TRBboy

Fair enough, if Thomann pay for all the costs and organise collection there's nothing to lose really!

[quote name='redstriper' post='1167320' date='Mar 18 2011, 03:55 PM']Every single bass is unique and buying anything blind is always a gamble, but I do not consider the price of this bass to be a huge risk, especially when there is the option to return it.[/quote] I think I would think twice about it, just because of the hassle of sending it back, and because the cost to ship it back might cost about 50% of the value of the instrument. I think that it's very important with 'unknown' brands that you're able to try the one you're going to buy. In my experience you're much more likely to get variation in quality between models from these sort of budget brands.

For that sort of budget, I would definitely want to try before I buy. I've had a couple of Warwicks (a thumb and a corvette), and they sound awesome and are very well put together. Although..... in the end, I parted with both of mine because there was just something not right. There wasn't anything wrong with either of the basses, there was just something slightly incompatible between me and them. I can't put my finger on what it was, but when it came down to it, they just didn't quite suit me I guess. You've got loads of options for your budget, so play as many as you can!

[quote name='skankdelvar' post='1166442' date='Mar 17 2011, 11:04 PM']S/H Squier VMJ from Basschat Marketplace? £180-200 + Plastikote Krystal gloss for neck @ £7. Depreciation - zero?[/quote] If the Squier VMJ goes for that price used, with zero further depreciation then there's something seriously wrong with the world! I know everyone loves the look of them, but are they a quality, value-for-money instrument? I've played quite a few of them, and all of them have not felt good for the money; awkward and uncomfortable and not as well finished as some other basses for the same price. I guess it depends what's more important to you; looks or feel and quality. With regard to returns and warranty claims, most companies have it written into their terms and conditions that you have to pay the shipping costs to return the item, no matter what reason. It's pretty standard.

[quote name='AttitudeCastle' post='1166208' date='Mar 17 2011, 08:11 PM']if you like t its amazing![/quote]

Blue definitely, especially with that gorgeous neck!

I know I'm getting boring now but........ Yamaha RBX270. Get a good condition used one for £70-£80. Awesome. Lots of potential for mods.

The Squier Bronco is not a bad little bass. [url="http://www.squierguitars.com/products/search.php?partno=0310902506"]http://www.squierguitars.com/products/sear...rtno=0310902506[/url]

I've just this second finished making one for my Sandberg. Got a strip of jet black silicone rubber (6mm thick) from work and stuck it on with double sided tape. Blends in beautifully with the black pickguard, no screws, and I can always take it off leaving no marks! Just remains to be seen how long it will stay there once it gets a bit of 'gig moisture' around it! Edit: By the way, I don't have enough pickups!

[quote name='Clarky' post='1162294' date='Mar 14 2011, 08:16 PM']I don't think you mean D'Addario's. They are only just launched. And they are 'normal' gauges (50-105). I suspect you mean Roto Tru Bass which are great thick black caterpillars of strings[/quote] My bad! Yeah you're right thinking about it, it was the Roto's. I've had the GHS ones in the past too and they were good. Black nylon tapewounds sound awesome on fretless! Anyway........... sorry ;-)

[quote name='Clarky' post='1161423' date='Mar 14 2011, 09:39 AM']Two sets of strings - a cheap-ish set of DR Sunbeams and a non-discounted set of the new D'Addario black nylon tapewounds (as I hadn't seen them before). Thats it! Would have been difficult to buy a bass there (at least on the Saturday) as the slapfest din was so deafening it was all but impossible to test drive a bass properly[/quote] The D'addario black nylon tapewounds are great strings but just a word of caution; I had them on my jazz bass for a while, and because they're a pretty hefty gauge they wore the grooves in the nut bigger. When I went back to regular strings my A string was rattling about like buggery in the groove and I had to get a new nut (although I did just play with some card packed underneath it for a couple of years!).

[quote name='pete.young' post='1161095' date='Mar 13 2011, 09:40 PM']You certain about that? I'm not. The Yamaha is made in China these days and I seem to recall that the cheaper Ibbys are made in Indonesia.[/quote] I think you're dead right about that. The Yamaha definitely isn't made in Japan, and I think the only Ibanez which are is the Prestige series.

I've had lots of experience with both the ibanez and yamaha, and although i'm a huge yamaha fan, i've gotta say that the Ibanez is a far better bass. It is built of better quality materials, feels better and sounds much better thanks to the Bartolini pickups and eq.

[quote name='Thunderpaws' post='1160937' date='Mar 13 2011, 08:11 PM']I would hate buy a new bass and have to take sandpaper to it to make it work for me. Schecter seem to have a wonderful custom build department but waaaay out of my league. I am going to try another Highway One and a G&L and another Lakland this week. The only thing about the Lakland is the aesthetics don't really do it for me, though the necks seem lovely.[/quote] I can understand your reluctance, i've done it before but only with a used bass not brand new. It's not a case of trying to take the varnish off, just lightly abrading it with very fine paper to turn the gloss finish into more like a satin finish. It worked well for me and left the neck feeling almost like a brand new MM neck. If the Highway One is badly set up, don't be afraid to tell the guys in the shop about it. Tell them you're potentially interested but would need to play it set up properly to make a decision. I worked in guitar shops for years and would've been embarrassed if a customer found a guitar in my shop that didn't play well!

