Grand Wazoo

I liked my Bongo, but it wasnt all that to be honest. Nice neck and very powerful neodymium pickups but frankly the Big Al was better, not as good as the 25th Anniversary, mind you, that was and still is their one off masterpiece, if truth be told. The Bongo, I actually found it to be limited because of that silly pickup blend thing which renders is a bit marmite, I don't know about the rest of the people here, but I prefer on off switches rather than a pickup pan, Sterling keeps telling people that the secret of that bass is in the pickup pan because of the unlimited possibility but in reality it's the opposite you blend, you pan to your heart content but you'll never really obtain a satisfactory result unless you have ultrasonic hearing and can really tell the difference, I couldn't so I've offloaded it, but then I happened to have found something so much better that in a heart beat made me sold it and the rest of the other Music Man basses I had, like it never even happened, and you know what Gareth? I've not regretted it one bit, and in shameful honesty I only bought it because of the brain wash that the EBMM forum does to people, I too fell into that trap! All those kiss ass children of the corn in there, blinded by an imaginary light that Sterling and his goons work so hard at shining on people, Sterling invested millions in the BMW design team that you can tell theinvestment that he had to shell out to BMW has yet to pay dividends hence the hard hear bending you get from him every time someone mentions the Bongo. But seriously it is a nice bass overall and all that, but... not one that may suits every taste, my advice to you is try it first, and don't forget your Big Al is 10 years of technology down the Bongo line and simply more advanced. So in conclusion if you want one simply because you too fell vitctim of the EBMM forum brainwash, or are just gassing for it then who am I to stop you, but if you fancy it because you might think it will put the Big Al to sleep, let me tell you, it won't. If I were you (and I know you only buy new so it's never going to happen) I would look for a good condition second hand 25th Anniversary, that would be the best bass they ever made and yeah now it's called the Reflex but with that name and the poor colour choice they offer it in, it's not the same thing anymore. Written in genuine honesty. Fran

Wow, as a self confessed member of [b]M.A.S.S.[/b] [i]"Modder Anonimous Secret Society"[/i], I have to take my hat to you Sir for your great work, but I have to ask did you do it all yourself or taken it to a workshop to have it done? Either way it looks pukka-delux!

this one? [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Levys-DM1-WH-2-5-Leather-Guitar-Strap-WHITE-New-/230642018695?pt=UK_Guitar_Accessories&hash=item35b355e987"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Levys-DM1-WH-2-5-Lea...=item35b355e987[/url]

I'd rather wait for Squier to do their own version...

I am sure you are all aware of Roqsolid, [url="http://www.amplifiercoversonline.com/zencart/index.php"]http://www.amplifiercoversonline.com/zencart/index.php[/url] they've just finished and sent me a cover for my Ashdown Drophead, looks pretty cool, I didn't need any side pockets because I could stash loads inside the cab itself, here is what it looks like: [size=4][u][i][b][url="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=CaptMoto&target=ALBUM&id=5625525556944347121&authkey=Gv1sRgCK7-uoSz3LmKvgE&feat=email&mode=SLIDESHOW"]Ashdown Drophead LB 30 Cover by Roqsolid[/url][/b][/i][/u][/size] It's available here: [url="http://www.amplifiercoversonline.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=107_2&products_id=2052"]http://www.amplifiercoversonline.com/zenca...roducts_id=2052[/url]

The op asked for a Jazz Bass standard wiring, not a P Bass, [size=3][u][b][url="http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=std_jazz_bass"]Click here[/url][/b][/u][/size]

No worries everyone, I've got the sustain perfectly explained in this here video clip from the Lego Spinal Tap rockumentary, [b][i]"This is Spinal Tap"[/i][/b]

[quote name='Davout' post='1291734' date='Jul 4 2011, 05:03 AM']I got one of these about three weeks ago for £UK 299, & it's just as good as everyone says. Let's put this instrument into perspective. It is made in China by Squier, & cost me £299 ! The equivalent US Fender Vintage Reissue would cost .... er £1,400 ?? Someone tell me. This is a perfectly servicable 50s P, Bass which looks great & plays well. It is definately in the 50s vibe & is quite light in weight too. Tony.[/quote] Well as you can see in conclusion I have done a lot of work to improve various aspects of this bass, in short, there is a new real bone nut in place of the plastic one and immediately you could tell the difference before/after. There's a set of reverse tuners as as I prefer them to the original Squiers, there's a Lindy Fralin pickup and all the inners & giblets have been replaced by CTS pots and high grade waxed cloth wires. It costed a bit to have it all done but the result is a bass that equals the quality and performance of much more expensive ones. Unfortunately I've finished that bass a week before my gf passed away and as you can imagine I had a lot on my mind so everything to do with music has been put on hold for the moment, until myself, our families, the kids in particular come to full terms with our loss.

Yes the body it's definately Pine, whereas the Lake Placid Blue, and the Jazz & Precision are all made out of basswood.

[quote name='mashup' post='1290948' date='Jul 3 2011, 12:53 PM']Thanks alot for your feedback Grand Wazoo - I really appreciate it. So if the 50's P is lighter than the Aerodyne & has a god sound to it, then it definitely sounds like a contender. What is the tonal variety like on the 50's P, Is it a versatile instrument? - I play contemporary stuff, no 50's music. & also, if i bought one, what would be the best aftermarket pickup that i could get for it? Thanks[/quote] funny question that... excuse me for smiling, but... with 1 pickup, 1 volume, 1 tone control, the only sound differences are between open/closed tone control and wherever you choose to pluck it, i.e. from the bridge to the neck it all comes out differently. Whoever buys these basses do it because they love just that, having no means of messing about with quadruple pickups settings, in / out phase, active / passive, series / parallel stuff that yes it is great in terms of variety of options but when you've got a go to bass that already has "that tone" perfectly dialed in, the rest of the sound spectrum nuances are all down to the player. I mean look at how Sting managed to make it sound on all of those Police records. There's loads of good pickups for these basses, Seymour Duncan do an Antiquity one which is wicked as do Lollar, Fralin, so far I've tried a SD Quarter Pound and presently have a Fralin split coil for hum cancelling which is so far hard to beat in my quest for the accurate period sound.

