SisterAbdullahX

Hi y'all, and Happy New Year!! Anybody have any experience of buying a used bass from the US? Have my eye on something and was wondering if I would have to pay import tax/vat on it and also what it would cost to have it sent over and finally who is the most reliable carrier? Cheers!

I had a 4.5xl and it was very very nice. Would still have it if it wasn't so darned heavy.

Yep, only good reports here, too. I have the 5210, plenty loud (not had to turn it past 10 o'clock) and still a one hand carry!

There's a battered old 410tx in a rehearsal room I used to use, looks like it's seen active service in Afghanistan and weighs a ton but sounds absolutely like a top end expensive cab with my equally battered old Hartke 3500. Respect!

This is top of my Christmas list. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMQ5l5ijbZc"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMQ5l5ijbZc[/url]

[quote name='charic' post='1357471' date='Aug 31 2011, 01:16 PM']Ouch that stings[/quote] Go direct!

[quote name='Delberthot' post='1350082' date='Aug 24 2011, 11:26 AM'][url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=jazz+bass+-string*+-pendant+-mug+-mini*&_sacat=4713&LH_BIN=1&_sop=15&LH_PrefLoc=1&_dmpt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&_odkw=jazz+bass+-string*+-pendant+-mug+-mini&_osacat=4713&_trksid=p3286.c0.m270.l1313"]Really?[/url] [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/cat.html?gf=4_string_j_basses&ls=100&oa=pra"]More[/url] I'm really not trying to have a go although my response was sarcastic but the market is swimming in Jazz basses of all colours and body woods well under a grand.[/quote] That's fair enough, there are plenty of cheaper Jazzes out there. However, I've never heard what a Crafter or an Aria Jazz sounds like and I have heard the Willows, which is why my original question was "is this the BEST SOUNDING 300 quid you can spend?" I didn't say "is this the best sounding JAZZ BASS COPY you can spend 300 quid on?" Sarcasm, you say? I didn't detect any!

[quote name='Delberthot' post='1349873' date='Aug 24 2011, 08:30 AM']Digging that modern modeonham bosimyeon Woooooo, a Jazz bass. There's not many different versions of that is there? Sorry but I just cannot get excited about another jazz bass copy to go with the squillions already out there[/quote] The majority of the squillions out there cost between 1 and 3 thousand pounds. This one costs 300 pounds. That for me is something to get excited about.

[quote name='Dom in Somerset' post='1349706' date='Aug 23 2011, 11:26 PM']COMING SOON SPUNKY VENUS! [url="http://www.willowsguitar.com/willow_sub1.html"]http://www.willowsguitar.com/willow_sub1.html[/url][/quote] Lovely!

[quote name='Mikeg' post='1349622' date='Aug 23 2011, 10:24 PM']What currency does that website trade in? Looks very cool [/quote] Not sure, but kennyrodg has a post up about them from a few years ago and mentioned how straightforward the order process was.

[quote name='redstriper' post='1349798' date='Aug 24 2011, 01:40 AM']Believe the hype, the bass sounds great in the video and here's some more from info from the site: "Spunky series of increased requests for a long time there was a but, is only now introduced to all of you. Passive Jazz Bass Fender Jazz Bass as the concept of a vintage t 70% to 30% + I mixed the modern modeonham bosimyeon alike feels you'd want to gauge. Gently scoop the middle between ranges, and the bass and treble well survive a cold slab seamless tones and more subtle and more soberly to eoulrilman to play. Fender Jazz Bass has the look of the waist compared to the more slender and more nalryeophayeo overall appearance with the beauty and light weight, relatively little guy's got a little lady has been designed to complement deulegedo. "Spunky Standard" and we encourage you to create a wonderful groove."[/quote] My sentiments exactly!

[quote name='BigRedX' post='1349486' date='Aug 23 2011, 09:05 PM']I'm pretty certain that there's at least one BassChatter who's got one. Hopefully they'll be along in a bit to tell you more.[/quote] Yes, kennyrodg paid 285 quid including delivery(!) for one a few years back. Don't know if he's still on here or not.

[url="http://willowsguitar.com/shop/board/view.php?id=Video&no=5"]THIS[/url] bass would currently set you back £313 plus delivery! Sounds like a (good) Sadowsky in places, at one seventh of the price. Looks good, too. I even like the name! Very nice playing by the young lady, track a little cheesy, granted. For the money, is there a better sounding bass around at the minute?

[quote name='PauBass' post='1348377' date='Aug 22 2011, 08:28 PM']This is what you need if you want to stop dancing: [url="http://www.thegigrig.com/acatalog/switching_systems.html"]http://www.thegigrig.com/acatalog/switching_systems.html[/url] Expensive, not so much second hand, but worth every penny...in my opinion. I'v got quite a few pedals in my board and I use a Gigrig 14 Pro, with just one click I can have any pedal combination I want or none at all. [/quote] Beautiful!

