gjones

My family home was a music free zone. My parents had very little interest in music (although my dad was a good singer - he was Welsh). So I got zero encouragement to play music. Maybe my teenage self would have rebelled against playing in a rock band, if my parents had actually approved of me doing it.

I suggest it's because Fender basses, from the 70's onwards, don't really show any wear. The 60s basses were coated in nitro and wore easily but the newer basses were coated in much harder wearing poly finish. Brands that started being manufactured in later decades have no history of looking roadworn. My 80's bass looks brand new (other than a couple of dents).

They were on a P bass I bought from Basschat and I really liked the feel and sound of them. I have now got a set on one of my Jazzes. They sound great......and are so smooooooth,

I have one of the original, Fiesta Red, Road Worn Jazzes. I tried the Flea Jazz and actually preferred the feel and sound of it, to my Road Worn. I wasn't too keen on the relic job on the body though, it seemed a bit fake. I did like the wear on the neck though. My Road Worn doesn't have any wear on the neck.

I like his playing.

I have Lindy Fralins in one of my Jazz basses, which are pretty expensive, Wilkinsons in another, which are at the cheap end of the scale, and a Squier Jazz with the Seymour designed pickups. They all sound great. The DiMarzio DP123 Model J set I tried were good but a bit too dark sounding for me. The only pickups I didn't like, were some old fender MIM ones that I picked up for a tenner on Ebay. They were pretty dull and characterless. My point is, that you don't need to spend stupid money on pickups to get a good sound.

In the Pirate Studios in Edinburgh, they have an Ashdown RM 500, going through a newish Ashdown 4x10. The setup had a really impressive thump at volume, when the band was playing loud. After a few rehearsals, I was very impressed and brought in my old UK built, Ashdown Evo III, for a comparison. There wasn't much difference in the sound and If anything, the Ashdown RM 500 was the better sounding amp.

If the above pictures are of your bass, then the bridge alignment looks fine. If it was seriously misaligned the G string would be much closer to the edge of the fingerboard. I used to own an Indonesian standard Squier Jazz, which I believe was built around 2000. The bridge was seriously out of place. It only cost me £95 secondhand and although the G string was almost hanging off the neck, it still played well and sounded great.

John East is a great guy. I bought j retro from him, that didn't have an earth wire. He apologised profusely and sorted it out in no time.

If Jamerson is an inspiration to you, I recommend you listen to Cameron Dawson's work with Mamas Gun. Their new album, Golden Days, is inspired by that Motown Marvin Gaye vibe and the bass playing is sublime. I've been playing the album constantly, on repeat, since I bought it. This the single from the album. This is London Girls which also features a fantastic bassline.

Said like a Real Bassist .

Sounds like a P bass to me.

i know a young guy whose USA Jazz got stolen and replaced it with A Vintage Stingray. I heard him play it with his band and it sounded excellent.

I have a compressor on my Ashdown and it sounds great. But I rarely use it, as many of the gigs I play, I'm using the venues amp. I'm afraid I'll get into bad habits by using the compressor to smooth out my sound and when I play without one, I'll sound crap.

That reminds me of a few drummers I've had the fortune/misfortune to play with over the years. And singers. Eh.......and Guitarists.

I've only recently realised how many, very good bassists, don't use the floating thumb technique, since I've been watching celeb session guys like Leyland Sklar and Guy Pratt on Youtube recently. I wouldn't dare criticize them on how they play the bass but with the floating thumb technique you're not anchored to a pickup (as they appear to be) and it allows you to mute the lower strings with your thumb/palm, as you work your way down, from string to string.

I started with a Squier, to test the water and then went on to buy a Geddy Lee. The Silver Squiers are great value and quality secondhand. They were a superior Squier manufactured in the early 90s. They go for about £300 these days.

Japanese basses are excellent. Doesn't matter if they're export models, non export models or Squiers, they're all excellent. I own all of the above.

I have been told TWICE!!!!!! to turn down because I was causing FEEDBACK!!!!!!. Not on the same night of course. feedback from a bass......at low volume......with the tone turned down to zero? The second time I was going straight into the desk, with no monitors or amps onstage. Were they INSANE!!!!!!

Sounds great.

In rehearsal rooms there's often a wall where musicians wanted adds are placed. You could stick one on your local rehearsal place's wall.

They leave a lot of space in their arrangements. I like that.

In my local Pirate Studios practice rooms they have Rootmaster heads and Ashdown 410 cabs. I can confirm that they sound great.

That song needs a 10 minute guitar solo!

We all have opinions on music and everyone is entitled to their's. Over the years, some of my musical opinions have chopped and changed. There was a time I didn't like Tom Waits or Radiohead. I can see why she would be bored by an aged, multi-millionaire's music. His solo stuff is all a bit easy listening, frankly. Not exactly cutting edge by today's standards. I liked his covers of JJ Cale stuff and I have the album he recorded with him, just before he died.