Steve Browning

On the info provided I would say the expiry is 22.18 tonight, 24 hours after a decision was requested (within 24 hours). I don't think any other potential buyer woul be put off by that and it demonstrates a good dollop of integrity (not that it needs to be shown necessarily) but the OP's friend suggested the deadline after all.

When I was about 17 I was playing a lot of jazz gigs with ex Marine bandsmen. These are guys who can really play! I got so much good advice from them (I haven't always followed the 'never say no to a bunk up' part) but they always said that you should keep going and keep smiling. I would be hopelessly lost in so many numbers (ever tried to busk Misty?) but was always complimented by very earnest audience members who would say it was wonderful to see such a youngster playing these numbers so well. In many instances only the first and last notes were right!!

I dare say it's a hobby to many, as they have stated, but for many of us it's far more than that. I would return to full time gigging if there was an opportunity. However, that would mean playing in a function band or similar. You seem to be doing pretty well in that you appear to be in a good place to achieve what you want. I wouldn't want to be just a hired hand and have no interest (vested or otherwise) in the workings of the band. I get the impression that the scene over there is quite different and that the gigs you do involve more hours and more pay. A bar band here will get around £250 a night (roughly). 4 gigs over 4 weekends generates an income of £4,000. Just a straight split (with 4 in a band) gives £1k a month, 12k a year. That's not enough to live on (although many have to try). You have the reverse of the options available to most of us. In the UK a bar band wouldn't enable anyone to earn a living. The choice is weddings or a job to pay the bills and gig when opportunities arise (and they're diminishing rapidly). How do you deal with it? I guess you could either accept it or go on a site populated by people who envy your opportunity and moan about it.

Keep the Boogie!!!! Don't forget about the passive radiator and what that adds.

That is exactly what a bass guitar should look like. I think I may be suffering from something but that is pretty much my favourite sight.

There is but it doen't say whether it's the US version or not. The non-US has a basswood body. Nothing wrong in that but it's not the right spec.

Rather nice Limelight just turned in the For sale. It says P neck but I am not sure what this means. I would contact Mark and ask. Fender themselves say this:: [color=#000000] The modern Fender American Standard Precision Bass is a guitar with a B neck with a Modern C neck shape, with B referring to nut width, and Modern C referring to the curve shape of the back of the neck.[/color][color=#000000] Nut widths either either A, B, C or D.[/color][color=#000000] A – 1 1/2-inch B – 1 5/8-inch C – 1 3/4-inch D – 1 7/8-inch[/color][color=#000000] …and these were the original letter designations for Fender necks well before the whole neck-shape-by-letter thing came into being.[/color][color=#000000] Fender neck shapes can be C, U, or V, and these letters literally refer to how the back of the neck is not only shaped but also [i]how it looks[/i]. This means a C does have a shape similar to that of a letter C, a V actually looks like a letter V on the back, and so on.[/color][color=#000000] U – Early 1950s or 1970s shape Soft V – Early 1950s Hard V or just V – Mid-1950s shape C – Late-50s oval shape Modern C – Modern flat oval shape[/color]

What, the barman ex of Coronation Street? :-)

http://www.ishibashi.co.jp/u_box/e/select.php?cd=08-325079704 That's £395. About £500 imported I would think.

I would really look at the PB62US first. With some slight modification (as mentioned) you would have what you want and some decent change. Even has the right decal on the headstock!

D'oh. Forgot the other obvious. With your budget you could get a very nice JV Squier. Again, I have had one of those and they are similarly excellent. Not sure I'd put it above the Japanese Fender 62 (there will be those who disagree vehemently - probably people selling them) but well within your budget and is likely to appreciate.

[quote name='Bigwan' timestamp='1505990094' post='3375659'] Budget-wise under £2k. Obviously the further under that the better! The Japan reissue sounds VERY interesting... [/quote] Fender Japan are (were) the Cinderella Fender business. Consistently excellent build quality and very much cheaper than the US version. I have had a 60's reissue but favour the B profile of the 70's. In your position I would look at a Fender Japan PB62US (you want the US one for its alder body and US hardware) and consider a pickup swap (there are plenty of good options) and, if you want the full experience, a set of reverse tuners. I reckon around £650 would get you all that lot. This option I can personally recommend. The only other thing (if you want to get really authentic) would be the scratchplate. None of these 'modern' versions have scratchplates which match the old tort. I think there are folk around who do that but the factory ones rarely look convincing IMO. If you don't want sunburst then you could also contact Mark at Limelight (google classic and cool guitars) who puts together excellent basses at a very reasonable price.

What sort of budget. Fender 62 reissue from 1982 (the Fullerton ones) are good. Having owned a good few 60's Precisions, I can tell you the Fender Japan 62 reissue is pretty much identical. The thing to look for would be the slab fingerboard above anything else IMHO. I acknowledge the whole nitro thing but I am not convinced of that so much. That's from experience of both (and side by side comparison) rather than some 'finger in the air' assessment.

A strip of gaffa around the strap just above the strap button (with the strap on the bass!!).

Don't forget your bass! I was so nervous about my first gig that I had got everything set up, went to plug my bass in and realised I had left it at home (luckily only about 5 miles away). Aside from that - be a team player and enjoy it. Remember that a mistake is history as soon as it has happened.

[quote name='silverfoxnik' timestamp='1505730226' post='3373775'] Indeed we are ! [/quote] Mine will make people think they are pi$$ed!

I'm looking at the pictures and wonder if it wasn't the guys being wolf whistled. :-)

Aha! Glad you liked the clips.

I'm actually Adam Clayton but too ashamed to admit to it on a bass player's forum.

I meant that you seem to have rather tailored your answer to produce the answer you seemed to have wanted. I would think Rich was just looking at the total posts and I would roughly reckon he's about right overall. Let me be clear, I have made two perfectly good purchases from BD but it seems quite clear that some people have had issues, and (in fairness) they have described them in order to 'justify' their disappointments. There seems to be some valuable feedback for the proprietor should he choose to take it on board. If the shop disappoints too many customers it may fail. That is a chance but that is the fault of the shop in not delivering good and consistent service and not the fault of people on a forum reporting their issues. It won't be an issue for me. My signature suggests I'd be banned from the place! There certainly seems to me (having just read every single post) more favourable responses than bad (overwhelmingly I would say) and that's good but some people's experiences seem to be snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, which is a shame when you are a niche shop in an already niche market. It's kind of like Barefaced in some ways. These are brands which seem to be seen as 'ours' in some way and any criticism is immediately jumped on by an opinions police who cannot accept 'our' brand being criticised, even when perfectly justified.

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1505209008' post='3370175'] Looking at the comments since the latest thread revival a month ago, and stripping out stuff that is neither a criticism of, nor praise for, Bass Direct, I get nowhere near 10% negativity ... it's nearer 50%. Take another look, Rich. [/quote] Now where do you want those goalposts?