Jonrh98

12 hours ago, Rodders said:

I've used the Palmer for about a year for home practice 99% of the time and used it to DI to the PA once at a rehearsal. Works for my needs. I don't really use or need any of the features (cab sims, OD, fuzz etc) but the EQ suits me and I can plug my phone into it. Something a bit more stripped down basic would be my preference but certainly does the job.

Awesome, thanks! It sounds like a really nice practice and portable gig solution.

22 hours ago, sandy_r said:

 

hi Jon

 

i was halfway through building my own 'wishlist'  preamp (shown below, along with the Palmer) and then I saw the Palmer with a few more features (eg, drive/blend, soft compression, pads, amp styles, battery/external), ready to go, and the Palmer won. So, I'm very happy with the features

 

I can detect a slight background hiss when I'm not actually playing and certain functions are enabled, or some controls are increased: as you'ld expect, the background noise increases on fuzz & overdrive with more blend control, and with High EQ turned up

 

This hasn't been a problem for me, so far, because I prefer to let the natural sounds of my fretless basses come through, and mainly use the EQ controls and amp selection

 

I would have preferred the sockets to be located each side, rather than front & back, but right-angled jacks sort the front out ok (the back isn't a problem)

 

The one control which seems rather er, subtle is Saturation - I've given it the benefit of the doubt above and called it 'soft compression'. Palmer describe it as the effect of beginning to overdrive a tape system ...er, ok

 

All in all, I've been very pleased with it:  it's well-made, robust, and very compact for both band/personal practice and gigging (I had to buy a mains adaptor separately - a few pounds on eB*y or Am*z*n)

 

Hope this helps

That's really helpful, thanks! 

Interesting insight into the saturation - I assumed it was basically just a compressor, which is something I that is a bit of a need for me really. I like a relatively light compression that maintains my low end and warms up my higher notes, so it might be suitable.

3 minutes ago, PaulThePlug said:

Howzabout...

 

Sadly, no aux in or mute switch (only a bypass switch), both important for me.

Hi all, considering the Palmer Pocket Amp Bass as my option for totally ampless gigs (rare for me as my TC rig is compact and I love the DI sound from it, but always a possibility) and at-home practice through headphones and with backing tracks. At the moment I use a Valeton GP-200, but as I no longer play electric guitar, and the bass amp models aren't my favourite, I wanted to switch to something more bass-oriented and smaller.

Anyone who's used it - general opinions? Feature-wise, it's great - saturation control, simple switchable cab models, DI/headphone/aux ports, mute switch - but I've heard occasional reviews say it has a very high noise level. Anyone able to shed light on this?

Alternatively, do I spend the extra 80-100 quid on a Zoom B2 Four? I love the Zoom stuff, but simplicity is king for me right now and I don't want to get anything unnecessary.

Cheers!

A question for the UBass enthusiasts in this thread - is a Kala (lower-end, like the Scout, Journeyman or Rumbler) worth getting over the slightly cheaper offerings of Luna, Baton Rouge, Alvarez? I had a Harley Benton Kahuna back in the day, which was v cheap (still decent though), but there was nowhere near as many options back then as there are now.

Don't suppose you'd be able to give me the measurements for the distance between the mounting holes for the neck/body join please mate? Want to see if this will fit my non-Fender body without refilling and redrilling. Cheers.

11 minutes ago, kodiakblair said:

Freeing up money is good but for me time was more important.

 

Maple blank, truss rod and fret wire come to around £35 ; then there's my time to shape and sand it. Was well worth paying the extra £20 for somebody else to do the work 🙂

 

£50 odd for a blocked/binding reverse Tele peghead with square heel , it was no contest 👍

Very true - I'm no tech myself, so as pre-made as I can get is best. Don't mind drilling screw holes, adding shims etc but beyond that is not for me.

I might grab myself one of these cheaper necks and just see how it goes to be honest

3 minutes ago, kodiakblair said:

Bought and used necks sold by "wang guitar store 1980" on Ali-Ex , their eBay presence is "Jinwan"

 

https://www.aliexpress.com/store/group/bass-neck/5615246_517813061.html?spm=a2g0o.store_pc_home.pcShopHead_902313684.1_0_1

 

They've been great , rock solid with no fret work required. Bit of a surprise that since Warmoth, Allparts and Fender all tell you to expect doing fretwork on their necks 🤣

 

I'm not the only one happy with these necks , spotted a few builds over on TalkBS using them 👍 A mate over in Kenya has also reported good experiences with them.

