BassAgent

Seeing Bill's basses was the very first time I realised basses could have more than 5 strings and still be very playable ánd cool. Rest in peace, mr Conklin.

Basses: Netherlands (De Gier), USA (Fender), Mexico (Fender), Japan (Blade), China (Sadowsky MetroExpress, Dingwall, Sterling), Indonesia (Yamaha), UK (Status neck) Amps: Germany (Eich), China (Fender), USA (Fender) Pedals: NL/USA/China/Japan/Taiwan

I'd have them remake my 1966 Jazz: very slim neck, aged olympic white, tortoise pickguard, threaded saddle bridge, dot inlay, neck binding, lollipop tuners and put some Fralin pickups in there.

That looks amazing! Enjoy it

Yeah I bought it like that from the original owner who had the original refinished and I think there was something wrong with the original fretboard so he had an ebony fretless board made for it. Sounded quite spectacular.

When I was buying my first fretless bass (I think I was 11 or 12) it was between the RBX270F and the TRB5IIF (but in amber), and got the RBX (mostly because the TRB was too expensive at the time). Still have some slumbering GAS though, for that fretless TRB. I have owned two TRBs: I sold them both because they didn't fit my style and taste at the time but boy, are they awesome... I have the feeling the prices of TRBs are increasing after a long period of getting next to nothing for one: I sold the amber fretted 5II for about €500, but now I see people asking €800+ for one.

Another update: I decided I needed a proper preamp pedal so I got myself a Trickfish Minnow. Killer.

Possibly, but this pedal offers more options (ground lift, -20 dB), a different EQ etcetera.

I'm looking at a new preamp pedal when going on tour playing with in-ear monitoring only and came across the Nordstrand Starlifter pedal ] It's around £280, which is not cheap but also a lot cheaper than e.g. the Noble preamp. Does anyone own one or have experience with using one of these?

Because of you guys I'm developing some serious Fodera Emperor GAS.

No, not the Empire, the Emperor

That Emperor is absolutely gorgeous.

Actually, Yamaha serials are pretty organized but they repeat every 10 years.

Well, it's still a Yamaha TRB-P so it's always a good bass. Very well built, great sound and great feel. They rarely come up for sale (same goes for the non-P versions by the way) so that possibly means people are holding on to them and playing them extensively. If one comes up for sale, I don't really see a change in prices compared to 10 years ago.

It's strange indeed. Definitely not a Fender. The bridge is a BadAss which is fine, the pickups don't look like Fender pickups with their rounded edges. The neck says Squier to me, the tuners are a mystery to me. It might be a good bass (it looks like it could be quite decent) but parts basses are notoriously hard to sell. Wouldn't go for it, except if it's the exact bass you'd want for a price you can afford.

Thanks! I keep rediscovering that bass. It holds Lollar pickups and an Aguilar OBP-1 preamp and it's one of the best Jazzes I've ever played. Amazingly low setup, very comfortable neck, slim body...it has that active 70's sound which isn't always my thing but it's a great bass.

I stand corrected.

The MetroExpress has, AFAIK, always been made in China (as it was introduced by Warwick). The Japan basses were called Metro and more recently MetroLine (which are now being built in Germant). Different production, different bass.

Sold my Pearl compressor and added the Cali76. Very very siked.

I am honestly considering having that logo sanded off and adding a Sadowsky decal. The story of why the Sadowsky name isn't on the headstock as such (but as part of the RSD brand) is clear and easy, but still, yes, that logo is awful.

But still by his specs I presume. Yep, and the Sadowsky MetroExpress basses have Sadowsky brand pickups and tuners (although they look an awful lot like Hipshots), Sadowsky knobs, Sadowksy body design.

How much did Dan Lakin directly have to do with manufacturing Lakland Skyline guitars? Or Leo and George with G&L Tribute? Or Andy Mooney (Fender CEO) with Squier? The idea (in my view) is that the original designer licences his design to a factory and team of designers/luthiers to be able to make an affordable line of basses. Of course Roger Sadowsky doesn't wind the pickups himself. That's what the NYC basses are for.

So do my two MetroExpresses, and I know that Roger has very much been involved in the design of these basses.

That's also true. And apparently, it does.