Conan

[quote name='Ancient Mariner' timestamp='1385235257' post='2286005'] One last thing - I had Neovins when they were first launched. They didn't stay long.[/quote] Thanks for your input - very interesting! But what didn't you like about the Neovins?

Hmmmm.... so many options!

[quote name='noelk27' timestamp='1385168325' post='2285363'] Could, instead of spending £100 or £150 on pickups, spend the money on a guitar with buckers. The Yamaha Pacifica 120H is seriously good bang for the buck - £200 to £220. [/quote] We weren't looking to spend anywhere near that much ideally, especially as it is only one pickup we are looking to replace. The reason he got this guitar is because he saw it in a music shop, played it, and decided it was the best guitar he had ever played. He may only be (nearly) 16, but he has been playing guitar since he was 8 and has played loads of good guitars in that time. He is a good player, despite his tender years. Everything about this particular Strat is perfect for him, with the exception of the bridge pickup. He is even happy with the neck and middle pickups! Unlike a lot of us bassists, he is being very specific about what he wants, but just doesn't know how to find it. What he wants is the sound of a Gibson P90. He is all for routing out the guitar body and fitting a full-size humbucker... My advice was the compromise situation of getting a humbucking pickup in a single coil sized package. That way, if he ever wants to sell the guitar he can return it to its original state very easily. He has played Yammy Pacificas at school, and although they are great for the price, they are nowhere near the quality of his Strat. So thanks for the advice, but I was quite specific about what we were looking for, and a different guitar ain't it! Particularly as he traded a Gibson LP to get the Strat - and they aren't known for their lack of humbuckers!

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1385149036' post='2285124'] IIRC swimming pool routes have been around since the mid 80s era of the super-Strat. They aren't on every version so the only way to know for sure if yours has it is to look. [/quote] Had a look and definitely not! Beautiful accurate routing for single-coil pickups only. I was expecting that and it fits with my experience of MIJ/CIJ Fender basses.

[quote name='jazzyvee' timestamp='1385150488' post='2285147']The little Guitar Shop. [url="http://www.thelittleguitarshop.com/tlgscustompickups.html"]http://www.thelittle...tompickups.html[/url] Jazzyvee [/quote] Cheers for that - looks interesting!

[quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1385060992' post='2284067'] I'm only vaguely curious about this, I reckon I'm all 'Rush live albummed out'. [/quote] There is a nail and a head in there somewhere...

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1385149036' post='2285124'] ....the only way to know for sure if yours has it is to look. [/quote] Heading toolbox-wards as we speak!

[quote name='noelk27' timestamp='1385148180' post='2285105'] I'd buy a clean example of a used MIJ/CIJ, then put whichever pickups, Fender or aftermarket, into the carcass suited my tastes. You'd be left with a chunk of change from your budget, and I'm betting there's a whole bundle of others on BC who'd do the same. [/quote] Me too. But there are others for which the MIA stamp carries more weight. For me, the build quality of a Japanese bass has the edge - but the pickups can be changed fairly cheaply if you find the Jap ones a bit "polite"

[quote name='oggiesnr' timestamp='1385146886' post='2285077'] You might well be better off selling your Spector privately. [/quote] Yeah - good luck with [i]that[/i]! Nobody seems to want Spectors at the moment - as I know to my cost!

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1385148154' post='2285104'] Have you looked under the pickguard? Many modern Strats have a "swimming pool" route that would allow you to drop a full-size humbucker in there and only need to alter or change the pickguard. [/quote] I haven't. It was made in 1994, so maybe it doesn't qualify as "modern"? But that is a good idea, and I will have a look to check.

Ooohh.... I'm stepping into uncharted waters here... My (nearly) 16 year old son has recently got himself a very nice 1994 MIJ Fender Strat. It plays beautifully, feels great and looks fantastic. But he wants more "beef" from the sound. He traded the Strat for a Les Paul Studio, and he thinks that the sound he craves will only come from a humbucker... OK, I know that the Jap pickups are not regarded as the best pickups Fender ever used, but they sound good to my ears! Classic Strat (in that lovely Mark Knopfler/John Mayer kind of style). So. What are the options? Is it possible to get the "humbucker" sound from a single coil pickup? Can you get a humbucker that is the same size as a typical single coil Strat pickup? How much would it usually cost (roughly) to get the body routed to install a full-sized humbucker? My own preferred option would be to go down the route of a "hot", noiseless single coil (like this one - [url="http://www.guitarfetish.com/NEO9-Neodymium-Magnet-Our-Hottest-Neovin_p_522.html"]http://www.guitarfet...ovin_p_522.html[/url]) so that the guitar body doesn't need to be modified - but at the end of the day it is not my guitar! He has a birthday next week, so I would like to get his guitar sorted for him fairly quickly... Help and advice greatly appreciated!

