neepheid

I think I am from your neck of the woods, I'm pretty sure I recognise the venue from your pic in the "how was you gig last night" thread and honestly my level of surprise would be determined by who was doing the sound...

Pish. I'm no sound engineer but even I know they'd go into separate channels, each with their own gain and level controls. "Blow the PA", bwahahaha

I don't get it - when we play they don't force the keyboard player to use an amp, just use a DI. What's the difference? TWO DIs? Is that the objection? Me = confused

I don't need them, so I don't have 'em. On the side of the pickup when playing the lowest string is fine for me. Also I don't wander around the length of the strings looking for changes in tone that not one bugger listening to the band is going to notice. I'm a lazy neanderthal bass player, more power to you technicians.

No, you don't need one. But if you want one, crack on. I don't think you'd gain much in terms of sound. What you might gain is an increase in care and attention applied to the bass's construction, hardware, fit and finish. Whether or not it's worth the price premium is really up to you. In G&L land, I have a USA CLF L-1000 and a Tribute LB-100. They are both fine basses which I am more than happy to gig. The USA G&L cost approx 4 times what the Tribute did. It is not 4 times better than the Tribute. If G&L did a Tribute L-1000 I would have bought that. What I do appreciate is the little differences - like the side dots on the USA made bass being installed into the neck exactly half way between where the fingerboard wood ends and the neck wood begins instead of being pre-installed as part of the fingerboard. The better tuners. The hard case vs. no case/bag at all. Although my situation is slightly different in that USA was the only way to go for an L-1000, I certainly don't need it - it was purely a want thing and there's nothing wrong with that. Just stay away from the Koolaid...

I don't have a #1 bass in terms of favourites so I'm going to talk in terms of expense. For someone I know and trust, I'd lend them my least expensive bass. For anyone else - big fat no.

Originals band - for the most part, sure, I'm partially responsible for its output. Of course, I'm not even sure I like some of the stuff I wrote sometimes Covers band - again for the most part it's agreeable rock covers for me, but there are one or two songs I play because the audience like them, not me

Pfft, I can wear a top hat and shades indoors too. Big whoop.

G&L were still churning out necks with filled holes until around 2016/17 - here's a wee thread about them with some background - they get referred to as "birthmarks" http://www.guitarsbyleo.com/FORUM/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=4288 Looks like the same sort of thing on the OP's bass.

As long as it works, I'm not bothered. I spend very little time looking at the back of the neck, and I'm working on not looking at the front much either

Yay, another lazy JC owner to keep me company

In a multi coil pickup (or multiple single coil pickups), wired in parallel means that each coil is treated separately and each coil is wired independently to the output - in parallel. Wired in series means that the end of the first coil is wired to the beginning of the second coil and the summed output of that goes to the output. Series as in one after the other. If you want a facile simplification - parallel is a thinner sound than series - probably better for things like slapping. Series is louder and has a thicker, beefier sound, accentuating bass and low mids. There's a lot more to it than that but that's your starter for 10.

I think my band's pretty good. That's clearly and demonstratably an unpopular opinion

That's a wiring diagram I'd love to marvel at. My rotary skills topped out at working out the 4 way for a Gibson Ripper (both series, bridge only, both parallel, neck only - stock is series/out of phase) when I used a different rotary to the stock one. Perhaps I'm selling myself short - maybe there's an element of CBA in my "beyond my ken"...

Because we're only talking 4 or 5 folk per band, it's a WhatsApp group chat for the 4 piece and FB Messenger for the 5. Plus Google Calendar for both bands for folk to stick in their holidays/other unavailability. Appreciate that's not really helpful for your situation, can't imagine it scaling up.

Wiring rotary switches is a right royal PITA. What you're asking for is a lot for a single rotary switch to handle. There will be no "easy-for-idiots" wiring diagram - I'd be amazed if you found something ready made on the Internet for what you're asking and it's certainly beyond my ken to create it for you, sorry. Are you wanting to use a rotary because you don't want to make extra holes in either the body of the bass or the pickguard? I'd say wire it up regular first and see how you like the sound as is before moving onto experimenting with series/parallel. I'd be surprised if you needed more than the ability to give each individual pickup a series boost - you can achieve that with push/pull (or push/push) pots if you don't want to make extra holes. As someone who modded a G&L Tribute L-2000 to give 27 combinations of neck/both/bridge/series/parallel/single/passive/active/active with treble boost (with mini switches, not a rotary FWIW) I can tell you that while it was fun as a technical exercise I found one setting I liked (both/single (inner) coils/passive) and generally left it at that - the only solace coming from the fact that at least I found a favourite setting which is not normally available on the stock bass. Could have spent all that time improving my playing...

I've always found bridge pickups to be utterly gutless and unappealing on their own and also found in most circumstances using both pickups together is the most polite and sterile sound that particular bass can make. So even if I have a bridge pickup it never gets used. Only 1 of my 4 current basses has more than one pickup. Still have a strange urge to have another 3 pickup bass for some reason though. Probably just how it looks and how relatively unusual that is in the bass world - no doubt I'd find one setting and stick with it (probably neck + middle on the Gibson G-3 I wish I had never sold...)

A black headstock, regardless of body colour - but everyone knew I'd say that I also enjoy a matching headstock.

I take it you're PAYE now? If so, at least that's one ballache of freelancing removed...

I have a soft spot for Schaller, mostly because of their stellar support when I was restoring a Gibson Victory. Sent gratis, 4x the parts I needed when one would have sufficed as well as a sticker and some plectrums. All for a bass made back in 1981 - champs!

Agreed - I was playing a gig one time in a giant metal shed and we tripped the power. The drums and horns kept on going and everyone just kept on dancing, it was a fun little curve ball thrown into the mix. I started clapping along - what else could I do? Power was restored within about 20 seconds (felt way longer) and we carried on with the song as if nothing had happened. Made the night - it's the main thing I remember from that gig Also, no - I haven't tried drumming. Looks difficult and I've got a guy for that!

I don't call my G&L Tribute LB-100 a "Precision bass" or a "P bass". That's because it's a G&L Tribute LB-100. It is definitely reminiscent of a Precision bass, until you notice the 21st fret (which admittedly some Precisions have, but most don't), the bridge, the headstock, the slightly slimmed down horns, the shortened lower horn, the deeper lower cutaway, the pickguard shape, the fact it's not a Fender... As far as I'm concerned a Precision bass is whatever Fender say it is.

I dunno what you mean... *furtively scratches at himself and twitches slightly*

I don't like him that much

The first video the OP put up is a good place to start. Actually I love the whole of the first album (Turn on the Bright Lights). I also quite like the track Public Pervert from the Antics album for melodic playing, particularly in the verses.