light, at around 8.8lbs. Condition wise, I would give it a solid nine out of ten. It has the odd tiny, almost invisible ding, but this is in remarkable order for a 30 year old bass. Also, 30 year old Ash/Maple also resonates like you wouldn't believe. It has sustain for days. The bass comes complete with a 2005 MM Anniversary brown Hard Shell Case with gold interior & an unused spare String Mute kit from Bass Direct. Price is £1550, interesting trades considered. Buyer to collect from Derbyshire DE7, or will meet half way up to 100 miles. (Up to 200 miles total distance.)
  10. HeadlessBassist
    Good job I'm not a U2 fan. Not sure my bank account could take it! This one of those situations where the maker (Warwick or Fender, etc) supply several identical basses for a tour, and the player obviously cherry picks the best ones from the batch. These are obviously the surplus ones that probably got played a couple of times, or were kept as backups. (Apart from the 60s Fender, of course!)
  11. HeadlessBassist
    Also, the screws and through-body-stringing ferrules are the wrong colour. The bridge pickup is too far away from the bridge too. Definitely not American Standard 60's pickup spacing.
  12. HeadlessBassist
    "I'm sorry - Is this the five minute argument, or the full half hour..?"
  13. HeadlessBassist
    The simple answer is the extra money buys the American workers houses, Ford F-150 pickup trucks, and also adds to their pension schemes.
  14. HeadlessBassist
    No, they did away with the wheel - it used to operate the truss rod on the American Elite series. 🤷‍♂️
  15. HeadlessBassist
    I've always loved the Italia basses since they came out in about 2009-10(?) Very individual and distinctive. A lot of players seem to really like them too.
  16. HeadlessBassist
    Yes, that's a very good point. These are a continuation of the "assembled in USA" basses, which started with the original American Special and Highway One models, so the necks could well be from the Mexican Ensenada plant. I know they've streamlined their neck production, so that even the American Ultra II now has the nut-based truss rod and the skunk stripe nowadays. It's a shame, as the stuff they were making around 2016-2020 was far superior. It's the old premium brand game; streamline production to cut costs, thus giving you less and charging you more for it.
  17. HeadlessBassist
    The Rumblefish was an earlier model which was semi-hollow. I'm not sure whether we got it here in't UK.
  18. HeadlessBassist
    I've heard that the secret handshake involves playing repeated slap triplets while simultaneously singing Arne's "Rule Britannia".
  19. HeadlessBassist
    You'd get on well with my friend Jaymi in Nashville - the PinkBassMan!
  20. HeadlessBassist
    Interestingly, here's a video from the Croydon gig from a couple of nights ago, with the Videographer obviously at the front, catching more of the bass rig, and much less of the full PA mix. The pink JayDee sounds pretty good here...
  21. HeadlessBassist
    I think he's talking about owning 4 & 5-string Space Basses, Steve
  22. HeadlessBassist
    I was chatting to @Mike Brooks on WhatsApp about this latest L42 tour the other day. He was saying that the Pink JayDee sounded a little hollow and flat, but when the red JayDee came out, it sounded immense. I haven't heard it in the flesh yet, but I've never liked traditional/vintage instruments through the ultra-processed MarkBass amps. They just don't sound right to me. (I have one and only use it due to the light weight. I much prefer my TC RH750.) By all means tell me if I have weird ears, but the JayDees through the MB rig always sound as if they 'Quack' like a Duck... 🙉
  23. HeadlessBassist
    Agreed. The Mexican £1400 signatures are very good in isolation (I had the Flea Jazz with the Pure Vintage 64's for a while), but when you put them next to the American Original, there's no comparison. There was just something about them that gave them an organic sound. Mine is also very light, so I guess it's a very high quality piece of Alder too.
  24. HeadlessBassist
    How do you find your American Original? I've had mine for six years and it's still the best passive Jazz I've ever played.
  25. HeadlessBassist
    Hey Mark, Rob always said that the 18V pre had more headroom. All of the more expensive graphite models were 18V.
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