6feet7

I bought an EHB1005SMS last week and didn't have any of those issues at all (though mine was an ex-demo one, so things may have been sorted in the shop). I did do one mod though. Lowendlobster on Youtube moved one connection on the active preamp (takes less than 5 seconds) and that gives the Bartolinis more bite (well worth doing). He also swapped the pickups for Aguilar DCBD4's, but as they are about £300 I'll give that a miss. I also have put some fluorescent tape (using a hole punch) over the side markers as they are so small they blend into the roasted maple neck and are almost unseeable. I absolutely love the short scale fan frets and, once the connection mod is done, would happily have another of these basses.

Oh, I'd love a 5 string bass like that

I've got two 5 string Jakes and am desperate to buy back one I stupidly sold (the person who has it now knows this - hint hint) - I think that says it all.

All at once rather than individual: Ibanez EWB205WNE-NT 1202 Maruszczyk Jake P/MM V Alusonic Django Supreme 5 Rickenbacker 4003 SW-5 Sandberg Forty Eight 5 Michael Poller DB-5

OK, the second expensive bass (that I can't afford) in as many weeks, but sometimes a man's got to do etc. etc. etc Anyway, looking on the Bass Gallery's website and this little beauty popped up. I've been after a 5 string T'bird style bass for ages, but the Gibson version was 'just' the studio version and weighed too much. Even though everyone says that the Epiphone pro V is wonderful, I know I'd always be lusting after the 'real thing'. I bought the Jackson Dave Ellefson T'bird but it was like the Epi, I knew I wanted something 'more', so sold that. I don't think I could ask for more with the Sandberg. Beautifully balanced, not overweight, and even though I'm not a fan of reliced instruments, it just looks 'right'. I'm yet to play it through an amp at volume but I can't wait.

I think it's only a 130 - Thats what the advert said and I havent changed the strings as they are good. I'll probably put Hi Beams on it eventually (130 or 135). I saw how Alusonics were described online a while back which really attracted me to the sound. It was said that listening to a wooden bass after an Alusonic was like listening to the Alusonic bass with cotton wool in your ears, and I totally agree with that. It's so clear and precise, but reacts well to overdrive too

I saw this on BC last Wednesday, paid Giovanni in Italy on Thursday and it arrived this afternoon (many thanks UPS) All I can say is 'WOW'. When I used to play guitar (many, many years ago), I always lusted after a stainless steel Stratocaster, but that being the early days of the internet, I couldn't find one, so I wasn't going to lose the opportunity to get this bass the second I saw it. It was built in late 2018, with an aircraft grade Aluminium alloy body, rear of body and scratchplate in carbon fibre, bolt on hard maple neck with graphite reinforcing rods and graphitex fretboard with 24 frets and luminlay side dots, Hipshot Ultralight tuners, Alusonic Hybrid Alnico5/Neodymium MM + J pickup with a 3-way selector for the bridge pickup, and preamp with volume, blend, bass, mid and treble, and weighs only 3.9 kg. The changes to the basic version are: - flatter radius. - block inlays instead of simple dots. - 3-way preamp instead of 2. - 3-way selector instead of 5, which acts only on the bridge pickup in series / parallel / single coil mode. - blend on the preamp instead of the 5 pre-selected combinations. It feels absolutely wonderful and sounds better than pretty much any other bass I've ever played. I think I'm going to have to keep my eye out for another one

It had to go back to Bass Direct. Tooooo heavy for my knackered old shoulders