yorks5stringer

As many of our gigs are functions we tend to wear out ex-hire dinner suits but do splash out with spotted bow ties...! Photo to the left....

I know shops have to make margins but a bass hanging on the wall is not making them money, quite the reverse. So if you offer them a sensible figure you would think they were happy to turn it into cash in the till. I happen to know the one I was looking at has been in stock for at least 3 months. Worst thing is someone else will come along and buy it not noticing the scratches and pay full price.

I tried a 5 string version and found the neck too narrow for my fat fingers.....

[quote name='finnbass' post='124038' date='Jan 20 2008, 06:47 PM']These guys are worth checking out as well. Great prices and free UK delivery on orders over E150. I have bought a bass from them and had no difficulties. They seem unbeatable for price on Mark Bass stuff as well. [url="http://guitare.playback-europe.com/"]http://guitare.playback-europe.com/[/url][/quote] Got to agree, Thomann are not the cheapest on everything now and I got my Mark Bass gear from Playback too

Check the item over very carefully, they sold me something as 'new' that clearly had been on demo and had accesories missing. Having said that the price was good, free postage over around £120 I think and you get a 3 year guarantee although it means sending it back to them. The price they quote on their site is the price you pay, no duty. PS They have some quite cheap tweed cases, worth getting one at the same time, then you don't pay postage.

I had a White Roadie a few years ago that I PX'd for £400 against a Status Groove, my shoulders were quite relieved! They do seems to go for less and as said previously can sound very similar.

Went into a well known "Guitarx2" shop in Newcastle yesterday, fancied one of those White Squier Active 5 Strings they had in stock. I always ask if I can try out a Bass, never just pick it up, that was no problem and they asked me to take of my jacket ( which had no zips on) which I thought was a bit daft as my belt buckle was then more exposed! Anyway the bass was surprise surprise well set up, almost in tune although it was a struggle to hear it over the guitarist around the corner ( well it was Saturday afternoon) and I only had the amp on low volume. Had a good look at the bass as I'd decided to buy it and the back of it was quite badly scratched already, not just on the surface but ones you could feel were quite deep. I pointed this out to the young sales assistant, he insisted they would polish out, I pointed out that they were too deep for that. He said he would look to see if they had another boxed one in stock, but they did not. I suggested paying £200 cash for a bass priced on the floor for £229 given its scratched condition, which was rejected, so I left and they did not make a sale. I guess a shop always has to have items on display otherwise no-one would come in, and these are bound to get scratched/damaged but a bit surprised they would not budge on the price. Anyone else had a similar experience to me on this type of issue?

and always carry some spare fuses, the one in our PA blew in the soundcheck just before our last wedding gig and guess what, those fuses I had always meant to get, were still in Maplins.....luckily we raided another piece of close-by equipment but we were sweating on a replacement PA arriving from 1 hour's drive away in time! Hindsight's a 100% science..

[attachment=5009:CIMG0007.jpg] Here's the current rig although to be honest I've never managed to use the T151P in anger yet and may never as the T102P is so loud, lighter and if not smaller, a more manageable shape. This 'rig' fits in the boot of my hatch, shame I have to lug the PA to gigs! The Status Groove 5 in the photo has gone to be replaced by the RKS Symbass although i'm looking at a 5 String Squier Jazz tomorrow and maybe ditching the Variax 5 String, watch the For Sale ads. It's just I hardly use it even though many of the sounds are really cool. Ditto with the T151P re For Sale: it's got a Roqsolid Cover and has never been used in anger.

Roland Cube 30's often come up on ebay, pretty bulletproof and some cool FX. Like it was mentioned earlier they won't keep up with a guitar and drums but are small, light and with a reasonable sound

Hi and Welcome I remember listening to the Groundhogs in the 6th Form Centre at School, 1972-3. Happy Days! Keith

and available as the only SX bass in this country(without importing) on ebay....

Yes, The Idle Hands Trio: [url="http://www.myspace.com/idlehandstrio"]http://www.myspace.com/idlehandstrio[/url]. We are playing 2 local gigs over the next few weeks....Ilkely and the SSB at Bingley.(Actually nearly all our gigs re local!) We played Victoria Hall in September as part of the Salty Festival but not the main room. Our room was very high and hard to get a good sound with a tiny 600 watt PA....

Thanks for the welcome!

Hi Si I'm a fellow newby from t'other side of Bradford.... Keith

Hi Just joined today after lurking on a certain US site for some time. As you can see I play 5 Stringers and have a RKS Symbass (possibly one of the few in the UK?) [attachment=4791:CIMG0001.JPG] and a Variax 705 plugged into a Little Mark II and a Mark Bass T102P. [attachment=4792:CIMG0007.JPG] I've also got an unused T115P which I bought thinking the LMII would not be loud enough with just the one cab at 300 watts...how wrong I was! Been playing fairly inexpertly for 35! years and the current trio noodles along quite nicely with a couple of gigs a month. here's a link: [url="http://www.myspace.com/idlehandstrio"]http://www.myspace.com/idlehandstrio[/url] Basses I have had and sold include a 1960 EB2 ( yes I know I should never have sold it for £50), very early Silver Series Squier Precision bought new, a MIM Jazz Bass, a Jaydee Supernatural Roadie, a 5 String Status Groove Bass, a Crafter 5 String Acoustic, and a 5 String Aria Active Jazz. Amps include a Truvoice(Selmer) T&B 50 valve amp (sigh, gave it away!), an early Crate, the ubiqutous Peavey Mk3, a GK 700RB15 inch combo, and both 30 watt and 100 watt Roland Cube Basscombos. Look out, as I may be putting some of my current underused items up for sale: eg Mark Bass T115P and the Variax 705!