paulmcnamara

There a couple of video links of Bass Direct site, but they aren't too impressive. There are elsewhere 3 You Tube Videos hosted by Sterling Ball interviewing both Musicman guitarists and bass players alike, they are much much better. I liked the bit with Tony Levin who seems well impressed with the Game Changer. I think the videos are titled The Game Changer Part 1 etc. ATB, Paul.

Just wondering if anyone in the London area might be able to visit Westside M.I. in Denmark St to try out these basses; it would be good to get some other views and impressions of these for new sale Nashes, which going by many of the comments on this and other threads, seem to be quite a bit different from previous models. Anyone up for it over the holiday period; perhaps combine it with a visit to Stratford which is very quiet this time of year!

Following on from Hutton's comment: there is perhaps something a little disingenuous regarding relicing. At its heart we are try to make out that a bass is much older than it is; and possibly also that we have played it so much that the wear is a result of our gigging/rehearsing, wearing our musical credentials on our sleeve or instrument as it were. Of course the distressed look is fashionable too, and has been for some time in many walks of life. There is perhaps something about wanting to get to the destination without travelling the journey though..... think of stone washed pre faded jeans. I can't help but think that the promise oldness provides is an illusion. We often feel good about wearing our old comfortable clothes, because they feel part of us. But I wonder if we perhaps fool ourselves into thinking that a Roadworn Fender or a Nash is going to feel like an old friend from the word go? Its an interesting area of discussion and perhaps easy to see why thinking regarding relicing is often so polarised? Be interested to know others thoughts. (Hope I haven't hijacked this thread too much)

[indent=1]I've been interested in Nash basses for a while now, and have almost purchased one on a few occasions. I've heard many reports both good and bad regarding their guitars and basses. Recently I read in these pages about a new London stockist, and having a rare trip to London planned, thought that there is really only one way to find out how these Nash basses sound: and that was to try one out myself. So I decided to stop off at Denmark Street at the new home of Nash guitars: Westside M.I. who are Nash distributors as well. After enquiring if they stocked Nash basses as well as guitars, I was taken down to the basement to the bass section, where to my surprise I found 8 Nash basses amongst the collection.[/indent] [indent=1]I decided I’d like to try the one that hit me visually: an off-white Jazz with tort scratchplate. The first thing I noticed was it’s weight, it was heavy: guessing somewhere between 10 and 11 lbs. It was connected to a Mesa bass rig comprising of M Pulse 600 head and a 2 x 10 and 1 x 15 cabinet. I set the eq flat and proceeded to check out the JB 63 Nash bass, which as the model suggests is based on a 1963 Jazz bass. This one had been fitted with Di Marzio pick ups. The second thing I noticed was the action, which I found quite high. The bass felt good, it felt worn and comfortable, it was smooth and well balanced. It was finished extremely well in the heavy aging finish as stated by the tag. It looked good, in fact it looked great, very cool with the aged off white body and tort scratchplate. If there was a flaw in the look it the scratchplate itself which around the edges looked in pristine condition. The surface as well looked new except for the occasional surface scratch. Generally the aging looks the part, and feels right.[/indent] [indent=1]So, what did she sound like? My first reaction was a bit dull. I experimented with the two pick up volumes and the tone control, but reducing the bass just left a thinner sound. I was able to change the tone with some adjustment on the amp.[/indent] [indent=1]However, my overall feeling was that I was listening to strings and pick ups but not wood. The sound was without resonance, it felt flat and characterless. I was surprised also given the weight of the bass that the mass of wood was not more forthcoming in contributing to the sound of the bass. In fact I’m sure it was contributing to the sound of the bass; how could it not? But not in the way I would have liked. It wasn’t that the bass sounded awful or anything like that; no it just felt as if something was missing. My own reference points had been my own ’62 re issue Fender Jazz and a ’76 Fender Jazz, both of which have bags of woody tone.[/indent] [indent=1]I decided to ask the assistant to let me try another Jazz. This time I chose a sunburst JB 63 fitted with Seymour Duncan pick ups.[/indent] [indent=1]This had much the same feel although the aging was medium. Again it was heavy, and the action a little on the high side. It felt good and played well. Sound-wise it was different. It was brighter and capable of a larger tonal palette. I put this down to the pick ups, which could then be tweaked further on the amp.[/indent] [indent=1]However I still felt that there was something missing in the tone department. And when I say missing, I mean missing at a really fundamental level. That real sense that every part of the instrument is important and integral to the overall sound. Sadly, I just didn’t have that feeling with either of these basses. For the money, and we are talking about £2400 for the former, and £2000 for the latter, there is much worthwhile competition from Fender Custom Shop, and the second hand market alike. Next time I think I’d like to hear the Nash Precisions to see if they fare any better.[/indent]

