EdwardMarlowe

Spotify and the others' remuneration policy is s big part of the problem. When I buy a cd, even from Amazon, say, the artist gets for that one-time purchase the equivalent of tens of thousands of listens.... Also, Spotify has tsught kids music is of no value. They don't even pay ten bucks a month for it: the money is to get rid of the annoyance of ads. It's not an equivalent of the radio. I used to use radio to discover new stuff then buy. Kids use spotify to avoid the need to buy. With fewer and fewer live venues available, how else are artists to make a living? And no, it's not a quality thing. Getting digned and being a success in the music biz is far more luck than anything else.

I'm not offended by it, though why anyone with that to spend on a guitar would buy this oroduction model rather than a custom order from Fender'CS or any other, high end luthier is beyond me.

The damn Beatles sure didn't help. I'll take one Brand New Cadillac over their entire oeuvre, thanks. And Macca 'love the queen, me, thumbs aloft, whacky' can fack right off. He's almost as bad as Cliff (though he lacks that hilarious bitterness Cliff has at not being playlisted for children between 13 and 25). There 's always great music around, you just have to know where to look and make the effort. The only thing sadder than an old fart like me (over forty - the age at which, as Gregg Davies memorably noted, " you walk past a night club, and nobody offers you a flyer") whining about 'no good music since the seventies, blah blah' is when you see fifteen year old kids saying it and worshipping zeppelin and such. Rock, in its broadest sense, has disappeared from the mainstream in the UK thanks to a few things. One, small island (and Brexit will make Europe less easily accessible too), so fewer places to play. Two, legislation in the Blair era made it more expensive to have a full band in, so most venues opted for synth duos and DJs ( I believe the post 2010 shower changed the rules for smaller, sub 400 venues, but too late). And three, Spotify has taught the kids music is not to be valued enough to pay for it. Great stuff is still out there though, all you have to do is find it.

I found a lot of online discussions about using hifi speakers for guitar, but.... Not the other way around? I have a Pioneer sx890 hifi stereo tuner amp which puts out 2 x 60watts in stereo at 8ohms. I also have a Vox ad212vt http://www.voxshowroom.com/uk/amp/ad212.html which can take 8ohms in stereo, rms 80watts each channel. Can I, therefore, use this 2x12" cab with pretty good speakers in place of generic hifispeakers?

Fender's Japan operation has historically been far better than anything much sub custom shop at doing lefties (20% of Japanese folks - much higher than the global average of around 10% - are left handed, so it's a bigger market), but yeah, they're a fecker to actually find in Europe. Pity; I have a 2006 CIJ 71RI Tele and it's every bit the equal of the US guitars (only difference, really, is that t's poly rather than nitro, which is my preference anyhow). The necks on these look narrower than an old-school P-bass to my eye; are they doing that thing of putting J necks on a P body (a bit like the old Squier P Bass Special)? Good for me, if they are!

The Pau Ferro reminds me of the rosewood Fender were using on their American Standard guitars in the early 90s, when I bought my Strat. The maple on the necks then was incredibly pale too - though over the years it has darkened to a nicer hue (I actually ended up preferring rosewood in those days because the maple looked so anaemic!) I'm very excited by the PLayer series; got my eye on both the Strat and the P bass in Tidepool/maple. I always loved LPB; in the photo in the OP the Tidepool doesn't look as far away from that as I'd feared. The basses look perfect for my requirements. I currently have a Brandoni P (rosewood, burst) and a Squier P Bass Special; the latter will be sold in part to fund the Fender.

Back when we were all first learning, a friend had a Thunder I, which was a really nice, passive bass. Ten years ago or so, I fell in with a Westone Thunder IA guitar. Not the right style for me (I'm definitely an old-school guy; few post 1960 guitar styles really appeal to me), but damned if it wasn't the only 2xHB guitar I've ever owned that (with the active engaged) sounded like I really wanted it to, not muddy like so many Les Pauls in my hands... Also have a very early (MKI logo) WEstone Thunder IA bass. Planning to sell both at some point, just don't want to be the guy who flogged them for buttons the week before they were worth a grand each..... (which could happen. Look at what Jack White did for Airline!) Both in the natural finish, which as I recall was always considered the one to have.

