Lo-E

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1447793535' post='2910514'] GHS Precision Flats 3050M are OK strung through-body. [/quote]. They also have a nice, even sound and a very smooth feel. For flexibility, you can't beat TI flats, but the sound is very mid-forward. Personally, I love TIs on Rics and Jazz Basses, but I find them too mid heavy on Precisions. You might also want to explore Sadowsky Black Label flats for a very even feel and tone.

I agree with Bill F completely and will add that I suspect that many cabs that are built to a budget will employ L-pads that are borderline or downright underrated. Stepped attenuators or on/off switches are much better options than budget L-pads but most manufacturers build to a price point with little regard for long-term reliability.

[quote name='Lw.' timestamp='1447149875' post='2905204']It'd be rude not to get an Ampeg head wouldn't it?[/quote]words to live by!

I've been using XLs on and off since I started playing 30 years ago. A small, family-run company that has been making great strings at fair prices for as long as I can remember. There are lots of great strings on the market now. More choices than I can keep up with, really, and I like to mix it up, but whenever I go back to D'Addarios it's like familiar territory. A safe haven.

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1446903772' post='2903369']I wonder for a lot of us if we don't spend enough time with new gear before deciding to move it on? [/quote]I have exactly the opposite problem: I've been playing long enough to have a very good idea of which basses will be great after a good setup, so I buy them and then I NEVER want to let them go! Space is becoming an issue. I'm very lucky to have a forgiving and understanding wife (and an ever-growing stable of great basses).

[quote name='bassbiscuits' timestamp='1447108001' post='2905029'] I guess the attitude of the person responsible is what annoyed me most - at least if she'd seemed apologetic it would have been my turn to say "don't worry it's ok" which is probably what I'd have done anyway. [/quote]Her condition was undoubtedly a contributing factor to her behavior. Perhaps, had she been sober, she might have been more apologetic. It's a sad reality that, as entertainers, we often owe repeat bookings to the same sloppy drunks who trip over our gear from time to time. While she was wrecking your PA, some other, equally soused person may have been slurring to the person who booked you "These guys are amazing!" Happy drunks can get us a lot of work. I think your handling of the situation was the right approach. It's all just part of the game. Carrying specific insurance on your gear (in addition to your basic liability) could be a helpful tactic. I also suggest sand bags - the type used by film crews - to lay across the legs of your speaker tripods. Not only does the ballast make it much harder to tip the speakers, but the sand is less likely to injure a toe if another tipsy reveller gets too close to your PA.

I'm somewhere around 20 years now with my SVT3-Pro and it's still a solid performer. For the styles you mention, it's the first head I reach for. I have several heads, all in the same power range, that are voiced quite differently and which I use for different situations but for straight up rock punch and grit, it's the 3-Pro every time. For the record, mine's a '93 I bought used sometime around '95 or '96 and it's never let me down. Countless gigs and all kinds of different cabinets.

Not too shabby. On the downside, the club's less-than-stellar gear left me having trouble hearing myself. On the upside, we played well and the crowd seemed to like us. Also, some friends I didn't expect to see made the trip out to see us and that was great!

I have no experience with Tecamp heads, but I have compared my TH-500 to my other heads in the same power neighborhood; an Ampeg SVT3-Pro, a Carvin BX500 and an Eden WT-400. While all of those heads get more than loud enough for my needs, I do find that the output of the TH500 seems to be quite loud compared to the Eden and Ampeg. I will say up front that this is not the result of any scientific testing whatsoever. It is simply my impression based upon many gigs with these pieces of equipment used with cabinets of all sorts over the years. (The Carvin, for what it's worth, also gets really loud.) All of those heads are very close in claimed output, but voiced very differently, which supports the suggestions that the best answer is really to listen to the heads in question and see which best suits your needs. @discreet: if rhubarb is still available, I think I'd be very happy to be rhubarb.

