basshead56

My first bass was a Yamaha RBX 174 My mum bought it for me when I was in high school. It was a lovely gloss black with PJ pickups and a rosewood neck. The action was horrendous, you could park a bus between the strings and fretboard and the G tuning machine head was loose from day one and rattled/buzzed. But it was good enough to learn on. I covered it in stickers that seemed cool at the time. When I passed my exams and got into uni, mum bought me my first Fender. It was an Olympic White standard series Jazz with a rosewood board. I can still remember going to get it from the shop she bought it from (was a two hour bus trip on a cold Saturday morning). Both of those basses were what got me started. I've had dozens come and go over the years but could never let them go. I had all of my gear shipped out from Ireland when I moved to New Zealand permanently. However, I decided to keep both of those basses at home, in my old room. Kinda like a safety net lol. Sadly we lost mum suddenly in 2021 and I couldn't get home cause of the NZ borders being shut and all this covid nonsense... which was incredibly difficult. But since then I've been incredibly lucky to have my son arrive. And at 18 months old, he's already obsessed with guitars 🤣 My wife, son and I are heading back to Ireland later this month. my first trip home in 5 years. I'm very excited for my son to meet his grandfather, uncle, aunt and cousins etc. But a little part of me (probably my inner greasy teenager) is also keen to run up the stairs to my old room, pull out those musty old cases from undernearh my bed and play those gorgeous old basses once again and remember the good old days. ❤️ There will no doubt be some pics at some stage

Now that I've got a decent pair again, decided to get em out... 2011 American Standard Jazz and my newly-acquired 2004 American Deluxe QMT Jazz Both remind me that no matter how much I am mostly a P or Ray guy these days, I do love a good Jazz. Still on the hunt for a nice passive model with a rosewood board. Maybe like an American Vintage or something...

I really need help! An opportunity to get my greasy mits on something I've wanted for 20+ yrs came up and I couldn't say no. Especially considering there aren't many of them around these days and certainly not in New Zealand. It cost me my beloved first run CIJ Jaguar and a bit of cash but once I saw that beautiful quilted amber maple top, honestly, it was worth it!!! It is an absolute SUPER Jazz, in every sense. it is pretty tidy all over, save for a couple of tiny nicks and the tones are simply astounding. It can pretty much do it all, with ease. Only issue is the pickup pan knob is a little scratchy so will give it all a once over later. But yeah, pretty darn happy!!! 2024 ain't bad so far

ok I'll take a punt and say teal counts as green. So that makes my green bass count 3. An EBMM SUB in Teal A Jackson Minion in Neon (just sold it) And my new Squier Rascal in Sherwood

5 or more Strings. Bass VI doesn't count Weird shaped, high end custom jobs with ugly curves and horrible wood finishes. Most Ibanez basses Headless basses that aren't Steinberger or Kubicki. Maple boards on Jazz basses (I do own one though 🤣🤣🤣) Chinese knock-offs. Stop bringing them in and letting dodgy people try and pass them off as real when on-selling and conning folk. (hasn't happened to me or anyone I know but you do read about it more these days) I think the Meteora looks hideous. Ok I feel lighter now. This is a great form of therapy 🤣🤣🤣

I picked up an Aria CB1000 about 18 months ago and it's been my go-to since then. Absolutely adore it. Sounds massive!!!!! Feels like a much, much more expensive instrument. Easily one of the nicest basses ive ever owned. Im on the lookout for a second one now as a backup. And a red Pro Ii CSB is still on the must-have list.

Been playing mine quite a bit for the last couple of weeks. So far i think it sounds best with my SVT-CL and VBA400 rigs. The extra headroom and heft from the tubes really make those pickups sing. Takes a bit to dial in some different tones but it absolutely nails the Thunderbird sound. I've ab'd with my Tbird Studio IV and can get it pretty much identical to that. Pretty darn happy with it so far. Sits really well on a strap too. Will take it round to the rehearsal room this week and try it out with the DG AO900 and 8x10 cab there and see how it handles OD/Fuzz. Still haven't sussed a case yet though. It's a massive body and wont fit anything bar one of my older G&G Fender cases.

