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Guitar shops selling new basses and guitars are going out of business every week. There was always the moan in the trade that the internet trade was killing the shops. Since I’ve stopped working in a guitar shop, I’ve not bought a factory fresh/shop fresh bass - that’s 6 years. And I’ve bought and sold about 20 basses. Market saturation? There are also folk who have ridiculous collections. I’d suggest @cetera has about 40% of all basses ever made.

Never has small and light sounded so big and hefty.

I had planned on spending the day recording for my new solo bass album. Someone else has other ideas 😂. She was fast asleep in the airing cupboard, then she woke up. I could hear her howling for attention; Siamese cats are anything but quiet. She came in, jumped up, howled at me, just in case I hadn’t heard her in the bathroom or on the landing, then settled down to go back to sleep.

I found a comment on a review which made sense in this whole "are cheap basses crap or are expensive basses just expensive labels" debate. The reviewers said that in their opinion the Harley Benton had some features which were genuinely better than the Sandberg it was based upon, and others which were less good. But no way was the difference in price reflected in the difference in quality. The comment which I liked however was this. While the new off the shelf HB represented excellent value for money would it survive in such great condition after a couple of years of humidity and temperature changes? The pricey bass had stood that test well, remaining solid and up together, would the cheap instrument also be as stable? Time will tell. In general the whole debate seems as subjective as whether we like the shape of a bass or not. Those of you who have decided, for example, the bridge on my new bass is crap may actually be correct. If you held the bass in your hand you might even know this for sure rather than just making your mind up from a distance. But if, like me, you couldn't tell one bridge from another and as long as it stays where it's supposed to be and does what it should then you were totally happy with it, then it's a great bridge. We're both right depending on what we value and want from an instrument. No one is definitively correct or definitively in error. It's like cameras. Once I had upgraded my cameras and lenses to a certain point then the smallest improvements began to arrive at astonishingly huge price increases. Anyone who didn't give a fig about noise levels at high iso or chromatic abberation would shake their head in wonder at the fool who would blow such sums when their camera phone could take just as good a picture. And they'd be right. But I do care about such things so I stumped up the cash. The results (invisible to the average Joe) make it worthwhile because I get joy avery time I look at the pictures I get with this expensive gear. It's exactly the same with music because actually all that really matters in photography is the picture. If someone likes the picture they won't give a damn whether it was taken on a Nikon D850 or a Panasonic ZS80. If someone likes a song they really don't give a stuff what the bass player spent on his bass. We as bass players might care, but not necessarily to the same degree and maybe not about the same things. Playing in time is more important to me than what pick ups I'm using. Writing as bassline that makes the BL smile matters more to me than what material my tuning peg is made from. As long as the instrument doesn't hurt or explode and sounds OK to me that is all that matters, not label, not price. Anyway we heard all this before on Bassworld. back then it was Behringer who's products were being lambasted. Generic tales of speakers blowing up at the first rehearsal were being repeated like a Trump speech. Their kit was cheap Chinese made crap said those who wouldn't go within a mile of it. Now? Now I see it used everywhere and I still have and use some of their stuff I bought decades ago and it still works and sounds great - to me. Doesn't mean it is great. You simply can't measure these things. Or you can measure everything but if the measurements don't mean anything to you then do they matter?

Source Audio C4.

This has been the subject of much discussion over on another thread so I thought I'd do a straight up review here and keep the controversy over there. Firstly another win for Thomann. Ordered on a whim last week and it arrived Christmas eve - given all the chaos in the postal system this time of year I was very impressed. Why a Harley? Well, I bought a HB Jazz from @yorks5stringer at last years SW Bash. It was inexpensive, I was considering a Jazz anyway, so this seemed a good way to suck and see. I was amazed by how good it was - and still is. Great sound, solid build quality, I couldn't believe the quality in fact. I have subsequently bought 'proper' Jazzes but at heart I guess I'm mainly a P-Bass kind of guy. Interestingly, while the HB is still with me, the more illustrious instruments have long since gone. So I know from real life experience these are serious instruments and not starter basses or toys. The jazz is also heavy and very good in close combat when playing rougher pubs. I loved the look of this bass, immediately. I knew I wanted it. It had a whiff of Rickenbacker about it but was definitely not a copy, it just appealed to me. The cherry burst is lovely. I searched for a fault, any flaw when it arrived and found only one. For some bizzare reason there is one Allen bolt in the bridge requiring a different size key from the others. Mildly irritating but not an issue. The action goes crazy low, I had actually to raise it up a little. This I accomplished with ease. It came strung with bright, light, rounds a little zingy for my taste but perfectly playable. The pick ups deliver a nice warm punch at the neck and a clean but not weak sound at the bridge. I don't know about you but what makes or breaks a bass for me is the neck and the balance. Can't stand neck dive and I love a really playable neck. Don't care if its slim or chunky just has to work for me. This is brilliant on both counts. Slim and fast, I gigged it today and it was like I'd been playing it all my life. So comfortable, so nicely balanced too. Band mates loved it, musicians in the audience loved it and I loved it. I hear the intonation is awkward to set on these. Can't comment as the intonation was perfect when it arrived. Tuners are firm, responsive and stayed in tune all day. Tone Controls responded well (I use my tone and volume a fair bit live).The bass is surprisingly small, here it is up against a CB Which is weedy and poorly made by comparison (but it looks great). I am so happy with this, always a gamble to buy without trying but this is going to see some work, no question.

