project_c

Already ordered the replacements, but I agree there's not much wrong with the existing pickups. I'm only replacing them because I have a thing about tapewounds and Quarter Pounders, I really like the combination on P's and PJ's. Hopefully they'll sound ok on this bass, if not i have another bass they can go in..

I have one of these incoming, £190. By far the cheapest bass I've ever owned. I've been deliberating over it for ages, I have a mild short-scale phobia (worried I'll lose my ability to play normal basses), and I normally shy away from Chinese stuff, but I kept going back to the shop to play this one, played it on 3 separate occasions and I honestly couldn't find anything wrong with it. Setup is great, action is low, intonation is fine, it's light, it's basically absolutely fine. I initially preferred the Mex Mustang PJ (still prefer how it looks tbh), but the lack of upper register access is a major issue with those basses. Tone-wise, weirdly, even with the crap pickups I prefer the Jaguar to the Mustang. I'm short so the dimensions of this bass are perfect for me, probably more so than regular basses if I'm honest. Having said that, it's getting a new pair of pickups (Quarter Pounder PJ) and a set of tapewounds. The new pickups and tapewound strings will cost more than the bass itself. Also in an ideal world I would like a much higher quality maple neck with a maple board, but despite endless searching, I haven't found anyone willing to make me one, so I'll stick with it as it is for now.

I dig in hard on some notes, and lightly stroke the strings like a frail old lady on others. I like the contrast you get from combining the 2. Bit of compression helps to even it out.

Rickenbacker for sure, but Fender not so much. They have presence on Fb, instagram, YouTube, they promote young bands, they're including free online lessons with their cheaper models, so at least they are working on it. Interestingly I was chatting to one of my students the other day and he was a Gibson fan. He's 21. He gets his info about guitar stuff from youtube, and not directly from the manufacturers but from channels like Andertons. He didn't think any of the brands were out of touch or out of date, because the channels he accesses the products through are well put together and feel fairly contemporary.

I wish i'd seen this thread earlier, i've just come back from a music shop where the first thing i did was light up my trusty crack pipe, then I started morris dancing, and in the excitement i shät myself, and with all the energetic morris dancing it sprayed all over the equipment in the shop. When the staff tried to stop me, they took me by surprise and I accidentally assaulted them by throwing excrement at them. It all worked out in the end though because I apologised and purchased 1 used plectrum for 9p.

They are a bit floppier than Chromes I think, but nowhere near the crazy amounts of flop you get with TI flats. D'Addario tapes have a nice snappiness to them, similar to light gauge rounds.

This. Those quarter pounders have a really weighty tone, they're aggressive but with the tone rolled back by a third the weight is all in the lows and low mids. I love them, I have them in 2 precisions, about to put the pj set in a third. My drummer also loves them.

That's exceptionally brave for Bromley, fair play. I went to school there, those Bromley boys were not the warmest and most welcoming group of humans. (Unless you enjoy the odd beating and the occasional broken bottle inserted into your face from time to time).

This state of the art factory on the Thames Estuary is in tip-top condition thanks to our lucrative deregulated service economy. And the steel mill at top elite property hotspot, the Isle of Sheppey - a.k.a Kent's own Monte Carlo - is running at full steam, bringing jobs and money to the community thanks to our lucrative trade deals with China. Here is a picture of Sheppey's high-rolling and glamorous community, reaping the benefits of our lucrative trade deals, and celebrating their booming local economy. (This photo is an accurate representation of all of England about 2 years from now).

Yes you may moan that EU imports may become unaffordable soon, but looking on the bright side, the lucrative trade deal with India is almost in the bag. Who needs Nordstrands when you can take your pick of the best indian sweatshop-produced pickups made by 9 year old slaves instead? Tone for days.

