Dan Dare

This guy is worth a watch (you'll find him on YouTube)if you have noisy neighbours. He's created a low frequency sound file you can download and play (our bass rigs are ideal for this) to get your own back and best of all, it's not traceable to you because it doesn't sound like music (his neighbours didn't have a clue what the sound was/where it came from and blamed their central heating and all manner of things). Top bloke.

Just a quick addition. The P Special is not like a P Bass. The neck is the narrower Jazz Bass type. It does a reasonable approximation of the P bass sound, but you won't get that really thick vintage thump from it in my experience. However, the J pickup makes it a lot more versatile. Do think about buying used, though. You'll save a lot of money.

The Big Mac is also used by economists as an international comparator of prices/wages. It's a standardised product, sold worldwide. You can work out how well paid a country is by calculating how long someone on average wage has to work to afford one. It isn't only musical instruments that have risen in quality and come down in price. All mass produced goods have, at the budget/medium quality end of the market at any rate. It doesn't necessarily apply at the top end, however. If anything, handmade/custom instruments and products are more expensive. The skills required to produce them are scarcer and increased wealth means more can afford them, so the price goes up until demand = supply.

I have the Mexican P Bass Special, which is pretty well the same instrument. It's decent and versatile. Note that they sell used for a lot less than the new price on the link you posted. There's one on eBay at the moment - black with a maple neck - for half that amount and it appears mint. I'd search for a used one if I were you. Have you actually played one, btw? Never buy without trying is a good rule. You may not be able to try the actual one you intend to buy, but mass produced instruments are much of a muchness, so you should be able to find one to try somewhere.

I think the answers to your final questions are yes to all of them.

You may be "entitled to practice" (I say "may", but there may be byelaws governing that), but it would certainly not be considered reasonable to do so via your SVT and an 8x10 at full blast in a suburban flat or terraced house. A court would be very unlikely to consider that reasonable. There are actually noise limits that local authorities use when determining what is reasonable. The important thing in cases such as this (especially when you are dealing with someone who is unstable/unreasonable) is to ensure you are squeaky clean and above reproach. That way, if it comes to legal action, you are on firm ground. I know that from experience.

I agree with those above who recommend being accommodating. Headphones are simple and neighbour friendly. However, if she and her son have late night screaming matches, then it's entirely reasonable for you to raise that issue with her and tell her you expect some give and take. If she doesn't like it and the nonsense continues, I advise making recordings of it (the great thing about being a musician is that we have all that lovely tech' that makes doing that easy), in case it gets to complaints to the council about noise, etc.

A P bass has to be the simplest electric guitar around. Two pieces of wood bolted together, one pickup, two pots and a socket, one capacitor and that's pretty well it. How on earth can they sound so different and why are some dogs whilst others are great? Is it magic?

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.