uk_lefty

update... Sort of. Band took a hiatus through most of August due to holidays. By the time we got together for a rehearsal I'd bought a new bass so testing out the preamp pedals went to the bottom of my list. However, my findings so far are that a great sound for a passive jazz bass on the Batallion does not work for an active jazz bass at all! I'm also a bit miffed that I can't just kick in the distortion, I need to have the EQ section running, so I can't just use it as a distortion pedal for the active bass. I might whip out the passive jazz on tomorrow night's gig and engage the Batallion to see what it does live, but I honestly can't see me putting down the new active bass while I'm having so much fun with it. The Hartke is now off my board asking what the hell it ever did wrong.

Japanese Fender precisions can be had at a good second hand price. I love mine, quality and simplicity. Different types of string completely change the character, but it's always a Precision. The ultimate plug and play, no faffing about, gigging bass.

I had the pleasure of being on jury duty for a rather unsophisticated Gumtree "scammer"... Well, not "scammer" as such but he used Gumtree to set someone up for a mugging. Meet me at the train station, I'm not there yet walk to the bus stop, I'm not there yet walk down this alleyway.... Then batters the lad and nicks the phone. Silly thing was he did it in an alleyway that led to his house. With all the other evidence presented there was not much "reasonable doubt" left and he was rightly convicted. When we have the verdict the judge told us he's already admitted a few more of these so this would be added to his sentence. Seems some small errors in the victim statement provided enough to take this one to jury. Anyway, seller not giving a proper location and messing you around is a massive red flag. Google earth is also your friend. When trying to rent a flat through Gumtree many years back I thought the address wasn't right but didn't know the area. It was the local holiday Inn.

If you ever get insomnia I can bore you with a lot more. Loving it!

Yep! Was happily using my P as my main gigging bass this summer then used my jazz for half a set and thought actually that bridge pickup is "my" sound. Just bought a Sire and I love it.

My drummer has done it twice, handed his sticks over to a known drummer once and another time some kid kept asking to have a go so the drummer got him on for a song he hates. He thinks we're an alright band.

What was more exciting, the bass or the dangerous encounter, making sure the fuzz weren't following you, staying in the CCTV blindspots... ?

I had a guy buy an amp who was a decent chap but he "tested" it at full volume in a flat in the evening which I wasn't happy with and he had the most terrible BO. I had the windows wedged open for ages afterward to get rid of the stench. Also he talked and talked and talked... All the while I'm trying not to gag on the smell of his stale sweat. Meeting up somewhere public is way better if the item is non Electrical so doesn't need testing!

In case anyone is thinking about these I've done an NBD thread in the main bass guitars section (can't get my phone to link it here). Have used the Sire in a 2hr rehearsal last night and will gig it on Saturday. So far incredibly impressed.

Used it last night for two hours with the band going through new songs. Wow. I'd put this up there with my Japanese Fender for quality, maybe not quite the same but almost. The only higher quality bass I've played is a Sandberg costing three times as much, and I would not say there's three times the difference. Sound wise I'm not used to active EQ. I've had active basses in the past but always run them passive. With this one I tried a little bit of cutting and boosting here and there but I loved the sound so much I was running flat EQ on the amp, no pre amp pedal, all the controls on the bass pretty much flat including the pickup pan. With this bass you get a really snappy sound, bright-ish and raspy when everything set flat but a smidge more front pickup and a smidge of bass boost and that snappiness is gone and you get a thick, deep rumbly bass tone. I bought this for many reasons, including to see whether I should spend big later on a bass such as a Sandberg and what body, fingerboard and number of strings would suit me... But I'm so bowled over by this I think it's a keeper. Time shall tell. It will come out to gig on Saturday night. The tuners hold really well. Half an hour before practice I took it down half a step and it did fine. The stock strings are surprisingly good. The initial set up is excellent. If I change the bridge it will be more cosmetic I think. Believe the hype on Sire, this is excellent value!

