Paul S

I favour skinny necks and have recently bought an SB14, and also have some Fenders with Jazz neck profiles (Power Jazz Bass Special and Precision Lyte). Plus a selection of assorted JapCrap with Jazz type profiles, but not an Ibanez. I am not sure how to measure it but on a comparative basis the width of the necks are exactly the same, but the SB14 is slightly deeper than the Fender Jazz necks. In hand the feel is nearer to the slightly wider and deeper Westone necks, although a tad shallower than these. Not as deep as some P-Bass necks I have tried, though. I find it extremely comfy, I have to say. Also the way it hangs is different - the smaller headstock and general body configuration make it a couple of inches shorter than the Fender Precision style bodies I have, which I find makes it slightly easier to play - the balance is somehow better like this. Sound wise there is a world of difference.

With the inevitable out-of-sync timing, Best Bass gear have proved me wrong with an email this afternoon They didn't get the first email and have apologised profusely, offering to put things right immediately.

A brief update. I sold on the BT1 and the new owner informs me it doesn't work due a manufacturing fault on the gearing. I contacted Best Bass gear, explaining that a/ BT1 doesn't fit all Musicman basses as is implied on their website. b/ Item they sent was faulty. That was on 13th June and they haven't even acknowledged the email, let alone suggested some form of redress. So - buy from Best bass Gear if you are confident you are going to get exactly what you want, and that it is going to be a proper one. They are happy enough to take our money but not, it seems, any of the associated responsibility. I can't be bothered to waste angst and emotion on a transatlantic fight, so will just write off the cost of the BT1.

I am also a fan of on-board eq rather than amp fiddling. I fitted an Artec SE-2A into my Fender Precision Lyte as the stock one was faulty. It sounded ok. I upgraded to a J. East one and it completely opened up the range of sounds that are available out of it. So in my case, at least, and with a direct comparison, I discovered that 'you get what you pay for'.

I bought a Fender Precision Lyte unseen, fell for a sob story, and when it finally arrived it was a dog. Bad drippy and uneven re-finish in a colour I hated (I was told it was red, it was day-glow deep pink) with majorly faulty electrics. Rather than lose money pointlessly I decided to use it as a teaching aid - I stripped and refinished the body, stripped the painted headstock and stuck a new decal on it, put in completely new electrics. The finish didn't look bad but I used the wrong paint under a clear enamel coat which has now cracked! Do I care? Not particularly. It isn't sellable without making a loss, but I don't intend to sell it. I found out so much about how the bass was put together and now fearlessly tackle most jobs on my basses. One day I will take it to bits again and do a better job on the body.

Rehearsed with it last night. Great tone, really individual - playing with the treble boost/cut really gives a great range of sounds. Oozes quality, smiles all round

I know a standard Hiscox one will, if that helps, also the standard tweed rectangular ones. Fitted I would doubt it becasue of the offset shape.

Sounds high to me, too. Nowt much wrong with the Thunder range - great range of tones. I have one, Thunder 1T (with a whammy bar) that cost me under £40 on eBay and it does a passible Gibson SG impersonation! Best place to ask in on here [url="http://forum.westoneguitars.net/"]http://forum.westoneguitars.net/[/url] - what they collectively don't know isn't worth asking about.

Just found it - Travers, Bogart, Appice version of Superstitious, a little heavier than the Beck version. [url="http://youtu.be/ofoZupYI5oQ"]http://youtu.be/ofoZupYI5oQ[/url]

Here is a track my band were toying with for a while - 'Shaky Ground' by ex-Whitesnake guitarist Bernie Marsden. Nice funky little number if you don't care whether anyone has heard of it or not [url="http://youtu.be/h5mEFmKnqco"]http://youtu.be/h5mEFmKnqco[/url] Or another one we had a look at... Joe Walsh (James Gang) 'Funk 49' [url="http://youtu.be/uO-UKN9nrhQ"]http://youtu.be/uO-UKN9nrhQ[/url]

Speaking of Tom Jones, the rather scruffy guitarist standing to his right was the immensely talented Jamie Moses. I saw him a few weeks ago in a tongue in cheek Tex-Mex band called Los Pacaminos, that also features Paul Young, playing at Hullbridge Sports Club. Hullbridge to Buck House is a bit of a swing! Have to say the arrangement and performance of Delilah was the song of the night for me. I fast forwarded most of the evening. Tom Jones simply blew everyone else out of the water - the power and control of his voice even nowdays is awe inspiring.

I played guitar then. My first decent one was a Hayman 30/30 bought in a secondhand shop for £65 in about 1975.

I have a BF Compact and a Midget and, like a lot of users have said, you will find no issues with volume using one or the other for gigs. Both are a one hand lift, a featherlight 12kg and 9kg respectively, and easy to manoeuvre - the Midget ridiculously so. If you have space for the Compact then it comes down to what sound you prefer. I prefer the more balanced overall sound of the Compact but generally use the Midget on its own for rehearsals because it is lighter and smaller. Adding more bass on the EQ helps bring it nearer the sound from the Compact, but it does lack a bit of bottom for my taste. In combination they are absolutely superb - the ranges complementing each other. If I *had* to choose just one it would be the Compact every time (but I am pleased to have both).

Hopefully Bowks will read this and flesh out the bones a bit. Was it an inspired guess on his part, I wonder, or was there some hidden logic? Be nice to fit one without having to get out metworking tools.

Sorry, BT1 didn't fit. Which is the one listed for MM basses.