Low Down Dave

Check Ebay you will get a set for round £10 (item 330311940321), but as a set of flatwounds tend to last for years, and the quality of the string will vastly effect the tone it might be worth spending a bit more for a decent set. Dave

[quote name='henry norton' post='425872' date='Mar 5 2009, 10:31 AM']I thought Adam Clayton played a P....? That asides, I agree than a J can just about 'do it all', but if you're looking for that 'perfect tone' - and let's face it, that's most of us - you need more than two volumes and a passive tone to get it just right.[/quote] With that perfect tone the bass is only part of the equation even excluding the player (which is a vast part of the sound) you still have external EQ, Amplification, Speakers & Effects. Personally I like to start off with a good passive tone and build from there.

Not knowing anything about the bass you played I can only generalise… but: I would normally expect to see audio taper pots on a jazz bass, in fact I have never seen one that hasn’t got an audio taper, and blending the two volumes give you a vast pallet of sounds (and one of the reasons I love Jazz basses). The tone knob on a passive basses acts as a treble cut. Single coil pickups generally have less output than humbuckers, and therefore produce a thinner tone, although you can wire a jazz bass so its sounds like a P bass with a Parallel/series switch.

Not really, but large inlays on a fretless bass is not ideal. Dave

To check your nut height, fret the string at the 4th fret and hold it down then with the other hand press down at the 2nd fret there should be a tiny amount of play, if there is anything more significant you nut needs adjusting. You can use a credit card as a rough gauge, but as the average credit card is around 0.79 or 1/32” thick so it should be a tight fit, if it slips easily in and out it is too high for most players, unless they want a high action. You might also want to check your neck relief as too much relief can make the nut action seem too high, and you may find some videos on youtube regarding setup. But general speaking if you don’t like the way your bass plays I’d take it to a guitar tech, a decent setup makes the world of difference. BTW dropping the action at the nut rarely means replacing the nut and is an easy job with the right tools, but it is very easy to bugger up if you are not sure what you are doing and do not have the right tools. Dave.

I see a lot of budget basses, and although many look good on paper (spec wise) the main issue is quality control so buying un-played is less than ideal. Dave.

[quote name='NJE' post='395369' date='Jan 30 2009, 01:25 PM']+1 on all current squiers at the moment, really fantastic basses with a great "vibe". I have a squier deluxe V and it is superb, build is amazing and the neck and frets are immaculate, I use it in a rock band over my Roscoe Beck and its has a great tone that really cuts through. I think its superb already but by all accounts the addition of a set of Dimarzio Ultra Jazz pickups make these basses sing. Definately a pro sound and playability for me and only £150[/quote] That is a good price on the squier deluxe V, best price I have seen is £230, I think the average is £250-260

I agree with everything said above, basically a nice Jazz or MM style bass seem to be favourites, active basses seem to be preferred although I like a passive bass with an EQ pedal. Also very important is the setup, you want a nice low action, I find people that predominantly play slap like the action so low that you get quite a lot of fret buzz unless you play very lightly, and they also tend to prefer light gauge strings often Stainless Steel for a really bright tone. So my advice would be what ever bass you buy budget for a new set of strings and a decent setup it will make all the difference. Dave.

I can vouch for Steve Robinson (The Manchester Guitar Tech) In South Manchester [url="http://www.manchesterguitartech.co.uk/"]http://www.manchesterguitartech.co.uk/[/url]

I know it’s a bit of fun and you really can’t generalise, its like saying all bass players are failed guitarists! Personally I like quiet a bit of country music… in the same way I like quite a bit of jazz, and quite a bit of reggae But I do know country music (including Blue Grass) has some of the most incredibly talented musicians. I played in a house band many years ago at a country festival (my agent at the time used to send me for anything), and guys were riding around on horses shooting each other with shot guns, OK they were using blanks but the they were getting taken away on stretchers with really bad powder burns… and you could feel the heat from the guns 20 feet away… BTW this was all happening inside a building not outdoors!

[quote name='jonthebass' post='405071' date='Feb 10 2009, 09:24 AM']Just go for a CTS 250k pot, doesn't have to be a Fender one. Have a look [url="http://www.wdmusic.co.uk/product/CTS_Premium_250k_Solid_Shaft_Pot_CTS250SS"]HERE[/url] They seem to be just the ticket. Cheers, JTB[/quote] you might need a split shaft, if wdmusic are out of stock try here [url="http://www.axesrus.com/axeknobs.htm"]http://www.axesrus.com/axeknobs.htm[/url], good people and free delivery look for CTS AUDIO TAPER POTS

[quote name='Currrls' post='408555' date='Feb 13 2009, 01:25 PM']and add a dash of salt?[/quote] only if you want them to relic them...

It is a matter of taste and I am sure some people do like them as they look impressive, and you expect to have to set them up and perhaps even level the frets ect, but it is worth noting I have come across a few of these inlaid basses were the frets are incorrectly spaced so they can not be played in tune. And never touch the acoustics as the wood is not dried properly and will crack over time. Dave.

If it is just a single coil issue the buzzing should ease when both pickups are on full (as somebody else already mentioned) if it doesn’t, then there is an issue with either the pickup/pickups or wiring. But there are many variables and it is hard to pin down without seeing the bass, a common one is the earth wire it not touching the bridge plate, try holding a wire to the back of the volume pot to the bridge plate and see if that helps. Dave.

The biggest problem musicians often face when they start soldering is not the iron its self, but the tip is too big and it will not transfer the heat properly. Get yourself a fine tip and magically the solder will flow effortlessly. It is well worth preserving and getting the soldering technique sorted as it will come in very handy over the years. A quick couple of tips: Make sure you tin the contact points and wire well, and have solder on the iron, clean the tip regularly on the damp sponge to keep it clean and all joints shiny. Dave.