bassbiscuits

Ahh yeah. I've been looking at a couple of forums elsewhere and some people say they do, others say they don't. Hmm. I need to find someone with them in stockl really don't i?

Hello - I don't know to be honest - its for a guitar.

Has anyone got a Fishman Neo D single coil soundhole pickup for an acoustic guitar? If so, is it possible to measure the distance between the two screws that would hold it in place in soundhole? I've got a guitar with an 8.5cm soundhole, and need to know if it will fit - it sounds like it could, but would be tight. Much appreciated Chris

I had a black Charvel 1B from about 1990-1994. It was great. One of the few basses from my past i'd really like to play again.

Loads of companies do this - combos boasting such and such a rating, but that's only if you add another cabinet to them. It would be very simple for them to explain it clearly, as in fairness Markbass do on their own site.

Hello Ive got a Fender guitar (not bass) gig bag knocking around that's going free. Good overall condition, and has decent thick padding etc, apart from a small hole where the bottom strap pin has worn thru the bag. Otherwise clean and tidy - bit of gaffer tape on that hole and Bobs yer uncle. Free to collect from Leicester. Can't be bothered with posting it, what with it being free anyway. It'll go on our local Freecycle if no takers here. Cheers chris

Its a bit of an overgeneralisation to say a good CS bass is better than any 70's Fender bass. I have a 1970 P which is light as a feather, resonant and beautifully put together, with a snug neck joint, lovely neck etc. I have no desire to swap it for a CS one...

That's about as Japanese as me.

True. I've played some dogs of basses, and some lovely ones, and it has nothing to do with the price point. I do think that CS instruments are certainly going to be made of better quality wood and components than cheap and cheerful Far Eastern ones, but that's not to say that a well-chosen (or in Beedster's case, well put-together) bass of any other heritage can't be just as good. Part of me would love a CS Fender bass - if the quality matched the price then I'd consider it money well spent. But its inevitable that just like every other instrument, made of natural materials with their own inherent variability and different humans assembling them, there are going to be good, less good and awful ones.

That does look stunning tho in fairness. Can almost feel how it sounds just looking at it!

Indeed - this wasn't a Fender, it was a Mike Lull.

That's the word I was after - soulless. It played ok, it looked great, but it was just sterile and stiff and... unremarkable? I sold two very good standard MIA Fenders to buy it, as they were too heavy after I knackered my shoulder at the time. But they were way better basses for what I wanted.

I do love the idea of CS instruments tho - aiming to have the vibe and hallowed quality of old instruments without any of the problems which can come with actual temperamental old kit. Maybe I would fall head over heels with the right one if it came along, who knows? I briefly owned a £2.5k Lull which I found very ordinary indeed. Maybe I've got weird tastes.

Personally I couldn't justify spending that sort of money on an instrument however good really. I'm a regular working bassist and sometime acoustic guitarist, and the stuff I've held on to the longest has been some fairly modest gear which has given me years worth of trouble-free gigs. I don't find price necessarily equals quality, and a well made, good instrument can exist at any price point.

That's true - but not being able to respond at all for four days of the week seems a bit OTT.

I've only played one CS Fender ever, so it's hardly an indication. But that particular one wasn't anything like as good as I'd expected. Then again my bro has had about 10 CS strats and teles over the years, and they've mostly been sublime. Luckily I don't have £3k to worry about such things!

No you're thinking of completely inflexible and hard to work with to get a satisfactory end result

I must admit that the bit about not being able to respond to any gig queries during the week doesn't bode well if you're meant to be in a gigging band. If i was a band leader and members repeatedly refused to confirm gig offers I'd start getting a reliable dep in instead, rather than risk my band getting a reputation for messing venues around. If you really can't do the gigs that's fair enough - life's demands do often get in the way - but you've got to let people know where they stand so they can plan around it.

I use one of these small electronic luggage scales which has the bonus that you can take it bass shopping with you. I got quite anal about weighing my basses a while back, but it did explain why some were so uncomfortable at gigs (tho it's a combination on weight and the balance of that weight). Top marks to Bass Direct and Andy Baxter Bass whose websites almost always list the weights of their basses.

I'd go for the same again please - a decent vintage spec P bass, a lightweight amp head of about 500w (currently a Little Mark III) and some sort of cab capable of handling it all, that won't break my back, probably a 2x12 or 4x10.