Thanks so much! I was hoping someone would have had decent experiences with cheaper necks, it'd be good to free up some more money for hardware and pups.

I'm planning to mod my first bass, a cheap p copy, to make it more usable. It'll be a more classic p bass to go along with my modern, active Sandberg and my fretless. 

Replacement necks are totally new to me, though. I definitely need one (the neck on this bass is dire) but no idea what to go for. My instinct is to avoid far Eastern eBay options, unless anyone happens to have positive experiences?

Outside of that, my choices seem to be a fender neck, an allparts neck, a WD neck or one of the slightly cheaper options from northwest guitars.

Any input on any of these options is highly appreciated.

3 hours ago, uk_lefty said:

I'm not sure if you're wanting a "workhorse" meaning something to take the scars and scrapes of many, many future gigs, or an emotional purchase to treat yourself to something special that will be forever cherished. If looking at it like that then the choice between your US and Mexi fender becomes a lot easier. 

Probably something between the two if I'm honest - I look after my basses, but I'm not precious about dents and dings, and it will be used on all my recordings and gigs for sure.

11 hours ago, Geek99 said:

If it were me, I’d be buying Japanese fender  non export models, or post 2012 us standard 

buying new is for mugs 

 

and I agree, I use a zoom b2.1 for everything alongside a little ampeg ba108

The music shop near me does have a non-export aerodyne for about 990 quid - might try that out.

1 minute ago, Geek99 said:

Yes get a post 2012 one used and save the money for amp GAS

I'm not much of an amp-crazy guy! My Ashdown Studio 15 delivers plenty of oomph for monitoring and rehearsal purposes, and it's DIs/FOH all the way for me!

However, the savings would certainly feed other forms of GAS - probably keyboard/guitar, or maybe even strings! (600=10 sets of TI jazz flats=basically a lifetime supply, right??)

3 hours ago, Velarian said:

I have a 2008 AM P-bass with an S1 circuit. Whilst the S1 switch is rather pointless as it just makes it sound thinner, not what you want from a P-bass, the answer is simply ignore it and leave it disabled. It will still be the same as a standard passive circuit. If it really bothered you, you could swap it out for one of @KiOgon’s passive wiring looms for not a lot of money. 

Yeah, fair enough! If I did go for a used American, I'd have my eye open for something more recent, but having the S1 switch and not using it wouldn't bother me - right now I have a Sire P7 with 3 band EQ plus mid sweep and I just run it in passive!

21 minutes ago, Eldon Tyrell said:

From my own experience, I can tell you that you will exit the shop with at least one more bass and much less money in your bank account. You've been warned 😉 

that sounds like a decent day out to me!

6 minutes ago, Eldon Tyrell said:

Some people here on BC also like the new "Modern Vintage" basses:

 

Bass Direct is the UK distributor for MV. If possible, I would go there for a daytrip and check out the MV and compare it to the other P and PJ basses they have in stock (e.g., Sandberg, Maruszczyk etc.).

They also always have several nice second hand basses in stock too. For example, they currently have a nice MIJ Fender P in CAR finish. Very tempting indeed:

Fender Precision Made in Japan Candy Apple Red : For sale, UK, EU, USA Germany, UK, On offer Second Hand Bass Guitar Stock :: , Warwick, Leo Fender, London, Manchester, Birmingham, (bassdirect.co.uk)

They also have a used MIJ in black (but with rosewood fingerboard):

Fender Precision Made in Japan 1989 Gloss Black , four string bass: For sale, UK, EU, USA Germany, UK, On offer Second Hand Bass Guitar Stock :: , Warwick, Leo Fender, London, Manchester, Birmingham, USA (bassdirect.co.uk)

 

Ah yeah, I'd seen Scott Devine mention an MV at some point, they look great!

I might head down to BD for a day like you say, although if I'm going then I'm buying - it's about a 2 hour drive!

1 hour ago, M@23 said:

If you spend loads of extra on a Mexican Fender, it’ll be great for you but you’ll likely lose a bunch of your initial outlay if you choose to sell it later on. 
Lots of recommendations for other basses, but in my recent experience, if you get a good one, then there isn’t much else that out Fender Precisions a Fender Precision. 
But, as shown in these types of thread, it’s pretty subjective. 

True - resale value doesn't massively bother me, but it could always be needed in unforeseen circumstances. 