It is an absolute monster. And that is reflected in the weight! Weapons-grade touring rig but definitely need roadies to move the thing! I have got flight cases for the whole rig aswell and it takes up half the garage! haha. But it is an Ampeg-killer too. Seriously grunty and ridiculous headroom. I adore the 4x12s too

Who doesn't love a tidy threesome...

I've still got my ebony Thunderbird Studio IV. Had a matching Studio V too at one point but not a 5 string player so . It definitely keeps the Tbird GAS at bay. Though I do find myself lusting after an Epi Vintage Pro in white. Fortunately, my new new Squier Rascal is the best Tbird ever!

This is the most recent group pic of all my P Basses. Though it's a few years old. From top: 77 in Lake Placid Blue sparkle 79 in Sunburst (just sold it last month) 78 in Siennaburst 78 in Olympic White 73 in Black 97 American Deluxe in trans crimson red 04 OBP51 refin in Trans Ash Blonde (just sold this a couple of weeks ago) 03 Mark Hoppus sig in Shell Pink 06 American Standard S1 in Sunburst sorry about the Jazzes photo bombing

This is Heidi, my 77 Precision. I bought her sight-unseen online from the other side of the planet before I moved to NZ for what was then going to be a one year working holiday. She was waiting for me when I got off the plane. 13 years later, she is still my absolute favourite. Professionally refinished by the original owner some time in the early 90's in Sparkling Lake Placid Blue (maybe a shade lighter than LPB) and the pickup was also swapped out for a SD SPB3. I'm told this had nothing to do with Mr 'arris... She is quite heavy but definitely not the heaviest 70's P I've ever owned or played.

Too many!!! Ampeg SVT CL w 8x10 SVT 4PRO w 6x10 PF80O w pf210 and 115 B100R Others Marshall VBA 400 and 2VBC 412s Recently just added a Darkglass AO900. I love it so far.

Well I finally got round to picking mine up from the shop... Straight out of the box, the finish and set up were superb. Action was pretty much exactly how I like it anyway, intonation was spot on and very little adjustment required. The Sherwood Green is stunning. Easily one of the nicest finishes I've ever seen on a bass. ever. not a mark or blemish anywhere. Lovely pickguqrd too. Frets are smooth, no sharp edges or anything untoward anywhere. However, it weighs a ton! let's get that bit out of the way! Easily on par with some of my 70's Precisions. Brought an empty SKB case to the store to bring it home but alas, its a wonky shaped beggar too. Will NOT fit in anything P/J/MM shaped as the body is quite a bit wider. Doesn't fit any of my Coffin Cases either. Only thing i have to fit it is an older G&G Fender case that my Jag currently occupies. So off to go case shopping in the next few weeks, though no rush as this will be my couch bass for a bit anyway lol. Got it back to the office in it's box. Very well packed too. Not long home with it but already been through the SVT, the VBA400 and the PF rigs. Wow, what a unique sounding bass. Puts me in mind of my Thunderbird Studio IV. Quite versatile, tone control seems to be nice and sensitive. The pickup selector switch as the faintest click noise but nothing I can't live with. And i suspect I may have to touch up the solder on the input jack as it has the finest crackle as the jack plug moves about with the cable. May swap out the switch for something higher quality later on and add some more shielding (I do that with lots of my instruments anyway) But yes, very impressed. Definitely a bargain. Don't think I'll be parting with this one for a while, if ever.

Hi All, Been keen on the DG stuff for a long time now and been hovering on what exactly to go for to meet my grindy, fuzzy needs. While I like the pedals (and ADORE my Darkray), I liked the idea of an amp that kinda does it all (and doesn't need two blokes to lift it), even more. I was tempted by the Tech21 VT500 amp for that very reason (still have a VT Bass Deluxe) but kept missing out on them when they came up for not silly money. The DG options just seemed to tick a couple of more boxes for me so when an AO900 came uo for sale I couldn't resist. Previous owner hadn't used it much and has a couple of other DG heads he preferred and it was a good price. So it arrived yesterday morning. Couldn't pump it through any of my big cabs at home and thrash it after work as we have a 1yr old, so took it round to our rehearsal room where I've got a Behringer 810 stashed, hooked it up and plugged the Aria CB1000 straight in. WOW!!!!! There's a lot going on here. A lot of tweaking can be done and it takes a bit of getting used too. Once I'd got the clean sounding the way I like it, I jumped into the Distortion channel and gave that a good run. Again, just wow!!! So many different tones on tap and they seem to give me exactly what I want. Lots more adjustability and that growl switch really adds some low end girrrrrth! Just waiting to give it a solid run with the band on Wednesday night and see how it cuts through. Will bring dUg with me too, just in case 😛

Frets are bang on, just have to re-do the side markers. but it plays lovely.

