neepheid

I am loving the early 70s font used for the "PRECISION BASS" decal. I don't care that it technically predates Squier's existence (as an instrument brand) - the fact that they've taken the time to replicate that detail instead of using any old Letraset they had lying around is evidence to me that someone put some thought and care into these basses.

When flicking through my parent's vinyl when I was a kid, I flicked quickly past this: The decision was based purely upon how boring the cover looked. Thought it was church music or something. Only realised what I had missed when the Halifax ads started using "Our House". Needless to say, opinion duly revised.

Tricky. I think it would have to be properly "broken" in order to be considered a repair. You've kinda outed yourself by alluding to the fact that there's a degree of personal preference to this issue - I would have neglected to mention that if I was pitching this I think the KiOgon loom would fall foul, but ironically, directly replacing the preamp wouldn't, IF the existing preamp was demonstratably faulty. The hardcore among us might argue that if it's useable in passive mode then you should just soldier on as it's still able to be used as a bass, but I'm not a total meanie...

We (covers band) do it in a fairly straight ahead rock style and it goes down pretty well. How well a complete change of style/genre would go down really depends on your audience. I personally think that unless there's a famous cover of it in the new style/genre then I wouldn't bother. Additional - the opposite is true of my originals band - we have a style so if we cover a song, we do it as us. Guitar-based songs without guitars? The few people who know us know what to expect

Some songs are truly timeless, and surprisingly so. I still can't get over how many young 'uns dance enthusiastically to "Bad Moon Rising". Was it featured in an episode of Stranger Things or something?

Our lot are pretty open minded. We're all mature enough to realise that it's not about what we like or don't like - the guitarist has a pathological dislike of Oasis but we still sometimes play "Some Might Say" and I die a little inside every time I play "Don't Stop Believin'", but the punters like those songs, so what are you going to do? We do have veto powers but they're used sparingly - we generally will give anything a go but can work out quickly if it isn't working out musically. Singer vetoed one Pink song because he felt like an idiot doing an acapella rap thing in the middle, fair enough. We're going to keep adding songs, old ones kinda just drop out of the main list into the reserve list and if we haven't used them for a while they get ditched. Songs get ditched when we clock that they haven't gone down that well with a few audiences.

I think Squier have been knocking it out of the park lately with these basses - both the blue and the black one look very classy indeed. If I didn't already have a G&L Tribute LB-100, I'd have given some serious thought to obtaining one of these - probably the black one for those 70s/80s Lotus "John Player Special" vibes... Congrats on the new bass, looks lush!

I think like for like replacement of defective parts is OK. An "upgrade" through the back door using this method might be on dubious ground though.

The good thing is that it comes fitted with rounds, so it's free to try. All I'm saying is give it a chance, because like you allude to - we're all individuals.

Can we get a final scores on the doors for this thread then wrap it up? I made it, albeit with a withdrawal soother gift in August courtesy of a very generous and amazing wife. I am a lucky man.

And this year's first participation "awards" go to...

Try it with rounds first before diving straight into flats - I love the sound of mine with rounds.

Now that the traps are open and gear can be acquired again, I want to do something I've been scheming about for a while. My Epiphone Les Paul Standard bass currently has EMG-HB pickups and an EMG-BQC 3 band EQ. I did this many years ago when I wasn't sure what I wanted. Now I know that I'm done with active basses. I barely play this bass these days as I don't enjoy the clean, hi-fi sound of the EMG pickups and electronics. The bass has sentimental value so rather than move it on I thought I'd change the pickups and wiring. Pickup choices are somewhat limited if I don't want to be getting the router out. The Standard takes guitar sized humbuckers mounted in pickup rings (think PAFs). There are more expensive options like TV Jones Thundertron/mag/blade but I think I will give the Warman Drivetrain a go, they're relatively inexpensive, high output, 4 wire for series/parallel fun and are claimed to be "equally at home in a bass" by the vendor. So, what to do with 5 holes in the body for controls? My thoughts are - Stacked vol/tone for neck pickup Stacked vol/tone for bridge pickup Three way switch for series/parallel/single (neck) Three way switch for series/parallel/single (bridge) Three way switch in top of the body for pickup selection My main question would be - is it possible to have that last switch do a neck pickup only/both pickups in series/bridge pickup only like on a Fender Boxer/Jazz Bass Special, after each pickup has been individually switched for individual series/parallel/single before it hits the switch?

It's not new year until someone puts up the annual moan-a-thon thread about the Hootenanny! Happy New Year!

Nope, things arriving this year are only exempt if they were paid for (by you) in 2022. From now on, only unprompted gifts from others are allowed.

Just give me my Epiphone Jack Casady Signature, or my G&L CLF L-1000 if I'm feeling fancy and let me at it!

As long as it's hard enough to be a fingerboard then it's all good and I will judge individual basses on their own to aesthetic merits rather than what a spec sheet says.

Only 1 hour to go, 1 more eBayless hour and I'll have made it.

Nope, I have successfully navigated 2022 gear purchase free. Done my time, 1 year's enough. See you in 2024, maybe, but I've got plans for 2023 and they most certainly involve the acquisition of bass gear!

Of course not, why are you even asking?

Home stretch now. I chickened out of visiting the guitar shops when I was in Glasgow yesterday and today

I would have pounced on this as soon as it reduced in price if I hadn't been abstaining from purchasing gear this year. Well jel, congrats.

I once tried these and my main beef was how sticky they felt. Really grabby on my fingers when sliding up and down the string. Honestly, I don't even remember how they sounded, I chucked them after about 5 mins because of the feel.

Har-de-har-har. That thing in the video is a joke and I can't believe they issued it. Let's get real. OP says "Thinking about a cheap 5 string jazz". G&L is not an option for this. The cheapest 5 string they do is the Tribute L-2500 and it's around £200 more expensive than the basses the OP mentioned and ... not a Jazz. The only option to get a G&L 5 string Jazz is to get a USA made JB-5, which definitely fails on the "cheap" part of the OP's line of thinking. Come on, fellow BC old-timers, you can do better than this

There's no shame in that - I'd say it's actually laudable to stick to your guns, having the courage in your convictions and sending it back instead of meekly accepting that it'll not get played much, it languishing around the house until you can't stand the nagging feeling that you've been a bit of a fool any more then flogging it later.