I wasn't aware I had a nephew in Birmingham

Well, you can tell him, he is a member on here. i have plenty of time for him. I am a better bass player than I was because of him

Well I certainly have little enough hair and it's quite short. I do have one tattoo but it was acquired after my Spector basses so I feel doesn't really count and was unrelated to the impact of any purchasing decision. My current two are the Euro LE 1977 and sister (ish) Euro LE 1979 basses. Gratuitous Spector pic:

I guess some unfortunate guitars and basses fall into the hands of "improvers" or so called luthiers and are sadly butchered to the point of no return.....mentioning no names!

There it is, why have a new bass or a guitar when you can have a new bass and a new guitar? 👏👏👏

So after putting the bass back in the box yesterday and convincing myself it had to back, I spent an hour with it plugged in today. I must say, I’m very impressed and have decided to keep it. The neck pickup is a bit dull, but the bridge is great - really powerful and punchy. The truss rod could probably use a slight turn and the intonation needs tweaked, but no fundamental issues with workmanship or playability. Goodness knows how they can make a bass like this for under £150. I reckon I’ll pick up a Harley Benton Tele soon enough! George

Videos like this are interesting. They show me how similar most basses are and with a little EQing how 90% of them will sound indistinguishable from each other. An Ed Freidland Precision bass comparison. . . . . . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoJUz1oajXo

I bought this bass a week ago.

We're not the mandolinista.

Blimey my innocent Basschat T-shjirt thread has been invade by archtypical capitalists. The Bread-Head Dead-Heads are taking over! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Anyway, the only thing that matters to me is it looks, sounds and plays like a dream. Others are welcome to disagree but I love it. Well done Thomann, well done.

'Jack Frost and the Hooded Crow' - but on mandolin, no fancy picking, just chords. Some quite fast changes in one bit. I seem to have most trouble with remembering the words...

What a sweetie. Obviously very musical if she was attempting to stop you making a solo bass album 😁

This is me but I've never been able to put it into words. Thank you and I am going to try to use it to make 2020 a very good year, or at least a more satisfying year...so many things to do and at 73 I need to get going.

Access to the Internet and amount of alcohol consumed are usually the main two deciding factors for me. 😂

Great video that. It just goes to show that 90% of the stuff we talk about on here is utter nonsense. But then I think most of us knew that anyway. 😂

My previous post should be read with the following caveats: 1. The OP didn't actually request advice, so please feel free to completely disregard what I wrote. 2. The general consensus on Basschat regarding basses seems to be: (a) if in doubt, buy it; and (b) if in doubt, keep it. It is possible that Basschatters are less than objective on those points, but I wouldn't care to generalise.

I’d keep it, it’s a fantastic gesture by someone who clearly loves you a lot and worth a lot more than just money or some self-imposed rule. Don’t think of it as a bass, it’s an extended-range instrument which happens to incorporate some bass frequencies. Lose the low B, shift the other strings down, add a high F string and there’s something really different for you to play which is a lot more than just a bass, problem solved.

Well it won't be number 1 will it? poor old @Skinnyman 😉 erm or 2 for that matter!😂

I honestly can't bear to watch that man. He makes my skin crawl.

My uncle owns a 1962 Jazz bass. He is a total show-off and can barely play a note. I hope and pray that he will leave it to me in his will. In the meantime though what a waste. This got me thinking- considering that, unlike cars, most bass guitars are unlikely to be totally worn out and scrapped/ crushed/ converted to other uses, since the 1950s when production started they're must now be literally millions and millions of instruments lying around somewhere. My question is where? They keep on manufacturing them but if they're not being scrapped there must be an enormous and growing stock of second hand instruments out there. Are they unplayed and gathering dust under millions of peoples' beds or in their lofts. There must be some real diamonds tucked away waiting to be played. Is this being reflected in the second hand market, is there just more and more gearout there nowadays? Funny the things you end up thinking about on boxing day...😃

Most things nowadays are built to only last a few years. We’re a very wasteful society. It’s great that musical instruments at least are built with an expectancy that they’ll last a while.

They disappear through a hole in the space-time continuum, to turn up in a parallel universe bearing outrageous price tags.