It's that 15v power requirement that's stopping me buying the Californiwah. I'm ok with running one Eden pedal needing its own plug but two is too much. If these were 9v it would be ideal

Fair comment! Might be worth checking how they print then.

True, but with well over fifty songs we can all have a mental block from time to time! Can't remember a gig where one of us hasn't had to ask what chords for a particular song.

We managed to sell out of all the small t shirt runs we've had done just for a local covers band. Got some more on order for this weekend but the supplier we use is also the drummers work wear supplier so we get treated well by them through that association. Sportswear companies are good at this kind of thing too, they will have the embroidery and heat printing stuff ready. So if there's a supplier you already know, and they don't have to be a "specialist band t shirt provider", you may get more flexibility than someone who takes your order literally and doesn't apply any of their own initiative, but still takes your cash

For that kind of money you may be able to get an SUB. Also the fakery is done very badly, if it's a "vintage" say, then it would have been better off remaining a "vintage". And there's nothing wrong with OLP or SUB basses, not sure why the person has bothered, particularly with the "made in" decal on the back of the headstock!

Have had a five string for about seventeen years, for a long time it was my only bass. For the way I play letting an open B ring while I go to another note on the E or A string has an advantage, as does getting a thundering low D in here and there, also found having that lower Eb useful. I've just yesterday received my first ever fretted fiver, a Sire V7 vintage. I love my four string jazz bass with drop D tuner but I wanted to have more options for hand position and think more about that aspect, than just playing it as a four with a low D when needed. Also I need to keep a bass in standard tuning for playing along with mp3s but my band plays down half a step. I might try to keep the Sire in standard tuning and adjust my hand position, but that could throw off the other guitarists!! The only thing that has put me off a lot of fivers in the past is narrow string spacing. That's put me off a lot of fours too to be fair The Sire just feels very comfortable though for string spacing and neck width.

That has dodgy written all over it. No, "oh, sorry I thought I'd sent the payment" just asking you if you've posted when he knows darn well he hasn't paid then he tries to make an offer of part payment... Smells fishy to me. Avoid.

I'm not yet sure if it's an issue at all, but will keep an eye on it in case I have to send back. It was an internet purchase so I have time to check it at full tilt tonight with the band before taking the cellophane off the pickguard. If it's something my set up guy can quickly correct I'd rather hang on for him, it's a natural finish and I'm not sure I'll get a replacement just as nice.

Just had a good run through and it hasn't seemed to make the slightest bit of difference, fortunately. When it gets set up I might ask the Luther to have a look but it isn't stopping anything happening right now.

Just bought a new jazz bass and not had chance to play plugged in yet. Noticed that one of the pole pieces is not flush with the top of the pickup cover but about 1 or 2 mm set in, if that makes sense. Question is, does this affect anything at all? Playing unplugged the bass is glorious so don't want there to be an issue or repair bill. Thank you!

I use these already. No complaints so far. Just interested in how a cable can be bass specific, as Vox claim. Not criticising, I love buying things that I convince myself will make me sound better!

It has arrived! Not had a plugged in play with it but initial impressions as follows... It has arrived almost in tune and with the lowest action ever. It feels really nicely balanced, the swamp ash looks great, lovely grain and no obvious mismatching where the different bits of wood have been fitted together. The neck feels nice and fast. I don't usually like a glossy neck coating but it seems to feel alright at the moment, sweaty hands are the real test for that though! Unplugged it seems plenty resonant and to have quite a tight defined sound. I like the body end rod adjustment. The controls feel sturdy and have a centre detent which is good. The bridge looks very bog standard, a chunkier bridge would make this bass look higher end and may help get the snappiness I'm looking for from this bass. The neck has no sharp frets and looks to be well put together. Neck pocket could be ever so slightly better but I'm not at all worried. Just got to get this plugged in as soon as I can and let it rip!!

I like the look of that... But what makes it bass specific?

Thank you, but a week too late for me, sadly 😑