Shaggy

Joe, judging from recent scary Bass Gallery prices and the fact that Sabres are rarer than hen’s teeth I’d say that was a good buy – but obviously try and haggle. Truss-rods can break on any guitar, and personally I wouldn’t find a replaced/repaired one a big deal. I’ve played all sorts over the last 30 years and after getting the Sabre a few years ago never needed or wanted another fretted bass – it’s like a cracking Jazz bass AND a ‘Ray rolled into one and funks like a b@stard!

Good thread! Placebo effect? Dunno. I've only ever bought one brand new bass - an Ibanez Artist Musician - and didn't bond with it at all. I like old basses (/cars/motorbikes), the way they sound, their quirkiness, the patina of use on a well-looked after (ie; not shagged) instrument. Plus a sensibly modded old bass is always more interesting than a bog-standard one. Until very recently I thought the whole relic-ing thing total crap. Then last week I saw the Joe Strummer signature Fender Telecaster (guit*r) in my local guitar shop. Basically looks like its been painted with grey primer, given to a blind-folded gorilla with a power-sander, then left out in the rain for a month. It is a thing of utter presence and beauty. You could hang it in the Tate with the simple title "Rock n' Roll" underneath. Yes, it's artifice, but rock music has been self-parody ever since Elvis made it big. As for the "Skoda" effect, the only guy not giving a toss about the label on the headstock is probably some 80-year old blues player somewhere in New Orleans. As for me, going to check out that Wal in the For Sale forum again.................

True jazzers would laugh at this, but a good one to start on and give you that jazzy feel with a bit of a solo is "Nivram" by the Shadows. Jazz doesn't need to be avant-garde or virstuoso stuff to sound good!

Gotta say I find this discussion about recording (I won’t say “argument”), really interesting, worth a thread in its own right. From my limited experience of studio recording – which I dislike intensely – I find that whatever bass sound you try and create the engineer just whops the bass EQ setting up and it’s lost. I hadn’t really thought about active vs passive in a recording setting but I guess its true – the last time we recorded I took my active MM, but the slight earth hum that I can’t be arsed to suss out and usually mask with a bit of noise gate was highly audible when recording. So the engineer lent me his passive Wal Pro-bass – lurvely! – which to me sounded woolly, but in the mix was absolutely spot on. I’ll take the Precision next time! I think the gist of the thread is that if you find a P-bass playable then it’s a hell of sound to have in your arsenal, although versatile it’s not (in standard form). Also should have said before that upgrading the stock pick-ups (to wizards, SD’s etc) makes such a difference – same sound but with hi-fi definition and clarity.

Contact Chop-the-bass on this forum - top bloke, fantastic luthier, and has all sorts of bits - supplied most of my Jazz custom 5 parts including neck & body.

[quote name='Beedster' post='80749' date='Oct 29 2007, 11:48 AM']And me . I sooooo nearly bought it and so regret not doing so! Please promise me that, if you ever let it go, you'll let me know first. Chers Chris[/quote] You know it! Those two basses belong together (Annifrid and Agnetha? Right era anyway). As a biker I think the comparison between Fender and Harley is a valid one – both stuck with an iconic product that they can’t radically change without losing their customer base (although Harley made a brave attempt with the V-Rod). Hence the endless special editions. As such Fender, Gibson, and Rickenbacker fulfil an important niche in the market and shouldn’t really be knocked for it – there’s enough really excellent and truly innovative bass makers at low and high ends of the market; far, far more choice than when I started out on bass. (I ride an old Norton by the way – long since extinct)