So after watching this YouTube video from the bass whisperer (posted by chris_b) in the Scott's 30 Basses thread I realised that I could hear barely any difference in the Dimarzio's vs. the Nordstrands vs the Fender stock pickups. With the differences so damn minimal it seems a little pointless in forking out £100+ on a NP4 or Aguilar 60s pup when the DiMarzio area P, Delano PC 4 or the offerings from the Creamery come in well under that mark.

Fender TB600 and Fender 800Pro. Both cracking amps, both fantastic value and two different amps but each eminently giggable. They share a similar power section but the TB has a classic vale pre front end, the 800Pro much more neutral with a three band semi-parametric eq. Both amps have features unique to each model - TB has overdrive, classic fender tone stack and a single sweepable mids channel, the 800Pro is designed as a clean/high headroom amp with fixed bass and treble controls (think Thunderfunk) with built in comp but both have a room balance which is like a global tilt eq to help manage dodgy stage/room etc. Both are heavier than a class d but at 14kg approx it’s no hardship to carry in a rack case or bag and dare I say it the heft is there. The 800pro can do1200w at 2ohm which makes me shudder at the power and headroom available if the grunt coming out of my 212 @4ohm is anything to go by. Just ask the poor neighbours! Super easy to dial in a usable tone and equally easy to fix errant noises/rattles/rumbles on the fly (within reason)! 800Pro pictured below.

For a "cocktail" gig I'd get a good 112 and use the 150 watt amp. When I do a gig like that I use half of my big rig.

Loving that Chris ☝️ Lloyd Brevett was the double bassist according to wiki.

There was a sister video where he played these basses without the track. You could hear minor differences, but that's my previous point. We turn ourselves inside out over small differences in sound and some think they are on a quest for the "perfect" sound. When you hear a mashup like this you realise that good is good enough and the focus should be on what we are playing rather than the tools.

My search for an easier carry led me to a TCE BG250-208. Such a simple convenient little combo. I liked the amp so much with the Spectracomp loaded that I bought the BH250 head and then a BF One10 should I need a little more power/low end. Both are lightweight and small footprint.

I got the “Beldray Cordless Window Vac". Not quite musical but certainly produces a better sound than my bass playing (at least to the partners ears). Also works wonders removing the moisture from Windows, Glass and Mirrors!!! “WOOP, WOOP!!!" Ideal for clearing early morning condensation, misted car windscreens and steamed up shower rooms!!! My prayers have been answered!! It truly was a Christmas miracle!! I also got this “Darkglass" plectrum that came with a free gift.... I think it's a fancy doorstop...

Adagio for Strings - Samuel Barber, soothing after the rush of the previous few days. Time -Hans Zimmer I'm in a contemplative frame of mind today

It's interesting where this thread has gone and I've had a thought relating to 'old being better' in terms of 'actual old' rather then older designs. I personally get a kick out of gigging cheap basses occasionally, although with Stray I always use a Ricky for the Stray set and either a Rick or a Fender for the Blues Devils stuff. This is mainly to do with the Punters expectations and the fact that Stray's original bass player used a Rick, and my desire to present a pro approach by using what is seen as pro gear. Having said that, when I was playing covers I'd often happily use a cheaper bass which did the job just as well. Even now I'll occasionally take my Ibanez BTB30 out as my spare. With regard to actual old basses, I think there's a mystique that somehow the magic of all its previous players, previous gigs and previous experiences may somehow seep through the ether and improve the players' performance. Certainly if an old instrument is still in circulation, then it's proof itself that it's stood the test of time and is probably a good player because it's still in use. There's no rights and wrongs here - I'd love to try one of these Harleybackers but I have waaaay to much stuff!! Much love to all x

Be more patient & less stroppy. Be kinder to people. Meet more Basschat people. One out of three won't be bad!

I’d keep it. Barely any point in the hassle of sending it back and it seems such a lovely gesture for her to have done. One assumes when you were talking to your guitarist about wanting a 6 string he thought you meant a bass!

I accept Scott Devine has a few mannerisms which could annoy, but I think he's producing an excellent service for bassists around the world. I'm very happy he's created such a successful business.

Mrs Mep excelled herself this year.

I can set your mind at rest on that one, Osiris. I wouldn't allow it.

We used to have some Polo shirts and we did a limited run of T shirts too - however the place that did the embroidery and drop shipping went bust. I looked for another company that could make and ship for a reasonable cost but never found anywhere. Add to that the fact that some went missing which I had to chase, people didn't always like the fit, people preferred a different logo etc etc... all quite a mission at the end of the day. There was zero profit, too. If you've got a permanent marker and a plain T shirt then help yourself, you have my permission

My current rig is an all Hartke affair, LH1000 with spare LH500 in the rack case for quick change if the worst happens again, coupled with a 2x10 and a 1x15 Hydrive cabs it does the job.

That was a bargain lownote, ☝️ I also have the Ashdown mag head , and the 115 deep cab (on the right) and the markbass ny 115 , which I mix n match, even the mags compressor isn’t bad.