hooky_lowdown

Think it'll match my nans curtains. 🤣

They're about the same, having owned both. The V4 reissued has better hardware, and you can pick up a used V4 far cheaper then the Squier.

You're right, I was thinking of Eastcoast 🙈

As far as I know Eastwood are a different name for the Stagg brand.

Yeah, gotoh style ones are what I'm looking for. 😀

Does anyone have or know where I can purchase a single Y head machine head, like in the image below, as I foolishly broke one?

I put Ernie Ball (group 3) flats on a P which always had rounds on. Had to do virtually no adjust, tension etc was almost identical to the rounds which was on previously.

I'm glad I've meet your criteria. Just had a look on the sire USA site, couldn't find the quote you mention, got a link? I was simply having a confab, if you see it as bunfighting, that's your domain, explains a lot may I say. As does your signoff.

The best way to scratch that itch is to buy a kit bass, or assemble all the parts and build a bass yourself from scratch. I've done this, and for me, it showed me its better to buy a decent bass second hand, then buy a bass and mod it. I've modded dozens of basses and my main bass is a stock Yamaha.

Please provide any marketing examples where the MM is promoted as a bass for beginners? And yes, I've played and owned a couple MM basses, which is why I think they are very good second or third basses, just not first. You clearly seem to not grasp the my point of suitability, you also seem hung up on the beginner being confused. Let it go mate. 😎

What @miles'tone says. People have this strange mindset that they have to change stuff, without even trying it. I went through this phase myself, but most of the time the benefit was minimal. Something I have found is that some upgrades with pickups, bridges and even strings work, sometimes they don't. There's been many a time I changed pickups, only to change them back to the original, as they sounded better against the so say upgrade!

Not loud, the lipstick pups are only 3.5k output. Not enough to drive an amp.

Clearly you are confused as you just contradicted yourself. Why have a passive/active bass and only use it in passive, when an amp can control extra bass, treble and mids. 😆😆

You have to put things in context... For a beginner a jazz has a variety of sounds, being passive it's a simple plug and play, which is what is most suitable for a beginner. The Sire has too many bells and whistles for a beginner. It's like giving a Porsche to a learner driver. A great car, but not suitable for a beginner!

The OP will sadly have to wade through a host of bad advice on this forum. I'd love to see a straw poll of how many jazz, funk, salsa players play a hofner or play a jazz! What next, might you suggest a Danelectro for metal?!? 😆

The Hofner is a one trick pony, does one type of sound (admittedly very well), but for funk - absolutely NOT! For the sounds the OP wants, a jazz will give much great variety of sounds.

I've tried most brands of flatwounds, nickel rounds, half rounds etc. Never tried pure nickel, and they definitely sound like a nicely broken in nickel roundwound right from the get go. Very balanced across all the strings as well.

The Sire is a very good bass, but terrible suggestion for a very first bass. Too many knobs and switches for active and passive for an absolute beginner. The Sire is a very good second or even third bass. A first bass needs to be simple, plug in and play, unless you have some kind of musical background or knowledge.

Have you tried Fender pure nickel strings? I tried them recently and was blown away, much better than half rounds, similar highish tension, soft on the fingers, very warm sounding, lots of low end and highs there if you dig in, as well as growl. 👍

None of your suggestions are right for the music you want to play. You require a jazz bass with nickel roundwound strings. For a first bass a Squier vintage modified jazz would be ideal. Even a Harley Benton jb-75 will give you the sound you want in conjunction with the nickel roundwound strings (Ernie Ball or D'Addario). 😃

https://www.wdmusic.co.uk/pickguards-c62/musicman-c198/musicman-bass-c424

I'd be more concerned with the crack in the wood down the middle of the body! 🤔