[quote name='Beedster' post='80371' date='Oct 28 2007, 11:12 AM']When I first started playing bass I associated the Precision with thumpy root notes and avoided it like the plague. I was a light gauge string & active circuitry kinda guy. Now my '73 Precision gets picked up more often that my Modulus. It's comparatively crude mechanically (in fact it's almost agricultural), has less tonal range, is harder to play and weighs a ton. It is however so much more satisfying to play, and although the Modulus can do so many things, the precision is so much better at the one or two things it does. In response to a comment above, as far as I can remember form my music days, most musical instruments have evolved tremendously, and most in the modern orchestra are of a lineage that can be traced back to medieval or earlier times. As far as I know, pretty much the only instrument that was 'invented' as such was the saxophone. Instruments such as the violin and guitar can be traced back to earlier stringed instruments such as the viol whilst trumpets and trombones back to early horns. There are example of electric basses before the Precision, I think both Rick and Gibson made some, they just didn't work well and didn't get picked up in preference to uprights by the players of the time. I think, unlike his competitors, Leo did his homework, both in terms of technology and market research, and didn't go to market until he had it perfect. Chris PS he didn't actually get it perfect, perfection would have been adding a JPUP at the bridge [/quote] +1 completely It took me thirty years to get the point of the Fender P. Like Chris, I’d always considered them strictly a one-trick pony – thuddy, old-school, blues-rock. Especially as a mainly fretless player, you really need that bridge pick-up to add a bit of bite to your “mwah” - at least as an option - but I’ve never liked fretless Jazzes that much. Anyway, last winter I joined a ‘60’s rock/R&B band as a side-project to the main covers band, and fancied a “retro” bass purely – I’m ashamed to say – for image. As the two guitarists have red Strats I was kind of looking for a red MIJ P-bass, briefly considered the Sting signature, then saw Walbassists’ ’73 sunburst P-bass on Basschat this summer. Heavily modded – converted to fretless with ebony board, narrowed neck, added J p/u at the bridge, re-wired with SD vintage/antiquity II replacement p/u’s. Ruined as a vintage bass of course, but it could have been custom built for me. Well, plugged through a Trace valve head it was the tone I’d been looking for all my life, and with the neck mods and pro setup played like a dream. Yes, my active MM Sabre does a pretty good imitation of a P on neck p/u, but no bass I’ve tried gives that plummy, harmonic-rich, sock-in-the-gut sound of a P-bass. The addition of a J bridge pick-up is a revelation, makes it so much more versatile, and whilst string choice and a good set-up is crucial for any bass, for a P-bass I’d say it’s critical. And if it’s good enough for Pino, it’s good enough for me!

[quote name='Sibob' post='79325' date='Oct 25 2007, 12:20 PM']My moulded logo fender case is great! Survived numerous gigs and tours and still lines up! Si[/quote] +1 Had mine since the late '80's, gigged contunually and still going strong, although once left it in the sun and the top warped! I prefer the Hiscox tho'

Some cracking stuff here, Grommit. Mine; 1. Learn another instrument; really broadens your musical awareness, and gives you solo noodling variety. 2. Wear earplugs! Should have been Moses' 11th commandment.

Typical guitarist. (Is he?). Turn up, play and look like you're having a ball even though you're thinking "what the f**k am I supposed to be playing?" Works for me

You can get the existing drivers reconed (which as far as I know means replacing the coil & general clean-up); contact Paul MacCallum at [email protected]. , tel 020 8743 4567. He reconed a couple of blown Hartke drivers for me, came back like new.

Never seen any tidy bass stuff, but last month I found a Peavy Classic 30 guit*r combo; all-valve, US-made, tweed covered case absolutely immaculate, for £95 - they retail at around £400. Not a patch on that Wal though!

Hmmmm....scratch n' sniff........could be the next "relic-ing" development. I should patent it quick. The "Keith Richards" signature Tele could keep you flying high all night!

[quote name='3V17C' post='71008' date='Oct 8 2007, 01:03 PM']It was the musical equivalent of aural rape. c[/quote] What a great band name!........... Here in darkest Wales, criticism generaly takes the form of a flying beer bottle rather than anthing as posh as email. Personally I'd take the retro jibe as a compliment.

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='70254' date='Oct 6 2007, 11:34 AM']Sorry but you lot aren't real people. My missus claims you're my imaginary friends![/quote] Damn, that must be why that last bass I bought here turned out to be an "air bass"...........

[quote name='john_the_bass' post='70051' date='Oct 5 2007, 04:46 PM']A fella I know has recently put frets and mop dots into a Wal Which is what his customer wanted[/quote] NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm going to cry now