3below

I missed a 100W secondhand from Holland @ 500 Euros because I dithered. They really look the business and would last a lifetime.

Used Barefaced Big One - cheaper than the components it contained. Finally a bass cab that does the business for tone and volume. After that my G&L SB1, saved me a lot of money as it removed GAS for 20 years or so, until the object of my youth's desire appeared (bass, not other woman). Uber best bit of kit - a dishwasher, essential for any relationship

Fully agree with comments about getting a Physio. From 20 years young I have had on and off slight slipped upper discs. Too much desk bound work was the main culprit. Every time visit Physio - sorted in 20 mins, pain free and moving better than ever. Sadly she died young, so now its paid for not free.

Used to get mine in Nissan Micra with seats folded down..

Tried and tested. Seem to do the business on countless recordings & live performances. Simple controls. Easy to fix and maintain. Solid and robust. Neck can be replaced when worn out/broken/faulty - part of the original design criteria. Headstock does not snap off when dropped (in my experience). USA basses will not lose value in the long term. Anything more needed? the only excess is having a volume and tone control, I have always run them at full on. If the price is too rich look at the countless copies, some are crap/very good/exceed the original for less.

Very, very nice.

Maple necks - love them, Rosewood necks - love them. Good basses sound good, bad basses sound XXTTY. Both have a different feel, the tone controls on the amp have a significant effect, the speaker cab even more. For some reason I sound like 'me' whatever neck / bass / guitar I use. I no longer worry about it, my current bit of fun is getting good tone out of real cheap kit - £30 peavey milestone III bass, weak pickups but nice otherwise. It's only the cost of a few drinks

[quote name='mashup' post='1232468' date='May 15 2011, 09:31 PM']True. This is always another option.....Maybe im just getting a case of GAS right now. Im trawling the internet looking at Basses when i should just probably be playing! Just out of curiosity, is your G & L light in weight? I need a 2nd/backup bass regardless. Can the G & L L2000 really do it all? Should i just be looking at getting another, maybe a tribute? Or is there an inexpensive something out there that can fulfill additional tonal requirements?[/quote] I have never weighed it... but I am 5'3" and it has never bothered me. I feel it is 'heavyish' - think it is a maple body but not sure. My Kramer is noticeably 'heavy' but the string clarity is something else. Before you get the wallet out, try someone else's bass with different strings - the biggest tone changer for me is roundwound, but I prefer flats. If string type is significant them Yamaha and Ibanez P/J types are real bargains at the moment. This [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=134083&hl=ibanez"]Ibanez[/url] was £230 - gorgeous IMO - I have/had no connection with it. I bought a Hiscox case for £70 recently - with a Peavey Milestone Jazz type bass included. There are some real deals around at present. I will get the scales out and investigate.

Might be difficult to find tones outside / beyond your G&L. I have had my 85 SB1 for over 20 years, for a one pickup PB style bass it is incredibly versatile. . I did not feel the need for a backup / second bass until GAS attack for the Kramer - had always wanted one when younger. Why not get another G&L (apart from cost) and try the 'opposite' strings flats / rounds. Reliability from my G&L - 100%, had it setup and then nothing, it just works and stays in tune. I would buy another early SB1 for roundwounds - if wife would not divorce me (and I could find one at sane money).

[quote name='Clarky' post='1231328' date='May 14 2011, 08:05 PM']So I only have to wait 31 years for them to soften up and become matte - thats alright then![/quote] But think of the savings... whilst the 71 P bass will become even more vintage I wonder if they have any lubricant / residue on them from the manufacturing process, both sets of TI flats I have put on had a slick 'plasticky' feel to them. The newest set has lost it after about 6 months. You could try wiping them with meths, fairly mild solvent, try a small section away from playing area, could try washing up liquid / Cif/Jif, small amount, with damp paper towel, slightly abrasive in latter case. I do recall them being 'slippy' when new as were those on someone else's bass I tried.

They do change, mine have become matte and rather good on my acoustic bass. However it is early days since they have only been on the bass from about 1980. They will also save you a fortune - they are still nice and elastic / springy / responsive. Do not seem to have become lifeless like some roundwounds do.

Just hope some poor unknowing unfortunate does not click the expensive mistake - sorry, buy it now button. I remember these from youth, the memory is not a good one.

[quote name='ShergoldSnickers' post='1224094' date='May 8 2011, 01:26 PM']The Big one had a voracious capacity to absorb watts[/quote] Mine certainly likes feeding plenty of Watts, 500 @ 8 Ohms is adequate, more would be nice. Great tone, best speaker I have ever owned. If you are into DIY have a look at fEARful designs.