I got the "oh, you should learn right handed, you'll have an advantage, blah blah dominant hand" crap early on too - luckily, I could see it was bollocks so it didn't put me off. The one that really made me angry recently was a video on ebay with a moron from the US who claims to prove "there's no such thing as a left handed guitar" by doing a series of mundane things with his left hand (writing, scissors, and such), then playing a right handed guitar. I was tempted to do a reply video showing me using scissors. Well, I'm very left handed and do everything else with my left hand, but scissors I can only use in my right hand. THus proving - by his logic - that there's no such thing as left handed scissors. The prick. My paternal grandfather was left handed, but wrote equally well with both hands. Habitually he reached for a pen with his right hand first, because they beat that into him in school in the 20s -even though he did everything else left handed, that became habit. I was lucky - I had a backward pre-school teacher who cracked me over the knuckles for lifting a pen with my left, but it never beat me. That and an idiot craft teacher when I was fifteen who invited the class to laugh at the awkward stance I took to use the tools that were provided and set out exclusively for right handers - that would have been late eighties. I got off lightly, really, but I'm very militant about left handedness, to the point where I feel a bit sold out by lefties who choose to play righty.

My first guitar was a left handed Kay Acoustic. Dreadnought shape, with those batwing / flowery, hippy scratchplates like a Gibson on it. Long gone now - was given to a charity shop in the end. My first electric guitar was a Marlin, pre-Hohner, which I *think* was called a Loner - HSS, Fender-type trem, Jackson style pointy headstock. Like a Jackson Soloist. It's still at my parents' house - trying to figure out if it's got any collectible value (some of those early Marlins seem surprisingly sought after). Right handed. My first bass was a lefty Squier P-Bass Special, the year they were launched. 2001, iirc. Probably going to part it out on eBay (sadly, they don't fetch much whole) next year so I can justify buying one of the Fender Player P basses in Tidepool. Current bass, which I'm for keeping, is a mint Brandoni P-Bass which, under the plate, is basically a 62 spec Fender. Picked it up on eBay for a song, lovely instrument. Always played lefty, only ever owned one righty-conversion (the Marlin). One day I'll buy a rh CIJ Fender 68 Strat and make Jimi turn in his grave....

Always been really impressed by the Mexi P Basses, both Standard and the Classics. On balance, I do prefer the Classic 50s model. Alas , Fender in their wisdom don't see fit to offer a single P Bass in their Mexi range in left handed configuration, and I don't want a Jazz, so they've lost at least two sales to a competitor.

Cool, thanks. I'm hoping that they can put me together a nice, 57ish P Bass.... I could mail order a CIJ, but they start to work out pretty pricey these days, and I'd rather not hav to post a bass back if there were issues...

Does anyone own a Brandoni bass? Ever bought from them? I'm seriously looking at one of their P basses as my next instrument purchase, given that I can have a maple P bass from them much more affordably than any other option, plus I can get to their shop and check it over before I take it home, which is the big drawback with CIJ fender stuff nowadays. Before anyone weighs in with MIM Fender this or that.... bear in mind there are a couple of major dealbreakers for me: 1] It has to be maple board 2] Has to be a traditional P Bass style - not interested in active pups, extra pups, etc 3] It has to be available left handed Number 3 is usually the killer.

