gjones

Is this the one with the semi parametric EQ - i.e. The original model with knobs and sliders. I have one of these and it sounds great. Ashdown discontinued it because bassists couldn't quite understand the controls (we're a simple lot).

In the end, if you are a pro musician, It's down to what the client wants. If they want a P Bass, they get a P Bass. End of story.

Best to check basschat, ebay, facebook instrument market places, etc. You'll then get a decent idea of a fair price. Based on prices I've seen recently, the going price is around £800 to £850.

Just because it's a little confusing for the f*cking bass playing element!

Best: A secondhand G&L Tribute L-2500, was my surprise best bass purchase. It only cost me £360 - definitely a bargain. It's a really well made bass and also has classy looks (a tobacco sunburst paint job). I originally bought it mainly because I thought it was time I owned a 5 string bass, so I looked to buy one on the cheap. I have some very nice pro level basses but when I started playing it, it's quality surprised me. The B string is very clear and audible, not at all flabby or woolly. I love the Swiss Army Knife vibe of this bass. It's active and also has two big humbuckers that can be switched to single coil mode, so you can get a very wide range of sounds from, from Jaco to James Jamerson. Worst: Fender Elite Precision. I didn't get the chance to play it and ordered it unseen new. When I got it I didn't like the neck (too chunky). Pre amp doesn't have a parametric mid control (which it needs) and the controls are not very smooth (bit scratchy/gritty compared to the controls on my John East J retro). It's pretty heavy. We haven't bonded. I think my expectations were too high after seeing the reviews.

Your basses are fine. I would upgrade your amp, as a 100 watt amp does not have enough power to compete with a loud drummer. Something like a Fender Rumble 500 would be perfect. It's light, loud and costs under £500 new.

In my experience, if you don't have a decent bass cab then everything else is irrelevant. I've had some cheapo bass cabs in the past that really couldn't keep up with a loudish drummer. I slowly upgraded to TC Electronics then Ashdown ABM cabs. But it was only when I bought a Barefaced Compact, that I then had a cab with the fidelity and power handling capabilities that allowed me to reproduce the sound that was coming from my bass and amp, to my satisfaction.

Buy a bass in London, when you get down there, do the gig and take it back for a refund the next day. Tell the shop you don't like the colour or it's got too many/too few strings..

Bah humbug. I'm an easy going kind of guy but I can get very irritated when keyboard players go anywhere near the bass end of their keyboard, when I'm playing. Two musicians playing the bassline, is one too many.

I'm the opposite. If I'm asked to do a dep gig I always do a lot of preparation beforehand. The last major dep I played, I had to learn 34 songs in 2 weeks. I made up cheat sheets for them all, just in case they were needed. In the end the band only played about 20 of them. Sometimes I'm better prepared than the bands I occasionally dep with. Sometimes they have to use my cheat sheets

I think we will all need to start playing care homes for the elderly. There's a willing and captive audience, who were in their prime in the 60s and 70s, and who are sick of daytime TV, and bingo. My band play a mix of rock n roll and blues. We were playing in a venue during the Edinburgh Festival, and after the show a guy came up to us and said he wanted to book us for gig at the Nottingham Theatre Royal. A few months later, when we arrived at the venue, we found out that it was for an over 65s group that meets once a month in a room at the Theatre, to listen to various genres of music. Tonight's genre was Blues and Rock n Roll. The good news was that it was a full house of 150. The bad news was, that when the audience arrived, there wasn't one that was under 75. Well we played our usual set and our female singer flirted with an eager looking 85 year old, who was sat near the front. The old codgers loved us, and we got a standing ovation (well from the ones who could stand without help) at the end of the gig. I'm telling you, the over 75s are desperate for a good rockin night. Whoever taps this vintage seam of oldies but goldies who are growing old disgracefully, will make a packet.

I know the feeling....

I hate wedding gigs but have reluctantly played a few. I remember once turning up at the venue, to find out that it was the estate of the groom's father (filthy rich banker). We went up the grand steps to the front door, to be told by the housekeeper, who opened it, to go around to the 'Tradesman's Entrance'. We were told that we would be having our tea with the housekeeper, groundsman, cook and various maids, in the kitchen of the big house. I remember it well, it was stovies and a cup of tea (look up stovies if you aren't Scottish). The guests and the bride and groom were all obnoxiously, brash, filthy rich and privileged. Eventually, after one pished, braying, stockbroker type, in the obligatory red braces, clicked his fingers at us one too many times, while asking us to 'play a f***king fast one!', or ' Play a f**king slow one', we went on strike. Packed our gear up and headed off, but not before we grabbed our cheque from daddy. Who was lying pished in his bed. I have no problem with the seriously posh, they usually have very good manners, and are usually quite poor (distressed gentry) but the nouveau riche bring out the Bolshevik in me.

Make sure you tell us if you buy it!

I was in Rudy's in October. Lots of very expensive vintage stuff. Including this Precision, which was in suspiciously good nick for a 56 year old bass. I think it was going for about $7,000. http://rudysmusic.com/used/vintage-1964-fender-precision-bass

And a very good job you did as well

I have a drummer friend, who told me about a gig he played at a social club, where they wanted a trio but the guy who hired him only played guitar and sang with backing tracks. He'd played the week before and they told him they wanted a band the next week. So he hired a drummer and guitarist to just stand and mime all night. Whilst he sang and played over his backing tracks, exactly as he had the week before. Nobody noticed.....

Buy a secondhand John East J-Retro and forget about the pickups. Let the J-Retro pre amp do all the work. Just slot the loaded control plate into your bass. No soldering. All connected up in 15 mins. Trust me, your bass will sound epic.

If I were you, I would spend a bit of cash getting your bass set up by a local tech. A bass that's easy to play makes a big difference and will encourage you to play more.

I use the memo recording app on my android phone all the time. It's very, very useful when I'm learning new songs. The sound quality is fine for what I use it for.

Macca never makes a mistake ☺ But have a listen to Lennon playing bass on Long and Winding Road. He's all over the place.

Is that a mistake by Paul at 1.12? Or was it just Jazz.

I bought a set of pickups, for £40, from a guy that had taken out of a Road Worn Jazz. I put them into a MIJ Jazz I have and they have a really nice deep, dark, warm sound to them, that I really like. I constantly get compliments about my sound, from other bass players, when I play that bass. Recently I bought myself a Road worn Jazz and the bass sounds very similar. If you can find a set of pickups from a Road Worn bass, I recommend them. They have a really nice vintage sound.

Put his bass amp out front. He doesn't need to hear it, unlike you who uses your amp as a monitor. If he insists on having it near him, therefore interfering with your bass sound, then he's obviously a tosser.

All the best musicians have 'feel'. Which is a difficult quality to define. Those with feel are not necessarily the most technically adept, and those who are technically adept, may not always have feel. .