danhkr

Tried to organise soooo many bands with people and got sick of them never happening because there were no bassists around. Still love guitars and guitar playing but probably prefer the bass now.

Not tried one personally and Ashdown have now discontinued them. From what I have heard speaking to dealers, it's because they weren't particularly reliable. Having said that, they've got to be one of the cheapest compact amps around and a great backup that'd probably fit in the pocket of your gig bag. They were so cheap at one point earlier in the year, it was almost daft [i]not[/i] to buy one. Not so many around now, but if I saw one cheap enough and with a full warranty, I'd seriously consider it as a spare.

I'd be tempted by an Ashdown Electric Blue 180. 180 watt, 15" speaker, compressor and Ashdown's sub harmonic generator. The evo II (current model) has the proper Ashdown VU meter now instead of the crappy printed one the older models have. You can usually pick these up new for around £300 - a great little combo for that money. [url="http://www.antonesguitars.com/ashdown-electric-blue-15-180-evo-ii-180w-combo-714-p.asp"]http://www.antonesguitars.com/ashdown-elec...combo-714-p.asp[/url]

Good bass, but like a lot of the MIJ Fenders, they seem to have rocketed in price recently (RRP nearly a grand!) and they've discontinued the Red!! It's a good way to get a cool vintage vibe, the sound of a Jazz bass and active circuitry. I was pretty impressed with the one I tried, it was a great price and I kinda regret not buying it.

Took the coating off some Elixirs once with FastFret. Best bet probably just a quick wipe with a decent cloth after playing.

[quote name='Adrenochrome' post='1010508' date='Nov 3 2010, 10:52 AM']I don't get it but it doesn't anger me either. The idea that a bass must be worn-in (whether for real or artificially) to make it comfy to play seems absurd to me - I'd rather play a bass that felt right in 'stock' form.[/quote] I understand what you're saying, but in my case the Fender Classic 50's P-Bass looks fantastic, but there's too much lacquer on the neck for me. Personally I prefer a more 'satin' finish and thats what the Road Worn version gave me. Also the classic is finished in polyester which is notoriously tough and shiny but the road worn is nitrocellulose which feels much nicer and made the bass more resonant. It was these features rather than the actual 'aged' look that attracted me to it.

Never taken a spare guitar or amp. Main reason being, I've only ever really owned one at a time One guy I knew always took a spare bass and amp to gigs, but by the time he needed to use them, they were crackling and squealing and cutting-out. He'd gone so long without using them, they needed a damn good service! It might be tempting fate not having a spare, but you definitely reduce the chances of something going wrong if you use decent cables and look after your gear.

I've got a 'Road Worn' series P-Bass and although I wasn't too fussed about the 'ageing' thing, it was a lot nicer to play than the brand-new sparkling 'Classic' version. It had a much more 'played-in' feel and it looks pretty cool as well. The other advantage is if it picks up the odd knock or two, it's not really an issue. In terms of actual Custom Shop Relics, it could be the difference between actually taking it out and using it and keeping it safely tucked up in it's case through fear of that first ding on a pricey instrument. Other than that, many people love the look of vintage guitars.

Hi I'm Dan. Been a bassist for about 5 or 6 years but I've been playing guitar for around 15. I'm pretty-much a 6-string convert and unlike a lot of guitarists who end up on bass, I actually prefer it. I play in a couple of bands varying from pub rock covers to original stuff. My top players include McCartney, Entwistle, Peter Hook & Mani. I use an Ashdown ABM 500 Evo III head and ABM 6x10 cab. My bass is a Fender Road Worn P-Bass, but I'm on the look out for a cheap MusicMan Sterling. Looking forward to using these boards.