Bigwan

I'd swap out the tuners, although if they're anything like the CV ones you might not need to. Squier's producing some top notch stuff nowadays!

[quote name='greyparrot' post='1003323' date='Oct 28 2010, 08:28 AM']personally i think these basses have had a bad start in life, but i think they are becoming more and more accepted in the bass comunity now for the tone beast that they are. I think also more players are using them now and that will creat more interest. Look at the wal bass 15 years ago bass centre could not shift them at £700 now look.[/quote] Yeah Wal's got hit with the whole 80's stigma backlash... Bongo's just got hit with the ugly stick! j/k I actually really like the look of them, but then my wife tells me I have weird taste (don't think she gets the irony in that!)...

+1 to all that GP. Love mine!

There used to be (Rea Sound in Cookstown was probably the best for bass @ a time), but alas no more. I'd love to do the bass equivalent of Mr. Drums (Coleraine), but don't currently have the time, space or money! Oddly there seem to be more drummers out there than bass players - don't know how that works... (note to self: must go down and have a word with Rob @ Mr. Drums and see how feasible it would be to do it for bass...) I find an occasional trip to London the best way for a bass fix (The Gallery) although I've yet to visit BassDirect - kinda scared to really...

[quote name='Lfalex v1.1' post='1000763' date='Oct 26 2010, 07:47 AM']Absolutely everything you can get your hands on! No, really! Considered going second-hand? There's some lovely stuff in the For Sale section, and your money'll go a LOT further...[/quote] +1 to all of that

"heading to the UK fiarly soon . . ." you say. Anything you wan't to share with the group Barry?

I would entirely disagree with my learned colleague. If it were me, and this is only my opinion, immediately strike the Stingray from your list. Any of the other 3 can be great basses, but play them first to take out the 'pig' factor The Burpster mentioned. The 4 string MM Stingrays I've owned/played have been entirely underwhelming - I prefer the Ibanez ATK any day of the week at 1/3 the price. The Bongo can be magnificent though.

Yeah! Grow a pair! You're not guitar players...

From your description a v-type pre would be the answer, but they're not easy to come by.

The way I see it I'd rather they spent 3 years getting it right before releasing it than spend 3 years fixing the problems that should have been found in R&D - the lightweight offerings from GK are a prime example - they're up to release version 7 now I believe... Having said that Larry probably should have kept the Kilo idea quite rather than saying 'coming soon'.

Unless you're handy with a soldering iron I'd go with the John East, which is plug and play (no soldering) - literally! If you're going to have to pay someone to install an Aggie pre you're almost into the East territory anyway. (If you're handy with a soldering iron you could have a go at fixing the error in the MM preamp for a start before spending any money - see the Harmony Central review of the MM for a description of how to do it.)

...and please don't be put off listening to any samples by all the self advertising BS on the website - not my choice of how things should be done!

Perhaps not as impressive post mix!

My former band have finally released their debut album. It features drumming by former Paradise Lost/current 'Six Of The Best' drummer Lee Morris (a real gent) and a guest appearance by former Cradle of Filth female vocalist Sarah Jezebel Deva. Available UK wide now via Code 7 distribution and iTunes. There'll be ads in Kerrang, Metal Hammer, Terroizer and Rock Sound in the coming weeks and months, but have a look at [url="http://www.creationstears.com"]www.creationstears.com[/url] for more info, studio diaries, pics, clips and nonsense! They're sans bass player at the minute, so if anyone's interested in some melancholy metal/dark rock in the vein of Katatonia and Paradise lost then contact Eddie via the website.

I have the 4x12 that I've contemplated selling... alas you're bleeding miles away and it ain't small (and it's the older livery - Tech Soundsystems era)!

Having owned one in the past I'd say no, for me they wouldn't be worth the money at the current used/new prices. Nice basses, but not THAT nice for me. Nice for the £500 I spent on mine (although it was a VERY well used example at that price) IMHO and YMMV.

I've been doing this lately too - actually recorded my last bands whole album on methelated Elites! Works a treat!

As per you Andy, I've always been an Elites man. I think initially it was because they were available locally, but I've grown accustomed to their feel and sound. They maybe don't keep the zing as long as some others, but that suits me just fine. I vary my gauge depending on the bass and tuning, but I've come to conclusion that if my fingers can take it I'll be moving to the heaviest I can stand (50-110 at the minute, but only on my 34" scales) - it really does help my sound.

[quote name='essexbasscat' post='981526' date='Oct 8 2010, 01:06 PM']Chinese CV Jazz or P. Both punch well above their weight. Keep the change.[/quote] +1. Or a used Warwick Corvette (my previous ATK recommendation might not suit as the neck's pretty chunky!).

Ibanez ATK300. I bought an ATK700 (with a few cosmetic issues and a dodgy switch and jack socket) last week for £150. Bargain I say... BARGAIN!!!

Stingray...

I think all the BBx14 series are basically the same bass, but the 'X' has a pickguard and the 614 is active. The x24 seems to have a 5 piece neck but otherwise virtually the same as the x14 series as far as I can see. All good. I wasn't knocked out by the 5 string version and didn't think the active circuita was great either, but the 414 (and therefore presumably the 414X and the newer 424) is a cracking bass for the money. In my experience Yamaha don't make crap basses at all.

Both the basses I saw were Sadowsky's. A natural standard 5 with maple board and a red 4 with rosewood board and matching red headstock. Didn't see the whole show though.

The Yamaha BB's are great basses for 4 strings, but I found the BB415/615 very lackluster in the B-string department... may just have been the examples I played though.

[quote name='markstuk' post='966574' date='Sep 24 2010, 12:19 PM']See... [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=102569&hl="]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=102569&hl=[/url][/quote] Brilliant basses!