Paul S

Without wanting to seem a nay-sayer, what grounds were there for you being reliably informed it is a '74 Fender body under all that Dulux? Superficially, I'd say you were fleeced at £150, for which you could get an already perfectly serviceable Squier Precision bass, not a just project.

I need to play lightweight basses. My lightest is a Precision Lyte - just weighed it and it comes in at a fraction over 7lbs. It resembles a Precision bass but is actually closer to a Strat body size. No idea what it is made of but I have taken it to bits several times and the screw holes still work ok. Doesn't sound exactly like a P Bass, either, but it is a good proper bass. Great necks, if you like thin necks. My next lightest is a Shergold Marathon which, almost impossibly, comes in at around 7.5lbs. Followed by an Ibanez SR800 and Hohner B2A, both of which are around 8lbs. A few others are scattered around 8.5lbs, including my main bitsa Precision.

I don't like the Fender BBOT as I find it uncomfortable just where I rest my hand when playing. I have tried BadAss, Hipshot A style, Gotoh 201 and cheapo Gotoh-a-like. I wasn't particularly aware of increased sustain or improved tone, but then my ears aren't what they were. But all of them proved more comfortable when resting my hand on the bridge, so have stayed on. I found the best quality by a country mile is the Hipshot A style, a remarkable piece of engineering that is adjustable in every dimension, including the 4th. Heavy, though, and expensive. BadAss was ok but, IMO, overpriced for what it does. Gotoh 201 is very good. Gotoh-a-like nearly as good and, for my purposes, probably the best value for money as it was only around £13 on eBay. Not as well engineered as the proper Gotoh but it does the job.

£150 incl the case is one heck of a good buy. I had one for a while and it was really very nice. Just didn't suit my waistline.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1394019218' post='2386915'] What weaker tracks?? [/quote] You've not heard any of my bands, have you?...

Yup. Start and finish each set with a bang, bury the weaker tracks in the middle.

I have one of these and it is very nice. Lightweight (under 9lbs), 37mm neck, sounds like a Jazz bass. Someone could get a bargain here.

This one is for sale in the classifieds. Made in USA, quality instrument for the cost of a Squier. [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/229735-peavey-foundation-bass-made-in-the-usa-white-with-rosewood-fretboard/page__p__2378184__hl__peavey__fromsearch__1#entry2378184"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/229735-peavey-foundation-bass-made-in-the-usa-white-with-rosewood-fretboard/page__p__2378184__hl__peavey__fromsearch__1#entry2378184[/url]

[quote name='garryc300' timestamp='1393689319' post='2383393'] Go West were the best band I ever seen live...Graham Edwards on bass and the late and great Alan Murphy on guitar. the entire band were top notch session players and this was the moment I kinew my destiny was to be a Status Graphite bass player [/quote] I've been seeing them regularly since the early days, including a couple of times last year. I think the current incarnation is a very strong band (although not quite up to the Pino/Alan Murphy band when they all had a bit more energy). Also saw Murphy in the Level 42 days and remember Heaven in My Hands had some blistering guitar work at the end. Seem to remember he was one of the pioneers, or at least an early proponent of, using the whammy bar to slide into a note. I had certainly not heard anything like his playing until i saw Go West in the 80s.

[quote name='mike 110' timestamp='1393856773' post='2385063'] That is Karen Lawrence from the band 1994 …. great voice and rather nice to look at too , if I may be so bold [/quote] So it is! Thanks for that - given me some music to listen to.

My first choice of flats is LaBella Deep Talking 760FLs. Quite like TI Jazz flats, too, thereafter any flats at all over roundwounds. I have been gradually stockpiling them when they come up for sale here secondhand and now have all my basses strung with flats. I went through a period of thinking I needed roundwounds to get the right kind of attack for heavy rock but, now I have changed back to flats, find I can still get all the oomph I need by changing the EQ. For me, and the sound I am looking for, nothing, but nothing, quite sounds like an old school woody Precision with flats.

[quote name='NancyJohnson' timestamp='1393775835' post='2384194'] 1994/Headpins? Haven't heard that name in yonks. Now must check spotify. [/quote] Not sure that is the same Karen Lawrence? The one I have in mind fronts(or fronted) Blue by Nature, sort of country-style blues band. Thinking about it, she is unlikely to be in a kitchen anywhere in England, and is probably 10 years too young, but certainly got the pipes to qualify. Without wishing to hijack the thread, here is Ms Lawrence swaying her hips rather interestingly and generally giving it some welly. http://youtu.be/sqx-1ME6rxo

The MS-60B is the only pedal I use at the moment but I don't find the tuner on mine particularly accurate or sensitive, unfortunately, to the point that I am considering adding a tuner. Seems every time I hit the string it shows something different. Which kind of spoils the whole 1 pedal thing for me rather.

[quote name='FinnDave' timestamp='1393690381' post='2383409'] It's actually our kitchen, the MiL lives with us. [/quote] Ah. Thought the story was too good to be true....

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1393498258' post='2380960'] I think you are spot on, thanks Jon. Looks interesting. I wonder how heavy and how wide the necks on these fellas are? [/quote] I can answer these questions as I asked the seller - 3.9kg and 38mm nut, although the neck at the nut is a little wider at 41.5mm, he says.

Wow. Do we get to hear how exactly this goddess of rock ended up in your MIL's kitchen? Does she deliver for Ocado? If so I might start online shopping. Seems pretty bizarre!

I'd get off in court. Got a weakness for redheads. And Kiki Dee is, I think, one of our most under-valued singers. Karen Lawrence?

Just as well otherwise I would come over, kill you, hide the body and take your place.

Kiki Dee?

Here's mine, keep it simple! [attachment=156467:pbass.JPG]

You could try glueing it together if the halves make a good join? I had a lump fall off a Fender Jaguar nut and my regular tech guy just glued it back with some sort of resin stuff. Wasn't a problem subsequently.

Can't go wrong with Bass Doc, reasonably priced and superb quality. BWB does it for me - I have the same colourway on my main P Bass.

[quote name='Bassassin' timestamp='1393451579' post='2380590'] Well - Quest is a Vantage sub-brand, and early Vantages (and Quests) were Matsumoku-built. There's a Quest catalogue [url="http://www.matsumoku.org/models/vantage/catalogs/atak-manhattan/catalog_th.html"]here[/url] and this looks like it [i]might[/i] be the model Q-B, although it's kinda hard to tell! If anyone wants to sell me a Manhattan M-3BZ I'd be very willing to re-engage with my "problem"... J. [/quote] I think you are spot on, thanks Jon. Looks interesting. I wonder how heavy and how wide the necks on these fellas are?

Quest bass - anyone know anything about these? Looks like a Washburn Force 4 with a Westone Spectrum neck. [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/291089571490?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/291089571490?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649[/url]

Same here - 4 bands. As has been said - keep everything transparent and first come, first served.