[quote name='mashup' post='1290908' date='Jul 3 2011, 12:12 PM']Are these really light then? I was eyeing this bass up a few months ago. It's certainly lovely looking. What's the tone like on this bass? It's pretty cheap! I used to own a Fender Aerodyne, do you think that this P bass would be lighter? I dont know what the weight of my G & L L2000 is but it's actually not that much heavier than my old Aerodyne, which is a little worrying![/quote] Yes I own both of them, and I gave you the weight from my own scale not from the manufacturers description. The Squier is indeed a lovely bass but it'll need an upgrade pickup because the original is a little bit on the weak side. (Yes it is lighther than the aerodyne, they are just slimmer in the edges but still hit the scale at 9+ lbs)

You need a P bass for Police sounds... and if you want a light one you could get yourself one of these they only weigh 8.12lbs [url="http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/bass_guitars_detail.asp?stock=11040414260931"]http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/bass_guitars...=11040414260931[/url] or one of these weighs 7.15lbs so light you don't even know you've got it on your strap! [url="http://www.thebassgallery.com/product_details.cfm?ID=1192&type=Bass"]http://www.thebassgallery.com/product_deta...2&type=Bass[/url] Guitar

The bolt on neck on my bass (pics below) has the neck extending way into the body up to the pickup and the joint at the back has virtually no heel, so much so that access to the upper frets it's just the width of the neck as you can see in the pics below (Dingwall ABII)

[quote name='Batfastard' post='1290506' date='Jul 2 2011, 09:13 PM']What is this bass? Its extremely nice.[/quote] That, I think it's a Status of some sort, right?

Very nice, I have also had a go on that one, it played really nice.

Bolt on doesn't mean cheaper. if you snap a neck on a fixed neck bass the repair cost will be twice as much. A decent bolt on joint will resonate as good or in some cases better than a dove tail glued in one. Oh and as for access to high frets today's manufacturers are building some recessed heel joints that make them as smooth as it if it was a glued set neck. See here for example, look ma', no heel!

Beware that a smaller spacing can make a 5'er near impossible to play comfortably, the biggest risk it's strings sliding off to the sides of the neck. I have 2 1986 PRS basses in my collection a 4 and a 5. the fiver was and still is a massive design faux-pas (read cockup) on PRS side, they really f'd up the spacing of it big time, and as I've mentioned I had to adjust my technique to stop the G string from sliding off the frets to the side. I had a new nut fitted with an even narrower spacing to attempt to stop this but the negative result was an even more narrow spacing and very dfifficult to play yet very expensive bass with their 10 grade top which is the highest quality maple cap they did. Believe it or not what PRS did here was to use the same pickups for both basses as in same width, same size neck pocket at the body, i.e. same width neck, also same bridge to which they squeezed an extra saddle and made the neck just slightly bigger from frets 1 to 12, but with the spacing at the bridge being a stupid 15mil makes it pretty much useless. We live and learn. See Pic below: the whale blue quilt maple top is the 5'er. It is now just a collector item for me, I keep it in storage and never actually play it.

[quote name='Musicman20' post='1288442' date='Jul 1 2011, 12:25 AM']Ive waited a long time for this! Pics later.[/quote] Pics later? This thread ain't worth the pixels is written on. Try harder

A real fake

Congratulations, nice instruments, do you have an indicative price list per each model?

Thank you both. What's reaper? Link? Cheers

[quote name='Musicman20' post='1283400' date='Jun 26 2011, 09:29 PM']Hmm, well so far it seems to be that most people slate the distressed look, but then others will spend thousands on a custom shop, such as the Pino, which is also distressed! I want another P bass basically. Not boutique, not silly money (eg over £1200), and has to be a Fender. Why? Because Ive tried so many high end Ps, but the Fender just works.... Im quite tempted to try and pick up one of these....ill have a scout around.[/quote] Gareth I'm holding a P-Bass that started its life as a Fiesta Red CV Squier and was modded by me with a Mighty Mite maple neck and lots of other parts including a Lollar pickup, this bass has turned into such a revelation in terms of how it plays and feels that I have shown it to a few vintage P affectionados (including a Vintage shop in Denmark Street) that couldn't believe what they were touching and playing. And you know someone's offered me a silly sum for it? Sometimes the simplest things turn into real marvels, you seem like the kind of chap who would rather buy "labels" and "brand new" only and so far your track record buyng new MusicMan hasn't been exactly succesful has it? As far as I remember you've returned 2 in the space of a year, after months of waiting! You should be more adventurous and try to make something yourself, certainly cheaper and often more rewarding. If you want to try this P bass, I can lend it to you if you want. BUT I WANT IT BACK

I just want to record some basic lines over pre-recorded tracks, I've looked on the net and found Audacity free version. Does anyone know if it's any good? Can I record both a backing track from my PC drive and a bass line from a microphone pointed at the speaker and then connected to the stereo input on the back of my pc or do you know of something better that I can download from the net for that purpose? This is Audacity [url="http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/beta_windows"]http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/beta_windows[/url] Thanks

I like threads like these... they kind of leave it more open to the imagination. I infact prefer them to those that ask... "I've found this bass and I wonder what do you think, whether it'll suit me or not?"Excuse me who is buying the bass you or us? If you like it, get it! If not move on to the next.... Amen

Definately seafoam green which has a tendency of morphing from green to a pale blue