ZilchWoolham

Without having heard them, I'm going to guess that what you're hearing is really just the tonal difference between a Jazz bass with (presumably) active pickups and a passive Precision. Ballsy and punchy means different things to different people, but a Jazz bass normally has a sharper attack than a Precision, and with EMG's that difference should be even clearer. It makes sense that your Jazz seems a bit deeper, too. Do you usually play with both pickups turned up? This scoops a lot of the mids out of the sound, leaving more room, so to speak, for the lows. With the bridge pickup solo'd, you're getting mostly a lot of (very) high mids. As a contrast, the Precision is quite heavy on the low mids. To me, a Precision is punchier than a Jazz, but that's because I define punchy as having a beefy, prominent midrange.

I'll have to list a few, for different reasons. Elvis Costello because My Aim Is True is my first musical memory, and my first musical enchantment. The cover got so worn out you could take the record out from all sides. That's where it all started for me. In fact, some of my earliest memories altogether are of listening to Elvis Costello. Devo because they got me through my later childhood and early teenage years. I took to the whole concept, and they gave me the strength and motivation I needed to Be Stiff and not bend over. Jethro Tull because I started listening to them just as I had become decent enough at guitar to give songwriting a try, and because they opened up a new world of music to me. No one has had as big of an influence on my songwriting and acoustic guitar playing as Ian Anderson. Playing Tull songs is also how I first started singing - as it turns out, my range is very similar to that of Mr. Anderson, although I can't reach quite as low as an A1! My favourite band, still.

Have you tried a B neck? Found on most 70's Precisions, as Bridgehouse pointed out, and most modern non-reissue Precisions have at least a similar width. I used to think that I was only really comfortable with Jazz necks until I tried several new Precisions and realised I hardly noticed a difference. They don't feel nearly as enormous as a 50's C neck. Then, of course, you also have to consider the profile and thickness front to back, which can vary considerably even among necks of the same width.

Don't really see the problem to be honest. It's just a sample library, no?

Does it turn me into Glenn Cornick?

Great find! Nice stock, and fairly priced, too. A wunkay for €wunkay and an early Spector for €1250 - both sold, though.

Again, my preferred basses are all bolt-ons, so I've nothing against the construction at all. That being said, it is the cheapest way to attach a neck to a body (that's why Leo Fender did it). I don't think any bass should cost £4K, but if it does I'd expect, apart from top level craftsmanship (which I'm sure Mike Lull provides), expensive tonewoods and an elaborate construction. Something like the neck joint on a Warwick Thumb NT, which is the most gorgeous joint I've seen on a bass. Neck-thru but without the neck being visible from the top, yet without veneers, and with a fretboard that seems to be growing out of the body itself. Great initiative from Fodera, and good samples, too. In the first few clips they definitely go from brighter to darker to darkest (perhaps more like deepest). Once they started fiddling in the upper register I couldn't really hear a difference though. I couldn't really tell the slap clips apart either.

That's good to know. What can I list as his location?

Agreed! I like ash, and flame maple (not on everything though), but that's about as far as I'll go in terms of wood figuring. There's this certain wood you'll find on fancy basses that looks like marble, which I find incredibly off-putting. I like transparent, but coloured and somewhat glossy finishes, so I want enough grain for the wood to be recognisable as such, but nothing that looks too much like a Rorschach test.

They do have a repair shop, but I can't find an exact adress. Might be possible to pop in and have a look if you make an appointment?

It seems so. I think it's all run by one chap, who's also responsible for the Limelight basses favoured by a lot of folk on this forum. Do we have anyone local to the area who can confirm whether they are still operating? While some are in general a bit steeper than others, I think it's safe to say that none of the establishments listed here will ever sell their basses for BC prices. But that's shops for you!

Just barely, but yes! Maybe I should make some kind of distinction in the original post between those who stock mostly vintage and those who stock mostly new. Any input on sorting and categorisation is welcomed!

Added! Did you buy your lovely Precision(s) from him?

I'm not quite sure of what you mean, but if you mean what I think I mean, then absolutely, that's my intention.

Great suggestions! I noticed Wunjo's have a nice U.S. L-2000 in at the moment.

As it happens, my old Randall does have a distortion circuit (and actually a very nice one at that), so with the gain on full whack it's all a bit too face-melting for ordinary purposes.

Well, I feel like browsing, so I thought it would be nice to compile a list of the various online shops selling vintage and used basses in the UK, or indeed the EU. I'll add your suggestions to the original post. Here's the list so far, in alphabetical order: The British Isles: Absolute Music (Bournemouth) Andy Baxter (London) AngelDust (Multi-location?) Bass Direct (Warwick/Leamington Spa) The Bass Gallery (London) Charlie Chandler's Guitar Experience (Hampton Wick) Classic and Cool David J Pym (Hungerford) Guitar Classics (London) Guitar Village (Farnham) Jimi's Music Store (Dublin) Live Music (Edinburgh) London Vintage Guitar/Hanks (London) Lucky Fret (London) Mansons (Exeter) Mudpie Music (Brighton) The Music Locker (Ripley, Derbyshire - by appointment only) Nicks Guitars (Wetherby) New Kings Road Guitars (London) No.Tom (London) Oasis [Musical Instruments Ltd] (Ringwood) Promenade Music (Morecambe) Really Great Guitars (Ombersley) Rich Tone Music (Sheffield) Some Neck Guitars (Dublin) Strung Out Guitars (Glasgow) Tommy Twang's Guitars (Glasgow) Vintage and Modern Guitars (Thame) Vintage 'n' Rare (Bath) West End Music (Ipswich) Wunjo Guitars (London) Continental Europe: Bass Classics (Somewhere in the Netherlands) Bass Club Paris (Paris, France - can you believe it?) Bass N Guitar (Somewhere in France) Guitare Collection (Paris, France) Le Guitarium (Paris, France) Guitar Point (Maintal, Germany) Guitar Select (Lyon, France) Hendrix Guitars (Lavagna, Italy) (Truly ungodly prices) Kitarapaja (Helsinki, Finland) Paul's Bass Matters (Nijmegen, Netherlands) Scolopendra (Bologna, Italy) Tip Top (Stockholm, Sweden) Vintage Guitar (Oldenburg, Germany) Vintage Guitars (Rennes, France) Woodstock Guitars (Aarhus and Copenhagen, Denmark)

Now there's a bass that could give you tinnitus without being plugged in. Or played.

Oh Christ, I really hate this one. I still don't really understand what they're trying to do. Scare people away? That's what it always does it me. I assume, though, they might be trying to give the instrument an air of exclusivity, most likely to justify the massively inflated price.

It is! Don't get me wrong, my favourite basses are all bolt-on, but I'd expect a £4k copy of a neck-through bass to have a neck-through construction.

Wait, the Lull T4 is BOLT-ON?!

Sadly not miles apart from what people tend to want for these. Most of them seem to be also selling the idea that the Squier JV export models are the crowning achievement of Japanese craftsmanship, when in reality there were several higher spec models made at the same time and in the same factory!