Dan Dare

Are you buying to play or as an investment? If the former, try them and choose without regard for age, etc. Why not, as others suggest, look at road-worn repros/alternatives. I lusted after an L series P bass for several years but couldn't find anything that floated my boat (they're not common, but I found a few to try). If I do come across something nice that isn't stupidly expensive, I'll have it, but chances are slim, especially as collectors inflate the prices. I built a Bitsa to keep me going and it's surprisingly decent.

Don't forget to leave a note in your will about the real value of those instruments you told the family you'd picked up for fifty quid. Otherwise they'll flog them to Cash Converters for bugger all.

Or brown bread?

Maybe. In my experience, if I find I don't like something, I don't like it.

Have to disagree. I sold a mint Flightcase and got a lot less than that for it.

Rather different. You, as the insured, are driving your car. You won't be using the kit that gets wrecked. A total stranger will (your car insurance won't cover that). If you want to chance it, let us know how you get on.

You say you don't know whether you will stick with it, so I'd avoid buying new. You always lose money on new stuff when you sell it. I'd go for a something modest like a secondhand Rumble and see how things pan out.

I just had a look. It appears very ropey. Says you have to claim on your own insurance first and then use theirs if you don't have any joy. Sounds like a scam to me.

Hard to choose when there are so many, especially rock albums. Good to see Kind of Blue getting so many votes. It's just timeless. Giant Steps is similarly wonderful, imho.

I think the key is the fact that the chap was an "older gentleman". I'm 64 and I can remember when I was in my teens/early twenties, a "real" Fender was a pretty rare beast in Blighty, unless you were a pro'. Now, they're everywhere and you can choose between US, Mexican, Korean, Japanese, etc instruments, all Fender branded, at varying price points. The guitar hero at the school I went to was the only bloke for miles around with a genuine Strat' and the copies hadn't started appearing yet. When I finally got my first "proper" Fender ('72 jazz, which I still have), it cost me several months wages and was a real red letter day.

Unless the "hirer" leaves the full asking price as a deposit, what guarantee do you have that you'll ever see it again?

You may all know about this already, but just joined a FB group called "Give Norman Watt Roy a Knighthood". Especially well deserved in light of the undeserving nobodies (with the odd honourable exception) who appeared on the list that was published the other day. It's at https://www.facebook.com/groups/244620952217769/about/.

Are they tapewounds?

That's peak. In reality, a lot less. The headroom will be useful for acoustic stuff, where you need clarity above all else. If the OP has a £1k budget, saving another £500 and getting a pair of 735s looks an excellent option to me and much better than buying budget kit that is no improvement on what he has.

Dad's right. I'd use what you have until you're in a position to upgrade your whole PA, rather than buy things piecemeal. You may well decide to go for active cabs (once you get into the realms of better kit, many PA speakers are active), which would mean you'd be wasting your money buying powered mixer. Mixers, especially analogue ones now many are going over to digital, tend not to hold their value and you don't get a good resale price if you buy new (I have just sold a large Soundcraft, in mint condition, for a fraction of what it cost me). As a stopgap to provide extra power for larger jobs, I'd look at picking up a used power amplifier to drive the other speaker. If you really want a powered mixer, they often turn up used on the 'Bay. Stick with reputable makes such as Yamaha, Allen & Heath, Soundcraft, etc and you'll be fine.

Heavy cabs? Check. Jazz bass? Check (got one). Pedal steel guitar? Check (drove me mad and I sold it).

Hence the bit of foam we put under the strings.

The answer is both. Some vintage instruments are wonderful, some less so and some, I've no doubt, are dogs. Same applies to modern instruments - some that are being made today will become sought after classics, others won't. The high prices of vintage instruments are due to scarcity value and because people invest in them. It's the way of the world. No point in straining at it.

Have a look in the market place under other musical items. Someone is selling a couple of Mackie active subs (says he will sell one or both). I don't know or have any connection with the seller, but one or both of those combined with your existing PA ought to do the job.

There's a limit to what a tiny valve guitar combo can do, no matter what you do to it. Preamps/eq are complex topic. Unless you know what you are doing, I wouldn't DIY mod a valve amp. Apart from anything else, the internal voltages are usually very high, so bodging things can be dangerous. I'd be inclined to get something like an eq pedal - Boss graphic or similar - and run the bass through that into the combo. It still won't be great, but it will be better than nothing and a lot safer.

Have a look at Orchid DI boxes. Very well reviewed in Sound on Sound, made in deepest Devon and not at all expensive.

Fair enough, but how many items do you spot in the average day that you are interested in? For me, it will be one, maybe two a week at most, so the time spent sending "where are you" messages is minimal (I've just sent someone that very question). Those who deal and buy a lot of stuff to sell on should accept that a small amount of effort may be needed to find something they can turn a profit on.

Spot on. Next to the fruit bowl.

A quick PM does the trick.

Why not build a Bitsa P? Mine cost me around £250 - bought a used Squier cheap and upgraded pickups, tuners, bridge and wiring. I agree with others that nothing does P bass like a P bass.