[quote name='fxpedal.co.uk' post='1334216' date='Aug 9 2011, 09:20 PM']You could look at the Carl Martin Octaswitch or Combinator. They're loop switchers but don't have anywhere near the features of the GigRig ones. Then again, the price is significantly lower. But you specifically mention that you are attracted to the unique features of the GigRig switchers so I doubt you would be satisfied with the Carl Martin options. If you decide to go either the Carl Martin or GigRig route, let us know and we may be able to sort something out for you.[/quote] Yes, checked out the Carl Martin pedals, but having seen the GigRig I think I'd always feel like I was missing out. If I get rich anytime soon I'll have a Pro 14 off you. Thanks.

[quote name='Coilte' post='1342168' date='Aug 16 2011, 05:34 PM']It is one thing to have the knowledge itself, but be sure that you have the teaching ability to be able to convey it. Teaching is a different thing altogether. Some people have the skill/talant/vocation for it, while others dont.[/quote] Yep, agreed. I feel the only way for me to truly find out is to do it.

I'm considering getting into teaching and would appreciate any advice anyone has. My first move was going to be to buy the RGT books and get graded and then onto the Registry. The only real experience I have is from covering for a friend (who is probably the best bass player in the north east, actually, there's no probably about it, he is!) years ago, when he went on holiday. To be honest, I found it quite terrifying, mainly because some of his students were already at a high level and I went in quite unprepared due to time constraints. I have found myself being drawn to it again over the last year or so (in fact I may have posted something like this before, but I can't find it if I did), but have obviously learnt the importance of being well prepared. I'd like to know what syllabus/books do people favour? How do you get into becoming a peripatetic? I don't have a music room so how much would I expect to pay to rent a room in a shop? How much can be earned and just generally what do you all advise? Ta!

[quote name='Gareth Hughes' post='1328352' date='Aug 5 2011, 10:04 AM']Well, I'm guessing it's £900 hard [/quote] Looks like you could be right!

Been on the Gigrig website, their pro 14 looks awesome! But at 900 quid, it ain't cheap! Anyone know of anyone who could make a copy for considerably less cash? The main features of the Gigrig I like are the buffer circuit and individual preamps, and the mode switches to switch between selecting a loop with up to 10 effects or to select individual effects on top of the slected loop. It's some switches, DIP switches, jacks and leds, right? How hard can it be?

[quote name='Chris2112' post='1314019' date='Jul 23 2011, 06:00 PM']Pound for pound, the 'off the rack' Sanberg basses are better than the basses Sadowsky make. The most impressive thing about Sadowsky is their reputation and their price tag, as the playing experience doesn't really stack up. Sure, they make a fine jazz bass, but you're [i]always[/i] paying for the name. Which is madness, considering the competition is making better jazz basses cheaper. I'm not sure what disappointed me most, the Metro or NYC stuff. The Metro stuff was bad because it felt quite cheap and wasn't terribly impressive. But I expected that in a way because they are the buget models. The NYC stuff was also a big let down because, whilst you could see it's handmade roots, they were nothing special save for a few nice pieces of top wood with a massive pricetag attached. I love handmade, custom basses but the competition is so far ahead of them now.[/quote] Yes, having just disagreed with something you said in another post, I think I also agree with you on this one. My experience with Sadowskys has been good and bad. I recommended a friend go and try one out, which he did, then he bought a Metro UV4. He has since become seriously unhappy with it, in particular with it's inability to sound like a Jazz Bass! I tried it at one of his gigs and loved it to bits. I then went the next day to the same shop he bought his and tried one and was completely unimpressed! Played great but sounded bland. This is when they were a still not cheap £1800, not the £2100 they are now. I enquired with the shop manager to see if they intended to get any Xotic basses in, having been blown away by a Travis Carlton vid from the Xotic site, to which he replied "nah, they're the same price as the Sadowskys but they don't have the heritage!" Who cares about heritage or reputation or name? Surely it's all about sound and playability.

[quote name='gjones' post='1327862' date='Aug 4 2011, 09:56 PM']Well since I have never spent $5,000 on a bass I am unqualified to comment.[/quote] No, but you did buy the '62 Reissue that I gave you 450 quid for, which I absolutely love! That's it for me, I wouldn't spend 5 grand on a bass, even if I could afford to, because there's just no need! It wouldn't give me 10 times the tone or make me 10 times the player than the Jazz does. Another thing to consider is my '62 will always be worth 450 quid, whereas a 5 grand bass will lose 2 grand as soon as it leaves the shop.