Newfoundfreedom

Yeah it's not a bad old life. Certainly the best move I ever made. I don't regret leaving the UK one bit...... OK, maybe I miss the takeaways, but that's all.

That actually looks really decent. I'm a big fan of Wilkinson hardware. They sound really good for the relatively low cost. I've looked at Harley Benton stuff before, and the reviews are a mixed bag, but considering the price, I don't know how they can even put a guitar together for that money. Maybe I could stick a Music Man logo on and double the value. 😂.

I thought I was the only one. 😉

Thanks. That's a very generous offer, but I'm in Bulgaria so it's a bit of a trek 😂. I'm kind of at the stage where the instrument isn't really the most important thing anyway. I've just started playing again after 30 years so I'm still finding my stride. Also I might like it too much and I can't afford one, so it would spoil me for playing my two hundred quid Gretsch (which I absolutely love) 😉

Snap!

Damn it! That's the last time I'm wearing my Rudolph Lauren shirt in public. 😂

I used to gig with a 30w Laney amp in what was essentially a Metallica cover band. Granted we were only playing small venues but I never had a problem. I guess everything is relative.

I don't have to be. No one else in the band has a rehersal space. 😂

Indeed I did, and again, just to clarify. I have no intentions of buying it. I just saw it and wondered what people's opinions were. I'm not disagreeing with anyone's posts. Just marshalling a debate on whether a copy is worth the asking price. If it's a copy does it mean it's a bad instrument? If it's a bad instrument does adding branding make it more or even less valuable?

Yeah I agree. It seems like a lot of trouble to go to to fake something badly. Maybe it's a movie prop? It could be worth millions! 😂

I agree. I've always been a fan of Ibanez. My old guitar player used to swear by them and he sounded fantastic. Great gear for the money.

Interesting comment. So because it has a fake logo it's not a proper bass? So say for example if it had the original branding, let's say for example OLP. Then would it be a proper bass? Or is it not a proper bass because it's perhaps cheaply made? In which case, how would anyone who doesn't have 5 grand to spend on an instrument ever become a musician? I'm not disagreeing with your comment. Just playing devil's advocate.

Just to clarify. I'm not even looking for another bass. I just saw that popup and wondered what the consensus would be.

Yeah I get what you're saying, and I know this is probably sacrilege to say on here, but I can't stand Squier, or for that matter Fender guitars. I know to many they're the holy grail. But damn those things are ugly. Because it would look good with my Nuke trainers and Aditoff T shirt.

Fair comment, but I've no idea what one sounds like anyway. I've never played the real thing and probably never will because I don't have a grand to throw at a bass to play in a band that's just a weekend hobby. So given what it is. A cheap imitation with a half decent pickup?

So....no then?

I'm guessing when it's got an EMG pickup and no logos on the bridge or tuners. This popped up on one of my local sales sites. To be fair the seller does state he doesn't think it's an original. Still....... Worth a punt at £230?

Strengths - I'm actually strong. I can help carry the gear. I have an empty house where we can rehearse. Weakness - I'm a crap bass player.

I've always been a bit lost when it comes to "tone" to be honest. You hear so many people talking about it like it's the holy grail, and they'll go out and spend thousands on a guitar and amp combination to get that certain sound they're looking for. Not that there's anything wrong with that if you have the money. Especially for professional musicians who are trying to create their own signature sound. I've always found It a bit mind blowing. There are just too many variables. The type of bass. The brand of bass, the type, brand and thickness of the strings you use. The settings on the guitar. The pedals and effects. The type and brand of amp, valve, solid state, combo, stack, speaker selection, etc..... and that's just the gear without even considering the type of music you play or how you play, which is where a great deal of your tone comes from anyway. So, putting all that aside, most of us aren't going to go out and spend 10 grand on a vintage P bass and valve amp for a weekend garage band or jamming with your mates. So this is where I start (and believe me I'm far from an expert). I set the bass to centre position (i.e both pickups on) and turn all the volume and tone controls up full. Then set all the controls on the amp to 12 o'clock. Then it's just a matter of tweaking the controls until it sounds good to your ear. I don't particularly have a great "ear" for it so I generally turn one control at a time all the way down, then all the way up to get a feel for the extremes, then dial it in slowly until it sounds "right". When I've got the amp sounding something like, I then start playing with the controls on the guitar until I get a sound I like. I might then go back to the amp to refine the sound coming from the guitar. Just remember this is all very subjective, and what sounds great to you might sound crap to someone else and vice versa. I wiser man than me once said, "find your own truth".

Well you asked for it. 😂 Nowhere near professional standards. I haven't played in a band for almost 30 years so it's definitely rough around the edges. But I'm absolutely loving it! After all, that's the important thing isn't it? This is a quick snippet from today. It's definitely rough, and crappy sound quality from being recorded on a phone cam. But I think it's starting to sound something like music. Be kind 😋

I think I'd pay to have someone take it away. 😂

Yeah maybe. But damn those things are ugly, and a lot more expensive to boot.

Sir you are a connoisseur. 😉

I'm definitely in the "make it your own" camp. But you still have to retain enough of the flavour of the original for it to be recognisable. I love people who totally turn songs on their head like Hayseed Dixie doing blue grass covers of heavy metal songs. There's also a guy on YouTube called Leo Moracchioli who does heavy metal covers of pop songs and acoustic covers of rock and metal songs. Check him out. He's absolutely superb and really enjoys what he's doing without taking it too seriously. I could (and have) watch him for hours.

Not sure of the exact weight. But it's quite light while still feeling sturdy. It's much lighter than a standard, say P bass. Its Also lighter than my Les Paul guitar. It's also really well balanced. I'd say about the same as a Strat style guitar. I'd say go for it. I'm really impressed with how punchy and beefy it is being short scale, and it's soooo easy to play. For the money I'd say you can't really go wrong with one of these.