BassBod

I currently make half a living, but I get free childcare too...but basically what Jake says. I would also stress that learning to "play" jazz is the most useful skill. Its about feel, good sound, playing with different musicians all the time, and playing the part required (rather than how Entwistle or Flea or Jaco would do it). Those are transferable skills that all musicians respect and recognise. You don't have to be the best, but you do have to get the job done well, whatever the setting. I've met loads of players who are only interested in one style of music, and have never tried or listened to anything else. I could never work with that mindset. Above all be honest with yourself - have you got the interest? If you want to drive a nice car....think carefully. BB

I'd try SMART - I think he pops up here sometimes. Distributors can sometimes arrange a demo, or at least let you know how long it will take ot get one. I think with the this one, I'd risk a purchase unseen. They've been around for a while and Bob Gollihur still sells them! I bought my Clifton having tried one for a few mins a year or so before hand, but I didn't even have interweb access then and there was very little choice. Glad to say ten years later I'm still very happy with mine, although I do get nagged sometimes about playing something acoustic (even though it would always be plugged in....) BB

The best EUB case I've seen was with a Chris Larkin Blen, (in Norway..or somewhere bright and cold). It was a simple trunk, but made out of some sort of fibreboard, like drum cases used to be. Not very heavy, but great protection - although it was a bit of a coffin. My Clifton's flightcase was a lot heavier. I think the best bet is to have a gig-bag made to fit - may be call some makers (Shuker, Larkin, Clifton) see who they use? BB

I emailed EA today with a question on my (secondhand) iamp500 - got a reply (very helpful, honest and detailed!) within about an hour - I was amazed. So anyone else with "issues"...worth a try? BB

Its also worth remembering that there are plently of people around with the readies to pay these prices, or V&R and the like wouldn't exist. I'm definatley in the low income bracket....so I'm happy to look. BB

I'm a freelancer/gigwhore, so I'll do anything that pays (!) but I'm always very careful to sound-out all potential bookings (weddings, dance clubs, resturants, even barn dances and the (very) odd bluegrass festivals) to make sure its a sensible mix. I've done a few that were completely wrong (blues gig, with one blues fan and a lot of bewildered friends!) and you learn pretty quickly.... BB

I sometimes visit the V&R in Bath, usually to use the services of their excellent tech (Mr Manners, down in the basement). They are there for the investors and serious collectors, not scruffy skint musos like me. They're always polite, let me try things out etc but I'm never going to pay their prices in this lifetime. There are sometimes items that aren't given daft prices (less collectable things like musicmasters, heavily modded stuff) so its worth looking out for "players" instruments that collectors wouldn't want. I checked out a Fender Jaco relic (the expensive one) and it was nice, but the body "work" was very fake looking. They wanted £2k secondhand. I've put together a fantastic Bravewood Jazz from leftovers here on BC for something like £600. Thats more like my world... BB

PM me? Not far from Keynsham... BB

Oh..forgot to say you don't have to worry about distortion much, just adjust the internal mic gain (only three positions) to suit the environment. The internal mics seem very good (and can "emulate" SM57 or Neumans...but I've no idea how accurate these are). BB

I use the H4 - its very good, provided you take a bit of time to learn how to handle uncompressed Wav files. I think the Cubase that comes with it is far more than you generally need, so I use Audacity to edit recordings and produce CD's. I think I'd buy the H2 now (it wasn't released when I got mine). BB

Just a thought - but I'd love to hear a Jasss bass fitted with Alembic pickups and circuit. My Epic is sooo active and clean, it could almost be passive. Sounds great with flats even. So that's the way I see it. Passive is generally nicer, but active can be great if its really really high quality....oooeer, that might upset a few people? BB

I've always kept an Aguilar DB924 handy - very like the original Sadowsky preamp (without the DI). Can make a good passive Jbass straight into a Marcus /Will Lee/ Vic Bailey soundalike...and you don't have to put circuitry and 9Vs into the bass. I normally prefer Fenders passive (with nickel rounds or flats) but sometimes you just need that active slam... BB

I've liked every (well maybe 3!) Sadowsky I've touched, but I'd prefer a passive one, with the external footpedal preamp. The best I've owned is my current Bravewood, made out of other people's leftovers...but feels and sounds just like an old jassss should. BB

From the bassbod archive... [attachment=8687:DSCN0731.JPG] BB

The Status black plastics are superb on fretless, and won't even tickle your board...and as always Thomastik flats are a great sound. What's the fingerboard? Ebony stands up pretty well to nickel rounds (DR Sunbeams - pricey but great), but with a rosewood board I'd go for flats or plastic coated. BB

My suggestion for a Pbass is always (yaawwn) Thomastik flats - yes, I know they're flats again, but really not like anything else out there (odd gauges, very floppy feel, may need some set up changes) but the sound is fantastic. Makes a P a bigger, better, warmer P than you'd think possible. The nickel round Infeld Superalloys are Thom's version of a Rotosound - very nice, traditional guages and tension, but warmer and "older sounding" than Roto stainless. I'd also recomend Overwater, Manson or even Picato 735's (yes, everyone hates them but as long as you're not looking to sound like Marcus..) They're all around £12 a set, or less. BB

Very nice bass there.... BB

I've had the same problem with 90's SWR stuff - 2U case but hole spacing requires a 3U space. I'm sure they did this to make sure there was cooling space around the amps (they do get hot, and use aluminium cases to get rid of the heat, as well as noisy fans). SKB have more holes, so you can use them with no problem - but check they haven't changed their designs recently. The new "roto-moulded" stuff also doesn't have the aluminium rack rail that bends when it gets dropped. BB

I'm not an expert (thankfully..) but my old 73 mongrel Pbass was similar - as its natural, you never know if it was given a clear top coat later to cover surface damage, or whether fender mixed poly/nitro. For a 76 bass I'd expect it to be all poly? I know early 70's necks are often poly, except for the headstock face (they were worried that the decals wouldn't work under poly) so the headstock often yellows and cracks, when the back of the neck remains in better shape. My Pbass seemed to be poly, but with a clearcoat of nitro - applied over "bare wood" wear in places - not a factory job. Unless they had a really bad day. BB

Any beeswax furniture polish will do the job, but avoid anything that contains silicon. For the neck, use oil rather than wax so it doesn't feel sticky - tung oil is fine, gun stock is better (dries quicker and harder). The Warwick wax seems expensive, but I prefer it because it produces a softer, thinner finish than most furniture waxes, and it works on the neck without feeling sticky. If the bass is old and grubby I'd suggest a clean all over with steel wool ( the plastic stuff doesn't stick to your pickups) followed by a coat or two of tung/gunstock oil. A few days later, a coat or two of wax. BB

I'd be tempted to put a standard fender style bridge on, and then put a bridge cover over it. Saves trying to get extra long strings for through body stringing etc BB

Yep - that one...

Somewhere (?) I've seen a Wilkinson version, still with only two bridge saddles, but with an allen key adjustment so you can "slant" them to improve intonation between the pairs of strings. No idea if it really does improve things, of course, but an interesting idea. BB