What is the red Precision between the Ashdown and the Ampeg? Also, that SVT AV is my dream amp!!!

A couple of updates in the last couple of years A 73 Precision (converted from fretless) An Aria CB1000 and an EBMM Darkray

Been absent for a little bit but have been playing a lot more. Added another SUB a couple of years ago I picked up super cheap and that was my main gigging bass for a good while. About two weeks ago I had the opportunity to grab one of the only 2 Darkrays in NZ. It has not disappointed!!

Mine arrived at my local music shop here in NZ about 2 weeks ago, just haven't got round to picking it up. Had a quick noodle on it last week while I was picking up another bass I had in for some work. I pre-ordered mine back in late June after they were leaked online. Got told the Fender distributor for NZ was bringing in 6 (3 green, 3 black) and that's all they could get their hands on as they were immediately available from the Fender site in the US with free shipping (and originally had the pink as a limited edition, US-only option) and were already on back-order. Apparently they dont ship direct from China, they all ship to US and then on to other regions from there. Was told originally it would be late November for arrival but turned up 7 weeks early. I wanted Sherwood Green anyway, so put my name on the first one of them that was due to come in. It looks amazing up close. Lovely finish. Although I must say, I do have a soft spot for the Shell Pink. Have a Mark Hoppus bass in that finish and it looks great. Hoping to pop in on Saturday and bring it home, then give it a good run through. Will post a vid if I get time.

Interesting thread. I'm about to add an AO900 to my metal/grind setup, as I need something small, lightweight and capable of clean but with some drive options too. Currently using an Aria CB1000 and (very, very recently) an EBMM DarkRay (though might not use it in this band), going to the mini board with both a Tech21 dUg pedal and an Ampeg SCR-DI on it, going to whatever backline is on offer (I rarely cart my SVT and 8x10 about and the PF rig is a little harder to dial in). I have an old Behringer 8x10 that i was given, so just keep that at the rehearsal room with an old Peavey MKVI head on top. The sound I go for is generally more clank than anything else, (one of the guitarists fills out all of the bottom end by himself lol) so the dUg goes great for the clank (mostly always on) and the SCR covers the cleaner side when required. I don't really rate the dUg running clean, controls are far too sensitive to dial in anything I like tone-wise and even when close, still not quite the Ampeg SVT tone i like. I figure the AO900 will just give me a bit more headroom and some extra fuzz OD/fuzz options if needed So I might take the Ampeg SCR off the mini board and move it over to the big noise board and replace the VT Bass Deluxe as the pre there. Then maybe add the 4 button intelligent fs for the AO to the mini board To me it seems between dUg and AO, there isn't much you cant get when it comes to heavy.

Yeah pretty much my thoughts.

Hi all, Looking at potentially dropping some of my tax refund on something new and shiny. Spotted this for sale up the road and looks interesting, but the more I look at it, the more I have my doubts. Modded to hell - far more than I'd be happy with ordinarily. I have a 97 version of the exact same model, all stock and it's my number one for gigs. I've asked about the original parts so waiting to see what the seller says. What are your thoughts on this - does it look a bit suspect? https://www.trademe.co.nz/music-instruments/instruments/guitar-bass/bass-guitars/listing-2158400245.htm

A Japanese-built Fender Jaguar Bass may be of interest Capable of covering all of the above (for the most part) and option of running active or passive and clear, warm tone which can be endlessly EQ'd on the bass itself. Granted it has more of a Jazz neck profile but still not paper thin.

I wouldn't be swapping an SVT 2 PRO for this sort of set up myself. To be fair, I probably would never swap an Ampeg SVT 2 or CL for anything. Even less inclined to consider it given the poweramp isn't working correctly. I'd move past this option and look elsewhere if 'twer me.