neepheid

Indeed, just a wee bump to say see you Sunday! FYI, Brewdog is card only, nae cash. Hope that's OK.

As long as I've not got a gig on... #1 - Paul @NancyJohnson #2 - Paul #2 @prowla #3 - Martin @Merton #4 - @Wombat #5 - Andy @Wolverinebass #6 - Stevie @stevie #7 - Lozz @Lozz196 #8 - Matt @neepheid

I totally get what you're saying second hand vs. new. I wasn't suggesting you had anything against the seller - just trying to put your mind at ease, that's all. But if you'd like another data point for your investigations - my BH250 was also second hand. Probably doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of things, but just giving you all the info I can think of which is relevant. The BQ250 does also look like a great shout, but it's always a compromise. I did consider it when I was looking for a backup amp. With the BQ you get a more controllable preamp gain (being a pot rather than a switch between two levels on the BH), a clip light, an extra band on the EQ and built in compression (which, arguably you can have on the BH if you load up the Spectracomp toneprint). But you lose the built in tuner, the mute switch and the Toneprint of the BH. For me, the features found in the BH were more important to me than those found on the BQ Believe me, I was sceptical about the simple passive/active gain switch vs. a knob - but it works well for me in practice so I guess the two levels the switch works at were well chosen. Both amps are probably great.

BH250 user here - I enjoy having my little beastie very much. I use it as my backup at gigs, at rehearsals, for practice at home where it especially excels - so convenient with 3.5mm jacks for line in and headphones, built in tuner, and Toneprint (worth it for the Spectracomp alone). And a blessed mute switch! That one for sale in the marketplace may be scuffed, but the price is commensurate with the condition IMO. I'd have bought it in a heartbeat if I didn't already own one! I can't speak for previous owners, but the current owner/seller is a tip top chap who I know personally and vouch for, if that helps.

Date depending, of course, but I'd be interested, aye.

I had a decent play of it last night (as in through a "proper" amp - TC Electronic BH250) but still in headphones. What an interesting experience! I found a very useable tone control - almost like an active control in the sense that to my ears the "home" position is about half way - this is where the bass does its best P-bass impression. You can still turn it to zero for some dubby goodness, but if you turn it to 10, it unleashes some borderline obnoxious mids, which I'm betting will cut through great live. In a world where the vast majority of time I've got a passive tone control wide open, this is an unusual but welcome development which I have not encountered before. Their choice of 500k pots in this might be part of the reason why this is happening (I would guess 250k is typical on your average P bass?) Anyway, TL:DR, it sounds gud and I can't wait to give it a proper razz in a band context.

I know, min, it's all good. Banter++

OK boys, simmer doon!

This is why I won't spend six grand on a bass - because I can spend about 1/20th of that on this kind of thing instead. 1998 DeArmond Jet Star "Spel", Gumby, Dali, melty - whatever you want to call it. It just made me laugh so much I had to buy it. This example is in good nick, the only issue is that the knobs have disintegrated a little and the silver "D" discs in the top are long gone. Anecdotally, this was a common issue - seen a bunch of them online with replaced knobs. This is the long scale (34") bolt on version. The short scale one is fancier (two pickups, set neck) but I don't dig shorties so it had to be this one. Honestly I'd have loved a green one, but they're rare as hell, so a cherry red one is an acceptable alternative. Hard to photograph with the phone camera - the cherry red is much deeper than this and you can see the wood grain through it - phone just doesn't have a clue and goes "duh, it's red". Nevertheless, here it is. I've only played it in headphones and my office amp (Laney 30W HCM30B) so far, with whatever scabby strings it arrive with. But even with that stacked against it, it sounded pretty good - the split P pickup being more towards the bridge makes for an interesting sound, not completely devoid of bottom end and P-esque, but just a bit twangier or something. I've since given it the once over - a good clean, lemon oiled the fretboard (it was so dry!), restringed and setup fettled with. Here it is when it first arrived next to one of my T-birds. Welcome to the wonky family!

I'm sure I've got a redundant pedal or two to contribute...

I'm not angry, I just think it's stupidly overpriced. You may disagree, and that's OK. I'm entitled to my opinion, and if I feel moved enough to do so I will share it. But I took one look at the email that guitarguitar sent through and I said "HOW EFFIN' MUCH?!", out loud. More power to you if you buy one. If I had six grand hanging around to spend on basses, I'd buy five or six excellent basses. This kind of fetish object is an enigma to me.

I'm not blaming you - I just have a different idea of what I'm prepared to pay for any bass, and these surpass that level by a fair order of magnitude.

It's absolutely nuts. Bonkers price. Hard pass.

When I saw the title, I thought/hoped you meant one of these: Shoulda known better!

That, I cannot argue with.

Classic Aberdeen mentality, thinking it can charge "London prices" for things

It was a joke... does not stand up to scrutiny - what absurdity based jokes do?

I'm a big advocate of self-sufficiency, at least up to a level of doing basic setup (relief/intonation/action) work. Setup is personal - and it's really not difficult. Of course when you get into territory like what is being discussed here, it's player's choice if they want to stretch themselves and learn these other skills. Me personally I do all my setups, I'm OK with the electronics if it's not too taxing, replacing hardware is fine, and I'm currently at the grinding back ratty fret ends/knocking down proud frets kinda stage. Mostly using improvised tools, because I'm a cheapskate.

I don't have much data to go on when it comes to Ramjam - the only time I engaged their technical services was over 2 years ago for a full rewire of a bass, which cost £50, which I thought was pretty reasonable at the time. But who knows what it would cost me today, sorry.

If you don't mind naming names - which local establishment have you been going to at which you have noted the price rise?

I find a good old wireless walkabout goes down well. I also get up to no good during songs which have long, bassless sections - I pretend to sleep, or I naff off for a sit down and pretend to be on strike. Just clowning around basically. People seem to like it. Plus the basics - engagement with the audience - making eye contact with folk and nodded along with them bopping around - sometimes my hat gets borrowed - let 'em - I don't get precious. And for the final coup de gras - if the police come in for a venue check, be ready to play something like Breaking The Law or I Fought The Law etc...

Well it is in stock now, so I'm just waiting for them to get around to where I am in the backlog. If they ever do.

Happy to share a bill with you - there's only 2-3 duplicates on your set list vs. ours

Also - hello!

https://www.basschat.co.uk/forum/83-bassists-wanted/ - is the correct forum for this kind of thing - this one's just for saying hello