Shaggy

This often gets cited in "worst headstock", but to me it's perfectly functional, minimalist, and sculptural

The original Bakelite-covered pickups were single coil, later chrome covered units were the more familiar dual coil humbucking "mudbucker". I've got a '58 EB-2 (pre baritone switch) and a'69 EB-2D; the Bakelite pickups have less output but a bit more articulation than the chrome ones. Ive always liked the rare burgundy finish, actually introduced as a remedial measure to cover up moisture checking issues with the conventional finishes (see 1967 & 1969 here: https://www.flyguitars.com/gibson/bass/EB2timeline.php ). Lovely bass, good luck with the sale!

Bought a set of La Bella strings from this most excellent Basschatter; smooth easy deal, great communications, and the strings sent across to me pronto. Deal with in complete confidence. Thanks fella!

PM sent

Nice - speculative PM sent

PMd re Wesley bass

Lots of sage advice above! Trouble is; when you set your heart on a bass, it's an itch that has to be scratched. It took me over 20 years to afford the fretless Wal MK 1 I wanted at the start of my bass playing career; when I finally got one I realised that I actually preferred the old Ovation Magnum 1 fretless that I already had (and had cost me peanuts) As we all know, GAS is an unreasonable mistress.......

......push you Close to the Edge, surely? All the best Bassman Sam, you can see the whole of BC is with you

This being BC, you should get both, of course...... If you're set on a combo, it really has to be Ashdown (as I think you've already decided) - as The Greek points out; Trace ones are seriously heavy. I use both - "compact" rig is an Ashdown MK500 with 4x8 and 1x15 mini-cabs, "big rig" is Trace AHSMX600 with 2x10 and 1x15 cabs. Unsurprisingly the bigger Trace cabs have the edge, but if I had to pick one of the heads it'd be the Ashdown.

I think this is my old bass, and woolleydick's before that. If so, it's an absolute beast of a bass; more subtle in tone than with original pickups and Moog-powered circuit. Good price too even with the non original mods; if I didn't already have two RD Artists I'd be having this straight back

I buy a shedload of stuff via US eBay, and as ped says - you've bought via Global Shipping Programme so fees on invoice are all you pay with nothing else on arrival. I personally hate GSP (as do many of the sellers) as it generally works out significantly more expensive than ordinary shipping with paying VAT / customs handling charge on arrival (another money-making scheme for eBay I suspect....), also discounting shipping on multiple items from the same seller is minimal and out of the sellers control. But on the plus side it makes the whole process pretty safe and you see all the charges up front.

I'm pretty sure Kramer used to offer a half-fretted option on their '70's alu-necked basses

When I was 16 I gave up playing classical violin after 4 years of intensive training as I knew I'd never be Yehudi Menuhin. The same year ('77) I saw the Stranglers live at Cambridge Corn Exchange and knew with total certainty that I wanted to do, and could do, what JJB was doing on bass - was gigging one month later. I've never looked at anything on YouTube, but I suspect much of it is the same self-indulgent [email protected] that punk rock was about breaking away from. It doesn't matter how good you are, as long as you're enjoying what you're doing, and doing it from the heart.

I had one of the 5 strings a while back - I think it was the Tony Levin one. Didn't keep it long enough to upgrade, but I thought the pickup really weak - I'd certainly have changed it for an SD or similar. Nice looking and light weight bass though

Some great replies on this: for me the Gibson Thunderbird, Ric 4001, and Alembic S1 / S2 are iconic and stunningly beautiful. Here's one not mentioned so far I've always liked with its minimalist body outline and funky F-hole. A beach to play finger style though, with that skinny neck and narrow string spacing,