[quote name='Johnston' post='1223523' date='May 7 2011, 06:34 PM']You can just about see two of the cracks on the back of the head stock in the ebay. Some nice photography to keep them from showing up. Knew exactly what he was at. Don't need shits like that selling stuff.[/quote] Agree, really good photography, they are barely noticeable and might be mistaken for the stress cracks that some finishes get from screws / machine heads - the sort that are nothing to worry about. Pity there were no images of the back of the neck, was there something amiss? He may have bought it from someone else, but no need to 'stiff' others, there are ways to get legal redress. If it was from new he needs to get it back to Overwater, it may be a one off, are there more like this?

Try, try and try as they all seem different. My 77 bought new was excellent once set up correctly. Look beyond having Fender on the headstock. My longest keeper of 20+ years has been a G&L SB1, a precision on steroids? (with made by Leo on the headstock). However the Kramer DMZ4001 I acquired recently - another 'precision' -is better still. This [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=134083"]Ibanez[/url] would also be the business and is a 'vintage' bass at a super price. Leaves plenty of change to try alternate pickups if it is not quite to taste. I have no connection with it, I would buy it, but I would also get a divorce for the price. Recently bought a Yamaha BB for not much from here, yet another good 'precision' type bass.

Happy (I got away), Sad (It could have been good), Relieved(no more crises / egos to fix), Strong (I work in the same place and line manage several of them - broken the cardinal rule - never mix pleasure and business), P***d off (Good friendships forged over several years seemed to have broken down) - however all now sorted and playing again. At the same time guitar player and self got binned from another band - no reasons, no pack drill etc. At a loss on that one as we played well, were really professional, did the business (we were on fire), have no idea at all. C'est la vie. so how did I feel, confused, but move on. One day, One day....

Well up for it - but it's a long way from Mid Wales to Glasgow or thereabouts. Good luck with finding a new bass player.

Had a 1970s Kay bass. Unique non resonating anti dead spot neck construction (plywood) with lightweight comfort body (very thin plywood - I used to look in wonder at the thickness of real guitars like telecasters). Special custom bridge with individual string width adjustment ( screw thread with slotted wheels), super high output full frequency range pickups (lots of handling noise, micro-phonic and feedback at a the slightest provocation). Special low insertion loss tone and volume controls (they did B**** all). Super fast scale length (was it even 30"? string tension was not an issue, there was none). On the plus side, it was well finished with a reasonable sunburst, and very hard paint. The plywood neck was actually quite nice to look a (I could imagine this as a boutique multi laminate feature) and was pretty stable. £25 (I think) at woolworths in Hereford circa 1974. A columbus jazz type came next (better, but not much better) then the Gibbo EB2 - a real bass. Downhill from then on. 1970s Kay basses - if someone gave me one I might think about forking out for new strings, then again I do like to use my money wisely

Why do you suspect the transformer? seems unlikely to be the transformer in my experience. What sort of noise, hiss or 50Hz mains hum? How good is your mains electricity - a few of my amps are noisy at home, work fine elsewhere, even though the house wiring is tested all OK. Can you borrow same amp and try at home to compare? Final shot would be take it to a good technician - as with everything in life several causes and several fixes.

Looked for old photos of my black JB EB3 but unable to find any. For those who have mentioned interest in one - try before buying, I remember with mine the neck dived considerably, probably the worst neck diver I have encountered. It was also relatively heavy compared toan EB3 due to all maple construction. Then again the headstock won't snap off in a hurry.

[quote]Bassists are too stupid to play anything with more than four strings.[/quote] Four, nobody told me there were four, do I have to use that little thin one that sounds puny. My day has been ruined, four, I ask you, surely three are enough!

The luck / stupidity of being older - gear from 1974 or thereabouts age 14 onwards Vox AC50 - £30 - unreliable at the time 1958 Gibson EB2 - £80 - muddy but well made, would probably be nice with modern amp / cab - the frets were very soft and wore rapidly Marshall 100W supalead - £can't remember I was at school at the time - the old one with bulgin plug, eyelet board Hiwatt DR103 1977 ish £swapped for the Marshall - good with bass, though the Hiwatt 200 was just too tempting Hiwatt 200 £swapped for the DR103 - orange tolex - yuck, loud, very heavy, moved on for a Peavey the era when valve amps were bread & butter & cheap. 77 Fender Precision - bought new, written off in moving house - don't ask John Birch EB3 type bass - £can't remember 78/79 Rickenbacker - traded JB + some cash leading to current stable - 85 G&L SB1 which I have had since 1991/2 ish and I really rate it, however recently my late 70s wish has come true - Kramer DMZ4001. Still it was fun at the time,

Can't let you see it because I moved it years ago - EB3 style bass - black, maple through neck, Grover/Schaller small tuners, hyperflux pickups, stainless 3? 2? point bridge, I think it had a full size plastic belt rash plate on back. Really well made. Took it back to JB himself in Bromsgrove circa 1980/81 and had it refurbished at a very good price. Only downside - short scale. Wonder where it is now. another one I wish I had kept.