I guess that the G&L or Lakland are gonna be the most versatile choices, but they're all decent basses. Personally, I wouldn't go for the MIM P because I don't think the Mexican Fenders are particularly good for the money. I would say it's definitely a step down in quality from all the others. A Jazz has been my mainstay for the last 14 years, despite many other basses coming and going, so I guess I would recommend that although I do really like the Laklands. The neck on the G&L feels a little too clumsy for me, despite being a well built and great sounding bass. If the neck is the only thing holding you back with the Schecter, just take some 1200 grit sandpaper to it and it'll be silky smooth! Hope this helps.

Easy. "The HB4 features a 30.75" scale length neck" That's why it feels floppy.

[quote name='LawrenceH' post='1159729' date='Mar 12 2011, 07:15 PM']It's a bloody great lump of solid wood and metal! Unless there's a defective glue or welding joint then it'd be damn hard to damage any correctly designed neck with even the most cavalier truss adjustments, with the exception of forcing it when the rod is seized or beyond its range.[/quote] A bass is usually a pretty sturdy instrument, and in most cases you would have to do something pretty stupid to damage the neck. IMO it is best to adjust the TR with the strings tuned up, as the whole point of the truss rod is to counter the tension of the strings. When adjusting it, you want to be able to 'feel' these forces acting against each other. I never usually bother with the whole 'wait for x amount of time' thing - you just need to be sure that the TR is moving. I usually give it a tweak, and then let the bass hang with your hand just under the headstock. Use the heel of your other hand to firmly tap up and down the neck - if your TR is a bit stuck this will help to make sure it has moved. You can even physically bend the neck a little in the required direction to make sure it is moving.

The Rees F-Light is just under 3kg/6lb! I would expect the ash-bodied SR600 to be slightly lighter than the SR500.

Have you seen the Rees F-Light basses? They've pretty much been designed specifically for players who need a lighter bass due to injury or whatever. [url="http://www.rees-electric-guitars.com/index.html"]http://www.rees-electric-guitars.com/index.html[/url] They're goo value too - £775 for a British hand-built bass! The slightly more 'normal' looking version, the Big F-Light is still lighter than most basses and had a very good review in BGM a while back. Might be worth checking out.

I used to love using black nylon tapewounds on my fretless. Very smooth, deep tone and about as close as you can get to an upright sound on a bass guitar.

[quote name='longtimefred' post='1157352' date='Mar 10 2011, 10:31 PM']Bet they would if you wanted them to. [/quote] Looking at the custom section on their website they'll do whatever you want if you've got the bucks to do it. Don't much like the idea of a two string bass though! The neck must feel like a broom handle!

Ok, so I took the Sandberg to band rehearsal last night. WOW WOW WOW!!! It sounded amazing through my Mark Bass rig! I have no more doubts about the preamp. Killer slap tone and awesome funky fingerstyle. There is a real sweet spot between the pickup and fretboard which is much fuller, gutsier and growlier, so I think I may have to stick a thumbrest on it. Tried playing off the end of the fretboard but it just wasn't right. It Hung so well on the strap and was so comfortable to play, i really didn't feel like i'd been stood playing for 3 hours. The passive mode is very usable too and the output levels between active and passive are very well matched. Everything about it is perfect, I would highly recommend one to anyone who is looking for something other than the norm, but still has a familiar feel and is a good compromise between trad and modern.

I've had a 414 (which I put a gotoh bridge and aguilar preamp in) and a 614 fretless, both of which were fantastic for the money, but then I'm a massive yamaha fan anyway. However, if I had enough money to buy a 2024 I think there would be a lot of basses above it on the wish list!

I hate to be a bore, but i've said it before and i'll say it again: The best budget bass by a long shot is the Yamaha RBX270 is unbeatable for the money, IMHO. It's solidly built, with a solid alder body, slim comfortable neck, but is lighter and more comfortable than a traditional jazz or p bass type. They do it in a lovely natural finish, which would suit you, and it lends itself well to future customization. You can buy a brand new one for 180, meaning you could put the rest towards an amp. Help you could even buy the bass and a reasonable amp for your 300 budget! I worked in guitar shops for years selling lots and lots of basses in this price range, and IMO no squier or cheaper ibanez or pretty much anything else comes close. Anyway, that's my bit said......

Ed Friedland does quite a good review on youtube. If you search for 'bass whisperer' it should come up with his channel. As far as endorsements go, and despite how much I love Yamahas, you've gotta remember that they are a HUGE organisation with lots and lots of money. I'm sure if they offered any of us free basses and a load of cash we'd happily endorse them ;-)