Paul S

[quote name='alyctes' timestamp='1426440470' post='2718073'] Whoa, you got a Longhorn for less than £200?! Congratulations! :jealous: [/quote] Yes, I know - a bargain And it was on here, too - I was lucky enough to see the ad sharpish.

Having just acquired my first Yamaha BB414 for well under £200 I would have to join the queue to recommend one of those. Very impressed with what you get for the money, especially the tone which has depth and character way above the price point. My other sub-£200 bargain buy recently was a Danelectro Longhorn. Uber-cool querky looks - not everybodies cup of tea perhaps - and an amazing range of tones. Featherlight and shortscale, I could comfortably play it for hours on end! There's a passable Jazz bass sound waiting to come out but also a rather unique Danelectro tone in the sweet spot that I just love. I gigged with it on Friday for the first time and, unusually, had people come up to me afterwards asking about it.

I'm confused as well - your pic shows a Gotoh 201 or similar? Anyway, heavy and brass calls to mind the Hipshot A style Fender fit. I had one on a P bass and, for me, it was the best aftermarket bridge in terms of functionality, build quality and looks. Superb bit of kit, though not the cheapest. Don't know if you can get it in gold finish, though.

That is very interesting - looks like it might do exactly the job I need. I'll see if I can see one in the flesh somewhere. Great bit of lateral thinking - thank you!!

New or secondhand?

Food for thought, thanks. Although I'd like to leave the end pin out of the equation completely, really, in the way the NS Design one does. More ideas I had - using the bracket that fixes to the bottom of a drum stool - take it off the stool, bolt the bracket onto the body of the bass them slot that into the cymbal stand. Should be able to adjust the angle of the dangle as well. Assuming all the bits are the same diameter.

Sticking the end-pin into the hole in the top of a drum stool wouldn't work in the way I am looking to achieve - my desired result would be like this: I can just walk up to it, play, then move on the regular 4 string leaving the whole thing standing firmly in place whilst doing either. That's the plan, anyway. A regular boom cymbal stand would be ok for the tripod bass and upright It is how I get the bass to fix onto this that I am querying, really.

Moving back to the issue of a stand, if I can. I prefer playing my Stagg whilst it is held on its stand, rather than balanced on the end pin and using the body brace. I've tried both and this way suits me more. I do, however, find the Stagg stand rather cumbersome and ugly. My thought is to get a cymbal stand and then to attach this with some kind of bracket to the body of the bass in much the same way as the NS Design basses but can't think of an immediate 'off the peg' bracket. There is a solid bit on the body just above the electrics compartment that I think would suit as a mounting point as it is roughly where the balance point of the bass is. Anyone done this or have any ideas? Ta!

Very much, Rod. Quite a revelation. For one band it is my #1 bass - the look and sound are just perfect. During the set I alternate between that and a Stagg EUB so both are kind of unusual and eye catching. Have to say it was a bit of a steal, too... but don't tell the guy I bought it from.

There's a whole 'Carry On ...' film's worth of double entendres there At rehearsal last night the DC sat nicely in the mix with the band and through my proper rig so it looks like it is going to be here to stay for a while. I still prefer the Longhorn, though - the tone is more 'rounded' I think.

I know what you mean - I was at Uni 1976-1979, always had enough money to supplement the god-awful food supplied at the hall of residence I lived in (Commonwealth Hall in Russell Square - any other former inmates?). Those were the days - studying in candlelight during the 'winter of discontent'!

Interesting - you hear the same as me. I did wonder as my ears aren't what they were I have 'bonded' fairly seriously with the Longhorn, I have to say. Sounds brilliant, light as a feather and easy to play. And eye-catching quirky looks, too. I'm going to gig with it for the first time on Saturday, really looking forward to that. Meanwhile the DC will get a run through this evening - a different band, different music, might fit in ok.

Blimey - you haven't seen one since then?!

Needless to say I have terrible GAS for one now. As I do for the Flyte, now you mention it...

I did that with a car once - I changed the brake pads in a Cortina (ok, showing my age here) and found a slim piece of rusty old tin lying on the floor once I had finished so I binned it. Took it for a drive round the block and every time I touched the brakes there was the most incredible shrill squealing noise. I discovered that the 'bit of rubbish' was actually quite important and called the anti-squeal shim. One of a catalogue of car DIY disasters that led to me always taking my car to someone who knows that they are doing.

S'ok - it was apparent as soon as it came out what was going on. Maybe it is a Korea vs China thing? Anyway, glad to have it up and running - going to use it at rehearsal tomorrow to see how it sits in the mix. Sounds different to my Dano Longhorn, somehow but that could just be the Longhorn has older strings on it.

With regards to the preamp, rather than the pickups - I have one and when it arrived I discovered the pre-amp was knackered. With excellent timing I managed to pick up a 4 knob J. East U Retro that appeared for sale within a few days and that really has given it a great range of sounds. although it has to be said that none are that old school woody Precision thump. As with Sharkfinger above, I use the J pickup blended with the P pickup to give a passable Jazz tone. Great basses, though - the neck is amazing and the lack of weight so useful on bad back days.

Thanks for that. You may have seen the bass in question, actually, as it was the bassist from a Cardiff based band - The James Clode Band. Sort of country rock and pretty good - great singer. They were performing on one of the pop-up stages at the O2. Big weekend of country music there this weekend. Going there again for the second day, shortly.

Saw one of these in action yesterday - never seen one or heard of it before. Sounded extremely good. Headless along the lines of the Steinberger and Honer B2A but with the coolest body design I have seen on one of these small-bodied basses. Pic nicked off the interweb: Anyone got one? Know anything much about them? I read this morning about a fire that destroyed the factory, ending production after only a short run in the 80s. Which completely contradicted what the bass player told me yesterday!

Nice for them to have found another genre of music to squeeze all the life and fun out of. IMO etc.

Update - having now got one that fits, I thought I'd update the post in case anyone else wants to search for similar topics. 3mm (M3) x 25mm theaded bolt. [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/190842506229?ru=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fsch%2Fi.html%3F_from%3DR40%26ghostText%3D%26_sacat%3D0%26_nkw%3D190842506229%26_rdc%3D1"]http://www.ebay.co.u...6229%26_rdc%3D1[/url] Not a self-tapper, no springs! Screws into a flange on the side of the pickup. At least, it does on the DC9 model bass.

That's cheap! Just ordered some... thanks for the heads up.

I had a GB Streamliner 600, which I liked a lot. I liked the warmth of the valve preamp but found it hard to adjust on the fly - in my covers band I need to hop from fairly clean to driven - and the 'double gain' set up of the controls makes this difficult to achieve without huge volume swings. I could have done the od with a pedal, of course, but for me that kind of defeats the object and overly complicates matters. In the end I chose my TC Electronic Classic 450 over it because I found the controls easier to use on the fly - if I want a more overdriven sound I dial in more Tubetone without having to adjust the volume each time. I wouldn't say it sounded the same as the GB but similar - similar enough to get away with, anyway. As a Valve-a-like effect the Tubetone isn't bad although perhaps lacking something of the true character of a valve preamp. I imagine the RH450/750 is even better for this with its presets. I am curious about the GK MB 500 Fusion, I have to say.