CameronJ

How much?!

8 minutes ago, BassApprentice said:

Also, are there any UK retailers for the Backbeat? 

BassDirect sell them

Ah, of course! In my excitement I actually forgot that a strap tends to be attached to a bass...

Not a whole lot of benefit to adding a wireless bug system then, unless you regularly remove and reattach your strap. 

Now what would it be like if you used a Boss WL20 or similar bug type wireless into the Backbeat’s bass input? Then you’d only have the headphone cable to worry about! Hmmm...

Buy a good set of speakers without inbuilt Bluetooth and just plug in a Bluetooth receiver!

I use one of these constantly plugged in to power so I don’t have to worry about the battery: https://www.absolutemusic.co.uk/blackstar-tone-link-bluetooth-audio-receiver.html?source=shopping&sku=bsrtonelink&gclid=Cj0KCQiA0fr_BRDaARIsAABw4EusJM4ZYwDwcZIXRGkuG9m2r2sIRPcTa2bkIV92rPno97FpfSncmS8aAubsEALw_wcB

Of course, with most normal desktop speakers, you’d then lose the ability to have a computer or other device plugged via a wired connection at the same time. If that’s essential, I’d look at something like this: https://www.andertons.co.uk/kali-audio-mv-bt-high-resolution-bluetooth-receiver

The Kali Audio receiver has an extra 3.5mm Aux input so you get the best of both worlds from your speaker set up.

17 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

More seriously - looking back over the thread, it does seem like the point of view expressed by Andruca is one shared by some seriously competent bass players (so I wouldn't be quite so quick to be so dismissive @CameronJ) and, amusingly, one of them happens to have a Sadowsky PJ5 and hasn't merely looked at their website. Defo worth keeping an open mind to other folks' experiences - won't always be relevant but could be a little hidden gem in there from time to time.

Just sayin' 😉

 

You’ll notice in both of the posts you’ve quoted, scale length is mentioned as a significant factor. You’ll also, I’m sure, have noticed that was one of the first factors I listed in my post. Both quotes list other factors as having an impact on the issue, which I am wholeheartedly in agreement with.

I shall remain quick to dismiss the argument that a P pickup in traditional layout is “useless 90% of the time” on a low B. 

That statement may be one player’s experience with their own personal basses, amps and other gear - but it is absolutely not a universal truth.

43 minutes ago, dave_bass5 said:

Looking on Sadowsky’s website it seems he doesn't go for the reverse P theory, and that says a lot. 

Him, and a ton of other well respected bass brands.

Hölger (head of Sandberg) only reverses the P pup in his PJ5 or PM5 (VT5 or VM5) basses as he prefers the way the P blends sonically with the bridge pup in that config. On their standard P5s (VS5) the pickup is in “traditional” position.

That is a hilariously blanket statement. The number of variables is huge.

String type, scale length, pickup construction, tone knob (or EQ) position, body construction, plucking hand position and technique. And that’s before you get into the genre of music you’re playing and what the setup of other instruments is like, mix etc.

As an aside, it always makes me laugh on bass sale adverts when people ask, “what’s the B string like?”   Considering how vastly a change of strings can affect both the feel and tone of a bass, and since you’re likely to change the strings to a set of your preference once you’ve bought the bass anyway, it feels like a pointless question to me.

Thankfully, this madness is rarely seen on Basschat! 

How heavy is “light weight”?

1 hour ago, MJJS said:

Funny, I ordered this In a 5er a few days back.

£645 from Thomann

Ah, I thought that was a bargain until I remembered you’ll be getting VAT added on by customs once it hits UK shores...!

I guess a big argument for going the USA route over the Indonesian Skylines is a theoretical guarantee that you’ll be getting a perfect bass in every way, since it will be hand built by highly skilled craftsmen.

Except that isn’t necessarily true. The USA folk can make mistakes too. If I remember correctly, @Quatschmacher had a bit of an issue with a custom order? Was it the neck pocket?

1 minute ago, TheLowDown said:

Another old chestnut that people, even now, continue to believe, is that products made in China/Indonesia/Vietnam are of poor quality. The truth of the matter is that the quality is determined not by where it's made, but by what the (Western) parent company has asked of it. If they ask for low cost skimping on this and that, that's what they get. If they ask for a well made product, that's what they get.
 

100% agree.

Let’s not forget that Apple products are made in China, yet they are regarded as being a premium product with a price to match.

All of the Lakland Skylines I’ve laid my hands on have had top quality fit & finish. I would have serious difficulty justifying spending 2 or 3 times more for a USA version.

I remember calling Alpher about this very bass a while back! Lovely thing. I doubt it will hang around long.

You’d think the same argument would apply to oil/satin vs poly/gloss finish on bodies then, but I’ve never seen that myself. And I I can’t say I’ve ever seen a guitar manufacturer claim a poly finished neck to be a premium feature.

In reality it’s down to personal taste and whether it fits the feel and aesthetic of the rest of the instrument. You’re far more likely to see a gloss bodied guitar with an oil neck than a satin bodied guitar with a poly neck. The latter would seem a bit weird to me. Obviously nobody would bat an eyelid at poly on poly and oil on oil.

For what it’s worth, my near £2.5k Xotic XJ has an oiled neck finish. I much prefer it to poly, personally.

Oil vs. poly necks can’t be a reason for stating one bass is more premium than another, surely?

2 hours ago, cthorpey said:

And as for the sound.... stick it in Serial mode and roll the treble down a tiny bit, small boost to bass and mids and try to stop smiling.

Exactly the tone settings that had me grinning most when I first tried one of these!

Last year I was briefly in the market for a Lakland DJ5 in the natural finish, and GuitarGuitar were my first port of call, since they tend to have a good stock of Laklands. It looked like they had several in stock across their various branches so I thought I’d be cheeky and ask if they’d be able to send me photos and weights of all the natural DJ5s they had in stock.

To my surprise they did it, no questions asked! So I could choose the bass which had the nicest grain and/or weighed the least. They even then shipped my favourite of the DJ5s to my nearest branch (in exchange for a small refundable deposit) so I could test it in the flesh. At no point was I pressured to purchase the bass.

Have to say, I was most impressed by that level of customer service.

And I didn’t even buy it in the end 

I’ve got a Sansamp pedal incoming. Bought from a nice fella called Mick on Facebook. Should be here any day now...

A lot of bass for not a lot of money! GLWTS sir.

Bargain

Late to the party but yep, definitely Dunlop Flats.

Good strings, well priced!

Wow. I count at least 15 of these B-stock MetroExpresses on eBay from the same seller in Germany, with varying degrees of scratch/dent/dings, imperfections in the finish, one with a fingerboard that looks like its edge was dragged across concrete briefly BEFORE the frets were installed, and one with a snapped string tree. 

My goodness 

22 minutes ago, wateroftyne said:

They let that logo through to production. The rest of it shouldn’t be surprising 😄

To be fair, I can’t argue with that 

11 minutes ago, Ricky Rioli said:

But is it actually on it? I thought there were trademark problems? If so, lucky escape.....

This is beautiful