I've noticed that the only time I get GAS is when I'm not playing or practicing as much as normal, or if i'm stressed with some other part of life. I'm sure this doesn't just happen to me. Usually happens if I'm tired from work overload, so my playing is either uninspired or lacking energy, and my brain tries to blame the instrument. It's difficult to feel excited when you've not had a day off work for weeks or you're short on sleep. Also happens if you keep playing the same stuff rather than learning something new. It's just boredom and lack of inspiration. I find that GAS completely goes away if I get a good night's sleep and focus on learning something new. But it took me quite a few years to work this out.

Absolutely, tapewounds will sound great on a J. I have D'Addario's on my PJ (as well as 2 other P's) and it sounds really good with the bridge solo'd. They have a really satisfying tone that no other strings can get near, but the way you play and the setup of your bass will determine how much you like them. If you have a light touch, you may find them too mellow. If you play a bit more dynamically, you will love them. If you play metal, you will hate them, but for anything funk / jazz related they're perfect. Also they're not as close to flats as you'd think, they sound more woody and less metallic than flats or rounds. I used to have them strung through the body on my fretless and it was never a problem but apparently you shouldn't do that.

Interesting, thanks. I played a Shergold Marathon a while ago, it sounded amazing. I have to admit I am firmly of the belief that wood makes a significant contribution to the overall tone, based purely on personal experience. My 2 precisions have very different characteristics unplugged, and those characteristics translate to the tone I hear through headphones when going direct. Through an amp, in a mix etc it's a different story, because there's so much other stuff on top, but up close and direct they're not very alike at all.

Rarely hear of Obeche as a choice of body wood, anyone have any experience of it? Any particular sonic characteristics? Would you like it on a P or a J? Or a PJ? Or none of the above? (Yes I know tone is in the fingers etc but let's pretend for a second that body wood matters). (which I think it does.) (but I understand why others may not. anyway that's neither here nor there)

Nice, I saw this on Gumtree the other day and thought it would be a tough one to restore. Looks great .

Well, Brandoni's said no, but Guitarbuild told me they have a neck for this spec coming out later on in the year though so that's got potential so far.

Thanks! I've emailed Brandoni's, waiting to hear back. @Andyjr1515 is this something you would be interested in?

I played a gig in a bar last month, and when I switched over to the bridge pickup on my PJ and dug in a bit, I got a load of cheers and applause. It completely threw me, I didn't think anyone was paying attention to the bass tone. So I think people do care about your tone, or at the very least they notice when they hear something they like. Made me rethink my mostly neck pickup / p-bass approach. This was a jazz gig with no guitars which may have given the bass more room to be heard, plus it's a tiny bar with good acoustics, so maybe that had something to do with it too.

Good shout, I've messaged him too. Thanks!

Nice, just messaged them, let's see what they say. Thanks!

I went to a blues jam once, it was hilarious. A group of tragically single sweaty men with long hair and expensive guitars clambering over each other to get to the stage, so they could reel off a series of predictable licks that nobody has been interested in hearing since about 1985. One bored looking drummer and a bass player in the corner, playing the same boring honky tonk line on repeat for 6 hours while all the guitarists whack off all over the stage whilst flooring their wah pedals. Horrible.

I want to get a custom neck made, are there any decent builders in the UK (nearish to London would be good) that can do this? It would be a straight copy of the Squier Jag short scale neck, but all maple and shot with nitro. I don't mind if it costs a bit of money, the Jag is dirt cheap so it would be a mod platform. Anyone decent out there?

Can't not mention Tom Warrington on his fretless P if Buddy Rich is getting discussed. The best bassist in the world as far as I'm concerned. He tears through these quick tunes like they're nothing. https://youtu.be/iEt4XB-6dKY

Ah yeah, these are ridiculously nice for the money. Almost an impulse buy at that price. I almost got one but I didn't love the cheap feel of the neck. The neck dimensions and overall playability is so good though, it's still worth buying. Keep thinking I should go back and just buy one.

I can't make up my mind between these and the Quarter Pounders for a pj i'm putting together. I'm a big fan of qp's but tempted to try these.