NJE

Have you had a look at Moollon? I have noticed a lot of players with them on the internet and all really positive reviews. A few guys say they are as good if not better than the Pino. The headstocks can be a bit ‘marmite’ though. Search for them on Instagram if you have it. There is a trans white Lakland on here that I would seriously consider if I was looking for P bass too, the USA basses are insanely good.

Sadly I have never made it to the shop in all the years I have been playing. I’m not a frequent visitor to London but next time I am there I am making a special pilgrimage. I really respect you coming on here and having a presence and opening yourselves up to criticism as well as all of the compliments. Good customer service is as much about resolving issues, as it is providing faultless service from the start, in my opinion. Well done on the Instagram too, lots of lovely basses!

Yeah I would, I mentioned earlier that I have played a superb example, actually two come to mention it. I thought it was an incredibly well made, very playable and resonant instrument. At £1000 it’s a brilliant bass especially if you get the case and all the case candy. Try it and inspect it though as we all know the big companies let a few Friday afternoon basses through the doors on occasion.

I saw and incredible looking Maruszczyk precision somewhere secondhand for about £700, it was black with tort guard, very classy. They are seriously good and the necks and fretwork are amazing.

If you think there is a chance you could change your mind and end up selling this bass, my suggestion would be to avoid anything from a small boutique builder unless you can buy secondhand. It will be and incredible instrument but there is a very good chance you will take a big hit on it if you decide to sell. I have seen stunning custom built uk basses go for silly money secondhand. I tried a 63 Precision and it was a superb instrument, finish, feel and resonance where amazing but it’s Fender and I could have just played a good one. The same goes for Fender CS stuff, everything I have played by the CS has been incredible but others have played duds. The only saving grace with Fender is that if you buy secondhand you don’t often loose money in my experience. In fact I sold one for more than I paid on eBay once. Go and try them if you have a chance and you might find a stunning Fender CS.

At last nights rehearsal our guitarist brought along his latest acquisition, a new Suhr Strat. Apart from looking stunning, finished in a nice trans seafoam green, it was perfectly finished and the neck was nothing short of breathtaking. It was resonant, rounded fretboard and impeccable fret work. It got me thinking, if the guitars are this good, surely that must cross over to their basses? I did a quick search and a couple have popped up for sale here but they don’t seem common. Are there many owners on here who can help convince me to sell my MusicMan and get one? What are the necks like, super slim jazz or a bit more of a handful like on the 60s type jazzes?

I have been keeping an eye out for HB basses secondhand but had the same thought, I then have a fretless neck on another body that won’t get used very much taking up room. I could have worse problems though. 😄

That’s really interesting about the neck pockets and now I’m googling replacement necks 😄. Just need to keep an eye out for something solid but inexpensive, I don’t really want to be paying warmoth prices.

You guys that have modded your Harley Bentons, did you have any issues with the neck pockets with replacement necks? I have a HB Fretless Jazz and I have been keeping my eye out for a HB Precision neck or other P bass neck so that I can get more use from the bass. I just cant get on with Jazz width nut and fretless is of limited use in my current band.

Yeah he had sold a few bits on here over the years I think, I was so close to buying a couple of his basses. He had a AV bass that he used on the voice for sale at the Gallery I wanted but then my car died ☹️

I have to say, the house band for The Voice UK are just immense. I am a massive fan of Ash Soan on drums, such a slick player and Ben Epstein on bass is just a beast of a player and such a fat tone he’s got. The rest of the band are superb too but what a rhythm section. Ben Epstein also does a phenomenal job with Pete Ray Biggin Underground, what a talent. That is all....😂

I bought a Harley Benton Fretless a couple of years ago for a project. It was only for a couple of songs so I didn’t want to spend much, and after getting very close to buying the Vintage Jaco Bass, I decided I would give the HB a go as a buddy had a fretted jazz and raves about it. The general build is incredible for the price and in fact it has the best sunburst paint job I have ever seen and the grain on the body is amazing. Neck pocket is better than the the last two USA Fenders I have had and the neck is smooth and decent under hand. The only things I can criticise are the tuners, which hold tuning fine, but are a bit clunky and rough is use, and I suspect that an upgrade in writing/pots would only improve the sound. Generally though it is an incredible bass.

I never slap when testing a bass, I’m not good at it and there is bound to be someone better than me at it close by. Unless there is a testing room (PMT in Cardiff have one, as did Andertons when I went there) I never plug a bass into an amp to test it. I’m looking at build, resonance and general set up and I know what most basses sound like. I tried out a 63 reissue precision in a shop a couple of years ago and he first thing that came to mind was heatwave by Martha and The Vandellas. I got a smile from the guy in the shop and he said “Heatwave, nice”. I guess it wasn’t a common occurrence 😄