[quote name='TLBX' timestamp='1384956327' post='2282747'] Hello. I'm a Spector player myself so not a billion miles away from a Streamer. So I got me a stellar American 75 reissue, figured I wanted the simple vol vol tone setup, single coil 70s pups, lovely maple neck with black block inlays, slab ash body the lot. Everything about it is wonderful as a great bass should be. I gigged it about 2 years and took the Spector back out one nite and was instantly back to a comfy place. I had been battling with the jazz convincing myself again that this is the bass for me. For some reason the tone never inspired me like the Spector.[/quote] Interesting! I'm exactly the opposite! Having played J basses for years, I listened to the hype about Spectors and got one. Now, while I agree that they are great basses, they just don't work for me personally. Something about the shape, but definitely not the tone - which I love (but not as much as I love the tone of a classic J). And like a lot of big guys, the small body of the Spector/Warwick just looks silly on me. Funny isn't it? So now it looks like I might be trading my Spector for a Fender Jazz, and I couldn't be happier!

What is "overpriced" anyway? To some people a custom bass costing nearly £10,000 is value for money. For others, £300 for a Squier may seem over the odds. If you want a P bass, and you have a grand to spend - then why not go for a US model? Personally, I would rather buy a used one. Two main reasons. One, you will save quite a bit of money against a new price; and two (especially if you buy from a trusted member on here), you can speak to its current owner and get a good idea of how good an example it is. Fender QC is not always what it should be - and that applies to US models as well as MIM! (Seems to be far less of an issue with Japanese-made Fenders though). Strangely, although their are loads of J basses for sale at the moment, there are not so many Ps - especially US ones!

[quote name='AntLockyer' timestamp='1385044276' post='2283770'] Aren't they all P Basses? [/quote] No idea! But yes, the thread is about Jazzes. I was just responding to the idea that there is no such thing as a "sixties bass sound". To me there is, but the sound in my head will obviously differ from that is other's heads. I didn't really think about what type of bass it might be played on...

And this: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecjo1ze01xc"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecjo1ze01xc[/url]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1385033491' post='2283586'] What is a 60's sound for bass? I don't think there is a 60's bass sound. [/quote] You're right of course, but for me it would be stuff like this: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnH187IFsBI"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnH187IFsBI[/url] [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2C3YG2jvexQ"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2C3YG2jvexQ[/url]

[quote name='Jazzneck' timestamp='1385035789' post='2283621'] Valve amp and big speakers (12"s, 15" or 18") have more effect than all the other stuff, I think. [/quote] More of an effect than how you [b][i]play[/i][/b] the bass? Not sure about that...

[url="http://www.stsanders.com/www/pages/videos/band-shreds/sts-eagles.php"]http://www.stsanders.com/www/pages/videos/band-shreds/sts-eagles.php[/url]

[quote name='RandomBass' timestamp='1384958695' post='2282788'] Surely anything on Barefaced Mountain would involve a Midget and his Big Twin? ;-) [/quote]

Take your own bass, amp and leads if you can. Try it out and have a good listen. Sure, if the grille comes off easily have a look at the speaker cone, but a split or tear around the edge might only show up while the speaker is moving some serious air, and a full-volume test may not be possible... What is it BTW?

[quote name='brensabre79' timestamp='1384877870' post='2281770'] SOME of the Barefaced modular series were designed to be used together or apart. [/quote] To quote from the BFB website: [i]"the Compact and Midget are actually designed to work together, not just stack neatly - with similar phase response for optimal coupling and carefully matched power handling so you can push the 15" in the Compact to its limits without the 12" in the Midget struggling"[/i]

[quote name='Thunderbird' timestamp='1384939662' post='2282442'] I can hand on heart say it wont put me off buying and selling here because most people on here are great to deal with [/quote] I have a Spector for sale if you'd like another positive buying experience...

I tend to have the bridge pickup slightly higher than the neck one as it tends to be a bit quieter... which of course will be related to the string amplitude... I think!