[quote name='yorick' post='613763' date='Oct 1 2009, 12:46 PM']How about one of the Squier precision specials. It has a jazz pick up at the bridge, so less routing. Cheap as chips to pick up as well.[/quote] This is the route I would go. with a little care, you can find an outstanding neck and body on one of these, allowing you to spend more of your money on the upgrades etc. Also, IMO, your upgrade cash will go further as there will be a bigger and more appreciable benefit over the stock components... FWIW, I have one of the Squier P Bass Specials myself - as a lefty, this was the only bass in the Squier range when I bought. Still the only P Bass Fender do left handed, shy of the US Std P Bass. I really like mine - the P pup in particular gives a fab sound. I'm keeping an eye out for a lefty P Bass body and a maple boarded neck, though, as I want to use this as a donor guitar to build myself a more traditional style P-type. I'll be using as much as possible of the original hardware - really I'll just be jettisoning the neck and the body - though I may fit an upgraded bridge. TBH, though, if only it came with a maple board, I'd quite possible be keeping it whole, but if I'm gonig the length of repalcing th neck, I might as well go the whole hog and go for the traditional P single pup layout I prefer.... when new to the bass from guitar, I found the slimmer, J-type neck much easier to get along with than many other basses I've tried. Though I now want something more "57" in style, objectively speaking, the P Bass Special as stock is a great set up. I've seen quite a few pro acts using them all stock - great platform for mods. As would be any of the Squiers, really. I do thik the MIMs are a step up (if only I could buy a lefty of that P Bass, I would have already), but if you're gonig to upgrade components to the degree you're talking about and refinish, it's debateable IMO whether you would really benefit from the MIM over the Squier.

Compared to buying from equivalent alternatives, the Fender CS products don't seem to be overpriced to me. There is a whole other debate to be had as to whether the CS basses and equivalent non-Fender alternatives are overpriced [i]as compared to basses in general[/i] at the next price band don - the old law of diminishing returns rears its head again. That's a different thing, to my mind. One ting fender does offer over the competition [i]is[/i] the brand. Personally, I don't care much for some of the opinions I've read elsewhere online to the effect that "Fender has a traidtion of rock and roll unlike these Asian guitars built by people who aren't even musicians" blah blah blah... [i]As an instrument[/i], to me it doesn't matter, Fender or no, if all else is good. That said, I'm realistic enough about money that I would find it hard to ever rule out selling any particular instrument, so resale potential is always going to be part of the package for me. The reality is that it will always be easier, IMO, to sell on a Fender CS for more of your original outlay than it will any other brands, especially smaller-scale luthieras, no matter how good the instrument. FWIW, I also have a bit of a hunch that just perhaps you get more [i]bass[/i] for your money paying £2K for a Fender-type than for something at the same price where more of the budget has gone on primarily cosmetic elements such as fancy woodfigured tops, fancy inlays, and so on. All talk of price aside, I find the CS Fenders really impressive, beautiful instruments, and yes, I believe a step up from the production line equivalent. money no object, I'd jump at the chance of owning one. In the interests of full disclosure, though, I should also add that I am a lefty, so part of my consideration in whether the extra price was worth it would inevitably be the value I would see in having choices that may otherwise not be open to me, such as a maple board, full choice of colours, etc.....

[quote name='leftybassman392' post='607024' date='Sep 23 2009, 07:46 PM']Could help noticing they were a bit coy about lefties, despite being asked several times...[/quote] Are they another one of these companies that seem to have the attitude of 'we don't do lefties because lefties don't buy our stuff', as so many? I could be tempted by a lefty that looked like the maple / seafoam option, BUT it would have to be available in an all=passive option...... and ideal be routed so as it could accomodate a P Bass pup.

Never a style I could appreciate aesthetically, nor could I really get past the naffness of the ark King association, but.... to someone who likes Mark King (and I'm not stupid enough to think he isn't a very talented musician, his stuff just is not to my taste) and whose instrumental preferences veer towards this style of exotica, it'd bevery attractive I'm sure. I certainly was always impressed with their QC. The price is way more than I'd ever be prepared to pay for a bass, but then compared to similar consumer exotica - say, a Rolex watch - it's not that shocking that it will sell.

Maybe the buyer got caught up in a bidding war Never ceases to amaze me how many folks fixate on something and consider it theirs before auction end, to the point of losing all sense of proportion.... Or maybe it was someone who couldn't wait, maybe to them the relatively small saving was worth it.... or maybe they thought it more of a bargain than that as they had only compared the RRP, not realising how much lower street price typically is?