PMT in Bristol were really friendly and they do have a good bass section. Happy to let me play and always chatty when I go in there. Unfortunately it is often how you present yourself that affects how you are treated in my experience. When I was 17 a friend and I went to Cardiff with £900 to buy him a Fender amp. Went to Gamlins and said outright we were there to buy, the guitar department guy was decent and let us play and test it out. 5 minutes later another member of staff (an old woman that owned the shop maybe) came over and rudely instructed us to stop using the amp and that “that was enough, there is a boy over there with his dad who want to look at something”. They looked at £120 guitar starter kits and we left very annoyed. To be fair how could she know two teenage boys had £900 to spend, but that’s not the point, people grow up and earn more money and that needs to be remembered sometimes. On the flip side I went to London for the weekend with my wife a couple of years ago and we were dressed very smart for dinner and the theatre. Usually I look like a scruff but it was a special occasion. The welcome and service I got in the music shops was phenomenal, so polite and couldn’t do enough for us (wife was with me). I obviously looked like I had money and that must have affected their behaviour, it’s only natural. Saying that I have been into Wunjo in normal attire and the guys in the bass dept have always been genuinely decent and friendly people happy to chat gigs and kit and they didn’t slap the living stinky poo out of any bass I wanted to play.

What a shame, I had amazing dealings with S&T a few months ago. The guy I spoke to said they don’t sell direct to public anymore but asked what I needed and got it ordered for me direct with EB as it wasn’t a standard item (white pickup covers). They got held up with Cities basses in transit but I wasn’t in a rush. Got updates and then he arranged for me to pick them up from my local dealer to pay for them, amazing!

I had the opposite once, went into a shop who stocked every ernie ball guitar string and asked for EB bass strings. Them- sorry we don’t have Ernie ball bass strings me- not to worry, can you order them them - we have rotosounds, best bass strings in the world me- they aren’t for me, I don’t like the feel of them them- why what’s wrong with them me - goodbye 😄

I agree that it is nice for someone to just let rip and say what they want in an interview, without some press agent or handler stepping in and stopping comments from being printed etc. He is a big hitter in his industry, has a vast fortune, he’s 85 and he doesn’t give a damn about whether his opinions offend anyone, and I can’t help but admire his Candour. He has probably seen and been exposed to a lot of things behind closed doors, and I would bet he knows a lot of secrets that aren’t his to tell the world. I think some individuals are getting a little too upset just because he says a few mean things about people they hold in high esteem. It’s only opinion, he’s not forcing you to believe the same against your will, just take the interview as a piece of entertainment, at the end of the day that’s basically what QJ is. I agree and disagree with a few things he says, but it’s sill funny and refreshing to me.

Like most on here I could play a gig on almost anything now, and I am convinced over a few weeks I would be perfectly at home on almost anything. Saying that, the only nut width I struggle with is a Jazz width, as I have big fat fingers and I don't have enough space when I play down by the nut. As I said though, a couple of weeks and I am sure I would get used to it and adjust my technique. My comfort zone is Stingray (41mm?) and Precision size necks, I actually love the old 44mm nuts on the 50s reissues. My 5 string has a 51mm nut and that is fine to play, its flat and wide so easy to navigate and the strings feel a 'normal' distance apart like on a 4 string.

It was New Year’s Eve 1999/2000 for me probably. Local town put on a free outdoor event for the millennium and we played the night on a stage in the square. The police thought there were 4500+ people there and it looked like it from the raised stage. It was a pretty incredible sight and sadly I have not played to a crowd that big since. We played covers so it was easy to get people singing along, and as much as I loathe the song now, having 4500 people sing Angels with you is pretty mind blowing and I won’t forget that volume, power and sound of that many people singing.

As the title says, Guy Pratt is doing his show at the Marshall Rooms in Stroud on March 9th. I have had his book for years and I know he will probably be using the same stories, but it will be nice to see him do it in the flesh and hopefully get my book signed and say hello.

I am resurrecting the thread as I am hoping someone with knowledge of Moollon basses might be able to answer a question I have. I am not in the position to place an order just yet so I don't want to waste their time unless I have to. So the question is, does anyone know if they will make a Jazz with a Precision neck, or make a PJ Precision? I saw someone on the American forum mention that they had seen a PJ but there was no evidence and I haven't seen one anywhere. I just cannot get on with Jazz necks, but I want the two pickup option.

I saw a video on youtube where Annie (St Vincent) mentioned it I am sure. Something about being in the studio with Pino and he either played her guitar and he liked it and thought a bass would be good, or he tried a prototype and thought it was good......I cant remember and I am probably paraphrasing, but she mentioned bass and Pino and that's all that matters.

I thought the same thing, especially when Roger always says the setup is so key to the basses being what they are. Saying that, I think they have done well in keeping all electronics and hardware the same, substituting the pickups or offering “Sadowsky designed” parts would have been a poor move IMO. We all know that Japanese factories can do exceptional work and if I was looking for a change of bass and an active jazz, I would be heading to this before I looked at Fender equivalent.

I have a perfectly lovely mature Stingray with a subtle Birdseye neck, but the new classic rays and these new standards are really tempting me with their fancy colours and toasted necks 😬

As much as these do look nice and have some nice features etc, I had exactly the same thought. Whilst I was only interested in the 30-60W versions for home practice I thought even with them on the floor or on a tilt back stand at home, it would be a pain to access everything. I think Markbass and Ashdown have the right idea this year with their small offset, front mounted combos.