LukeFRC

The geek in me Knows that if the Yamaha PJ in the opening video was mine I would lower the bridge pup a smidge for my taste... of course saying something like that out loud would make me look a right knob

I fully fully believe you can get a very very good bass for not much money, and also think that there are quite diminishing returns for spending more... But with the basses you've got... which are very nice, but how much will you actually play the HB if you drop the cash on upgrading it?

If it’s an itch to scratch go HB... if you are getting towards Sandberg prices but already have different specs you would like... could you get someone U.K. based to build you something custom P/MM style?

Well I guess that’s one way to shift units

doh sorry!

bass gallery have one

If it was an aged olympic white where the yellowed top coat had rubbed off it would seem white....

I liked that. I wondered what it was I liked... then realised it was the lake placid blue precision! (I've got similar colour precision on order) Yamaha sounds good too, slightly more modern sound?

to my ears one sounds like a jazz and the other a PJ. I listened with my eyes shut and could tell them apart. Which is better? Depends on the track, for that one I liked the Jazz

Why not give John Shuker a bell?

https://www.vintagejapanguitars.com.br/en/kawai-1978-catalogue/

He’s got one I think- I remember having unexplained GAS for it at one point

I’ve been reading @Bassassins posts enough down the years to recognise a Kawai sleekline

On top of that think about regular Pop music - for every Ed Sheeran or Dua Lipa theres about two dozen artists who copy the production and kinda sound the same but not as good - or you get probably good songs hidden behind whatever formulaic sound or production is in vogue that month- I think it takes skill And confidence for someone to punch through the noise With something that sounds original... and that’s in mainstream pop- CCM the budget and talent just isn’t there I think- and the whole structure of church worship music in some ways discourages taking risks. reading reviews of John MArk McMillians album last year was interesting- there were a few reviews In the sorta Christian press/blogs that just didn’t get why bits sounded like it did. By the way “the road, the rocks, the weeds” off that album is a cracking song IMO reguardless of genre and content

It’s sub, by Musicman - made by Cort, sold by Ernie Ball... it’s not as if Leo is still at Musicman - he sold the whole operation including the name. mind you anything with Fender on the headstock post 1964 would also fall into that camp- I mean, using your logic why didn’t CBS just rename the company??

Do you feel the same about musicman since they launched their sub range?

Warwick are also a distributor.... you get to a certain age and get offered what essentially is your retirement and rather than have a company in japan build your basses under licence For you to distribute and sell (I would love to know what else that factory make, Ive found a range of guitars and have my suspicions) you licence your name and a manufacturer/distributor builds your stuff at three price points and you take a cut on everyone? I don’t think it’s cynic, I think it’s a guy nearing retirement and wanting to enjoy the next twenty years making arch top guitars if he feels the desire too

I think that was disputed and for a while he had to have a “licenced by Alexander Graham Bell” on the label

The guy above wouldn’t want to play the in this band as the lines would be too simple for him... but this is very good https://youtu.be/wRwId2RfmfA

different people have different skill level. Some struggle to change strings, some are high end carpenters who are dabbling in something that's fairly rudimentary for them... This bit of the internet is open to all skill levels, and the longer you spend the more you start trying to do yourself. If you want somewhere for people who start with rough lumber and go from there, well then there are bits of the internet where you can find like minded individuals to discuss that with.

I’m sure I kinda tried to work out once - but In time of income I think full time work on minimum wage in the U.K. Puts you in The top 1% Globally

Yep

How come the discussion leaps from Harley Benton straight to Fodera? I've had a few dozen basses, and played a ton more... the cheapest cost me £20 or was free, the most expensive had a retail price originally of over £3k. I've played and owned some great instruments, and some that were a bit "meh". I've found generally, that there is diminishing returns the more you pay... and also conversely I'm more likely to find exceptional instruments at higher price points. I've found amazing basses that cost almost nothing, and I've found that there are some higher end basses with a real even resonance across the fretboard that I haven't found on cheaper basses. Don't over spend, don't get into debt to buy, the guy from Vulfpeck did quite well on a Mexican fender, it's not going to make you a better player, stop stressing about it, stop hating on people with more money than you, don't feel too inferior to the folk who are better players on worse kit than you, don't over-justify your own decisions without really listening to the other point of view... some people will have £5k worth of cheap instruments and moan about high end stuff not being worth it, some people have one £3k bass... shrug. It's Friday night, none of us are gigging, there's no live music to hear. I want a beer. [/rant]