spongebob

+1. I only ever buy from Stringbusters and Stringsdirect. Both firms offer excellent service....good service breeds customer loyalty, and I would never go anywhere else!

I had one for a while a couple of years back, but struggled with the shape. Plus, there were so many options on the tone, I just kept fiddling the whole time I should have been playing! I was always - 'nice precision tone' or 'nice jazz tone'....eventually, I just picked up a jazz and a precision....! Now I just plug in and play.....

50's Precisions, MIM, £600.....excellent basses. Was tempted to part with mine after getting a Ged Jazz, but just can't let it go. More likely to keep the P really. Gigged on Saturday with some other bands, and opted for the P, just because I knew I could get a great sound wherever. Always think a Jazz takes more fiddling with, whereas a P just works.

Give me feel over technique any day of the week...

Jean-Jacques Burnel signature model in green!!

+1 on all of this!

Passive for me. Had one active.....couldn't get on with it, just the whole battery-in-the-bass thing! Passive - plug 'n' go. Active - plug 'n battery runs out at a crucial time!!

I agree with the OP. I also feel that so many modern records lack real bass tones as well - not just pop. Love The Mars Volta - but as a modern example, just wish JA's bass parts had more definition and less thump. Many modern records for me have too much general thump, and no actual 'bass'. I for one far prefer bass on older records..... Another example is Lemmy. Motorhead albums used to have a really defined bass sound. I still love the albums, but in the last 10-12 years, Lem's bass tone has all but vanished into a low-end rumble. I played drums for a long while as well - so don't get me started on drum sounds. It's the same problem there as bass as far as I'm concerned! Just my 2p's worth.....

[quote name='Doctor J' post='1346418' date='Aug 20 2011, 03:30 PM']Get some Black Rose into you.[/quote] Just take out the thorns first.

I'm a recent convert - posted on BC a few weeks back for some recommendations. Since then, picked up a good compilation, followed by 'Johnny The Fox' and 'Vagabonds Of The Western World'. I will definitely be continuing my Thin Lizzy journey. Really impressed by the diversity - not at all total rock as expected, as you always hear the same old tracks. They were on TOTP 1976 this week performing 'Jailbreak'. Really getting into a lot of the tracks, and that bassman is no slouch either!

I had one a couple of years back. Loved it, but sold it and bought a Ric. Now I've got another, and the Ric is gone! I've never been a big Jazz man, had a CV in the meantime. Just find the Ged has a quality all of it's own. Just get something from playing it that I've never replicated in any other bass. I'm a big fan of Ged as well, love the way his Jazz cuts right through the mix. Had a black one first, now got the sunburst which looks absolutely gorgeous! Bought the latest one 2nd hand - it was a local guy who was selling on E-bay, so got to see it before I paid. Only a few months old with a pro set-up.....good deal and a great bass.

Martin Sims - [url="http://www.simscustom.com"]http://www.simscustom.com[/url] Based near Bethersden, about 10 minutes outside of Ashford. I used to have 2 Rics (both gone now), but he set up both excellently last year. At the time I went in, he was doing some work with a chap's Ric that he'd couriered from the US for Martin's services. Tell him Iain from Tenterden with the Rickenbackers sent you!

If you use MP3, use a high quality dock. The B&W Zeppelin is superb. Had mine nearly a year, and well worth the extra £££. I use nothing except MP3, having sold all vinyl and CD before it becomes landfill. Depressing, but I think that's where we're headed. If not, I'd have stuck with the physical stuff. Only thing I miss is the cover art and sleevenotes, but that's a small price for the extra space. Quality may suffer in places, but as the ears deteriorate, it'll be hard to tell the difference anyway!

I think it was Phil Jupitus that once described Bob Dylan's vocal style sounding like 'somebody hoovering'!!

I've had a 2009 Ged, and now have a 2011, and the standard ones seem fine to me.

Smash It Up by The Damned?

I used to have flats on my 4003. It never sounded any good with rounds - just too treble-y for some reason. With flats, sounded terrible by itself, but superb in band context.

I saw him in March, and it was the best live bass sound I've ever heard - growled like a monster, clear, precise....totally JJB!

Don't forget that Geddy has played and recorded with his $200 Pawn Shop Jazz for years. Good advert for keeping it cheap!

+1 on the Geddy. But 2 years ago, the were about £650 tops. Now they are close to £900 for the sunburst! I bought a 50s MIM Precision this year - which on the basis of many opinions, comes across very well vs. the Am. Std, and a fair bit cheaper. I sold my original Geddy, but recently bought another because they're great - Sunburst, 2nd hand (couple of months old and totally as new) for £600. 2nd hand is a good way to go, or just research the bass for you. I know my days of blowing £1800 on Rics are very much over....the differences between so many basses really isn't that much, IMHO.