The current Tokai model is a bolton neck, as posted above, and is made in Korea. I find that the better Epiphones are much of a muchness in terms of quality with the Tokais, albeit that they Tokais are in my experience somewhat more consistent. Where Tokai win out in a very big was is in the range of finishes - Epi do, I think, two or three; Tokai do all their models in all the colours, and you can order one from them in any one of the colours on their full list, for no extra charge. They also do everything lefty, wehich Epi certainly don't do, which is a big win for me but I doubt affects you on the basis that you're already considering the Epi.

Those Vintages are really good for the money - alas, no maple boards, so no dice with me.

I'm excited they made the VM J Bass as a lefty - don't actually want one, but living in hope that this makes it more likely they'll do a lefty of the CV 50s P bass...

Yes, if you can, try both - they're really quite different animals, not least in terms of overall cosmetic vibe. I don't think either is an option for me, as a lefty, so I may not be so hot on the details, but I think I'm right in saying that if you're particularly keen on a maple or a rosewood board, that'll make the choice for you.... I could be wrong thoug,h I might be thinking of only the lefty models of the HW1 (which are only available rosewood; Fender don't do a lefty at all in the classic 50s, which is why I don't own either).

[quote name='BigRedX' post='600258' date='Sep 16 2009, 02:41 PM']I flew business class on the second occasion, and it was well worth it, I took the guitar into the cabin with me as hand luggage and it went it the suit locker. Plus there was the service and far more comfortable seating/sleeping. Personally I wouldn't fly to Japan with any of the really low budget airlines as the lack of comfort is a serious problem on a long-haul flight like that before you get into any issues with bringing a musical instrument back with you. Next time I go (hopefully next year), if I buy anything out there I'll probably arrange to have it shipped back to the UK rather than mess about with trying to get it on the plane with me, plus I may be buying several instruments if I find what I'm after.[/quote] usiness class is certainly a lot more pleasant than steerage.... when I go to Beijing on University business, I fly business, but if it were on my own money, the extra grand just isn't worth it.... then I'm relatively lucky in that I can sleep anywhere, like a cat, so much as I enjoy the improved seating in business, it just isn't worth to me what it might be to some. An extra coupel of hundred quid, sure, but I could never justify a grand, alas. Would that money were more plentiful! I haven't ruled out the option of buying stuff out that way and having it shipped, though - could be a good option if I make it to Tokyo. Be interested to hear about your experience on that front if you do it.

[quote name='Stan_da_man' post='600317' date='Sep 16 2009, 03:16 PM']I think to play a "boutique/custom" bass you need to have earnt the right first. And by that I mean got to a good level of playing. I think I have got to a good level of playing but I still would be able to do what I do on a cheaper bass.[/quote] Really, is that notion still out there? To be honest, in my experience - though I stress I don't know you and so don't know whether you fall into this category or not - most of the folks I've ever encountered who really felt you had to [i]earn[/i] a better bass were more often than not simply bitter that there were folks out there who could afford better stuff than them, and who [i]in their opinion[/i] were inferior musicians who didn't "deserve" better. It's the same argument I see all the time with guitar players and signature models - "X is crap and doesn't deserve to have a signature model, [i]I'm[/i] a much better player than they ever will be" blah blah blah..... I'm not a one for spending huge amounts of money on an instrument unless I feel it has something worth the extra cash to me (this will not include brand name, marketing crap about "heritage" and "tradition" etc). If I can afford it and its what I want, I don't much care whether my pitiful abilities can't justify it in the eyes of other players. Course, there's another part of me that would be highly amused to buy an expensive boutique bass purely for playing Dee Dee Ramones lines on specifically because it would piss off the sort of people who like to debate whether I would "deserve" the instrument or not.

I don't feel informed enough to vote..... I've never weighed a bass - or a guitar, for that matter. Part of the process of checking out a new instrument for me is whether it [i]feels[/i] too heavy, and whether it balances well or not when played sitting and standing. It's purely a feel thing, though - I don't think it could ever be reduced to a spec'ed weight in figures.

Thanks