Tom bought some strings from me. As always a straightforward and easy transaction. Good wishes, Paul.

Thanks Gary, sold 400 tickets so far and expect a couple of hundred more on the day. Forecast is good.........

We played The Dub Aid Festival in March, which was in a marquee, taking about 400/500 people. PA was 10K, but it was the decent monitoring that made the difference. This was not our own PA I might add, an ideal set up for all the participating bands, but once you go outside whether under canvass or not, its a totally different ball game.

le bump

Just bought a Fender Jazz Jaco Tribute bass from Chris; a good, straightforward guy to deal with. Thanks a lot, Paul.

[attachment=111376:DSC_0027.JPG] Fender Jazz Jaco Fretless Fender Jazz '76 Fender Jazz '62 re issue (Fullerton '83)

I am the fortunate owner/player of a Fender Jazz 1962 re issue, which was made at the Fullerton factory in 1983. Fender aficionados will doubtless know that between 1982 and 1985 Fender brought out the old Pre CBS tools, techniques, and people to build reissues that would, to all intents and purposes, be pre CBS models all but in name (and perhaps age). One of the key ingredients was the Nitrocelulose lacquer, which has, over nearly 30 years, allowed the alder/ash bodies to age and change in sound, unlike those instruments made with the newer mass production tools and techniques. All in all one ends up with a Pre CBS bass or guitar without the hefty 10K price tag and all the attendant worries of transporting to rehearsal and gigs. And they do sound very close to pre CBS models. However folks in the USA seem to prize these instruments far more so than do their counterparts here in the UK. A quick scan of [url="http://www.fenderreissue.com/"]http://www.fenderreissue.com[/url] and [url="http://www.fenderreissue.com/fullerton/1983-fender-62-precision-bass-3399-sold"]http://www.fenderrei...-bass-3399-sold[/url] will confirm prices in the $5,000 area, whereas here they can be picked up for considerably less. My own 62 re issue Jazz was purchased last year from Andy Baxter of Hackney, who specialises in vintage basses. He is top whack re prices but has a good selection, and has a bass finding service. As you can see from the picture my 62 has seen good service. Its all natural ageing, no relicing here! It is one of the lightest basses I have played and feels as if I’ve been playing it for 30 years or more. It was not particularly well set up when I got it, I have since had a fret stone and set up and it plays like a dream. I use an Aguilar TH500 amp through 2 Aguilar SL 112 cabinets which, I feel, presents the many different aspects of a Jazz Bass from the deep lows to the crisp but rounded highs and the varying mid/middle ground. After years of having an arsenal of basses I found in this 62 re issue all I ever wanted in a bass, especially the absence of a needed decision, as to which bass I should use. However, whilst my bass was in dry dock for its fretstone and set up I borrowed a 1976 Jazz bass from my brother, which he was no longer using. I had originally bought it for him secondhand back in the late 80’s. He suggested that I have it back as he didn’t expect to use it again, and felt that I would get some enjoyment out of it. So I now have the use of this 76 Mocha/Rosewood Jazz bass, which in contrast to the 62 is one of the heaviest basses I have played; it has an ash body, but wow, does it sound good. Better than the 62? No, just different. Brighter, as do most 70’s Fender Jazzes due to the change of bridge pick up position in that later period; different because it is very much the CBS period of production, but a very worthy addition to my 62 and although I was happy for a year with just one bass, its good to have a back up, and a choice can be useful sometimes to ‘ring in the changes’. [attachment=111345:DSC_0025.JPG]

Le Bump

If you plan to keep it for ever, then it really doesn't matter what you do with it. If you like the Jazz sound, buy a jazz bass.