That shouldn't be happening. What's probably going on is that your fingerboard may have dried out some and shrunk, but the fret lines (often a plastic veneer) didn't shrink with it. You could try oiling your board with some pure lemon oil and see if it expands a bit, but it's more likely you'll need to sand the lines down so they're flush with the board. You shouldn't need to epoxy anything unless you want to. It will change the sound of the bass, but some people like the results.

A great, local band called Tied For Last at Otto's Shrunken Head in Manhattan's East Village.

[quote name='No. 8 Wire' timestamp='1446556852' post='2900250']where can you source decent P bass necks in the UK - or is just better to import a mighty mite from the US? [/quote] Well, I'm here in the US, so I'm not really sure where your best source would be. I'n my experience, Allparts necks are quite a bit more consistent than Mighty Mite and their profiles are,IMO, closer to the shape you're after. Your milesge, of course, may vary. Another option would be to find a cheap, used Squier P just to swap necks with yours and then sell it. It may be cheaper to buy a whole Squier than to import a new neck.

I've owned a couple and played bunches of these over the years. I haven't played a bad one yet.

Now that I think about it, you could also get a wider neck for your Squier. Just a thought....

[quote name='dannybuoy' timestamp='1446554668' post='2900226'] I thought a Stingray already had a similar profile to a Precision [/quote] Yes, for the most part, 'rays have a Precision neck profile. Bot Stingrays and Precisions have had variations in neck shapes over the years so I don't know what the likelyhood is of finding an exact match, but 'ray necks and P necks have a lot in common. Since you want to find a "beater" backup for your 'ray, have you considered the Sterling By Musicman basses instead of a Precision?

Hard to remember for sure, but I think it was Weather Report: Heavy Weather. Havona blew my mind. Bright Size Life and Hijiera are also early favorites. I still get a little misty when I hear Portrait of Tracy. It reminds me of how much we lost.

I love G&Ls and I've loved the look of the ASATs ever since they were introduced, but they really do balance poorly. Even with skinny necks and lightweight tuners, they neck-dive like crazy. The L2000 has the same electronics with more neck options and perfect balance. It's true they don't look as boss, but you can still get the sparkle finish!

[quote name='dlloyd' timestamp='1446158850' post='2897472'] I didn't like it at all. But I quite like this: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vbvg1CPae4U[/media] ....right up to the bass solo. [/quote]i agree. Far more interesting and musical. That first clip, despite my disinterest in that style and approach, still demonstrates pretty amazing chops by two very young players. They're only going to get better - and I'll never have chops like that!

I'm another Evah Pirazzi Weich fan. Excellent pizz tone; they have a real "ping" at the front of the note which makes for a really present attack, but after that initial ping they don't sound overly bright. They also behave very well under the bow. On my other bass I'm using Corelli 370Ms. These pizz and bow well, too, but they're a bit of an acquired taste: very thin and low tension, long sustain and a very bright sound even after they've broken in. The pizz sound is almost like that of a fretless electric bass - growly and aggressive. Arco, they're very stable under the bow and very easy to start but they're still very bright. I like them a lot, but they're the opposite of the Evahs, which are better all-rounders IMO.

I don't own either anymore, but I owned both Alan Parsons' Eye In The Sky and Styx' Paradise Theater. I'm not proud of having owned either one of them. They're both terrible records. My friends who had any sense gave me a hard time about those records. It turns out they were right.

I love, love, LOVE a fridge, but I don't own one for all the reasons posted above. It would fit in my car, and I could probably move it (with some difficulty), but it's just not practical for the club dates I play and there are so many amazing cabinets on the market now that can do so much and weigh so little. I revel in the opportunities I get to use them in provided backlines, but ownership is out for me.

Better? Hmmmm..... Really good? Absolutely! I love my old Modulus BassStar and I really want a Status neck for my Musicman, so I'm definitely on board with graphite, but 'better' seems a little strong to me. I'll go with "Different and every bit as good". and to chrisanthony1211, I'm glad you've found what you really dig!

That looks great!

Oh, Man! I actually thought about Paul Jackson & Mike Clark when I saw the title of the thread, but I'm going to have to vote Levin/Bruford.