uk_lefty

...and does the Octaver make the glitching noise you get with an OC-2?

Well done on finding a practical use for a keys player!

I've said it so many times but that fretless Harley Benton is a fantastic bass. The US Jazz is lovely too, pictures don't do the colour justice and the neck feels fantastic.

Left to right: Epiphone Jack Casady Mex Fender P USA Stingray USA Fender jazz Fretless five string Kramer Striker Lying down: Harley Benton fretless

I often have to explain the meaning of some lyrics to our singer. He's great, but he just doesn't get into what the lyrics are about, the stories in the songs, etc. I accept it's just the way some people are, but they're missing a whole new world IMO.

I'd love to get a four string one of these to try out, really like the finish on the fretboard and with that active EQ it must be incredible. I'm a big fan of the Sire jazz basses having owned two. Get a decent thick strap and the neck dive shouldn't be an issue. But if you play a four hour gig in a sweaty club in Amsterdam with this over your shoulder you'll end the night feeling like one leg is much shorter than the other!!

I've been thinking about trimming down the number of basses recently.... Now I've seen this

Aaahhhh I get it.

Loving the matching headstocks!!

I used to do the same on my Stingray and just used my standard Ernie Ball Slinky strings, whatever the guage is in the pink packet. No issues with excess flop or flap.

One thing I love about some of my better pedals, Darkglass duality fuzz and Alpha Omicron drive, is that they retain a lot of the punchiness of the attack. I find a lot of drive pedals made of bass just make a fizzy noise that takes out the attack. How are the drives on the ME90B?

SCPBs? Not familiar with that... Anyhow, I won't turn my nose up at greatest hits. Played the jazz last night, gorgeous instrument. The Stingray is a cut above everything though.

How did I forget Kickstart My Heart!!?? 💫

I'm a left handed bass player and over the years I've been tempted to answer a few ads for Beatles tributes. If I had joined any I would be buying a Hofner and the black suit with no lapels, white collarless shirt, otherwise what's the point? If you don't do the clothes and get the instruments in the right ballpark then why even restrict yourself to material from just one band? Just be a sixties cover band or whatever. My band at the moment is being asked to do 00's theme nights. We've had tons of discussions about whether we should include a song or two from 1999 or 2010, whether there is anything distinctive from the decade to wear, etc. but luckily it's not too complicated to pull off. We've never had anyone say "hey! Left handed mexican p basses weren't available in the Noughties!" Or criticism of how we dress. At the end of the day, when we do this we are "The Desert Penguins plays the Noughties" or something similar title so that you know we are a band doing a special set for the night, rather than a specialist band... If we were we would have to be called "The Noughty boys" or something awful like that.

People are just rude. At least they didn't go over any pedals.

I bought one of these on a whim. It was utterly ridiculous. Loud as thunder, and flippin massive. Luckily it had wheels.

Probably from lefties who had to learn on right handed instruments

Not modification as such but more dressing it up. I really like the neck pickup cover on a jazz, jury is out on the P though. It looks special, but I miss playing right over the pickup.

Looking good!!! I have one also, wouldn't say it's at all heavy though. Haven't bothered upgrading mine at all, sounds great as it is. I really like the fretboard on these.

To answer the original question.... I paid £1800+ for my US Stingray in 2019. They were about £800 new at one point in time but I didn't have the money then. So I guess to me it was worth it. I've owned other good quality mass produced basses since including US and Japanese Fenders and the Stingray is still a cut above those. So on relative terms it was worth what I paid. Also, had I not paid the price I wouldn't have been able to buy it. Lots of different ways of looking at value/ worth but I'm comfortable with my decision.

I'm from Yorkshire too 😀😀 Joking. I know what you mean. My US Jazz was only bought because it was the last one and had £300 off.

This Saturday The Desert Penguins are back at the Brewhouse in Cardiff, just nextdoor to the famous chippy alley. We played there last year and had a phenomenal time. What a great venue!! We will be playing rock and indie covers from the 00's to today, and some pop-goes-rock on the way too.

I've owned MIM Fenders, Sires and a Harley Benton jazz. 90's MIM Fenders are not great IMO but the 2012 onwards are good quality instruments. Sires are excellent though, a whole other level IMO especially the V7 and all the options you can have. The Harley Bentons are not as "good" as either but for less than £175 new you are getting incredible value. I gig a Harley Benton fretless jazz because it's a great bass, regardless of it costing 1/10th of other basses I own.

I got my Kramer Striker five string fretless in 2002. It was my second bass, bought for my 18th birthday. My parents, divorced, clueless about music, contributed 1/3 the cost each and I the rest. It was between this and a Steinberger Spirit, back in the old Musicyo days. I went for the Kramer because it was both five string, very hard to get lefty then, and fretless and i'd just been introduced to Pearl Jam. I still occasionally gig this bass, but rarely now because it doesn't suit the style of music I'm playing. We talked about doing a studio recording and video and immediately I thought of this bass. It's a cheaply put together bass which now has a Kiogon loom to get the best out of the stock pickups, but it feels and sounds great. I love it and can never get rid of it.