fftc

Just buy another P! Everyone knows they are the best bass anyway. Who needs more?!

I heard the reason Squier do not mention body woods is so they can change them depending on what is available at the best price. Some runs might be alder, some might be basswood, and some might be something else! My opinion on Squier is that you will generally get a perfectly serviceable instrument for your money. I don't think they are necessarily better than other makes in the same price range, and indeed there might even be a bit of a price hike for the 'licensed design' tag. If I was spending £400+ on a new bass a Squier wouldn't be top of my list, but I wouldn't rule them out either. Have a good scout around, and look out for discounted instruments from higher priced ranges.

[quote name='Bridgehouse' timestamp='1488123282' post='3246037'] Ugh. Talk about a let down [/quote] Better to know now than after you drop six grand on an oldie!

[quote name='dood' timestamp='1488030546' post='3245178'] Like balancing a seesaw, It's usually the neck button that needs to move further toward or up the neck. The latter in most cases of course is not possible unless you put a button on the back of the neck itself. [/quote] My theory is that you are trying to find the balance point with 2 strap buttons. Usually the neck one doesn't have much scope for being moved while the rear button does. If you move the rear button up then you effectively move more of the mass of the body below the balance line between the 2 strap buttons.

If a bass does experience neck dive can you not remedy the situation by just moving the rear strap button up a bit?

[quote name='Pow_22' timestamp='1487935527' post='3244283'] An SVT through an 8x10 (preferably with a flats loaded P Bass) is something everyone should experience before they die [/quote] This sounds like an ideal opportunity for one of those 'Experience days' hire type thing. Much more fun than driving a Ferrari or going in a hot air balloon.

[quote name='fiatcoupe432' timestamp='1487847849' post='3243453'] Or just sand down the pickguard spray some plastic primer and spray it black [/quote] Does this actually work and provide a hard enough wearing finish? The worst thing would be to have a peeling flaking pickguard that was then no use in its original colour.

[quote name='T-Bay' timestamp='1487783362' post='3242875'] I love the term hair metal, it was cock rock 'back in the day' where I was. But why worry about 'Genres' it's just for borderline OCD people who have to pigeonhole stuff. I condsider there to be three types of music, the stuff you love, the stuff you tolerate and the stuff you loathe. Beyond that it really doesn't matter. [/quote] I loathe hair metal. Back in 1988 it was very useful to me to know whether a band was hair metal or thrash metal before I bought the album based on the sleeve artwork or edgy sounding name. Remember, no Youtube, spotify etc. If you couldn't get a tape from your mates or their big sister/brother you had to buy the thing to hear it. So there is a big vote for well defined genre names!

Get a G&L JB and have the trinity of Leo companies! http://www.glguitars.com/instruments/usa/basses/JB/index.asp Choose your finish and neck profile and still have £6k left over for a really nice watch!

[quote name='Bass_Guardian' timestamp='1487697329' post='3241952'] Some relics are nice, some aren't. [/quote] I like this one.

It's quite amazing what can be done to restore chrome. Oxalic acid baths are popular as a start point, but here is a thread on a bike forum that gives an idea of what you can do with household stuff. http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=134229

[quote name='Cuzzie' timestamp='1487596159' post='3240998'] before and after [/quote] Just to get rid of the taste!

[quote name='Rich' timestamp='1487155714' post='3237531'] I [i]really[/i] dislike flats, but in my case it's because of the feel. I hate the smoothness, they feel almost slimy. Weird I know, but they make me want to wash my hands. I'm not happy unless I've got windings under my fingertips. Which is a shame, because flats can sound great. [/quote] For me that 'slimy' is 'silky' and I love it. Slides are much more fun on the lovely silky smoothness! Fender 9050CLs for on mine. Not too pricey either. [quote name='Davo-London' timestamp='1487204442' post='3238098'] IS NO-ONE LISTENING? [/quote] This is a forum. You don't expect people to actually read the posts, do you?

For me it would be this. http://greatbritishbasslounge.com/product/gl-lb-100/

I'm not a fan but obviously plenty of folk are. No problem if that's what folk are into. But when folk are asking why the ubiquitous nature of reliced instruments might bother someone who doesn't like them it's this. [quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1487152673' post='3237477'] I popped into the new GuitarGuitar in Camden last week and as expected they have a reasonable range of mostly Fender instruments. However I reckon well over half were reliced... almost all the custom shop basses had a light relic. .. Not a lot of options at the higher end for someone who likes their basses to look new. [/quote] The number of times you browse through the custom shop stuff and find something that ticks nearly all the boxes but for the relic effect. They do a NOS and a closet classic in the Fender custom shop, but hardly any shops seem to carry them. Those are the ones I would be interested in but you can't find any for the damned relics!

I thought I had made the initial post fairly clear as I asked about 4 specific stores based on price and availability. And most requests for advice are usually about information useful to the person who is asking for the advice. Maybe that's not the Basschat way! Thanks for the warm welcome.

I've only listed the shops that have the item I want at a 'competitive' price. So Andertons and whatever the biggest one is don't count for this one.

Looking at a potential purchase that isn't available in any shops nearby, so it's an online purchase. These four shops are all about the same price, but I think I've heard horror stories about all of them. We all know what the internet is like though, so simple question. Which one would you choose? Feel free to add comment as well. So same as the poll, the options are DV247, GAK, Gear4Music and Bax-shop.

[quote name='Cuzzie' timestamp='1486654875' post='3233595'] Take a look at Sandberg's lovely basses, and you don't need a relic, but they do it very well. Also G&L LB100 for a traditional P bass sound or an SB-1 for a more aggressive, both still passive and great value for money [/quote] And G&L do nitro finishes for special runs I believe, so you could order a two tone burst in nitro with your choice of neck.

[quote name='Alec' timestamp='1486568943' post='3232871'] Not sure what the nail in the coffin was? If you're saying that you're a one sound man, then I don't see the problem - just because the amp has TonePrint doesn't mean you have to use it! [/quote] It was the mobile phone what did it! I'm not saying I'm a Luddite, but that is just too modern for me. Lots more to think about. I want an aux in for headphone practice, so I'm not worried about the sound through a cab. I know the Ampeg won't even play the aux through the speaker out. Not sure about the others. But perhaps from what folk are saying I should widen my search to amps without an aux and either use what I currently have, or get another similar thing that is separate from the amp. I was hoping to get something that will be a bit better for my silent practice,[i] and [/i]do the loud thing. I'm not in any real rush (apart from GAS) so I'll keep mulling over the options. Thanks for all the input folks.

Thanks very much! Now I'm gassing for a Thunderbird.

[quote name='Jack' timestamp='1486425156' post='3231759'] I have two GK heads and three barefaced cabs, [/quote] That's just greedy! I've looked at the MarkBass heads but none of them have an aux in so they are out of the running. The GK MB200 is definitely in the frame and has been joined by the Eden WTX264, which is well priced at Andertons just now. So between those two and the PF-350, which will be best at reproducing the kind of vintage tone I'm after? Playing a P with flats it might be tricky anyway but I'm not looking for a 'modern' tone. Old school all the way.

Check this thread. http://basschat.co.uk/topic/299487-silent-rehearsals/page__p__3227157__hl__headphones__fromsearch__1#entry3227157 Silent practice using a jamhub.

I'm using a Behringer Micromix 4 channel powered mixer just now if I want to play along with something. And I have one of the early Vox Amplugs as another option. I'm just looking for the next step up really.