JapanAxe

I had a VM4 and it never sounded 'scooped' to me. The JM5 (or TM5) has a J pickup where the VM4 has a P, so that could have something to do with it.

I bought a guitar from Canada via eBay. The seller was a Canadian retailer, who arranged shipping at about £40. The final leg of the journey was by UPS (I think) and it arrived within a week of purchase. A month later I got a bill from them for import duty and handling - d'oh! I'm not certain, but I think eBay's international shipping service now means duties can be paid up-front, thus avoiding the handling fee at this end.

Not one for me, but top marks for a well-thought-out ad!

For sound, convenience and space-saving, go for a U-bass. Acoustic bass guitars are huge, often a chore to play, and don't sound like much in a band context. I tried 2 Ashbury's and was not impressed - read about my U-bass shopping trip [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/284295-nubd-kala/page__p__3042215__hl__nubd__fromsearch__1#entry3042215"]here[/url]. I ended up with a Kala, which so far has impressed all who see and hear it with its cuteness and massive sound!

Yup, mainly drive and EQ.

Bought a pedal from Nash, it arrived within 36 hours well-packed and in mint condition.

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1470912909' post='3109292'] Rotten band using gear set with rotten eq choices playing Sex On Fire/Dakota badly/out of time equals huge success in most places. [/quote] Plenty of bands haven't a clue where the '1' is in Sex On Fire

No but it had a very good review in Guitarist magazine - it's now on [url="http://www.musicradar.com/reviews/guitars/epiphone-gary-clark-jr-blak-blu-casino-630173"]Music Radar[/url].

Welcome aboard Josie, I hope you find the encouragement you deserve on this forum. Don't forget to head over to the [url="http://basschat.co.uk/forum/31-theory-and-technique/"]Theory and Technique[/url] section - it will do more to improve your playing than GASing over gear!

[quote name='AndyTravis' timestamp='1470857318' post='3109026'] It's too much effort to go to to fake a late 70's jazz. That pickguard shot tells me all I need to know Karl. If it's under [s]10lbs[/s] [b]20lbs[/b] and the you can't fit a [s]quid[/s] [b]finger[/b] down the neck pocket sides, I'd suggest it's one of the better ones from that era. [/quote] Fixed.

It can be quite a relief when you try the thing you were GASing for and find it isn't for you. Conversely I have been known to try something I knew I wouldn't like, just for comparison, and ended up buying it!

[quote name='hiram.k.hackenbacker' timestamp='1470673780' post='3107547'] Go to Bass Direct and try out some Lull's and Roscoe's. [/quote] And Dingwalls. The scale length goes from 34in (G) to 37in (B). They are not cheap, so worth looking out for used. Dood of this parish is currently selling [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/286222-dingwall-ab1-xxx-3x-five-string/page__hl__dingwall"]this one[/url]:

[media]http://youtu.be/mkBS4zUjJZo[/media]

[quote name='afterimage' timestamp='1470591484' post='3106949'] Squire's are great buys you can easy take the decal off and put a fender logo on it [/quote] [quote name='thegummy' timestamp='1470591739' post='3106954'] I hate that idea so much [/quote] [quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1470592571' post='3106964'] +1 [/quote] Instant upgrade - what's not to like?

A used Roadworn should also fit within your budget.

[quote name='RockfordStone' timestamp='1461959599' post='3039224'] my reasons are generally 1) the band is going nowhere 2) the project holds no enjoyment for me anymore [/quote] I have just quit a functions band for reason 2 above (and possibly a bit of reason 1). Seemed like a good thing at the start, but looking back on 6 gigs I realised I had only enjoyed 2 of them! Such a low enjoyment level does not justify the time commitment of weekly rehearsals. I was hoping things would get better, but it became apparent there were other issues that would never be fixed - one of the band members is clearly a passenger, and one of the two people running the band has such poor technique that he is messing up his whole section. I asked another member how he was enjoying the band, and found that he felt much the same, i.e. neither of us would have been in the least bothered if the project had simply folded. I am not one to bale out at the first sign of any problem, but the flipside is that sometimes I let things go too long when really I should walk. Not this time. I gave the band-leader maximum flexibility and have stepped aside now that he has found a replacement. No tears though, and I have agreed to dep if I am available.

They missed a trick by not fitting black frets and marker dots

What about the Kluson-style tuners? They're for a guitar, not a bass!

As others have alluded, you could have a lot of fun with that set. You'll have the basics sorted quickly, so go out and have FUN, ham it up on stage, add your own fills, play stuff whilst jumping about / running through the audience / lying on your back / sitting on the singer's shoulders - and get paid handsomely.