EliasMooseblaster

Curiouser and curiouser...on my own P/J, the split-P is actually closer to the bridge than on a normal Precision. Presumably that placement was chosen to impart a certain tone, though I've faint recollections of a thread on here about P/Js having the split-P moved bridgeward rather than neckward. EDIT: I've just remembered I have a second P/J in the cupboard, a Fender to boot. I might have to make some measurements later.

Tonally, they're definitely in the same ball-park. The Warwicks are bright and clear with plenty of zing; much like Rotos that does fade over a few days. I think the Rotosounds have more "authority" in their tone - I also use them on my Thunderbird, incidentally, and with the pickup blend just right I do find I can get a nice piano-like tone without sacrificing the bottom end. The Warwicks definitely manage a close second, and I'd probably go back to them if I couldn't get Rotos for whatever reason. The Warwicks obviously have the advantage of being cheaper; curiously enough I also found them quite a bit softer under the fingers, and I tend to favour the nickel-plated Rotos when I can get them.

If you're looking to play around without investing a lot of cash (initially) there is a lot of free software around at the moment. I've recently rediscovered Guitarix as a surprisingly good amp sim. Unfortunately, the latency is the kicker, as several have already said - with my current setup, it's too much to turn my computer into a replacement for a practice amp. But a combination of dialling in a satisfying sound, then recording without sending the Guitarix signal back out to the monitor, allows me to get a passable bass amp sound for laying down demos etc.

Amen to that!

Even with roundwound strings on, you'll find it sounds quite "dark" compared to most other basses, but that shouldn't stop you giving it a bit more bark. I appreciate that my Epiphone EB-3 is a different instrument from a "real" Gibson, but I've tried it with Roto RS66 (both SS and nickel), Ernie Ball Cobalts, and Warwick Reds - I still default to Rotosound, but all of them have sounded good. (The Warwicks are pretty good as a cheap option if you're just looking to experiment!!)

Christ on a pogo stick. I've just watched your demo videos and that thing sounds incredible. Love the overdriven tone, in particular; I can only imagine how good that would sound with a Bass Tubescreamer in the chain. If anyone does get a chance to A/B that Handbox against the Ashdown (which just happens to be my current gigging head...), I'd be very interested in hearing the verdict, or indeed the source material! (I expect the CTM-100 will sound darker, but then I usually gig mine with a T-bird, which probably sounds a fair bit darker than a Marusczyk to begin with.)

Lest we forget, that chap with his infinitely relisted (and frankly monstrous) 15-string conversion was originally trying to get ten grand for it...

You don't happen to also be a member of Nigerian royalty, by any chance?

...so sayeth MU head honcho Horace Trubridge: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-43540298 Anybody else ever have a run-in with these clowns? I've never forgotten being invited to an initial meeting with some of them, via an email in which they wrote effusively about how much they liked the sound and look of the band, and really thought this was something they could work with...only to turn up and be asked questions such as "so what kind of music do you play?" and "how many are you in the band?" I remain relieved that I didn't hand over any money as a result of that meeting, but I know one or two who were less fortunate.

A fair point, but my current role is ironing laundry, and the Squier performs surprisingly well as an ironing board, provided you don't mind your clothes smelling faintly of melted nitro afterwards...

A qualified "yes." In the early days of Cherry White, I often gigged with my (cheap) bitsa Precision, and it sounded fine. I've since done the odd gig with them on variations-on-a-P-bass (even a Jazz once...), and still occasionally use one in the studio if I think the track demands a particular bass sound. The only difference would be that the band are used to the darker Gibson-bass-type-grunt that normally comes from playing an SG or Thunderbird, and I do find these latter two more articulate at the dusty end of the neck. But unless there was something fundamentally wrong with the Squier (e.g., it being a Jazz), I think we'd get away with it.

My very first bass was a Bronco, and I do still find myself missing it every now and again! I moved it on after I discovered the differences between short- and long-scale basses, but years later I feel like I can properly appreciate what a good bass it was to start out on.

Just going on the surface area of the cones, the 2x10 will shift less air than the 2x12 (to reference the OP, the 2x10 has a smaller area than a 1x15; the 2x12 is larger). But of course that's just one factor - a more sensitive and well-voiced 2x10 could well outperform a cheap and hastily-made 2x12. I've done outdoor gigs with a 2x12 and no PA support, and that seemed to be fine (going on positive comments from people standing at the far end of the beer garden). The cab in question was a Bergantino, however, and they do put quite a lot of attention into the voicing of their cabs!

Thanks very much for the link! I think I've rather worn out my copies of Leeds and IoW; it'll be good to have a fresh set to get my ears around. (On a related note, does anyone know if you can still get copies of that Tanglewood set from the early '70s?)

Very glad to hear that you've clicked with the bass...and then clicked even more after the string change! Funnily enough, I was in a recording studio with my Model T this Saturday just gone. The day before I'd been worried it was sounding a little dull, and then I remembered I hadn't changed the strings since 2015. A fresh set of Rotos later and it was singing nicely again. Often overlooked, as you rightly say!

Is there anyone in your neck of the woods who can do repairs and rewiring? I've only ever owned one active bass, but I took it back to the shop after the treble control started behaving a bit like your blend knob (by the sound of things) - their tech gave me a call and said the treble circuit was basically shot, and he'd had to order a replacement. Pity: if it were a passive circuit, switching from v/b to v/v would be pretty straightforward!

Was that an oblique way of implying that you were tuning in specifically for Cerys Matthews' show?

"I can attest to the fact that this humble cable really does make an audible difference to the sound heard from your amp." ...'cos it's kind of quiet without it!

Do they do iceman bodies to fit left-handed guitars? You could always turn one of those upside down and fit a righty neck to it...as long as you don't mind the control being under your forearm!

They were de rigeur on a lot of the early Gibson designs - there are many people on this very forum who'll tell you that any SG bass reissue isn't worth its salt unless it has the varitone fitted (or at least the bass choke option). I do wonder if their lack of uptake elsewhere correlates at all with Gibson's general struggle to produce commercially successful basses - the Thunderbird, after all, only has a passive tone control.

Largely due to the practical difficulty of dyeing Guinness, I'd imagine...

I know a couple of guitarists who swear by Laney's guitar amps, and I've always thought some of their bass stuff is better than it often gets credit for. My last solid state amp was a Laney RB combo, and considering its price point it was a great bit of kit. If only they'd made a smaller valve head for bass, I might have stuck with them!

I try to reassure myself that I'm going through the other side of an oscillation. For the first half of my bass-playing life, I had no money. I was doing everything as cheaply as possible: getting a new bass meant selling a cheap one to fund the purchase of a slightly less cheap one, or scouring eBay for the parts to assemble one myself. Then in the second half, I had disposable income, and it all started to go downhill. I'm now at the point where the two halves are equal in length. I hope the GAS will settle down, and I won't keep itching for something different... ...unfortunately, I did try a Sandberg a few weeks ago, and I'm struggling to get it off my mind. I also quite fancy an upright. And a piano. God help me...

I think DADGAD is one of those tunings that lends itself to slide and other open-chord styles. If you've got used to playing in Open D or Open G it makes a refreshing change; if you're coming in cold from standard, it's a real sod to re-think!

May I just say what an encouraging (and occasionally entertaining) thread this has been. Now, to business: what advice do you have for somebody with a deep bass register who's pretty sure he can feel a cold coming on but is going to have to sing a couple of hours' worth of lead vocals in a couple of days' time?