Definitely tempted by the Am Performer - if I can get something I like stock, then I'm very happy and that'd be my top option.

1 hour ago, Pirellithecat said:

Not sure about direct ordering - but if you give Mark a call at Classicandcool guitars I'm sure he'll know.  Sandberg will basically "bespoke" a guitar for you - and have a rather tempting "Configurator" on their website!    Terrible if you're trying to resist GAS!   

Ahh nice, good to know! I'm going to have fun on Sandberg's website tonight for sure!

Just now, Lozz196 said:

As per @Skybones post, if considering a used US then the 2008 onwards are great basses, with the 2013 onwards being even better, with these having a slightly chunkier feeling neck and the Custom Shop pickups.

Thanks for the tips, much appreciated! I've seen a few of the S-1 basses around, but only ever heard negative things about the S1 circuits, so that throws me off a bit.

56 minutes ago, jrixn1 said:

 

Isn't this your answer?  Get a fretted Sire P7 and have the preamp removed.

As much as I like it, it's not quite what I'd want out of an all-round bass. The pups are a little on the tame side for my liking (can be replaced of course), but preamp removal means sourcing a fresh pickguard, which has to be custom cut as nowhere makes replacements.

Same issue with the tuners, which aren't ideal - there's no drop in replacement, so it's a case of filling and re-drilling, a lot of extra work when basses like the Mexi Fenders have an abundace of drop-in parts available.

2 minutes ago, Pirellithecat said:

Had the Fender Pro P  traded for Sandberg VM4 - in comparison, the VM4 is a joy to play!

If I had £1.6k to spend on a P style bass, I'd look at a Sandberg VS4 - there's a passive version. 

Otherwise, I think Mark at Cool and Classic guitars has a nice one - if you like Black.

 

I do like various Fenders from different countries, but in terms of "cut through" AND being rewarding to play the Sandberg wins!  (it's the neck .....)

 

Good luck and let us know what happens next! 

 

    

I love the look of the Sandbergs, and the pups sound amazing! Can you order them direct from Sandberg to the UK? I can't find a passive model to my liking on any UK shop sites, so I wonder if you can order direct?

7 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

Same, the Players are great basses but the necks on the US models just feel that bit more substantial, as do the tuners.

That said if cost is a factor, and you know you will definitely be keeping this bass, then the Player modded to your specs saves a good sum and you have an instrument adapted to your specific likings. But be aware if you were to need to move it on you wouldn’t get anywhere near the money you’d put in back on it.

Very true, retention of value is a plus to the Americans. I'm considering the Am Performer now too, substantial savings over the Pro II but supposedly a decent step above the Player.

1 hour ago, Skybone said:

Second hand US made P?

Certainly something I'm planning to consider when the time comes - there's often a Japanese Fender bass or two knocking about on ebay/facebook which is tempting.

47 minutes ago, Linus27 said:

I don't understand the logic of buying the Mexican Precision and then sending it straight to your tech to totally change it. You are buying a bass that you don't like, otherwise you wouldn't be changing the bridge, pickups and tuners, plus changing it without knowing if you like it so already in your head you are not happy with it. Just buy the American Pro II, a US Precision as suggested or look at an alternative like the Lakland or Shuker. 

It's not that I 'don't like' the Mexi bass, they're absolutely fine, in fact from what I've played in the Player series I really quite like the playability and feel. That's why I'd consider using it as a basis for upgrades: start with a reliable and agreeable foundation that I enjoy playing, and add elements that I particularly like, i.e. the Delano pups and a nice sturdy bridge.

5 minutes ago, Old Horse Murphy said:

I'd go for @Sibob's Lakland P Bass he has advertised here. Seriously, for pretty much the same price as a US P Bass (which are excellent by the way) you'd be buying a sublime bass in the colour scheme of your choice. 
 

Alternatively, I'd go for the US P Bass. They're seriously good instruments. 

Much appreciated - never played a Lakland, but heard only good things!

I'm also considering the American Performer P as well - I love a PJ set up, so might be an interesting option that saves a little bit of cash.

4 minutes ago, lemmywinks said:

If I had £1.6k to spend on a bass then Fender would be way down on the list, can almost get a Shuker P for that.

I think that's something else troubling me - but in terms of smaller and more boutique brands, I haven't a clue - any recommendations in that area? 

A mate of mine has 2 Maruszczyks and swears by them, but other than that I have no clue